The Christian walk is a call to suffer. Christ Jesus did not deceive his disciples, He said, "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me." (John 15:20-21). Our God and Savior Jesus Christ fortold great persecution and suffering for all his servants, disciples, and followers. The Lord Jesus reiterates the destiny of all disciples, "Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." (Mark 13:13, cross ref Matthew 10:22, Luke 21:17). The mark of being a follower of Messiah is to be maimed, maligned, maltreated, and mutilated for His Namesake. We are promised a road of jagged stones, a crown of thornes in this life, and in next a road paved in gems (Revelation 21:10-22), and crown of glory in next (James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:4, Revelation 2:10, 2 Timothy 4:8).
Those who are disciples of the world do not incure suffering, but are willing slaves to their depraved and decadent desires. They wear purple, gold, and precious gems in palaces, but they will wear pestilence, grueling burns, and firery stones that burn forever instead of gems. Those who choose the broad path, the road most traveled live like royalty in this life, but in next they will reap fire and eternal torment (Matthew 25:46, Matthew 25:41, Mark 9:48). As for those disciples of Jesus Christ who endure to the end, the promise of rest, end of weariness, heavenly riches, and celestial and eternal city called New Jerusalem paved in precious gems and gold awaits (Revelation 21:2-22). More than that there is centerpiece of that eternal city, the most important gem that lives, "" (Daniel), the Alpha and Omega, Jesus Christ himself! (Revelation 21:22). The real prize is not an eternal city and life, but Emmanuel, God Himself! For He is the Bridegroom and we His Bride, and we shall be united in a feast of marriage, that will go on for eons and eternity! While the lustful and lavish party now, we shall have party in eternity with God and our fellow saints not in sin, but in the saving presence of God Almighty! (Revelation 19:6-9, Matthew 25:1-13).
Before we meet the Bridgroom, we must bear His wounds in our body, "From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus/From now on, don't let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus." (Galatians 6:17, NIV and NLT). I prefer the New Living Translation, "For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus." What words to describe the joyous delight of disciples sharing in the Divine One's sufferings! The Apostle Paul urges us to join him, "Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 2:3). But the Apostle to Gentiles was not first to urge us to pick up a cross and to bear flagellations, no, our Lord and God urges us! He said, " "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves (deny selfish desires) and take up their cross and follow me," (Matthew 16:24), "Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me," (Luke 9:23), "And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple," (Luke 14:27). The Lord Jesus commands that we must take up our cross daily! That we are to suffer for His Name and for His sake! This makes the faint hearted grow fearful, they cry, "Did not Jesus suffer enough for us?!" Aye, for your sins and to purchase enternal life for you, but to be His follower you must become an imitator of Immanuel, you must carry a cross, one specifically carved for you.
To suffer is the state that brings us closer to our Savior. It does not merit salvation, well not in a works based gospel way; but it is part of how we grow, come to understand the mystery of Christ (Colossians 2:2-3). It is pain and persecution that pushes us, that presses the wine inside us until it whells up into the Blood of Christ and we find ourselves transformed on Day of Resurrection into His likeness (). Many may decry, that sounds like a gospel of works to me, then read James 2:1-28 and you shall understand that while Christ paid it all, we suffer because we are His; the mark of Christian is not comfort, but cuts and bruises, and battered bodies. The apostle Peter speaks of suffering as something that comes to Christian and is to be sough,t "However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name," (1 Peter 4:16), and "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." (1 Peter 4:14). This echoes the salutations and praises of the apostles in ACTS, "The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus." (Acts 5:41).
Suffering is the badge of honor and sign to all who see us. For it is written, "Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man," (Luke 6:22), "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me," (Matthew 5:11), "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day," (2 Corinthians 4:16), "choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward," (Hebrews 11:25-26), "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore," (Hebrews 13:13), "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him," (James 1:12), And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore." (Hebrews 13:13), "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown," (Revelation 2:10),
and "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you." (2 Corinthians 4:7-12). Affliction, torment, tribulation, troubles, sufferings, sickness, disease, and even death are common for disciples of Christ! For in these God works His wonders and we discover that what world prizes: wealth, health, belts, and pelts is not what we seek. We discover suffering is a work of the Savior, it transforms us into people who love others, for in our suffering and pain, we see others weak and feeble, their skin scourged like ours and we offer encouragement to them and pray for them. As C.S. Lewis once said, "Pain is God megaphone to rouse a deaf world." (The Problem of Pain).
