ROMANS 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and jointheirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. We see that Paul connects suffering to the manifesting of the sons of God. Suffering and reigning are linked together in God’s word. The word of God makes it abundantly clear that the journey that we are on involves suffering and many trials.
“Don’t waste your pain.”
COLOSSIANS 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the Church.
We can carry or alleviate some of the Lord’s pain “Very few of God’s children ever think of his needs.” Does the Lord have needs? Yes. He has need of friends, and He has need of fellowship. He needs us to pray so that He can respond to our prayers. He has a need of us to seek Him, because only then can we find Him.
The children of Israel did not know the ways of God. Their hand was always out for what they could get from Him, and if they did not get it they complained about it. This reflects much of the Church’s mindset today.
We cannot accurately represent God if we do not know what He is really like. That is why the Apostle Paul cried out to the Lord, in Philippians 3:10: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Notice the phrase “fellowship of His suffering”. The word “fellowship” here is the Greek word; koinonia, which means partnership or participation.
ROMANS 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint– heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. The children of Israel experienced God’s provision, but they did not know God. PSALMS 95:10 10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways. These people had experienced the great provision of the Lord in the wilderness. They knew and experienced the healing power of God; they were blessed with prophetic words and they had the provision of manna and water. God blessed them with all these things, yet with all of these blessings, they did not know God, and they failed to enter the Promised Land. In order to represent God we must know what God is like; we must know His ways. To know Him is to become like Him.
PAIN IS PART OF THE JOURNEY
There are going to be trials, difficulties and heartaches. This is part of the course that God has designed for you. Just because you are born again and baptised in the Holy Spirit does not mean that everything is going to be great and all your troubles are now over.
Learning to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil is a life process. Learning to trust God is a course, a journey that will take us through difficulties and often heartache and suffering.
The opening chapters of the book of Revelation highlight the rewards reserved for the overcomers. Our journey is not just about making it to heaven. It’s about finishing our course and graduating with honors. We need to understand that what we go through in this life is tailored and custom-made according to our high calling in God, which will be revealed and experienced in the ages to come. How we respond to the difficulties of the course is critical.
REVELATION 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
REVELATION 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star.
REVELATION 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Each of our lives will be custom-made to overcome certain things that will have a direct bearing on our life’s purpose, as well as roles beyond this earthly life. Roles assigned to us relating to ages yet to come.
Most see this life and our transition to heaven as the goal and as a place where we will live happily ever after–really! The fact is, we are in preparation for roles beyond this life that will have mind blowing realities.
EPHESIANS 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved; 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Note the phrase “ages to come”.
Heaven is not the end and final achievement. It’s just the beginning of God’s purposes for us, which will continue to unfold in the ages to come.
We live on one small planet on the edge of the Milky Way. Planet Earth is just a dot in the vast universe, which continues to expand into the ages to come.
Beyond heaven God has a plan. Don’t waste your sorrows. They are part of the plan intended to groom you in the ways of God and bring you to a total rest and trust in God.
PAIN, SORROWS AND DIFFICULTIES ARE ALL PART OF OUR TRAINING
Over and over again we are told “he that overcomes” will have certain rewards. Now in order to be an overcomer one must have something to overcome.
We see this phrase at least five times in the Book of Revelation: “he that overcomes”; and the rewards for overcoming are listed. So we are in a battle which we need to win. Basically the battle is against the world, the flesh and the devil.
ROMANS 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Take note: this is something we have to do.
JOHN 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. You will have some tribulation The word “tribulation” in this verse is the Greek word thlipsis. Literally and figuratively it means pressure, affliction, anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation and trouble.
My guess is that you were not told about trials and tribulations when you were born again. Most were told that from now on everything will be wonderful. When we were born again we entered the kingdom of light, which is at war with another kingdom, namely the kingdom of darkness.
1 JOHN 2:13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
PAIN AND GLORY
2 CORINTHIANS 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 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.
Suffering is not an accident but a gift, which when properly received, will enhance our eternal glory, honour, and rank.
JOHN 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
The question is often asked, why do the righteous suffer? We have seen that some Christian leaders teach that we should have enough faith to overcome suffering. As I have said, this is a contradiction of the word of God.
