Daily Devotional

-March 26, 2021-

Good morning, happy Friday,

-Identifying With Christ By Believing And Suffering-

“For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”

(Philippians 1:29).

When we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we identify ourselves with Him. A Christian is a follower of Christ. We identify ourselves first with the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior. This is shown in symbolic form in baptism. Following that we identify ourselves with Christ in believing in Him and suffering for His sake.

It was true for the OT prophets, for the apostles, and all believers in Jesus, standing for the Lord and His Word is costly. Suffering, especially in persecution, is a part of the Christian faith. Christianity will never be popular. People that hate Christ will also hate us, and people who love Christ will love us.

Jesus said in John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, you know it hated Me before you it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of this world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” There has always been persecution in one form of another, and it still exists today. In many countries today there is physical persecution, but there is also spiritual persecution everywhere, including in the U.S.A.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:17, “For the sufferings for this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” There is a three fold progression: we believe, we suffer, and we reign. The Apostle Peter wrote, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, than when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.”

Peter and John were put into jail, threatened, and beaten for their faith in Christ. After their release it says in Acts 5:31, “So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” We may not suffer in a physical way, but we are put down, mocked, ridiculed, and rejected by so many today. As soon as we identify with Christ and mention the name Jesus, we are cut off and people don’t want to hear it.

Do you believe in Jesus? Are you suffering in some way because of Him? Let us rejoice and thank the Lord that He suffered for us on the cross and we suffer for Him bearing His cross. Luke 9:23 says, “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” Being a Christian is not easy, but it is the greatest blessing in the world and in heaven to come. Let us identify ourselves with Jesus, believing in Him and suffering for sake.

Have a blessed day identifying with Jesus, standing for Him, and suffering for His sake. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean