Suffering for Christ
Tom Shrader works through Philippians 1:27-30, showing that Paul presents both believing in Christ and suffering for Christ as gifts graciously granted by God for the same purpose: His glory. Drawing on Ephesians 2, Acts 9, James 1, and personal stories, Shrader argues that suffering is not a problem to escape but an opportunity to become a display case of God's grace to a watching world. The teaching calls believers to embrace trials with the same gratitude they bring to their salvation, because both share the identical purpose of glorifying Christ.
“Suffering allows you to become His display case to the world, so they see you in the midst of suffering and want Him.”
— Tom Shrader
Series: Philippians
Recorded: 2008 at East Valley Bible Church
Duration: 46 min
Themes: suffering, trials, joy, grace, persecution, gratitude, God's glory, faith, going through hardship, questioning why God allows pain, struggling with suffering, new believer, discouraged Christian, facing persecution, dealing with chronic illness, feeling abandoned by God
Scripture: Philippians 1:27-30, Philippians 1:21, Philippians 1:6, Philippians 2:1, Ephesians 4:1, Ephesians 2:1-8, Acts 2:42-47, Acts 9:1-16, 2 Corinthians 11:24-25, 2 Corinthians 12:10, 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Corinthians 10:31, 1 Corinthians 1, John 1:12, James 1:2-5
Theological Themes: theology of suffering, sanctification, soteriology, salvation as gift, theodicy, God's sovereignty, philippians, glorification
Full Transcript
Introduction: A Letter That Shaped This Series
The book of Philippians is a book about joy — and this may sound almost contradictory. It is a book about joy written by a man who is in prison. We are talking about joy, not happiness. We are talking about relationship, not circumstance.
This week I received an email from somebody I really care about, somebody I respect, and somebody who is a very good friend of mine. It is very brief, so let me read it to you, because it becomes the basis for where I want to go today.
"Good job on the sermon this morning — I just thought I'd put that in there, some of you might not have been here last week and you want to know. I try to stay out of your sermon, i.e., advising you on what to do. However, after the sermon, I got the feeling that you were going to start next week in chapter 2. If you're not, please disregard this note. If you are, I would ask you not to fly over verses 27 through 30. My request is based on two points — one, suffering for Christ, which we do little of and know nothing about, and two, suffering in general. Both are in these verses, and they're actually both in verse 29. If you've decided to move on anyway, I can live with that. I love you."
I knew I was going to meet this fellow, and when I did, I told him I got his note. He said he was not trying to get into my business, and I said, no problem at all. From up here, it feels like we talk about suffering every week, and on top of that I am in the process of teaching a Priority Living series titled "How to Stay Afloat in a World that's Circling the Drain," which itself deals with a great deal of hardship and difficulty. But I told him I really respect his view, and if he thinks I need to go back over this and go in depth, then we are going to do it. So that is what we are going to do today. We will start at verse 27, work our way through verse 30, and spill over into verse 1 of chapter 2.
Conducting Yourself Worthy of the Gospel
In Philippians chapter 1, verse 27, Paul writes: "Only conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel."
You may remember that last week I stopped there and turned to the book of Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 1, because Paul makes a very similar comment there. In Ephesians chapters 1 through 3, Paul talks about some of the mighty truths of the faith — truths that are absolutely rich and that fill those of us who know them. He speaks of God choosing us before the foundations of the earth, of the wonderful work God has done in our lives, and of salvation by grace through faith. Then when he reaches chapter 4, verse 1, he says: "Therefore — in other words, because that is true — I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called."
The same idea is present in Philippians chapter 1, verse 27. The word translated "conduct" here comes from a Greek root that also gives us the word for "city." Paul is appealing to citizens. The believers in Philippi were citizens of a Roman colony, and they took great pride in that. It was a distinction to be declared Roman citizens. Latin was the official language, and they loved to act like Romans — it was a significant part of who they were.
Paul is saying: if you conduct yourself like that kind of citizen and take pride in it, how much more should you do so for the gospel. Have the same dedication you have to representing Rome here in Philippi, and apply that same commitment to the gospel. Conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel. Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called. Live consistently with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is exactly what Paul said in verse 21: "For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain." Paul is saying that if you and I declare that Jesus is Lord, there should be evidence of it. We should live distinctive lives. It is not enough to say Jesus is my Lord and Savior if there is no transformation of life. And to be clear — that behavior is not what saves us. The behavior is the evidence of salvation. Paul issues this command: there should be something distinctive about the way we live. It is not enough to say Jesus is my Savior and have that make absolutely no difference in the way we live.
