The Sovereignty of God and Christ's Suffering (Suffering 06)
Suffering and God's Sovereignty • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewBig Idea: Christ suffered in order that he might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in Himself to overcome our suffering
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Outline
Big Idea: Christ suffered in order that he might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in Himself to overcome our suffering.
Christ’s Suffering
God Does Not Sin in This Suffering
By Christ’s Suffering
How Christ’s Death Impacts Us
Introduction
Introduction
Jonathan Edwards...
There has been a wonderful alteration in my mind, in respect to the doctrine of God’s sovereignty, from that day to this… God’s absolute sovereignty… is what my mind seems to rest assured of, as much as of anything that I see with my eyes… The doctrine has very often appeared exceeding pleasant, bright, and sweet. Absolute sovereignty is what I love to ascribe to God… God’s sovereignty has ever appeared to me, [a] great part of His glory. It has often been my delight to approach God, and adore him as a sovereign God. Jonathan Edwards
Ajith Fernando....
God turned the crucifixion of the Son of God – the biggest evil ever committed – into something glorious. If His sovereignty has been expressed in history, there is nothing to prevent us from believing that it will be expressed in eternity. One day it will be revealed that the very existence of evil has been turned into something good. Ajith Fernando
The suffering of Christ IS THE GREATEST EVIL in all of history and eternity. It get’s no worse.
And yet....
In that evil, in that suffering, IS THE GREATEST GLORY.
John Piper notes...
“The ultimate reason that suffering exists in the universe is so Christ might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in Himself to overcome our suffering. This is the only way God’s grace could be revealed and known to mankind.” John Piper
From this statement, I take our big idea for today.
Big Idea: Christ suffered in order that he might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in Himself to overcome our suffering
Sermon Body
Sermon Body
Psalm 22:1-8
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
Matthew 27:45-50.
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
The suffering of Jesus is beyond anything that you and I can imagine.
Omnipotent, omnipresent God LIMITED to the confines and limitations of human flesh. Growing, learning, knowing weakness, injury, time.
Betrayed, forsaken, rejected, ignored, scorned by men....by his own half siblings (none of them believed while he remained on earth (that we know of)
Enduring physical pain beyond any that we are likely to.
Beaten and abused
Enduring crucifixion
Anguish so deep he sweat drops of blood
Separated from God the Father and Spirit FOR THE ONLY TIME IN ALL EXISTENCE.
On the cross, bearing guilt and shame for sins HE NEVER COMMITTED
On the cross, BEARING THE RIGHTEOUS WRATH OF GOD in it’s fullest and hottest fashion
FIRST AND ONLY ever schism in the Trinity
Enduring death
THE MOST UNJUST act of suffering EVER that will has been, is, or will be.
AND YET, the greatest act of grace that ever has been, is, or will be.
How can suffering be the greatest act of grace? BECAUSE OF THE GOOD IT ACCOMPLISHES.
REVIEW
REVIEW
So far we have learned that Satan is a main source of our suffering.
We have also learned that God does use suffering to accomplish His will in individual lives as well as groups of people.
We learned that even though God has ordained evil, we have a choice in our decisions.
Therefore there is suffering which comes into our lives because of sinful choices. It is very difficult for us to understand, but the scriptures are very clear in regard to our choices. It is also very clear there is suffering and it is used by God to accomplish His will among men.
It was MAN’s CHOICES that led to the greatest act of suffering known to man…that of Jesus’ Christ’s suffering.
And yet, his suffering was also the greatest good.
From this statement, I take our big idea for today.
Big Idea: Christ suffered in order that he might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in Himself to overcome our suffering.
Christ’s Suffering
God Does Not Sin in This Suffering
By Christ’s Suffering
How Christ’s Death Impacts Us
Today we will begin looking at Christ’s suffering in light of God’s sovereignty. We MUST realize the suffering has not been exclusively with man alone. It has greatly impacted the Godhead as well. As we learn to understand how Christ has suffered for us we will more fully appreciate His grace toward us.
Christ’s Suffering
Christ’s Suffering
A. Christ was slain before creation (Rev. 13:8).
8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
1. The lamb is Christ.
2. There is a Book of Life written before creation.
3. Before anything was created, God viewed Christ as already crucified. The reason is because man needed a redeemer because of his sinful condition.
Christ’s death was no accident.
It was not plan B
It was not a rapid response to man’s choices.
Jesus was already considered slain before the world was spoken into existence.
In fact…it was planned....
B. Grace was planned before creation (2 Tim. 1:9).
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
1. God gave grace in Christ before time began.
How do we define and understand grace?
2. “Grace”- undeserved favor. God knew man would sin and would need grace that would overcome sin through Christ’ shed blood.
