Jan 3
How can you rejoice in your suffering? John Piper explains with immense wisdom how God’s aim for our life is to display the greatness of the glory of His grace through Jesus and what that means for us today.
Scripture References
12.In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
30.because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.
21.
“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22.You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
24.Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
1.
“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2.They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.
24.Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25.I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26.the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27.To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.28.He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29.To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
19.If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
41.The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
8.So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
16.The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17.Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.18.I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
29.For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,
12.Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13.But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
John Piper
John Piper is the founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church. He is the author of more than fifty books, and more than thirty years of his preaching and writing are available free of charge at desiringGod.org. John and his wife, Noël, have five children and 12 grandchildren.