Say amen to that. Let's turn to 2 Corinthians 1. Now we saw who wrote this letter and who it's written to. This is the word of the Lord delivered through Paul and it's written to the church. It's written to God's saints, the church. This is who it applies to. This is who he's gonna bless by it.

And then we see here in verse three, he says, blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. God comforts his people so that we may be able to comfort our brethren who are in any trouble. and we comfort one another with the comfort wherewith God comforted us, and that is Christ, our consolation.

Now, there are a lot of different trials and troubles that the Lord's people face, and the Lord told us that. He said, in this world, you shall have tribulation. He told us that. And there's a lot of different kinds of troubles. But God will comfort His people in all our trouble. He's the God of all comfort. He's the Father of mercies. His mercies are new every morning. He's gonna comfort His people. And the comfort is the same every time He comforts us. It's the Lord Jesus. What He has done, what He has accomplished for His people. I'm gonna focus today on one type of suffering. One type of suffering. But I'm gonna show you, as you hear this and hear the comfort in this suffering, it is the same with all suffering. No matter what the trouble is, it's the same.

See there it says, as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so the consolation shall abound by Christ. Now, first of all, note what the Spirit of God calls our suffering. Verse five, he calls it the sufferings of Christ, as the sufferings of Christ abound in us. Now, the most common trouble, this is the one I'm gonna deal with, the most common trouble we deal with more than any other is the trouble and suffering due to our body of sin and death, this sin nature that we have. In our inward man, in our new man, we suffer due to our corrupt sin nature that's in us.

Now, why would this be called the sufferings of Christ? Why would you say that that's the suffering of Christ? Here's why. It is the life of Christ in the new man that is the only reason you know anything at all about your sin and know anything and the only reason it causes you to suffer is because of the life of Christ within us.

Scripture says he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Infirmities means weakness, total weakness. And all our infirmities, all our weakness is due entirely to our sin nature. It's due to our sin. But we wouldn't know we have a sin nature except the life of Christ dwell in us. And he dwells in everybody born of him. And that's how we know we're still a sinner. That's how we know we have a sin nature. That's why our sin and our sin nature trouble us. We wouldn't know it otherwise. We wouldn't know it otherwise.

Now let's go to Romans 7, and I want you to hear again what Paul says. This is a holy man, regenerated, taught that he's a sinner, He's holy, he's been sanctified. Some people deny that, but this is so. Now, what we're gonna see here is it's not our old man of sin that suffers. It's not our old nature that suffers. Your old nature, if you're born again of God, your old nature is what it always has been.

It's sin. And all it can produce is sin. And the only way a sinner knows that is because when Christ enters, he creates a new man that's holy that does not sin because the incorruptible seed abides in him. He cannot sin because he's born of God. That's what John's talking about in 1 John 3. There's a new man in us that cannot sin. When we drop this body of death, we're gonna be with Christ in glory because we have a new spirit. And that new spirit's holy, that new man's holy. But we do know now, because we have this new spirit, we know that we are sinners in our nature. Now let's listen to Paul right here.

Romans 7, verse 17, he's speaking of sin and he says, now then, he's speaking of sin and he says, now then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. It's not my new me, it's not the new man in me, it's my old man, it's my sin nature. For I know, the new me knows, I know because God's taught me this, because he gave me a new heart, he gave me spiritual discernment. I know that in me, that is in my flesh, in my old sin nature dwelleth no good thing.

For to will is present with me. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. That's in the new man. He says, for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good that I would, I do not. But the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, It's no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Sounds like he's talking about two people. He is. There's an old man in Paul and a new man. That's so of every believer.

He says then, verse 21, I find then a law, this is a standing principle that will be so until the believer dies. I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. even in my good works, evil is present. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me the new me from the body of this death, from the old me. Verse 25, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. That's who's gonna deliver. We're considering how the sufferings of Christ include this warfare between the old man and the new man.

Because the only reason we know our sin and know our sin nature is because Christ has We entered in in spirit and created a new man, and now we know we're the sinner. Now we know that when we do good, sin's with us, evil's with us. Now, our Savior knows the feeling of our infirmities. He knows our weaknesses.