3. This grace is an attribute of God that could never be known unless man chose to sin.
It was for this reason I wrote this meditation back in 2021
So many ask the burning question
How can a good God in heaven
Permit evil with its pain and dark tension
Why are brokenness, evil, grief, and sin
Permitted to abound; even to a victorious win?
It begins with a story of ages past
It’s plot and setting unparalleled and never surpassed
It’s scope and depth superior and vast
To answer the question, a story must be told
A story more precious than that of purest gold
It begins before the existence of man
When darkness was all, God did begin to plan
With an explosion of light, into existence all things did fan.
With naught but a word
Land, plant, animal, and man did populate the earth
In an epic display of majesty and light
Creation was spectacular upon first sight!
A tapestry of Gods limitless might!
Created for His glory
Man entered into an intimate love story
To know and be know by God
Was the purpose for which man did walk earthly sod
To be tied heart and soul, as through eternal days we did trod
But alas a greater plan still was in the works
And evil was set free with sinister smirks
Man took the fruit and greedily ate
Falling prey to devilish servants bate
Breaking from God and sealing our fate
No more walks with God in the evening cool
Rather covering, hiding, playing him as a fool
Creation’s glorious light plunged into darkness
What once was whole, now shattered brokenness
The future shrouded in dismal bleakness
Rejected from their custom designed home
To the wilderness beyond, now to roam
Oppression descends, man shackled as sin does accost
The righteous and just line irreversiblely crossed
And yet, hope is not all lost
The bumbling action was not unexpected
It’s entrance and sinister presence was always intended
A divine, eternal plan is in the unfolding
Unbelievably intricate in its telling
Irresistible and designed for sharing
A story so incredible it has to be true
Or else it is the rambling insanities that mad men do
Man’s choice was the ultimate rejection
Rebellion amounting to divine insurrection
Incurring a guilty verdict even from the great skeptics inspection
But where created man did fail
Divine, eternal God would prevail
In an epic display of holy grace
That would reveal His righteous ways
And produce worship through all eternity’s long days
A prophecy was declared
Man’s sin would be reversed sending hope of being spared
One would come whose sinless state
Would forever alter our bleak fate
Healing the offense incurred in the fruit we ate
Jesus, you came in humility low
Infinite love and justice to show
In your body on that tree
You bore divine wrath for all to see
Satisfying justice to set me free
When in faith I look up
I see a Savior drinking from divine wrath’s cup
The cost of my sin bellows its cry
As I arch my back howling to the sky
Sin’s immense pain so clear in my eye
Grief wells up within me
The darkness of my sin I clearly see
Head in hands, resting upon one knee
Heart and mouth confess faith in the man on the tree
Repentance healing my heart wholly and completely
Such divine love and mercy!
Such grace to prompt death’s dark journey!
Such joy in death and sin’s defeat!
Incredible wonder that mercy and wrath did meet!
Justice is satisfied for the righteous King sitting on His mercy seat
Forgiven, restored, adopted, and sealed am I
A child of the King reigning on high!
From condemned, rebellious sinner
To one who is more than a victor
Obtaining a honored seat at His table for dinner
From an alienated rebel and deviant
To an adopted son of the King radiant
My sin has been reversed and erased
Through a Savior’s blood displaced
Spilled for me; now eternally graced
What a story for the ages
Eternally invoking the redeemed ones praises!
The grand story of redemption and grace
Necessitated the fall of man in those former days
Yet hope now exits and will forever be the object of praise!
So, why must sin, evil, and pain exist
Because without it, all of God’s goodness would be missed
Mercy, grace, love, justice, righteousness, and holiness would be veiled
Had man not disobeyed and failed
For the ultimate goodness of God is seen in a man, a god who to a tree was nailed
Without sin we would never see, nor be satisfied
In a God who through sin would be gloriously magnified!
The entrance of sin was a necessity
To reveal the divine King’s glorious good and complexity
But take heart, for the devastation sin caused has been reversed successfully
With eyes of faith we see and embrace
Forever delighting in the splendor of his eternal face!
Sin HAD to enter. Sin HAD to come in order for grace to come. We would not know good, grace or glory of God apart from sin, suffering, and sorrow.
BUT GOD DID NOT SPARE HIMSELF FROM SUCH SUFFERING. He entered it.
Big Idea: Christ suffered in order that he might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in Himself to overcome our suffering
Thus the FALL was necessary. Evil and suffering were necessary tools in God’s toolbox.
Not only was Jesus considered slain and his death planned before the world was created, but we were chosen before creation.
C. We are chosen before creation (Eph. 1:4-6).
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
1. History’s purpose is God providing redemption in praise of His grace. He makes it possible to be accepted by Him through Him.