Standing Firm Together
Paul continues: "So whether I come and see you, or I remain absent, I will hear." Whether he is there to see it firsthand or receives reports, he will hear that they are standing firm. The idea of standing firm is holding ground in the face of danger or opposition — standing firm in one spirit and one mind, striving together. There is a togetherness here, a unity.
Without turning there, let me read from Acts chapter 2, verse 42 and following — a familiar passage that is often referenced when we talk about the church.
The Early Church: A Community United for the Gospel
Luke writes this in Acts 2:42: "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe, and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and held all things in common. They began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with one another as anyone might have need. And day by day, continuing with one mind in the temple, breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people."
The next sentence is this: "And the Lord was adding to their numbers day by day, those that were being saved." You get a sense of what he is saying. There was a oneness of spirit, a oneness of purpose. They understood that God had saved them, and He had saved them for a reason.
Certainly there was some doctrinal commonality, but they were together as a life experience. They were striving together, working together — and working together for what? See it in verse 27: for the gospel. For the gospel of Jesus Christ. They understood their salvation, and that was the driving motive in their life.
Persecution as a Sign: Destruction for Some, Confirmation for Others
Verse 28 says, "In no way be alarmed by your opponents." Attacks are coming. Paul certainly experienced that — he writes from prison, and he understood persecution, imprisonment, beatings, and stoning. If you want to see a list of that, go to 2 Corinthians chapter 11, beginning around verse 24, and you will find a whole catalogue of the physical dangers Paul faced.
Do not be alarmed by your opponents because it proves two things. Number one, it gives a sign of destruction for them — in other words, it reveals exactly who they are. Number two, it reveals who you are: that you are His. When Jesus was walking the earth, He said this: "A master is greater than the slave, and if they persecuted Me, they will persecute you."
Jesus told His followers ahead of time and made them ready for this. They could not in any way have been surprised. He promised them the difficulty and the opposition that was going to come. Their opposition being sent to destruction was one sign, and their own persecution was evidence that they were suffering for the cause of Christ — and He said that is good.
Unpacking Philippians 1:29–30: Two Things Granted by Grace
Now we come to verse 29 and verse 30, and this is where we are going to camp for a while. Hopefully, as we unpack this, it will have huge practical application for you. Verses 29 and 30 read: "For you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me and now are here to be in me."
Flying over verse 29 at thirty thousand feet, there are some key words to identify. The word "granted" is one of them — we had better understand what it means. Then Paul says "for Christ's sake," and he ends the verse with essentially the same phrase, "for His sake." In between, he gives us two things: not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer.
The word translated "granted" is the word from which we get the English word grace. It means to render, to give, or to grant graciously. Paul says two things have been granted to you — and both of them are found right there in verse 29. This is huge, and we need to get this.
The first one will be easy for most of us. Anyone who has been around for any length of time will say, "Amen, we get it." The second one may catch us a little off guard. What has been granted graciously to you? First, that you believe in Him — that you believe in Christ.
The Nature of Man and the Grace of Faith: Ephesians 2
Turn to the book of Ephesians, just to the left in your Bible. There is probably no clearer discussion of this idea of being granted to believe — of grace — than we find in Ephesians 2. Paul begins laying out the condition of man in chapter 1, where in verse 2 he tells us we have been chosen in Christ and predestined. Then chapter 2, verse 1: "And you were dead in your trespasses and sin, in which you formerly walked according to the course of the world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the Spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience."
That is who you were. Notice it is past tense — you were dead, you were walking, you were walking according to the world's wisdom and the world's values. Paul's description of you is this: a son or child of disobedience. Verse 3 continues: "Among them we too also formerly lived in the lusts of the flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest."
Here is what you should do: underline "sons of disobedience" and underline "children of wrath," then draw a line connecting them. All that does is train your eyes so that when you turn to that page, you begin to see the connection. This is who Paul says we were by nature — every person who comes into this world is by nature a child of disobedience, a child of wrath.
So the great question — is man basically good? — is answered here. No. There is no good that dwells within us.
The Nature of Human Depravity
That is what the Bible says. That is who we are by nature, and then we simply manifest that. We live it out. If there is anything for which we have mountains of empirical data, it is that we are depraved. All you have to do is start working with a three- or four-year-old, and as early as that, you begin to see it. You can see a child in a room playing with a toy. There are 5,000 toys. Another child comes in, and what do they do? They go right to that one toy being played with and say, "That's the one I want — mine, me, I." All we do is manifest who we are.
