If So Be That We Suffer With Him

Many years ago, during a Roman Catholic funeral for an in-law family member, the priest started his message with these words; “We are all here to suffer.”  The great grandmother and Polish immigrant who had truly lived her 93 years of life probably would not have agreed with her priest’s statement.  It hit me as being rather morose and hopeless.  Are we not here to celebrate life in joy?  Did not Jesus say that He came that we might have life abundantly?  Yes this is true.  But there is always more to the story. 

God gives us salvation by grace.  We can’t earn it.  Eternal life is His free gift to us.  Let’s look at the Kingdom of God.  Jesus is to be King of kings.  This tells us that there will be other kings besides Jesus; else He could not be King of kings.  A king can’t be a king with out a kingdom, without subjects.  Open your mind and let God make eternity real for you!  Christ is going to be King over a commonwealth of kingdoms; each kingdom with its own subjects.  No one can earn a place as a citizen/subject in these eternal kingdoms; eternal life is a free gift through grace.  But we can earn a kingship if we overcome and demonstrate our faith with works!

Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

What are these works that will be rewarded with kingship?  Not everyone can be a leader and not everyone wants to be a leader.  Just as in most every company, leadership or management has to go through special training at the corporate headquarters and most management positions require a university business degree and maybe even a Masters degree before being hired.  Those who put the extra time and effort into their career are the ones who advance.  Every company needs labor.  Management is only a small percentage on the corporate payroll.  Every government needs citizens which out number the leaders.  The kingdom of God will be made up of mostly citizens who have been granted eternal life as a gift.  Leadership in the Kingdom will be rewarded to the few who are willing to work for it.  The work requires one to enter the suffering of Jesus Christ.  Suffering is a good thing if we desire to truly be like Christ.  It is how God stretches us and helps us to be transformed into Him; “if so be we suffer with him.”

Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Indeed we are here to suffer; but our suffering is not without benefit.  James said count it all joy when we have trials.