Fellowship: The Believer Will Suffer Undeservedly When Experiencing Fellowship with God Lesson # 9

A believer who experiences fellowship with God will eventually experience underserved suffering since the Father employs this type of suffering to conform the believer into the image of His Son Jesus Christ.

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday September 3, 2017

www.wenstrom.org

Lesson # 9

A believer who experiences fellowship with God will eventually experience underserved suffering since the Father employs this type of suffering to conform the believer into the image of His Son Jesus Christ.

The Bible teaches that God uses undeserved suffering to advance His children to greater spiritual growth.

The believer must experience undeserved suffering since it is through undeserved suffering that the believer is conformed to the image of Christ.

There are three agencies that God employs to bring about suffering: (1) Old sin nature (2) Cosmic system (3) Satan.

Now there are different categories of suffering: (1) Self-induced misery (2) Divine discipline (3) Undeserved Suffering for Blessing.

The power of God in our lives is never more noticeable or conspicuous as when we are suffering, going through adversities and even going through the process of dying.

When self has been crucified then the life of Jesus can be manifested in the believer.

illustrates this Biblical principle that divine power is manifested in human weakness.

This passage deals with the apostle Paul’s thorn in the flesh.

Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago -- whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows -- such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man -- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows – 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 5 On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. 6 For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me -- to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (NASB95)

Tribulation and undeserved suffering will be the lot of God’s people while living in enemy territory.

The problems, difficulties and adversities which take place in a believer’s life were already decreed by God the Father in eternity past to occur and are now controlled in time by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the believer should have confidence and comfort in the midst of these things.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (NASB95)

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (NASB95)

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (NASB95)

You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. (NASB95)

The believer who is executing the plan of God and learning Bible doctrine will go through suffering which is undeserved ().

It is called undeserved because they did not bring this suffering upon themselves (; ).

It is a privilege to suffer undeservedly for Christ’s sake.

It has been graciously granted (the privilege) because of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also, to suffer (hardship) because of Him. (My translation)

God never permits us to undergo any testing that we don’t have the capacity for.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (NASB95)

Just as the Father’s plan for the Lord Jesus Christ involved undeserved suffering so the plan of God for our lives involves undeserved suffering.

In , Paul writes to the Corinthians regarding his experience with undeserved suffering and his attitude regarding it.

The believer’s sole ambition in life must be to become like Christ in His death in order to grow to spiritual maturity.

Paul’s sole ambition in life was to become like Christ by experiencing identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.

that I come to know Him experientially and the power from His resurrection and the participation in His sufferings by my becoming like Him with respect to His death. 11 If somehow (by becoming like Him with respect to His death), I may attain to the exit-resurrection, namely, the one out from the (spiritually) dead ones. (My translation)

The believer can only interpret his cross by our Lord’s cross since the believer’s spiritual life is an extension of His and finds its source in His spiritual life ().

The cross is the chief mark of the Christian since the Holy Spirit states in the Word of God that the believer has been crucified, died and buried with Christ ().

The believer applies the Word of the Cross by appropriating by faith the Spirit’s revelation in the Word of God that they have been crucified, died and buried with Christ ().

It is only when the believer appropriates by faith the Spirit’s revelation in the Word of God that they have been crucified, died and buried with Christ that they can live in the life of Christ and experience the power of God in his life.

Applying the Word of the Cross refers to becoming His disciple and imitating the Lord Jesus Christ and carrying one’s own cross ().

Taking up one’s cross means acquiring God’s viewpoint of ourselves, namely that we have been crucified with Christ at the cross: (1) Self (). (2) Flesh (, ; ). (3) World (). (4) Rudiments of the world ().

Taking up one’s cross is being willing to experience identification with Christ in His death on a daily basis.

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25 For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?” (NASB95)

The believer must deny self in order to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ and carry their own cross.

Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (NASB95)

If our Master, the Lord suffered undeservedly, so we, His servants will as well.

“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” (NASB95)

Those who desire to live spiritually will be persecuted.

Indeed, all who desire to live spiritually in fellowship with Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (My translation)

Suffering challenges the believer to rely upon the invisible assets that God has provided rather than their human resources and it confronts them with their total dependence on the grace of God.

Suffering impresses upon us our need to conform to His plan.