The Church Will Suffer

Why does a good God allow suffering? The quick answer to these questions is this: God always has a good purpose for everything (Romans 8:28), but we don’t always know that purpose. But sharing that kind of an answer doesn’t always help the one who is in the middle of suffering. And that’s NOT the only reason suffering occurs.

When Paul wrote II Timothy, he wrote from a Roman prison. It is a personal letter filled with many concerns about the decades to come for the church local and the church universal. It is hopeful and direct.

• It is hopeful in that you get a sense as a Christian that every time you suffer, you do not suffer alone.

• And it is direct in that there isn’t a way around what we are meant and called to endure – all kinds of hardships.

When you commit to Christ, you commit to likelihood of suffering. The Bible promises that Christians who are faithful will suffer. It is not “if we suffer” but “when we suffer” (Philippians 1:29; II Timothy 3:12).

What does all of all of this mean for us?

First, we must not be ashamed of the Gospel (I Timothy 1:8a). Paul didn’t want Timothy to be ashamed or feel disgraced for being a Christian. Paul didn’t want Timothy to feel the shame that Peter felt on the night of Jesus arrest when he denied Jesus 3x (Luke 22). Jesus said, “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).

Do not be ashamed of the Gospel. Do not waver when someone asks if you are a Christian. Don’t show doubt if someone asks if you believe God exists and Jesus died on the cross for sins. Don’t wonder what people will think. Love the Lord Jesus Christ more than the reactions people may or may not give you.

Second, we must be committed to suffer for the Gospel (I Timothy 1:8b). When we suffer, we suffer with Christ, which is a truth echoed in Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” Disciples often share the fate of their masters, because the goal is to become like their masters. Paul says, “When you follow Christ, you will endure like Christ. He suffered; you too will suffer” (Matthew 5:10; John 15:18-20; II Corinthians 4:8-11; Philippians 1:29).

This truth is unavoidable. The Gospel guarantees suffering. Now, a question worth asking and answering right now is this, “What are some other reasons we suffer?”

• We suffer because He suffered (John 15:18-20).

• We suffer in order to deepen our faith and holiness (II Corinthians 1:8-9).

• We suffer because this world is cursed with sin (Romans 8:18-23).

• We suffer so that God could embolden us in our faith (Philippians 1:14).

• We suffer to demonstrate the supremacy of Christ (II Corinthians 1:9).

• We suffer, at times, because of our own sin (Romans 8:20-22).

• We suffer in order to be a testimony of God’s power to others (John 9).

• We suffer so that we might be humbled (II Corinthians 12:7).

• We suffer so that God might purify our faith (James 1:2-3).

• We suffer so that we can comfort others who will suffering (II Corinthians 1:3-7).

• We suffer so that we might anticipate heaven (Romans 8:16-17).

So, you might say that God doesn’t waste our pain.

Third, we must remember who called us (I Timothy 1:9-12a). Brothers and sisters, God must be sovereign for any of this to be real. If God is not sovereign over all, He is not sovereign at all.

God is sovereign over Satan (Job 1). God is sovereign over His angels (Matthew 8:29-32). God is sovereign over persecution (I Peter 3:17). God is sovereign over death (Deuteronomy 32:29). God is sovereign over natural disasters (Mark 4:39). God is sovereign over sickness (Acts 10:38). God is sovereign over animals and the planet (Jonah 1:17). God is sovereign over temptation (Luke 22:31-32). God is sovereign over the mind (II Corinthians 4:4, 6). Friends, we never have any reason to be ashamed to suffer for the Gospel ministry, for which all of us are called, and which God is sovereign over. We remember who called us and, thus, we are confident that our suffering is not in vain.

Fourth, and finally, we must guard the Gospel (I Timothy 1:13-14). God asked Paul to be a watchman over the truth; then, Paul asked Timothy to be a watchman over the truth; the church throughout history is asking us to do the same. Paul guarded the Gospel well. He set the example.

Brother and sisters, the Word of God is under attack. It has always been under attack. Since Satan showed up disguised as a snake (Genesis 3) and asked if God meant what He said, the Evil One has been trying to undermine God’s Word.

We cannot protect the truth on our own, and we don’t have to. The Holy Spirit is here for such that endeavor. Without Him, we are weak to this task. But with Him, we are strong for the task of guarding.

The deposit of truth is a precious deposit. It is a beautiful deposit. It is a good deposit because it comes from God. It’s our turn to guard. Paul is no longer guarding it; Timothy is no longer guarding it; the church fathers are no longer guarding it; Martin Luther is no longer guarding it; Charles Spurgeon is no longer guarding it; Billy Graham and Warren Wiersbe are no longer guarding it; it’s our turn to guard it.

Don’t give up on your commitment to the truth. We need to keep guarding the Gospel until it kills us, or we pass it off to the next generation.