A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Suffer

 

   1 Peter 2:21 

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps.

    What does it mean to suffer for Christ? The literal description in Strong's is "to be acted upon in a certain way, either good or bad"; to be ill-treated. That's all well and good but how do I (we) suffer for Christ individually and within the church as a whole? 

    For starters, when someone attacks us--whether verbally or physically--we don't fight back. We are not to speak against them. We don't seek revenge against anyone. We take it to Jesus and He takes care of the problem. As long as we remain in Him and He in us, we have no reason to cause those who fight against us any ill-will of our own. As Christ stood silent when accused, so, too should the believer remain silent. (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 26:63).

    It is a privilege to suffer for Christ. Philippians 3:7-9 speaks of losing everything for the gain of knowing Jesus Christ. And in verse 10: I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death. And in Philippians 1:21 "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

    To suffer for Christ is to rise above the pettiness, the miry clay which clings to us trying to bring us down to the level we left behind when we chose to believe God and follow Christ. This is not a 'holier than thou' life: this is a humble remembering of who we were then and who we are now. 

    It is to have compassion, mercy, understanding and wisdom towards the people who are trying to undermine our witness. God says we are to pray for our enemies. I pray that the hearts of those who hate God be turned towards God and remain in Him to be His people. Our hearts are to be aligned with God's heart, which is to have as few left behind as possible. John 6:40 "For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” 

    To suffer for Christ is to be longsuffering. It is to not lose patience with anyone who is not where you and I are in our relationship with Christ. Imagine if He had done that when we were young Christians! Where would we be? 

    Fruit trees take a few years to mature before they begin to bear fruit. Sometimes the first fruit bearing season just needs to stay on the tree, as the fruit can be bitter and inedible. So, too, is the Christian's heart. We are nurtured by The Word and sustained in our faith when we get The Word into us, not just memorization but knowing that God is writing His Word on our hearts. (Ezekiel 36:26,27)

    To suffer for Christ is to see by our faithfulness that our prayers are being answered. Our children are turning back to God and bringing their families with them. Our sisters, our brother, are searching God's Word, devouring it with a hunger born from spiritual starvation. 

    Even as Christ was lifted up on the cross for all the world to see, many people came and saw Him there. But not all of them believed. Just a few. But these few, in just seven weeks, would be filled with The Holy Spirit of God, Who would cause them to speak in other languages that the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ would go forth. And go forth it did.

    As these Christians were persecuted and killed, many fled to foreign nations where they preached the gospel and people believed God and received The Holy Spirit, that second precious Gift from God; the first, being His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. And they counted it a privilege. 

    Here we are now almost 2000 years later and still we are facing the same evil that faced Jesus: hated because we believe God and God's Word to be TRUTH. 

    Let us put all of our armor on (Ephesians 6:10-20) every single day, that we may be able to suffer efficiently and effectively. Let us gather together in prayer, seeking God's will before the day begins and the night ends. We rejoice that we have been found worthy to suffer! 

CALLED TO SUFFER 

He Lives! 

You Will Suffer - John Piper (sermon clip)

Cry of The Broken - Hillsong Worship

Surrounded - UPPERROOM

Weathered - Dante Bowe/Hannah McClure

Lay It All Down - United Pursuit/Will Reagan 

    

Today's Word -- Patience

 2 Corinthians 6:4 

But in all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in distresses. 

2 Corinthians 4:8, 9

We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

Romans 8:35

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 

Strong's describes this word 'Patience' as (1) a remaining behind (2) a patient enduring (3) endurance (4) steadfastness. 

 5281 hypomonḗ (from 5259 /hypó, "under" and 3306 /ménō, "remain, endure") – properly, remaining under, endurance; steadfastness, especially as God enables the believer to "remain (endure) under" the challenges He allots in life. 

And because this patience is God-enable, we are made aware that it truly is one of the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Patience is endurance. Romans 15:4 "For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope." Hebrews 12:1-3 (1) "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. (2) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (3) Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Patience is perseverance. Perseverance is constancy, remaining constant with one goal in mind. 1 Timothy 6:11, 12 "But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses." Luke 8:15 "And that in the good soil, these are those who, having heard the word, keep it in a worthy and good heart and bring forth fruit by perseverance."

Patience is steadfastness. Steadfast is morally fixed, securely positioned, firm in purpose. 1 Corinthians 15:58 "And that in the good soil, these are those who, having heard the word, keep it in a worthy and good heart and bring forth fruit by perseverance." Colossians 1:22, 23 "But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence ----- if indeed you continue in the faith, established and firm, and not being moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, having been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I Paul have become a minister."

Patience is also longsuffering. Colossians 3:12, 13 "So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive."

Patience like this only comes from God. We already have it when we become believers in the gospel of salvation through Christ and are filled with His precious Holy Spirit, the Comforter Whom God sends to all believers. Patience is a result, a fruit, of the Holy Spirit living in us, guiding us and revealing to us the meaning of God's Word when we read and study it for ourselves. Get you a Holy Bible, ask God to reveal Himself in His Word and get ready for the race of your life. 

Ephesians 4:1-7 

(1) So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior--a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation], with all humility [forsaking self-righteousness], and gentleness [maintaining self-control], with patience (divinely regulated patience, longsuffering) , bearing with one another [a]in [unselfish] love. 

(2)  with all humility [forsaking self-righteousness], and gentleness [maintaining self-control], with patience, bearing with one another [a]in [unselfish] love.]

(3) Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful].

(4) There is one body [of believers] and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when called [to salvation]--

(5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

(6) one God and Father of us all who is [sovereign] over all and [working] through all and [living] in all (who believe).

(7) Yet grace [God’s undeserved favor] was given to each one of us [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ’s [rich and abundant] gift.