SUFFERING FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD

We are told that we are heirs of God and joint heirs of Christ, “provided we suffer together so that we may also be glorified together”. By saying that we suffer together “so that” we may be glorified together, we learn that suffering comes first and faithfulness through suffering results in glorification. For us, suffering will happen. And each of us suffers in our own way based on our own circumstances.

Why does suffering exist? Why do we as sons of God in particular suffer? And how does suffering benefit us and others?

THE ROOT CAUSE OF SUFFERING

The reasons why we suffer are truly very simple. There are in fact, three reasons for our suffering today. But before considering the causes of suffering, we have to consider the origin of suffering. When we understand where suffering began, and why, we will be better able to understand the reasons why we suffer.

We are told that “with evil things God cannot be tried, nor does he himself try anyone”. Therefore, Jehovah is not the source or cause of our suffering. Further, Jehovah said to Moses: “Now write down this song for yourselves and teach it to the Israelites. Have them learn it in order that this song may serve as my witness against the people of Israel”. So this song is directed to those who are already Jehovah’s servants and in a covenant relationship with him. And so, “in the hearing of the entire congregation of Israel, Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end”. Within this song, we read: “For I will declare the name of Jehovah. Tell about the greatness of our God! The Rock, perfect is his activity, For all his ways are justice.  A God of faithfulness who is never unjust; Righteous and upright is he”. Yes, our God is great, and all he does and everything he creates is perfect. So when mankind was created, he was perfect. So what happened? The song continues: “They are the ones who have acted corruptly. They are not his children, the defect is their own. They are a crooked and twisted generation”. So we see that the Israelites, though servants of Jehovah, were corrupt and defective. If everything Jehovah does is perfect, how did his perfect creation become defective?

We read that it was “through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because they had all sinned”. So the corruption of sin and its result of death, entered into the world through one man. Yes, “by one man’s trespass many died” and “the judgment after one trespass was condemnation” and “by the trespass of the one man death ruled as king through that one”. So we go back to the first man, Adam, and his sin. His act of disobedience when he ate of the fruit of the one tree out of all the trees in the garden, that Jehovah had warned him not eat.

Sin is anything that is contrary to Jehovah’s commands, ways, purpose and personality. Anything that damages someone’s relationship with Jehovah. And sin entered into the world because God’s word credits the man as the source of human life. For the woman was made out of the man, and Eve was created “for the sake of the man”. Thus, as Adam was the source of human life, so too Adam was the source of sin. It is his fault that we have inherited sin, not Jehovah’s. Jehovah’s creation was perfect. It was Jehovah who lovingly warned Adam that the consequence of sin would be death when he said that Adam and Eve would “certainly die” if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and bad. Therefore, it is Adam’s fault that sin has spread to all of us and caused defects, imperfections and “every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity”.

So, now that we understand that “through the disobedience of the one man many were made sinners”, we see that the source of suffering is found in the rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden.

Now, understanding the source of suffering, we can discuss the reasons we suffering.

THE REASONS WE SUFFER

As mentioned, there are three main causes of suffering. Let’s discuss these one at a time.

First, our own imperfect nature is a source of suffering. Sin is our hereditary inheritance from Adam. And so, all the negative consequences of being sinful and therefore imperfect have been passed on from Adam to us. For the Psalmist David said: “Look! I was born guilty of error, And my mother conceived me in sin”. And Paul says: “I am fleshly, sold under sin”. Yes, Adam has sold all of us to sin and death.

So what are the negative consequences of sin? Paul refers to “the weakness of your flesh” when talking to the Romans. Yes, imperfection causes weakness in the flesh. What does this mean? Paul also says to the Romans: “For I do not understand what I am doing. For I do not practice what I wish, but I do what I hate”, and he continues: “now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that resides in me. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, there dwells nothing good; for I have the desire to do what is fine but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good that I wish, but the bad that I do not wish is what I practice. If, then, I do what I do not wish, I am no longer the one carrying it out, but it is the sin dwelling in me”.

This helps us see the power sin has over us, for Paul concludes this thought with the words: “I find, then, this law in my case: When I wish to do what is right, what is bad is present with me. I really delight in the law of God according to the man I am within, but I see in my body another law warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to sin’s law that is in my body. Miserable man that I am! Who will rescue me from the body undergoing this death? Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, then, with my mind I myself am a slave to God’s law, but with my flesh to sin’s law”.