The fact is that we have to have a great level of faith to trust God in the midst of suffering. To be able to come into rest and peace during a time of suffering is the highest kind of faith you can have.
The Bible clearly says that in this world we will have tribulation or suffering. I have seen parents lose their children, wives lose their husbands, and husbands lose their wives.
The mystery of why Christians suffer is a profound mystery of which we know very little, and for which an equally profound trust in the Lord is required. This profound trust in the Lord is anchored in the fact that GOD IS LOVE. That’s who He is, it is not that God has love. It is who He is. Everything that God does and allows is founded in the one certainty and motivation, namely God’s love. God cannot act outside of that motivation. This then requires of us a profound and insightful trust in Him.
ROMANS 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
We are told that when we get to heaven we will be rewarded with differing levels of glory or light. The level of glory we will have will be determined by how well we have run our course here on this earth.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
The rank we will have when we get to heaven is determined by the level of light or glory that we manifest. This in turn determines the roles we will have, not just in heaven or during the millennial reign of Christ, but also the rank, power, glory and understanding we will have in the roles we will be given for the ages to come.
ROMANS 8:4 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.
Suffering is part of our journey, as it has the ability to condition us, to groom our spirit and establish qualities within us that are required for our future eternal roles in God. However, suffering can only bring forth fruit when it is endured with peace, faith and trust in God.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
ROMANS 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
SUFFERING WHEN PROPERLY ACCEPTED IS A PATHWAY TO GLORY. WHEN PEACE IS ACHIEVED THROUGH SUFFERING GREAT GLORY IS IMPARTED.
Your destiny determines your training
This fallen planet Earth serves as the training school for sons of God, the conditions of which are perfect. The challenges that this fallen planet offers are just right for bringing many sons to glory.
HEBREWS 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
In other words, the evil and darkness, greed the lust are ingredients for our training and they serve as opportunities for us to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.
We are not here waiting to be rescued from this earth; we are here to rescue this planet and bring heaven to earth. Jesus said we should pray that His Kingdom would come in this earth as it is in heaven.
When Jesus has enough people like Him, He will return to this earth and His sons will reign with Him for a thousand years. The term sons is not a gender reference, it refers to both male and female.
This earth is about to be redeemed. Everything decadent will be removed, great earthquakes and volcanoes will transform the planet and with the curse removed, the earth will become a perfect paradise to live in.
The journey to Zion is a road to overcoming the fallen nature and learning to walk as redeemed people with the nature and likeness of Jesus. This then results in us becoming more compatible with the realm of God, the heavenly realm.
We then walk, as it were, with our head in the heavens and our feet on the earth, living in two realms at the same time.
JOHN 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
This verse clearly states that while in the flesh, Jesus lived in two realms and had access to the heavenly realm as He lived on this physical earth.
We are here on this planet to walk as a fully restored new creation, which gives us access to the heavenly realm as well as this earthly realm–but only if you believe this.
Our life here is a journey, but more than that, planet Earth serves as a schoolhouse, a training environment in which sons of God are groomed for eternal purposes. How we handle this determines how and to what level we graduate.
2 TIMOTHY 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith The word “course” is from the Greek word dromos, which means career, course, race . We are in training and the goal is to graduate with honors. The level at which we graduate will determine our rank and roles in the vast ages to come.
We only get one shot at this. Our destiny or calling was given to us before we ever came to this earth, and our training here on earth is molded and tailored to that end.
Where you were born, the kind of parents you had, along with life’s circumstances, difficulties, good and hard times were (or are) tailored to your specific eternal roles.
GALATIANS 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
GALATIANS 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. We all want to hear those immortal words when we have finished our course:
MATTHEW 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Life here on earth is not about surviving and making it to heaven. It’s about training you for eternal roles, which have been foreordained for you before this world was created. Seeing the big picture will motivate you to finish your course with joy.
Your life will be tailored to overcome certain things that will have a direct bearing on your purpose, as well as your roles beyond this earthly life. These roles have been assigned to each one of us, and they relate to the ages yet to come. The fact is, we are in preparation for roles beyond this life that will amaze and astound us.