Moses chose suffering for Christ .... being assured of the reward afterward:
Heb 11:24-27 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt:
for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Jesus Himself endured the suffering of death .... knowing the joy that awaited on the other side:
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 13:12-15 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
We look forward to glory in the new (Rev 3:12, 21:2), heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12:22-24), the mother of us all (Gal 4:26):
14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
The prophets predicted Jesus would experience suffering followed by glory:
1 Peter 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
Paul lost all his worldly possessions for the sake of Christ .... but that pales in comparison to being in communion with the sufferings of Christ in His death:
Phil 3:8-11 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Paul and Peter both taught .... that those who suffer for Christ will be glorified:
Rom 8:17-18 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
1 Peter 4:13 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 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
Those who suffer for Christ will be consoled:
2 Cor 1:7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing,
that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
Those who suffer for Christ will reign with Him:
2 Tim 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him:
if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Suffering for Christ is evidence of one’s belief. God assured His saints of the impending judgment upon those by whose hands they suffered:
Phil 1:27-29 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries (also see Matt 10:28):
which is to them an evident token of perdition (also see 2 Thess 1:4-6), but to you of salvation, and that of God.
29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Ask yourself, do you really believe on Christ?
If the answer is no, then you will fall away in time of temptation.
If the answer is yes, then you will be willing to suffer for Him.
This is David Dowell saying, “Think about it!”
