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Christian SufferingWhy Are Christians Expected to Suffer for their Faith?
The world's most successful people agree: if it's worth having it's worth suffering for ... but is knowing Christ worth suffering for, too? Is it supposed to hurt?
Eventually, following Christ has a cost. The Bible is clear that the price of discipleship will include some rejection and persecution (John 15:18-25, 2 Tim 3:12) and even modern Christians can’t avoid the tough choice between acceptance by the world and loyalty to God. Why Suffer?To ease the stresses of everyday life Christians try to find peace and solace in the promise of a good Christian life, thinking things will be better under the cozy blanket of God’s love. They expect that faith in Christ will bring peace, serenity, and prosperity. However, that’s not what Jesus said in Mathew 5:10-12. He says his followers are blessed when people insult them, persecute them, say all manner of evil against them… he tells them to not just expect persecution but to rejoice and be glad in it. Christian life is not a promise to escape painful reality; Christ’s followers are expected to suffer now so they can reap the rewards in heaven. Suffering for RewardsJesus says that there is a connection between today’s persecution and tomorrow’s heavenly reward. In Luke 6:23 he says to “leap for joy” when persecuted for his name’s sake. “Leap for joy” is the most expressive way to say “rejoice” or “get excited” in the Greek language. Not just “be happy”, but get excited! Why? Because of the great reward to come to those who are persecuted for their faith. In Matthew 10:22 Jesus says “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Not only saved, he says, but richly rewarded for standing up for Him. The Greek word used in these passages, when translated literally means “paycheck”. There’s a payback involved here; not just a divine thank-you or a one-way ticket to heaven. “The worker deserves his wages” says 1Timothy 5:18. And in Matthew 16:27 Jesus says, “For the Son of Man is going to come… and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.” So what is the greatest work that gets the greatest reward? According to Luke 6:23 the greatest work is to be persecuted for being a Christian. Big suffering brings big reward. Christian HardshipsPaul describes the life of a Christian as a life of “troubles, hardships and distresses” not to mention “beatings, imprisonments and riots, hard work, sleepless nights and hunger…” (2 Corinthians 6:4-5). These hardships are linked to treasures that money can’t buy: purity, understanding, patience and kindness, sincere love, glory, the power of God in our lives… having nothing and yet possessing everything (2 Corinthians 6:6-10). As long as people live on this earth, they are guaranteed to expect trouble, but Christians can expect to balance out their troubles with hope. It’s Only a TestThe Bible encourages Christians to rejoice in their trials because these spiritual tests develop perseverance which leads to maturity and completeness (James 1:2-4) Anyone who chooses to follow Christ can count on suffering, but there is hope that those stresses and hardships are preparing Christ’s followers for the rewards they will enjoy for eternity. Christ calls his followers resident aliens: they live in this world, but are not of it. They’re here to be proved in the fire; to be melted down by suffering for Him in order to reveal the nugget of gold at their core.
The copyright of the article Christian Suffering in Protestantism is owned by Francine Morrissette. Permission to republish Christian Suffering in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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