Paul writing to the Roman church says, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,… (Romans 8:16-17) We certainly like that statement of assurance that in Christ Jesus we are children of God. But the three dots following “Co-heirs with Christ” mean that Paul’s statement doesn’t end there. He follows that by saying “if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” That part we don’t like very much. Our suffering adds nothing to our salvation. That is already complete in Christ, but it does recognize that we are in a sinful world and have a responsibility of helping to share the burdens this world places on others. Christ’s command was to love one another as He has loved us. Loving as He loved is painful at times. We are not in this life just to get everything we can and have the easiest life possible. As Christians we are called to walk beside those who are hurting, supporting them as best God give us the grace to do.
Tag Archives: suffering
Good Morning March 22
Paul wrote to the Roman church, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”(8:19) Does he mean that trials and suffering in the present are unimportant, that we are just biding our time until we get to heaven? I don’t think so. He had said that we are children of God and co-heirs with Christ in God’s glory “if indeed we share in his sufferings…”(vs.17) We are not just biding our time until it is all over. There is much work for Christ to do for people in this broken world. In the process we do run into opposition, and we weep with those who weep.(Rom.12:5) But we keep in mind the great goal that is before us. God will win the victory and bring all things to their right conclusion. Our desire is to bring as many along with us as God give us grace to do. This is the hope of the children of God that we extend to all.
Good Morning August 2
One heresy of the Christian Church that has been around since ancient times, and still persists in some ways today says that Jesus was God, but He only looked like a man. He really didn’t suffer or truly feel the pain that we experience. Yet the writer of Hebrews assures us that Jesus is “one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are…”(4:15) In Matthew 14 it is striking to see the range of human pressure and burdens our Lord experienced. It begins with His cousin being beheaded by King Herod, the loss of a family member and the evil that would cause this. Then the demands of the multitude, the dullness and slowness of His disciples to believe, and seeing fear where there should have been faith, Jesus felt it all deeply. Twice in this 14th chapter it indicated that Jesus needed to get alone to pray. His burden was greater than we can imagine. But by His carrying that burden, and ultimately that of our sins to the cross, we have the assurance that He knows and cares about our individual needs and hurts. He has been there, and just as He reached out His hand to save Peter from drowning (14:31) He reaches out to us each day. His strength and grace are sufficient.
Good Morning March 14
The Apostle Paul is well aware of trials and suffering in the world. He had experienced much of it himself. He remarked in Romans chapter eight that “the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth”.(vs.22) I look around at my own small congregation, and our circle of family and friends easily seeing many trials we face in this broken world. Then Paul asks an important question that may also be on the lips of many hurting people. “What, then, shall we say in response to these things?” Sometimes it’s hard to know the answer when we are in pain. Yet Paul immediately responds, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”, and uses the truth of God, Himself, “not sparing His own Son, but giving Him up for us all”. That was an act of God seeing and providing for the healing of our deepest need, our separation from Him. Having been brought near to God through His Son, Jesus Christ, he, and we can declare “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”.(vs.37) Read all of Romans eight. It is our strength and joy in the midst of all life.
Life Has Meaning 