"And
when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples,
they returned to Lystra (where Paul had been stoned and left for dead),
Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples,
exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We must through
many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God.'" Acts 14:21,22
We
see Paul and Barnabas, faithful Christian workers who have “sold out”
for the cause of Christ. At the heart of their ministry, even their
teaching, was the understanding that the entry to the Kingdom of God was
going to be through tribulation. This message they not only taught, but
lived. How amazing to read that after being left for dead, Paul “rose
up” and later re-entered back into the same city where he was stoned. On
clear display, Paul indicated he did not fear persecution, nor would it
deter him from his purpose. Paul was focused on the great mission of
reaching people with the gospel. Perhaps the words of Jesus "Remember
the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his
lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (Jn 15:20) were ringing through their ears.
The goal of the believer, contrary to popular
current opinion, is not to build for ourselves "better lives", "a better
financial base", "happiness in this life", or any other "kingdom" we
think will earn us the praise from those around us. In fact our primary goal is to earn praise of our Father, to come into intimacy with God, and to make Him known. It's an idea that rubs our comfort-loving flesh absolutely the wrong way. While the Bible promises that a faithful man will abound with blessings (Prov 28:20) we completely miss the second half of the verse, "but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished". Pursuit of the "good things" of the world will destroy us, but in pursuing Christ all that is His becomes ours, the blessings AND the suffering.
This seems illogical to the world. In fact, the Bible states that the life of the disciple of Christ is foolishness to those who are not one.
This seems illogical to the world. In fact, the Bible states that the life of the disciple of Christ is foolishness to those who are not one.
"The
message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for
destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of
God.
"As the Scriptures say, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
"So
where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s
brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.
"Since
God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through
human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who
believe.
"It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.
"So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.
"But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
"This
foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s
weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
"Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.
"Instead,
God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those
who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame
those who are powerful.
"God
chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all,
and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.
"As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
"God
has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be
wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy,
and he freed us from sin.
"Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”
1 Cor 1:18-31
Understanding the wisdom of Christ in these matters in fact can often seem like foolishness to those of us who say we believe. There are a million differing opinions on what suffering, and even what devotion looks like in the life of the believer. Does it mean self-flagellation? Should I purposely putting myself in danger to be harmed or killed to show devotion? Does it mean that if I see great blessings in my personal and spiritual life I have confirmation that I please God, or when I am targeted and assaulted for my faith that my love for Him is confirmed?
We can admit that we ourselves struggle with the same opinions that those during the time of Paul struggled with which made understanding of the message of Jesus so confusing. How difficult it can be to believe without the signs we all want as proof! How difficult when loving Jesus demands sacrifice, and may at times make no logical sense!!
Can it be that we keep putting the cart before the horse, as it were? Our focus so often tends to be controlling what can be seen or perceived and therefore controlled, and by that we determine the truth about what can not be seen or controlled. We are walking after the flesh, the five senses.
Romans 8 brings all this into focus:
"1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
Paul urges us to put to death the deeds of the flesh and is reminding us to walk not after the inspiration of what our five senses dictate but what the Spirit of God in us inspires us to do. We are no longer living from the outside in but from the inside out. The Spirit dictates to our spirit which dictates to our flesh the course of action. Later on Paul calls this "mortifying the deeds of the body" and tells us in vs 17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
It puts a new spin on suffering doesn't it?
The truth of the revealed Word of God calls to us to lay aside our worldly wisdom and human logic that wants to put suffering, and every other aspect of the nature and revelation of God, into a mathematical equation. The revelation of the Truth of the wisdom of God flips all that on it's head.
Paul's dramatic conversion meant that where he measured the mettle of his devotion by inflicting suffering on others who perverted what he saw as truth, he now saw no merit in even counting physical suffering he personally endured as part of his devotion. It hardly registered. His passion became knowing Christ and making Him known. Everything else was something in the way that was to be overcome. He considered his biggest threat not those who looked to stop him or punish him, but it was his own flesh, which was to be subdued. Putting to death the deeds of his own flesh was to him the fellowship of suffering.
We feel that doing something big for God, some vast physical endurance plot or some great assault on us from the outside proves the intensity of our love for Christ. But the biggest struggle, the greatest suffering that will bear for us the greatest return, is to put to death the deeds of our body. To submit the weakness of our understanding to the bliss of pure trust in God, without requiring the endless justification we seem to need to keep our flesh in check.
Those who yield to this surrender to the Holy Spirit's work begin to see a crack in the supernatural, a shocking glimpse of Glory, that subdues all the other markers we look at that taunt us to define Him by our own selves and our own understanding. This dying to self and surrender to His Glory at work in us will overwhelm all we surrender to Him, will move us to live on another plane of understanding and redefine to us what even feels like suffering anymore.
We can admit that we ourselves struggle with the same opinions that those during the time of Paul struggled with which made understanding of the message of Jesus so confusing. How difficult it can be to believe without the signs we all want as proof! How difficult when loving Jesus demands sacrifice, and may at times make no logical sense!!
Can it be that we keep putting the cart before the horse, as it were? Our focus so often tends to be controlling what can be seen or perceived and therefore controlled, and by that we determine the truth about what can not be seen or controlled. We are walking after the flesh, the five senses.
Romans 8 brings all this into focus:
"1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
Paul urges us to put to death the deeds of the flesh and is reminding us to walk not after the inspiration of what our five senses dictate but what the Spirit of God in us inspires us to do. We are no longer living from the outside in but from the inside out. The Spirit dictates to our spirit which dictates to our flesh the course of action. Later on Paul calls this "mortifying the deeds of the body" and tells us in vs 17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
It puts a new spin on suffering doesn't it?
The truth of the revealed Word of God calls to us to lay aside our worldly wisdom and human logic that wants to put suffering, and every other aspect of the nature and revelation of God, into a mathematical equation. The revelation of the Truth of the wisdom of God flips all that on it's head.
Paul's dramatic conversion meant that where he measured the mettle of his devotion by inflicting suffering on others who perverted what he saw as truth, he now saw no merit in even counting physical suffering he personally endured as part of his devotion. It hardly registered. His passion became knowing Christ and making Him known. Everything else was something in the way that was to be overcome. He considered his biggest threat not those who looked to stop him or punish him, but it was his own flesh, which was to be subdued. Putting to death the deeds of his own flesh was to him the fellowship of suffering.
We feel that doing something big for God, some vast physical endurance plot or some great assault on us from the outside proves the intensity of our love for Christ. But the biggest struggle, the greatest suffering that will bear for us the greatest return, is to put to death the deeds of our body. To submit the weakness of our understanding to the bliss of pure trust in God, without requiring the endless justification we seem to need to keep our flesh in check.
Those who yield to this surrender to the Holy Spirit's work begin to see a crack in the supernatural, a shocking glimpse of Glory, that subdues all the other markers we look at that taunt us to define Him by our own selves and our own understanding. This dying to self and surrender to His Glory at work in us will overwhelm all we surrender to Him, will move us to live on another plane of understanding and redefine to us what even feels like suffering anymore.
(Watch in the next post for the continuation of the Blessing of Suffering...)
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