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Fellowship of His Sufferings "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." (Phil.3:10) What is fellowship? Professor Strong defines the Greek word translated "Fellowship" as partnership, companionship, communion. Paul ever had before his mental vision the fact that we have presented our bodies living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God. (Rom.12:1) But suffering of any kind is foreign to the natural desire of all God’s intelligent creatures and the human creation is no exception. One of the most blessed assurances given concerning God’s Plan for the human race is that eventually "There shall be no more...pain." (Rev.21:4) That will not be until the close of the millennial reign when sickness and death will be no more. It is still a suffering and dying world, and the followers of the Master share in the experiences which are common to all. The divine arrangement does not call for a release from suffering simply because we are sons of God. Peter tells us we are not to think it strange concerning the fiery trials of the Christian life. (1 Pet.4:12‑13) Trials to the Christian are not an evidence of God’s disfavour but the reverse. Paul also wrote "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" and that it is through "much tribulation" that we enter the Kingdom. (2 Tim.3:12; Acts 14:22) Even if some of our trials are in the nature of disciplinary stripes they are still an evidence of God’s love. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." (Heb.12:6) Yet whilst sufferings are a means to mould and shape our characters into Christ likeness they are accepted by God for another purpose as well. When Paul exhorts us to "present our bodies living sacrifices," it is with a definite purpose in view. In the plans and purposes of God as Paul in Col.1:24 says that he (and therefore we too) fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in his flesh for his body’s sake. Yes, we have the wonderful privilege of fellowship in Christ’s sufferings. The Twentieth Century NT renders this passage "I supplement the afflictions endured by the Christ." Paul is expressly saying that he "fills up instead of His Master," what is still left unfinished as it were of his Master’s afflictions. This is not to imply that our Lord’s sacrifice was incomplete but that the church are permitted a partnership. This does not mean we have a part in the ransom. No! For Jesus was the corresponding price for Adam and he was the exact counterpart for Adam and by his death released Adam and the race from the death penalty. But once out of the grave, released from death, man resurrected with the character formed in this evil world would have but returned to the death state the first occasion he disobeyed the Divine Law. Another work was necessary therefore before the resurrection could commence. A sacrificial work, similar to the picture of Israel in the Wilderness on its Day of Atonement. On that day two animals were sacrificed and accepted by God to reckonedly cleanse the natural Israelites from personal sins during the ensuing year. This is what has been necessary in God’s arrangements with regard to the world. They will need a covering for personal unwilful sins while they walk up the Highway of Holiness in much the same way as we now have a covering, the Robe of Christ’s Righteousness to cover our sins and blemishes and permit us to "come boldly unto the Throne of Grace." (Isa.35:8; Isa.61:10; Heb.4:16) When Jesus died the legal condemnation to death in Adam was cancelled, but that was not sufficient to reconcile all to God. For besides the death penalty man has become defiled by sins and these defilements must be cleansed away. When these two things are accomplished:‑
God used His typical people to foreshadow these matters in types. Christians are agreed that the slaying of the Passover lamb which preceded the deliverance of the Israelites from bondage typified the death of Jesus as the ransom required before (preparatory to) the redemption of the human race from death. Those who are brought into relationship with God through faith and consecration during the Gospel Age have received the benefit of the Ransom. They have "passed from death unto life." (1 John 3:14) Should they now sin they need the benefit not of the Ransom, but of the Sin‑offering. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins:" (1 John 2:1‑2) not for Adam’s sin but ours; those sins we commit while on trial. This "propitiation" is associated with the mercy seat, the sin‑offering, which is for cleansing from individual or personal sins committed while on trial. The writer of Hebrews directs attention to the Tabernacle and speaks consistently, not of redemption, but of cleansing. "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge (cleanse) your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Heb.9:13‑14) See Heb.9:22‑23 also. The word translated "redemption" in Hebrews 9:12&15 should read "deliverance." Now notice Heb.13:12 "wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate." Here again the writer is speaking of the sin‑offering and does not say "Wherefore Jesus also that he might ‘redeem’ the people with his own blood suffered without the gate." It did not need Jesus to suffer without the Gate to redeem the race. Adam and his race were condemned to death, and it needed Jesus to die for their redemption. So far as Redemption was concerned it would not matter by what process Jesus entered the death state. Provided he did enter, the race can be released. Jesus’ sufferings "without the gate" were for another purpose. See Heb.13:11‑12. When Jesus presented himself for sacrifice at Jordan his will died to all human aspirations. This was typified by the slaying of the bullock on the Day of Atonement, but Jesus’ human body did not die at that instant. This dying was prolonged for 3½ years during which he suffered scorn, misrepresentation, reproach–typified by the burning without the camp. This 3½ years was not to provide a ransom to redeem; it was to qualify him to be a sympathetic High Priest so that he could sanctify, cleanse, purge, purify his members as it says, "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." (Heb.2:10) Throughout Hebrews it speaks of cleansing, purging, purifying, sanctifying, not redeeming, because he is dealing with the Tabernacle types and these are intended to show not redemption but the means whereby those already redeemed might be cleansed from sins committed while on trial. "For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD." (Lev.16:30) According to God’s purpose this cleansing is to be performed in two sections:
In the second great work of cleansing, Jesus as the High Priest will have associates, members of His body. They also must have suffered without the Camp. "Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach." (Heb.13:13) For "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him." (2 Tim.2:12) With this understanding how fitting it was that in the type the sin‑offering should be in two portions: "...the bullock for himself and his house" and "the goat for the people." It has been suggested that when Jesus appeared "in the presence of God for us" (Heb.9:24) he then applied the merit of the ransom. This has caused a difficulty because once in a year the High Priest took blood into the Most Holy twice. This would seem to imply that either the Ransom is in two portions or else that the same sacrifice is applied twice. Jesus is the only one who could provide a ransom and could only die once. If the merit of the same sacrifice were applied twice this would need a scripture. For the blood of the bullock was taken into the Most Holy not twice but once only. When the High Priest went in on the second occasion it was with the blood of another animal. To say that the Ransom was applied twice would imply either that the humanity of Jesus was shown in both the bullock and the goat or else the church are part of the Ransom. This difficulty is avoided by keeping that when Jesus appeared in the presence of God for us, it was with the merit, not of the Ransom but of the sin offering. So we see that like as Lev.16:11,15 "Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself." "Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock." Both animals were treated alike. Just as our personal sins need cleansing whilst we are on trial so will the world as they walk up the Highway of Holiness back into harmony with God. (Isa.35:8) We are running for the prize of the high calling. But the ransomed race, redeemed from death in the time when all that are in their graves shall come forth will have a covering to cleanse, purge, purify them from their personal sins to enable them to remain on trial under the righteous arrangements of our loving and just Heavenly Father. Since Jesus suffered and died in order to provide life, it might be expected that those who accept the provision of his blood would immediately be released from suffering and death. But instead they are not. The sufferings of Christ which we are invited to share, were, in part, the bitter persecutions which came upon him and which resulted in his death. He was persecuted because of proclaiming the truth and exposing popular error. He suffered weariness of the flesh because of his vows of consecration. Any sacrifice we can make can only be in the merit of Christ’s sacrifice. We have no merit of our own. These suffering are accepted by God as part of "filling up part of the deficit" of Christ’s sufferings. How encouraging it is to realise that today when, in fulfilment of Paul’s prophecy men are "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God" (2 Tim.3:4), there are still many of the Lord’s consecrated people who in addition to spending necessary time and strength meeting temporal responsibilities of life, are happy to work "overtime" as it were, in the service of the Lord. When the unconsecrated are through with their necessary daily toil, they are free to seek enjoyment or relaxation where it suits them best. Actually the Lord’s people do the same, but the greatest pleasure of the consecrated is to seek out ways and means of devoting time and strength directly in the