This day.

Are You Armed to Suffer? #1 (continued by Courtney MacLellan)

8. Does this bother you that sufferings of many kinds await you as a believer?

Not at all, because I know there is always a hope set before me, which is greater than any suffering that might come my way. All the more, I do want to suffer for Christ’s sake…

Romans 8:16-21, 35-39
16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."[l] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You will know a Christian by how they react standing in the face of persecution.

Mark 4:17
“But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.”

If we lived in a perfect world, there would be no such need for hope. But it’s the things that trouble us, get us down, persecute us, disturb us, and discomfort us that cause us to hope for something better/greater. Therefore, without suffering in our Christian walk, there would be no need for hope- we would always be content where we are with Christ.


9. If you were to share the gospel with a friend of yours, would you warn them that trials, hardships and persecutions await them if they surrender to Christ? Why or why not?

Most definitely, never give up on that awesome opportunity to share that great joy of the persecution to come because you will find a much greater hope in the end and you will bring glory to your Father.

You cannot share the gospel with someone without mentioning the persecution and suffering to come. Otherwise you message to them would be absolutely incomplete. Without suffering, where would “the prize set before us” come into the picture?

Hebrews 12:2
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross; despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”


Suffering brings hope. No suffering brings contentment; therefore there would be no need for hope because we wouldn’t long for anything more than happiness. Without suffering there would be no compassion.


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