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 Also, the Christian must have their affections withdrawn from the world.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 heirs—heirs 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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