“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.”

 

Christianity Today reported that Banto Masih,  a Pakistani Christian, was accused by a Muslim acquaintance of "insulting the Prophet Muhammad." His accuser tried to stab him at the court hearing; If convicted Masih will be sentenced to hang to death, as required by Islamic law. If the Shari'a Act was being enforced, Christians could not publish anything about their faith. They could not hold annual Christian conventions either because they are evangelistic and it's considered an attack against Islam to ask people to become Christians.

   

Christians all around the world are now being revealed. They have to decide whether following Jesus Christ is worth the suffering and rejection by political forces, family, and friends. Following Jesus is not a matter of discussing various belief systems. It is a commitment to the person of Jesus as Lord. This may require persecution, torture and death.

   

People who have been touched by the Spirit of Jesus have a unique place in the midst of suffering. Since the first century, when all the disciples had to place their lives on the line for their commitment to Jesus, followers demonstrated hope in despair, victory even in persecution or death because Jesus has given us hope.

   

As we focused on the resurrection last week, we were reminded of the victory won for us by Jesus Christ. The main message of Peter was let those who harm you be ashamed for they do so because of your good actions, not for any evil reason. Then as an illustration of one suffering for good rather than for evil, he points to Jesus who died for our sins. Jesus was righteous, we are unrighteous, and He did in order to bring us to God.  He died, was buried, and rose again.

     

This is also symbolized in baptism. When we so identify ourselves with Jesus that we are willing to die to old self and live a new life, we symbolize that by water baptism. Faith in Jesus saves us, just like Noah’s faith in God caused Noah to build an ark which saved them. Now Jesus is interceded for us at the right hand of God and all powers are in submission to Him.

           

Augustine was faced with his sinful life and wept in remorse. “I was weeping in the most bitter contrition of my heart, when I heard the voice of children from a neighboring house chanting, "take up and read; take up and read." I could not remember ever having heard the like, so checking the torrent of my tears, I arose, interpreting it to be no other than a command from God to open the book and read the first chapter I should find.”

 

“Eagerly then I returned to the place where I had laid the volume of the apostle. I seized, opened, and in silence read that section on which my eyes first fell: "Not in revelry and drunkenness, not in licentiousness and lewdness, not is strife and envy; but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." No further would I read, nor did I need to. For instantly at the end of this sentence, it seemed as if a light of serenity infused into my heart and all the darkness of doubt vanished away.”

           

The commitment to follow Jesus brought Augustine a sense of release from sin and burden from guilt. The path which he would take would be used by God to influence people in remarkable ways for the centuries that followed.

           

The question of suffering causes Christians to evaluate their lives as to what they really believe and if following Jesus is worth it.