Christian Response to Suffering, Part Five

We have been studying the Christian response to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 4:16 Paul speaks of what our response should be, saying, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Only Christians can say this. Everyone else is dying outwardly and inwardly. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporal, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Jesus Christ and his apostles promised that the Christian life would involve suffering. It is utterly impossible to bear the name of Christ in this world and not be persecuted by the enemies of Jesus Christ. Additionally, Christians are commanded to deny themselves and take up their crosses daily and follow Christ, which involves suffering as Jesus himself did. But we can take comfort in the fact that the eternal life that God has given us is indestructible. Jesus himself said, “You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me, but not a hair of your head will perish” (Luke 21:16).

How should we respond to the suffering we experience as Christians? We have considered three points already:

1. We must have a thorough understanding of the gospel. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:13-14: “It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ With that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.” That’s the gospel, and we must understand it in order to bear up under Christian suffering.
2. We must understand what sufferings accomplish. The Bible tells us that sufferings produce an eternal weight of glory.
3. We must have the perspective of faith. By faith we can transcend the wasting of our bodies; the mundane troubles, sufferings, and persecutions of this life; and see the invisible and eternal reality of the kingdom of God.

Vital Union with Christ

The fourth point we want to consider is the great doctrine of vital union with Christ. If you are a Christian, when you first put your faith in Jesus Christ, you become vitally linked to him, as well as to the Father and the Holy Spirit. If you have been so linked to all the members of the triune God, it is impossible to be separated from God and be lost, no matter what trials you undergo.

This union with Christ was God’s plan from all eternity. We were in the mind of God the Father before we existed, before time began, and before God created the universe, as we read in Ephesians 1:4: “For he chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in him.” Paul says God the Father chose us “in Christ,” which is an interesting phrase that appears many times in the New Testament, especially in Paul’s writings. It speaks of this doctrine of vital union with Christ. In the thought of God the Father, before we existed, we were chosen by him to be in his eternal Son, Jesus Christ. In John 17 we read that in eternity we were given to the Son to be redeemed.

Paul speaks about this aspect of God’s choosing us before time began in 2 Timothy 1:9-10, where he says God “has saved us and called us to a holy life. . . .” Some people think God has saved us and called us to live the same old life, but if we are living the same old life, we must conclude that we are not saved. “God has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose”–that is God’s own eternal purpose–“and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior. . . .” This is speaking about the incarnation of Christ, not his second coming. “It has been now revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus.” What did he do by his incarnation? He “has destroyed death for us and has brought life,” meaning eternal, indestructible life, “and immortality to light through the gospel.”

Not only did God the Father think of us before we ever existed, but we were in Christ when he was here on earth. Jesus was very conscious of his union with us and his purpose in coming to save us. In Matthew 20:28: “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Who are these many? Those whom the Father gave him to redeem before time began. In John 15:5 Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” He was speaking about this vital union that we have with him. In Ephesians 5:25-26 Paul tells us that Christ loved the church and gave himself for her, on behalf of her.

We are also in Christ now that Christ is in heaven. In Ephesians 2:4-6 we read, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”

We died with Christ; we are buried with Christ; we are raised with Christ; we ascended with Christ, and we are seated with Christ. Just think about that. Before time began, we were in Christ, in the mind of God the Father. Then the Son came, and we were in him. He obeyed completely and perfectly, and God the Father regards his perfect obedience as our obedience. Christ died, and God the Father regards that we died to sin with him. Now we are seated with Christ in heavenly places. This is vital union with Christ.

An Inseparable Union

Not only are we in vital union with Christ, but this union is inseparable. In Romans 8:38-39 Paul says that nothing–no force, outside of God–is able to cut us away, to separate us by bringing about a cleavage, from our God. So he says, “I am convinced” meaning he was thoroughly convinced beyond all shadow of doubt, that neither death nor life or anything else in all creation will be powerful enough to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That is why we can respond to suffering with joy. We can look at our troubles and say, “You have no power to cut me off from this vital union with Jesus Christ, God the Father, and God the Holy Ghost.” That is what is symbolized when we are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

In John 10:28-29 Jesus spoke about this vital union also. In verse 28 he said, “I give them eternal life. . . .” Jesus was speaking of those whom God the Father gave to him before they existed. It was his job to redeem them, and he did so. Jesus continued, “and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” The word for “snatch” is rapture, meaning no one can rapture us out of him, no one can snatch us away from his grasp. Jesus goes on, “My Father who has given them to me,” in all eternity to redeem, to save, “is greater than all.” Aren’t you glad that we believe in a God who is all-sovereign, all-mighty, and all-powerful? He is “greater than all.” Then Jesus concludes, “No one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost have one purpose: to save us and keep us safe, now and forevermore. I hope we will have this confidence as we face troubles, trials, and problems.

How secure are we in God? Listen to the language Jesus used to describe our union with him in John 17. In verses 20-21 we read, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” And in the latter part of verse 22 and verse 23 we read, “that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me.”

Have you ever tried to understand the depth of meaning in that verse? We are in Christ; he is in us; and the Father is in him. We are very, very secure. Now, we must not think that because we are in him, we have become gods. No, we will ever remain creatures. We will be glorified creatures, but creatures nonetheless. We will never become Deity.

The fourth thing, then, that we can remember when we are suffering is that a true Christian is in vital, inseparable union with Christ. This is not talking about somebody who professes to be a Christian but lives like a devil. This has nothing to do with those who say, “Lord, Lord,” but are workers of iniquity. This is only true for those who have been regenerated and have trusted in Jesus Christ alone, who are working out their salvation with fear and trembling. Only such people can take comfort in knowing that he who saved them is also working in them both to will and to do his good pleasure.

The Mighty Energy of God

The fifth point we need to consider when we are faced with suffering is the effect of the mighty power of God in our lives. There is a Greek word, energeia, from which we have the English word energy. Whenever this word is used, especially by Paul, in the New Testament, it is never used to refer to human strength; rather, it refers to superhuman strength, usually meaning the energy and strength of God. The word is also used sometimes with reference to the energy of the antichrist, which is the energy of Satan. But here we are talking about the energy of God, meaning the superhuman energy, the divine efficiency of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, which is at work within us.

In Ephesians 1 Paul prays that God’s people understand this mighty energy of God. In verses 18-19 he prays that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened that we may know a number of things, including “his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Paul uses the word energeia. Paul is speaking of this divine energy, efficiency, strength, and power of God.

Then Paul describes how God exercised his energy and demonstrated to us how powerful it is. What did he do? First, he raised Jesus Christ from the dead! That was a greater demonstration of the energy of God than the creation of the universe and the deliverance of God’s people from Egypt. Second, he seated Jesus Christ at his right hand. Again, that is a demonstration of God’s divine energy, efficiency, power, strength. Third, he put all things under the feet of Jesus Christ, declaring him Lord of all. Fourth, he appointed him as head of the church. That was also a demonstration of the divine energy.

What else did God do to demonstrate his incomparably great energy? In Ephesians 2 we read that he made alive us who were dead in transgressions and sins, raised us up with Christ, and seated us with Christ in the heavenly realms. This is a demonstration of God’s divine power. Yes, Satan has superhuman energy, which he exercises in the lives of unbelievers, but it is creaturely energy and therefore finite and limited. The power of God the Father is infinite, unlimited and divine.

Laboring with the Energy of God

The efficiency and energy of God worked mightily in the apostle Paul, as we read in Colossians 1:28-29. In verse 28 Paul says, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” The apostle’s goal was to bring believers to maturity in Christ. That is why he was preaching the gospel and why he was being persecuted.

In verse 29 Paul explains how he worked to accomplish that goal: “To this end I labor. . . .” Paul uses the Greek word kopiaô, which means toiling to the point of exhaustion, in the present active indicative, meaning he is doing so continually.

Then Paul says, “struggling with all his energy. . . .” The Greek word is agônizomenos, meaning he struggled, agonized, like an athlete, straining every nerve, with total focus and concentration. Whose energy was Paul speaking about? The energy of Christ, which is the energy of the Father and the Holy Spirit as well. God’s energy was working in Paul as he proclaimed the gospel in a hostile world.

You may say at this point, “Well, I agree that God’s energy was working in the apostle, but what about us?” Let me assure you, this is true of us as well. As we face troubles, problems, difficulties, and death, we must understand that there is an energy that is working in us. It is not the power of positive thinking; it is the energy of God. The energy of Christ–this superhuman energy–is for all human beings who are Christians. Yes, we have this treasure in earthen vessels, but God still works through us.

In Ephesians 3:20 we read, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. . . .” God is able, meaning he is powerful, to work according to his power that operates mightily within us, “to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”

Think about this, Christians. The apostle Paul said, “To this end I labor,” toiling to the point of exhaustion, struggling like an athlete, straining every nerve. But he was doing it according to the measure of the energy of Christ that was working in him. And now he says that this power of God also works within us.

Oh, that we would think about these things and put our names there when we are discouraged and about to give up! We must understand this reality, that we are Christians who enjoy divine efficiency, divine strength, divine power, and divine might. Paul prayed that the eyes of our understanding would be enlightened so that we might understand this incomparably great energy of God for us who believe. God’s power is released from heaven to redeem us, to keep us, to save us, to strengthen us, to encourage us, and to help us to persevere.

We need God’s mighty power! Didn’t Jesus tell his disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power, meaning baptized in the Holy Spirit? “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. . .” (Acts 1:8). When this happens, we can go out to live and witness in the efficiency of God.

