Are We Ready?
Posted on 24. Apr, 2010 by William Jacobson in Christian Living, The Church
Philippians 1: 27-30
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
It has been granted to us (believers in Jesus Christ) to suffer for His name sake. This is clear from the text. I know that we all suffer each day with a mess of different things. We suffer in people treating us badly because we preached to them the gospel. We suffer in denying our flesh it’s sinful desires. There are plenty of ways we can and do suffer for knowing and living for Jesus. But are we ready to suffer physically? I mean true physical persecution? The time is coming, if not already here, where true Christians will suffer and even die for being Christians. Not that it’s not happening already in the rest of the world. But I am talking specifically of America, our country.The great nation where tolerance and equal rights are fought for mightily. They will lock us up in cages and cause true physical suffering for those who claim Christ. What should our attitude be when this happens?
Philippians 1: 12-14
I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Our suffering is to serve in advancing the gospel. God’s glorious message of His glory.
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…”
We know that Christ’s sacrifice was perfect. We do not add anything to the cross of our Lord. So what does Paul mean by “…filling up what is lacking…”? What Paul means is the presentation of the suffering to the world. Jesus’ sacrifice was perfect and complete. But people need to hear about it and see it in action. Suffering for Christ helps to fill up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. Namely, the presentation to other people of the gospel.
1 Thessalonians 1: 6-7
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
Worshiping the Lord in the midst of trials and sufferings, makes God look glorious! Because we praise Him for being God, not as the magical sky fairy who gives us what we want if we’re good. The world needs to see Jesus as more than a santa clause of sorts. They need to see Him as He truly is, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
This will be the reason of our suffering. Soli Deo Gloria!
