Suffering and Glory

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God . . . .” There is nothing that is accidental, least of all for those who love God. Rom. 8:28. Everything that comes into our life is from God’s hand. This is how David reacted when Shimei cursed him; he humbled himself under God’s mighty hand. 2 Sam. 16:5-12. If we see it differently, we misunderstand life altogether. Then the devil gains power and sin increases.

Sin is pride and rebellion against God. People complain about other people and circumstances—the very thing that is God’s hand. Sin is the same as making demands. As long as a person is in the spirit of making demands on others, he will never come to a life of victory over sin. He must first enter into the spirit of sacrifice, the spirit in which Jesus lived. When we are in this spirit it is impossible not to have victory.

Satan is there as soon as we enter into sufferings. He seems to be so concerned for us; he wants to spare us the sufferings. When Peter tried to spare Jesus, He answered him, “Get behind Me, Satan!” Therefore Peter could also write, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith . . . .”

This is written in connection with sufferings. If we do not possess this firm faith that we are meeting God and that He cares for us, we do not have the strength to resist the devil. Then evil spirits will gain power over us through the sufferings.

Peter says, “Be sober, be vigilant!” We need to be sober. Jesus says that we shall learn from Him. He was meek and humble of heart. Jesus learned obedience by the things He suffered. Just think of the result He obtained from the sufferings!

When the two disciples on the way to Emmaus were walking along, discouraged because of the sufferings and the death which Jesus had had to suffer, He said to them, “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” Luke 24:26. The fact of the matter is that we need sufferings. The apostle says that Jesus, even though He was the Son, needed them in order to learn obedience. He thought it strange. We must go the same way if we are to follow Him and be conformed to His image. The Christ had to suffer in order to enter into His glory. Peter had only a sense for the things of man. He had no understanding of the way that leads through sufferings to glory. Therefore Satan was able to use him in his care for Jesus. Afterwards Peter could write, “God . . . who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered awhile . . . .” He understood very clearly that we have to go the same way.

Jesus was not disobedient, so He did not have to learn obedience on that account; but He grew in wisdom. Through the sufferings He learned to know God’s will in new areas. God wrote His laws in His heart and mind. He saw new areas in which He could be obedient. By going this way He came to perfection and thus the fullness of the Godhead came to dwell in Him bodily. “He delivers the poor in their affliction, and opens their ears through tribulation.” Job 36:15.

Peter said, “Be sober, be vigilant”! If we are vigilant when the sufferings come, we can pray, and then we would understand that these things come from God and that the time of salvation is “now.” Then it would also be easy to overcome. We must listen carefully when sufferings come, because that is the time when God writes His laws in our hearts. God wants to show us new areas in which we can be obedient. In this manner we also partake of divine nature. 2 Pet. 1:4.

“Let your meekness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” Phil. 4:4-5. Are you suffering? The Lord is never as near as then. He is near to you as Lord. Now you shall learn obedience. Now He wants to give you His commands. Now you can go on to perfection. Do not give Satan any room! Do not be thrown off balance; be sober, be vigilant, and pray. Let all evil be far from you. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” We are called to live a life of faith, and we need to rejoice in the Lord if we are to be conformed to Jesus’ image. Many rejoice in Jesus as their atonement and physician, but few rejoice in Him as their Lord, when He gives His commands. Yet that is just the time when we can follow Jesus and be perfected through obedience.