Following Christ

A Proper Perspective On Suffering (v.1)

Attaches to chapter 3:17-22, all that we’ve studied the past couple of weeks.

It is better to suffer for righteousness’ sake, if that’s God’s will...

Christ is the true Righteous Sufferer, and He did it for the sake of the gospel (Heb.12:2 “keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”)

“Arm” = equip yourself with the proper equipment for the task (power tool Christmas for building the table)

Christ’s suffering set an example…if He suffered, why wouldn’t we?

Phil.1:29 “For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,”

Acts 5:41 “Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name.”

Col.1:24 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for his body, that is, the church.”

Heb.10:34 “For you sympathized with the prisoners and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession.”

Phil.3:10 “My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,”

A Proper Purpose For Suffering (v.2)

This passage does NOT teaching instantaneous sanctification…the progressive nature of growth in Christ that figures so prominent in the NT contradicts this. Instead,

We give evidence of turning from self to Christ (repentance) when we embrace suffering over self satisfaction

Suffering for Christ continues to prove His sweetness and breaks our enslavement to sin

We focus more on living for God’s purpose, and this is the path of death to self and life to God, which is the call of belief and the example set forth in baptism (3:21)

So, arm yourself with this understanding — suffering leads to sanctification.

Don’t unduly seek suffering

Don’t skirt suffering by blatantly blending in with the world

Don’t skirt suffering through casual compromise so you won’t be labeled a “Jesus freak”

Allow suffering to accomplish it’s good work in you…learn to walk with a limp…learn to lead on Christ.

A Proper Point (End) To Suffering (V.3-6)

First, however much time you’ve spent chasing the past life, you’ve wasted plenty on it! That chapter should be closed.

Second, there’s nothing new under the sun!

Sensuality = unrestrained behavior. Sinful abandon to whatever brings fleshly pleasure

Passions = evil desires, an intense and inordinate desire for something

Drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry all work together. It encompasses the idea of habitual sin and a lack of self control, and often idolatry in the 1st century embraced sexual and alcoholic excesses.

The world continues to worship at these altars (hello MTV generation! who learned it from the hippies who somewhere along the lines learned it from 1st century pagans, etc.)

The world is confused and hostile toward those who don’t embrace this manner of living.

Why not live for whatever brings you pleasure?

“If you don’t celebrate, you must hate” seems to be their logic.

Vengeance is not ours to repay — it belongs to the Judge. All will face judgment (the “living and the dead”).

Young's Literal Translation of vs.6: "for this also to dead men was good news proclaimed, that they may be judged, indeed, according to men in the flesh, and may live according to God in the spirit."

Romans 6:4–10 CSB

Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

Romans 8:3–11 CSB

For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.

The end of their slandering is judgment and eternal suffering.

The end of our suffering is eternal life through the spirit.