PART 3

It’s sobering to see in the above even the mighty apostle Paul writing this way about himself.

It is not, of course, that we compete against each other, but the emphasis is upon continued persistence lest one lose.

Jesus, too, said such things as, many are invited, but few end up chosen (Matthew 22:14). In fact, in at least nineteen of his parables, the critical factor is not how things were early on, but much later, at harvest time, or when the master or bridegroom or Judgment Day arrived – or however the parable went.

Consider the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:18-23), in which all sorts of scenarios are detailed:

  The evil one snatches the word from some people’s hearts

  Some receive the message joyfully but it ends up dying due to one of the following:

a) Trouble

b) Persecution

  For still others, the word is choked by one of the following:

a) The worries of this life

b) The deceitfulness of wealth

c) Pleasures (Luke 8:14).

  Others are productive, but to differing degrees:

a) A hundredfold

b) Sixtyfold

c) Thirtyfold

Although we can only expect the briefest of outlines in a parable, a huge number of differing outcomes are covered, some of which involve hardship (trouble, persecution and worries) and all of the first three categories end in spiritual disaster.

Perhaps we should note in passing that in Jesus’ explanation of the parable, wealth and physical pleasure (both of which some of us might consider the extreme opposite of suffering) is seen not as blessings but as spiritual hazards.

The spiritually discerning realize from this parable that what distinguishes those that survived is not that they were spared hardship but that they successfully endured it. This principle is seen with particular clarity in the parable of the two houses; one built on sand and the other on rock (Matthew 7:24-27). Both were assaulted by the same storm. The house that survived did so, not because it suffered less, but because, right from the beginning, adversity was anticipated. One builder had the ‘faith’ to believe conditions would always be favorable and that he could take it easy. The other considered hard times a distinct possibility. We might have thought that expecting never-ending supernatural protection from life’s storms would be displaying praiseworthy faith. Jesus, however, labeled it foolish (Matthew 7:26). Such ‘faith’ brought disaster. This is no incidental aspect of the parable but the very heart of it. Real faith is not the positivism of convincing ourselves that since God is with us, life’s gales won’t hit; it is having the resolve to stick it out, no matter how difficult things get.

Again, in the parable of the ten virgins, they all had to suffer precisely the same prolonged wait for the bridegroom, but only some coped. Again, what differentiated them was whether they expected it to be easy (Matthew 25:1-12).

The limitations of parables are such that although the story of the seeds allows for differing productivity in the plants that survived, the full picture cannot be portrayed because plants have no consciousness of loss or failure. For this, Paul fills in the gap:

1 Corinthians 3:10-15  . . . let each man be careful how he builds . . . For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble; each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire. (Emphasis mine.)

And suffering loss applies even to those who not only make a good start but spiritually last the distance. Beyond that, are those who do not survive at all. For some who start off well, things can turn out so disastrously that Paul considered the possibility of all his efforts in bringing certain people to Christ ending up a total waste:

Galatians 4:11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

Philippians 2:16 Do everything . . . so that you may become blameless and pure  . . . in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

1 Thessalonians 3:5  . . . when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless. (NIV)

He even mentioned this possibility about himself:

Galatians 2:2  . . . for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

Falling away can be much worse than achieving a big fat zero, however. Ponder the implications of this:

Mark 14:21  . . . It would be better for that man if he had not been born.

2 Peter 2:20 For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in it and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

It seems our futures hinge not on a one-off event but on continued faithfulness. And, from what we have so far seen in Scripture, it is hard to resist concluding that this could involve suffering. This message is not only crammed into the New Testament but repeated over and over in the Old – as highlighted, for example, by 1 Corinthians, which looks back at the Old, stressing that all those leaving Egypt for the Promised Land commenced with the same profound spiritual experiences. They “were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:1-4). Nevertheless, Paul continues, vast numbers perished in the wilderness because few remained faithful when the going got tough (1 Corinthians 10:5-10). These tragedies, the apostle insisted, occurred and were recorded “for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come (verse 11, emphasis mine – Romans 15:4 is similar). “Therefore,” concluded Paul, “let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall” (verse 12).

