How can we faithfully endure suffering?
In the context of 2 Timothy, Christians are being persecuted throughout the Roman Empire. Paul himself is in prison awaiting a death sentence. Many throughout Asia deserted Paul (2 Tim 1:15). Throughout this letter, Paul has been encouraging Timothy to faithfully endure suffering: In 2 Timothy 1:8, Paul calls for Timothy to accept his share in “suffering for the gospel.” In 2 Timothy 2:3, he calls for Timothy to endure suffering with him like a “good soldier” of Jesus Christ, and in 2 Timothy 2:10 and 12, Paul describes how he endures everything for the sake of the elect and also adds, “if we endure, we will also reign with him.” Timothy needed to be encouraged again and again to endure suffering, and so do we.
Today’s world is not much different than Timothy’s; if anything, it is growing worse. More Christians have died for the faith in the last century than all the previous combined. An estimated 400 believers die every day for faith. The encouragements that Paul gives Timothy, we must listen to well. How can we faithfully endure suffering? In 2 Timothy 2:8-13, Paul gives six encouragements. These encouragements are helpful not just for faithfully enduring sufferings for Christ but any types of sufferings.
Big Question: In 2 Timothy 2:8-13, what encouragements does Paul give Timothy to help him endure suffering and how can we encourage ourselves and others with them, when experiencing trials?
To Endure Suffering, We Must Remember Jesus
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David; such is my gospel,
Paul calls for Timothy to remember Jesus in order to help him endure. In fact, “remember” is an imperative1—a command—which shows us how important it is. While Timothy could never literally forget Christ, it was possible for him to live in such a way that Christ was not affecting his daily decisions. And this is true for us as well. Christ must be at the forefront of our thoughts if we are going to faithfully endure. In Hebrews 12:2-3, the author of Hebrews similarly encourages suffering Christians. He says,
keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.
A mind fixed on Christ, not our trials or difficulties, is essential for endurance. When Peter walked on water, it was when he shifted his focus from Christ to the storm that he began to sink. As long as he focused on his Savior, he was able to walk in faith. We must do the same.
Observation Question: What aspects about Jesus does Paul call Timothy to remember?
1. We must remember that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
Interpretation Question: Why is remembering the resurrection so important?
There are many reasons that Christ’s resurrection is important to continually remember:
- The resurrection reminds us that Jesus Christ is God.
The resurrection was the ultimate proof that Christ was not just a good man or a prophet. He was the Son of God. He was the first to ultimately rise from the dead. Lazarus and others were only raised to die again, but Jesus continues to live. In fact, the verb “raised” is in the perfect tense—meaning that Christ is still alive today.2 Romans 1:3-4 says, “concerning his Son who was a descendant of David with reference to the flesh, who was appointed the Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Being appointed the Son of God by his resurrection, means that his resurrection proved his deity. Christ is God!
- The resurrection reminds us that we will be raised from the dead.
Scripture teaches that Christ was the firstfruits of the resurrection. First Corinthians 15:20-22 says,
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
Firstfruits were used by farmers to discern the future harvest: Was the harvest going to be good or bad? In the same way, Christ’s resurrection is proof of our future resurrection. This was extremely important for Paul to remember as he faced his own death. And it was important for Timothy if he was going to continue to be faithful, even to death. He had to remember Christ’s resurrection and his own future one.
2. We must remember that Jesus Christ is a descendant of David.
Interpretation Question: Why is remembering that Christ descended from David so important?
- Christ’s descending from David reminds us that Christ is human.
While the resurrection confirms Christ’s deity, his descent from David confirms his humanity. Christ had to be human in order to die for us, but he needed to be God to pay for the sins of the entire world. His humanity also means that Christ understands us—he knows what it is to be hungry, thirsty, and sleepy. He knows what it means to be hated by others, lied about, betrayed by friends, tempted, and ultimately killed because of his profession. Timothy needed to remember this, as he walked the same path of Christ. Christ walked it first, and Christ would walk beside him to give strength to faithfully endure. Hebrews 4:15-16 says,
For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.
- Christ’s descending from David reminds us that Christ is the promised King.
The first prophecy about Christ was in Genesis 3:15 where God promised Eve a male seed that would conquer Satan and reverse the results of the fall. In Genesis 22:18, God promised Abraham a seed that would be a blessing to all the nations. To Judah, the son of Jacob and Abraham’s great grandson, God promised that a king would come from his lineage that all the nations would submit to—a world ruler (Gen 49:10). Then this prophecy was narrowed to the lineage of David, as God promised that David’s seed would have an everlasting kingdom (1 Chr 17:11-14). In Luke 1:31-33, the angel said this to Mary:
Listen: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.”
Christ is the reigning King and at the same time the future King. When he returns, he will punish the rebellious and reward the faithful. We must remember our King and his coming kingdom if we are going to endure suffering.
In our ministry, if we focus primarily on people, what people say, our trials, or what seems to be a lack of fruit, we’ll get discouraged and give up. Our focus must be on our King; it is this mindset that will enable us to endure.
Remembering Christ is not only important for us, but it is also important for how we minister to others, as demonstrated by Paul’s exhortation to Timothy. Some may think challenging people to remember Christ in the midst of their trials might be unsympathetic or shallow, but it’s not. It’s the most important thing we can do. In our relationship with Christ lies everything needed for a godly life (2 Peter 1:3). As we abide in him, we will produce much fruit (John 15:5).
Are you remembering Christ in your trials? Are you encouraging others to?
Application Question: Why are we so prone to forget Christ in the sense that his presence does not affect our daily decision-making, especially during trials? How can we faithfully remember him so we can endure suffering with integrity? Also, how can we help others remember him, without seeming insensitive and unloving?
