Suffering and Glory: Embracing Our Christian Journey

The Apostle undoubtedly introduced this matter here first of all, because he was a man who had a great pastoral heart. Never think of the Apostle Paul as the kind of Professor of theology; he wasn't. He was a profound Theologian, but he was also an evangelist and a pastor. He was concerned about helping his people always and in everything. [00:02:43]

Here is the Apostle building up this extraordinary and elevated and moving picture of Christian people because of their relationship to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, talking about a great inheritance and the implications of that as we are joint heirs with Christ, this thrilling, wonderful picture. [00:03:29]

The Apostle is doing the two things at one and the same time. He's got a very practical object, and he's putting in, as it were, the final argument with regard to assurance and certainty. Very well, now if that is what he's doing, let's see exactly what he says. [00:08:36]

The suffering of Christian people, far from raising any doubts about the truth of the Gospel promises or of their interests in the promises, rather should be seen as strengthening both the promises and our share in them. Now the two things are important in this way. [00:13:21]

He was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. There is no record anywhere of Our Lord having laughed aloud, not once. Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. We hear of him weeping. We hear of him saying that his soul was troubled. He was despised. He was rejected of men. [00:15:48]

The world tonight hates the Christian because he is like his master and Lord, because he belongs to him, because they see in him what they saw in him, and they hated the light that was in him, and they hate the light that's in us. [00:50:37]

If you are suffering as a Christian tonight and suffering for Christ's sake, I say, my brethren, rejoice. It's an absolute proof of the fact that you're in Christ. It's more; it is an absolute proof that God is preparing you for the glory that he has prepared for all who were in his son. [00:51:56]

The Apostle takes up this subject, and of course, he just introduces it here in this second half of verse 17, and then he takes it up properly in the beginning of Verse 18, and he goes on to deal with it right until the end of the chapter. [00:04:37]

The New Testament consistently teaches that suffering is a mark of true discipleship. It is through these trials that our faith is tested and purified, much like gold refined by fire. This process not only assures us of our salvation but also molds us into the likeness of Christ. [00:48:40]

The Apostle was repeating the message of his master that as Christian people, you've got nothing to expect and to anticipate but much tribulation, and you enter into the final Glory along the route of much tribulation. There's further evidence in the book of The Acts of the Apostles. [00:25:34]

The author of The epistle to the Hebrews tells us in Chapter 2 and chapter 5 that our Lord himself was made perfect by his sufferings as our leader and as our mediator and Redeemer. It became him, you get in Hebrews 2:10, of whom are all things and by whom are all things. [00:40:21]

The Apostle is saying now, as we are suffering with him now, we shall also experience the glory with him. It is something, as I want to try to show you, that is said in many, many places in the New Testament scripture. [00:11:56]