Who are we? We are sons of disobedience. We are children of wrath, and we are acting like it. That is what Paul says.
The Universal Sense That Something Is Wrong
Maybe you are here today thinking you have never really been much about church. Let me tell you — you may not know us, but I know you. I know that instinctively you feel something is not right. Something is wrong, at least in a macro view, something is wrong with the world. It is helpful to understand that the world is made up of people, and if something is wrong with people, that is why something is wrong with the world.
We instinctively know that something is not right. You instinctively know that you are not perfect. You understand that there is something, someone, some higher power out there bigger than you, and you instinctively know you need it.
Misdiagnosing the Problem
So the diagnosis is correct — something is wrong. But you have probably missed exactly what it is, because a person's life then becomes a pursuit of trying to fix what is wrong. Even if we get really spiritual about it, we say, "There's something wrong with me spiritually — I need religion, or I need church." But your problem is not that you need more church. Or we think, "I'm not smart enough — I need more education." So we go get more schooling. Or, "I'm not making enough money." Or, "I'm single — I need to be married." Or, "I'm married — I need to be single." Whatever it is, we try to figure it out ourselves.
Here is the problem. Paul says the problem we have is a spiritual problem, and so the answer is not economic, religious, or educational. The solution is a relationship.
But God — The Good News of Grace
Look at verse 4. Paul gives us the bad news, and then he gives us the turn. Verse 4: "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Verse 8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
There is our problem. Our problem is that we are dead in our sins and trespasses, and we need to be made alive, and we cannot do it — but God. God did it. God graciously granted us life. He took those who were children of disobedience, children of wrath, and made them children of the King. He did it.
Suffering Is Also a Gift
Now let us go back to Philippians chapter 1, verse 29, because that is what Paul is building toward. "For it has been granted to you — rendered to you, graciously given to you — for Christ's sake, to believe in Him." And we would say to that, Amen. There is the good news. What a blessing. This is something God has done in our lives. He is the one who produced it — totally, completely, 100% of Him, nothing to do with us.
Now here is where it gets remarkable, because Paul says that just as that believing was a blessing, your suffering is also a blessing. John chapter 1, verse 12: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God." Amen. But also to suffer. Second Timothy 3:12: "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."
Do you see it? Just as the believing was a blessing, your suffering is a blessing. How can that possibly be? Because both have at their core the same purpose. It has been granted to you for Christ's sake to believe in Him, and also to suffer for His sake — for Christ's sake.
The Conversion of Saul — A Portrait of Grace
Let us go from Philippians over to Acts chapter 9. Acts chapter 9 is the story of God saving Saul. Saul of Tarsus is about to become Paul. Persecution has broken out against the church, and Paul is heading it up. We find him in chapter 9 still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He asks for letters to go to Damascus, so that if he finds any belonging to the Way — he is an equal-opportunity persecutor, both men and women — he will bring them bound back to Jerusalem. He is on a mission.
This is really important. He is not looking for God. Paul is not out hunting for God. He is convinced he is already on God's team. He is wearing God's jersey. He is doing it for God. He is not on a search or a sojourn for God. It is a beautiful picture of any natural person who is very religious. We will see in a few weeks when we get to chapter 3 that he is a super Jew — and we mean that in no pejorative way. He followed all the rules, all the regulations, all the laws. He was circumcised on the eighth day. He is simply a very religious man. But that religion is not doing him any good, is it? He is still breathing threats.
He is traveling on the road when he falls to the ground and hears a voice. Verse 4: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus, who—"
God's Surprising Grace
"Get up, enter the city, and you will be told what you must do." And into the city he goes. Verse 10: "There was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, 'Ananias,' and he said, 'Here I am, Lord.' And the Lord said to him, 'Get up, go to the street called Straight and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. And he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in, lay hands on him so that he might regain his sight.'"
Clear. Straightforward. Go do it. And Ananias said, "Lord, are you sure you've got the right guy?" That is exactly what he says. "Lord, I've heard so many things about this man, and how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem. And he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon Your name." Are you sure You didn't mean Saul from Troas, or Antioch? It has to be a different Saul. It cannot be that Saul. That Saul came to kill us. That is the Saul You have chosen?
