In "Sonship and Suffering," Don Fortner explores the theological relationship between the concepts of sonship and suffering within the life of believers. He argues that suffering serves as an essential characteristic of those born of God, as seen in Hebrews 5:8, where even Christ, the Son of God, learned obedience through suffering. Fortner emphasizes that God's discipline acts as a sign of adoption and sonship, referencing 1 Corinthians 11:32 to illustrate that divine chastisement is a covenant token of grace. The article highlights the Reformed understanding of suffering as a tool for sanctification, giving believers deeper appreciation for God's promises and spiritual growth. By recognizing that suffering is a shared aspect of the believer’s experience, Fortner underscores its importance in fostering obedience and reliance on God during trials.
Key Quotes
“Suffering is one of the birthmarks which are found upon all who are born of God.”
“The Father's Rod... is the pledge of our adoption and the badge of our sonship.”
“As our Savior learned obedience by the things he suffered in this world, so we must learn obedience by the things we suffer.”
“Obedience is learned in no other school.”
What does the Bible say about suffering for Christians?
The Bible teaches that suffering is a mark of true sonship, with God's discipline being a sign of His love for His children.
Suffering serves multiple purposes within God's sovereign plan. It acts as a means of discipline, reminding us that we are God's children, which aligns with Romans 8:32 that affirms God’s willingness to sacrifice His own Son for our redemption. Chastisement, as seen in 1 Corinthians 11:32, is a loving action from our Heavenly Father, aimed at keeping us from condemnation like the world. Such experiences deepen our faith, teach us obedience, and draw us closer to Christ.
Ultimately, the pain we endure refines our character and enhances our walk with God, helping us to depend on His grace and strength instead of our own.
Hebrews 5:8, Romans 8:32, 1 Corinthians 11:32
How do we know that God disciplines His children?
We know God disciplines His children because Scripture explicitly states that He chastens those He loves as a sign of their sonship.
Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 11:32 reassures us that God chastens His own so that we are not condemned with the world. This illustrates God's commitment to our spiritual growth and well-being. The suffering we encounter must be interpreted through the lens of His love and providence—chastisement is a means through which He fosters obedience and character development in us.
To neglect the reality of God's discipline is to miss a crucial aspect of our relationship with Him. It brings to light our need for humility, recognizing that through trials and suffering, God equips and refines us to reflect His glory.
Hebrews 12:6, 1 Corinthians 11:32
Why is understanding sonship and suffering important for Christians?
Understanding sonship and suffering is vital as it provides insight into God's love and the purpose behind our trials.
The experiences of sorrow and trials refine our faith, teaching us obedience and dependence on God. They prevent complacency and draw us closer to the Lord as we learn through the hardships. The importance lies not merely in enduring suffering but in recognizing it as a badge of sonship and a vital step in our sanctification process.
Having a proper understanding of these concepts fortifies us against despair during difficult times, reminding us that God is sovereign and that every trial carries the promise of His grace, ultimately leading us to greater communion with Him.
Hebrews 5:8, John 16:33, Romans 8:32
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; - Hebrews 5:8Sonship and Suffering
"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." Suffering is one of the birthmarks, which are found upon all who are born of God. Our heavenly Father had one Son, and only one, without sin. He has none without sorrow.
The Father's Rod
Our heavenly Father’s discipline is the pledge of our adoption and the badge of our sonship. God chastens none but his own; but he chastens all who are his own. And all who are God’s look upon his loving rod of discipline as a marked token of his grace, knowing that “we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Cor. 11:32). How we ought to thank God that he does not leave us to ourselves! Painful as it is to feel the rod, let us kiss the hand of our loving Father for laying it upon our stubborn backs.
“`Tis my happiness below Not to live without the cross,
But my Savior’s power to know, Sanctifying every loss.—
Trials must and will befall; But with humble faith to see
Love inscribed upon them all – This is happiness to me.
God in Israel sows the seeds Of affliction, pain, and toil.
These spring up and choke the weeds Which would else o’erspread the soil.
Trials make the promise sweet. Trials give new life to prayer.
Trials bring me to His feet, Lay me low, and keep me there.
Did I meet no trials here, No chastisements by the way,
Might I not with reason fear I should prove a castaway?
Bastards may escape the rod; Sunk in earthly, vain delight;
But the true born child of God Must not, would not, if he might.”
William Cowper
Spurgeon once said, “ I bear my willing witness that I owe more to the fire, and the hammer, and the file, than to anything else in my Lord’s workshop. I sometimes question whether I have ever learned anything except through the rod. When my school-room is darkened, I see most.”
Obedience Learned
"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." Though our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he was not exempt from suffering. If he would redeem us from our sins and from the wrath of God, he must suffer all that we deserve as sinners to the full satisfaction of divine justice (Rom. 8:32). Though the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he could not execute a perfect righteousness, to the full extent that the law and justice of God demand, without a perfect suffering (Luke 24:44-47).
If these things were true of him, how much more so must we expect to experience the same in this world? None of the children of God are exempt. Why does the experience of heartache, sorrow, pain, and trouble surprise us? One of the very last things our Master said to his disciples before he left this world was this: -- "In the world ye shall have tribulation" (John 16:33). As our Savior learned obedience by the things he suffered in this world, so we must learn obedience by the things we suffer. Obedience is learned in no other school.
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