Sin, then, has a law. And the “law” of sin continually works in our flesh, in effect trying to control our course, to make us its subjects and cause us to act out of harmony with God. Therefore, it can be our own choices, decisions and actions that cause our suffering. For example, Jehovah told Cain: “If you turn to doing good, will you not be restored to favor? But if you do not turn to doing good, sin is crouching at the door, and its craving is to dominate you; but will you get the mastery over it?” Yes, sin led Cain to cause terrible suffering through his actions in murdering his brother.

And after James tells us that “with evil things God cannot be tried, nor does he himself try anyone”, he continues by explain one cause of evil things, and thus suffering, when he says: “But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn sin, when it has been carried out, brings forth death”.

And so, we ourselves, through bad decisions and poor actions, often cause our own suffering.

But the suffering we experience through the imperfection of our flesh is not always our own fault.

In the Law that Jehovah gave to the Israelites, he said concerning the one experiencing the disease of leprosy: “This is to be the law of the leper on the day his purification is established, when he is to be brought to the priest”. During this purification process, it is said: “The priest will take the one young ram and offer it as a guilt offering”. And also we read: “The priest will sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one cleansing himself from his impurity, and afterward he will slaughter the burnt offering. And the priest will offer up the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar, and the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be clean”.

Why does it refer to the guilt offering, and sacrificing the sin offering, and making atonement for the leper? Especially if the person contracted leprosy through no fault of their own? Paul explains one purpose of Law when he says: “Why, then, the Law? It was added to make transgressions manifest”. So one point of the Law was to draw attention to the fact that mankind is imperfect and has inherited sin and all its negative effects. We therefore learn that diseases and sicknesses are a result of being sinful and imperfect. A perfect person, then, would never become sick. And when mankind becomes perfect again, the scripture will be fulfilled where it says: “And no resident will say: ‘I am sick.’ The people dwelling in the land will be pardoned for their error”. Yes, we experience suffering caused by sickness, diseases, and infirmities because we are imperfect. Often, the sufferings we experience from such things are no fault of our own. But a result of being sinful, imperfect humans.

Jesus himself associated sickness and infirmities with sin when Matthew writes: “And look! they were bringing him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. On seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic: ‘Take courage, child! Your sins are forgiven.’” And so, when certain scribes complained in their hearts about Jesus saying this, it is further said: “‘in order for you to know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins—‘ then he said to the paralytic: ‘Get up, pick up your stretcher, and go to your home.’ And he got up and went to his home”.

And to show that it does not necessarily have to be a specific sin that causes a specific sickness or infirmity, we read: “And his disciples asked him: ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, so that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered: ‘Neither this man sinned nor his parents, but it was so that the works of God might be made manifest in his case.’” No, in this blind man’s case, it wasn’t anyone’s specific mistake that caused this man’s blindness from birth, but simply the result of the sinful nature of mankind.

With that being said, it must also be mentioned that at times, we suffer because of the actions of others. Such as Abel’s suffering because of the sinful actions of Cain. And how Naboth suffered from the terrible actions of Jezebel and those two good-for-nothing men. In fact, Jehovah says to Moses regarding himself that he is “pardoning error and transgression and sin, but he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons and upon grandsons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation.”

Of course, we’ve considered how Jehovah is not the cause of suffering. And within the Law Jehovah says: “Fathers should not be put to death for what their children do, and children should not be put to death for what their fathers do. A person should be put to death only for his own sin”. So when Jehovah says he is “bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons and upon grandsons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation”, he is making clear the he does not prevent the mistakes of parents from affecting their children. Yes, at times we suffer because of the decisions and actions of others.

So the first cause of suffering is the sinful and imperfect nature of mankind. Sometimes, we cause our own suffering through our own decisions and actions. And this is especially true when we reject applying Bible principles in our choices. Sometimes, we suffer because of the decisions and actions of others. At times, it’s no one’s fault that we suffer other than Adam’s. He spread sin and all its negatives results to us. Imperfection is the root cause of sickness, disease and disabilities. Sometimes we suffer just because we have inherited imperfection from Adam.

This is true even for us as heirs of God. Yes, the scripture says: “those in union with Christ Jesus have no condemnation. For the law of the spirit that gives life in union with Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death”. So sin does not condemn us, and we have been “declared righteous for life”. However, John warns us: “If we make the statement, ‘We have no sin,’ we are misleading ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous so as to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we make the statement, ‘We have not sinned,’ we are making him a liar, and his word is not in us”.

