'Counted Worthy to Suffer'

Acts 5

    The apostles of Christ were called into court by the Jewish Sanhedrin. The members of the Sanhedrin were the seventy top men in Israel. They were the most highly respected, most influential, and were thought to be the most spiritual, godly men of the religious world. Normally they were very tolerant. But the apostles were publicly proclaiming Christ as the only Lord and Saviour of men, and they were doing it in the temple! The Sanhedrin thought the temple belonged to them, but it was God's temple. The angel of the Lord expressly commanded these men to go to the temple, the place where God's name was profaned, and preach the gospel there, even though the people who worshipped there despised the God they claimed to worship (5:20).

    The leaders of the Jewish church, these guardians of the temple, would have killed God's preachers on the spot, but they feared that such action would stir up the wrath of the people. Therefore, because it was politically expedient to do so, they spared the lives of God's servants, but only just. The word 'beaten' in verse 40 means 'skinned'. It is the same word that would be used to describe the skinning of an animal. These men were brutally scourged with a whip—a whip designed to rip the skin from the body! It was not uncommon for men to die from such beatings. In the very next verse we read, 'And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name' (5:41).

    Their bodies were full of pain, but their hearts were full of joy, 'rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ'. They considered it a high honour bestowed upon them that God would allow such worthless, sinful creatures as they were to suffer for the honour of Christ. They rejoiced in his faithfulness to them, knowing that 'God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it' (1 Cor. 10:13). It is truly an honour to suffer patiently as a Christian for the honour of Christ (1 Peter 4:16).

    What is the cause of our suffering?

    Everyone knows something about suffering. Some suffer more than others and some less, but all suffer. Basically, all that we suffer in this world is either physical pain or spiritual distress. We suffer physically, in the flesh; and we suffer spiritually in the heart, the soul and the mind. Like Job, we recognize that all we suffer must ultimately be traced to the hand of our God (Job 2:10; Rom. 8:28; 11:36). We rejoice to know that 'All things are of God' (2 Cor.5:18). Realizing that all suffering is ordered, like all other things, by the providential rule of our God, we may trace the sufferings of God's children in this world to four subordinate causes.

    1. Cosmic suffering. There are some things men and women suffer simply because we live in this world. These are common to all since the fall of our father Adam. Sin has made this world a place of sorrow, pain and suffering. All people, believers and unbelievers, suffer from satanic oppression (Job 1:12; 2:7-8; Matt. 8:28-34; 15:22; 2 Cor. 12:7). Satan is not only God's enemy, he is the subtle, crafty, powerful enemy of all mankind. Though governed by the hand of God's providence, Satan causes people to suffer both men tally and physically. We also suffer because of sin. Because all are sinners, all are sufferers. Were it not for sin there would be no thorns of sorrow, thistles of suffering, sweat of fever, or death in the world. Moreover, by acts of sin men and women bring certain evils upon themselves. Because of sin we are all suffering, mortal, dying creatures.

    2. Circumstantial sufferings. From time to time people suffer simply because of their circumstances. In times of famine, plague and war both the righteous and the wicked suffer, though even then the children of God are under his special care (Ps. 91:1-16).

    3. Conscientious sufferings. Frequently, the saints of God choose to suffer for Christ as a matter of conscience (Acts 4:18-20; 5:29-32; Heb. 11:24-26). They willingly take up their cross and follow Christ. They willingly choose pain and sorrow, even persecution and death, rather than disobey the will of God, violate the Word of God, or compromise the truth of God. Men and women of faith and conviction make great personal sacrifices, deliberately, for the honour of Christ (Matt. 10:34-38; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 14:25-33).

    4. Corrective sufferings. Like a loving, caring Father, our God chastens his children for their eternal, spiritual good (Heb. 12:5-11). God does not punish his elect for sin! He punished us for our sins in Christ when he suffered the wrath of God as our substitute (Rom. 3:24-26; Gal. 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18).

    Payment God cannot twice demand,

    First at my bleeding Surety's hand

    And then again at mine!

    God will not punish sin where he will not impute sin; and God will not impute sin to his elect, whose sins were imputed to Christ (Rom. 4:8; 8:33-34). The only place where God deals with the sins of his elect in a penal way is Calvary! When God chastens us it is not to punish us, but to correct us (Ps. 119:65-71).

    When can it be said that a person is suffering for Christ?

    A person is not suffering for Christ when his sufferings are the result of his own evil actions or attitude. Neither is someone suffering for Christ when he wallows in self-pity, murmuring and complaining against God. But there are some living martyrs in this world, men and women who hazard their lives for the name of Christ (Acts 15:26).

    To suffer for Christ is to suffer patiently, trusting God's providence and believing his promise (1 Peter 2:20-24). Job, Eli, Moses and Paul were all examples of such suffering (Job 2:10; Heb. 11:24-26; 1 Sam. 3:18; 2 Cor. 12:9). We ought to follow their examples.

    Those who willingly expose themselves to pain, affliction and heartache for the honour of Christ suffer for his name's sake. The apostles knew what the consequences of their actions would be. They had been forewarned (Acts 4:21). Many pay a high price for confessing Christ, worshipping him and obeying him, and consider it a high honour to do so. The martyrs who were burned at the stake in England in the sixteenth century died simply because they refused to say that the bread and wine of the Lord's Table are the body and blood of Christ! John Bunyan spent twelve years in jail because he would not agree not to preach in the town of Bedford!

    To suffer for Christ is to be a true believer. It is to lose your life for him. It is to obey him, follow him, submit to him and trust him, regardless of cost or consequence. To refuse to suffer for Christ is to deny him (Matt. 10:16,22,24,28,31-39).

    Every believer will, as long as he or she lives in this world, be called to suffer for his Saviour's name. But you have these promises: you will not be forsaken (Isa. 41:10; 43: 1-5); you will never suffer more than you can bear (1 Cor. 10:13); Christ will keep you (John 10:28); God will honour you (1 Peter 1:7). If you would learn how to suffer for Christ look to Christ (Heb. 12:1-5).