The Son of God was made flesh for two reasons. For two reasons. I want you to go to Hebrews 5. I'm gonna show you the two reasons. The first reason was that he might offer himself as a sacrifice to God to make atonement for the sin of his people. And that is what our Lord Jesus did. That is exactly what he did. was made sin for us, and he bore the curse for his people, and he made satisfaction to God. The law said we had to die, and in Christ's death, all God's elect died. And he purged our sin completely and made us the righteousness of God in him. That's the first reason. And then the second reason is this, that he might know the feeling of our infirmities as a man. so that he would be able to comfort us and console us and strengthen us.

Let's read it right here, Hebrews 5.1.

Every priest, this was pictured in the Lord choosing the Levitical priest, the high priest, from among his brethren. He was picturing Christ being one with his brethren by being made the God-man. Now watch it. Every high priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in things pertaining to God. Here they are.

Number one, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin. That's what Christ did for us. That's his number one reason for being made one with his brethren in the flesh. Then number two, who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. See that? He's also compassed with infirmity. Now look back at Hebrews 4. Now look at verse 14.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Go back again, go to Hebrews 2, and look at the end of Hebrews 2, verse 17. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. Number one, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. He did that through his blood.

And then number two, for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor, to comfort and strengthen them that are tempted. Now, how thoroughly was our great high priest, how thoroughly does he know the feeling of our infirmities? Does he really know my weakness? He's God, he's all powerful, he's sovereign holy God. Yes, but when he came down, he took the form of a servant. And he walked as the one believer that God's looking to representing all his people.

So everything we were tempted with, he was tempted with. And what we experienced in our weakness, he experienced it. Go with me to Matthew 26. Matthew 26. Our Savior was touched with the very same weaknesses infirmities that we're touched with. In Matthew 26, now we experience this because of our old man of sin.

Our Savior knew no sin. He knew no sin. As the God man, Christ was holy. He knew no sin. He was holy. He never sinned. You could say it like this. God in him made him holy. That's what you can say about a believer. Christ in you made you holy. So our Savior never personally sinned. He never sinned. It's not our new man that sins because Christ dwells in our new man. He never sinned and the new man he's created is born of incorruptible seed. That means your new man can't be corrupted because Christ dwells there. He's life, he's righteousness. But the holy Lord Jesus was made sin for his people.

2 Corinthians 5.21, he hath made him sin for us who knew no sin. We might be made the righteousness of God in him. And so he knows what it is to be holy and at the same time bear the burden of sin. That's what you experience, that's what I experience as a believer.

We know what it is to be holy, but because of our sin nature, just what we saw with Paul, we have a sin nature and we hate it and we know what that is to some degree. And we can't enter into what our Savior was bearing in Gethsemane, but we have God's word as to what happened.

Now here in Matthew 26 verse 38, He took a couple of his apostles there with him. And in verse 38, it says, then saith he unto them, my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death. We're talking about trouble that you have due to your sin and the sufferings it causes. And our Lord, says, my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death.

Terry, you're here and watch with me. Luke says, being in an agony, his sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood falling to the ground. That's a real thing. You can look it up. You can become so stressed that your capillaries bust and it looks like you're sweating blood. Our Lord, he knows the burden of sin. Look at verse 39.

He went a little further and fell on his face and he prayed, saying, oh my father, if it be possible, Let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he comes to his disciples and he finds them asleep. And he said to Peter, what, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. Now listen to what he says.

The spirit indeed is willing. but the flesh is weak. He experienced that and he knows what that is, just like you experienced. Because he dwells in us, our spirit's willing. Paul said, I'm willing. What I would do, but our flesh is weak due to our sin. He was experiencing it because he is the sin bearer. And he learned it by experience, though, as a man. He experienced it as a man.

He went away again the second time, and he prayed, saying, Oh, my father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and he found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. And he left them and went away again, and he prayed the third time. saying the same words.

