Privilege of Suffering For Christ

"For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake; having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me."

-Php. 1:29-30

I have been reading primarily in Romans lately, however the issue of suffering has come up numerous times, that gave me the curiosity and desire to understand more fully the issue of suffering.

There are two kinds of suffering that our apostle Paul speaks about all over his epistles, and two forms of suffering that our Father desires us to be aware of. It is by God's grace however that through these two forms of suffering we can endure. It is through sound doctrine built up in our inner man that stablishes us for any wind or storm (literally or figuratively) that comes around. By sanctification of the Spirit of God and our belief in the Word of God, these doctrines effectually work in us to ground us and settle our minds in Christ. There are four big issues that I desire to tackle in the next couple of days about suffering. They are:

1)The two forms of suffering today in the dispensation of grace
2)The sign of suffering today
3)Understanding suffering today in the dispensation of grace in light of God's justification and sanctification
4)Where there is suffering there is consolation in Christ (glory of God)

The first issue we will look at is the "two forms" of suffering. Paul says in Romans 8:18,

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

It is no coincidence that after you learn about how to become justified before God, that before God gives you the details of your justified position He speaks about "tribulation" in Romans 5. This is a passage of scripture we will go in more detail in days to come. However, in Romans 8 after describing the details and mechanics of your sanctified position in Christ in chapters 6, 7, and 8, God again brings up suffering. Notice what the sufferings are titled. The "sufferings of this present time". These sufferings are the first form of suffering we will discuss. These sufferings are natural sufferings of this present time. For example, natural disasters, droughts, famine, airplane crashes, shipwrecks, etc. Many will preach and teach these things as God's judgment and chastisement on a believer because of sin, however this allegation is false. These are natural things that happen due to man's sinful nature in general, not because of God's specific judgment.

Paul says in Romans 8:19-25,

"For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?"

This passage was such a peculiar passage to me before, however with study and believing it, I have a deep appreciation for it. In verse 18, he speaks about the "sufferings of this present time", these sufferings are from the natural state of "the creature" (creation), because of the sinful nature of mankind. This passage however is not a passage of doctrine to produce fear of God's judgment on us for natural things that happen in the world, but instead this passage is one of God's equipment for our inner man to stablish and root us in Christ. It is a doctrine that is to "save" us as it were from the "present suffering" or tribulations that we face each and every day. A doctrine to console us from "present distresses" and to educate us about them; primarily that they are not from God as if it were God's judgment upon us in any way. It is a passage that gives us a future look, a hope, of who we will be in Christ, which will effectually ground us presently.

In Romans 8:19-25, Paul explains that "the creature" (active creation) has an "earnest expectation" (secure, down payment of something to come), in fact, the "creature", "waiteth" it continually waits for something. This something is the manifestation (revealing) of the sons of God. These sons of God are explained in detail in verses 12-17. They are you and I in Christ. The whole creation waits for the manifestation of who we will finally become in Christ. God then explains how the creation was subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of hope, to one day be delivered. In verse 21, those in Christ have been delivered, however it is not until we are glorified that "the creature" will finally be "delivered from the bondage of corruption" and "into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Paul is comparing "the creature", that is "subject to vanity" and needs to be "delivered from the bondage of corruption" to our present sufferings. Here is a doctrine to trust in, creating a hope in us that "saves" us from the present suffering, resulting in verse 25, "but if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."

Our focus a members of the Body of Christ should not be on us, nor on the present suffering that we are going through. For neither of those things produces a hope that consoles us and saves us from the present sufferings, but rather tosses us to and fro. God be thanked that He has a design and a doctrine to root and ground our souls in the very deepest struggles we face in this "present time". Our focus instead should be when God manifests us as "sons of God" so that the "creature" specifically the "heavenly places" will be "delivered from the bondage of corruption" and "into the glorious liberty of the children of God". It is at this time that we wait for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. It is the deliverance of the natural fallen world and our natural fallen bodies that we wait for. Paul says to reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God and that the body of sin has been destroyed. Also, when the present sufferings come wait, hope, and look for the deliverance for in doing so a patience and saving takes place not miraculously, but by the Word of God working in you from believing in it.

Colossians 3:1-4,

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory."

Next time the second form of suffering, "the afflictions of Christ".

Until next time...
In Christ,
Joshua Strelecki