SUFFERING
[p. 350] SUFFERING
Daniel 3: 13 - 30; John 9: 26 - 38; Romans 8: 16, 17
I have in mind, dear brethren, to speak of suffering this evening, and have read these scriptures for this reason, and also because they show that suffering for Christ now, results in His association with us in sufferings, and then our association with Him. Sufferings have a great place in the mind of heaven; sufferings down here. This has been so from the very outset, since the beginning of the occasion of it, that is, the presence of sin among men. The history of suffering is stressed throughout the divine narrative, and the object of this meeting is to encourage us to accept that it has a definite and designed place in relation to God’s people at this particular time, as ever. The prophets of old, we are told by Peter, testified of the sufferings of Christ; “testifying before of the sufferings which belonged to Christ, and the glories after these” (1 Peter 1: 11).
These sufferings are held out to us, particularly in the New Testament, as a consequence of our loyalty to Christ, and hence as a privilege; as indeed what is essential to formation, and to lustre of character, conforming us to Christ. For it is said, “it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make perfect the leader of their salvation through sufferings” (Hebrews 2: 10). And so the great servant who was called out to convey the truth to us gentiles, is introduced to us by the Lord who called him and furnished him in this connection. Ananias is told by the Lord, “I will shew to him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9: 16). What he suffered is partially recorded in Scripture, reluctantly, by himself, but not all his sufferings. What is recorded is sufficient to show the truth of the Lord’s prophetic announcement, and these sufferings add great lustre to him as a minister, and commendation to what he ministered; and [p. 351] the effect in a formative sense will be seen in its lustre in him throughout eternity. We shall see him and we shall trace the effect of the Lord’s announcement as to him, as appointed a leader in the sense of sufferings. As I said, the object of this address is, as under the Lord, to direct us in this great matter, and to induce us to take our share in suffering. No one of us will have the share the great apostle had, but each has his share — an appointed share — of sufferings.
Timotheus is enjoined to take his share in sufferings, and I have selected first of all the well-known chapter in the prophet Daniel as illustrative of the sufferings of the saints, and how the Son of God — for that is what is presented — becomes identified with us in these sufferings. An honour beyond words to convey, that the Son of God should identify Himself with us in our taking our share of sufferings, “because to you has been given, as regards Christ, not only the believing on him but the suffering for him also” (Philippians 1: 29). This chapter has peculiar significance in these last days, when the authorities — those for whom indeed we pray and are enjoined to pray — impose upon men what deprives them of their liberties, their rights as men, as creatures of God. I am not here to decry the authorities, far otherwise, but only to point out that in these last days men are suffering from unfair decrees, and the saints of God peculiarly so, as unable to conform with what denies divine rights in them. Contrary decrees and laws are formulated and established in certain countries in which the saints of God are; interfering with their consciences in obeying God, and in maintaining right relations with their fellow men, and especially with their brethren.
It is important, therefore, that this principle of suffering should be understood, and how it is, in large measure, the way out of all such difficulties. Difficulties there are, cloudiness in the minds of many of God’s dear people as to what to do, whether to obey [p. 352] what man enjoins as contrary to what God enjoins. There can be no question that their decision ought to be immediate, that we must obey God rather than men. This may be accepted as a principle and denied in practice, and therefore falsified, rendered null and void in effect, which is what God never intended. What God intends in these matters is to bring out what He has put in His people, to bring out ability to suffer. This passage shows that in the acceptance of this great principle of obeying God rather than men, the authorities are changed in their own minds, as seeing the folly of their way. I know of no other way to meet such conditions save the way of suffering.
Now in the book of Daniel we have the mind of God as to the times of the gentiles. The book holds great significance right up to the present moment as that which particularly affords light to us as to the powers that have been current since that time, the great gentile monarchies, or what other forms they have taken in these latter days. The book is full throughout, I might say radiant throughout, with loyal sufferings of devoted men, men devoted to God, who sacrificed their bodies rather than their consciences; who said in the most definite way, we must obey God rather than men. They said it not only in an undertone, in bated breath, but openly, and without a tremor of fear in the presence of the great monarch of the time. I wish to stress this because of its present bearing, and how God is opening up to His people the privilege of suffering. I mean suffering in this kind of way. Every saint suffers in some way. From the first movement of God in a man or a woman or child, the first effects of the work of God bring out sufferings. We see, for instance, in the babe in Abraham’s house, how he that was horn after the flesh persecuted that babe. He was horn after the Spirit, and wherever new birth is, and where men move according to it in any [p. 353] sense, sufferings are sure to follow, so that every christian in some sense suffers, but then there is this peculiar kind of suffering that we have little of in our times, and it is a matter of great thanksgiving that it is so.
