1 Peter 4:1-6 “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human lusts, but for the will of God. For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the [pagan] Gentiles, having pursued a course of indecent behavior, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excesses of debauchery, and they slander you; but they will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as people, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.”
The Apostles knew and understood that one of the purpose of sufferings in our lives and how we handle them is that it reveals what we are truly like inside and what we are made of - what is in our heart. The word for suffering originally was used to describe the process of squeezing grapes for wine and olives for oil. This crashing pressure revealed what was inside the fruit. Likewise, the sufferings that we experience in our lives reveals what’s inside us; what comes out of us when we are under pressure ... sweet Jesus, the hope of glory deep within our heart? If we have the great, unimaginably powerful love that Jesus gives us and God shows us, then we should be able to show that love of God within us back to people, especially when we are in affliction, under pressure or suffering. There is a connection between our sufferings and the revelation of Christ.
Colossians 1:24-27 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am supplementing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of His body, which is the church. I was made a minister of this church according to the commission from God granted to me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
The logical question would be: When you experience suffering in your life, what is flows out for others to see? The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5:44-45, “I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Rainbows are a result of rain. Jesus said in John 7:38, “The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’”, to enjoy real life, to have true life and worthy of the name; active, blessed, endless in the kingdom of God.
Romans 5:1-5 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
God can use us regardless of the circumstances. The Prison Epistles refer to four letters in the New Testament written by the Apostle Paul during his time under house arrest in Rome between approximately 60—62 AD. They include Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon and it caused Christianity to explode throughout the world. He wrote in Philippians 1:12-14 “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brothers and sisters, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.” His letters were one of the greatest ways that God was able to magnificently use Paul to minister to people and reaping benefits from then until now. Even the great apostle to the Gentiles could appreciate the extent to which God was working through him, but had the spiritual eyes to recognize that God was capable of using him regardless of his circumstances. Likewise, God is able to use us regardless of his circumstances they are in. Unfortunately, there are far too many Christians that use their circumstances to not serve God or Christ’s church. Look beyond the circumstances and trust that God is going to provide you with everything that you need, blessing you in more ways than you can imagine. Busy people get things done.
Let's conclude Pastor Herk's message on what suffering for Christ really means in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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