So even though we have been justified and had perfection implied to us, the fact is that we still exist in the sinful flesh, and thus suffer all the consequences of sinful and imperfect nature. This is why Paul says: “Miserable man that I am! Who will rescue me from the body undergoing this death? Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Yes, we have been set free from the condemnation of sin and death thanks to Jehovah through Jesus. But we still live on in the sinful, imperfect flesh.

The second reason we suffer is seen in the words: “Man’s way does not belong to him. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step”. What does this mean? We must compare those words with what the Psalmist says about Jehovah’s direction, when he said: “I do not turn aside from your judgments, for you have instructed me”, and “your word is a lamp to my foot, and a light for my path”.

When it says “it does not belong”, it’s clear that Jehovah did not design mankind to direct his own step independently of Jehovah’s guidance. And when it says that Jehovah’s “word is a lamp to my foot, and a light for my path”, Jehovah is telling us that he has kept it within his own jurisdiction to direct our steps, as well as our path, or our life course.

In fact, it is when Adam and Eve chose to reject Jehovah’s instruction and make their own choices against his will, that suffer began for us. And now, the world in general attempts to guide itself independently of Jehovah’s guidance. And men and women have risen up to try to rule others. At times, such ones may accomplish some minor and temporary good that benefits some. But often, what little good that is done by the world’s rulers for some people, results in suffering for others. And so, what has been the overall result of mankind trying to govern themselves independently of Jehovah? God’s word tells us “that man has dominated man to his harm”.

Yes, whatever personal benefit we may receive from the choices of rulers is rare, temporary, and fleeting, and often results in causing suffering for others.

So we see the truth in John’s words about the world’s relationship with Jehovah, when he says that the world “has not come to know him”.

Indeed, the second main source of suffering comes from the world of mankind alienated from Jehovah, and especially from those in authority who try to rule over others. Yes, the Psalmist warns us: “Do not put your trust in princes nor in a son of man, who cannot bring salvation”.

Closely related to that is the third main cause of suffering. Jesus said that “there is a judging of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out” And he says: “I will not speak with you much more, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has no hold on me”.

Why did Jesus refer to the ruler of the world as needing to be “cast out”, and that the world’s ruler “has no hold” on him? The matter becomes clearer when we consider John’s words that “the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one”. So now it is clear that the world’s ruler is someone wicked, someone evil. And it was John, who saw in vision, “the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth”.

Yes, Satan rules the world of mankind alienated from Jehovah. And it is Satan and his demons that cause us a tremendous amount of suffering.

Now, the whole world is in the power of the wicked one. It is clear then, that the world is under the influence of Satan. And his influence causes much suffering. Yes, he is “the ruler of the authority of the air”, the ruler of the overall “spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience”.

Further, Jesus implies Satan has a system of rulership. When “some of them said: ‘He expels the demons by means of Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons’”, Jesus responded: “Every kingdom divided against itself comes to ruin, and a house divided against itself falls. In the same way, if Satan is also divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say I expel the demons by means of Beelzebub”.

And so Jesus implies that Satan has a house, or kingdom, that the demons belong to. And this matter is also emphasized in Daniel. When Daniel sees the angel, he describes the angel this way: “I looked up and saw a man clothed in linen, and around his waist was a belt of gold from Uphaz. His body was like chrysolite, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like fiery torches, his arms and his feet looked like burnished copper, and the sound of his words was like the sound of a multitude”. And the angel says that he came because of Daniel’s prayers to Jehovah. And that he would have arrived earlier, but the angel says this: “But the prince of the royal realm of Persia stood in opposition to me for 21 days. But then Michael, one of the foremost princes, came to help me; and I remained there beside the kings of Persia”. And when he was about to depart from Daniel, he says: “Now I will go back to fight with the prince of Persia. When I leave, the prince of Greece will come”.

Why was this angel hindered by the prince of the royal realm of Persia for 3 weeks, and could only continue because the archangel Michael arrived and offered his support? How could the prince of Greece hinder an angel?

Paul makes the matter clear by saying: “we have a struggle, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places”. So, our spiritual struggle is “not against blood and flesh”. No, our struggle is really against the authorities, world rulers of darkness, yes against the wicked spirits forces. Satan and his demons.

So we learn the third reason we suffer is because of Satan and his demons, who rule the world and the world’s governments, influencing them and causing suffering.

So, the three primary sources of suffering are:

1 Our sinful, imperfect flesh

2 The world of mankind

3 Satan and his demons

But now let’s discuss something very important to us heirs of the kingdom. And that is the fact that endurance and faith through suffering leads to us “being counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which” we are indeed suffering.

