Worthy to Suffer

Some people have the mistaken idea that when we become believers, we are immune to suffering and sorrow. Jesus made no such claim. His own earthly life was an example of suffering for righteousness' sake. We cannot, as someone has said, walk in the shoes of our Savior; we can only follow in his footsteps. This is a way of saying that we could never do for him or for others what he has done for us. Yet, there is something we can do. Just as Jesus suffered for the message he carried, we can do the same. If we follow his footsteps, our life will not be spent in ease and worldly comfort. I think it was Amos (6:1) who said, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion."

Unfortunately, even many holy Ghost baptized followers would have us to believe that Christ, through his crucifixion, abolished all suffering and reproach from the lives of his followers; and that now, all that we, as believers, have to do is to take life easy, free from trouble, pain, care and worry, and let the suffering, grief and misery that Jesus and his apostles went through be placed over on our account, exempting us from everything but a life of relaxation from toil or strain.

Nothing could be further from the truth. I must admit that a vastly increased number who claim to be believers are exemplifying a life of ease, repose and comfort. The early founders of the faith, however, had a different view from this. There is little, if any, similarity between the definition of suffering as offered in today's sermons and the definition as offered by our beloved brother Paul in his Second Letter (2:12) to young Timothy: "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him." Thus we see that Paul knew that it was a part of God's great design for all believers to suffer for Christ's sake.

If we are going to claim Christ as our Savior, the least we can do is to suffer for him. In fact, Paul, in his letter to the Philippian church (1:29), confirms this by saying: "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake." This same apostle in Phil. 1:30 brings out the exact type of suffering he is speaking of by using these words: "Having the same conflict which ye saw in me."

For example, Paul, what kind of conflict are you speaking of?

          "Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured! but out of them all the Lord delivered me" (2 Tim. 3:11).

Paul, do you think that all true believers since your day have been persecuted?

          "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12).

How many Spirit-filled followers of Christ in this age, Paul, do you think are compromising and refusing to "suffer persecution for the cross of Christ"?

          "As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh" (Gal. 6:12).

What should our attitude be, Paul, toward those who persecute us?

          "Bless them which persecute you" (Rom. 12:14).

Thank you, Paul! And Amen!

It seems quite amazing that there should ever be among the children of God prejudice against suffering for the cause of Christ. To be sure, none of the personal followers of Christ, or of the apostles, ever did-or could-believe that our Lord meant for them to be excused from the type of persecutions and sufferings that he received during his earthly ministry. He made this crystal clear when he in John 15:20 counseled us: "The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have Persecuted me, they will also persecute you..."

Yes, dear reader, we often shed tears of joy as we are forced to endure afflictions and tribulations for our blessed Savior, who alone started this rugged 'road to heaven as he slept on the coarse straws in the Bethlehem manger.

Frankly, every born-again believer who is not being persecuted, today, will have to confess that he or she has failed God, or either disagree with Jesus and say, "The servant is greater than his lord." I think, my friend, we shall find the true answer in the following scriptures, which Jesus spoke to his disciples- and is now speaking to us:

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own" (John 15:18, 19). "Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets" (Luke 6:21-23).

Consequently, we must say that every true follower of Christ is, in conformity with the Word, hated and persecuted. But what about those who seem to be happy and satisfied; and yet, they are not hated and persecuted? There is only one thing we can say, and that has already been said in Luke 6:25, 26: "Woe unto you that are full, for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets."

The Spirit of Truth, who John (14:16, 17, 26) tells us is the Comforter or the Holy Ghost, will draw persecution whenever and wherever he is permitted to manifest. Jesus, you remember, said to his brethren: "The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil" (John 7:7). Indeed, my friend, "When he (the Comforter) is come, he will reprove the world of sin" (John i6:8) ; that is, if we will let him have his way in our lives. We are even commanded to help. Paul tells us in Eph. 5:11 to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

Reader, if you haven't already done so, get a good case of Holy Ghost religion and then start reproving this old world of sin, and you will soon find out why only a relatively small number of believers are suffering adversity for the glory of God. It is impossible to obey God and at the same time not to experience sorrow and affliction. The bearing of persecution for the sake of Christ is an honor, an honor of which the writer of Hebrews (11:38) tells us the world is not worthy.

If Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, was made perfect through sufferings (Heb. 2:10), how are we to obtain this goal? You understand, of course, that every follower of Jesus must reach this goal of Bible perfection or suffer loss. Yes, indeed, the spirits of just men must be made perfect right here in this life (Heb. 12:23). If you will obey God, he will "make you perfect," the Word says, "in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight" (Heb. 13:21).

I know there are those who say we cannot reach this essential, supreme perfection in this life, but Jesus in his sermon on the mount taught otherwise. He said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). Then in Luke 6:40 Jesus, in his unerring wisdom, adds: "The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master." If this was Jesus' way of teaching, what should be ours?

Now, what the present church needs, at this late hour, is to obey the immutable, following instructions as recorded in Heb. 6:1: "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection." Myriads of believers who should have, years ago, reached this holy, infinite atmosphere of Spirit-led living are still arguing about "the foundation of repentance" and "the doctrine of baptisms" etc. Only God can help those in this condition. Using the words of the apostle Peter, we should like to say to the few who are willing to move out of this retired group, may "the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" (1 Pet. 5:10).

May we say now to those who are, as Paul said, pressing "toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded; and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you" (Phil. 3:14, 15). What a promise! This promise brings immediately to our mind what Jesus said in John 7:17, "If any man will do His (God's) will, he shall know of the doctrine." A growing child needs the support of understanding parents until he grows into his proper place. Especially is this true with the children of God.

Obviously, the church at this time is in great need of leaders who are in obedience to God's will. Obedience to the will of God will not only bring us his true doctrine, but will also bring upon us the persecutions and sufferings that accompany this doctrine.

In closing this message, I can find no words more suitable than those used by Paul in closing his Second Letter to the Corinthians (13: 11) : "Finally, brethren," he goes on to say, "farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you."

Now remember, the world still hates God, and if he is in you, you will be forced to endure many hardships. He has, however, promised: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5). Yes, beloved, "there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Prov. 18:24), and, as Job (5:19) said, "He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee."

It is this assurance that gives us courage to endure all hardships, and thus prepare ourselves for that blessed abode of the redeemed.

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