To Endure Suffering, We Must Remember that God’s Word Is Unstoppable
such is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment as a criminal, but God’s message is not imprisoned!
Paul was suffering in prison—restricted like a criminal; however, the Word he taught could not be chained. It was triumphantly moving around the world and, no doubt, even affecting those in prison with him. We saw this dramatically happen in his first imprisonment in Rome. In Philippians 1:12-14, Paul says,
I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel: The whole imperial guard and everyone else knows that I am in prison for the sake of Christ, and most of the brothers and sisters, having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment, now more than ever dare to speak the word fearlessly.
In Paul’s first imprisonment, the prison guards were hearing the gospel, and other saints were being encouraged to proclaim God’s Word boldly because of his suffering. In fact, Paul spoke the loudest in prison as he penned several epistles—Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. No doubt, the gospel was also advancing in Paul’s final imprisonment.
Similarly, John Bunyan who wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress also spoke the loudest in his suffering. John MacArthur shares:
John Bunyan’s preaching was so popular and powerful, and so unacceptable to leaders in the seventeenth-century Church of England, that he was jailed in order to silence him. Refusing to be silent, he began to preach in the jail courtyard. He not only had a large audience of prisoners, but also hundreds of the citizens of Bedford and the surrounding area would come to the prison daily and stand outside to hear him expound Scripture. He was silenced verbally by being placed deep inside the jail and forbidden to preach at all. Yet in that silence, he spoke loudest of all and to more people than he could have imagined. It was during that time that he wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress, the great Christian classic that has ministered the gospel to tens of millions throughout the world. For several centuries, it was the most widely read and translated book in the world after the Bible. Bunyan’s opponents were able to stop his preaching for a few years, but they were not able to stop his ministry. Instead, they provided opportunity for it to be extended from deep within a jail in the small town of Bedford to the ends of the earth.3
This has been a common experience throughout church history. Wherever the church has been persecuted, the Word of God has gone forth triumphantly. The early church father, Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” In fact, Paul taught that Christians boldly suffering for Christ is a necessary witness to unbelievers. Consider what he says in Philippians 1:27b-28:
… by contending side by side for the faith of the gospel, and by not being intimidated in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of their destruction, but of your salvation—a sign which is from God.
Therefore, Paul could endure confidently because even his suffering was a witness of the truth of the gospel. His gospel was unchained.
David Guzik adds,
The Bible has been attacked more than any other book through history. It has been burned, banned, mocked, twisted, and ignored—but the word of God still stands forever… The Word of God is not chained. No government, no religious authorities, no skeptics, no scientists, no philosophers, or no book burners have ever been able to stop the work of the Word of God.4
Isaiah 55:11 says that God’s Word never returns void; it always accomplishes God’s purpose. First Peter 1:25 says, “the word of Lord endures forever.” No matter if people imprison us, as they attempt to shut our mouths, God’s Word will go forth. Timothy needed to take encouragement from that, and we must as well. We have an unstoppable message.
Application Question: In what ways does the fact that God’s Word, the Bible, is unstoppable encourage you to endure trials, especially sufferings for Christ?
To Endure Suffering, We Must Remember the Lost
So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory.
Interpretation Question: What is election?
Paul says he endures everything for the sake of the “chosen,” sometimes translated “elect”—referring to the lost who God chose for salvation before the foundations of the earth. Ephesians 1:4 says, “For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love.” Election is a controversial doctrine; however, it should be noted that all believe in election. It is taught throughout Scripture (cf. Rom 8:29-30, 9:10-13, 1 Peter 1:1-2). The question is, “Why did God elect?” Did God elect because he knew who would choose him? Or did he elect out of his sovereign choice alone?
Scripture teaches that man cannot choose God apart from God’s grace. Romans 8:7-8 says, “because the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” When man sinned in the garden, it so corrupted him, that he would always turn away from God. Adam’s first response after the fall was to hide from the Lord’s voice. Therefore, God chose because, if he didn’t, no one would come to him. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”
The very faith we have in salvation is a work of grace. Since our corrupted will cannot choose God, God gave us the will to seek him and turn to him. Those God chose before time, he gave faith to receive him. This is a great mystery; a righteous God punishes sinners, but a loving and merciful God saves a remnant.
With this said, Paul says election motivated him to suffer for the elect so they could hear the gospel. This is important to consider because many feel as if the doctrine of election hinders gospel preaching. They reason, “If God chose people to be saved, then we don’t need to evangelize. God will ultimately save them.” Therefore, they ask, “Why preach the gospel?” However, Paul had a different reasoning. The doctrine of election motivated him both to suffer and preach. Consider again, “So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory” (v. 10).
The God who chose the outcome—election to salvation—also chose the means—the preaching of the gospel. The elect are saved as believers unashamedly preach the gospel, even amidst suffering. Election, correctly understood, is a tremendous motivation for gospel preaching. We can preach because we know some will respond to the message. We see this throughout the book of Acts. Acts 13:48 says, “When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice and praise the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life believed.”
To endure suffering, we must remember that the elect need to hear the gospel to be saved. Romans 10:14 says, “How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them?” For people to hear the gospel and be saved, there must be a messenger. Who the elect are is a mystery we must leave to God. We are just called to preach his Word, even if our suffering is necessary to do it.
Are you willing to suffer so others can hear the gospel—even if it means scorn, rejection, or imprisonment?
Application Question: What is your view on election? Did God choose based on his sovereign choice alone or based on his knowledge of who would choose him? How would you support your view?
To Endure Suffering, We Must Remember to Worship
This saying is trustworthy: If we died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us.
As Paul considers reasons to endure, he recites what many believe to be a fragment of an ancient hymn in verses 11-14.5 As in Paul’s brief imprisonment in Philippi, maybe this was a hymn he was currently singing while behind bars (Acts 16:25).