service of the Lord. (Col.4:5) Jesus suffered sympathetically because of being in the world, although not of it. Being himself perfect, the sinful and imperfect things of the world would be a greater trial to him than otherwise. He was a "man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isa.53:3) not because of illness, or poverty or failure in business or for any of the ordinary reasons that usually destroy human happiness. The sickness and death with which he was surrounded bore down heavily upon his sympathetic shoulders; as when Jesus stood by the tomb of Lazarus he "wept" in sympathy for the family, and for the whole dying world. We have taken up our cross and are laying down our lives with Jesus. We also participate, have fellowship in these sufferings of Christ. Due to imperfection not with the same degree of sympathetic understanding that Jesus had to the suffering in the world. Nevertheless, being in revolt against sin and all that follows in its trail, by having consecrated ourselves to the Will of God, and received the begettal of His Holy Spirit we are to some extent in the same relative position as Jesus occupied, and thus share too in his sufferings along this line. Does a part of our daily trial consist of the fact that we are pained by the sorrow of others? If this be true, we have one of the most outstanding witnesses of the Spirit that we are the children of God. Such trials should not seem strange to us but they give cause for joy as we realise we have this evidence of Christlikeness. It was because Jesus loved the world that he suffered sympathetically with the people. And should this not be the basis of our sympathy toward the poor groaning creation? This feeling should be even more keenly felt toward our brethren in Christ. It was concerning this that Paul wrote in Phil 2:1‑2 "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." Just as Jesus passed through experiences similar to those which try us, and is now able to understand and succour us, this should also be true among ourselves. Are we not all running in the same way of sacrifice? Yes and we are all living in the same unfriendly world. We are all subject to the same trials and temptations. Our hearts should go out to one another in sympathetic understanding and in the spirit of true comfort and helpfulness. John said that we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren and this surely involves the outpouring of our love and sympathy to one another. (1 John 3:16) If "one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it" because we are "many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you." (1 Cor.12:26,20,21) Also consider all our hardships as indirectly related to our "fellowship of his sufferings." To view our common tasks and our trivial care from this standpoint should transform them into hallowed experiences in which we will see the hand of the Lord directing our destiny and causing all things to work together for our good. Jesus’ sufferings too were a means to teach him obedience. He was by this method trained for the position he now occupies as our sympathetic High Priest, and the head of the Royal priesthood which in our Father’s due time will succour the whole world. He was tested in all points as a New Creature similar to the manner in which we are tested as new creatures although only by observation did he become acquainted with the weaknesses of the dying race. During this Gospel Age the Church is being made perfect or trained to be associated with Jesus in dealing with the sin‑cursed world. Because we are by nature sinners it means that the New World’s Priesthood will by actual experience as well as by observation be able to deal sympathetically with the people in the next age. Meanwhile they are invited to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, invited to suffer and die with him, to have fellowship, partnership, companionship in his sufferings filling up what he in God’s overruling left behind. God was wanting us to learn from experience. Those who understand the Divine Plan for salvation know why God permitted evil. It was because He wanted his human creation to learn valuable lessons from the experience. He is training such to be the teachers to help them understand the full meaning of the reign of sin and death. It is an instrument in our Father’s hand. We rejoice that there is the privilege of fellowship in Christ’s sufferings. God could have so arranged matters that Jesus’ life of sacrifice alone was accepted for the world as well as the Church as so beautifully pictured in the types of Israel of old in the Tabernacle ceremonies. To keep this thought in mind will help us bear our trials. The Lord said concerning His typical people that when they were afflicted, He also suffered. (Isa.63:9) Surely this is no less true of us. If our faith can grasp this fact, it will help to make every ache and pain whether of mind, or heart or body a sacred experience of priceless value in preparing us for that high position for which we are apprehended of God. "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." (1 Pet.4:12‑13) ETN |