How does suffering lead to us being counted worthy of the kingdom of God? Why do we as anointed ones in particular suffer? What are the benefits of suffering, for us and for others?

SUFFERING AS A SON OF GOD

Paul, Silvanus and Timothy told the Thessalonians that: “we ourselves take pride in you among the congregations of God because of your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the hardships that you are suffering. This is a proof of the righteous judgment of God, leading to your being counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you are indeed suffering”. Yes, endurance and faith through suffering is proof that Jehovah was righteous in calling and choosing such ones, and us, for the heavenly calling. And our endurance and faith through suffering, with its resulting proof of Jehovah’s righteous judgment, leads to us being counted worthy of the Kingdom of God.

But why is such proof of Jehovah’s righteous judgement necessary for us to be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God?

To answer that, let’s consider some events in Paul’s life and what he said about his own life course.

Paul tells our Philippian brothers and sisters: “Not that I have already received it or am already made perfect, but I am pressing on to see if I may also lay hold on that for which Christ Jesus selected me. Brothers, I do not yet consider myself as having taken hold of it; but one thing is certain: Forgetting the things behind and stretching forward to the things ahead”.

Paul said that he was not already made perfect. Yes, he had been justified, had perfection implied toward him and had been declared righteous for life. But he had not been made perfect yet. He still needed to completed his earthly life course of integrity to Jehovah, and from Jehovah’s view, Paul’s life course of integrity had not been completed yet. So he had not been made perfect yet, and had not received his reward yet. And so, because he hadn’t laid hold of his hope, he was continuing to forget the things he had left behind and stretching forward to the heavenly things ahead. The things for which he had been selected.

Around the same time Paul wrote to the Philippians, he also wrote to the Colossians. And to the Colossians, he says: “I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and I am undergoing the tribulations of the Christ that are yet lacking in my flesh in behalf of his body, which is the congregation”. Paul considered his course of integrity incomplete. As he said, there were tribulations in his flesh that where lacking. Though he had suffered a tremendous amount, he had not proved his integrity to completeness yet.

Several years earlier, Paul had mentioned some of his sufferings to the Corinthians, saying he had: “been imprisoned more often, suffered countless beatings, and experienced many near-deaths. Five times I received 40 strokes less one from the Jews, three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I experienced shipwreck, a night and a day I have spent in the open sea; in journeys often, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own people, in dangers from the nations, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brothers, in labor and toil, in sleepless nights often, in hunger and thirst, frequently without food, in cold and lacking clothing”.

Several years later, while suffering house arrest in Rome, Paul tells the Colossians and Philippians that his sufferings are still incomplete. His tribulations still lacking.

But notice the change in his words a few years after that, when writing to Timothy for the second time. Paul tells him: “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my releasing is imminent. I have fought the fine fight, I have run the race to the finish, I have observed the faith. From this time on, there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me as a reward in that day, yet not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his manifestation”.

Paul there makes clear that he had faithfully completed his life course of integrity. This is true even though he was still in the flesh, and still was to face death. But he had reached a point through his endurance and faith through his suffering that his faithfulness was proved to the limit and under inspiration he stated that “from this time on, there is reserved for” him his heavenly reward. His heavenly reward was now reserved for him; it was set aside, or certain.

Many years earlier he had told the Corinthians that Jehovah “has also put his seal on us and has given us the token of what is to come, that is, the spirit, in our hearts”. Yes, as anointed ones, we have already received Jehovah’s seal by means of his spirit in our hearts. Paul made clear that he already had that seal. However, when he wrote those words to the Corinthians, he had not yet received the seal in his forehead. Yet, when he wrote the above words to Timothy, he made clear that he had proved his integrity to the limit. Paul wrote under inspiration. Thus it was made clear to him by means of Jehovah’s Holy Spirit, that he had received his sealing in his forehead.

At some point, all faithful anointed ones receive this sealing in their foreheads. And at Jehovah’s determined time, just before the winds of destruction are released, all of us remaining on earth will receive this sealing in our forehead, for John tells us his vision when he says: “I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding tight the four winds of the earth, so that no wind could blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the sunrise, having a seal of the living God; and he called with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying: ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until after we have sealed the slaves of our God in their foreheads’”.

What is the difference between the sealing by means of Jehovah’s spirit in our hearts, and the sealing in our foreheads?

Having Jehovah’s seal on us and having Jehovah’s spirit in our hearts as a “token of what is to come” occurs when Jehovah anoints us with Holy Spirit, quickening our minds and hearts to the heavenly hope, thus giving “us a new birth to a living hope”, as Peter explains it.

