We as believers today are under the pure “grace of God” (Rom. 6:14), not under Israel’s law program of promised blessings (healing, etc.) for their faithfulness to the Law as it was in “time past.”

God’s will for those of His Body today is to use our sufferings to manifest His power and wisdom in our inner man, magnifying His Word in our mortal bodies. Consider that today it may be contrary to God’s will for us to pray difficulties away or think God doesn’t care or that He is mad at us when our loved ones aren’t miraculously healed.

We are to trust Christ in us to access His strength and wisdom to press forward.

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities [so] that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (II Cor. 12:9)

Below are the three main sorts of sufferings experienced by believer’s during today’s “dispensation of the grace of God.” The first is totally self-inflicted.

1. ‘Sowing and Reaping’

Believers and unbelievers reap the functional consequences of ‘sins of the flesh’: e.g., if we drive 100 mph, we may get a ticket or be killed. This sort of suffering is of our own doing, making poor and flesh motivated decisions can lead to suffering.

Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts [desires] thereof.

Galatians 6:8: For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption…

2. “Suffering with Christ”

As saints walk in line with the doctrine they put aside the flesh to live or hold forth the Truth, which may bring many difficulties, even death: “…tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword” (Rom. 8:35). Examples: Helping others when it is not convenient or easy, making time to consistently get up early to read the Word, though very busy and bone tired, or being persecuted, jailed, or killed for standing for the Truth of “the faith,” holding forth the gospel, or living a godly life. We know that as we suffer, while remaining here on earth on God’s behalf, ‘Christ as our life’ suffers with us.

3. The “Sufferings of this present time”

Since the Fall of Adam in the Garden, every man experiences this kind of suffering: i.e. mistakes, illness, calamity, frustrations, and natural disasters. This type of tribulation for believers today is addressed here.

Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory [expression of Christ’s life] which shall be REVEALED IN US.”

Paul says the believers Godly lives are to be as ‘epistles read of men.’

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: ³ Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the [human] heart.

Is it what Paul teaches us as members of “the Body of Christ”? We are to learn to “glory,” and “take pleasure in,” these situations and challenges; knowing that when we’re weak, we can rest in God manifesting His glory in and through us as we endure.

These sufferings while we remain on earth are for us but a training ground for the day when we will be “in the heavenly places” possibly reigning with Him.

“If we suffer [endure], we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us [the opportunity to reign.]:” 2 Timothy 2:12 (KJV)

• Portions adapted from Deborah and Brian Johnson