Sunday 02/09/14
Topic: Review: Co-partnership in His Sufferings VI
Series – The Ministry of the Holy Spirit VIII.mp3
Click here to watch the video.
Key Text: 2 Thess. 1:3-12
1 Peter 3:8-12
Partnership in His sufferings…
In this teaching we addressed a difficult passage, one which is not widely taught in America anymore, and that is the calling to suffer as a demonstration of your worthiness of the Kingdom of God.
A glass half empty person will hear this the wrong way. This suffering is NOT something God subjects us to in order to prove anything to Himself. God is all knowing. He knew Peter would deny Him, how many times and before what time of day even after Peter swore he would die with Christ. So this is not a proving to God, it is a proving in order to silence an accusation.
Many do you realize the greater story we are caught up in. The rebellion in Heaven, so far as scripture reveals was the purpose for this creation…indeed the purpose for the creation of man. This creation is an environment in which God Himself, due to His justice, has placed Himself on trial before His original accuser Lucifer.
Lucifer’s accusation was essentially that God is NOT good and that He cannot be trusted. So God creates a world, places mankind on it – a creature far less in power and might than the angels, but more noble and majestic in being, for they are in His image. These creatures would make the case for the trustworthiness of God. For even if they suffer wrongfully in His Name, they will trust Him and commit their souls to Him while doing good for they trust Him as a faithful Creator.
EVERY such suffering that is endured and won in this environment is building a case in favor of God’s good heart and against the accusation of the enemy. The irony is, that God is allowing the accusations of the enemy against the children of God, to build a case file of testimonies which will one day take the witness stand to testify against Lucifer and the case will be won and settled once for all!
NO WONDER, salvation is something that angels desire to look into – it is the answer to a question which God in His infinite justice, has allowed to be asked concerning His integrity. As such, the enemy comes in to tempt us away from our steadfast trust in God and when we have trust – satan challenges it, like he did with Job…”Does he serve you for nothing?” is the accusation, and God steps back and says…test it!
Oh, Glory to God, we play a part in the testimony of God’s good heart for all eternity!
This is just a snippet of what I taught on this morning from 2 Thess. 1:3-12. I hope you learn, glean from and enjoy the teaching of God’s word through this ministry…
Co-partnership in His Sufferings VI
We encourage you…give it a listen!