This also happens when Jehovah’s spirit begins to bear “witness with our spirit that we are God’s children”. Yes, Jehovah’s spirit works with our minds and hearts, in union with his inspired word, to inform us of our heavenly hope. And so, at our anointing, Jehovah initially places his seal upon us.

However, this seal does not mean that we have no sin and are infallible. Nor does it mean that we are incapable of loosing out on our heavenly reward. Jesus said that “no man who has put his hand to a plow and looks at the things behind is well-suited for the Kingdom of God”. And Paul tells us: “You were called to freedom, brothers; only do not use this freedom as an opportunity to pursue fleshly desires, but through love slave for one another”, and to those who were treating fellow worshippers harshly, he says: “If, though, you keep on biting and devouring one another, look out that you do not get annihilated by one another”. And then he explains to us anointed ones that the works of the flesh “are sexual immorality, uncleanness, brazen conduct, idolatry, spiritism, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, dissensions, divisions, sects, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and things like these”. Then he tells us anointed “that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom”.

So we see that even though Jehovah has placed his seal on us when he initially anointed us for his good purpose, we can still “fall short of it”, and loose out on our heavenly reward.

However, the sealing in our forehead is different. For most of us, like Paul, we will receive this type of sealing just before we finish our earthly course and die a sacrificial death. For some of us, we will be sealed in our forehead just before the great tribulation begins. The sealing in our forehead indicates that Jehovah is fully satisfied with our course of integrity, and we are guaranteed the fulfillment of our reward. This type of sealing means that Jehovah has determined we will be everlasting loyal to him and that our heavenly reward is now reserved for us; it is set aside, or certain. For the remainder of our earthly life, our heavenly hope is guaranteed. When an anointed one receives this type of sealing, it is impossible that he or she will loose out on the heavenly reward. Jehovah is, in effect, giving them his final judgment as righteous ones and promising that the individual sealed in the forehead will be raised to immortality.

Clearly, Jehovah would want to be absolutely certain of an anointed one’s integrity before he seals that one in their forehead. The one who receives this seal will have already given “proof of the righteous judgment of God” in selecting them for his kingdom. They have proven that they should be “counted worthy of the Kingdom of God”. This is why such proof is necessary. And this sealing in our forehead is what we are striving diligently for. Yes, this is why we are “pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus”.

But what does all of this have to do with suffering?

It is “endurance and faith” through suffering that furnishes the “proof of the righteous judgment of God”. It is faithful endurance through suffering that proves our unbreakable loyalty to Jehovah and gives him the confidence in us to seal us in the forehead. Yes, even though Jehovah does not cause our suffering, the fact is we have to suffer, and endure faithfully, in order to get our reward. That is why Paul tells us that we are heirs, “provided we suffer together so that we may also be glorified together”. Yes, we must suffer and endure it, in order to give Jehovah the absolute proof of our integrity so that we may be sealed in our forehead and ultimately glorified together.

This is why we are encouraged with the inspired words saying that “though the tribulation is momentary and light, it works out for us a glory that is of more and more surpassing greatness and is everlasting”. Yes, it is the tribulation we experience, and our endurance through it, that works out for our glory.

This is why James tells us: “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials, knowing as you do that this tested quality of your faith produces endurance. But let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything”. Therefore, endurance must complete is work, so that we may complete the “tribulations of the Christ that are yet lacking in” our flesh, resulting in us “not lacking anything”, and thus proving our integrity.

But some of us may say: “I’ve endured a trial like this before. Why should I have to endure it again?”.

It is truly heartbreaking that many of us have suffered multiple experiences of the same type of trial. But we must remember that when under trial with evil things, “God cannot be tried, nor does he himself try anyone”. No, we must remember that these evil things are not Jehovah’s fault. But that is easier said then done. At times, we do have hurt feelings toward Jehovah, especially when he allows us to endure multiple instances of the same trial. At times, we may feel like David who said: “Why, O Jehovah, do you stand at a distance? Why do you hide yourself in times of distress?”. Or the sons of Korah who said of Jehovah: “You sell your people for next to nothing; You make no profit from the sale”, and “Our heart has not deviated; Our footsteps do not stray from your path. But you have crushed us where the jackals dwell; You have covered us with deep shadow”, and “Rouse yourself. Why do you keep sleeping, O Jehovah? Awake! Do not keep casting us off forever. Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and our oppression?”.

So, why does Jehovah allow us to experience multiple instances of the same trial?

