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The love of Christ

Part 1 - Suffering

Ephesians 3v12-13

27th November 2015

Over the next few weeks, I hope to look at Ephesians 3v12-21, where Paul prays for us that we might truly grasp the love of Christ. This week, though, we'll look at what he says just before he prays that prayer:

Ephesians 3v12-13
In him [Christ] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

Because we've been given saving faith in Jesus, we're included in God's family, and we're free to approach God. It's true that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but it's also true that as God's children we're absolutely welcome in our Father's presence. When we come consciously into his presence, either together or privately in prayer, we know we're welcome, and we can be confident that God wants us to pray:

Philippians 4:7 tells us, "in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God". Can I just highlight that word, "everything"? There's nothing you can't talk to your heavenly father about. If something bothers you, then it bothers him.

Hebrews 6:16 urges us to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Luke 18:1 tells us that Jesus taught his disciples that "they should always pray and not give up".

When Paul wrote this letter, he was in prison again. He was often in prison, and he was OK with that. While in prison another day, he wrote a letter to the Philippians, saying that he'd "learnt the secret of being content in all circumstances", though I'm sure he'd rather have been free. While he was inside, he carried on serving God, using the time to pray, and to write letters to other Christians. In this letter, he tells us "not to be discouraged" by his sufferings.

Many of my friends are suffering. Sometimes it's because of bad choices they've made, but sometimes it's not their fault at all. I'm tempted to ask "Why?" Why are my friends suffering?

That can sometimes be a good question. Francis McNutt writes about the time he prayed for healing because he had headaches every Monday morning. God responded by prompting someone to tell him he seemed to drink a lot more coffee at the weekends. Once he cut down on the coffee, his headaches disappeared.

But so often, we have no idea why someone is suffering as they do. And, as I've said, often it's not their fault at all. And even if it is their fault, God can fix it. So when their suffering goes on with no apparent answer from God, we're tempted to ask, "Since God loves us, and since God is all-powerful, why is my friend still suffering so much?" Or even, "Why am I suffering so much?"

In those circumstances, I'm learning not to ask the "Why?" question. It comes far too close to being a criticism of God. Although we tend not to say it out loud, we can find ourselves thinking, "If I was God, I'd heal that person". But we know we're not smarter or more loving than God. God surely knows what He's doing, even though we usually don't. And anyway, we usually don't get an answer to the "Why?" question.

Sometimes, a healthier question might be, "What is God accomplishing though this suffering?" Jesus Christ, of all people, knows that suffering can accomplish much. Why did God let Him suffer so much on the cross? To accomplish your salvation and mine, and salvation for millions of others!

I'm not saying that all suffering has a purpose. I don't think Francis McNutt got much wisdom from his Monday morning headaches. Some suffering has an important purpose, and some doesn't, and I'm not wise enough to know which is which.

And I'm certainly not suggesting we always know what purpose God has in what's happening. But when we do, it can be a comfort. Paul says that his suffering imprisonment is glory for his friends, and I'm sure he drew comfort from that thought. Other times, we just have to trust God. And that can be hard.

What do you think Paul meant when he said that his suffering was glory for his friends? Perhaps he meant that it shows that God thought Paul suffering in this way was a price worth paying for the salvation of the Ephesian Christians.

Paul knew God loved him, but he also knew that the message of salvation was more important than his comfort. He'd told the Ephesian elders some time before, in Acts 20:24, "I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has give me - the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."

I expect some of the Christians in Ephesus were aware of their sin, and their weaknesses, and they felt a bit unimportant and unlovable, as some of us do. Paul says that his suffering proves that they're important to God. Of course, the sacrifice of Jesus proves to us all that we're important to God, but God also lets his servants suffer on our behalf. And that shows us that we're valuable.

If you're choosing to keep on serving God, despite real emotional or physical suffering, then you're an inspiration to your brothers and sister in Christ, just as Paul was. Thank you.