Paul said in Romans 8:18 “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later”. 2 Corinthians 1:5. “We share in the many sufferings of Christ. In the same way, much comfort comes to us through Christ”. Finally, Philippians 3:10, a scripture that just baffles me every time I read it. Here it is in the KJV: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death”.
This is the guy that wrote half the New Testament. This is the guy that had the greatest revelation of God’s great grace, and yet He says “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering”. That’s all manifestation language. Wow!!!
I just saw something in there I never saw before. Just knowing Jesus isn’t enough and it’s only half the good news or the gospel. Without a revelation of the power of His resurrection, we are not complete in our Christian lives. I’ve said this many times in a different way. “Until you receive the finality of the cross, you will never experience the power of the resurrection”. But now I have an even deeper revelation of what it means and I understand why Paul put it in the sequence He did.
Know Him first, that’s receiving Him as Lord. Realize and get a revelation that He didn’t just come and die for your sins on a cross and was then buried. Know that He rose again from that grave with great power and that same power is resident within you. It’s that raising from the dead power. Then there’s that suffering, but it’s not hard because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. It’s a privilege.
What makes it seem difficult to many Christians is that they are not taking up His yoke and completing the things He has gifted them to do, they are taking up the church’s yoke, or man’s yoke, or the committee’s yoke, or the council’s yoke. No wonder it’s difficult. God didn’t ask or encourage them to do that. Quit raising your hand under some guilt riddled man-made structure and JUST SAY NO!!! Many times I have told young christians that the best word they can learn is NO.
Philippians 1:30 so you are engaged in the same conflict which you saw me [wage] and which you now hear to be mine [still].
1 Peter 2:21-24 (NLT).
21 for God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
So right here I have a question. Was Jesus ever sick? NNNOOO!!!! Well then how could suffering for Jesus mean being sick, especially since the verse says “even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.”
22 He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.
23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when He suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.
Did you get that. “He did not retaliate when He was insulted, nor threaten revenge when He suffered”. Right there it would have been a perfect place for God to have added the words “suffered sickness”, but He didn’t do that. Also, look what it says next. “He left His case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly”. Not that He left His sickness in the hands of God, who always heals. QUIT READING THE BIBLE AND START STUDYING IT. God has made this so easy, yet man is so opinionated and arrogant to change the truth of God’s scriptures.
24 He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed.
Just study that verse 24. Look at it and try to put your self in Peter’s place. Here he’s saying that Jesus personally (He’s a personal Savior) carried our sins in His body on the cross. Why? Not so that we could continually cry out for Him to forgive us our sins. It says He carried our sins. That means all of them, even the ones you’ll commit tomorrow and the next day and the next day. Why did He carry them? “So that we can be DEAD TO SIN, and live for what is right.
Then it’s as if Peter is saying. Oh, by the way, His wounds also healed you. Don’t forget that. Just like you don’t have to beg for God to forgive you of your sins, you don’t have to beg for Him to heal you. He took care of all that at the cross. Your sins, your healing, your provision, your peace and your joy. All taken care of by the finished work of the cross and the shed blood of Jesus.
If that doesn’t answer it for you let’s try common sense. Question. Why would God contradict Himself? Can God contradict Himself? Why would God allow Jesus to take stripes for our healing; name Himself Jehovah Rophe; the lord that heals you; tell us he sent his Son with healing in His wings; tell us He wishes above all things that we prosper and be in good health; then turn right around and inflict us with pain, sickness and suffering? That doesn’t sound like a God I could trust. It sounds like a flip flopping politician – no names.
John 9 is the story about a man born blind. The question is asked “who did sin”. The answer given is “no one, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him”. God received no glory in his blindness. He received glory when the healing was manifest through the man’s willingness to receive. Did you see the part "but that the workds of God"? God already worked out our healing and now they "should be made manifest in him and in us".
Manifestation is the act of manifesting. That which manifests, displays, or discloses. Get ready for this one. A public demonstration of power and purpose as by a government. Well glory!~!!!!!!!!!!
2 Corinthians 5:20. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ……….”
God making his appeal, as it were through us. We are his personal representatives to lay hold of the divine favor offered to us. We have the power and authority of heaven. The government of heaven, and the one who left us with power of attorney, by his last will and testament, gave us full rights. It allows us to manifest his power and purpose publicly utilizing all that God put in every line of every verse of His will concerning healing, provision, redemption, and grace.
You and I are responsible for the revelation we have just received. It is our conviction and we will suffer for Christ through ridicule, challenges, condemnation, smirking, lies, and rejection as we continue to bring this true message of power every chance we get.
It’s not proper to receive something from Christ and not use it to further the kingdom. We occupy something only for the purpose of advancement. As stated before, any revelation God gives us must be shared with others. If you try to keep it to yourself, it will only serve to make you more religious.
As Paul said in Galatians 2:20, 21 (Message)
I identified myself completely with Him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.
Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.
If you never get challenged for preaching/teaching the truth of God’s grace and love, then I question if the true gospel of grace, of love, power and authority that is ours in Christ Jesus has truly been presented. Grace and Peace.
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