Persecution Yields Blessing

The fifth thing we need to remember in the midst of suffering is that when we are persecuted or suffering, we are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon us.

In 1 Peter 4:14 Peter writes to those who are undergoing persecution for righteousness’ sake. He says, “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” In the Greek text we find the word makarioi, which means blessed or happy. That is a paradox. When we are insulted, persecuted, mocked, and stoned on behalf of Christ, we are blessed.

We see the same word in Matthew 5, in the beatitudes. In verses 10-11 we read, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”

May we think of these things when we are undergoing persecution! When we are persecuted because we are Christians, we can draw the glorious conclusion that we truly bear the name of Christ and are born of God. I recently spoke to a woman whose father took her to a mosque and asked her to pray to Allah. (PGM) This woman said, “No, I cannot do that. I am a Christian now.” Her father was not pleased with her answer, but that woman can take comfort in this word of God to her: “Makarioi–blessed are you! Yes, you are being persecuted because of your faith in me. But from that fact you can draw the conclusion that you are a Christian who bears my Name.”

The Presence of the Holy Spirit

Peter says, “you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God is resting on you.” That is an interesting phrase. Most commentaries don’t have much to say on this point but it has reference to the glorious Holy Spirit of God coming upon us as we are suffering for the sake of Christ.

Peter was alluding to Isaiah 11, which speaks about the Holy Spirit coming upon the Messiah. In Isaiah 11:2 we read, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him–the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord–and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.” Jesus Christ was the Messiah because the Spirit of God rested upon him. That is what Messiah, or meshiach, means. He is the one who is anointed, not by oil, but by the Spirit of God himself–the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of power, the Spirit of knowledge, and so on. This anointing enabled Jesus to perform his messianic work.

We find this essential qualification for a Messiah also in Isaiah 42:1. God says, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him. . . .” In other words, God was saying, “I will anoint him with the Holy Spirit so he will function as Prophet, Priest and King–as the Messiah.

We find this again in Isaiah 61:1-2, where the Messiah himself says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn. . . .”

We see these prophecies fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ. In Luke 3:21-22 we read, ” When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'”

In Luke 4:14 we read, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,” and in verses 16-27 we find him in the synagogue in Nazareth. In verse 18 we find Jesus reading from the scroll, from the passage in Isaiah 61: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor,” and so on. In verse 20 we read, “Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'” In other words, Jesus was declaring to these people that what Isaiah had prophesied was now being fulfilled in their midst. The Spirit of God had come and was resting upon him–the Anointed One, the Prophet, Priest and King.

John the Baptist recognized the Holy Spirit resting upon Jesus and what it signified. In Luke 3:16 he told those who wondered if he were the Christ, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

We need the Holy Spirit to rest on us also. In Exodus 40 we read that Moses completed the tabernacle, having done all that God commanded him to do. But a finished dwelling means nothing unless the presence of God is there. So in Exodus 40:34 we read, “Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” The glory of God descended the tabernacle and rested upon it, signifying God’s presence and blessing with his people.

We find a similar situation in 1 Kings 8. Solomon built an astonishingly beautiful temple. But all the splendor of the temple meant nothing unless the glory of God was there, so in verses 10-11 we read, “When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.”

This is exactly what happened on the day of Pentecost as well. The Spirit of God came and rested upon the one hundred and twenty disciples, and they began to speak with other tongues and praise God.

What to Do when Persecuted

The point I want to make is this: When we are persecuted, mocked, and insulted, we have a tendency to focus our attention on our pain and agony. We ask, “Why is this happening to us?” But Peter counsels us to turn our attention away from our suffering to look at the greater reality. First, we must realize that as we are being persecuted for the sake of Christ, God is pronouncing a blessing upon us. Second, we must realize that the Spirit of glory and Spirit of God is resting upon us in the midst of all our sufferings. It takes the eyes of faith and understanding of the gospel to see these realities.

When God chooses us to go through some suffering, our natural way of thinking is to focus our attention on our troubles and our miseries, but God is telling us not to do that. That doesn’t mean we ignore our circumstances. But we must focus on something greater than the suffering. We must focus on the fact that we are blessed by God especially in the midst of such suffering. Not only that, we must also focus on the fact that God’s Holy Spirit is resting upon us. It is especially when we go through suffering that we begin to understand and appreciate the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Just as the Spirit of God hovered upon the waters, so now he is hovering over us in the midst of our suffering and trials.

You see, when our lives are going well, we are not so worried about these matters. We are having a good time. But our eyes are opened to these realities especially when we are going through pain and agony. This is always the experience of God’s people. It was the experience of Peter, and it has been my experience throughout my life. Whenever I suffer, I begin to look on what God has done and see that I am a child of God. I begin to understand that the Spirit of God has come down and is resting upon me, making my body the temple of the living God. When I see these things, then I can rejoice in the midst of suffering.

