Over the course of their lives on earth, believers grow in
sanctification: becoming more like Christ and less like their old selves. Old
selves don’t diminish without a fight; every day believers are in a battle
against their flesh. Mortification of the flesh should not be considered
suffering because we have been freed from the bondage of sin and given liberty
in Christ (Galatians 5:1.) Thankfully believers do not suffer under the
horrific bondage of sin. Even if the flesh tries to tell us it is suffering as
it is mortified, in that it is losing out on the “sweetness of sin,” the truth
is that we are living out the glorious liberty he has given us. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye
shall be free indeed.” John 8:36
Daily mortification of the flesh is no easy task; it is not a battle we
can win in our own strength. Christ conquered the power of sin by his death and
resurrection (Colossians 2:13-15.) Those who know him as Savior are indwelt and
led by the Spirit. However, a sin nature still is manifest in us and we are far
short of the perfection that will be one day be completed in us when we reach
our heavenly home. Galatians 5:17 states: For the flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the
other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Paul also describes this struggle in Romans
7:18-25.
My flesh is prideful and self-centered. It yearns for comfort and instant
gratification. The Lord calls me to long suffering, humility, and love. These
characteristics of God, as well as other fruits, flow out of believers by the
Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26.) He is long suffering with us, helping us in our
many weaknesses and shortcomings, readily forgiving us. In an act of
incomprehensible love, he humbled himself to the point of death on the cross
(Philippians 2:8.) God puts his fruit into the life of believers, and through
Christ gives us the strength to win the ongoing battle against our flesh. Despite our struggle with sin, true believers
will persevere to the end as he who has begun a good work in us is faithful to
complete it (Philippians 1:6.)
Although the removal of sin from our lives is not to be considered
suffering, as I mentioned in Suffering: Part 1, chastenings and trials are used
by God to aid in our sanctification. In this sense, mortification of our flesh is
brought about through a measure of suffering. In other words, when we suffer
due to chastisement for a specific sin or when trials root out sin in us, we
mortify the flesh in the areas of sin revealed to us by the Spirit and grow in
sanctification.
Being Christ like leads to suffering as Christ suffered. Christ
has a great zeal for his people and loves us more than we can comprehend. By
his Spirit, the love of God flows out of believers. By grace, we are able to
obey his commandments which the Lord sums up in Matthew 22:37-40: “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” At times,
love leads to emotional suffering- suffering a heavy heart for those around us.
Isaiah 53:2 calls our Lord a man of sorrows; his people are also a people of
sorrows, although not without joy, (a fruit of the Spirit,) and hope in the
Lord. We suffer, when our brothers and
sisters suffer, weeping when they weep (Romans 12:15.) Christians are also weighed down by a burden
for the lost, including their enemies. It is heartbreaking to see the world
sick with sin. Love causes us to make sacrifices for others, often giving up
lawful things for the purpose of serving Christ. For example, love could lead
to suffering a lack of sleep due to a deeply burdened heart that drives us to
our prayer closet in the middle of the night. It could lead to someone going on
a short term mission’s trip suffering a burdened heart for the lost and
uncomfortable living conditions instead of going on a relaxing vacation.
Love results in a life submitted to
the will of God and a refusal to conform to the world (Romans 12:2.) Love tells
the world the truth about sin and spreads the Gospel. Living a life of love reaps
the hatred of Satan and the world. Seasons of particularly intense temptation
and accusation from demonic forces may test our faith. Personally, at times, I
feel like I am a punching bag being battered about with endless assaults. Satan
is angry that he cannot hold believers in the shackles of sin and does not like
to see God glorified in the lives of his children. He does not like to see
Christ’s work being accomplished in the life of believers and wishes to put out
the light in them; he attacks believers in an attempt to destroy them or at
least injure them. Satan not only hates that believers have been set free, he hates
that they are used by God to spread the gospel message, sowing seeds that will
set others free. He wants to render the messenger useless. Satan will do
everything in his power to assault God’s children as a roaring lion seeking
whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8.)
The Lord allows us to be tempted but
never lets us be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13.) The
Lord has equipped us with spiritual armor that allows us to overcome (Ephesians
6.) Satan is only allowed to bruise the heel of believers and cannot fatally
harm them. In fact, suffering temptations and accusations from Satan will aid
in our sanctification. When he tempts us we must rely on the Lord’s strength to
overcome. When Satan accuses us, we are driven to find shelter in the wings of
our Father and reminded of the beauty of the cross and our identity in Christ.
The sins Satan reminds us of and holds over our heads were paid for by the
blood of our Savior. Luther once said: “even the devil is God’s Devil.” God is
sovereign. He is not the author of evil but he allows Satan a measure of power
and uses what Satan means for evil to bring about good in our lives.
Followers of Christ also encounter
the hatred of the world. Believers suffer conflict and/or persecution. When we deal with the world’s opposition, our
faith is tested as we are called to respond
Christ is a rock of offense to the world (1 Peter 2:7-8.) The world is
blind under Satan’s bondage; it does not like to hear of its sin. Nor does it like to hear that the only redemption
from sin is offered through the humility of a Holy God in the bloody death of our Savior rather than through other means which cater to man’s pride in being purportedly able to redeem himself. John 14:6, as well as many other passages in the Bible, show us that Jesus is the only Savior: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Praise God that he has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9.)
Praise God that he will continue to call his children out of the world. His
lost sheep will be found.
In closing, here are few passages to consider:
And
he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made
perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore
I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,
in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2
Corinthians 12:9-10
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:15-18
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our
tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by
the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ
abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According
as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love:
Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will, To
the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6
