The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"The School of Suffering"
If no less than the Lord Jesus Christ "learned obedience by the things which He suffered," as declared by the writer of Hebrews, certainly we will find the same process of spiritual education in our lives (Hebrews 5:8).
We do. "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you" (I Peter 5:10).
First, what a wonder, that the divine "from everlasting" Son of God could learn anything (Psalm 90:2; Hebrews 1:8). The incarnation made such experience possible, whereby "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52). We do well to not attempt overmuch understanding of a reality even the Apostle Paul found bewildering. "Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh" (I Timothy 3:16). We mostly fall to our faces in grateful wonder when realizing that the Lord Jesus took upon Himself our humanity, and with the exception of our sin, experienced life much as do we ourselves. Thereby, He learned obedience in the school of suffering, and thereby we learn how rightly Paul expressed our Lord's devotion to us: "the love of Christ passeth knowledge" (Ephesians 3:19).
Born again believers also learn obedience by our sufferings, a far more understandable process of growth in knowledge and the subsequent life that reflects the presence of Christ in our hearts. No possibility exists of a believer avoiding suffering in this present world. "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). How we respond to our challenges determines our development and maturation. If, by faith, we trust and submit to our Heavenly Father during difficulties, we grow. If we resist the response to which He calls us, we miss opportunities that lead us to join our Lord in learning obedience. The growth or stunting of growth bear far greater consequences for this life and the next than we may realize. Thus, we take seriously our education in a school that bears the footprints and legacy of our Lord who once attended, and who now lives in us to empower our spiritual growth and the life God calls us to live. "Of Him are ye in Christ. "But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (I Corinthians 1:30).
Class is in today. All of us face challenges of suffering to one degree or another. The Student who learned also serves as the Teacher who educates us by His Spirit, His Word, His involved presence, and indeed, His administration and/or allowance of challenging difficulties. Never can we look to the Head of the class as merely one taught by books, even by the Book. No, the Lord Jesus knows. He understands the often painful process we face in learning obedience. Great mystery lies before us regarding how such a One could have been a pupil in such a school. We fall to our faces in wonder. Then, we arise to take our place in the classroom where we learn obedience by the things which we suffer.
"Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind. For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God."
(I Peter 4:1-2)
"Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."
(I Peter 4:19)
Weekly Memory Verse
"We went through fire and through water, but Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place."
(Psalm 66:12)
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