Let's hit the pause button, because there is huge application here. How often in our lives are there people about whom we say, "There is no way God is ever going to touch that person"? Maybe you were that person. That was my life. I asked some of the guys why they never invited me to a Bible study, and they said, "Because it never occurred to us that God would save someone like you. We thought He had grace, but not that much."
That is actually a source of encouragement. Maybe it is a spouse, a child, a neighbor, a friend, or a family member — I do not know who it is for you. You are praying and praying and praying. Do not ever give up. There are no guarantees that God is going to save that person, but God does these great things, and sometimes He just surprises you. I will guarantee you that you are somebody's surprise.
Ananias says there is no way — this cannot be the right man. And look at what God says in verse 15: "Go, he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and the kings and the sons of Israel." And look at verse 16: "And I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."
Chosen to Suffer
There it is. Here is this man, Paul, who has been chosen into the family of God — chosen unto salvation and chosen to suffer. Let's go back to Philippians chapter 1, verse 29, because it is the same idea there. You have been chosen not just for salvation, but you have been chosen to suffer.
Now, the key phrase is "for His sake." In 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 10, Paul writes: "Therefore I am well content with weakness and insults, with distress, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, I am strong." In Philippians 1:6, Paul writes: "I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake" — literally rendered, "unto Christ."
This point is so important that I am returning to it again. So often, when people read about Paul's suffering and hear Paul saying to join him in that suffering, they conclude that their own suffering must be identical to his — that it does not count unless they are being beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked, or imprisoned. Paul is not saying that at all.
Paul is saying that your suffering — whether we call it persecution, suffering, or trials — has one common purpose: it is for His sake. Said another way, it is for His glory. Why do we suffer? For His glory. Why were you blessed to believe? For His glory. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether then you eat or drink, whatever you do, do it for the glory of God." That is the whole purpose for which God took hold of you — to glorify Him.
One author, commenting on that verse, writes: "Paul is saying that even in the most mundane, routine, non-spiritual things of life — like ordinary eating and drinking — God is to be glorified. His glory is to be our life commitment." That is the purpose for our whole life. That is why you are here. There is the perspective.
The Reflex to Escape
When I read that you have been granted to believe, my instinct is to say, "Amen! Yes! What a blessing!" But when I read that you have been granted to suffer, how do I get to the place where I can say the same thing — "Amen! What a blessing!" — and truly understand that it is for God's sake, for Christ's sake?
John MacArthur writes: "Having a proper perspective on troubles and trials and suffering is the cornerstone of Christian living. Focusing all one's efforts on removing the difficulties is not the answer." And yet, is that not exactly what we do? Is that not the first reflex when suffering arrives — how do I get rid of this? How do I avoid it? And oftentimes we pursue that escape at the expense of learning the lesson God has for us.
Imagine a friend calls you this afternoon and says they really need your help. You make time the next morning, meet them at Starbucks, and they begin to share about their suffering. Almost by reflex, you start trying to figure out how to get them out of the suffering. I am afraid we are so focused on escaping the suffering that we forget God brought it for a reason and a purpose — and we do not want the suffering.
Embracing Suffering as God's Purpose
The first question is never how do we get rid of this suffering. I don't want to be a masochist, and I don't want to go out and try to find ways to suffer. God will bring enough of those on His own — I don't need to create them. But I don't want to ignore them either.
MacArthur continues: believers need to embrace the trials God allows them to undergo, knowing that those trials reveal their character. They humble them, draw them closer to God, and allow Him to display His grace and power in their lives. They should heed the counsel of the Apostle James: "Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect results, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
James 1:2–5 in the Phillips paraphrase puts it this way: "When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don't resist them as intruders, but welcome them as friends. Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. Let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find that you've become men of a mature character with the right sort of independence."
That is supernatural living. How can we get to the point where we don't push suffering away but embrace it? How can we get to the point where we don't consider it an intrusion and resent it, but welcome it as a friend? There is only one way, and that is by understanding that we are suffering for Christ's sake.
God's Purpose Is Identical
Paul is not saying that your suffering has to be identical to his persecution. When you start thinking that way, you miss what God can be accomplishing in your life through your hardships and difficulties. What Paul is saying is not that the circumstances are identical, but that God's purpose is identical — and that purpose is for Him to be glorified in the midst of suffering, whether it is Paul in jail, Paul being beaten, martyrs around the world, or you and me in the suffering we face in our own lives.
