Defeating Satan's lies with Biblical truth

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."


Introduction:
I had occasion earlier this summer to spend a week with our church's youth group at a youth retreat. Throughout the course of our time there, our Youth Minister would take the adult sponsors and students through a series of Bible studies to reinforce truths we were learning that week.  The one study we did dealt with taking typical lies we all come to believe or hear about and respond to them with Biblical truth. When we concluded that particular study, I told the Youth Leader that I was so impressed with the material that I thought it ought to be shared on this blog site. Today we tackle some of the various lies of the enemy with the only weapon capable of doing so - scripture. All of the scriptures and italicized quotes below derive from that study. May you the reader find this series of posts helpful.


1. Lie: If you were really a Christian, you wouldn't had said or done that certain thing




Truth: Romans 7:15-20 "For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me."
This was written by Paul, author of much of the New Testament, a sold-out, devoted follower of Jesus Christ. If he made mistakes, we can expect to make mistakes too.


2. Lie: Nobody knows for sure if you will go to heaven. You're arrogant to think you will.


Truth: 1 John 5:13 "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." 2 Corinthians 1:21-22  "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge." Romans 8:16 "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God."
Not only is it possible to know whether or not you're saved, but God wants you to know so that you can move ahead, grow, and be used to further the kingdom. When you trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in your heart. He guides you and helps you understand Scripture and discern God's will. God doesn't give the Holy Spirit to those who don't know Him. The Holy Spirit's presence in your heart is proof that you are a Christian.


3. Lie: You have sinned, went past your limit, God won't forgive you this time.


Truth: 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 2 Timothy 2:13 "If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself."
There are no limitations given on God's forgiveness. This verse says that if we confess our sins, He will forgive them. Period. He is faithful.


4. Lie: You don't remember the words you prayed when you got saved.


Truth: Romans 10:9 "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". 1 John 2:3-6 "By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked."
The exact words that you spoke when you gave your heart to Jesus are not as important as the attitude of your heart. If your attitude was right, then you will confess that Jesus is Lord countless times in countless ways over the course of your life. The important thing is that you believe in Jesus' power to save you and allow Him to do so. If your heart is sincere, it will show in your actions whether or not you can remember the words you said.


5. Lie. If you work hard enough, God might let you into heaven, there are no free passes.


Truth: Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Your salvation is a free gift from God. You cannot earn it, no matter how hard you try. God wants and deserves the glory for what only He can do.

The size and influence of God's Kingdom Matthew 13:31-35

Matthew 13:31a "He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like...."

Yesterday we considered the concept and reality of God's Kingdom in Matthew 13. God's Kingdom has to do with His royal reign in history, the hearts of men and over the church. Jesus Christ is the embodiment and full manifestation of the Kingdom, being that He is the King who mediates His rule over the Kingdom spiritually right now, awaiting the timing of the Father whereby He will return to begin His physical kingdom. In this period of time the Kingdom can be described as an "already/not yet" reality. That is to say, there are realities of God's Kingdom reign that are happening right now and there are other aspects of it that are yet to come. 

Certainly the Kingdom of God can be a very abstract concept to every Christ follower living in this 21st century world where there is digital everything, terrorism, war, famine, disease and suffering. Jesus' choice of communication in Matthew 13 is by way of parables. Parables take us on a journey from what is known to unknown.  To explain the immensity of the Kingdom and its influence, Jesus takes his listeners and us to a garden and then a woman's home.

Point of Application:

When we consider the powerful message being communicated by Jesus in these two parables, here is what we realize: The Gospel of the Kingdom as unlimited potential in whom it can affect.

The immensity of the Kingdom

Matthew 13:31-32 reads - "He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32 and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” Simon Kistemaker points out in his book "The Parables", page 53, that Jesus is alluding to Old Testament passages such as Daniel 4:12; Ezekiel 17:23 and 31:26 in the telling of the parable.  Whether we are referring to a pagan king's kingdom like Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon in Daniel or Israel itself in Ezekiel's passage, both have in common the fact that they were established and owed their existence to the Sovereignty of God. We won't go into all the history of each, but both started out small: Babylon beginning as a tower in Genesis 11 and Israel coming forth from Abram in Genesis 12. 