Similarly, worship is an important discipline needed for us to endure suffering. If we don’t worship and give God thanks, we will succumb to pity, doubt, and depression, which all prompts us to give up rather than endure.
Application Question: How can we worship God in the midst of our trials?
1. We must remember God’s purpose in our trials.
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” We must believe what God’s Word says in order to “consider it nothing but joy” when we face trials of various kinds (James 1:2). We must remember that these trials create perseverance in us, character, and hope in God (Rom 5:3). If we don’t remember the purpose of our trials, then it will be impossible to worship God in them.
2. We must remember that we are commanded to worship.
First Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” God commands us to both have joy and give thanks in all situations. It is in fact a sin to complain and grumble. Philippians 2:14-15 says, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world.” God disciplined the Israelites when they complained in the wilderness. First Corinthians 10:10 says, “And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.”
If every situation is used by God for our good, then we should, in acknowledgment of this, trust and praise him. Do you sing praises in your trials or do you complain? Paul praised God even during his imprisonment and before his death.
Application Question: Describe a time that you praised God in the midst of a trial instead of complaining. What were the results? What are some other tips that are helpful for praising God in the midst of a trial?
To Endure Suffering, We Must Remember God’s Reward
This saying is trustworthy: If we died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us.
As mentioned, it is thought that Paul is reciting a fragment of an ancient hymn in verses 11-14. The hymn has four verses with two parallel couplets.6 The content of this hymn has rich theological insights that are important to understand in order to faithfully endure suffering.
Interpretation Question: What does the first couplet in 2 Timothy 2:11-12a mean and how was it meant to encourage Timothy to suffer well?
First, we’ll consider what it means to die “with him” (v. 11), as it unlocks the meaning of the rest of the couplet. There are two possible views:
1. To die with Christ means to die spiritually.
Romans 6:5-8 says,
For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection. We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
At salvation, Christ’s death is applied to our account. Our sin nature died with him on the cross. It is not that we don’t have a sin nature anymore, but that Christ broke the power of sin on our lives. Therefore, we are no longer slaves of sin—having to obey its yearnings. We are now slaves of righteousness (Rom 6:19). What Christ did on the cross, we must apply daily by dying to our sinful desires and living for God. Those who died spiritually with Christ on the cross and demonstrate this daily by fighting against sin “will also live with him” eternally (v. 11).
If this is the correct interpretation, Paul is reminding Timothy to endure suffering because his sin nature died on the cross. The nature that wants to run and be afraid of suffering for Christ no longer has power over him; therefore, he should stand in the midst of suffering and so must we. We must stand because our sin nature died with Christ on the cross, and now we’re living a new life—a life in the Spirit. God has not given us a Spirit of fear but of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Tim 1:7).
2. To die with Christ probably means to be martyred.
The surrounding context of suffering for Christ points to martyrdom as the best interpretation. Dying for Christ is proof that we will live with Christ eternally (v. 11). Matthew 5:10 says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.” Suffering for Christ is the gold stamp on our salvation. It is proof that we are truly converted and that the kingdom of heaven is ours.
This also better fits the parallelism of the second verse: “if we endure with him, we will also reign with him” (v. 12a). Those who suffer for Christ will ultimately be rewarded not only with heaven but with heavenly rewards and various degrees of ruling. Many verses describe this reward and the believer’s ruling with Christ in his kingdom:
Matthew 5:11-12 says,
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
James 1:12 also describes the suffering believer’s reward. It says, “Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him.”
In the Parable of the Minas, Christ grants rulership of cities as a reward for faithfulness. In Luke 19:17-19, it says:
And the king said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you will have authority over ten cities.’ Then the second one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’ So the king said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
To endure suffering, we must remember Christ’s reward. Those who suffer with him, as they die to sin and experience persecution for righteousness, will live and reign with Christ. God will reward them in the coming kingdom. This is a tremendous encouragement to help believers enduring suffering.
Application Question: Why does God give eternal rewards? How does the prospect of eternal rewards affect you?
To Endure Suffering, We Must Remember God’s Judgment
If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself.
2 Timothy 2:12b-13
Finally, the last couplet describes God’s judgment on the unfaithful, as a motivation to endure suffering. To “deny him” (v. 12b), doesn’t refer to a temporary denial, as in the case of Peter just before Christ went to the cross. It refers to ultimate denial, as seen with unbelievers or apostates like Judas. They deny him by their words and actions. The third verse resembles what Christ said in Matthew 10:32-33: “Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.”
Similarly, Christ said this in Mark 8:38: “For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” To deny Christ is to be ashamed of him and his words in this wicked generation. If we do this, he will declare, “Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’,” as seen in Matthew 7:23.
Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself” (v. 13)?
Some have said this means that God will be faithful to us even if we, in moments of weakness, deny him. In this case, where verse 12 refers to permanent denial (as with an unbeliever or an apostate), verse 13 would refer to temporary denial as seen with Peter. If so, this would encourage Timothy who was timid and fearful about persecution—even if he failed, God would be faithful to him.
However, this interpretation is unlikely. It does not maintain the parallelism of the couplet—the first two stanzas being positive and the last two being negative. Most likely, this refers to God being faithful to judge the faithless, as he cannot deny his characteristics of being just, holy, and wrathful.
Dinsdale Young explains: “God cannot be inconsistent with Himself. It would be inconsistent with His character to treat the faithful and the unfaithful alike. He is evermore true to righteousness, whatever we are.”…Van Oosterzee says, “He is just as faithful in His threatenings as in His promises.”7
Certainly, this is a tremendous motivation to endure suffering. Christ calls for all to take up their cross to be his disciples (Lk 14:26-27). Therefore, we must endure suffering lest Christ deny us and God judge us.
