For It Has Been Granted To You...(Part One)

"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake" [Phil 1:29]

Some people are financial gurus, others business moguls and professional motivational speakers. I am none of those. I have written a little and taught much about suffering, but I am again not an expert in suffering. Most assuredly I have suffered but only a little such that I do not have the right to claim on suffering during this short lifetime I have lived. I have also lived among many people who have generally suffered a little. At least not for the gospel of Jesus. 

Christians are ill-prepared for suffering. They are being prepared for wealth and success but not much has been taught them about suffering which is clearly spelt out as a promise in the word. The message from many pulpits is that suffering is a direct result of one’s little or lack of faith, and many have been made to believe that. But according to the Bible, suffering for Christ is normal and granted just like believing. Paul says "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake" [Phil 1:29]. 

But before we look at Philippians 1:29, I would like us to look at why believers today are ill-prepared for suffering. One of the main reasons is that we are not prepared to suffer for the sake of Christ right from the pulpit. The church has come to believe in the wealth and health prosperity gospel. The church has erroneously thought that “gain is godliness” (1 Timothy 6:5, KJV). Quite a number of times you hear someone saying he does not believe that God would want them or anyone to suffer therefore suffering or sickness cannot be his will. They will dissociate themselves from any suffering that the saints of old went through and say that was their portion but they do not believe the same suffering is meant for every believer in the church age. The thorn in Paul’s flesh was his alone to bear they say. Joseph’s suffering at the hands of his brothers was a once-off occurrence and the experiences of Daniel and his friends were just examples of what faith can immediately achieve for you. You do not have to go through what they went through if you have sufficient faith they say. 

So, the prevailing message from the pulpit is that of success, victory, health, wealth and ever-increasing prosperity. Many pulpits have edited out any mention of suffering hence the many divorces and divisions. Hence the lack of sacrificial commitment to the Lord’s work and family. The Voice of the Martyrs, September 08, 2014 blog wrote, “If we have edited our faith to such a degree that suffering has no place, how will we be prepared when it arrives on our doorstep?". But suffering has a place in the life of the believer. One does not pray for it or seek it. It simply comes and some of it from the enemy and some from God. This might surprise some but that is the truth we see in the Bible.

Going back to Philippians 1:29, Paul says “because it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake". This sentence continues from the preceding verse where he was encouraging the church to be “not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God” because they have been given on behalf of Christ to do two things. (1) Believe on him and (2) to suffer for his sake. Now, do you see what the peddlers of the gospel do with such texts? They edit out the second reason that Paul gave. They only talk about believing and they leave out the suffering for Christ. They want to honour God only in their believing but not in their suffering for him. They say that Christ has already suffered for them and there is no need for them to suffer. Yes, Christ did suffer for his church but that was to redeem the church from the clutches of sin and bring it back to fellowship with the Father. Christ died to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29) and became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). He died so that we may have a right standing before God in and through him alone (2 Corinthians 5:21). All this is true and wonderful. We could not save ourselves and the suffering that you and I may experience can in no way pay for our sins. But it has a godly purpose. When Scripture says it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him and in the same vein says but also suffer for his sake, it is evident that the one who grants faith is the same who grants suffering. And we know that Satan does not and cannot grant faith. This has to be God. Whatever suffering may come our way can come directly from God or God may allow the enemy to inflict it upon us. But God grants it (Job 1 and 2)

Then there is also suffering that comes as a result of our own sin. Peter also talks about this subject and says, “For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God” (1 Peter 2:20) and “Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1 Peter 4:19). We can see from these texts that the kind of suffering that comes not as a result of our own sins is gracious before God and it is also according to his will. Grace is always something given, something granted and we can see that suffering is granted as well in 1 Peter where we are explicitly told that there is suffering according to the will of God. 

Now this is a huge subject but I would like to finish off by listing eight benefits of suffering that Pastor John MacArthur identifies. These benefits are found in the word. See Romans 5:3-4, James 1:2-3, Matthew 5:10-12, Acts 5:41. MacArthur teaches that suffering: 1. Verifies our faith 2. Confirms our sonship 3. Produces endurance 4. Teaches us to hate sin 5. Clarifies our priorities 6. Identifies us in Christ 7. Can encourage other believers 8. Enables us to help others. 

Now, what can we hold on to when we are going through suffering? The first thing that Jesus promised us is that he will be with us until the end of the ages (Matthew 28:20). That is a promise to trust. He also gave us his peace. He said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). And he said, “… these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Finally, we need not lose heart but know that “… this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

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About The Author:

Pastor Sam Machacka is co-founder of Brink Ministries Southern Africa. A wonderful colleague and good friend. Equipping Pastors and Church leaders in Southern Africa. He grew up in Harare, Zimbabwe with his beautiful wife Mildred and they are blessed with three lovely children namely Samantha, Munashe and Joshua but they are now serving as missionaries in Malawi since August 2018

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