Granted to believe in Christ
That grant is the grace of God, which distinguishes Christians from other people. Paul is saying it takes the grace of God to believe in Christ. That was why Jesus said that no one can come to him except the Father draws him (John 6:44). And no one can resist the Father's drawing. Paul said that he himself was an example of the grace of God.
1 Timothy 1:15-17: This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them! But here is why I was treated with mercy: so that in me, as the worst, Christ Jesus could demonstrate his utmost patience, as an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life. Now to the eternal King, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever! Amen.
He was on a rampage against the church when Jesus met him (Acts 9). If there was someone who should not receive grace, you might say that would be Paul.
So we should give God the praise for the grace to be saved, to be called out of darkness (1 Peter 2:9). We have been chosen to be the bride of Christ. Just as the apostles were called and chosen, so also we have been chosen and called to belong to Christ. There was nothing accidental in your coming to Christ.
Paul said people have to be sent to proclaim the gospel so that people will believe (Romans 10:14-15). And Jesus said none of the people that the Father has given him will be lost (John 6:39, John 10:28-29). It's a done deal. The father calls and the Spirit seals us (Ephesians 1:13) as the gain of Christ going to the cross.
We have come from darkness into light (1 Peter 2:9). It is an irreversible reaction. No one is snatching you from the hand of the father, and you have the witness of the Holy Spirit that you are children of God (Romans 8:16), wherewith we cry abba Father (Galatians 4:6).
We become changed in our spiritual reality. It's not a little tinkering. We actually died and have been raised up with Christ (Colossians 2:20, 3:1), and our life is now in Christ (Romans 6:4).
This is not mere words, it is the reality of new life in Christ, who actually was a man, actually died, and actually rose again and actually went up to heaven before man witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
But that is the easy part, the part where everything is done for you and you just believe.
Suffer for him
The hard part is the part where we suffer for His name's sake. The part where He said if we deny him before men, he would deny us before the Father, the part where Paul is saying in this verse that if suffering for him is also our calling. Just as our salvation is not accidental but a calling, so the suffering is also a calling. That is painful to hear. But that is the truth.
Jesus frontloaded the risk of following him, saying people should count the cost (Luke 14:28). He said if you do not hate your life you cannot be his disciples (Luke 14:26). And after Paul preached and some people believed, he said that it is through many tribulations that they would enter the kingdom (Acts 14:22).
That means the reality of the unseen - faith - must ring loud in you. The root of your salvation must go deep, so that you can bear fruit, and not be uprooted with the wind of suffering.
Paul was not sugarcoating it. The whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19), and persecution is the lot of many because of that. James calls it the trial of our faith, and it may be what people can call small things, like mockery, or big things, like death.
My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything. (James 1:2-4)
The reason we are told to consider it all joy is that it is not what many do by instinct. However, when some apostles were flogged for the sake of Christ, they counted themselves fortunate to be chosen to suffer for his sake.
and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. (Acts 5:40-41)
It was real suffering, it was really dishonor, they were put through a shameful experience, they suffered actually, and they experienced rejection.
Nothing should be downplayed here just because it did not lead to their death. But they saw what Jesus willingly took on for our sake, and they used that to put their suffering in perspective.
They see that if the Son of God can suffer, suffering for the sake of Christ was a good thing and not a bad thing. Jesus suffered, and the outcome was glory. The suffering achieves something great. But many times, we are surprised by suffering. That should not be so.
1Peter 4:1-2: So, since Christ suffered in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same attitude because the one who has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin, in that he spends the rest of his time on earth concerned about the will of God and not human desires.
There are so many passages that talk about the positive effect of suffering for Christ, including this one from Peter where he links our suffering with the Spirit of glory resting on us.
Dear friends, do not be astonished that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed, you may also rejoice and be glad. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, who is the Spirit of God, rests on you. (1 Peter 4:12-14)
