Suffering for Christ

[Faithful Son]

There's a song from the 80's or early 90's that goes: "We did it all for the glory of love". I'm not sure if you are familiar with those lyrics, but it totally hits home with me. You see, I've been on my own private quest so to speak, to get to grips with the new life I have. A part of this new life, even for me a young man aged 23, I have never quite accepted the "suffering".

God knows my heart and He knew not to tell me straight away why I was suffering, because I'm sure He was building up my strength and character. About a month ago, through my private time spent with the Lord, He gave me a revelation about my life and my suffering, which I would like to share with you.

I suffer from allergies, headaches, muscle cramps, kidney cramps, shooting pains in my head, nausea, thirst, hunger and everything else many Christians suffer with. But the question is why?

Paul, a servant and Apostle of Lord Jesus, the one born unaturally gave us the reason and message why we are suffering this way. We are doing it for the glory of love, God's love. Many people wonder what power is there in the resurrection. Many people even consider that maybe there may be truth to fairy tales like the Da Vinci Code or the Gospel of Judas. How wrong they are.

Jesus was crucified, the Bible says He "became" sin for the world. That's not a general statement to make if you ask me, how exactly do someone become sin? Jesus was sinless, He lived a sinless life, He was perfect in that sense, after being tempted His entire life He still rose out above it all and was able to die as a pure sacrifice for the world. The Bible doesn'y specify hpw Jesus became sin, but I can imagine it this way, all the sin of the world, past, future and what is to come was on the shoulders of Jesus, He carried it all.

If Jesus committed sin, voluntarily and out of His own doing, what power would there be in the Cross? None if you ask me.

If Jesus wasn't risen alive on the third day after the crucifiction, what power would there be in the Cross? None if you ask me.

By this we know, Jesus is not a liar. He is Holy and Pure, the purist form of any person, no matter who they are, is seen when Jesus shines through them.

So, to get back to the message. Why do we, as Christians, people belonging to Jesus Christ have to suffer? What is the "reason" for our pain?

2 Corinthians 1:3-14


Comfort in Suffering

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

Delivered from Suffering

8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does^[a] deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, 11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our^[b] behalf for the gift granted to us through many.

Paul’s Sincerity

12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. 13 For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end 14 (as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Paul says, we are suffering because the suffering of Jesus is abounding in us, it's filling us. We are part of Jesus' life and His world, the Cross and what Jesus endured on the Cross, a small taste of that is being presented to us in our bodies. What is the reason for this?

The reason is: 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

The Message:

6-7When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you're just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you're going to make it, no doubt about it.

If we suffer today, a little bit or a lot, we do it for the reason to be part of the end product so to speak, the consolation as Paul calls it.

The consolation is the new life, the life of absolute wonder and Grace, the life in God that teaches us to live as He wants us to, the life which is after this life and the resurrection of the dead and us having glorified bodies, that's the consolation, but mostly, the consolation is love.

I have listened to the complete song: "Glory of love" and I bet that's the song that Jesus will sing when He says to the entire world at the end "It's finished". I'm sure He will sing to us that God did it all for the Glory of Love!

God bless
Much love
Faithful Son

article was created and is posted by Faithful Son and may be freely shared, God bless

 

[rlowe]

-
Regarding "Glory of Love" by: Peter Cetera

Yes, especially below parts.

CHORUS: (God speaking to you)
I am a man who would fight for your honor
I'll be the hero you're dreaming of
We'll live forever knowing together
That we did it all for the glory of love

(you speaking to God)
You keep me standing tall
You help me through it all
I'm always strong when you're beside me
I have always needed you
I could never make it alone

Thanks for sharing
-

 

[Faithful Son]

Thank you for giving me the artist name sister. God bless you