Application Question: Which interpretation of verse 13 do you learn more towards and why? Which is more motivating to you—God’s mercy to the faithless or his judgment—and why? Do you ever use God’s discipline/judgment to motivate others towards righteousness? Why or why not?
Conclusion
As we conclude, let us consider this challenging story shared by David Guzik about a persecuted Christian in ancient Rome:
When one Christian in the days of the ancient Roman Empire was commanded to give money to the building of a pagan temple, he refused; and though he was old, they stripped him practically naked, and cut him all over his body with knives and spears. They started to feel sorry for him, so they said, “Just give one dollar to the building of the temple.” But he still would not. “Just burn one grain of incense to this pagan god,” they asked—but he would not. So he was smeared with honey, and while his wounds were still bleeding, they set bees and wasps upon him until he was stung to death. He could die; but he could not deny his Lord. The Lord can give you the same strength to live for Him, even as this man died for Him.8
How can we faithfully endure suffering for Christ?
- To Endure Suffering, We Must Remember Jesus
- To Endure Suffering, We Must Remember that God’s Word Is Unstoppable
- To Endure Suffering, We Must Remember the Lost
- To Endure Suffering, We Must Remember to Worship
- To Endure Suffering, We Must Remember God’s Reward
- To Endure Suffering, We Must Remember God’s Judgment
There are four headings as we look at verse 17. First, all believers are heirs of God. Second, all believers are heirs with Christ. There is a distinction made here. Third, all believers are heirs of suffering in this present life. Fourth, all believers are heirs of glory, referring to when we are glorified with Christ after our earthly death.
I. Heirs of God (8:17a)
First, all believers are heirs of God. This should be important to every Christian. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are an heir of God. This is based upon the wealth of the benefactor and the liberality with which He distributes His estate. Verse 17 starts with “and if children, heirs also, heirs of God.” The flow of thought at the start of this verse continues from the previous verses when Paul referred to believers as “sons of God” (verse 14), “sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” (verse 15), and “children of God” (verse 16). “Children” refers to all those who have been born again and adopted into God’s family.
These are the two ways you become a child of God—you are born again and adopted. It is not either/or, but both/and. You are both born again and adopted by God. There are unique features that pertain to both. Adoption indicates that we are brought in as a fully mature adult son who has all the rights and privileges that would come as a member of the family of God. Because we are adopted, we are now included in the will. What belongs to the Father will be passed down to us.
Inheritance From God
“Heirs also” means every child of God is a recipient of a vast inheritance from the Father. “Heirs of God” means that God is the Source and Giver of this inheritance. It all comes from God. Every blessing in your life has come from God the Father, through the Son, and is applied by the Spirit. When we pray, we pray to God the Father through the Son and the Spirit. We thank God the Father for the many blessings He has lavished upon us. When Jesus taught us how to pray, He did not say to pray to Himself. Rather, He said to pray to “Our Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). We are to ask the Father for our daily bread, for the forgiveness of our sin, and for His kingdom to come upon the earth.
We are heirs of God and recipients of His vast estate. God says, “the silver is Mine and the gold is Mine” (Haggai 2:8). It may be held in a vault someplace, but it still all belongs to the Father. Psalm 50:10 tells us that every animal of the forest and every cattle on a thousand hills belong to the Father. Someone else may be taking care of those cattle on one of those hills, but they are only stewards of what ultimately belongs to the Father. It is His by right of creation, and it is His by right of oversight and providence. His riches are so vast that they cannot even be number. They exceed human calculation.
This is not an isolated truth found only in Romans 8:17. Paul writes in Galatians, “therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:7). “Through God” means through the gracious act of God. It points back to God the Father. We are heirs of the gracious acts of God the Father as they flow from the Father to us. “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29). It was God the Father who made the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. “So that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:7). It is God the Father who justifies us. God the Father declares that the righteousness of Christ belongs now to us in the act of justification. It is a forensic declaration that the righteousness of Christ belongs to us. It is God the Father who pronounces this and justifies. Romans 8:30 makes this very clear. It is a very basic New Testament truth. For further reference, you will find this in Acts 20:32, Ephesians 3:6, Hebrews 1:14, and Revelation 21:7. This thread runs throughout the pages of the New Testament.
All believers are heirs of God. There is not a condition placed upon this statement. It is an indicative statement of fact. Those whom the Father has saved are heirs of God.
II. All Believers are Heirs with Christ (8:17b)
Second, all believers are heirs with Christ. Continuing in verse 17, “and fellow heirs with Christ.” This means that Jesus is the principle Heir, and we share in His inheritance. The Father has transferred everything over to the Son. The entire universe has been give to Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). He also declares that all judgment has been given to Him (John 5:22). Paul writes of Jesus that all things have been put “in subjection under His feet” (Ephesians 1:22).
God the Father wants His Son to be the object of our praise and worship. It glorifies the Father for the Son to be glorified. The Father has transferred the legal right to the universe, including this world, to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the principle Heir of God’s vast riches. As “heirs with Christ,” we now share in the inheritance that comes to Jesus.
Everything that belongs to Christ belongs to us. There are initial down payments of this truth for us to enjoy presently. His righteousness has become our righteousness. His holiness has become our holiness. His peace has become our peace (John 14:27). His joy is now our joy (John 15:11). His strength has become our strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Everything that belongs to Christ now belongs to us because we are in Christ. We receive part of the inheritance in this lifetime, and the fullness of it in the life to come. It is important to know that we are fellow heirs with Christ.
