The Sufferings of Christ

"Endure hardships like a good soldier." Paul

The Sufferings of Christ

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. (II. Corinthians 1:3-8)

There are three “s” words I believe we either disregard or avoid altogether and they are: sin, sacrifice, and suffering. Although contrary to popular belief I believe the days that lie ahead of us as Christians are difficult ones. I didn’t say we wouldn’t have the victory but it may not come without first enduring some very difficult times.

In the above passage in verse three is says, “For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives…” So what are the sufferings of Christ and why in the world are they overflowing in our lives?

Paul was stating above that they had suffered so much for the gospel’s sake that it was beyond their natural ability to endure. We find a few chapters over in II. Corinthians 11:16-27 which is far too lengthy for me to type out, his tremendous, and I do mean tremendous sufferings he endured in the name of Christ. One chapter over in II. Corinthians 12 we learn of Paul being caught up in the third heaven and having visions and revelations from the Lord. So that he would not become puffed up and proud there was given him a “thorn in his flesh which was a messenger of Satan to torment him.” Now what was that thorn in his flesh? It is found in the prior chapter we discussed in II. Corinthians 11:16-27. His thorn was simply this; his sufferings! He pleaded three times for the Lord to take it away but the Lord replied to him in verse 9 of chapter 12, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Verse 10, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Now remember in II. Corinthians 1:3, we learned that God was the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. It also goes on to say, “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

Maybe you aren’t necessarily going through what Paul experienced but nevertheless you are enduring some hard, difficult, and trying times! They come so we cannot boast upon our own strength or godliness but that in our weakness God’s strength may manifest in our lives! May He alone receive glory and praise!

Remember this, you may be going through now, what others will soon be going through and at that time, may you comfort them with the same comfort you received from God when you yourself endured trials!

May His name be praised in our weakness and hardships!