THE GLORY OF GOD ( PART 17)

 Pastor Christopher Choo

Lesson 3315

THE GLORY OF GOD ( PART 17)

Glory After Suffering

In Romans 8:17-18 Paul gave us a sobering reminder:

"And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering."

According to this verse, we share in the sufferings of Christ now and will share in the glory of Christ later as His “co-heirs” or “joint-heirs.”

This statement is difficult to comprehend or to accept for those who subscribe to the prosperity gospel. To them being born-again is a godly entitlement to the good things of life and suffering for the gospel is not part of the equation.

But look at the plain meaning of Paul's words. Suffering first, glory later. Paul adds in verse 18 that this realization is not a bitter pill to swallow:

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

Abba Father, let us understand that there is a price for being accepted into God's family of believers - suffering for the present with incomparable glory to come. One day in eternity we will have a correct perspective of our sufferings during our earthly existence - that it was light and momentary and not as interminable as we had imagined it to be.