Glorifying Christ in our Suffering

 Romans 8:12-17, II Corinthians 4:5-12

 Romans 8 talks about how we are no longer slaves to the flesh – to sin since we are now children of God, joint heirs with Christ. Paul states that if we suffer with Christ we may also be glorified with him.

In the Roman world the word “glory” might suggest success, prosperity, and freedom from weakness and suffering. This is not the character of Christian suffering in this life, however.

In II Corinthians 4 Paul talks about how in their mission work they don’t proclaim – boast about how great they themselves are but they proclaim, brag about Jesus Christ as Lord. He tells how God has shone in their hearts to give knowledge of the glory of God. This was modeled for them in the face of Christ. He tells about this treasure using the metaphor of earthly jars for our earthly bodies. This makes it clear that the extraordinary power belongs to God not from us.

How does one glorify Christ in our suffering? Paul talks about his own experience which we as joint heirs with Christ can also have. Though we may not have the physical beatings and jailings Paul and the other apostles experienced we can still persevere through our earthly sufferings like Paul and his team did. We can be afflicted but not crushed, perplexed and confused but not driven to despair since we know God is in control. We may feel persecuted but knowing God is for us can keep us from despair. We may feel struck down with the troubles of life but know that we are not destroyed since we know that our God who can bring life out of death, like God did with Christ, will carry us through.

We achieve these steady and assured responses to suffering from the power of God’s spirit within us. They make Jesus visible in our lives and give glory to God. In verse 12 Paul tells how that by him and all Christians embodying the death and resurrection of Christ we may like Jesus be a channel of life to others. We are in this together, and all for the glory of Christ.

When we encounter trouble and hardships may we let Christ be glorified in our faith that God will help to pull us through since God raised our joint heir Christ from death to life and will do the same for us the other children of God. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Job’s Restoration/David’s Redemption

  Job 42:1-6, 10-17; Psalms 34:1-8, 19-22   After Job has a long talk from God, Job answers acknowledging his own lack of knowledge compared with God’s. He talks about uttering things he did not understand. Now after hearing and seeing God he repents in dust and ashes. What is his reward for this humility? God not only delivers him from all his troubles, but God restores his fortunes twice as much as he had before. He lives till 140 seeing four generations. In the 34 th Psalm, David praises God for deliverance from trouble. He addresses the myth that the righteous have no troubles – just ask Job. David says in verse 19 that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord will rescue them from them all. He brings up the point, however, that God is with us during our struggles. This suffering soul cried out and was heard by God who saved him from every trouble. He tells how the angel of the Lord surrounds those who fear him and delivers them. Verse 8 talks about t...
Read more

Wiping Away Tears

  Isaiah 25:6-9, Revelation 21:1-5a   It was hard choosing which two Lectionary readings to write on this week. The gospel story of the Rising of Lazarus is one of my favorites. But since I’ve touched on that account in the past I was drawn to the Isaiah and Revelation passages that talk about wiping away tears. Isaiah prophecies of a time to come where the Lord of Hosts will make a feast of the best foods for all people. Earlier in verse 4 it tells how the enemies of the Lord will be defeated and the poor, needy, and distressed championed. Then it is said that the Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces and disgrace will be removed. Not only this great feast for all but the Lord will swallow up death forever. Salvation has come to those who have waited on the Lord. Instead of tears they will be glad and rejoice in God’s salvation. In Revelation we have John’s vision of God’s final salvation coming. He sees a new heaven and a new earth. A voice tells him this is the...
Read more

Reverent Submission II

Mark 10:35-45, Hebrews 5:1-10 In the gospel of Mark, James and John ask Jesus if they could have the high status of sitting next to Christ in glory. In answer Christ asks the question of whether they can drink the cup – basically go through the same suffering Jesus will go through and be metaphorically baptized by fire like Christ will be. To this they reply yes. Jesus confirms that they will actually do so – little do they realize what this will mean. However, he can not appoint who will sit next to him, only God can. The other ten disciples when they hear of this arrogance of James and John become angry with them. Jesus turns this into a teaching moment turning the hierarchy of the world upside down. He says he who wants to be great must be a servant. In regard to James and John wanting first place in the seating Christ says who ever wishes to be first must be a slave of all. He hits them with a surprising sentence – something they didn’t expect. It is that he, the Son of Man, ca...
Read more