John Calvin:
Suffering
Chapter 10 - The fellowship of his sufferings
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The
fellowship of his sufferings
- In suffering for the course of God we are
walking step by step after the Son of God and have him as our guide
- The atrocities against Christians spring chiefly
from 2 idealogies throughout the world - godless communism and radically
militant Islam
Faith
tested by persecution
We are
destined to suffer for Christ
- Peter wrote this to the suffering church in the
1st century:
- 1 Peter 4:12-13 - Suffering for Being a
Christian- 12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are
suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice
that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed
when his glory is revealed.
- Consider what Paul wrote and we must conclude
that those who work to be exempt from persecutions must necessarily renounce
Christ -
- 2 Timothy 3:11-12 11 - what kinds of things
happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet
the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a
godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
We are
called to follow Christ
- The self denial implies that we ought to give up
our natural inclinations and part with our affections of the flesh and give our
consent to be reduced to nothing:
- Matthew 16:24-25 - 24Then Jesus said to his
disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take
up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
- The self denial is daily:
- "When Christ calls a man, he bids him to
come and die" - Bonhoeffer
- The call of Christ sets a man in the middle of
the daily arena against sin and the devil. Every day we must suffer anew for
Christ's sake
- A Christian, even if persecuted must always have
one foot lifted to march to battle. Also, the Christian must have their
affections withdrawn from the world.
- Hebrews 13:3 - 3 Remember those in prison as if
you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you
yourselves were suffering.
- Paul said "we are called and appointed to
suffer."
Following Christ means bearing the cross
- Matthew 8:34- 34Then the whole town went out to
meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
- Romans 6:5-6 - 5 - If we have been united with
him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his
resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the
body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin
- Galatians 2:20 - 20I have been crucified with
Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the
body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
- Luther - He who does not know Christ does not
know God hidden in suffering. Therefore, he prefers works to suffering, glory
to the cross, strength to weakness, wisdom to folly. For they hate the cross
and suffering and love works and the glory of works. Thus they call the good of
the cross, evil and the evil of a deed, good. God can only be found in
suffering and the cross.
- These are the people whom the apostle Paul
calls "enemies of the cross".
- Philippians 3:18 - 18For, as I have often told
you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross
of Christ.
- Persecution is our condition as Christians that
Christ has assigned to us; we are appointed to it; we are forewarned to this
appointment which allows us to fight more bravely.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:3 - 3so that no one would be
unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them.
- The sufferings of Christ are the means of
forgiveness of sin and eternal glory
- By sorrows and tribulation we are sanctified for
glory as Christ was; that why we embrace the cross - becasue the reproach of
the cross disappears and its glory shines forth.
- Heb 2:9-10 - 9But we see Jesus, who was made a
little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he
suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through
whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect
through suffering.
- Christ came to this inheritance by the cross; we
must come to it in the same manner - by suffering and sacrifice
- Romans 8:16-17 Listen to this passage 16The
Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if
we are children, then we are heirsheirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,
if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his
glory.
- 1 Peter 4:14 - 14 If you are insulted because of
the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests
on you.
- That which is counted most reproachful among men
excels in dignity and glory in the sight of God and his angels
- Acts 5:41 - 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the
Name.
- The marks of Jesus are imprisonment, chains,
scourgings, blows and stoning in bearing testimony to the Gospel.
- Galatians 6:17 - 17 Finally, let no one cause me
trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
We are
called to renounce worldly goods
- The real proof of spiritual poverty is to
patiently endure the loss of worldly goods and without any regret when it
pleases our heavenly Father that we should be despoiled of them.
- Matthew 19:23-24 - 23Then Jesus said to his
disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
- Matthew 19:27 - 27Peter answered him, "We
have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"
We are
privileged to share in Christ's sufferings
- All the children of God are destined to be
conformed to Christ. The more we are afflicted with adversity, the surer we are
made of our fellowship with Christ:
- Philippians 3:10 - 10I want to know Christ and
the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death,
- 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5 - 4Therefore, among God's
churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and
trials you are enduring. 5All this is evidence that God's judgment is right,
and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you
are suffering.
- When we suffer for Christ:
- Galatians 6:17 - 17Finally, let no one cause me
trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
- 2 Corinthians 4:10 - 10We always carry around in
our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in
our body.
- Philippians 3:10 - 10I want to know Christ and
the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death,
- The death and resurrection of
Christ means:
- expiation and destruction of
sin
- freedom from condemnation
- satisfaction of God's justice
for the forgiveness of sin
- victory over death
- attainment of
righteousness
- the hope of a blessed
immortality
- There's a 2 fold participation and fellowship in
the death of Christ
- 1. inward - mortification of the
flesh/crucifixion of the old man
- 2. outward - mortification of the outward man -
the endurance of the cross
- 2 Timothy 2:11 - 11Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him, we will also live with him;
- Calvin - it is by the cross of Christ that tries
our faith and we become partakers with Christ
- It is a cause for joy when God sets persecution
before us but also bids us to rejoice:
- 1 Peter 4:12-14 - 12Dear friends, do not be
surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange
were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of
Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14If you are
insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of
glory and of God rests on you.
- Paul has joy becasue he is a partaker with
Christ. Christ's sufferings are "lacking" until the second coming - -
but Paul's sufferings are not redemptive but missionary; Paul rejoices for the
sake of Gentile converts:
- Colossians 1:24-25 - 24Now I rejoice in what was
suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to
Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25I have
become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of
God in its fullness
- It is fixed by God that we must be conformed to
Christ in endurance of the Cross:
- 2 Corinthians 4:10 - 10We always carry around in
our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in
our body.
- 2 Timothy 2:10 - 10Therefore, I endure
everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation
that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
- 1 Corinthians 1:21 - 21For since in the wisdom
of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through
the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
- 1 Corinthians 1:25-26 - 25For the foolishness of
God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's
strength. 26Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of
you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of
noble birth.
- Galatians 6:2 - 2Carry each other's burdens,
and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
The
church is the communion of saints
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