Posted on 08/08/2017 7:11:32 AM PDT by Gamecock
Martin Luther’s tenure in the monastery was a time of spiritual desperation. He was tormented by unrelieved guilt coupled with a gripping fear of the wrath of God. Why would an educated man retreat to a barren cell and abuse himself with self-inflicted physical punishment? Why would a believer go out of his way to find personal suffering?
The answer may be found partially, though not totally, in a concept that emerged in church history that equated suffering with merit. Monks fled to the desert to seek rigorous forms of asceticism and self-denial, not only as a form of spiritual discipline to maintain a healthy dependence on the grace of God, but also in quest of sanctifying merit.
A biblical text that was often cited as scriptural warrant for such activity is Colossians 1:24. Paul writes, “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church.” The key words of this verse are “fill up … what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.”
A false theology of suffering emerged that was built on the hypothesis that the meritorious suffering of Jesus, though necessary for the redemption of God’s people, is not complete—there is additional merit that can be added to it by the suffering of the saints.
Coram Deo
Reflect on this truth: The suffering of Christ cannot be augmented by your merit. It is complete.
Passages for Further Study
Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church
1 Peter 2:21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
Ping
So, eight years of Oblamus could be some sort of atonement?
Not sure why your post to the ping list got pulled.
Ping
(Didn’t get feedback why the ping list got pulled.)
Both letters of Peter deal with suffering for doing good in Christ’s name. Peter commends suffering for doing good as a great trstimony and condemns suffering for doing evil and being punished for it by authorities.
Is there merit in suffering for doing more than our Lord requires? Sure, among other blessings, it increases our faith as Jesus pointed out in Luke when asked about increasing faith. Mountains into the sea aren’t the result of doing one’s expected duty.
Is there merit
“work out your salvation with fear and trembling”
My Dad gives me a bicycle, I then go use it with great care. I don’t have to earn it, I already have it.........................
The “fear and trembling” always deserves further thought. Because of who gave it to me and the response to the gift.
Do we agree?
Christ paid the penalty in full so we didn’t have to.
That includes the suffering for sin.
Romans 5:3 says that suffering produces perseverance, which leads to a whole host of other character traits, but there’s NOTHING redemptive in suffering. God is not pleased by it.
It cannot be offered up to Him in hopes that it will get Him to hear us better and answer our prayers sooner. Nor does it impress Him with our ability to endure it.
Yes, there is a lot of bad theology about suffering.
Well done, thou good and faithful servant
God is pleased with Godly suffering. Moreover, martyr suffering MUST be evidence of faith, because of the beatitude in which Jesus says were blessed when we’re persecuted and have evil said about us for righteousness’ sake. for great is our reward in heaven. There are other similar verses that indicate that behaviour can indicate faith (or the lack thereof. )
As always, we must not throw out the baby with the bath water.
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