Luke says, now get this, Luke says, and there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. Brethren, the father heard him. And the father sent an angel and strengthened him. And then he arose and he went to the cross. Our great high priest made satisfaction to God for the sins of his people so that God is just and God has justified us in Christ. He purged our sin and made his people righteous. There's no more offering for sin, no more. So now Christ is risen and he will hear his people when we pray to him. He will hear his people.

Now, go with me to 2 Corinthians 12. 2 Corinthians 12. Our text says, as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so also our consolation also abounds by Christ. Let's take, we're gonna take Paul for the example. Now, not only did our Savior justify his people, Not only did he deliver us from the curse of the law, our great high priest knows the infirmities, the weakness of our flesh. He knows it firsthand. We only know our sin nature and our sin in part. We really don't know the depth of it. And what little we do know, think how it burdens you. Think of this now. Our Savior didn't just bear one person's sin, he bore all the sin of all his people.

That's what made him sweat blood. And also, as a servant of God, depending on God, walking in perfect faith and fidelity to God, because he's representing his elect who could not do that, our Savior also experienced the grace and power of God. God sent an angel to him, and God strengthened him. Listen, it says in Hebrews 5, 7, let me just read this. It says, in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears, he really felt what he was suffering.

This is why I hate it when people preach this as just a cold legal doctrine. Our Savior, it was necessary He'd bear the sin of His people so that He could be accursed, be made accursed justly and put our sin away, declaring God's righteous. He does nothing unjustly. But it was also necessary for Him to be touched with the same feeling of our infirmities.

And so, that's why He had to suffer. And He says, and he was offering up prayers of supplication with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and he was heard and that he feared. Though he were a son, don't think you're gonna be exempt from suffering because you're a son or a daughter of God. Though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.

That word learn means he experienced it as a man. And it says, in being made perfect, everything he did he fulfilled. He became the perfect savior, perfect righteousness, perfect redemption, perfect holder. Everything he did, he finished for his people. In being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him.

Now, Our Savior, when he was bearing the sin in that garden, and I believe he was bearing our sin in the garden, and he was praying to the Father, and the Father, he prayed three times to the Father. Father, if it's possible, remove this cup from me. He prayed three times, and God sent an angel the third time and strengthened him.

And so our great high priest knows what the suffering is that we suffer. And he knows how to comfort us and strengthen us. He experienced it all as a man, as the one perfect believer who God, the only reason he accepts us is because of him, because of his perfection. But he experienced it all for us.

Now watch this. Just like our savior, the Lord gave Paul a thorn in the flesh, Paul prays three times for it to be removed. He asked the Lord to deliver him from the thorn in his flesh, but the Lord Jesus didn't remove it from him. He didn't take it away. He didn't take him out of the circumstances. The Father didn't take the cross away from Christ.

Aren't you glad? It was for the Father's glory and it was for the salvation of his people. So's your cross, so's my cross. It's for the glory of God and it's for my own good and the good of his people. I couldn't tell you what I'm telling you today if he took the cross from me. That my little suffering that I've had to say, I couldn't tell you what I'm telling you today if he hadn't left me in it and did something far better for me than taking that away. What did he do? Look here, Paul prayed three times, verse nine, 2 Corinthians 12, nine, and he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee.

My strength is made perfect in weakness. You're gonna know I'm your only strength when you're made to know you don't have any strength. You're nothing but weakness. You're gonna have to learn that, and that's when you're gonna see I'm your strength, I'm your salvation. Paul said, most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my utter weakness. I'm here to tell you, I don't have any strength. I've heard people say to me, I don't know how you did. I didn't. I didn't. I can promise you I didn't. I'm going in my infirmity, my utter inability. and that the power of Christ might rest upon me. That's the only way a believer gets through the day, is the power of Christ in any suffering.

Listen, therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in my utter weakness. Here are some of those other sufferings of Christ that we experience in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake. Why do you take pleasure in that, Paul? For when I am weak, then am I strong."

