By Keith R. Blades
God is a giver of gifts. In both God's program with Israel and in
His program with us today in this dispensation of His grace, gifts from God are
commonly spoken about. For example, in connection with Israel's program we find
the following...
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the GIFT of the Holy Ghost. [Acts 2:38 KJB]
Every good GIFT and every perfect GIFT is from
above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning. [James 1:17 KJB]
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great
salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed
unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs
and wonders, and with divers miracles, and GIFTS of the Holy Ghost, according
to his own will? [Hebrews 2:3-4 KJB]
...and have tasted of the heavenly GIFT... [Hebrews 6:4 KJB]
Then to us in this dispensation of grace we can find the apostle
Paul saying...
For I would that all men were even as I
myself. But every man hath his proper GIFT of God, one after this manner, and
another after that. [I
Corinthians 7:7 KJB]
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable GIFT. [II Corinthians 9:15
KJB]
Whereof I was made a minister, according to
the GIFT of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his
power. [Ephesians 3:7 KJB]
But unto every one of us is given grace
according to the measure of the GIFT of Christ. [Ephesians 4:7 KJB]
In both of God's programs the pre-eminent gift is the gift of
eternal life. But it is not the only gift, as the preceding verses show. And if
we add to these the issue of the various spiritual gifts that operated at the
beginning of this dispensation of grace, it is all the more obvious that God
truly is a giver of gifts. In view of this the doctrine of gifts is of great
interest. However, amidst all the talk and fervor that there is over the issue
of the gifts of God, there is one gift that is often overlooked, or seldom
mentioned. In fact, when it is pointed out for the gift of God that it is, it
is usually not very well received. Indeed, few Christians seem to even want it.
Yet it is a gift that the Apostle Paul recognized was a special privilege of
God's grace to have given to him, and therefore he cherished it and teaches us
that we should do the same. This special gift of God is the gift of suffering
for His sake.
The Gift
In Philippians 1:29-30, Paul taught the saints at Philippi that
they needed to realize that it truly was a gift and privilege of God's grace
unto them to suffer for the cause of Christ as they were doing.
For unto you it is given in the behalf of
Christ, not only to believe on him, BUT ALSO TO SUFFER FOR HIS SAKE; Having the
same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me. [Philippians 1:29-30
KJB]
That suffering should ever be thought of as a gift and a privilege
is something hard to accept. It grates against our customary thinking as well
as our wants. Hence, the Philippian saints were having some difficultly with
it, especially now that their suffering included "having the same
conflict" Paul was experiencing. Nevertheless, their suffering for
Christ's sake was indeed a gift and privilege of God's grace unto them, and
they needed to realize that so they could respond to it properly. Instead of
murmuring and complaining, they needed to rejoice. Instead of not wanting to so
suffer, they needed to have Paul's attitude to such sufferings. And so should
we.
According to my earnest expectation and my
hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as
always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by
life, or by death. [Philippians 1:20 KJB]
That I may know him, and the power of his
resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto
his death; [Philippians 3:10 KJB]
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and
fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his
body's sake, which is the church: [Colossians 1:24 KJB]
Paul understood that it was a gift of God and a privilege of His
grace to suffer of Christ's sake. Hence, he didn't simply endure it or tolerate
it. He wanted it. He cherished it. He even rejoiced over it. For he knew that
suffering for Christ's sake was not only a gift of God, it was a very special
gift; an honored gift of God through which an opportunity to glorify Christ was
granted to him.
Two Kinds of Suffering
Before we consider this any further it is important for us to
recognize that not all suffering is suffering for Christ's sake. Far from it!
Instead, Paul teaches us that there are primarily two kinds of suffering that
we can experience in this world, and the most common of all is the suffering we
have in common with all men.
In Romans 8 Paul describes the source of our most common suffering
as "the sufferings of this present time."
For I reckon that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us. [Romans 8:18 KJB]
The "sufferings of this present time" are just that, the
sufferings that we will experience during this "present time" because
of the "bondage of corruption" that still grips creation. In common
with all creation we suffer the effects of corruption as we eagerly await
"the redemption of our body." Hence, Paul says...
For we know that the whole creation groaneth
and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which
have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. [Romans 8:22-23 KJB]
As corruption takes its toll, the whole creation, including
ourselves, "groaneth and travaileth in pain." Sickness, disease,
decay, and death; along with other effects of corruption like accidents, bloodshed,
pestilence, being victims of crime and evil, and the like are our common lot.
Hence, pain and suffering because of "the bondage of corruption" will
be experienced by us for as long as this dispensation of grace continues on.