But way beyond those allusions, Jesus' whole point is to demonstrate that we cannot judge the effectiveness nor size of the Kingdom by the way it appears now. Simon Kistemaker comments: "The tree has not yet reached maturity; it is still growing. We look at the phenomenon of the growing tree and know that God is at work developing His kingdom." Certainly now the Kingdom of God is expanding through the evangelization efforts of the church.  Even when Jesus returns and sets up His earthly Kingdom, no doubt the Kingdom will enter into a new stage - a visible Kingdom stage.  However it will not reach its full bloom until the final judgment, when Christ hands over the Kingdom to the Father and the glory of God covers the heavens and the earth and all things are made new. (Habakkuk 2:14; 1 Corinthians 15:23-28; Revelation 21-22). 

The influence of the Kingdom

Matthew 13:33 "He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.” Now Jesus moves from the garden to a woman's home.  The mustard plant becomes the largest plant in a garden, despite the fact it's seed form is comparatively insignificantly small. In His second parable here, the parable of the leaven, Jesus compares the Kingdom to a woman making bread. 

The concept of leaven has to do with taking a piece of fermented dough, like sour dough bread, and adding it to a flour mixture until that mixture too was affected and began to rise. When we lived in Pennsylvania, we had what was called "friendship bread" which was similar in thought to what Jesus is communicating. Someone would pinch off a piece of the dough of friendship bread "called a starter" they had and give it to you.  That starter would then require you adding certain things to it in a plastic bag over a period of ten days.  Over that time period, the bread would grow in size and then on the tenth day, you would pinch off a portion and bake the rest.  Then as an act of "friendship", you would pass on the portion to someone else to start the whole cycle once again. 

Whenever a leavened piece of bread was placed in a flour mixture in ancient Israel, a typical batch would yield enough to feed dozens of people.  Such leavening techniques were used by the Jews for centuries. Jesus' useage of this idea would had been immediately familiar to his listeners.  

The Kingdom of God has more influence and pull than we realize. We so often operate in the visible realm, not factoring in the fact that God is Sovereign and that His kingdom influence ranges far beyond the immediate moment.  In relating both the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the leaven (or yeast), Simon Kistemaker notes:  "In the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus makes known the extent and outward spread of the Kingdom. In the parable of the yeast, Jesus focuses attention on the internal power of the kingdom that leaves nothing unaffected.

Closing thoughts

When we consider the powerful message being communicated by Jesus in these two parables, here is what we realize: The Gospel of the Kingdom as unlimited potential in whom it can affect. No matter how difficult things may get, no matter how slow things may move at a given time and no matter how seemingly small the outcomes of current efforts, God's Sovereign Kingdom agenda will prevail and those whom He looks to affect for the purpose of believing on Him as their Savior and Lord will be accomplished. The Gospel is so worth it, because Jesus is. May we be ever faithful in telling as many people as possible about Jesus Christ.  

The Kingdom of God in Matthew 13

Matthew 13:1-3 "That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. 3 And He spoke many things to them in parables."

Defining the Kingdom

When we speak of the Kingdom of God, to what are we referring? God's Kingdom has to do with the domain and influence of His Person and power both in the hearts of men, history and eternity. Simon J. Kistemaker in his book, "The Parables", page 52, simply refers to God's Kingdom as "God's Royal Rule". The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 defines the Kingdom accordingly: "The Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe and His particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King. Particularly the Kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ. Christians ought to pray and to labor that the Kingdom may come and God's will be done on earth. The full consummation of the Kingdom awaits the return of Jesus Christ and the end of this age."

Undoubtedly when Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, He went to a coronation of His kingly reign in Heaven over His church. (Acts 2:34-36; Revelation 1:5). Having inaugurated His Davidic Kingship, He awaits the time when He will return to set up His Kingdom here on earth to rule and reign 1,000 years (Revelation 20). If we were to describe Christ's ascension as "point A" and His return to set up His earthly Kingdom as "point B", then what lies in between (apart from the seven year tribulation period proceeding Christ's second coming) would mainly describe this church age in which we are living. The Gospel we preach is after all the Gospel of the Kingdom, being that it is issued forth by King Jesus who has all authority in Heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18-20). 

Today's post simply aims to see how Jesus Himself explained the facets of this Kingdom.  Eight parables are told by Jesus in Matthew 13, and each of them describe a facet of the Kingdom.  Much like a brilliant diamond of truth, Jesus is turning the truth of His Kingdom in His hand for the reader to see one facet at a time. I will simply list the parables He tells in Matthew 13, with a brief word or two about the main points being conveyed.  Hopefully by the end of today's post, the reader will gain a fuller understanding of Jesus' Kingdom parables and the Kingdom of God itself in Matthew 13. 