Is the time between salvation and receiving our “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21) meant to be spent idling our lives away in ease, or achieving things of eternal significance?

Jesus came that we may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10). He is the one who could have indulged in inconceivable opulence but chose to fast for forty days. He who could have spent eternity luxuriating in Paradise was so exhausted that he slept in a boat tossed around by a storm so severe that it terrified even professional fishermen (Matthew 8:24-26). He who could snap his fingers and miracles would materialize, spent entire nights in prayer (Luke 6:12). He who could have had ten thousand angels serving him was so overworked that he sometimes didn’t have time even to eat (Mark 6:31-34; John 4:31). Do you think pain-avoidance or lounging around would be his idea of an abundant life? Or is that more likely to be the mentality of “the last days” when people “will be lovers of self, lovers of money, . . . lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)?

Ponder this again:

1 Corinthians 15:19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. (NIV)

Does this describe our view of life with God this side of Judgment Day, or has our religion somehow strayed from Biblical Christianity?

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Are you comfortable with that being in the Bible? Shouldn’t it read: Because of the love of Christ, you will have no oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Why did Paul and Barnabas return to the disciples in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, exhorting them that “through many afflictions we must enter into God’s Kingdom” (Acts 14: 22)? Why, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was Paul compelled to pen such words as the following?

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed

2 Corinthians 6:4-10  . . . as servants of God, in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings . . . by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

2 Corinthians 7:5  . . . our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side. Fightings were outside. Fear was inside. . . .

2 Corinthians 11:26-29 I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers; in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.
Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily, anxiety for all the assemblies. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?

(Emphasis mine.)

No matter how painless some preachers might make it seem, Jesus stressed that the cost is high:

Luke 14:28-32 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build, and wasn’t able to finish.’
Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy, and asks for conditions of peace.

There is a need to rest in God and let him be our strength, our righteousness, our victory, our shield, our life and our wisdom; drawing from him everything we need, for “of him, and through him, and to him, are all things” (Romans 11:36). He is our beginning and end (Revelation 21:6), the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Our growth comes from him, not from our efforts (Scriptures). But don’t we, precisely because of this, need to devote ourselves to Christ; making him our Lord, serving him, obeying him and delighting in him? He must be the love of our lives, our joy, our hope, our reason for living. Our entire lives must revolve around him.

And what we have seen so far seems to indicate that resting in God is not incompatible with Christians having to endure hardship. For a little more on this, see What Does God Expect Christians to Endure?

The Story So Far

We will seek biblical clarification later. For now, I will leave it to you to decide how little or how much suffering could be involved for the devout Christian who “endures to the end,” or “overcomes” (Revelation 2:7; 2:11; 2:26; 3:5; 3:12; 3:21; 12:11; 21:7) or in “having done all, to stand,” (Ephesians 6:13). The biblical truth explored in this section, however, is yet another pointer to the steely resolve our Lord expects Christians to develop.

As part of the issue of why Christians suffer, we must tackle this question: When Christians suffer, is it typically an act of heroism or spiritual ignorance? Rather than jumping to hasty conclusions, we will continue gathering evidence from the Word of God.

Before moving on, however, let’s bring together a little of what we have so far discovered. We saw Jesus warning about counting the cost and, by making it tough for would-be followers, indicating upfront that they could expect a demanding time. The parables of the two houses in the storm and the ten virgins both indicate our expectations regarding what we might encounter are critically important to our spiritual survival. We also noted the apostles strengthening/encouraging/establishing (various renderings of the Greek word used) the disciples by saying that “through many afflictions we must enter into God’s Kingdom.” The apostles acted as if it were vital for the believers’ spiritual well-being that they understand this. This message is further strengthened by many other Scriptures, such as “don’t be astonished at the fiery trial . . . as though a strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

Where We are Headed

We are working our way toward grappling with this question: should we worship our suffering Lord not only as our Savior but as our Inspiration and Role Model, who lived in human flesh to show us how to live, and endured to show us how to endure? Or should we treat Christ solely as our Savior, who suffered in our stead so that we can avoid all suffering? Let’s ponder a smaller question first.

Continued: Part 4

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