2. Christ suffered and died to be our redeemer, so we can be adopted through Christ.
3. Without Christ’s suffering, adoption would not be possible.
4. All this is for the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14).
5. God planned the suffering of Christ before the world was created.
D. Christ was meant to be the slain Lamb (Rev. 5:9-12).
9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
1. The central theme of all history is the importance of the Lamb; Christ, being slain.
2. The 24 elders will sing about it.
3. The angels will be chanting about it
4. The greatest suffering in history is to be the central object of our worship: Almighty God, through God’s Son suffered so we don’t have to suffer the Lake of Fire for eternity. This is a wonder of wonders.
Practical Application: It was in God’s plans, before creation even began, that God Himself would suffer through Christ’s shed blood in order to reveal His grace to us. This the ultimate plan of history from God.
God Does Not Sin in This Suffering
God Does Not Sin in This Suffering
A. The world does not have sin because there is sin in God
As we have seen, sin exists because of the devil, because of man, NOT because of God.
God never sins in sending or permitting suffering.
As we saw with the 50/20 principle...
B. The 50/20 principle: God meant it for good (Gen. 50:20).
1. “You meant it for evil but God meant it for good.”
Part of that good and holy purpose was the maturing of Joseph.
2. Adam and Eve did evil in rejecting God in their disobedience, but God meant it for good. Christ would die and defeat Satan and the sin curse. This was God’s plan to display the greatest of the glory of the grace of God.
C. In Rom. 8:20-23 Paul teaches…
1. Creation was subjected to the effects of the sin curse: diseases, defects, disabilities, aging, natural disasters, human atrocities, etc.
2. Suffering is not partial to any age group. It is no respecter of persons.
D. Ezekiel tells us that God does not enjoy suffering (Ezekiel 33:11).
11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
God does not delight in death and judgment. They are unfortunate realities of God’s holiness and our sinfulness. BUT it does not mean he enjoys and delights in the fulfilling of it.
E. Jeremiah expresses that God causes grief, but He also shows compassion and mercy (Lam. 3:22-32). It is to show the glory of God’s grace through Christ.
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone in silence
when it is laid on him;
29 let him put his mouth in the dust—
there may yet be hope;
30 let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
and let him be filled with insults.
31 For the Lord will not
cast off forever,
32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
Mercy and grace, compassion and comfort are realities we would not know were it not for suffering and hardship.
Practical Application: From the beginning God planned history in order to express and reveal His grace through Christ by the means of suffering. He did not exclude Himself. Rather He actually included Himself as we can see and we can know His glory through grace. Everything Christ has accomplished for us was done through His own personal suffering. All real joy comes through suffering.
What we are learning is this…GOD DOES NOT EXCLUDE HIMSELF FROM SUFFERING.
Big Idea: Christ suffered in order that he might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in Himself to overcome our suffering
In fact, he took the worst suffering upon himself.
Psalms 22:9-18.
9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Be not far from me,
for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.
12 Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
17 I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
This Psalm of David is a Messianic Psalm, having a double meaning, that is applied to Christ.
Christ himself, suffered. He endured MORE than you and I EVER will, ever COULD.
But, through such suffering, Christ accomplished MANY GOOD things.
By Christ’s Suffering….
By Christ’s Suffering….
A. He absorbed the wrath of God on our behalf (Gal. 3:13).
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—
1. Christ redeemed us from the curse.
Redeemed - Delivered, buy from, liberate, buy off
Christ BOUGHT us back
Christ PAID OFF our debt
He took the debt of our sin upon himself, a debt that involved righteous wrath and death.
2. By His crucifixion He took our curse.
3. He became our curse for us.
Cited from Deuteronomy 21:23.
John MacArthur notes in his commentary on Galatians...
Galatians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Positive Hope in Jesus Christ)
In ancient Judaism a criminal who was executed, usually by stoning, was then tied to a post, a type of tree, where his body would hang until sunset as a visible representation of rejection by God.
It was not that a person became cursed by being hanged on a tree but that he was hanged on a tree because he was cursed.
Jesus did not become a curse because He was crucified but was crucified because he was cursed in taking the full sin of the world upon Himself.
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed” (1 Pet. 2:24; cf. Acts 5:30).
That truth was extremely hard for most Jews to accept, because they could not imagine the Messiah’s being cursed by God and having to hang on a tree.
First Corinthians 12:3 suggests that “Jesus is accursed” was a common, demon-inspired saying among unbelieving Jews of that day.
To them, Jesus’ crucifixion was final and absolute proof that He was not the promised Messiah.
But for those who trust in Him, the two words for us become the two most beautiful words in all of Scripture.
Because God sent His Son to bear the penalty for man’s sin, every person who puts his trust in the crucified Savior has had the curse borne for him.
4. He did this on our behalf.
5. This displayed the glory of God’s grace.
B. He bore our sin and purchased our forgiveness (1 Pt. 2:24).
MacArthur noted this passage a moment ago in his commentary, but here it is again....
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
1. He bore our personal sin
2. In His body
3. On the cross
4. He was wounded for OUR transgressions and crushed for our iniquities (Isa. 53:5).
THAT WE MIGHT BE FORGIVEN.
His suffering was for our benefit.
C. He provided perfect righteousness for us (Phil. 2:7-8).
7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus death did this
Romans 5:12-21 speaks of this transfer of righteousness. Through his death, his righteousness can be transferred to all those of us who repent and believe.
1. He reduced Himself to nothing.
2. He gave up the wonders of heaven and His expression of being God) so He could become a servant.
3. He died a death by crucifixion.
4. This is all so we can be declared righteous by grace (to the glory of God).
D. He defeated death (Heb. 2:14-15).
14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
1. He shared by taking on flesh and blood.
2. Through His death, death is defeated. Eternal life is possible. Life is eternity with our Creator.
3. Death has no sting for the believer (1 Cor. 15:55-57).
4. Once again it is by God’s grace for His glory
Through his suffering as man, he defeated death and the devil and PROVED his omnipotence.
His death has GREAT impact for us.
His suffering has great impact for us.
How Christ’s Death Impacts Us
How Christ’s Death Impacts Us
A. He has defeated Satan (Col. 2:14-15).
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
1. He “wiped out” our record of debts before God.
2. He did this by nailing it to the cross. The penalty is paid in full.
3. He disarmed Satan (Col. 2:15).
4. He has publically defeated Satan.
5. The only thing that can keep us from going to Heaven is unforgiven sin. There are many that will not seek God’s forgiveness. Christ took care of that by His grace. This is to the glory of God.
B. He made it possible for us to be healed from the curse of sin (Isa. 53:5).
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
1. The damage that has been done to us and which is result of the sin curse, will be removed forever.
2. All tears and sorrow from the sin curse will be removed forever (Rev. 7:17).
3. This is only possible through Christ’s suffering.
C. We are brought to God (1 Pt. 3:18).
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
1. The fellowship which Adam and Eve enjoyed for a brief period will be restored forever.
2. Without Christ’s suffering, this would not be possible. Man will never see the seriousness of his sinfulness unless he realizes his suffering is due to sin. It has broken our relationship with God.
3. His grace has made this possible. This is for His glory.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Big Idea: Christ suffered in order that he might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in Himself to overcome our suffering
The purpose of the universe: to display the greatness of God.
The suffering of Christ makes it possible for this greatness to be fully realized. Christ demonstrated the magnitude of His love for us so that we can know the grace of God. When we do know His grace, it brings glory to His name and us back into fellowship with Him.
The bottom line: No matter what the magnitude of our suffering is, when we see Christ’s suffering on our behalf we can learn to suffer with Him and for Him. As a result we can enjoy a deeper, richer relationship with Him. We share a common binding bond (ie. Those who become life long friends because they endured days in battle and shared the same fox hole.)
Big Idea: Christ suffered in order that he might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in Himself to overcome our suffering
Application
Application
How does the reality of God’s predetermined plan for the cross affect your day to day life and reality? How does it help you to renew your mind and wage war against sin and suffering?
It means that God is not only in complete control, but he has now, has always had, and will always have a plan that he is actively working to complete. There is hope and confidence in that reality.
When we struggle to find contentment, joy, and peace in our struggle, we can renew our mind with this truth… all suffering, including Christ’s suffering was predetermined, ordained FOR THE GOOD PURPOSES of God.
What lessons have your learned through suffering that you would not have otherwise learned? How is God good while still permitting suffering to take place?
How does the truth of God’s goodness serve as a refuge and fortress for you in this “Already and Not Yet” time of life?
We can trust the promise of Romans 8:28 when we are confident in the goodness of God and the good purposes of God.
In a world of suffering, hurt, sorrow, and trouble, to trust in the GOODNESS of God is our only hope. He has not malicious intent. THUS, when evil is permitted and suffering seems to run free, we can return to the fact that God is good and somehow means to use the hardship for his good.
How should the affect of Christ’s suffering and death (what he accomplished through it) change our perspective and attitude toward our sin?
It should cause us to see JUST HOW SERIOUS our sin is
It should cause us to HATE and DETEST OUR OWN sin.
It should cause us to repent and live repentant lifestyles waging war on our sin and doing everything in our grace given strength and might to walk in the Spirit.
How does this help us in our daily battle against it?
It ought to make us more open to accountability and support.
It ought to change our priorities and values when we realize that we are in war and that we must resist the devil and submit to God.
It ought to give us hope and confidence that since this is the will of God (Our sanctification) he will make every resource available in order to accomplish that in us.
How does it help you to know that Christ shared in suffering for your sake?