Title: Why Do Believer's Suffer?
Text: Hebrews 5: 8-9
Date: February 17, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Someone asked me recently, "Why do believers suffer in this world?" The Lord Jesus Christ said to those who obeyed him,
John 15:20: Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Hebrews 12:2: {Look} 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. 3: For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Our text is:
Hebrews 5: 8: Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. 9: And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Christ Jesus is the Son of God like no other.
Christ is second Person in the trinity--one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Philippians 2: 6: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Yet, though he is the Son of God, in order to perfect righteousness for his people and to justify his people from their sins--in order to magnifying and honor the law of God--in order to declare the righteousness of God in the salvation of guilty sinners--he had to suffer under the law as a man.
Galatians 4:4: But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5: To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Proposition: "Why do believers suffer in this world?" As our Savior learned obedience by the things he suffered in this world, so every believer shall learn obedience by the things we suffer.
I. WHAT A WORD! Though he WERE A SON (the Son of God premiently and like no other) yet AS A MAN, HE LEARNED OBEDIENCE BY THE THINGS WHICH HE SUFFERED.
Obedience is voluntary subjection to the will of another.
Adam was the first representative and father of the human race. As such, Adam was the figure of Christ to come. Christ is the Everlasting Father of all those given him of God the Father.
A father is both the legal representative of his house and the one from whom his children are born. When Adam disobeyed God all whom he represented were made sinners judicially. By being born of Adam's seed, every man conceived the first time is born of corrupt seed and is a sinner by birth.
Christ is the Everlasting Father of those given him of God the Father. Christ Jesus partook of the nature of the children given him of the Father. He makes us righteous both judicially and through the Holy Spirit, by the new birth, we are made partakers of his divine nature.
Romans 5: 19: For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Christ's obedience is the unchangeable immutable ground of the believer's acceptance with God.
In order to accomplish this work--the Son of God had to assume a body prepared for him and live under the law as a man in perfect obedience to the Father, voluntarily, even unto the death of the cross.
Philippians 2: 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
John 10: 17: Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
The things his children experience in this world our Savior experienced. As God the Son he is God. But as the Son of man we read:
Luke 2: 40: And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
This one knew no sin so that his suffering was more than what you I know of suffering. Though he suffered a contradiction of sinners against himself, he delighted to do his Father's will:
John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Though he suffered the contradiction of self-righteous men, he said,
John 12:49: For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50: And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
When he suffered being tried of Satan, he continually answered: "It is written…it is written"
When he suffered the betrayal of one who claimed to be his friend, it was real suffering to our Savior--but he suffered it saying, "…but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me."
Sorrow and sweat were the first effects pronounced in the first garden because of the curse of sin. In the Garden of Gethsemane, this one who was willing made a curse for his people said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death:" "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Mt 26: 38; Lu 22:44).
He suffered those he loved turning their backs on him during his humiliation.
Nevertheless, this perfect one who knew no sin was voluntarily made sin--guilty before God--that he might make his children righteous in him. And being made so he suffered being forsaken of his Father--"My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me"
Hebrews 5: 9: And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
· Author and Finisher of Faith
· The Captain of our Salvation
· Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption
· The One in whom the believer is complete
II. learn what God the Holy Spirit teaches us in this text.
A. No child of God is without suffering but suffering is the evidence of our Father's love.
Hebrews 12:5:….My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: (6) For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth…..10:…that we might be partakers of his holiness. (11) Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
We all hear this word tonight. We understand it in theory. But we learn by experience.
Psalms 119:67: Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.
Psalms 119:75: I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
B. Through suffering we learn obedience and obedience is the character of the sons of God.
1 Peter 1:14: As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
If we would obey Christ, we must yield ourselves to our heavenly Father in unquestioning, universal surrender, to do his will in all things--“even unto death.”