Tag: suffer

What’s Next?

What’s Next?

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Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Words

Jesus came back to life after he died. In his new body, he spent time with his apostles and ate with them (Acts 10.41). Clearly this resurrection body was a real, physical body (though different in ways we don’t yet understand, cf I Cor 15.44). God the father used his power to bring Jesus back to life (Acts 2.32), and will do the same for us after we die. 

The bible gives us some pretty clear information about where we’ll be going after we die, and it’s amazing. We have life now, and we don’t seriously question its reality. Death is just a blip from our perspective (cf I Cor 15.52). We’ll have life then, and it’ll be just as real. So where are we going? Our citizenship is in “the heavens” (Phil 3.20). For some reason, most translations have it singular — “in heaven,” even though this is dative plural in Greek. Jesus is going to come back from the heavens too (3.20). The plural form of ουρανος (“heavens”) is also found in Col 1.5, 16, 4.1; II Cor 5.1; Eph 1.10, 3.15, 4.10, 6.9; I Thess 1.10, Hb 1.10, 4.14, 8.1, 9.23, 10.34, 12.23, 25; I Pt 1.4, II Pt 3.5, and many other passages. It can mean “skies”, but in many contexts it means “space”. This makes perfect sense in light of II Pt 3.13 and Rev 21.1-2 (cf Is 65.17; use of παλιγγενεσια in Mt 19.28). 

After our death, we’ll be given a body and source of life that cannot be killed (I Cor 15.42-49; I Pt 1.3-7). This applies to good people and bad people. The difference for good people is that we’ll get to leave Earth with Jesus, while everyone else will suffer forever. We want to avoid everyone else’s fate, so we do our best to follow God as he gives us constant forgiveness. 

Gary Pollard
Living A Self-Controlled Life

Living A Self-Controlled Life

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Thursday’s Column: Captain’s Blog

“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” 1 Peter 4:1 

Christ suffered in the flesh for doing good and for being the Messiah. He had a mindset that went against what was common at the time. Since Christ suffered, Paul tells us to arm ourselves with the same way of thinking, think the same way that Christ thought. As His followers we will suffer in the flesh, since those who think like Christ have ceased from sin. Think like Christ. Do what’s right, even if it leads to suffering. 

Since we are in Christ we focus on what’s truly important. Christ focused on the bigger picture. Instead of listening to the mindset of the day, He stuck to His purpose. Because of this, He went through with the plan and now we have forgiveness of sins. The world will tempt us to desert Christ. We don’t join in because we have developed a new mindset. We are reborn and no longer live like the world.

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2). Paul’s reasoning is that if we have died to sin, why would we continue to live in it? We say no to the world because we have died to sin. The old life, the way we used to think, the way we used to act, the way we used to talk, is dead. We have a new mindset that is focused on God and eternal life. 

Galatians 5:24 says, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Do you belong to Christ? If the answer is yes, then you no longer own yourself. God owns you and He expects us to have a mindset that mirrors His own. Self control is essential if we are to live Christ-like lives. To do this we must develop a new mindset. A mind that thinks differently from the majority. Making this choice won’t always be easy, but it’s what our Father desires of us as His children.

Carl Pollard
Waiting For Rescue

Waiting For Rescue

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Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Words

I Thess 1.7-9 shows that when we believe something enough to fundamentally change our lives, it makes a powerful statement to the world. Our reason for this change is outlined in 1.10: We’re waiting for God’s son to come from the sky. This verse is a summary of our purpose. 

Jesus came back to life as proof of concept. Death is terrifying to most of us because it’s unknown. Jesus died and came back to life after a couple of days to prove that death’s temporary. Paul hints in I Cor 15.50-52 that death will only last fraction of a second from our perspective. One moment we’ll pass away, the next we’ll be awakened by Jesus’s return. This is a huge comfort to us because we’re God’s people. But this should be terrifying to people who don’t love God. When we come back to life, we’ll get to leave this place with Jesus. But everyone else will suffer forever. 

We also learn from 1.10 that Jesus’s return is to rescue us when God unleashes his anger on the earth. II Pt 3.5-7 describes the end of earth as a fire-flood. It’s clearly compared to the ancient world’s water flood. I Thess 4.17 tells us that we’ll meet him in the air, which would have to take place before the atmosphere is obliterated by whatever thermal event wipes this place out (II Pt 3.10, 12). Jesus is our savior. To put σωτήρ (soter) in modern English, Jesus is our rescuer. What’s he rescuing us from? Our sin is part of that, but ultimately he’s going to rescue us from God’s anger when the world is destroyed for the last time (Phil 3.20; I Thess 1.10). 

