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The Sufferings of Christ
Victoria Boyson
www.boyson.org
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you; which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 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 exaltation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of
glory and of God rests on you" 1 Pet. 4:12-14.
In order to share the heart of Christ, we must endure the sufferings of Christ. To the degree that we have shared in His suffering, we can have His spirit. The concept
of rejoicing in suffering for Christ's sake is foreign to many Christians. This is because we must live it in order to experience the joy of it. We may not like what breaks us, but living in brokeness can be gratifying if we
humble ourselves under the mighty hand of a loving Father.
Indeed, if we are persecuted for Christ's sake, His spirit rests on us and we live in the aroma of His presence. For he who has suffered in Christ has turned
away from sin and lives only for the will of God (1 Pet. 4:1-2). With every fiery trial we endure our flesh dies; the veil that hides our heart from Him is removed and we can, to a greater degree, receive His spirit.
As
Christ humbled Himself under God's hand and became obedient to Him even to the point of death (Phil. 2:8), so we also must humble ourselves under God's hand. We can place ourselves in His hands, trusting that each trial we
endure will be worked for our good and for the good of His kingdom (Rom. 8:28). Knowing that God truly cares for us more than we can even imagine (1Pet. 5:6-7) causes us to relinquish everything in our hearts, especially those
things that are not of Him.
Perfected in Christ
"After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you" 1Pet. 5:10.
To the degree that we share in the sufferings of Christ we can know His heart. To be like minded with Christ, we must share in His suffering. It is in this way that we are perfected in Him and His love has full reign in
our hearts.
1 Peter 2:20 says, "But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God." There is no joy like the joy of being in God's favor and the knowledge
that He beams with pride over your response when others treat you harshly. When we love and bless while being reviled, it brings forth the blessing of our Father.
Building God's House
Those who pursue peace in
the midst of their suffering have direct access to God's heart. "For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears attend their prayers" 1Pet. 3:12.
There are hidden regions in the heart of Christ
that can only be found by those who will patiently endure the mistreatment by others. Those who are persecuted and rejected for His sake, He will pull close to His bosom. Only then can we see the treasures of His heart; only
then will we understand the mysteries of His will. Only then will our heart begin to beat with the rhythm of His, and only then can He use us to build His house.
"And coming to Him as to a living stone,
rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ" 1 Pet. 2:4-5.
Christ was a living stone which was rejected by men to become the Chief Cornerstone. We must also become a stone in the spiritual house of God. And it is a great honor to become a part of God's
spiritual house, but first we must be made suitable building material. The testing of our faith purifies us for this purpose: to become a part of His house where His glory dwells.
Dying to self and living for God means
we think not in terms of "me" or "I", but in terms of "we", "us" and "they." Alone we cannot build God's house, for we make up just one stone. A single stone does not make a
house, but working in unity with others, we can become the dwelling place of God.
When we put the needs of the "house" above our own personal wants and desires, we are ready for service in the house of the
Lord. But if we continue to fulfill the lusts and desires of our own flesh, we are not living for Him, but ourselves, and His house will not be built.
Sanctifying Our Hearts
"For such is the will of God
that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God" 1Pet. 2:15-16.
If we are persecuted because of
our sinful behavior, we bring no glory to God. But when we are persecuted for doing the will of God, we carry the glory of God with us. We must "sanctify Christ as Lord of our hearts" (1Pet. 3:15). And as we are
reviled for His sake, we do not retaliate in the flesh, but in the spirit of Christ for His sake, standing with humility.
When we defend our beliefs in gentleness and reverence, not taking things personally, but instead,
responding in love, we put our accusers to shame (1Pet. 3:16). The gentleness with which we respond will make them ashamed of their own behavior. They, by our sacrifice of love, will turn from their wrath to submit their
behavior to Lordship of Christ, adopting His heart (1Pet. 3:1-2).
More of Him
In the end, every man's life will be judged by God. Wouldn't it be better to experience His judgment now, while on earth, in order
that we might not be ashamed of ourselves in heaven? We will experience either the reward or the chastisement of God at the judgment seat of Christ, where we will either rejoice or regret in the way we have lived our lives on
earth.
So, indeed, there is joy in suffering. To receive more of Christ's heart and character...more of His love and compassion...more of HIM!
"Therefore, those who suffer according to the will of God shall
entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing what is right" 1Pet. 4:19.
Please pray this with me:
Dear God,
Please take all of me and give me all of You in exchange. I entrust my soul to You, my
Faithful Creator. Let all that is not of You in my heart be removed. Amen!
Love and blessings,
Victoria
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