Suffering, Enduring & Overcoming: “…Some Strange Thing Happening…”

The Apostle Peter exhorts us,

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but TO THE DEGREE THAT YOU SHARE THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. (1 Peter 4)

James, the earthly brother of our Lord, encourages us to,

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter VARIOUS TRIALS, 3 knowing that THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1)

The Apostle Paul states,

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our TRIBULATIONS, knowing that TRIBULATION brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5)

and

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, IF INDEED WE SUFFER WITH HIM so that we may also be glorified with Him.

18 For I consider that THE SUFFERINGS OF THIS PRESENT TIME are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8: )

and

It is a trustworthy statement:
For IF WE DIED WITH HIM, we will also live with Him;
12 IF WE ENDURE, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2)

Jesus also warns,

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, BECAUSE OF THIS THE WORLD HATES YOU. 20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. (John 15)

and

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. (Matthew 16)

and

“Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. 7 “HE WHO OVERCOMES will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 “But for THE COWARDLY AND UNBELIEVING and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21)

Few on the pulpits of Christendom will even go near these verses, since they don’t want to chase off the folks, sitting in the pews, who are there primarily for their once-a-week, warm and fuzzy experience: the “having their ears tickled” sermon and pat-on-the-back handshake. A few less cautious clergymen, who do choose to mention these scriptures, will, almost always, end up claiming that the suffering and enduring only apply to those “backsliding” believers (“returnees to Egypt”) who continue to sin; and, of course, the unregenerate (unbeliever).

A child of God who has returned to his own vomit, and thus trodden underfoot the Son of God, will most likely not have to endure much suffering any further, since he, or she, is once again serving the god of this age, Satan: the evil one will simply arrange things so the world seems even more appealing to the apostate, now, than when he, or she, was devoid of the Christ before salvation:

For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2)

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. 28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT THE SON OF GOD, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10)

How clergymen make a case for these scriptures applying, in any way, shape or form, to the unregenerate is far beyond me, since these particular verses are referring to those who have been foreknown, and predestined, to believe and seek the Lord. Besides that, if we take a real close look around us, we will see that many of the unregenerate are living “high-off-the-hog” in this evil world system. This, of course, is not to say the unregenerate will not suffer in this world:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5)

Arranging for success in this worldly realm, however, is one of the main techniques Satan uses to keep people in bondage to his lies! The fact of the Spiritual matter is, whether the panderers of “prosperity ministries”, and liberal “Christians”, like it or not, those who were foreknown, predestined, and called, must endure suffering in order to be glorified (sanctification)!

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. 29 For those whom He FOREKNEW, He also PREDESTINED to BECOME CONFORMED to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among MANY BRETHREN; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also JUSTIFIED; and these whom He justified, He also GLORIFIED. (Romans 8: 28-30)

How do we, as true believers, BECOME CONFORMED to the image of our Lord and Savior? By BELIEVING Him, SEEKING Him First, OBEYING Him, RESTING in Him, and by seeking to become SANCTIFIED (salvation of the soul) through our SUFFERING and ENDURING with Him; here and now! And through the Power of the Christ we can, then, endure long enough (until the end) to overcome all that the evil one has placed before us to destroy our faith in, and love for, our Lord. Christ is our example for this way of Life, this suffering and enduring, as are His disciples and Apostles, in particular, the Apostle Paul!

I will complete this in the follow-up post, “A Thorn in the Flesh, A Messenger of Satan…”