Our great high priest knew exactly what Paul was suffering. He knew exactly what he was suffering because our substitute bore it infinitely more than Paul did when he was made sin for his people. He suffered far more and he knows what you are suffering. He knows it. He knows it.

And he knew how to comfort Paul. He did for Paul what the father did for him. Father sent an angel and strengthened him. Christ in spirit is that angel that came to Paul and strengthened him in the new man. And he experienced the power and the grace of God.

And it was sufficient to get him through it. It was sufficient. He taught Paul this. He taught you, this is why it's so much better that he doesn't take you out of the circumstances. Because here's the better thing. He's teaching you his grace is sufficient. His grace is sufficient. You will know his strength. and that he's your only strength and you will know he's your only power when you are utterly weak.

Hebrews 4.16 says, let us therefore come boldly welcome to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Everything you suffer, I don't care what it is, that's the purpose. To bring you to Christ who is the only strength of his people and beg him to be your power and your strength by his grace and give you grace.

That's the purpose of everything the believer suffers. Now, last thing I wanna show you. Here's why we suffer. Here's why we suffer. 2 Corinthians 1.4 says, He comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. I'm standing here, a weak, helpless sinner, trying to comfort you to know the Lord with what he comforted me with. I know that your sufferings abound I know it.

And they're not a one and done. A bound means it's not a one time thing. In this world you shall have tribulation. You must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of heaven. Just what we was talking about. He's teaching us there's only one thing you need is Christ. That's what he's teaching us.

They abound. The sufferings of Christ abound in us. Sometimes they abound in intensity and in duration. Sometimes those night seasons last for a long time. This one we're talking about, about our old man of sin being with us, It's gonna last till we draw our last breath. We're gonna have to deal with this. But there's other, these other types of sufferings of Christ that we bear, they last a long time.

And sometimes the intensity, it's like waves and billows going over your soul. David was so weak that you know that one time where he says, Lord, he said, I'm overwhelmed. like he was drowning, and he could see the rock, but he couldn't even get to the rock. He said, Lord, lead me to the rock that's higher than I. Get me up on the rock. Get me to Christ. But I'm here to tell you this. This is something I know, and I'm telling you this is so. I'm just reminding you of what I know. You already know it. I'm just reminding you that know him. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. We sing it.

God leads his dear children along in the night seasons and all the day long. He's got us. No matter the sufferings of Christ, it doesn't matter what's troubling you, it could be the outward suffering, it could be a trial of providence, it could be sickness, it could be the loss of somebody you love, it could be reproaches for the gospel's sake, it could be this focus we're looking at today, it could be the inward thorn, the sin of our old man that pricks our conscience makes us grown within our new man. No matter what it is, our consolation is Christ. He's our consolation. Our great high priest shall console them that he bought with his precious blood. You can bank on it. Our consolation shall abound by Christ.

Now I'm not talking about a natural fleshly comfort. That's not what I'm talking about. That's not what Paul's talking about. And I'm not talking about some stoic bravery where you just put on a face like you're comforted while you're dying. I'm not talking about that.

Christ, through the preaching of this gospel and by his spirit and by using a brother that has suffered to speak to you and remind you, the Holy Spirit takes the takes Christ himself, the blood of Christ, the righteousness of Christ, the holiness of Christ, everything Christ is to us, and comes into your wounded spirit, your wounded new man that's just broken and contracted, he comes in and he gives you peace, and it truly passes understanding. how you could be crying real tears and really be brokenhearted and mourning and yet have a peace that you know, I'm his. I don't care what this world does. They can't take me from him. Nothing can take me from him. I'm his. And he gives you that peace to know he's your life, he's your righteousness, he's your all.

And it's never only for your personal benefit. The Lord comforts you so you'll be able to comfort your brethren. That's what our text said. Next time you suffer, this might help you a little bit too, as next time you're suffering, remember, the Lord's preparing me so I can comfort my brother down the road. That's what he's doing. And he only does it for those he loves.

