Good Morning,
"And if we are His children, then we are
His heirs also; heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His
inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to
share His glory. {But what of that?} For I consider that the
sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth
being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in
us and for us and conferred on us." (Romans 8:17 & 18)
His heirs also; heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His
inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to
share His glory. {But what of that?} For I consider that the
sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth
being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in
us and for us and conferred on us." (Romans 8:17 & 18)
As I looked up the definition of
suffering, I expected or rather wanted to find some deep spiritual
defining word that meant something more than what it means. Yet here it
is; suffering means something undergone;
i.e. hardship or pain; an emotion or influence: affection,
motion, distress, loss or sorrow. Now we all want to share in the glory of Christ, but the Word says that we are to share in His sufferings also. As children of God
we will go through sufferings in this world system, but we must come
through victoriously. Listen to these verses in the Word. Notice that
every time that 'suffering' is mentioned there is some consolation for
the one who comes through victoriously.
suffering, I expected or rather wanted to find some deep spiritual
defining word that meant something more than what it means. Yet here it
is; suffering means something undergone;
i.e. hardship or pain; an emotion or influence: affection,
motion, distress, loss or sorrow. Now we all want to share in the glory of Christ, but the Word says that we are to share in His sufferings also. As children of God
we will go through sufferings in this world system, but we must come
through victoriously. Listen to these verses in the Word. Notice that
every time that 'suffering' is mentioned there is some consolation for
the one who comes through victoriously.
I Peter 4:12-13; "Dear friends, don't
be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something
strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad – for these trials
make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have
the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the
world." Because of being a child of God, the
enemy goes around trying to devour and destroy through all manner of
hardships and distress. If we think of all that Christ went through to
bring us to salvation, and how now He has a name above all other names,
that at that name every knee will bow! We are heirs with Him! We share
in His great inheritance also. Then we can truly begin to understand
and also identify with what Paul wrote in Philippians. "For
my determined purpose is, that I may know Him [that I may progressively
become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and
recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly
and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the
power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over
believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death."
be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something
strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad – for these trials
make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have
the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the
world." Because of being a child of God, the
enemy goes around trying to devour and destroy through all manner of
hardships and distress. If we think of all that Christ went through to
bring us to salvation, and how now He has a name above all other names,
that at that name every knee will bow! We are heirs with Him! We share
in His great inheritance also. Then we can truly begin to understand
and also identify with what Paul wrote in Philippians. "For
my determined purpose is, that I may know Him [that I may progressively
become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and
recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly
and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the
power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over
believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death."
(Philip. 3:10) This
is now the time that we are dying to be transformed. We are changing as
we die to ourselves. The more we die to ourselves, the more we are
changed into the likeness of Christ. The more we are in His likeness,
the more if His glory is being revealed in us, on us and through us.
There is always a certain amount of pain in changing. When you were
going through puberty, you experienced a certain amount of growing pains.
As your body was trying to accommodate your continued growth, you
experienced pain in growing. In our spiritual life, (which is
paralleled by the natural) we experience a certain amount of hardship
as we grow too. It is minuscule in comparison to the weightiness of the
glory of God!
is now the time that we are dying to be transformed. We are changing as
we die to ourselves. The more we die to ourselves, the more we are
changed into the likeness of Christ. The more we are in His likeness,
the more if His glory is being revealed in us, on us and through us.
There is always a certain amount of pain in changing. When you were
going through puberty, you experienced a certain amount of growing pains.
As your body was trying to accommodate your continued growth, you
experienced pain in growing. In our spiritual life, (which is
paralleled by the natural) we experience a certain amount of hardship
as we grow too. It is minuscule in comparison to the weightiness of the
glory of God!
Love,
Pastor D.
Daughters of Z 