To answer that question, let’s again consider Paul’s example. He said: “Five times I received 40 strokes less one from the Jews”. Wasn’t enduring one time enough? Why did Jehovah allow him to endure such a terrible trial 4 more times? Paul says: “three times I was beaten with rods”, but then says that only “once I was stoned”. He says “three times I experienced shipwreck”. Wasn’t that enough, why did he have to endure a 4th shipwreck on his way to Rome as a prisoner? And regarding being a prisoner, Paul said that he had “been imprisoned more often” than some others. Why did Jehovah allow him to experience multiple imprisonments? Why didn’t Jehovah step in to prevent it?

The fact is, every time we have experience a trial, it is a new test of loyalty. Even if the trial is of the same type as one we’ve endured before. And trials often do not become easier to endure the more we experience them. In fact, depending on the trial, it is often far more difficult to endure multiple instances of the same trial than it is to endure just once. And we must give absolute proof of our loyalty through suffering. The more difficult it is to endure, the greater the “proof of the righteous judgement of God”.

And we must have faith that in the new heavens that we will inherit “righteousness in to dwell”. Yes, in the new heavens, “the former things will not be called to mind, nor will they come up into the heart.”. We must have faith that the painful experiences in our life will not hurt our minds, nor our entire person, including our emotions. Yes, Jehovah will not only fix all of our pain, he will completely reverse it. To the point that even if we do remember the trials we’ve endured, it won’t hurt our minds, won’t hurt our emotions, won’t robe us of strength, nor have any negative effect on us at all. We must have faith this will happen for us. That is why the inspired word says that it is our “endurance and faith” that gives “proof of the righteous judgement of God”.

Now that we know why we as anointed ones must suffer, where does our suffering as anointed ones in particular come from?

SOURCE OF SUFFERING FOR THE SONS OF GOD

Similar to what we considered earlier, the sources of our sufferings are first, imperfection. Our own and those of others.

It must also be honestly mentioned that at times, the way fellow believers treat us is a source of suffering. Especially when we are treated poorly because of our heavenly hope. Yes, it is true that some, including those with great authority in the earthly part of Jehovah’s organization, treat us as “the foolish”, “the weak”, “the insignificant things of the world” and as “the things looked down on” because of our heavenly hope. At times we are dismissed because of our hope. We are treated as lesser servants of Jehovah, and we are treated as if our heavenly hope is inferior to their earthly hope. And with such ones, we cannot say anything openly about our hope for fear of being mocked and ridiculed, and making such ones uncomfortable. For we know such ones are “being whisperers, backbiters” and “schemers of what is bad”. And some of them are “haughty, boastful”, for they treat us as if our right to “rejoice in the hope” depends on their comfort level. And such treatment can cause us great emotional suffering.

Although it may be true that the worst among such ones are “false brothers brought in quietly, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we enjoy in union with Christ Jesus, so that they may completely enslave us”, the vast majority of such ones who treat us that way are simply mislead by their own reasoning. The fact is, we love them. We will work for 1,000 years to fix them, to rid them of sin and bring them into a perfect relationship with Jehovah. And because we love them, we adhere to Paul’s counsel that love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”.

Yes, because we love them, we bear the injustice of their treatment, believing that it is not intentional but we give them the benefit of the doubt, hoping that as they respond to our efforts and grow to perfection they will realize their treatment of us. In the meantime, we endure such treatment. And as we continue “pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus”, we trust that if any of us “are mentally inclined otherwise in any respect, God will reveal the above attitude to you”. And we trust that those with an earthly hope who may not truly appreciate what we will do for them at that time, or may have a negative attitude about it now, will have “the above attitude” revealed to them.

And it must also be mentioned that there are many true friends of the anointed among those with an earthly hope. Those who trust us and allow us to “rejoice in the hope” for which God called us. Ones that encourage us to remain faithful and that love us. For many of us, the most precious ones among them are our marriage mates. Ones we love more than anyone else on earth. And for many of us, we may also think of our beautiful children, wonderful parents, valuable siblings, and others. Yes, these are the ones that we continue to endure for and we will have in mind when we ride to defend our family and friends at Armageddon.

Now, the second source of sufferings for us as anointed ones is the world of mankind alienated from Jehovah.