The reason why we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us is so that they may minister through us with the marks of Christ, making our flesh, our bodies beacons and windows into the Word of God! This may sound sadistic, it is not, I have presented the Scriptures. If we refuse to see suffering as a curse and enemy, and instead a warm friend, a brush to paint these bodies meant once for sin, now for suffering to tell of Christ's suffering for all mankind; is that not the death Paul speaks of? For he said, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me," (Galatians 2:20), "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world," (Galatians 6:14), "We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body," (2 Corinthians 4:10), and "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship." (Romans 12:1).
To suffer is the state that brings us closer to our Savior. It does not merit salvation, well not in a works based gospel way; but it is part of how we grow, come to understand the mystery of Christ (Colossians 2:2-3). It is pain and persecution that pushes us, that presses the wine inside us until it whells up into the Blood of Christ and we find ourselves transformed on Day of Resurrection into His likeness (). Many may decry, that sounds like a gospel of works to me, then read James 2:1-28 and you shall understand that while Christ paid it all, we suffer because we are His; the mark of Christian is not comfort, but cuts and bruises, and battered bodies. The apostle Peter speaks of suffering as something that comes to Christian and is to be sough,t "However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name," (1 Peter 4:16), and "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." (1 Peter 4:14). This echoes the salutations and praises of the apostles in ACTS, "The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus." (Acts 5:41).
Suffering is the badge of honor and sign to all who see us. For it is written, "Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man," (Luke 6:22), "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me," (Matthew 5:11), "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day," (2 Corinthians 4:16), "choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward," (Hebrews 11:25-26), "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore," (Hebrews 13:13), "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him," (James 1:12), And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore." (Hebrews 13:13), "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown," (Revelation 2:10),
and "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you." (2 Corinthians 4:7-12). Affliction, torment, tribulation, troubles, sufferings, sickness, disease, and even death are common for disciples of Christ! For in these God works His wonders and we discover that what world prizes: wealth, health, belts, and pelts is not what we seek. We discover suffering is a work of the Savior, it transforms us into people who love others, for in our suffering and pain, we see others weak and feeble, their skin scourged like ours and we offer encouragement to them and pray for them. As C.S. Lewis once said, "Pain is God megaphone to rouse a deaf world." (The Problem of Pain).
The reason why we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us is so that they may minister through us with the marks of Christ, making our flesh, our bodies beacons and windows into the Word of God! This may sound sadistic, it is not, I have presented the Scriptures. If we refuse to see suffering as a curse and enemy, and instead a warm friend, a brush to paint these bodies meant once for sin, now for suffering to tell of Christ's suffering for all mankind; is that not the death Paul speaks of? For he said, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me," (Galatians 2:20), "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world," (Galatians 6:14), "We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body," (2 Corinthians 4:10), and "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship." (Romans 12:1).
Did not Jesus tell us we would lose our lives? He said, "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." (Matthew 16:25, cross ref Matthew 10:39, Luke 9:24, Luke 17:33, ), and "Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:25). But take heart for in Jesus Christ there is no death: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die," (John 11:25-26), "I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades," (Revelation 1:18), "I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life," (John 5:24), "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world," (John 6:51), "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them," (John 3:36), "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life," (John 3:16), and "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son, Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:11)-12).
We may lose our lives according to world's standards, our bodies may be destroyed, but we will be with Author of Life who is Jesus Christ (John 1:3, Colossians 1:18). We shall receive new bodies (Phillippians 3:21, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10). So bear the marks of Christ in bodies while roaming this earth, wear a crown of thrones, and allow stones to be thrown at you; for this will transform before God the Savior Jesus Christ into new bodies (2 Corinthians 5:1-10), a crown of glory (James 1:12), and precious stones to walk upon in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2-22). Before we can reach the joys of eternal life, we must tred the narrow path, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14). That narrow path is found in Christ Jesus, "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6). That path is Via Dolorosa, A Way of Suffering in This Life, but Salvation in Next.
We may lose our lives according to world's standards, our bodies may be destroyed, but we will be with Author of Life who is Jesus Christ (John 1:3, Colossians 1:18). We shall receive new bodies (Phillippians 3:21, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10). So bear the marks of Christ in bodies while roaming this earth, wear a crown of thrones, and allow stones to be thrown at you; for this will transform before God the Savior Jesus Christ into new bodies (2 Corinthians 5:1-10), a crown of glory (James 1:12), and precious stones to walk upon in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2-22). Before we can reach the joys of eternal life, we must tred the narrow path, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14). That narrow path is found in Christ Jesus, "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6). That path is Via Dolorosa, A Way of Suffering in This Life, but Salvation in Next.
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