Suffering for the Greater Glory of God

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I remembered the time I was offered the easy way out but chose to remain in the hard. Later, I found myself complaining about how difficult circumstances were and I was mockingly told, "We gave you an easy way out but you refused it! Well, it's God's will that you suffer!" I shouted, "No! It's not!" and went to the Bible for answers. I soon found many verses that really reveal that sometimes in life - it's God's will that you suffer!
2 Corinthians 12:6-8 
6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 
Hebrews 11:24-25 
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
James 5:10-11 
10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
1 Peter 1:6-8 
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 
1 Peter 4:16-17 
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

The reality of the Christian life has never been happy, healthy, and wealthy all the time. One reason why I dropped watching Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) in my growing up years was because of Joel Osteen's nonsense prosperity theology. Jesus never promised an easy life and that's why I stopped listening to Osteen's garbage preaching. The more I read the Bible - the more I realized that there are times it's God's will that I suffer now than later. It's almost like God telling me, "When do you want your suffering? Now or later when it will be greater?" Then the answer became, "I want my suffering now than later!"

Do you know Christians are in fact, chosen to suffer? The conversion of Saul in Damascus shows that Christians are in fact, chosen to suffer!
Acts 9:15-16 
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake.

Chosen to suffer? The suffering is but temporary. While I kept complaining about my not so heavy burdens - I realized that if God wills that I suffer, not have temporary glory, always have a difficult time so I can do better - so be it! I had to review Moses' decision to choose to be no longer called the son of the Pharaoh's daughter. Instead, he went down to his fellow knowing that he was also a Jew. He would later oppose whoever was the incumbent pharaoh at that time (presumably a foster cousin of his). He feared God more than Pharaoh. He feared the king's wrath but later trusted God enough to keep him safe. You can imagine how much Moses chose to leave the comfortable palace to go down unto his brethren. I thought, "If Moses decided to suffer for righteousness' sake then why am I to complain? Why should I not stand strong by God's grace?"

Becoming a Christian is a call to be antagonized by the world. Christianity may have a positive effect on society but not without setbacks. Christianity may have crumbled the foundations of masters treating their slaves like garbage, it may have started making people treat each other better, it may have brought in new life to the worst of the dregs of society - yet it also has a negative effect on society that loves sin. The negative effects would be businesses that rely on sin to operate it would be destroyed. Remember when Paul and Silas were arrested in Acts 16? It was because they exorcised a witch that witchcraft agency went down? Acts 19 shows how witchcraft manuals were getting burned because people got converted to Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:11 further confirms that Christianity would put businesses that rely on sinful living out of business. Just imagine how people who were once unworthy of God's kingdom end up leaving such a sinful lifestyle!

The suffering has been great. Many could have accepted deliverance. Sometimes, the irony that Christians may complain about minor circumstances but stands strong when their greatest fears appear in front of them.
Hebrews 11:35-40 
35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

You can think about how the Christian life will always mean persecution can't be avoided. Jesus warned in John 15:18-19 that the world will hate the Christian as much as they hated Him. At first, I wondered why are people getting into trouble for doing right. Shouldn't people only get into trouble for doing wrong? Unfortunately, you have a world that would only accept the right when it conveniences them rather than do right all the time. The story of Daniel in the lions' den made me think it was just mere bullying when it wasn't. The truth is doing what's right can get you into trouble. The more close to perfection the Christian is - the more the world will hate him or her! Jesus is the most perfect human ever (because He is God the Son in His humanity) yet the world hated him. It's because the world is imperfect. You can imagine just how stupid humanity is. Yet, God is no sadist who would allow suffering without comfort and reason. God would allow affliction for a reason. The great comfort for the Christian is that God won't allow Satan to harm them without His permission and without a good reason such as personal sins that are left unconfessed or to make His greater glory manifest.

There will always be people who will hate God or think they're serving God when they aren't. There's a world lost into blindness by sin. I remembered when John F. MacArthur would say, "You can only accept it!" Other preachers say, "If you want to avoid persecution then do nothing and say nothing. But when you do nothing and say nothing - expect God to chastise you and you'll be back on the track of persecution!" However, the Christian will not be stuck for long doing nothing because Hebrews 12:5-7 says God will chastise His children. John 15:1-8 says that God will trim the branches so it will bear more fruit. Fake branches are thrown but real Christians will be pruned. Ouch! The Christian can only expect for more pruning, more chastising because God knows what He's doing!

The Christian road will always be narrow (Matthew 7:13-14). Is a narrow path easy to cross? No! The road will get narrower and narrower. I remembered the statement that says, "If you're not suffering persecution then maybe you're not living righteously!"
2 Timothy 2:11-13 
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Be more righteous, be more ready to be at war with the world! But there's one comfort. While that's, in fact, the high cost of following Jesus but there's still an infinite value. The infinite value is because this world is but temporal. Have the latest gadgets? Expect them to be obsolete in the next few years. Have the latest clothes? Soon, you will have to replace them. Have a lot of money? You may lose them if you're not careful and soon they'll be worthless under the New World Order. But the infinite value is the great reward in Heaven!
Matthew 5:10-13 
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Getting reviled? Persecuted? Accused falsely? If you're in Christ then why should it all matter? It's difficult to keep and I remembered I got mad and decided to physically hurt someone over that stuff. Then I remembered that Jesus told Peter to put the sword away. Jesus allowed Himself to be persecuted so He can provide the remedy for sin. The truth is a personal relationship with Christ is dangerous but only with the world. However, the paradox is that a personal relationship with Christ is the safest thing someone can have in preparation for eternity. As long as you're in a saving relationship with Christ then just expect it to inevitably result in good works, fellowship with other believers, and the desire to reject the world to embrace the cross.

This also makes it easier to forgive when you realize one thing - great is the reward of loving one's enemies. It was a forgiving heart that made the persecution of Christianity a useless gesture. The Roman Empire, Roman Catholic institution, Islam, Communism, and many more tried all their bloody persecution. The bloodier the persecution - the more Christianity grew instead! It's all about having something worth living and dying for!

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