III. All Believers are Heirs of Suffering (8:17c)
Third, all believers are heirs of suffering. Before we get too excited about our inheritance, it is important for us to know that we will also suffer. The next segment of verse 17 says, “if indeed we suffer with Him.” One of the distinguishing marks of every child of God is that we share in the sufferings of Christ in this lifetime. This utterly destroys the prosperity gospel and any teaching that claims our suffering is because we do not have enough faith. The true gospel says that if you are a true child of God, then you will share in the sufferings of Christ in this lifetime.
If you have faith in Christ, it does not mean that you will have no suffering, but actually the reverse—you will have suffering. This is part of the cost of discipleship, the price of being a follower of Jesus Christ. There are sufferings that now come to us because we belong to the Lord. If you are not sharing in the sufferings of Christ, then you are not a child of God, but rather a child of the devil. If you have an easy life with no suffering, then you have not yet been born again.
To “suffer with Him” does not mean that we make bad decisions in life and then suffer the consequences of those bad decisions. Rather, this means that we suffer for His namesake, for His reputation, because we believe His truth and speak up to testify about His truth. We suffer because of the sacrifice that is required on our part to extend the kingdom of God. We suffer because we are identified with Christ. We suffer because we believe the gospel, bear witness of the gospel, and testify to the gospel.
Romans 8:18 provides explanation for verse 17. Paul writes, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (verse 18). This is the same contrast from verse 17, which said we suffer with Christ and then we will be glorified with Him. Suffering now, glory later. There are sufferings in this present time, but Paul is quick to note that they do not even begin to compare with the glory that is to follow. When placed on scales, the eternal weight of glory so far outweighs the temporal sufferings of this world that it is not even worth it to compare the two. It is comparing our future eternity in glory with Christ that will never end with a miniscule amount of time in this world that we are battered around for Christ.
Various Sufferings
Paul continues to address suffering in chapter 8. He speaks of futility and being subjected (verse 20), slavery to corruption (verse 21), groans and pains of childbirth (verse 22), groans within ourselves (verse 23), and tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword (verse 35). All of those are types of suffering with Christ. We face tribulation because we are identified with Christ. We are distressed because we suffer for our identity with Christ. Remember, the term “Christian” was coined by the world as a term of derision and mockery for the disciples who were on “the way” (Acts 9-11). “Christian” simply means ‘little Christ.’ “Persecution” is because of our identity with Christ. “Famine” is a judgment of God upon the world in which we live. “Nakedness” comes when you have been run out of town without even your clothes and lost your job because you associate with Christ. “Sword” refers to martyrdom and paying the ultimate price of giving your life for Christ. There are some hills that are worth dying on. Gospel truths are worth dying for. In Romans 8:36, Paul quotes Psalm 44:22, “For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” The rest of Romans 8 is unmistakably clear that believers will face sufferings in this world because of our identity with Christ.
Paul wrote the book of Philippians while he was in prison in Rome for two long years chained to a Roman soldier. Yet he wrote this book of joy. He writes, “For to you [believers] it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Philippians 1:29). All saving faith is a gift of God. No one can believe in Jesus Christ apart from being given the gift of repentance and faith by God the Father. Freedom of the will is freedom to go to hell and remain in unbelief. One may only believe in Jesus Christ when it has been granted to you to believe. Notice the package deal in Philippians 1:29. If you are given the gifts of saving faith and “also to suffer for His sake.” It is the heads and tails of the same coin. If God gives you the gift of saving faith, He will also give you the gift of suffering for the Lord Jesus Christ.
This looks different in different cultures and places around the world. Some persecution is in very visible places, while some is behind the scenes. Some people live in cultures that are more friendly to Christianity, while other live in cultures that are hostile to Christianity. There is much variance. It does not mean that we should have a martyr’s attitude to seek out suffering simply for the sake of suffering. But it does mean that if you speak up and stand up for Christ in your daily life, you will receive pushback. If you are a man of principle who lives out the reality of Christ and speaks up for Him, there will be pushback.
Suffering Has Purpose
In Philippians 3:10, Paul writes, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” Note the word “and” in this verse. This is not a multiple-choice option. They are all included together. Our sufferings conform us into the sufferings of Christ and the yieldedness by which He gave Himself up upon the cross. God has higher purposes in our lives than what we see in the moment, even in our suffering for the gospel. God is doing a thousand things in your life right now and you are only aware of two of those. He has another 998 things at work in your life, but we are completely unaware. God is working out our sanctification to grow and mature us.
The path of suffering in the Christian life was foreordained before time began. Paul writes, “So that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this” (1 Thessalonians 3:3). We have been predestined to suffer. This path was marked out for us from before the foundation of the world. It is inescapable. Again he writes, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). It is impossible to hold to the prosperity gospel if you read your Bible. It is foreordained as an heir of God and a fellow heir with Christ that we will share in His sufferings.
God works out all things in the believer’s life, even suffering, for good and for the advancement of the gospel. The book of Acts clearly shows that persecution was the means by which the gospel was spread throughout the known world. “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4). This is addressed to believers who are being scattered around the earth due to persecution. If you are a child of God, then you are an heir of God. If you are an heir of God, you are an heir with Christ. If you are an heir with Christ, you are an heir in suffering with Christ. God did not even spare His own Son this suffering. As we are conformed into the image of Christ, we join in His sufferings.
IV. All Believers are Heirs of Glory (8:17d)
Fourth, all believers are heirs of glory. This statement opens up a vast realm of truth. Paul concludes verse 17, “So that we may also be glorified with Him.” There is a purpose to the suffering. We will share with Christ in the glory that is to come. The more you suffer with Christ in this world, the greater will be the glory that you will experience in the world to come. Hell is hotter for some than for others. There is also a sense in which the glory experienced by believers will not all be the same. There will be greater recognition in heaven for some than for others. I can assure you the martyrs in heaven are being singled out at this very moment. Romans 6 tells us they have their own distinct place to worship. They are in their own special category. Because they suffered so much for the gospel in this world, that God has them recognized in heaven. I do not know all the ways this works out in heaven. But Paul wants us to know that as we suffer for Christ in this world, it will lead to glory with Christ in the world to come. The greater your pain, the greater will be your gain on the last day.
