PERSEVERANCE WORKS EXPERIENCE The path to glory leads through the valley of suffering. It is only as we "suffer with Him" that we will "reign with Him" (1 Tim 2:12). If men can receive it, and not pervert it, suffering enables us to be "worthy of the kingdom of God"--that is the express statement of Scripture. This is the perspective that prompted the Apostles to rejoice when they were harshly punished for preaching the Gospel. "So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name" (Acts 5:41).
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope" (Rom 5:1-4, KJV). " . . . and perseverance, proven character . . . " (NASB). " . . . perseverance, character . . . " (NIV). "And steadfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope" (ASV).
Our Lord Jesus referred to this principle when He said, "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt 5:10-12). Let those who are oppressed because of their faith be courageous and bold. They are being tested. Their faith is being refined. Their suffering can become the means through which they obtain their reward in heaven.
Looking at this principle from another perspective, we can see the righteousness of God. We are apprized that at the judgment, the saved will inherit the Kingdom prepared for them from the "foundation of the world" (Matt 25:34). Peter affirms that the inheritance is reserved for us in heaven, and is not fading away (1 Pet 1:4). That inheritance, however, will not be given indiscriminately. It has been purchased at great price, and men must be suited for it. When you suffer for righteousness sake, or are put through difficult and painful tests, you must reason in this manner. "I have a great inheritance reserved for me in heaven. The Lord has given me these difficult times in order that I may qualify for the prize." Some will view this as glorifying works, but it is not so. Suffering is not a work, it is a fellowship! It is not something we achieve, but something we endure. Therefore it is written, "So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer" (1 Thess 1:4-5).
This truth sheds light on a remarkable word from the Spirit. "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions" (Col 1:24, NASB). There is no justifying power in the sufferings we experience, nor are they the subject of the prophecies of old (1 Pet 1:11). These are sufferings left behind--a residue which allows us to fellowship more deeply with Christ.
This type of suffering leads to reward. Once this facet of spiritual life is seen, holy resolution grips the soul. How wonderfully Paul expressed it. "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death" (Phil 3:10, NIV). Jesus suffered because He was not of this world. He came to this world, but He was never a part of it. To His critics Jesus said, "Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world" (John 8:23). This circumstance was the root from which opposition to Christ sprang.
The world opposes the people of God because it senses they are of another order. As our Lord said, "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you" (John 15:19, NIV). Whether intentional or otherwise, the course of this world chaffs against the spirit of the redeemed. It is like a contrary wind that makes it difficult to row to a distant shore (Mark 6:48). Often the environment of flesh becomes like the burning fiery furnace to the three Hebrew children. It puts us to the test, revealing our true character. Our text informs us that enduring these tests results in the development of godly character. True character is not developed by mere discipline, but by opposition, stress, and difficulty. Fortitude, or endurance, is matured in the crucible of hardship!
PRAYER POINT: Father, in Jesus' name, grant me patience to endure the sufferings appointed to me, that I may bring glory to You.