The Kingdom of God in Matthew 13

1. Parable of the soils. The responses to the Kingdom. Matthew 13:1-9; 10-17; 18:23. 
 

2. Parable of the tares. The Sower's Harvest or the King's Kingdom. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

3. Parable of the Mustard Seed. The Size of the Kingdom. Matthew 13:31-32

4. Parable of he Yeast/Leaven.
Influence of the Kingdom. Matthew 33-35

5. Parable of the Hidden Treasure. Joy of the Kingdom. Matthew 13:44

6. Parable of the Pearl of Great Price. Value of the Kingdom. Matthew 13:45-46

7. Parable of the Dragnet.
Finality of the Kingdom. Matthew 13:47-51

8. Parable of the Scribe. Kingdom is to be treasured. Matthew 13:52

Christians' need to share Jesus with all kinds of people - Summarizing Paul's second missionary journey

Acts 16:5-10 "So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily. 6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them."

Introduction:
Several days ago I had introduced readers to the idea of the relationship between the Book of Acts and the New Testament letters. We looked specifically at two things in those series of posts: why the Apostle Paul wrote Galatians and how that epistle related to Paul's first missionary trip or journey in Acts 13-15. The links to both of those posts are below for the reader's reference:
http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2014/07/p1-declaring-and-defending-gospel-why.html



http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2014/07/p2-declaring-and-defending-gospel-main.html

Today's post will be viewed as a continuation of those two posts, with the idea of looking further into Paul's second missionary trip or journey in Acts 16-18. Studying the book of Acts is invaluable to the Bible student because of how it aids the reader in interpreting many of the New Testament epistles. Along today's survey we will discover that Paul wrote 1 & 2 Thessalonians towards the tail end of his second missionary journey. For sake of brevity, I will simply list in descending order a "count down" list of details we can find in Paul's second missionary journey that can aid in understanding his epistles to the Thessalonians. Below is a map that pictures the trip Paul took in Acts 16-18:






Counting down all that was entailed in Paul's 2nd missionary journey

Six Conversions. The most remarkable feature of Paul's second missionary journey are the remarkable conversions to Christ that are recorded along the way. Lydia was the first European convert to Christ in Acts 16:14-15. The Philippian Jailor's conversion in Acts 16:30-31 gives us one of the clearest explanations regarding how a person is to be born-again. Certainly the Thessalonian believers themselves is remarkable since we see a church born and planted in Acts 17:4. Concerning the hunger new believers ought to have for the scriptures, none exceed the Bereans in Acts 17:12. As Paul would arrive at Athens Greece, he would preach one of his most eloquent and best defenses of the Gospel before a scholarly guild of skeptical philosophers in Acts 17:34, with a few of them responding to the Gospel. Then finally we see Crispus, a Jewish Synagogue leader becoming converted to the faith and thus beginning a major move of God at Corinth in Acts 18:8. 








Five Major Cities. As you follow the map above, you can trace Paul's trip through Macedonia. He began at Philippi, the chief city of the region. As he traveled on down through Thessalonica, Berea and Corinth, he ended up planting key churches.  Then his final stop is at a major cultural center of Graeco/Roman life - Athens. 
What we see in these cities is a missionary strategy being done by Paul and God's leading of him in doing so.

Four points to Paul's preaching. As Paul grew in his faith and ministry experience, His preaching became more focused. In his first missionary journey we see him declaring and defending the Gospel. In this second missionary journey, Paul focuses upon four key points: Jesus, Jesus' resurrection from the dead, repentance and Jesus' second coming.  The last point especially is brought to the forefront in Paul's addresses and may explain why he focused more upon Christ's second coming in 1 & 2 Thessalonians than in any of his other letters,

Three churches planted. Paul ended up planting three churches to which he would later write various epistles: Philippi, Thessalonica and Corinth.

Two letters/epistles written. As we have already mentioned, Paul wrote 1 & 2 Thessalonians towards the latter part of his second missionary journey. He most like wrote these letters during his stay at Corinth in Acts 18. The key verse to 1 Thessalonians is found in 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 and the key verse to 2 Thessalonians is in 2 Thessalonians 3:5.

One main point of application when considering Paul's second missionary journey: "You and I are to go to all kinds of people, sharing the Word, our lives and Jesus."

P2 of 2 Growing in knowing Jesus Christ

Colossians 2:6-7 "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude."