This, once again, we have in common with all creation, and therefore the
"sufferings of this present time" are not to be thought of by us as
suffering for Christ's sake. However, suffering for Christ's sake is not
something that is common to man. Rather, it is a kind of suffering that can
only come upon us who belong to Christ, as we become the objects of both the
world's hatred of Christ and Satan's despising of us. Paul introduces us to the
reality of this special kind of suffering further on in Romans 8.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long;
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. [Romans 8:35-36 KJB]
As Paul shows by citing the similar situation described in Psalm
44:22, the sufferings that he talks about here are "for thy sake."
Therefore, they are not sufferings that are simply common to man. Instead, they
are sufferings for Christ's sake. They are what Paul describes in greater
detail in II Corinthians as "the sufferings of Christ."
For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us,
so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. [II Corinthians 1:5 KJB]
The "sufferings of Christ" are sufferings that come upon
us as those who hate Christ make us the object of their hatred. In particular,
they are sufferings from the Satanic policy of evil against us, as Satan vents
his anger and takes out on the body of Christ that which he cannot take out on
Christ Himself. Hence, this kind of suffering is very special in nature and we
need to recognize it as distinct from the "sufferings of this present
time." Yet much more than this, suffering for Christ's sake needs to be
recognized by us as a privilege of God's grace; a gift given to us of God; a
grace by which we are granted the marvellous opportunity to actually glorify
God and magnify Christ, which is the exact opposite of the Adversary's
intention in causing us to suffer. And this is something we should want and
something about which we should not be ashamed.
To The Glory of God
Briefly put, there are three particular ways that God is glorified
when we suffer for Christ's sake.
First, as Paul teaches in Romans 8, instead of having us think
that we have been separated from the love of Christ by such sufferings, God has
provided it so that...
Nay, in all these things we are MORE THAN
CONQUERORS through him that loved us. [Romans 8:37 KJB]
To be "more than conquerors" means much more than just
not being defeated by the sufferings. It means more than not being made to
think that because we suffer we have been separated from the love of Christ. It
means that they actually work to our advantage. Instead of making us think that
we have been separated from the love of Christ, they actually become the means
by which we are able to appreciate God as "the Father of mercies and the
God of all comfort." Paul teaches us this in II Corinthians 1 where he
says...
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort;
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that
we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort
wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us,
so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. [II Corinthians 1:3-5 KJB]
There is no way that we can come to appreciate God as "the
Father of mercies and the God of all comfort" if we do not need mercy and
comfort. Hence, it is especially by means of "the sufferings of
Christ" that God has designed for us to understand and appreciate Him as
such. And when we appreciate Him as such, we glorify Him as we
"bless" him for His mercy and comfort, just as Paul did. Because of
this, in all these things we truly are "more than conquerors through him
that loved us." Second, God is glorified when we also appreciate the
excellency of the power of His word working within us, stabilizing us,
comforting us, and so enabling us to endure the sufferings. Hence in II
Corinthians 4:7ff, after describing his own understanding and appreciation for
this in view of "the sufferings of Christ" he endured, Paul says...
For all things are for your sakes, that the
abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of
God.
[II Corinthians 4:15 KJB]
Through the example of Paul's own "spirit of faith" we
are taught about the "excellency of the power" of God's word to
likewise work within us. As he was "always bearing about in the body the
dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our
body," we are shown how that same "life of Jesus" is designed to
be manifest in us. And when we realize this as Paul did, and give God thanks
for the same "excellency of His power" working in us, it redounds to
His glory. Thirdly, God is glorified as this same "excellency of the
power" of God's word working within us is put on display to the chagrin of
Satan and his principalities and powers in the heavenly places. Paul teaches us
this in II Corinthians 11 and 12, especially as he recounts the time at which
he learned it.
And lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelations, there was given unto me a thorn in
the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above
measure.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice,
that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient
for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore
will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon
me.
[II Corinthians 12:7-9 KJB]
When the Lord told Paul, "my strength is made perfect in
weakness," Paul was not the only one whom God expected to recognize that
truth. The "messenger of Satan" was going to realize it too, and in
turn Satan himself would be confronted with it. In this dispensation of grace
the "excellency of the power" of God's word is not only being made
manifest to us and for our appreciation, it is also being put on display to
Satan and his cohorts. God is confronting them with the issue of the
superiority of the power of His word working within His saints to successfully
equip them to withstand and overcome any of their opposition. And in this God
is glorified.
With God having designed it so that we can actually glorify Him
when we suffer for Christ's sake, it is little wonder that Paul
was not ashamed to do so. It is little wonder that he gloried in his infirmities
and said...
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in
reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake:
for when I am weak, then am I strong. [II Corinthians 12:10 KJB]
Suffering for Christ's sake was a gift of God that Paul gladly
received. He understood the significance and privilege wrapped up in those
three words, "for Christ's sake." Therefore he wanted the gift. He
cherished the gift. And he rejoiced over the gift. May we, as ones to whom the
same gift is given, learn to do likewise and not refuse the gift as is so often
done.