Gary Pollard
1 Peter–Part VIII

1 Peter–Part VIII

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Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Words

Gary Pollard

For the next several weeks, I’ll be repeating the book of I Peter in present-day terminology. It’s not a true translation of the book, as I am not qualified to do so. It will be based on an exegetical study of the book and will lean heavily on the SBL and UBS Greek New Testaments, as well as comparisons with other translations (ESV, NASB, NIV, ERV, NLT). My goal is to reflect the text accurately, and to highlight the intent of the author using concepts and vocabulary in common use today. 

This is not an essentially literal translation, and should be read as something of a commentary. 

I Peter – Part VIII

Our lifestyles were hostile to God, but he died for us anyway! Moral perfection died to save morally imperfect people. He wanted to bring us to God! He was killed physically, but his spirit was brought back to life. This is the form he had back in Noah’s day. Even then he wanted to save people who were about to face total destruction! God waited patiently for them to change, giving them chance after chance while Noah was building the ark. They died; in fact, only eight people survived that flood. 

Water saved Noah and his family from those evil people, and water saves us from evil, too. We don’t bury ourselves in water to take a bath. We bury ourselves in water to ask God for a clean slate. We can only do that because Jesus was brought back to life, sat next to God, and was given total control of every supernatural force. 

Mentally prepare yourself to suffer. Jesus suffered while he was human! When we suffer physically, it’s because we stopped doing bad things. As long as we’re alive, we’re not chasing the unhealthy passions humans have. We do what God wants. You used to chase those unhealthy passions! You craved all things bad, got drunk, partied without restraint, and practiced horrible things while worshipping fake gods. 

Since you used to do this, your old friends are shocked that you don’t anymore. They hate you and mistreat you now, but they’ll have to answer to God. He’s going to judge everyone who’s ever lived. Remember, the hope for rescue that Jesus gave us was offered to people who aren’t alive anymore. Since everyone’s going to face God, everyone is given the chance to live like God wants. 

via Flickr (Scott1346)
Disturbed

Disturbed

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Neal Pollard

The ISIS beheadings so frequently in the news and readily available on the internet are terrifying to behold and consider.  If terrorism is, as the Mac Dictionary defines it, “the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims,” such would be terrorist activity.  The latest spectacle, involving 21 “Coptic Christians” (Egyptian Orthodox religion), seems to show the Islamic State organization is eager to isolate and persecute those seeking to follow Christ.

Do you ever wonder if there will come a day where New Testament Christians in this country may face the threat of death for standing up for Christ?  It has certainly happened to God’s people in the past, especially when the church was first established.  We read about the persecution that started with Stephen then extended to the saints at Jerusalem in the book of Acts.  We read of individuals like Paul, who suffered for Christ on many occasions (2 Cor. 11).  Then, there are the statements made to encourage Christians who might be rattled or scared at the prospect of such treatment.  Twice, writing the Thessalonians, Paul was concerned they would be disturbed by trouble (1 Th. 3:3; 2 Th. 2:2).  He wrote about how persecution was, at times, inevitable (Ph. 1:29; 1 Th. 3:4; 2 Tim. 2:3; 1 Pt. 3:14).  Of course, Christ showed us His way includes suffering (1 Pt. 2:21ff).

The Bible also gives us great encouragement in the face of the disturbing prospect of suffering for our faith.  Consider a few highlights:

  • We can rejoice if counted worthy of suffering for Christ (Acts 5:41).
  • Those who suffer with Him will be glorified with Him (Rom. 8:17).
  • Suffering can give one a clearer perspective and priority (Phil. 3:8).
  • Suffering is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that we’ll be counted worthy of His Kingdom (2 Th. 1:5).
  • It finds favor with God if we are faithful through our sufferings (1 Pt. 2:19).
  • It is better to suffer for doing right than doing wrong (1 Pt. 4:17).
  • We can entrust our souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right (1 Pt. 4:19).
  • The God of all grace will comfort those who suffer (1 Pt. 5:10).

I don’t think any of us relish or welcome the thought of suffering under any circumstances.  Yet, God has communicated these truths to us to help us decide in these potential trials.  Perhaps it will help us be less disturbed and more determined to be faithful even to the point of death (Rev. 2:10).