Is there suffering like Paul's going on today? Consider the latest statistics: 6.7 billion people in the world, roughly 2.2 billion Christians. The world population increases by 219,000 people a day, and China has the fastest growing Christian population, with about 17,000 Chinese converted each day. In 1970, there were 370,000 Christians martyred for their faith. In 2007, the number is approximately 175,000 — that is 480 a day, 20 an hour. In roughly the time you have been sitting here, about 25 people have given their lives for the cause of Christ.
Various Trials, One Purpose
Paul says it is not about being in prison specifically. It is about understanding that suffering comes into your life in whatever shape it takes — count it all joy when you encounter various trials. The word "various" there literally means multicolored. These trials come in different shapes and sizes: relational trials, economic trials, trials of health. Count it all joy when you encounter them.
There is no way to do that except through the next word: knowing. I know something. I know the testing of my faith produces endurance. I am not suffering for no reason at all. I am suffering for Christ's sake, for His glory, so that people will look at me and see Him.
The Display Case
I become a display case for His good works. I love to shop — I always have. I buy all my winter clothes now at 75% off, and my summer clothes in October. When Susan says the store will be picked over, I say God is sovereign: if He wants me to have it, it will be there at 75%.
When you walk into most department stores, the first thing you see is either the jewelry section or the cosmetics section. It is so different from the rest of the store — beautifully lit, everything perfectly displayed. Those display cases hold products in just the right light. Here is the Clinique counter with everything arranged to draw you in. Here is a diamond in a jewelry case with the light hitting it just right, and even if you weren't looking for jewelry, you almost buy it.
That is what Paul is saying. Suffering allows you to become His display case to the world. People see you in the midst of suffering, and they want Him. That is what it is all about.
The Call to Suffer for Christ
There may come a time when we are called upon to suffer for Christ — even to be martyred. Justice Scalia spoke a few years ago to a group of Christians. He told them that they must proclaim their biblical faith and belief in miracles and ignore the scorn of the so-called worldly wise. Justice Scalia, it should be noted, is extraordinarily intelligent.
We Are Fools for Christ's Sake
That is very disappointing. There are people going, S-M-A-S. Scalia is smart. Here is what Scalia said, quote: "We are fools for Christ's sake. The worldly wise do not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and it is quite absurd to them. So everything from Easter to the ascension had to be made up" — these are the worldly minds now — "made up by groveling enthusiasts as part of their plan to get themselves murdered." A general belief in God is one thing, Scalia said. In other words, you just say "God," and everybody says amen. It is quite another matter to embrace the miracles of the virgin birth, His being raised from the dead, His own ascension.
Scalia continued: "We must pray for the courage to endure the scorn of the sophisticated world. We are fools for Christ's sake." That is all of 1 Corinthians 1 right there. We are weak, then we are strong. It is a paradox, a paradox way of living. It is upside down, it is backwards. We are in jail, but we are happy, we are joyful.
That is why you suffer — for Christ's sake. That is what is behind all of it, and sometimes that suffering may take the form of ridicule. You are going to have people who are really smart, and smart people are, to me, somewhat annoying. It is amazing how often someone will say to me — generally a lady who is married to a man who does not share our faith — "Do you have a book or something I can give to my husband?" And then they will say, "He is really, really smart." My response is, "Well, sure, so am I."
Now, are there people far smarter than me? Absolutely, and a number of them are in this room. I understand that some of the greatest minds in the world think this is foolish. But the greatest mind that America ever produced, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, was Jonathan Edwards — and he believed exactly what you believe.
Why Smart People Reject the Faith
Here is why a really smart person will not believe. It is for the same reason a really unintelligent person will not believe: they will not believe because they will not believe. It is that simple. So you may be ridiculed by co-workers who think you are out of your mind, or it may come from family.
We have a lady in this church who came from a Mormon background, and her mother will have nothing to do with her. Her mother will call the house, ignore her, speak to the grandchildren, and that is it. So your suffering may look like that, or it may look like what the Apostle Paul endured. The whole point is not the type of suffering.
Do not sell yourself short. Have there not been times when you read about Paul's suffering and look at your own situation and say, "Mine is just this little thing over here"? Paul is not saying his suffering is more important than yours. What he is saying is that the purpose is the same — so that people can look at you and see Jesus.
Suffering is going to be different for every person. Some things people handle easily, and others they handle with much more difficulty. The point is that we are all going to suffer.
God's Grace Is Sufficient
Here is what Paul says. He said God told him, "My grace is sufficient for you." That is how you survive in the midst of this. You may feel you cannot take any more — perhaps not naturally, but God's grace is sufficient.
