0858. Suffering with Patience

Suffering with Patience

"And this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

"For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps" (1Pe_2:19-21).

1. We are called to suffer. "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Php_1:29).

2. If we live Godly, we shall suffer. "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us" (2Ti_2:12).

3. "A man's foes shall be they of his own household" (Mat_10:36).

4. "They think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you" (1Pe_4:4).

With the four Scripture statements above, no one need doubt that the believer, if he does well, will suffer. What shall we do then? Shall we camouflage? Shall we withdraw from the fidelity to the faith that spells persecution? God forbid. There are four Scriptures among many which tell us what to do.

(1) "Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach" (Heb_13:13).

(2) Let us "endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2Ti_2:3).

(3) "Let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Heb_12:1).

(4) Let us "endure afflictions" (2Ti_4:5),

Some of us may think that we have already suffered much, and been patient in it all but we "have not endured unto blood." What we need to do is to "consider Him Who endured such contradiction of sinners, lest we be wearied and faint in our souls." Let us lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.

There is a wonderful passage for us, in 2Th_1:4 : "We glory in you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure." And God still glories when we suffer and bear it patiently. Such suffering is a manifest token of our worthiness to the Kingdom of God, for which we suffer.

Christ has said: "Because thou hast kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth" (Rev_3:10).

Praise God, then, for the privilege of suffering with patience!

Still one picture comes before us. The Apostle Paul passed through many trying hours. He was made a gazing stock both by reproaches and by afflictions. Then it was that some of the saints became companions with him, and with others who were so used. Here is a verse which carries with it a world of meaning: "For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance" (Heb_10:34).

Here is something that is inexplicable–they took joyfully the spoiling of their goods. They were happy in that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. Such bursts of joy are foreign to those who know not the Lord. Bless God, however, for "the fruit of the Spirit is * * longsuffering" (Gal_5:22).

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR