AN ABANDONED FELLOWSHIP--Part I (of III)

SAVED TO SUFFER

A phrase has stuck in my mind for about two or three years now. "The fellowship of His sufferings." I came across it reading Scripture and can't seem to forget it. Oxymoronish isn't it? Fellowship is warm and cuddly. Suffering isn't. Sometimes this expression fills my heart and mind. Strangely, it names something I want.

A lady in our church who came to regeneration and repentance late in life has shared over the years just how meanly her co-workers have treated her because of Christ. Well, this Sunday in Sunday School she shared that again. I have come to respect her a lot. I know that she has suffered because she doesn't hide her Jesus and her obedience to Him. So I know she is truly suffering for Him.

But she seemed really down. So, I wrote a little note about the fellowship of His suffering from Philippians. By the reaction in her eyes I knew she was up lifted.

Here is the passage:

Philippians 3:8-11.
8More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

9and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

11in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Follow the logical chain:

A. Paul left all positions and possessions v. 8 a and b.
so that
B. Paul could get Christ and His imputed righteousness (be saved) vs. 8c-9.
so that
C. Paul could know 3 things:
1. Him (Christ) v. 10a.
2. The Power of Christ's resurrection v. 10b.
3. The Fellowship of Christ's sufferings v. 10c.
by the means of (in other words, the knowing of Christ, His resurrection power, and the fellowship of His sufferings is able to happen only because of the following):
D. Being conformed to His death v. 10d.
so that
E. Paul could be raised from the dead v. 11.

WOOOOWWW!!!! Did you get that? No, of course not. That was a stupid and unfair question. There is too much there for anyone to get. But get what you can. It is rich. Here are three observations quickly:
1. Salvation is for the purpose (in this passage) of knowing Christ, His resurrection power, and the
fellowship of His sufferings. That's right. Saved to suffer.
2. There is a sacred and personal bond between a believer and Christ that is only formed when the believer suffers.
3. Suffering and conformity to Christ's death is an evidence of our election so strong that without it, we
can be sure that we are not saved.

How DARE we hope for salvation without the suffering!

May God grant us the suffering that is our gift from the Father.

In tears,
Phil Perkins.