My hero in life outside of my family was Larry Wright. I never knew Larry when he was healthy. When I met him, he had rheumatoid arthritis. He told me the story many times: he had really thought he was a wonderful Bible teacher, and people were affirming him greatly. He was afraid he would become prideful, so he prayed for humility. Two days later, he had rheumatoid arthritis and hemorrhoids, and his hands were completely disfigured.
Because of his condition, Larry had to attach his car key to a stick about six inches long so that he could insert it into the ignition and use the leverage to turn it. To open the car door, he had to back up to it and use his body to pull it open. His suffering was constant and severe, and yet his faith never wavered.
One day we were having coffee, and I noticed something growing on his neck — visibly, unmistakably, as large as both of my hands. I told him he ought to get that checked. A week or so later it was even larger. He finally went in, and the doctors said it was a serious problem. They scheduled surgery and a biopsy for a Wednesday, and I was in Tucson teaching when the procedure took place.
When I got back to St. Joseph's Hospital, the doctors told us he was filled with cancer. I remember going out into a stairwell — I do not even remember what floor we were on — and just sitting there crying like a baby. Someone came out and told me Larry was just coming to and wanted to see me. I went in, and he was lying there with staples across his neck where they had removed a large portion of it. I used to tell him, "Larry, you are getting really hard to shop for. You are now a size 7-32. This is getting hard to buy."
Suffering as a Display of God's Grace
I went in, and he had these staples in there. I said, "Hey, man, you doing okay?" He said, "Tom, God's grace is sufficient." He became a testimony to all the doctors, all the nurses, everyone around. Do you see this? This is so huge. You don't have to be in prison for your suffering to count for Christ's sake. The word *sake* literally means purpose — suffering for Christ's purpose.
I remember, however many years ago, when Sarah had her car wreck. We were all out of town, and I was the first one to get back. She had had a brain seizure, they had wired her jaw shut by that point, they were getting ready to do some plastic surgery, and she was a mess. We went in — you've heard the whole story. About three days later, some friends of ours came and said the nurses inside wanted to meet with me and Susan, because they were afraid we were in denial.
I said, "Denial? How do you deny it? There she is, laying right there." But here's the deal — it's not about her laying there. It's about what Christ is going to do in the midst of that. A friend of ours who was a nurse at the hospital gave Susan and me all sorts of opportunities to make clear that we were not in denial. That's Christ.
Suffering Granted for His Glory
Susan and I were talking the other day, and she said, "I've just come to the point where I realize right now is as good as I'm ever going to feel. I'm not going to feel any better." Those are wonderful moments, because you can say, "I would never choose this" — and mean it. I've had people say to me all the time, "Susan really looks good." What she wants you to understand is that she would never choose this, but God is working in her life in an extraordinary way.
It's the same for you. Maybe you just got laid off this week. Maybe it's a child saying something to you as a parent. Maybe it's a spouse. Maybe you had a wedding date and they canceled it. It could be anything — suffering and pain. When that happens, the whole world is watching, and you can become a display case for God's grace and mercy and say, "It's not me, it's Him in me."
These are wonderful verses, and my intention was to move to chapter 2 this week. I'm so glad I got that email on Tuesday morning reminding me to make sure we revisited the truth that it has been granted, given to us, for Christ's sake — to believe, yes, but also to suffer, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in Him and now hear to be in Him.
Maturity Means Everything Is from Him
How wonderful it is to come to the point in the Christian life where God is so much a part of your life that you understand everything in your life is given by, granted by, caused by, or allowed by Him for one reason — His glory. As you mature and as you grow, so He is glorified in the midst of that.
Is He glorified in your life? When suffering and heartache and pain come, I understand there is that pull. I understand there are those moments. I understand there are those tough times. But when people see you suffer, do they see your Savior? That's what He's saying. Isn't that a great truth?
Looking Ahead and Closing Prayer
We will get right into this. You can go ahead and read ahead for next week. I'm going to try to cover a good deal of ground, because He makes a couple of points in verses 1 and 2, then makes a statement in verses 3 and 4, and then illustrates it through verse 11. We'll take a look at least that far next week and begin to study there.
Father, we pray that in our lives people would look at us and see You. God, it really requires You doing something special in our lives to be able to pray this. God, in the midst of suffering, we pray that You would be glorified. God, give us the courage to be fools for Christ's sake. We pray to You in His name. Amen.