Jesus told us: “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you”. So we have been chosen out of the world. And regarding Jesus, we will be “those with him who are called and chosen and faithful” who will battle the “ten kings” and “the wild beast”, and in this way we “will shepherd the people with an iron rod so that they will be broken to pieces like clay vessels”. Thus, we will replace the governments of mankind as the ones who will “rule as kings over the earth.” And so, just as Jesus is “no part of the world” and his “Kingdom is no part of this world”, we also “are no part of the world” and our “Kingdom is no part of this world”. Also, because we do “not continue running with them in the same decadent course of debauchery, so they speak abusively of”.

No wonder the world hates us.

Now, when the apostles had been threatened and told to no longer speak in Jesus name, and they prayed to Jehovah for help to continue to speak Jehovah’s word, they referred to the prophetic words concerning Jesus that said: “The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers gathered together as one against Jehovah and against his anointed one”.

Just as the kings and rulers of the earth united against Jesus, so too the world opposed the apostles, and so too will they oppose all of us as the body of the Christ. This is why John tells us to “not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates” us.

And it is truly regarding this world that Paul says concerning us: “For you see his calling of you, brothers, that there are not many wise in a fleshly way, not many powerful, not many of noble birth, but God chose the foolish things of the world to put the wise men to shame; and God chose the weak things of the world to put the strong things to shame; and God chose the insignificant things of the world and the things looked down on, the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are”.

Yes, the second source of our suffering is the opposition and trials placed upon us by this wicked world that is opposed to the rulership of Jehovah.

The third primary source of suffering for us as the anointed, is Satan.

Satan’s attitude toward us is seen when he is prophetically described as having “went off to wage war with the remaining ones of her offspring”. Yes, Satan hates us. And he will try his best to hurt us.

Now, it was Jehovah who said to Satan: “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head, and you will strike him in the heel.”

So, there is enmity between Satan and his offspring, and the woman and us. Yes, primarily it is true that Satan did in fact have a role is Jesus sufferings and his death. But Paul makes clear that these words also apply to us as the woman’s offspring when he says: “the God who gives peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.” We will share in crushing the serpents head. And so too, Satan will work to bruise us.

For there is enmity between Satan and the Christ. Now, primarily this means Jesus. But just as Jesus is the head, so too we are one body under his direction. For we are told that “just as we have in one body many members, but the members do not all have the same function, so we, although many, are one body in union with Christ, but individually we are members belonging to one another”. Yes, even though we are individual members, we are still “one body in union with Christ”. Further, it is stated: “For just as the body is one but has many members, and all the members of that body, although many, are one body, so too is the Christ. For by one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink one spirit”.  So in this context, “the Christ” is one body, and we together, though many, are that body. So the inspired word holds true that said: “the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘and to your descendants,’ in the sense of many. Rather, it says, ‘and to your offspring,’ in the sense of one, who is Christ”. “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ”, and “if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s offspring, heirs with reference to a promise”.

Thus, it is us “heirs with reference to a promise” that Satan has focused on. So for us too, Jesus words apply when he said: “look! Satan has demanded to have all of you to sift you as wheat”. And it is to us that Peter says: “Keep your senses, be watchful! Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. But take your stand against him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by the entire association of your brothers in the world. But after you have suffered a little while, the God of all undeserved kindness, who called you to his everlasting glory in union with Christ, will himself finish your training. He will make you firm, he will make you strong, he will firmly ground you”.

“Now you are Christ’s body, and each of you individually is a member”. And “if one member suffers, all the other members suffer with it; or if a member is glorified, all the other members rejoice with it”. So it is now that “we suffer together so that we may also be glorified together”. For it is after we “have suffered a little while” that Jehovah, who called us “to his everlasting glory in union with Christ, will himself finish” our training.

But what is this training for? This is where we discuss the benefits of suffering. For us, and for others.

THE BENEFITS OF SUFFERING

Did Jesus benefit from his suffering? Yes! For “although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. And after he had been made perfect, he became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those obeying him, because he has been designated by God a high priest in the manner of Melchizedek”. And Jehovah, “in bringing many sons to glory, should make the Chief Agent of their salvation perfect through sufferings”.

Now, did Jesus suffer before he came to earth? Certainly he did. He suffered seeing his father slandered. He suffered when he watched as some of his spirit brothers “forsook their own proper dwelling place”. And he suffered as mankind, whom he “was especially fond” of, “dominated man to his harm”.

But these sufferings did not prepare him to serve as high priest of “the good things to come”. So Jesus was not yet qualified to serve as the high priest. “No, but he emptied himself and took a slave’s form and became human. More than that, when he came as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, yes, death on a torture stake”.

