Have you ever expected your pains to be replaced with great gains, only to have them replaced with deeper pain?
It is called “the fellowship of His suffering”.
My friend, things of value need to be surrendered to Christ’s control. Paul told us in Philippians 3 that all the things he counted once valuable, he determined to be detrimental. He subsequently made them negligible that He could win Christ; know Christ, experience Christ’s power and enjoy the “fellowship of His suffering”. You see, as we enter into the fellowship of His death, we must be willing to experience great pain to our things that were our former gains.
So many people are surprised when they do right, but things go wrong. But Peter said, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some thing happened unto you:” (I Peter 4:12). In other words, you should never find it strange when we experience trials, but rather come to expect it. Why? Because stranger things have happened! This concept was not new to Peter, neither was it new to Paul. Paul had seen many great things—including visions from God! But, he also suffered greatly because of it. You remember the story:
In II Corinthians 12:7-10, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” Pay careful attention to what Paul is saying in this passage. His suffering was a painful “thorn in the flesh.” But this messenger of Satan was given to him by God! It was for his good.
When Paul realized that God’s grace was sufficient, he stopped fighting this suffering situation. Instead he said, “I take pleasure” in those things that hindered me! Paul was willing to trade his natural strength for God’s – the” supernatural strength that comes through suffering” in order that he might enjoy intimate fellowship with Him. I believe a lot of us spend much of our time in prayer asking God to take away the painful things in our life that He has especially given TO us! We expect our patient pains to be replaced with great gain. Instead, we find it replaced with more pain. That is “the fellowship of His suffering”. Jesus had to humble Himself to become a man, but He also had to humble Himself a second time to become obedient to the cross. Double humility seems unfair. It is not unfair; it is familiar!
Jesus earnestly prayed in the Garden for a way out. In fact, the Bible says His sweat was as great drops of blood. He asked His Father for the cup to pass from Him. It did not, for it was God’s will—His purpose and His plan—that Jesus suffer. What Jesus experienced was God-ordained adversity. I have some news for you today. God has some adversity planned for you. That adversity is not intended to drive you back into the world. Instead, it is meant to drive us deeper into our relationship with Jesus. Through suffering arrives an intimate familiarity with Jesus, and we can then learn to rely on Him more than ever before.
I learned quickly after starting Reformers Unanimous it seemed like some of those we helped the most, sacrificed for the most, and invested in the most, were the most ungrateful, troublesome, and rebellious students we had. I had to run to Jesus just like Paul did. Again Paul said, “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of YOUR (not his but their) faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all” (Philippians 2:17). Instead of becoming weary and depressed by the pain caused by a sacrifice for the benefit of another’s faith, he became more joyful. In a holy way, suffering produces joy. If we yield to becoming a self-sacrificing, suffering saint, joy becomes a continuing, reinforcing cycle that repeats itself over and over again. Sound fun? If not, then it is not familiar! Some say, “Try it; you’ll like it!” Paul says, “Die over it; you will like it.” This joy is possible because it does not come from us; it comes from Him! Paul said, “And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy OF the Holy Ghost” (I Thessalonians 1:6).
Paul called his thorn in the flesh a “messenger of Satan.” I learned from my Pastor Kingsbury in his great sermon “Such Were Some of You”, in every case the word messenger appears in the Bible, it is referring to a person. The Bible does not tell us what his messenger of Satan was, but it seems likely it was “a who”. Paul had one person who was a constant source of irritation and struggle in his life. He repeatedly prayed for God to take that person of pain away, but God refused. Paul needed the thorn to keep him from being “exalted above measure.” Paul, writing through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, repeated that exact phrase twice. Why—because Paul was prone to pride.
God knows we will suffer, and that we will need His help. That is why Jesus sent the Comforter—He knew we were going to need the Holy Spirit to give us comfort in the midst of trials, not so that we could be comfortable, but so that we could comfort those whereby we HAVE BEEN comforted. When God comforts us, He becomes familiar and it is that familiarity that can be shared with others less familiar with the ways of our great God.
Don’t give up in the midst of a trial, on Him and to Him you must dial. Friend, for when He shows up their will be no denial from the rank and file, God is in charge of every mile.
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