Suffering for Christ is a normal part of the Christian's life.

Part 2

Yesterday:
“For unto you, it is given in the behalf of Christ.”
Suffering is God’s gift to us.

“Not only to believe on Him.”
Without believing, we can never please Him.  Nor could we be saved without it.

Today:
“But also to suffer for his sake.”
The Greek word translated as “suffer” generally means to undergo persecution.  But in the New Testament, it has other meanings also,

“…it is also used of physical sufferings not related to persecution…,

“And he [Paul] shook off the beast [a venomous viper] into the fire and felt no harm” (Acts 28:5).

“Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes, he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water” (Matthew 17:15).

…of suffering under temptation…and hardships in a general sense…” [1] (Guzik).

“And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

“Have ye suffered so many things in vain? If it be yet in vain” (Galatians 3:4).

“To you it is graciously given; it is no small privilege that God has so far honored you as to permit you to suffer on Christ’s account.  It is only his most faithful servants that he thus honors.  Be not therefore terrified by your enemies; they can do nothing to you which God will not turn to your eternal advantage” (Clarke).

“Suffering was the marriage-gift when they were espoused to Christ: the bounty when they enlisted in His service. Becoming one with Him, they entered into the fellowship of His suffering…”[2] (Vincent).

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10).

Suffering, in and of itself is not the point here.  Pain has meaning and becomes valuable when we are suffering “for His sake.”  The churches of Macedonia understood this principle, and the Philippians suffered greatly.

“How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality” (2 Corinthians 8:2).

In the Macedonians “great trial of affliction” their joy abounded!

“Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”
The Philippians were witnesses to Paul’s “conflicts” in his life.  They had witnessed his persecution in Philippi (“ye saw”), and they knew of his oppression in Rome (“now hear”).  If they handle their “conflict” as Paul handled his, they too will see God’s hand working, and He will give them joy even in their times of persecution.

Believers, conflicts will come, let’s handle them as though we believe in our God!

[1] Guzik, David. David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.
[2] M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword. Italics mine.