God’s Spirit Resting on Us

Why does God’s Spirit come to rest upon us? Is it because he needs some rest? Oh, no. Jesus Christ said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” He comes to rest on us, not because he needs rest, but to give us spiritual rest.

In other words, we do not have to be afraid when troubles come upon us. It means we are blessed because we bear his name, and we can derive great comfort from the knowledge that we are God’s children, not pagans. We must realize that the Spirit of glory and of God is resting on us just as he rested on the tabernacle, on the temple, on the Lord Jesus Christ, on the one hundred and twenty disciples on the day of Pentecost, on the believers in the house of Cornelius, and on the disciples in Ephesus. That knowledge will give us great confidence that everything will be all right.

Even now the Holy Spirit is resting on us to refresh us, to strengthen us, to enlighten us, and to give us his love, peace, and joy! While we are being persecuted and tested by fiery trials, he will strengthen us and cause us to rejoice in the midst of it all.

How to Deal with Sufferings

How, then, should we deal with sufferings? We must not get lost in our troubles. We must recognize God’s presence in our lives and see who is resting on us, knowing that God’s presence is designed to give us the rest which Christ accomplished for us on the cross. Only when we see these realities can we say with the psalmist, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” What is the reason he is not afraid? Is it that his mother is with him or his wife is with me? No, “for you are with me.” This One–the One who died and rose again–has sent his Holy Spirit to be with us to take us through all our trials. The Spirit of glory and of God will bring us to glory and to God through all our fiery trials.

Paul referred to this in 2 Corinthians 5:5. Writing in the context of suffering, he says, “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” When we see the Spirit of God resting upon us, we can rejoice, knowing that God is guaranteeing our salvation. There will be a glorious outcome–the Spirit of glory will bring us to glory. He is the deposit, the guarantee, that everything is going to be all right.

In Isaiah 43:1-2 we read, “But now, this is what the Lord says–he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.'”

This is the vital union we have with God. Is God saying, “When you pass through the waters, your mother will be with you, or Gabriel will be with you, or innumerable angels will be with you”? Oh, no. It is God himself who says, “I will be with you.”

Who is this “I”? It is he who created us, formed us, redeemed us and summoned us by name. That is effectual calling. It is he who says, “I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.” Jesus warned us that parents, children and other relatives may betray us, friends may kill us, and all men will hate us on account of him. But he says not even one hair on our heads will be lost. That should comfort us!

So God tells us, “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Nothing in all creation is able to destroy us and separate us from the love of God. We must believe that! And then God gives us the reason: “For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. . . .”

Thus, when we are insulted because we are Christians, we can be blessed and happy because the Spirit of glory and of God is resting upon us. May we therefore fix our attention on the invisible yet very real presence of God in our lives and rejoice. May we praise our Savior, knowing that he is with us and that he will bring us to glory. May we not fear, and may we not look to anyone but Christ, who is greater than all. The self-existing, self-sufficient, eternal, infinite God is with us as our Lord and Savior; therefore, no flood can overwhelm us, no fire can burn us, no enemy can destroy us. We are saved, and our life is indestructible. He destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light.

First the Cross, then the Crown

God has an order: First the cross, then the crown. You see, if God wanted us to all live without sickness, mocking, suffering and persecution, he could have done that. But he hasn’t chosen to do it that way.

This is the way God chose to do it in the case of Jesus Christ as well as for us. In Luke 24:26 Jesus said, “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And in Hebrews 12:2 we read, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Christ’s destiny is the destiny of those who bear his name, and God is not going to make any exceptions. So we read in Romans 8:17, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” In 2 Timothy 2:12 we read, “If we endure, we will also reign with him.” The idea in the Greek is, if we endure suffering with him, we shall also reign with him as kings. This is God’s order and God is not going to change.

What is your destiny? If you are a believer, your destiny is the destiny of Jesus Christ. But if you are an unbeliever, your destiny is the destiny of Satan, whose path you follow. We read about these two destinies in Matthew 25. At the last judgment, this is what the Lord Jesus, the Judge, will speak to every unbeliever: “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels'” (v. 41). But to the believers he will say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (v. 34).

The destiny of the unbeliever is death, but the destiny of the Christian is life eternal in the presence of God. If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him. We are already seated with Christ, but we will come into the fullness of that when Jesus Christ comes again. Oh, what blessedness! Oh, what rejoicing!

Let us, therefore, fix our eyes on Jesus and endure suffering, knowing that at the end we will receive a crown of life. And if you have not trusted in Jesus Christ for your salvation, I urge you to repent of your sins and trust in Christ even this day, that you may not perish but live with him forever. Amen.