Rejoicing in Suffering - Evangelical Caucus/Devotional

“But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation” (1 Peter 4:13).

We should rejoice in trials and persecutions, not for their own sake, but for the benefits that result.

The late D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in his classic book Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, made the following careful distinction on what it means to rejoice in persecution: “The Christian is, in a sense, one who must feel his heart breaking at the effect of sin in others that makes them do this [persecute believers]. So he never rejoices in the fact of persecution as such.”

We can draw from this, then, that 1 Peter 4:13 and other verses (notably Matt. 5:11-12), while they encourage the positive attitude of rejoicing in trials, do not mean we should have a masochistic or elitist view of suffering. The joy we are to have should go beyond the pain and heartache of the suffering itself and focus on the ramifications of what God is doing in our life.

Peter begins our verse by asserting that one of those ramifications is enjoying the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings. That means we can share, for His sake, in the same kind of suffering and rejection He endured. We should be ready for such persecution whenever we share the gospel or generally identify with Him. The apostles learned this lesson soon after Jesus departed— “rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41). We will increasingly embrace such suffering as a privilege if we heed Peter’s exhortation.

The apostle goes on to give us more motivation for rejoicing. “The revelation of His glory” is a reference to Jesus’ second coming, which in itself ought to bring tremendous joy to all believers. If we have faithfully endured all the persecutions, sufferings, trials, and problems of this life, when our Lord returns we will have genuine reason to rejoice all the more. And it will be with an intense and joyous outburst that exceeds any we’ve had before (see Luke 6:22-23).

Matthew 5:11-12 contains some of the most challenging truth in all the Bible. Commit these verses to memory, and look for opportunities in which they can become real in your experience.

I don’t exactly anticipate suffering with enthusiasm. But I know it comes to all of us, and, when it does, we have His promises on which to stand.

My own episodes of suffering, such as the one I’m in currently, serve to remind me of 1) Christ’s 1000 times more pain than I’ll ever endure, 2) the suffering by the persecuted Christians elsewhere in the world, and 3) the grace of God and the assurance that He is with me in it, feeling the pain I feel, helping me to trust all the more in His willingness and ability to deliver me from each painful trial.

All of that helps me to have more awareness of my Lord’s presence.

We sometimes understand the admonishment to expect suffering and have the faith that God will reward our obedience but fail to live up to this when the trials come. We may think we are ready and able when we are not. The disciples thought they were ready but were not.

Matthew 26:35 NKJV
Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”
And so said all the disciples.

But for me, I find that when I think I’m ready to face trials and temptations it takes much less than the threat the disciples faced before I fall on my face. Usually, it’s just a matter of a short drive down the road during which I will inevitably have someone run a stop sign and pull out in front of me or cut me off on the highway and then immediately turn. Then things come out of my mouth that shouldn’t. So much for my readiness to suffer, following in Christ’s footsteps.

One of the reasons the disciples were not ready was because they didn’t prepare.

Matthew 26:41 NKJV
Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Later though, after the disciples became witnesses of Christ’s resurrection, they became bold in their faith and were able to endure suffering for Christ.

Luke 22:31-33 NKJV
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

Acts 5:41-42 NKJV
So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Christ is even now constantly interceding for us in prayer, and perhaps He prays as He did for Peter that when Satan does sift us like wheat our faith will not ultimately fail.

Romans 8:34 NKJV
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints teaches us that even though God’s elect will encounter suffering He will preserve us through all trials and afflictions and sustain our faith until the end.

Matthew 24:13, 22, & 24 NKJV
But he who endures to the end shall be saved...
And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened...
For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

1 Peter 1:5-7 NKJV
[The elect] are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.