Benefits of knowing Jesus Christ

Today's post is a continuation about spelling out the benefits of growing in knowing Jesus Christ. If we were to boil down our thoughts to one point of application, it would be this: It benefits every Christian to keep on growing in knowing Jesus Christ. Yesterday's post began looking at Paul's statements in Colossians 2:1-7 on the subject of growing in knowing Jesus Christ. We discovered that there are internal benefits of assurance that come by knowing Jesus through difficult times and in the scripture. We also saw too that suffering and time in the scripture go hand in hand, since Christ meets us in both and expresses Himself verbally through the scriptures and most presently in difficult times. With the internal benefits lined out, we turn our attention today to growing in knowing Christ and how that plays out externally in the Christ-follower's life.

The external benefits of growing in knowing Jesus Christ

Colossians 2:6-7 reads: "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude." That idea of walking with Christ is so often mentioned throughout the New Testament. The following passages help us to understand what Paul is meaning by this phrase. Ephesians 4:1 "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called." Colossians 1:10 "so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." 1 John 2:5-6 "but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." To "walk" with Christ refers to how one conducts their life, their behavior and their relationship to both Him and other people. This is why the process of growing in knowing Him must not only change me internally, but must necessarily manifest such change in how I act and relate to the Lord and others. 

As Colossians 2:6-7 expands upon this concept of "walk", we see the benefits: a firm rooting, building up and establishment in one's faith, resulting in an overflowing of gratitude. Such activity of giving thanks to God feeds back into the faith of the saint, who in turns seeks to grow in their knowledge of Christ, repeating the process again and again both internally and externally as spelled out in Colossians 2:1-7. 

Closing thoughts

We have spent the past two posts focusing upon this key point of application: It benefits every Christian to keep on growing in knowing Jesus Christ. We discovered from Colossians 2:1-7 that in doing so, internal assurance results as one gives themselves to knowing Christ in times of difficulty coupled with the scriptures. We then saw the chief external benefit, namely one's walk or lifestyle, conduct is changed from the inside out. 

P1 of 2 Growing in knowing Jesus Christ

Colossians 2:6-7 "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude."

Benefits of knowing Jesus Christ

Today's post is all about spelling out the benefits of growing in knowing Jesus Christ. If we were to boil down our thoughts to one point of application, it would be this: It benefits every Christian to keep on growing in knowing Jesus Christ. 

As Paul starts out this second chapter of Colossians, he brings to attention the trials he is experiencing while under house arrest in Rome. The reader is encouraged to refer back to yesterday's post, where we dealt at length as to why Paul made a point of not hiding his sufferings for Christ. Undoubtedly what he underwent plays a huge part in his overall exhortation for these Colossians to grow in their knowledge of understanding of Jesus Christ. 

As we consider the benefits of growing in knowing Jesus Christ from Colossians 2:1-7, we can list them by what occurs inwardly and externally to the disciple of Jesus Christ. Today we will focus on the internal benefits that occur in growing in knowing Christ. So how does it benefit every Christian to keep on growing in knowing Jesus Christ?

1. Internal assurance. Colossians 2:1-5

After mentioning his "struggle" on behalf of the Colossians and those in Laodicea in 2:1, Paul makes this statement in Colossians 2:2 "that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself." The internal assurance that comes with growing in knowing Jesus Christ is cultivated by two principle means here in 2:1-5. 

The first way in which assurance is built into the Christian's life is by way of suffering and hardship. As already mentioned, we saw this in detail in yesterday's post. It may not make sense to think of God including suffering in the development of the believer who is striving to know Christ, yet that is exactly why Paul includes mention of his own here. As we observed yesterday in the letters of the New Testament, suffering and hardship can be used to:

1. Strengthen the believer's confidence. Galatians 4:19

2. Sharpen the believer's calling. Philippians 1:27-30

3. Certify the believer's commitment. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-4

Certainly two other passages can be mentioned to demonstrate the reality of these observations: James 1:3-4 and 1 Peter 1:6-7.  Such Divinely ordained and permitted situations can be used by God to temper and strengthen the faith of the Christian, much like cold water is used to temper a hot piece of iron. Now here is the thing, without the second mentioned means of cultivating internal assurance, suffering by itself will by nature overwhelm the believer. What is that second method of gaining internal assurance in the process of growing in knowing Jesus Christ? Notice...