The prophetic scriptures show, especially the book of Revelation, that the saints who shall take up the position in the testimony after us, that is after the Lord translates the assembly to be with Himself, these saints shall suffer from the powers that be. They will suffer because of principles that are already in existence and that are already causing suffering to some of God’s people. Others of God’s people evade the point at issue, and miss the sufferings. Now I submit that it is unworthy of us with the light we have, with the calling we have, with the presence of the Holy Spirit here to support us, with the intercession of Christ in heaven, and with all the privileges that belong to us as of the assembly, that we should be behind the saints that are about to take our place in this world in testimony. They shall have much less in the way of privileges, much less light, but the Scriptures show that they suffer. They suffer because they refuse to obey man rather than God. Heaven makes much of them. They are expressly mentioned in Revelation 20 as sharing the thrones with those who, like ourselves have been translated to heaven before — those that are beheaded under the reign of the beast. Heaven makes special mention of them as having to suffer through faithfulness.
So the Lord would speak to us as to whether we are at all in keeping with this great matter. He has allowed certain laws to come into effect which will occasion suffering if we apply the principle that we must obey God rather than men; and what is it but to bring out what He has put in us by the effective work of the Spirit, that is, the ability to suffer?
Now this remarkable chapter brings three men before us, confirming what I have been saying as to [p. 354] Revelation 20. The names of these three men are mentioned together thirteen times in this chapter. What can it mean but that God is spreading out these precious names before His own eyes and before ours? They are sufferers; being three in number, they are intended to present the full idea that is in mind: three men suffering together. The king himself with all the glamour of his royal dignity and glory, his counsellors, his military men, and all the work of the fine arts in music — all brought to bear upon them. As if Satan would assert all that he had under his power to quell these men and force them into disregard of the great principle that we must serve God rather than men; and they stand firm. They reply most gloriously, as you will observe in verse 16: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image that thou hast set up”. What an example for us! What dignity, what definiteness, what intelligence as to what is meant! So that they firmly state, “we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image that thou hast set up”.
What is to be learned, I believe, at this present moment, is that we are to face things intelligently and see the bearing of what is presented to us, weighing every thing and resolving that God must have first place. What delight to heaven as a brother resolves in the secret of his soul that he will be loyal. Not compromising with the evil secretly and professing to be against it outwardly, but in purpose of heart to be loyal, to take a definite stand before God in the secret of his soul, that he must be loyal to God and to Christ. Heaven is with him. Heaven is delighted with such a resolve; all its power is behind him. But then heaven [p. 355] has decreed sufferings, and it looks for the ability which it furnishes to come forward and suffer. It may be only in a little way, but the suffering of this saint and that saint for righteousness will certainly make its mark and impression on those about us; and what comes in is that the Son of God stands by the sufferers. Can we afford, dear brethren, to miss this wonderful privilege of having the Son of God stand by us in the sufferings? There is the testimony of it. There is the evidence that those in authority might say, These men are not lawless men. That is what a sensible man would say — and there are such, in a certain sense, among those in authority. These men, they would say, are honest men; they have consciences, and we must regard their consciences. Is it not possible that some will say that? It is; it has been said, and that because of someone suffering. There is testimony in the ability to suffer for the rights of God. Will not God honour us? He will. The Son of God, as I said, joins these men in sufferings, and those in authority saw Him and discern Him. Is that not possible now? It is. What can God not do for us if we take sides with Him? The Son of God has power in heaven and upon earth and who can stay His hand? — who can say what He may do? He may so commend the brethren who are suffering to those about them that relief follows. One knows it in one’s own history, it has happened, and it will happen. But what God is looking for is loyalty; He must be served as by these wonderful men here mentioned thirteen times over by the Spirit of God, with their mind fixed as representing the great thought of suffering for the rights of God. See what happens! The authorities turn round in their favour. That is what happened. I will not dwell further upon that, although the chapter demands great consideration.
You will observe that Nebuchadnezzar says in verse 25, “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt”. What a verse that is!
[p. 356] It is the monarch who said it. It is the man who imposed the decree to disregard the rights of God that is saying this. What can God not do? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego would say in the secret of their hearts and to one another, “What has God wrought?” What has wrought this change in the monarch? It is the presence of the Son of God alongside the sufferers. We cannot look for this in any openly apparent way. He is not visible today we know; but we certainly can look for the presence of the Son of God, realised spiritually, in the midst of such sufferings. We can look for these things; they belong to the dispensation, and we shall prove them as we accept sufferings.
Now in the gospel of John, in the chapter read, we have a man suffering from the religious leaders. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego suffered from political hands, and that is what I had particularly in mind; and they shine, as I said, gloriously, and are written down as examples for us in suffering. In John 9 we have a man suffering from the religious world, and what develops is that he also comes in for the society — as I may say, the companionship — of the Son of God. It is said that the religious leaders reviled him. Why did they revile him? Because he spoke well of Christ. He spoke sensibly — he spoke logically, I might say — and the same thing will happen as in faithfulness we maintain intelligently the rights of Christ over us. This man was taken up by the Lord, as the early part of the chapter tells us, that the works of God should be manifested in him. Notice! The works of God. Now I do not know of anything that ought to appeal to the people of God more than this, that one is taken up that the works of God should be manifested in him. Think of the divine desire that the saints should be here so that the works of God should be manifested in them! Not only that we should speak of new birth and new creation, but that the works of God should be [p. 357] manifested in us. That is what comes out. This man shows that God had wrought in his soul — He had wrought in his eyes indeed, but He had wrought in his soul. How beautifully he speaks as he finishes his testimony. Although reviled by the religious leaders who question him, he says to them — “But we know that God does not hear sinners; but if any one be God-fearing and do his will, him he hears. Since time was, it has not been heard that any one opened the eyes of one born blind. If this man were not of God he would be able to do nothing. They answered and said to him, Thou hast been wholly born in sins, and thou teachest us? And they cast him out”.
