Bear All For Christ’s Sake

Focus: 2 Corinthians 12:10 - KJV

10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Romans 8:35-39

The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world as a volunteer, putting aside His glory in heaven, to suffer and die for mankind, choosing to serve rather than be served. Despite being a part of the Godhead and described as God in scripture, He submitted Himself to be maltreated, tortured and killed by mere mortals of whom He did say if He wanted to deal with them, it was not difficult to ask for, or in a better parlance, order a legion of angels to carry out the task; yet He did no such thing. The point is that the essence of His coming was to substitute man in the place of death, having not succumbed to the lordship of the prince of the world, like the first man did. It is that a man without sin had to die so that the sin of the first man may be accounted for. By this, every other man is made free from death and slavery to the devil. Having swapped lordship places over man with man’s initial overlord, He became, rightfully so, man’s lord. And, since a servant is not greater than his master, everyone that He is Lord to, must be ready for the manner of treatment meted out to Him or stronger, as His servant.

In essence, the believer is to expect such buffeting with infirmities, reproaches, persecutions and distresses for the sake of Christ. It is human to complain and feel out of place when these things happen. Nonetheless, for as long as we belong to Christ, we cannot reject God or blame Christ for our ordeals. Indeed, it should strengthen our love for God and make us joyful for having the privilege of bearing a similar bond with the Lord, towards the freedom of man. Why is it similar since Christ has died once and for all? We are called to be Ambassadors for Christ and as such, we are His representatives in bonds to carry the good news of His overcoming the world on behalf of all, to all nations that many more may renew their minds and live in authority over the world. This of course, the world does not like and that is why they are full of opposition to the believer, to put him in full discomfort so that he may rescind his faith and stop the spread of the good news.

The Lord wants us to realize like Job, that every affliction and persecution that we pass through as believers are targeted at making us buckle from the faith. If indeed, we do love Christ who first loved us and laid down His life for us, then we are to reciprocate His love by ensuring that nothing separates us from it. No matter the extent of trials and temptation, we are resolved to following Jesus, and we should so be, without turning back.  It is in doing so that we have sure inheritance in the father, with Christ. They that turn back due to persecutions and trials are not fit for the Kingdom. For as long as we depopulate the kingdom of darkness, we hurt the enemy and he would not just fold his hands and watch without doing something with the aim of stopping our activities. Let us therefore, resolve that we would stick with the faith, no matter what. Therein lies our salvation.

SOLUTION: Never shift your gaze from the ultimate goal in Christ. Tribulations, persecutions and pressures of life are aimed at derailing you. Sticking with Christ to the end is where the victory is. Do not give up.

Please pray:

Thank you, dear Lord for making me to know you and the essence of your suffering and death. Help me, O Lord to be able to withstand all the attacks hauled at me by the enemy, so that I may never be overwhelmed in it, in Jesus’ name. This very day, rebuke the devil for my sake like you rebuked him for Job, so that my current pressures may cease in Jesus’ name. Like Job received double of what he lost, please send more than double of the things the enemy had taken from me through persecutions and pressures, my way, in Jesus’ name. Forever you are God.

If you are blessed by this post, kindly share with your contacts, as well as others, that they may be blessed also. Thank you and may God bless you abundantly as you do so, in Jesus’ name