Joy From Sharing in Christ’s Sufferings

Scripture — 1 Peter 4:12-14 (NRSV)

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.

Devotion

In yesterday’s Life for Leaders devotion, I reflected on biblical texts that encourage us to rejoice even in the midst of trials and suffering. Jesus says we should “leap for joy” (Luke 6:22-23) in difficult times because we have a great reward in heaven. James, in his letter, encourages us to consider our trials “nothing but joy” because they are helping us grow to maturity in our faith. In my devotion, I admitted that I struggle with putting these directives into practice. There have been times, however, when God has given me joy in the midst of my trials. I told the story of one of those times yesterday.

Peter, in his first letter, gives yet another reason for rejoicing in the midst of suffering. He urges the recipients of his letter to “rejoice” even though they are experiencing some sort of “fiery ordeal,” perhaps local disdain and mistreatment because of their faith in Jesus. Why should they be joyful in such difficult circumstances? Because they are “sharing in Christ’s sufferings” (4:13). Suffering enables us to draw near to Jesus, to experience what he experienced (though in a less intense way, of course). When we do this, we can rejoice because of the depth and intimacy of our relationship with Jesus.

In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul makes a similar point. He writes, “When we cry, ‘Abba!_ Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness _with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him” (Rom 8:15-17). When we suffer in this world, we suffer “with him,” that is, with Jesus. Our experience of suffering opens us to a deeper experience of his presence, love, and grace.

Moreover, according to Peter, when we are reviled for our faith, we are blessed “because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on [us]” (4:14). Suffering not only helps us draw near to Jesus, but also enables us to experience the presence of the Spirit. And this Spirit, Peter writes, is the Spirit of glory.

According to Peter, we can rejoice in our sufferings as we look forward in faith to the time when Christ’s glory is revealed. But this glory isn’t only in the future, and it isn’t only for Christ. Rather, when we suffer now for our faith, the Spirit of God, that is, the Spirit of Glory, rests upon us. In other words, we experience some small measure of Christ’s future glory now. Paul, in Romans 8, speaks of suffering with Christ “so that we may also be glorified with him” (8:17). This will happen fully in the future. But even in the present, with its suffering, we can begin to experience the future glory through the presence of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:26-30).

In yesterday’s devotion, I shared my struggle to rejoice during difficult times. But I also related my experience of joy that came during one of the most challenging and painful times of my life. As you may recall, I gave credit for my joy, not to anything in me, but to God’s grace and love. Today, I would add that this grace and love came through the presence of the Holy Spirit. In my time of torment, I was “blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God,” was resting on me.

As I reflect on that experience, I recognize that, up to that point in time, my faith in Christ seemed to be something I had developed and defended. I heard Billy Graham preach and came forward to receive Jesus as my Savior in 1963. I studied the Bible so I could understand and defend my faith. I read many books on apologetics, the theological discipline focused on defending Christian faith. When I went to college, I felt certain that my faith would be strong because of how much work I had done to support it.

But then, when everything I had built seemed to fall apart, I felt my own inadequacy as never before. I knew that I could not make myself into a faithful Christian. For the first time in my life, I realized that I needed God’s help, not only to save me through the death and resurrection of Jesus, but also to enable me to believe that his death and resurrection were truly the reason I had eternal salvation. To this day, I would say that my faith is not something I have formed, though my contribution counts for something. Rather, my faith is a response to God’s grace in my life, to the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of glory, who abides in me and has been at work forming my soul. In this, I do rejoice, with much gratitude to God.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Suffering Under the World’s Authorities (1 Peter 2:13–4:19).