“We” still refers to all believers. “Also” tells us that this is a packaged deal—you will suffer with Christ and you will be glorified with Christ. Some of the glory will be experienced as follows: a heavenly home (John 14:2-3), a glorified body (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; Philippians 3:20-21), a perfected spirit (Romans 8:30), eternal reward (Revelation 4:10), endless reign (Revelation 22:5), full access (Revelation 3:12), white garments (Revelation 3:5), hidden manna (Revelation 2:17), permanent relationship (Revelation 3:12), and beatific vision (Revelation 22:4). To look upon the face of God will be the ultimate blessing of all the blessings.
In ancient times, very few people ever saw the face of their king. He did not reveal himself to peasants, serfs, and commoners. Only those in the inner circle regularly saw the king. Perhaps once in a lifetime, someone might catch a brief glimpse of the king as he rode down the street in a carriage. Revelation 22:4 tells us that we will one day look upon the face of God as He sits upon His throne. This is the greatest blessing we will ever know.
To Behold God
God is spirit and has always manifested Himself to man with bright shining light. He does not have a body—only God the Son has a body. This is the uniqueness of the incarnation and the virgin birth. The Father and the Spirit do not have a corporeal body upon which we can look. But the Bible says that we will look upon the face of God. That means you will have direct, unmediated access to God. We love Him by faith now, having never seen Him. But in that day, we will behold Him.
This far exceeds walking on streets of gold or seeing gates of pearl and walls of precious metal. The glory that will emanate from the face of God will be so radiant and brilliant that there will be no need for the sun in the new heaven and new earth. There will be no need for artificial light or artificial illumination. The effulgent outshining of the greatness, grandeur, and glory of God will light up the entire universe.
Believers will be given glorified eyes that will be able to look upon Him and not be burned up like a cinder. We will have a glorified body that will be able to be in His presence and not be consumed. Just as bodies in hell will never perish, but will endure the flames of hell forever, so we will have a body perfectly adapted for our new environment in heaven, able to be in the immediate presence of God and not be burned up.
When John was on the Isle of Patmos, he saw the glorified Christ and immediately fell at His feet as a dead man, which means he fainted. He could not even stand in the presence of the glorified Christ, whose face was shining like the sun, because John had not yet received a glorified body. When we are glorified with Christ, there will be the eradication of any sinful desires. Only the new man that we received in our new birth will go on. We will only have high and lofty thoughts. We will never grow tired or weary. We will worship Him forever and ever, never needing time off or rest, because we will have a supernatural body that will be endued with supernatural power to love God, worship Him, and serve Him. Our hearts will be enlarged so much that we cannot even begin to comprehend the capacity we will have to adore God. We will have access to God. We will be glorified with Christ, meaning we will be as much like Christ as a redeemed creature can be.
However, we will still never be on the same level as Christ. There is a sea of crystal around God in heaven that makes a distinction between the Creator and the creature. We will not be completely like Him because He will forever be God and we will forever be sons and daughters of God. But we will be so exponentially glorified that this will be our inheritance. Ultimately, our greatest inheritance is God Himself. When they portioned out the land to the twelve tribes of Israel and came to the Levites, there was no land to be given to them. Instead, God told them He would give them the best part—Himself. They inherited God. He, ultimately, will be our greatest inheritance in heaven as we will possess a relationship with Him that will be marked by purity, transparency, and intimacy that will fill and flood our hearts with joy unspeakable and full of glory, the likes of which we cannot even begin to comprehend.
Conclusion
In conclusion, let me remind us how the Christian life works. There is suffering now, and glory later. There are a few mercy droppings of glory now. God has put His Holy Spirit inside of us. He has clothed us with the righteousness of Christ. The peace, joy, and love of God has been poured out in our hearts. God has marked out our path and gone before us. We walk with Him, fellowship with Him, and pray to Him. But all of that is but a down payment for the fullness of the inheritance that will come to us. This is motivation for us that whatever pain or suffering we go through now is temporary and miniscule compared to the extraordinary glory that awaits us in heaven. We must keep our eyes on this great prize as it pulls us through this valley of tears here on earth. As we suffer with Christ in the present, it is but a speck compared to the eternal weight of glory that awaits us.
Since God’s eternal purpose is to make known His manifold wisdom through the church, we must pray and not lose heart in our trials.
First, Paul sets forth God’s eternal purpose (3:9-11) and then he gives two practical applications (3:12-13).
1. God’s eternal purpose is to make known His manifold wisdom through the church (3:9-11).
This is not an easy topic, so track with me! I will try to explain it under five headings:
A. GOD HAS AN ETERNAL PURPOSE AND NOTHING CAN THWART IT.
We saw this in Ephesians 1:9-12:
“He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”
God’s eternal purpose is to sum up all things in Christ. He is the centerpiece of history. All of the Old Testament looks forward to Christ. All of the New Testament testifies of Him. All of history will climax when He returns in power and glory to reign. Since He is the head of His body, the church, it is central to God’s purpose. It is in the church that God is bringing together both Jews and Gentiles, reconciling them to one another and to Himself through the cross (2:11-22). Paul says (3:8) that his ministry, in addition to preaching to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, is also (3:9) “to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things.”
