Christians in the first century asked the same question we ask today: "If a loving god exists, why is there suffering in the world?" In a magnificent final passage that closes-out the book of Hebrews, the authors remind the young Christian community that we live in a fallen world of our own choosing, a corrupted universe that is the direct result of our rebellion against God. But the suffering we endure is also the helpful work of God perfecting our faith like the sharpest swords forged in the hottest fires, and God's discipline strengthens us to develop a deep maturity that is the hallmark of a true disciple of Christ.