ABOUT CHRISTIAN SUFFERING

 ABOUT CHRISTIAN SUFFERING

This is my response to someone's question about Christian suffering. It is quite lengthy but, I encourage everyone to follow through:

CHRISTIAN SUFFERING

The concept of suffering for Christ is such that has been grossly misunderstood. My curiosity made me search the scriptures along this line in 2008.

WHAT SUFFERING FOR CHRIST IS NOT

It is never equal to poverty, suffering sickness, diseases, torment, and afflictions from demons. THESE THINGS ARE FROM THE DEVIL AND GOD WILL NEVER BORROW THE INSTRUMENT OF THE DEVIL TO DEAL WITH HIS CHILDREN EVEN WHEN THEY GO WRONG.

            WHAT THE BIBLE HAS TO SAY

The Bible does teach about SUFFERING Acts 14:22,  2 Cor. 4:8-11, 1 Pet. 4:14,16. But many things have been mixed and termed 'Christian Suffering'.

WHY DO CHRISTIANS SUFFER?

Christian suffering can be broadly divided into two:

A. SELF INDUCED SUFFERING.

B. THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN SUFFERING.

A. SELF INDUCED SUFFERING

This originates from the following:

✓ LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND DISCERNMENT Hosea 4:6, Is. 5:13.

✓ DISOBEDIENCE. This, many times has been responsible for the evils that have befallen many a good and godly people. Some people have gone to places they weren't supposed to go and many evils have befallen them because of this.

✓ A BELIEVER CAN SUFFER BECAUSE OF WRONGDOING 1 Pet. 2:20, 1 Pet. 4:15. If they lock you up in prison because you violate the law of the land, that is not suffering for Christ.

✓ SUFFERING THAT COMES AS A RESULT OF FALLING INTO TEMPTATION. James says 'Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man'.

If you suffer because of any of the above, your suffering is not from God.

B. THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN SUFFERING

This comes because of the following reasons:

✓ WE ARE IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF THE WORLD John 16:33 The world lieth in wickedness and the world hates the children of light.

✓ SUFFERING IS ONE WAY GOD DISCIPLINES THOSE HE LOVES Heb. 12:6-11. Vs. 8 says But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Notice, 'WHEREOF ALL ARE PARTAKERS' in this verse. It is to say 'EVERYONE THAT IS A SON HAS TO GO THROUGH IT'.

✓ SUFFERING COMES BECAUSE OF OUR FAITH. There are kinds of stuff that you cannot do any longer because you have chosen to follow Jesus. The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were facing ostracism and severe persecution because of their faith in Jesus who to this day hasn't been accepted by the Jews as the MESSIAH. Many believers are being denied what is rightfully theirs because they have refused to dance to the beat of the drum of worldliness. This is suffering.

✓ SUFFERING TO BUILD COMPASSION IN US. Heb. 4:15

✓ TO EMPOWER US FOR MINISTRY. Phi. 1:12-14, 2 Cor. 1:4-6

✓ TO PRUNE US, CHECKMATE PRIDE AND GIVE ROOM FOR BROKENNESS John 15:2, 2 Cor. 12:7.

✓ WE SUFFER SO THAT WE CAN EXPERIENCE GREATER GLORY. 2 Cor. 4:16-18, Rom. 8:18, 1 Pet. 4:12-13

✓ SUFFERING IS NECESSARY IN DEALING WITH SIN AND THE WORKS OF THE FLESH. 1 Pet. 4:1-2

These are the reasons a believer can suffer.

I went through this

 list to make us see different reasons a believer can suffer and I hope you can see that it is not ALL THE SUFFERINGS A BELIEVER EXPERIENCE THAT ARE NECESSARY! Many are self-induced and there is no reward for that. 

NOTE:

THE ONLY KIND OF SUFFERING THAT IS REWARDING IS SUFFERING FOR THE COURSE OF THE GOSPEL. Any other type of suffering is not acceptable.

However, it should be noted that despite the fact ALL BELIEVERS HAVE BEEN CALLED TO SHARE IN CHRIST'S SUFFERING Phi. 1:29, THE DEGREE/LEVEL/FORM IS DIFFERENT. The difference comes because of our INDIVIDUAL CALLING, ASSIGNMENT, GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, ETC. 

For example, the kind of suffering Christ the pastor of a Church will experience will be different from that of a banker an itinerant minister, or a missionary. May God give you understanding! 

Suffering for Christ is general but the degree and ways it manifests differ from place to place and person to person.

Let's get to the big one:

WHY DID PAUL SUFFER SO MUCH?

1. Part of his ministry calling was to SUFFER FOR CHRIST Acts 9:15-16. This is about the greatest reason Paul suffered even more than everyone else. As a matter of fact, the boundary of his suffering exceeded that which is normal for believers. 1 Cor. 4:9-12, 2 Cor. 11:23-33. Paul didn't suffer because of sin, wrongdoing, or because of his pre-conversion life.

2. He suffered because of the depth and height of revelation committed to him so that there wouldn't be room for boasting.

 An angel of Satan was constantly stirring up persecution against him everywhere he went. This is what he described as THE THORN IN HIS FLESH. It should be noted that the thorn in the flesh has NOTHING TO DO WITH SICKNESS OR DISEASES AS SOME HAVE WRONGLY BELIEVED  2 Cor. 12:7-10.

Having said all these about Christian Suffering, it doesn't demystify the fact that God still supplies ALL OUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS Phi. 4:19. The same Paul that said in Phi. 1:29 that we are to suffer for Christ also wrote to SAME PEOPLE Phi. 4:19.

Many times, KNOWLEDGE AND THE EXERCISE OF FAITH ARE WHAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE BELIEVER AND ANOTHER. A lot of us are yet to distinguish DEALINGS FROM GOD AND THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.

Thank you very much.

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