What does he mean? One key to understanding Paul here is to resolve why he refers to God as the one “who created all things.” If we go back to Genesis (1:26-27), we learn that God created man as male and female to rule over creation and to reflect His image. You have to ask, “Reflect His image to whom?” There weren’t other people on the earth yet. I believe that God wanted Adam and Eve to reflect His image to “the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places,” that is, to the angels, both good and evil. Behind the scenes of human history is this cosmic spiritual battle between the forces of good and evil. God’s purpose for man (male and female) was to rule on earth and reflect His image. That purpose was temporarily thwarted by the fall, but it is being recovered by the new creation, the church (2:15).
While books have been written on what the image of God in man means, at least part of that image includes the unity and love that exists between the members of the Trinity. Thus when Paul discusses Christian marriage (Eph. 5:22-33), where husbands are to love their wives and wives are to submit to their husbands, he ties it all in to the original creation of man and woman (Eph. 5:31) and then adds (5:32), “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.” He is saying that Christian marriage is a smaller picture of Christ and the church, and that both marriage and the church are linked back to God’s purpose in creation, that we would rule on earth under His lordship and that we would reflect His image to the angelic hosts.
There are some further parallels to consider. Just as Eve was taken from Adam’s body in his sleep and then given back to him as his wife, so the church was brought forth through Christ’s sleep (death) and given to Him as His bride. Just as Eve was a part of Adam’s body, so the church is Christ’s body. Just as male and female together were to reflect God’s image in the original creation (Gen. 1:27), so now it is the Bridegroom (Christ) and His bride (the church) that are to reflect His image as we dwell in His love and willingly submit to Him. It is in this sense that we are His fullness (1:23) and that Paul can pray that we would be filled up to all the fullness of God (3:19), so that there will be glory to God in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations (3:21).
This is all kind of mind-bending! What Paul is doing is elevating our understanding and vision for what God is doing through the church. Stay with me!
B. GOD’S PURPOSE WAS A MYSTERY HIDDEN FOR AGES, BUT NOW BROUGHT TO LIGHT THROUGH PAUL.
“Mystery,” as we have seen, refers to something that was previously unknown, but now has been revealed. “The mystery of Christ” (3:4) refers to God’s eternal plan to sum up all things in Christ, the Savior (1:9-10). But, one application of this mystery was the previously hidden aspect of God’s uniting the Jews and Gentiles on equal standing in the one body of Christ (3:6). The Old Testament predicted the salvation of many Gentiles, but it did not reveal that God would unite them as one body with the Jews in the church, seat them with Christ in the heavenly places, and display His manifold wisdom through them throughout the ages.
If we ask the question, “Why did God hide this truth for thousands of years?” the answer is, “Because He so willed.” He is the Sovereign of the universe, and as the Sovereign, He has the right to do as he pleases. In Acts 14:16, Paul tells the pagans of Lystra, “In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways.” He could have intervened much sooner and made known His way of salvation if He had chosen to do so, but He didn’t. As Paul puts it in Galatians 4:4, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son….” God knew the right time to send His Son and He did it right on schedule. He has a purpose and nothing can thwart it. Although His purpose was hidden for ages, now it has been revealed. With Paul, we should always be amazed that we have become the objects of His grace!
C. GOD’S PURPOSE WAS CARRIED OUT THROUGH CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.
“Carried out” translates the Greek aorist tense of the verb, “to do.” It points to an accomplished action. God’s purpose was accomplished through Christ Jesus our Lord through His death and resurrection. It was at the cross, especially, that God demonstrated His manifold wisdom. People often wonder, why did God allow the fall of man into sin? He easily could have made man like the elect angels, so that we would not have sinned and then would be incapable of sinning.
While we need to be careful not to press the issue too far, we can say that God permitted the fall and ordained the cross because it demonstrated His wisdom and glory in a way that no other plan would have shown. God’s sending His own Son to bear the penalty that we deserve displays His wisdom, love, and justice in ways that would not have been seen otherwise. His wisdom is displayed in choosing a person who is both divine and human, because no other person could have fulfilled the role of mediator and substitute for our sin. He had to be infinitely holy and apart from all sin. He had to be a person infinitely dear to the Father, to give infinite value to His sacrifice. No created person, whether man or angel, would have been fit for this task. Only Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, qualified. (I am indebted here to Jonathan Edwards, “The Wisdom of God displayed in the way of salvation,” The Works of Jonathan Edwards [Banner of Truth], 2:142-144.)
D. GOD’S PURPOSE IS TO MAKE KNOWN HIS MANIFOLD WISDOM TO THE RULERS AND AUTHORITIES IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES.
Most of us don’t often think about the angels, but Paul brings them into the center of God’s eternal purpose! We know that the holy angels are in God’s very presence (Isa. 6:1-3). They are at war with the fallen angels (Dan. 10:13). The holy angels were especially involved in praising God at the birth of the Savior (Luke 2:13-14; Heb. 1:6). They have a special interest in the church, so that Paul tells the Corinthian women to wear long hair (or a head covering) in the assembly because of the angels (1 Cor. 11:10). They rejoice at the salvation of sinners (Luke 15:10). Throughout eternity, we will join the angels in heaven, singing praises to God because of the salvation that the Lamb secured for us (Rev. 7:9-12).
Some scholars think that Ephesians 3:10 refers only to the holy angels, some think it refers to the fallen angels, and some to both. I think it probably refers to both. (The fallen angels are referred to by the same terms in 6:12; in 1:21, it probably includes both.) To the fallen angels, the church, which exists because of Christ’s triumph at the cross, displays God’s wisdom and reminds them of their impending doom. The fallen angels thought that they had triumphed at the cross, but God displayed His wisdom by using that very means to gain ultimate and final victory (Col. 2:15).
As for the holy angels, through the cross they “see a great and wonderful manifestation of the glory of God” (Edwards, p. 147). Edwards points out that the happiness of angels, as well as of people, consists very much in seeing the glory of God. And, he says (ibid.), “Perhaps all God’s attributes are more gloriously manifested in this work, than in any other that ever the angels saw.” God’s mercy, grace, love, justice, and power are all magnified in the substitutionary death and bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus Peter tells us that the angels long to look into the matter of our salvation (1 Pet. 1:12).
E. GOD’S PURPOSE IS TO MAKE HIS WISDOM KNOWN THROUGH THE CHURCH.
F. F. Bruce (The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians [Eerdmans], pp. 321-322) says, “The church thus appears to be God’s pilot scheme for the reconciled universe of the future, the mystery of God’s will ‘to be administered in the fullness of the times,’ when ‘the things in heaven and the things on earth’ are to be brought together in Christ (Eph. 1:9-10).” He adds that the church, created by God’s reconciling the Jews and Gentiles into one body, is God’s agency to help bring about the final reconciliation. John MacArthur explains (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians [Moody Press], p. 97), “Every sinner who repents and turns to Christ adds another spiritual stone to God’s temple, another member to His Body, and becomes another forgiven and cleansed sinner who is made eternally one with every other forgiven and cleansed sinner.”
We show this wisdom of God to the principalities and powers by being the church that God created. John Piper says (“The Cosmic Church,”
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ Sermons/ByScripture/3/289_The_Cosmic_Church),
We don’t usually hit targets that we are not aiming at. And the target for the church is to demonstrate to the evil powers of the cosmos that God has been wise in sending his Son to die that we might have hope and be unified in one body, the church. Therefore, when we fail to live in hope and to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, we send this signal through the galaxies: God’s purpose is failing; he was not wise, he was foolish.
Again, the overall point that Paul is driving home is to elevate our understanding of the importance of the church in God’s eternal purpose, so that we will give it the proper priority in our lives. He wants us to understand what a great privilege it is that God has chosen us to be the agents of carrying out His eternal purpose through the church. The church is not just a nice place to drop by on Sundays if you’re not doing anything more interesting! The church is God’s vehicle for making known His manifold wisdom, not only on earth, but also to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. So we must see how our lives count for eternity.
After setting forth God’s eternal purpose, Paul applies it in two ways:
2. Because we are at the center of God’s eternal purpose, we must pray and not lose heart in our trials (3:12-13).
A. BECAUSE WE ARE AT THE CENTER OF GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE, WE MUST PRAY (3:12).
As I understand Paul’s flow of thought between God’s eternal purpose and prayer, it is this: Prayer is the primary means by which the church exercises God’s authority and brings about His rule on earth over the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. This is reinforced in 6:18-20, where immediately after telling us to put on God’s full armor so that we can stand against the devil, Paul calls us to prayer for all the saints, that the gospel may go forward.
This means that prayer (to use John Piper’s analogy) is not an intercom to call the maid to bring more refreshments to the TV room. Rather, it is a walkie-talkie to call the general to send more troops and supplies to the front line. Our focus in prayer should be, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). Prayer is to help advance God’s eternal purpose in Christ through His church.
Also, note Paul’s emphasis on the boldness and confident access that we have in prayer through Christ. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes (The Unsearchable Riches of Christ [Baker], p. 96), “Of all the blessings of Christian salvation none is greater than this, that we have access to God in prayer.” “Boldness” means that we can come before God without fear of rejection or penalty. “Confidence” implies familiarity. If you were an aide to the President, the first time you approached him in the Oval Office, you probably would be a bit hesitant and unsure of yourself. But after you’ve gone there a hundred times, you’d enter with confidence. “Access” means that you have the privilege of admission. If you have access to an exclusive club, the person at the door knows you and lets you in, whereas he will stop someone without access. We have boldness and confident access to God in prayer.
How is this possible? Paul mentions it twice: “in whom,” and “through faith in Him.” It is only in Christ and through faith in Christ that we can approach God’s holy presence to ask Him for what we need to further His kingdom. Prayer is our means of seeing God’s eternal purpose enacted on earth.
B. BECAUSE WE ARE AT THE CENTER OF GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE, WE MUST NOT LOSE HEART IN TRIALS (3:13).
Paul’s focus was not on himself, even though he was the one in prison, but on these Ephesian believers. He didn’t want them to become discouraged on account of his trials, because they would result in the Ephesians’ ultimate glory. In Romans 8:18 Paul wrote, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” As he goes on to share in that chapter, God works all things together for our good, using even the trials to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ. So even if persecution comes against us, we should not become discouraged, but rather remember that we are at the center of God’s eternal purpose. Our good and ultimate glory are included in His purpose. The greatness of the cause is worth the hardship of the suffering.
Conclusion
When Apple Computer fell on difficult times some years ago, their young chairman, Steven Jobs, went to New York to try to convince Pepsico’s John Sculley to move west and run the struggling computer company.
As they sat in Sculley’s penthouse office overlooking the Manhattan skyline, Sculley started to decline the offer. He said that Apple would have to offer him an astronomical salary and benefit package. Flabbergasted, Jobs gulped and agreed—if Sculley would move to California. But Sculley would only commit to being a consultant from New York.
Finally, Jobs confronted Sculley: “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want to change the world?” It knocked the wind out of Sculley. He hadn’t thought of it that way. He accepted the offer and moved west. (From, Leadership, Spring, 1991, p. 44.)
Many Christians don’t commit themselves fully to the local church because they’re too focused on themselves and they don’t have the big picture. The church is at the center of how God wants to change the world. It is His eternal purpose to display His manifold wisdom through the church. We should respond by committing ourselves to it and praying for God to use it mightily. We should be willing to endure hardship to see it become all that God wants it to be.
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