Sharing in His Sufferings

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:17 NIV)

As the father of a 3-year-old who loves to play with other children, I find myself saying quite often, "You have to share!" And when I say it, I notice myself emphasizing the "have to." I do this because sharing is expected. When a child goes to a public playground and there are various things to play on and there are other children present -- it is expected that all of the children will share with one another.

As I read Romans 8:17, and in the way that the NIV translates it, I wonder if that word "share" has the same meaning here as it does on a playground? Here, as I do on the playground with my daughter, there are words that are emphasized. In the original language of the New Testament, a word appears that tips us off to the emphasis of the translated words, "if indeed we share." The Bible is telling us here that we have to share. Then what do we have to share? We have to share in Christ's sufferings.

We share in Christ's sufferings because it is expected of us. In the Christian life, it is expected that we will suffer. Now sometimes this makes no sense because sometimes we, or others, are under the impression that we become Christians to lessen our suffering here on this earth. However, when we read the Bible, we find that this is not true. The Bible tells us that even as a Christian, we will suffer -- in fact, it's expected.

If suffering as a Christian is expected, then does that mean that my particular sufferings are sharing in the sufferings of Christ? For example, does this mean that my cancer is sharing in the sufferings of Christ? Does this mean that the injuries from my car accident are sharing in the sufferings of Christ? Does this mean that the things I am suffering because of my failed marriage is suffering with Christ? I believe that they are.

When Christ suffered he suffered a whole lot more than physical pain. One of the documents that I hold to and helps me summarize my beliefs tells me that Christ suffered during his whole life on earth -- especially at the end because it was at the end that he sustained, in body and soul, the anger of God against the sin of the whole human race (Heidelberg Catechism Answer 37). Christ suffered because this world is broken. God created it good. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and as a result, ever since, the world has not been God's good and perfect creation. And suffering is part of that broken world. But Christ suffered in order to bring healing to this broken world. Christ suffered in order to put this world back to the way that it is supposed to be (Plantinga). This means that Christ has already healed it, but he has not yet completely healed it. Thus, we continue to suffer in the midst of a broken world.

Christ suffered in a broken world. More accurately, Christ suffered because of a broken world. We suffer in the same broken world. But we suffer with hope. Because Christ has already suffered and taken upon himself God's judgment of a broken world, when we suffer in the same broken world, we are not suffering because of God's anger, instead, we are suffering in order to share in the sufferings of Christ. And when we share with the sufferings of Christ, then we will also share in his glory. This is what we look forward to -- when Christ will have complete victory and so will we. Why? Because we shared. After all, it is expected.

But don't miss something important. It's not just because we suffer that makes us entitled to future glory. It's because we suffered with Christ. The same Christ who suffered in this broken world is the same Christ who offers his nail-pierced hand to you. Reach out and grab hold. Walk with Christ. Hold his hand. He knows your pain. He knows that living in this world is tough. The Bible tells us that he was familiar with suffering (Isaiah 53:3). Together you can walk. Together you can share. Together you can enjoy his glory -- his complete victory over a broken world.

28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4 NIV)

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Gazing Down the Road

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18 ESV)

Gazing down the road in the midst of suffering is not always the easiest thing to do. As was noted in the previous post, generally in the midst of suffering we keep our focus upon what we are experiencing right now. Sometimes, because of this, we are scared to look up and we are scared to look down the road. We wonder if the bumps that we are going to have to navigate are even larger and scarier than the ones we are navigating right now. We don't want to look, instead we want to take just one bump at a time.

Taking one bump at at time is a good way to navigate the bumps along the way. But in order to keep hope alive, we must take time to stop and gaze down the road. The Apostle Paul tells us that it is useless to compare the present bumps with what lies ahead. And what lies ahead? Glory.

Glory is the beauty of God. The beauty of God himself is not something that we can see right now with our human eyes. The psalmist says in Psalm 63 that he has seen the power and glory of God. But the place where he saw it was in the sanctuary. This is the place where God reveals his glory.

On the road of life, we are to do all things for God's glory. God created us to bring glory to him. This is why we live. This is why we sometimes suffer. Suffering prepares us for God's glory.

God's glory is both present and future. We can see glimpses of God's glory all around us. But these are just glimpses. We eagerly wait for the day when God's complete and total glory is revealed. As Paul says in the very next verse, "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God" (ESV).

But in the meantime, as we wait, suffering is part of this life. However, we have the hope of God's glory being revealed. So we press on. We keep walking. We see his glory in some of the little things around us: the beauty of a sunrise, the flash of the lightning, the snow-covered mountains, the hand of a friend. These are all glimpses of God's glory, but as we stop and gaze down the road, even as we take one bump at a time, we know that there is so much more that lies ahead.

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. (Psalm 63:2-5 NIV)

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Lift Up Your Eyes

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18 NIV)

Sometimes when we are on a path and it is a particularly bumpy path, we tend to keep our eyes down. We gingerly take each step as we carefully watch our feet as we put one foot in front of the other. We do this because we are watching each step.

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Walking the road of suffering can be the same way. We watch each step that we take and we are intently focused on our suffering. There is nothing wrong with this. It is to be expected. But as a result of this focus, all we see are the bumps on the path. Now there is no denying that the bumps are real. The bumps tell us that suffering is real. The Bible does not deny this. In fact, one of the things that Romans 8:18 tells us is that suffering is real. But that is not all that it tells us.

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The Apostle Paul calls these sufferings, "present" sufferings. This word, in the original language, means a momentary, limited duration of time. Yet, we must admit, that in the midst of walking the bumpy path of suffering, our sufferings feel anything but momentary.

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In the midst of suffering, our sufferings consume us and we think about them constantly. This is to be expected and we don't have to make any excuses for it. However, we sometimes do need to stop, and lift our eyes off of the path we are walking and gaze down the road. This is what the Apostle Paul tells us to do. He tells us, "Look at the path you are walking right now, see the bumps, but then lift your eyes and look down the road. Do you see where it is leading? These bumps are no comparison for what lies ahead. Yes, it's a tough road right now. But keep walking. For when the bumpy road ceases, you won't believe what you are going to see."

I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1,2 NIV)

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Considering our sufferings

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time... (Romans 8:18a ESV)

Thinking about suffering. Doesn't sound like a very fun thing to think about. I'll have to admit that I would much rather think about enjoyment. After all, the Greek philosopher Epicurus taught that the goal of life was to minimize pain and maximize pleasure. To me, this means we are to think about how to get pleasure and skip thinking about pain.

The Apostle Paul writes to the Christians in Rome and says that he "considers" sufferings. This means that he thinks right now as he is writing and has, in the past, thought about suffering. I believe that we are to do the same. We are to think about it and consider suffering. We must ask the questions that need to be asked in the midst of suffering-- especially the "why" questions. "Why is there suffering?" "Why am I suffering?" "Why does a sovereign God allow suffering?" When we think about and then ask these questions, it doesn't mean that the pain of suffering will be lessened -- suffering is suffering and suffering is painful. But by thinking about suffering, I do believe that it does, in the very least, mean that our present sufferings might just begin to make a little sense.

I believe that God does some of his greatest work in the midst of suffering. We don't have to look far to prove it --we just need to look to the cross. For when we consider suffering we must also consider the one who suffered more than anyone else in all of history -- Jesus Christ.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:8-10 ESV)

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