What is opened up to us here is the manifesting of the works of God; not only in opened eyes, but in our conversations, in our deductions, in the answers to questions that are presented to us. That is the thought, that every christian is to manifest the works of God, and the result is that they cast him out. Now let us view just for a moment what it is to be an outcast. It is bitter indeed to be ostracised, especially by the religious world. It is bitter, I know it is; but see how it stands here, that it is the outcome of a man who is typically a christian, the subject of the works of God, not only that he sees with his eyes, but he develops an understanding, and answers courageously, logically, and intelligently. What he said is irrefutable; and they cast him out. Let us face the position as to sufferings. In this case it is not the political leaders, but the religious leaders, and they will not have it that there should be such a result here as this, that in such as this man the works of God should be manifested. They cast him out. He is ostracised, and as I was saying, the Lord heard that. The newspaper items would not include it, but the news of heaven would include that.
We little stop to take in what is transpiring in heaven — what history is being made. Here is a case, we may be sure, that is noted at once in heaven, of a [p. 358] man who is manifesting the works of God. He is manifesting them in the way he sees things, in the way he speaks, in the ability he has to stand for God and for Christ. They cast him out, and Jesus heard it. Are His ears deaf as He is in heaven? No, He hears matters. These are items of supreme interest to heaven. He heard that. Millions of things pass in the history of the world each day. Jesus takes no interest in them, in a sense; but here is a man, or a woman, in a position in the office or among their acquaintances in business, and they stand true to the Lord. They speak intelligently of what they hold. They are able to give a reason for the hope that is in them. Heaven is noting all that, be it on the corner of the street, or wherever it may be, heaven is delighted with such persons. It was so here. They cast this witness out and heaven knows it. The next thing is that he is found by Jesus. How great is the scene presented here — a believer cast out because of his faithfulness and Jesus finding him! He draws near and gives him to understand that He is thinking of him, and that He would have him to get on in his soul through the exercise. He says to him, “dost thou believe on the Son of God?” for that is what an ostracised christian needs to come to. There is always the danger of looking back and being unable to stand alone, but the Son of God opens up another world. I do urge this on you in these circumstances. Let the Son of God have a word with you. He will fill your soul with the light of another world, where all things are of God. You are ostracised here, you are cast out here; but you are honoured there. Your place is there, you belong to the eternal counsels of God. It is only a moment and you are there for ever, and what sustains a soul here lies in the Son of God. The christian, ruthlessly cast out because he tells the truth, because he manifests the works of God, is taken on and supported by the Son of God.
[p. 359] Finally, I just want to touch on the verse in Romans as the climax of all this: “If indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him”. This comes out now in relation to children, as you will observe. It is said, “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God. And if children, heirs also: heirs of God, and Christ’s joint heirs; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him”. I desire to say a word very briefly as to this; first of all as to the relation of children that attaches to us. We have sufferers in Daniel in relation to the great public rulers in the times of the gentiles. Christ suffered under these same rulers, and so did the apostles, and now it is for us to suffer under them, and God will give deliverance in every case; but what is particularly to be desired is the society of the Son of God in the sufferings. Then we have, as I said, in John 9, sufferings through religious leaders. Here we are sufferers because we are the children of God, and the apostle tells us that the Spirit of God witnesses with our spirits. He distinguishes, notice, between the Spirit of God and our spirits, saying that the Spirit of God actually has transactions with our spirits, and gives us to understand through our spirits that we are the children of God. Not simply that Scripture says that believers have title to take the place of children, but the Spirit of God witnesses with our spirits — a sweet function of the Spirit in every christian. Let us make room for it. I mean in this particular point, let our spirits be free. The epistle to the Romans is to liberate our spirits, and nothing could be more precious and comforting than that suggestion that comes to us by the Spirit that we are the children of God. “If children, heirs also: heirs of God, and Christ’s joint-heirs; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him”. What a rich line of thought! It tends to detach us from this world, and to give us to see that it is essentially opposed to the [p. 360] children of God, as indeed John says: “For this reason the world knows us not, because it knew him not” (1 John 3: 1). That is, we bear His traits before it, and so being children we suffer with Him, and as heirs with Him we shall be glorified with Him.
May God help us as to this! It is a most important matter in view of our translation to heaven. What is noted amongst other things is the lustre that sufferings for Christ impart. Heaven is looking for that. They are to appear in their effect there. God would appeal to us to accept our present position intelligently and take our share of sufferings.