The agony of suffering and the ecstasy of glory

UV 361/10,000 The agony of suffering and the ecstasy of glory 1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. We need to share in the sufferings of Christ in order that we share in His resurrected glory and the glory of His second triumphant coming. The grace of God saves us from eternal penalty of death and suffering in the world to come. But to suffer in this world is a necessary prelude to our growth and maturity in faith. The sufferings of Christ included being mocked and insulted, being hated and condemned, being falsely accused, being betrayed by His own. His suffering included loneliness on the Cross where the presence of the Father left Him for the first time in all of eternity. His physical suffering included being flogged, being spat upon, being pierced with nails, hunger and thirst, facing a sham of a trial or injustice, and finally , being hung from the cross- the most cruel form of slow execution. None of us will go through all this but many of us may share in the suffering of being mocked for our faith, being looked down upon, being persecuted. When we do so, our attitude should not be one that makes us murmur or complain or depressed but one of rejoicing that we have the privilege of sharing in the suffering of Christ. When we do so we will develop “ sempathy” ( a word I have coined that means spiritual empathy) or feeling the pain of God as if it is ours. The promise is that when we partake in Christ’s suffering, we will find fulfillment in experiencing the glory of God. The agony of suffering will remove the dross from our faith and our character. Pain has always been a greater human teacher than pleasure. It proves our commitment before man and God. Faith is not just a vicarious identification with the mission of Christ but a willingness to walk in His footsteps. The reward of such commitment is ecstasy or the abounding joy of oneness with God. Once in a vision, the Lord asked us to wash ourselves often in the regenerating power of His blood flowing from the wounds on His head and face, the wounds on His hands and shoulder, the wounds on His knees and the fountain of blood that flowed from His feet. When we do so, we experience an inner joy. The inner joy will be like a flow or a fountain that shows up as gladness on our faces and attitudes. Prateep V Philip