In today’s post, we continue our march through Roman’s chapter eight. Right after Paul climbs the heights of joint heirship with Christ, he tackles the subject of suffering. Is all suffering the same? The Bible has the answer. To what end does it all come to? Paul tells us in one word, glorification.

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Romans 8:17–18 (NKJV)
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

• Right after Paul climbs the heights of joint heirship with Christ, he tackles the subject of suffering.
• He states, “If so be that we suffer with him’.
• What does it mean to suffer with Jesus?
• The definition of the word suffering gives us a clue.
• The Greek word ‘sympaschō’ means to suffer the same thing as one or to suffer with another.
• This is ‘sympathetic suffering’.
• It means to suffer the same as Jesus did.
• What did Jesus suffer?
• Well, we know what He didn’t suffer.
• He didn’t suffer sickness and disease.
• You are not suffering for Jesus if you have cancer in your body.
• You’re just suffering.
• Why is that?
• Because Jesus provided healing for you as part of your New Testament inheritance.
• So, what did Jesus suffer?
• Jesus suffered persecution at the hands of men for obeying the Word of God.
• He endured the contrary testimony of men because He walked in the will of God.

John 5:16 (NKJV)
16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.

• We suffer persecution and hardships in a similar way for our part of fulfilling the Great Commission.

Acts 5:41 (NKJV)
41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

• Statistics state that over 70 million believers have paid the ultimate price of martyrdom since Jesus rose from the dead.
• Over 200 million believers are persecuted for Christ daily.
• Jesus completely identifies with us in this area.
• What we suffer as believers He suffers also.
• Jesus took the persecution which Paul had inflicted on believers, prior to his conversion, personally.

Acts 9:4 (NKJV)
4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

• Jesus bore witness to these words.

Utterly One with Him

John 15:20 (NKJV)
20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

• Being a joint heir with Jesus involves not only the victorious, happy, shouting side of the Kingdom of God but also the persecution side.
• We are joint heirs with Him but we also ‘suffer with Him’.
• It’s all one package.
• We are joint-heirs WITH Christ.
• We suffer WITH him.
• We are glorified TOGETHER.
• We are utterly inseparable from Him.

Romans 8:38–39 (NKJV)
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• The ‘body’ of Christ metaphor is true.

Colossians 1:18 (NKJV)
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

• Whatever happens to the body happens to the head of the body also and vice-versa.
• The good, the bad and the resurrection are all shared alike.
• We are truly one with Him.

Glorified Together

• All of this works towards one end, that we may be also glorified together.
• The word glorified means to share in the glory which belongs to someone else.
• You remember the prayer which Jesus prayed in John 17?

John 17:22 (NKJV)
22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

• We have are truly connected to Jesus and truly share in all aspects of Jesus.
• Jesus was exalted and so are we.
• Jesus was raised up and made to sit with the Father and positionally we are there with Him.
• Jesus endured the contrary testimony of others against Himself and we partake in the same.
• But, there is also the glory part.
• We get to share in the glory.

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 (NKJV)
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

• A believer’s path to sharing Jesus glory lies in the admonition to take up our cross and follow Him.

Mark 10:28–30 (NKJV)
28 Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.” 29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.

• If we share in His sufferings, we share also in His glory.

1 Peter 4:13 (NKJV)
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

Philippians 3:10 (NKJV)
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

Call to Action:

Sharing in Jesus glory is huge. Count it a privilege. Mark it down as joy.

Question: What does glorification mean to you? Please share your comments in the comments section below.