Suffering

Arnold Schwarzenegger unknowingly made a great theological statement when he said, “No pain, no gain.” Arnold was primarily talking about weight lifting and exercise, but this is true for all of life. No effort, no results. If you want to accomplish great things or become a great person, you will need to make many sacrifices to attain this goal. It will require some suffering. Athletes who compete know much about it.

To come to Jesus, you have to suffer the truth, which can be unpleasant to the natural man because he must recognize his need, because of his sin and the prospect of hell, and realize that our goodness in itself will not fit us for heaven. We are only saved by God’s unmerited favor in Jesus Christ. “ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Jesus knew a lot about suffering. His own creation tortured him, taunted him, mocked him, and nailed him to a cross. Yet on the cross, he won the victory over the devil and took the penalty of our sin for those who receive him as Savior and Lord. We are to win by the same paradox that Jesus exemplified. That is by conquering through suffering. Jesus said, “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant 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 15:20). If you are not suffering for Christ and experiencing some form of persecution, are you truly his disciple. Jesus calls us to be public followers of him. You don’t hide a light under a bucket. The Bible also says, “That I know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10). Again, as the Apostle Paul states, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Philippians 1:29).

In the evangelical church in general today, they don’t talk much about suffering. They want to encourage people to continue attending and giving to sustain the ministry. What kind of popular message is it that we should choose to suffer with Christ? This is especially true when the health and wealth false gospel is so prevalent.

We can become very entitled, like the world, due to a lack of gratitude and love toward God. Too often, we think God is here primarily to serve us rather than for us to serve him. If God doesn’t give us what we want, we may go around with a pout. In ingratitude, we become bored with God and spiritual growth. God is everything but boring.

How you view the book of Revelation may reveal a lot about how you view God and suffering. There are, for sure, different views of the interpretation of this book. The first three chapters of Revelation are addressed to the seven churches, and these churches were actual in that day, and they also represent churches today. Churches will be imperfect, some more than others, even though the true churches will conquer, as expressed in two of the seven churches in Revelation. These churches in the book of Revelation may have been somewhat removed from extreme persecution, at least some of them, but most were compromising. Revelation was probably written around 95, and Christians had gone through extreme persecution, and it was still around in pockets. They may have grown weary. The Christians in 5 of the churches were compromising with the trade guilds and their patron deities. They were not willing to suffer economically. As G.K. Beale states, “If the churches do not maintain their role as priestly kings by faithfully witnessing to 'the testimony of Jesus’ in the face of suffering, then they will be judged by Christ. If they are faithful and are unjustly persecuted, then they need not fear 9 (v.1:17) because they can be assured that they will ultimately overcome their defeat in the same way that Christ did.”

“At least some of these factors lay behind the Jewish oppression of the churches of Smyrna (2:9) and possibly of Philadelphia (3.9). Apparently, the Jews made it clear to local government officials that Christians were not a legitimate sect within Judaism but a new religion, whose adherents had no legal right to practice their religion outside Palestine. Such instigation probably caused the Romans to focus more on Christians and to investigate Christians’ loyalty to the deity of the emperor. The Jewish pressure would have tempted some Christians to maintain a quieter attitude about their faith so that they would not attract too much attention to themselves before the Jews or Romans.” (The Book of Revelation, p. 206,31, G.K. Beale.) It is the same today. Christians are not out there, because they don’t want to suffer persecution. In contrast, the Bible says, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

In Canada, the persecution has to do with curtailing Christian influence in public meetings, and ignoring and expressing contempt as well as ostracism. It is a subtle form of contempt and the underhanded denial of the freedom of religion and freedom of speech. True Christ followers may suffer discrimination in the workplace in hidden forms. This overall contempt seems to be increasing. However, the true Christian doesn’t have to play by the world’s informal rules, but can find creative and bold ways to share the gospel and to live it.

In the book of Revelation, there are seals, trumpets, woes, and bowls of wrath which describe the various aspects of God’s sovereignty and just judgments brought on by man’s own sin. These judgments are supposed to lead to the repentance of those without Christ and the purification of the Christians. According to the idealist Amillennial view, Christians will go through persecutions, but God will sustain them and empower them. They will be victorious in Christ’s way. The critical factor is that they not compromise Christ. The Pre-tribulation Premillennial view believes we will escape the persecutions. Be a diligent student of the Bible and think through it, and don’t just take the popular, easy-to-understand, parroted, and somewhat simplistic, unscholarly view. Yes, we need to take the Bible literally when it is possible, but the writing of Revelation is apocalyptic literature, which is highly symbolic and figurative. The books of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Zechariah also use apocalyptic literature to convey truth, but we must understand the language and interpret it accordingly.

The point is that God has called us to suffer with Him. As the scripture states, “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:17). If we are not willing to suffer for Christ, we may not be his disciple. However, suffer wisely.

It is one thing to suffer for Christ and another reason to suffer because of the consequences of our sin or our rudeness. We must forsake sin to avoid the consequences, and there will be natural consequences and consequences from God. There are consequences in this life and the next. As the Bible states, “ For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:17). As well the Bible says, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters” (1 Peter 4:15). Choose sin or choose Jesus Christ, they don’t go together.

No effort, no gain. If you don’t invest in your relationship with God, it will wane. If you compromise it, you will lose the abundant life and the rewards in heaven. “John's purpose in writing is, therefore, to encourage those not compromising with idolatry to continue in that stance, and to jolt those who are compromising out of their spiritual anesthesia so that they will perceive the spiritual danger they are in and repent and become witnesses to the risen Christ as Lord. For those who never respond, only judgment will ensue.” Ibid., p. 33, G.K. Beale

Suffering can be good if it results in an abundant life and victory in Christ. Jesus, “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). What are you enduring because of the love of God in Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit? Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (Matthew 11:30). “No pain, no gain.” When we love someone, we gladly bear burdens with them. Likewise, when we truly love God, his burden is light; in fact, it is an honor.

As the Apostle Paul has said, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Suffering on account of the gospel Paul also states, “ And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation” (2 Corinthians 1:7). Do a study of the Bible and look all the times it speaks of suffering for and with Christ.

Count the cost. Do you really want to be a disciple of Jesus, or do you want to try still being your own God and follow the ways of Satan? You can make the choice and you will definitely deal with the consequences of the choice. Christan forsake willful sin and choose the Jesus way. You cannot have wilful sin and Christ. You can not compromise with the world and live for Christ. It is either one or the other. Choose to endure, enjoy God, and be triumphant in Christ. He is our strength, power, joy, and consolation.

Resources

G.K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, (very technical and thorough, not an easy read, but well worth it)

Michael Wilcock, The Message of Revelation, (more of a popular read)

Dennis E. Johnson, Triumph of the Lamb, (Scholarly but a lot easier than Beale, He did notes on the book of Revelation in the English Standard Bible, Study Bible)

M. Eugene Boring, Revelation (Scholarly but not a lot of Greek)

Tim Chester, Revelation for you: Seeing History from Heaven’s Perspective, (Haven’t read yet, but comes highly recommended and I have ordered. Popular read)

Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb (popular read)

William Hendricksen, More than Conquerors, (more of a popular read)