The second way internal assurance is strengthened is by way of the scriptures. Just as testing without the scriptures can be only a destructive process, studying of the scriptures apart from difficulties can lead to puffed up people. Where else does the true knowledge of Jesus Christ derive? The Scriptures! Colossians 2:2-3 speaks about the richness of knowing Christ that can only come from the scriptures, and then 2:4-5 speaks of the strengthening of faith in Christ that comes from the scriptures. Many references in the Bible speak to the scriptures feeding the faith of the believer. Job 23:12 has a suffering Job describing God's words as more precious than His daily food. Psalm 12:6 has David surrounded by his enemies and being able to have faith in the words of God that are purer than silver tried in a furnace seven times. In Matthew 4:4, we see Jesus in the midst of temptation saying to Satan that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Faith comes from hearing the word of God in Romans 10:17 and Jesus chooses to cleanse His church by the scriptures in Ephesians 5:26. Let the reader notice how many of these texts depict the person drawing assurance from the scriptures in difficult times. Both go hand in hand. Growing in knowing Jesus Christ builds an internal assurance as the believers wrestles in their faith through difficult times and builds their faith upon the richness of God's Word. 

The internal assurance that comes from the interaction between searching the scriptures and experiencing difficulties is spelled out in the various phrases of Colossians 2:2-5

a). "attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding." 2:2a

b). "resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." 2:2-3 

c). "I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument." 2:4

Paul then expresses how he rejoices in 2:5 "of rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ." So it does benefit every Christian to keep on growing in knowing Jesus Christ by virtue of the internal assurance that occurs as a result of getting to know him in the scriptures and through times of suffering. 

More tomorrow....

How God uses difficult times to mature the Christian

Colossians 2:1-3 "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

The importance of understanding the place of difficult times in Christian spiritual maturity

When you begin to read the New Testament epistles or letters, you are struck more and more how Paul or the other writers will purposefully make known their trials and sufferings. Take for instance the opening verse of today's post: Paul did not try to hide his situation of being under house arrest in Rome nor did he try to appear "macho" and "separated from the pain" of his circumstance.  If anything, his suffering and circumstances ended up being at the heart of his life and ministry, per the Lord's calling (compare Acts 9:16).  This seems to cut across the grain of the 21st century conception of a blessed Christian life being equal to no pain, worry or hardship. How do we make sense of Paul's insistence on his readers knowing about his plight? Let's look at some cross references in both his other epistles and other New Testament letters to find the answer.

1. Galatians 4:19 "After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you."

This statement is from the earliest of Paul's letters. When he wrote these words, he had just completed his 1st missionary journey in Acts 13-14 and had declared, defined and defended the Gospel he was preaching at the Jerusalem council in Acts 15. Already Paul had to deal with constant verbal and physical attacks from opponents who were bent on silencing his attempts to proclaim the Gospel in the Galatian region. As Paul and his fellow laborers stated during the course of that missionary journey in Acts 14:22 - "strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

2. Philippians 1:27-30  "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. 29 For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me."

Paul wrote Philippians very close to the time he would had composed Colossians. Interestingly enough two intriguing statements about the relationship of suffering to the Christian's maturity emerge. First we see that in either knowing about suffering or undergoing it, their tends to be a dependence upon Christ that is cultivated. The sensitivity to the destiny of those who persist in their rejection of Christ is heightened, causing the Christian to be burdened for them while greatly assured of their own faith in Christ.  Secondly, suffering is part of the Christian's calling. 2 Timothy 3:12 for instance records Paul writing: "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." The Apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:21 "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps." Thankfully we are told the purpose of God's Sovereign inclusion of suffering in the Christian life in 1 Peter 5:10 "After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you."

3. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-4 "For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. 3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts."

Here again we see Paul making known all that he underwent in suffering for the Gospel. Here in 1 Thessalonians, Paul uses his sufferings as proof of his commitment to the Gospel and for the advancement of his readers. Such information is not meant to garner sympathy nor to elicit praise from his readers. If anything, Paul is informing his readers that God uses such sufferings to put an exclamation point on the fact that it is worth living for Christ in this world. 

I find it interesting that when looking at Colossians 2:1, the word translated "struggle" is a greek word "agona" from whence we get our word "agony". To live for Christ is a joyful agony, we could say. Why? Because as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison."

Closing thoughts

So in closing out today's post, what did we observe regarding how God uses suffering to mature the Christian? I see three reasons from the above observations in the New Testament letters:

1. Strengthen the believer's confidence. Galatians 4:19

2. Sharpen the believer's calling. Philippians 1:27-30

3. Certify the believer's commitment. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-4

Certainly two other passages can be mentioned to demonstrate the reality of these observations: James 1:3-4 and 1 Peter 1:6-7. May God strengthen His saints in these up and coming days.