But now “we do see Jesus, who was made a little lower than angels, now crowned with glory and honor for having suffered death, so that by God’s undeserved kindness he might taste death for everyone”. So now “we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tested in all respects as we have, but without sin”. Yes, Jesus “had to become like his ‘brothers’ in all respects, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, in order to offer a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the people. Since he himself has suffered when being put to the test, he is able to come to the aid of those who are being put to the test”.

So Jesus learned “obedience from the things he suffered”. And now he is qualified to serve as our compassionate and empathetic high priest and was qualified to obtain “an everlasting deliverance for us” and is now “able also to save completely those who are approaching God through him, because he is always alive to plead for them”.

Now, what suffering did for Jesus it also does for us. As discussed earlier, “endurance and faith” through suffering qualifies us to be sealed “in the forehead”. But another benefit for us is that, like Jesus, suffering qualifies us to be merciful and faithful priests “in things pertaining to God”. That we may be “able to come to the aid of those” who shall live forever on earth. As compassionate priests, we shall strongly desire the work of erasing man’s sins and removing imperfection and “curing every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity”.

And we suffer so that we may be wise and forgiving kings and judges.

For this reason Peter says: “In fact, to this course you were called, because even Christ suffered for you, leaving a model for you to follow his steps closely”. To what “course” are we called? It is to the course of suffering that we are called. Yes, we suffer as Jesus did, for the same reasons Jesus did.

And so, another benefit to suffering for us “heirs of the promise” and “heirs of the kingdom” is that the things we suffer result in us being made perfect for our future assignment as kings and priests. Just as it did for our model, Jesus.

And this of course leads us to the benefit our suffering has for others. Yes, our suffering benefits those we shall rule over as kings, as well as represent before Jehovah as priests.

Yes, because our fellow servants of Jehovah with the earthly hope have joined us in service to Jehovah, they also suffer the same things we suffer due to being servants of the only true God.

And those who do not currently serve Jehovah suffer as well. They suffer from their imperfection, from the world and its rulers, and from Satan and his demons. And after the great tribulation begins, it is hoped that many take “hold of the robe of” “a Jew who is one on the inside”. These one will have also suffered.

Additionally, many who never served Jehovah will be restored to life. All these will have suffered in some way. Many of them in truly horrible ways.

And with us, there will be thousands upon thousands who have suffered in every way. So all on earth will have some among the kings of the earth and priests of God who will be able to sympathize with the ways in which they have suffered, and know exactly how to administer the benefits of the Ransom in a way that will address their specific and individual needs.

Yes, sin and imperfection affects all of us. But it does not affect all of us in exactly the same way. On a spiritual level, we all have our own specific weaknesses due to the influence of sin. And we are all uniquely affected in our physical, mental and emotional health because of sin and imperfection. And we have our own experiences with suffering. The benefits of the Ransom then, will not be applied without thought as a blanket provision. No, it will be applied in a specific way by the priests of God to each individual, in a way that addresses their individual needs. And we, the priests of God, will be able to do so because everyone alive on earth will have some from among us who can sympathize with their weaknesses.

Yes, we suffer now. And our suffering is certainly not enjoyable. But there are benefits to it. Both for us, and for those on earth whom we will minister to and represent. Yes, “praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for according to his great mercy he gave us a new birth to a living hope”. Because of this living hope, “you are greatly rejoicing, though for a short time, if it must be, you have been distressed by various trials, in order that the tested quality of your faith, of much greater value than gold that perishes despite its being tested by fire, may be found a cause for praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ”. Like the apostles who went away “rejoicing because they had been counted worthy to be dishonored in behalf of his name”, so may we do likewise.

In fact, the compassion Peter feels for all of us is seen when he was inspired to write these words: “Beloved ones, do not be surprised about the fiery trials that you are experiencing, as though something strange were happening to you. On the contrary, go on rejoicing over the extent to which you are sharers in the sufferings of the Christ, so that you may rejoice and be overjoyed also during the revelation of his glory. If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy, because the spirit of glory, yes, the spirit of God, is resting upon you”.

So “do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer”. These things are happening to you “so that you may be fully put to the test”. “On the contrary, go on rejoicing over the extent to which you are sharers in the sufferings of the Christ, so that you may rejoice and be overjoyed also during the revelation of his glory”.

And remember the words of Jesus when he said: “Prove yourself faithful even to death, and I will give you the crown of life”. Yes, “put up a hard fight for the faith that was once for all time delivered to the holy ones” and thus conquer the world. For “this is the conquest that has conquered the world, our faith”, and “the one who conquers will by no means be harmed by the second death”.