Sharing Abuntantly in Christ's Sufferings Together

 

“As we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” -IICorinthians 1:5

Suffering can often seem like an opponent to joy. Yet, even James says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2). Not “try and find joy in suffering,” nor does the Scripture say, “if you can think of the purpose of suffering, you will find joy.” Rather, count it all joy. We share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings and comforts.

How is the Christian joyful in sufferings and trials? Sufferings and trials are not pleasurable objects to welcome. Rather, the Christian can rejoice in the Lord always, yes even in pain and suffering, because Christ in His power and mercy works even in our sufferings and trials.

What pains did our Lord endure? Our Lord was betrayed. He suffered mockery, false accusations, confrontation from respected religious leaders about His teachings. He suffered long with the disciples.

Perhaps your suffering is hurtful words from a friend, or you are falsely accused. Perhaps your suffering is physical pain. Maybe faithfulness to Christ’s commands hurts your chances of a job promotion. Perhaps following Christ has you ostracized from family and friends. Is our God the God of all comforts in such sufferings?

Our Lord truly was a Man of Sorrows. Yet, the Scripture tells us He suffered even on a cross for the joy set before Him. He suffered for the joy not only to be with the Father, but the joy that brings you to the Father. The Father comforts us in our afflictions (II Corinthians 1:4); yes, He comforts us while we suffer. When other Christians are afflicted and comforted by God, it is for your comfort (vs6). When God comforts you in your afflictions, He aims for you to take it to the church that His mercies would comfort other Christians, as well (vs 4).

Suffering and comfort are meant to be shared in community in the local church. We weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15). We gather and comfort the afflicted. This is Christ’s command and mercy to His beloved bride, the church.

We remember together that these present sufferings cannot compare with coming glory (Romans 8:18, IICorinthians 4:17). There is joy set before you. The joy of enjoying God with eternal life is yours. Yet, this promise is not all future. The God of all comforts will comfort His children through our light momentary afflictions and trials.

A present purpose to our sufferings as Christians is to receive abundant comforts in Christ together. Paul says we share abundantly in comfort through Christ in our sufferings. How can we say, “I am thankful to God for this pain?” Christ’s abundant comfort comes to me. He blesses me through the comforts and encouragement at church. He blesses me with strength when I am weak. I can rejoice in suffering any loss because the pain drives me and my church family to Christ all the more!

Though you and I would not welcome the hurt, let us see clearly that each pain and trial which comes our way must draw us closer as a church family and draw our church family closer to the Father who comforts us in Christ.

Heavenly Father, we are an afflicted people. The afflictions that visit us because of our sin, forgive us Lord. The sufferings that come from the world’s conflict with Christ, strengthen us to endure with joy. The pains that come from longing for heaven with You, Lord remind us of coming glory. The trials that pains us, Lord give us joy. In all these, Lord we plead for Your comforts to us in Christ. Amen.

Offended by My Own Preaching

“The disciples said to Jesus, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?’” – Matthew 15:12

The Pharisees attended the sermons of Jesus and, on this occasion, came accusing the disciples of breaking God’s law by not washing before eating. Jesus answered their accusations by accusing them of sin. “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” Jesus boldly confronted the Pharisees for their attempts to show spiritual and moral superiority over the people by adding rules to God’s Word in their tradition and even their willingness to sin against God to keep their added rules (Matthew 15:4-7).

The disciples seem to have felt they needed to inform the Lord the weightiness of His boldness in preaching and just who He was preaching to. The hostility of the confrontation led the disciples to ask if Jesus knew how offended the Pharisees were by Jesus’ sermon. Jesus answered that the Pharisees were blind guides leading others into a pit.

Jesus truly was a bold preacher, yet He preached as perfectly righteous. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus boldly preached, “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Jesus’ righteousness exceeded the Pharisees. Jesus is the righteousness of God.

The Pharisees trusted in their manners, the outside of the cup, but not heart change, the inside of the cup. Hence, when offended by such bold preaching from the righteousness of God, the Pharisees became angry and bitter rather than repent.

As a preacher of God’s Word, I must be bold. Yet, my boldness does not come from my own righteousness. To be honest, I am offended by my own preaching. Knowing God is perfect and I, His creation for His glory, am a ruined creature leads to an inevitable offense at hearing His Word.

There is preaching that may seem inspiring or even “telling it as it is,” but they fall into Paul’s warning, “Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. They only do this to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ” (Galatians6:12).

I cannot make a good impression outwardly. Even as I preach a sermon I studied and prayed over, I am offended when confronted by the righteousness of God in Christ. Christ in His Word is a bold preacher to me. This boldness in proclaiming the bad news that I am a sinner fixes my gaze on the offensive cross of Christ where by faith in Christ the righteousness of God is mine.

When offended by such a bold word, I am tempted to run like the Pharisees into anger, bitterness, allowing my suspicion of other people to question their hearts and motives to justify myself. I have learned to ask God for humility. I hate being offended. It is an unsavory feeling. This makes the grace of God in His good news so delightful. Christ does not preach offensively to me, even through my own preaching, simply to make me feel bad. My offense is a welcomed pain because it drives me from myself and to my Savior.

Beloved, know when the sermon offends you, I hear the same sermon and am also offended. This is why I preach Law and Gospel instead of Law and habits. You and I need more than a change of manners, we need heart change. Good news, Christ the crucified and risen Savior changes the hearts of His people.

Heavenly Father, be merciful to us sinners, which Your Word proclaims us to be. You have graciously not left us in despair as sinners, but have granted pardon for sin in Christ Jesus our Lord. Make my heart delight in Your Law, even when Your Law offends us, to welcome You drawing us to Your grace to us in Christ. By Your Holy Spirit in us, form our obedience to You from the new heart and new creation You have made us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The Christian's Fearful Courage and Strength

 

“Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” -Psalm 2:11

Be strong and courageous. This was the command of God to Joshua at the death of Moses. A great leader the people of God had followed and known for forty years is gone, and Joshua had to take the lead. Where was such strength and courage for Joshua’s leadership to be found?

 “The Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

The rich promises of God’s presence with him always are found in God’s Word which says, “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” How are we as followers of Christ to serve Him with fear, and rejoice with trembling? The Lord tells Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Jesus told His disciples at the very end of Matthew, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Christian, in your fear of the Lord, the Lord dismisses all other fears. When the fearful Lord is on your side, who can be against you? With His faithful promises yours in Christ Jesus, be strong and courageous. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, thus a wise strength and courage in which to obey the commands of the Lord in a world which assaults the worship of God.

Honesty and faithfulness at work, home, as servants in the Lord’s church, as citizens of heaven in our citizenship on earth will take the Lord’s strength and courage in you. To have tongues of truth proclaiming God’s Word to the world will be met with the fleshly temptation for cowardly safety, and at the end of our comforts in our following of Christ and His Word we will need His strength and courage.

Do not ask the world if they think it is right. Do not ask the world for safety. Truth and safety are not in the world. Our only safety and truth are in the Lord who says, “be careful to do according to all that is written in (the Law of God).” Truth is in God’s Word and our fear of the Lord sends us to Christ for safety.

Heavenly Father, You are holy and awesome in power. In fear do we approach you with trembling to rejoice in hearing You say, “do not be afraid.” Dismiss our fears and grant to us Your mercies of strength and courage by Your Holy Spirit to obey Your commands. Forgive us, deliver us from temptation, give us all the needed mercies to be faithful. In Jesus’ name we ask it, amen.