The Suffering That Makes You an Heir of God

God says if we truly are His children, then we are "heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ" (Rom 8:17). Those have the cry "Abba Father" in their hearts are no longer slaves but sons, "and if a son, then an heir through God" (Gal 4:7). What do we inherit? We are heirs of the blessings of the covenant between God the Father and God the Son. One of those blessings is the promise of the indwelling Spirit of God to give life and peace to the one who will love Jesus with a whole heart. Life and peace come only to the heart that is willing to suffer the sufferings of Jesus in order to have that heart established in true righteousness: "...if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, IF INDEED WE SUFFER WITH HIM in order that we may also be glorified with Him" (Rom 8:17). Did you notice the condition of being an heir of God and of Christ Jesus? Does your Bible clearly say that you must suffer with Him in order to be glorified with Him? What does that mean?

Peter said for us to rejoice in Christ Jesus, even though "you have are in heaviness through manifold temptations. That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet 1:6-7). Every one of us must go through fiery trials and temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil. No one is immune. Nowhere in God's Word are we guaranteed refuge from trials and temptations -- but He does promise a refuge: "I love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, MY GOD, my rock, IN WHOM I TAKE REFUGE; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised and I am saved from mine enemies." That refuge is the secret place of the Lord (Psalm 91). "The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His convenant" (Psalm 25:14). When God shows us His covenant, He causes us to experience it in our lives. Exactly how does that apply to the fiery trials and temptations that we face?

When a trial or temptation comes to a divided heart, transgression is able to speak to that heart and sin is conceived--and sin in turn, brings forth death (Psa 36:1, James 1:14-15). But to the one who loves Jesus with their whole heart, God's Word says, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." (James 1:12). Remember, Jesus said, "If anyone loves Me he will keep My word; and My Father will love him and WE WILL COME TO HIM, and make our abode with him" (John 14:23). God the Father and Jesus the Son promise to come to the aid of the ones who love them. Speaking of Jesus, the Bible says, "He had t obe made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God...For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, HE IS ABLE TO COME TO THE AID OF THOSE WHO ARE TEMPTED" (Heb 2:17-18).

God is not interested merely in providing refuge from temptation and rescue from sin. Surely, He does do these things, but they are not the sole purpose of His goodness. His purpose is to be God t oyou and for you to be His in an intimate, loving relationship. Whatever God does, He does it in order to love you with all His heart and to be loved by you with all of your heart. In order to do that, you heart must be established--rooted and grounded in love. Before Jesus became your Lord, you lived to please yourself, didn't you? Now all the self-centeredness must be burned out of your heart. That is the sanctification by the Spirit that allows you to be in covenant with a holy God. You have a part in that purification process and God has a part, too.

To be obedient is to cling to the Lord and refuse temptation: "You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and CLING TO HIM" (Deut 10:20). The one who clings to God is the one who refuses to sin against Him and chooses righteousness. God says this about the one who chooses righteousness: "Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it;...and keepeth his hand from doing any evil....and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;" (Isa 56:2,4).

When you are tempted by the powers of darkness, it is the desires of your heart that are on trial. The root of the word "tested" literally means "to prove or examine." The Bible says that God Himself tempts no one with evil (Jam 1:13). But He does test or try the heart. In other words, He lets the heart be tested by the powers of darkness. What Satan means for evil, God uses for good to establish the heart in righteousness. "Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins...My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart." (Psa 7:9-10)

God's promise to be your shield is the same covenant promise He gave to Abraham and his descendants (Gen 15:1). "O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him...for there is no want to them that fear him. " (Psa 34:8-9) Those who walk in the fear of the Lord can take refuge in Him in their time of temptation, and God promises to be their "refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psa 46:1)

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." (1 Pet 4:12-14)

There is a suffering which every true son of God must endure and persevere if he is to be an heir of the covenant and share the glory of God at the coming of Jesus. When you endure this suffering, know that the Spirit of glory and of God is resting upon you.

The most serious suffering you must undergo is fiery temptations from the powers of darkness who try to divide your heart and make you go after idols and lusts of the flesh. It is called a "fiery ordeal" because it comes as a result of "fiery darts of the wicked" (Eph 6:16). It is the same suffering that Jesus endured at the hands of Satan (Luke 4:1-13, Heb 4:15). Now, because our Savior overcame those temptations without sin, He comes to our aid when we are tempted: "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath SUFFERED IN THE FLESH hath ceased from sin; That he NO LONGER FOR THE LUSTS OF MEN, BUT FOR THE WILL OF GOD" (1 Pet 4:1-2).

As hard as it may be, this is the suffering necessary for you to be a true son, an heir of Jesus, and to receive the blessings of the covenant. If you are not willing to suffer in the flesh to do the will of God rather than practice the lusts of men, it is impossible for you to walk in covenant with the Holy God.

God offers His Spirit of grace to deliver you from every trial and temptation and promises to be a shield and a refuge to all who will run to Him during fiery trials. To refuse to suffer in the flesh is to "insult the Spirit of grace" He offers you. Since you can't be an heir of salvation, you certainly won't be able to rejoice in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth, Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light." (Amos 5:7, 18).

God says we are to "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: WHOM RESIST STEDFAST in the faith, knowing that THE SAME AFFLICTIONS are accomplished in YOUR BRETHREN that are in the world." (1 Pet 5:8-9)

True children of God all experience the sufferings of the devil's fiery darts that are designed to devour them. Your part is to resist temptations, suffer in the flesh, and run to your refuge in Jesus. You can't ever battle flesh in the power of your own strength. When you come to God with a whole heart in love with Jesus, putting away all idolatry and fleshly lusts, then the God of the covenant, through the Holy Spirit, meets you at His throne of grace. When you do your part by resisting, God does His part be establishing your heart to love Him with all your soul and strength.

"But the GOD OF ALL GRACE, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you PERFECT, STABLISH, STRENGTHEN, SETTLE YOU." (1 Pet 5:10)

"To the end he may STABLISH YOUR HEARTS UNBLAMEABLE in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." (1Th 3:13)

God's Spirit does four things then, within your heart when you suffer in the flesh and resist the devil...He perfects, settles/confirms, strengthens and establishes you as His own cherished possession.

When fiery trials assault you, God says to be encouraged and stand firm, for the Spirit of God is working for you. You are a covenant heir of Almighty God through Jesus Christ. When you resist, you declare that your heart belongs to Jesus alone. He is your Master. You are declaring that you worship only the Lord your God and that your only glory is in Christ Jesus. It is then that the Spirit of God can circumcise your heart and cut away the flesh that has been a weakness and a prey to the enemy: "For we are the (true) circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." (Phil 3:3)

This is how Paul triumphed in the midst of his trials because of God's glory upon him. "...Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Cor 12:9) He found the Spirit of glory and of God resting upon him, and he knew first hand what God meant when He said, "...count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be PERFECT and entire, wanting nothing." (Jas 1:2-4)

Not only will God perfect you by the work of the Holy Spirit, but He will confirm you. He said if you will not "make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it...If you walk in My statutes and keep my commandments and do them...I will give you peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid...you shall chase your enemies...and I will ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH YOU. (Lev 26:1,3,6-7,9).

Through His covenant God will confirm the testimony of Christ in you, "so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also CONFIRM YOU TO THE END, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor 1:6-8) That is a glorious covenant promise to those who suffer in the flesh, no longer living for the lusts of men but doing the will of God.

One grave problem today is man's quest for a way to victory which allows him to do God's will and hold onto a few idols at the same time. But, this is the road to deception which eventually leads to destruction. So is the road that suggests a way to victory without suffering through resisting the lusts of the flesh. Many have sought the baptism of the Holy spirit or some other experience, hoping to avoid suffering in the flesh. Some have run after a quest for spiritual power, hoping to find an easy way of victory. Others have thought deliverance from demons was the cure. Thousands of sincere believers have sought doctrines, men, programs and methods to find a sure route to victory.

The truth is, victory is already ours in Christ Jesus. But, you will never know it if you try to sidestep suffering in the flesh by denying fleshly indulgence. Trials can be painful and suffering against fleshly desires and selfish motives and ambitions can be agonizing. But when you resist, the God of all grace meets you there and gives you more peace, victory and joy. Best of all, you apprehend more of Him.

Through these trials, the God of all grace also promises to strengthen you. Paul warned to beware of the deluding influences of the powers of darkness who will tempt us to take pleasure in wickedness (2 Th 2:8-11). He then said, "God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation, through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth...So then brethren, stand firm...May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope BY GRACE, comfort your hearts AND STABLISH YOU in every good word and work" (2 Th 2:13,15-17)...The Lord is faithful and He will STRENGTHEN and protect you from evil."

When you resist the Devil and submit to the Lordship of Jesus over your life, the Spirit of grace establishes you in God's covenant. He has given you new life and freely forgiven your sins. In His death, Christ cancelled the mountain of spiritual debt and bankruptcy against you, having nailed it to the cross. Then He raised you up with Him in power, releasing you from the domain of darkness and the dominion of sin. He has made you a people for His own possession, "that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. ." (Eph 2:7)