And you don't have to suffer the same circumstances they suffer. You don't have to, the circumstances could be totally different than somebody else's suffering. You don't have to suffer the same circumstances. Look, look at verse four. That you may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, it don't matter what they're in. Because the comfort, the consolation is the same no matter what. You don't have to suffer the circumstances. The heart breaks the same, and this is the truth about it.

Whatever you are suffering as a believer, it's the hardest thing you've suffered. If you have a real trial, and the Lord's dealing with you, and you're at a point, you're saying, I've never suffered something this hard, that's true. Because when he says he won't give you something more than you can bear, you can't bear anything. But what he's telling you is, Whatever he gives you at any given time, it's gonna be the worst thing you've ever experienced. When you're able to say, I've never been anything like this, that's gonna be a true statement. It's never been this hard before. He's not gonna give you that before he's given you lesser and taught you along the way. Then he'll give you something a little tougher.

But he's gonna keep you knowing that he's the father of mercies, he's the God of all comfort, and Christ is all our consolation. He gonna keep you knowing it. He said, these things have I spoken unto me that in me you might have peace. In the world you're gonna have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world and all God's elect have overcome the world because Christ overcame the world. We've already overcame it. We're sitting there with him in God's right hand.

So he's not losing you, he's just teaching you that you don't need anything else in this world. The things that he takes from you and we cry like a baby that you took a pacifier from. It's no different. We just grow up, turn into grown men babies and cry about something he takes from us. But he's teaching you the same thing. You just need him. He's the only one you need.

The sure outcome of the consolation is this. Look at verse seven. 2 Corinthians 1.7, and our hope of you is steadfast, knowing as you are partakers of the suffering, so shall you be also of the consolation. Go with me to Romans 5. If you're the Lord's, I can tell you this. As you are partakers of the suffering, as surely as the Lord is going to put you through some tribulation, as surely as you're gonna suffer the sufferings of Christ, you're also gonna suffer, I mean, you're also gonna be comforted with the consolation. Sure, sir, I have that good hope. And that increases your hope for glory. Let me show you this, verse one.

Romans 5.1, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God, of being with God one day. And not only that, we glory in tribulation also, trouble also, knowing that trouble works patience. He teaches you to wait on the Lord. Wait on the Lord. That's what he taught you in the last trial. That's what he's teaching you again in this one. That's what he's gonna teach you in the next one. Wait on the Lord.

And look, an experience, I mean, it works patience and patience experience. You get to experience that the Lord is faithful, that he will deliver you in his time. And then that experience grows you in hope. and hope never makes a shame. Just what Brother Jeff said, the Lord's never going to make you ashamed for trusting him, never. He makes good on his word.

Because, here's how you have it, here's how this comfort comes, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. It's spiritual. We're not talking fleshly here, we're talking spiritual. But somebody will say, And this trial is so heavy. I know that. I know that feeling. I've said it. I know it. But here's my hope right here. Look at this next word.

When you were without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. Look down there at verse eight. God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more now being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And here's something else we rejoice in, not only so, We joy in peace with God, we joy in hope of eternal glory with him, we glory in the trial, but we also joy in God himself through our Lord Jesus by whom we've now received the atonement.

So believer, keep calling to him. Go to his throne of grace and ask for help. He's going to console you. He's gonna comfort you. He's gonna teach you everything we saw here today. Christ is your need. He is your one need. The one thing needful is Christ. And then when he's done that for you, he'll use you to tell this same thing to a brother or sister who's suffering, and he'll do it for them. Isn't he gracious? He's wise, isn't he? These things are necessary and is so wise what he's doing.

Father, thank you for your word. Thank you, Lord, for these trials. Thank you, Lord, for teaching us through them and making us to see Christ is our need. He's our strength and our power. Thank you for teaching us that your grace is sufficient. The same Savior who laid down his life for us when we were ungodly, dead, with no life and no strength whatsoever, and justified your people. That same one will certainly save us and keep us now that we're his, now that we know it. Lord, teach us what the trial's for, grow us in patience to wait on you, make us experience again your faithfulness, and keep us hoping only in the Lord.

Lord, thank you. Forgive us, Lord, for murmuring when we're in the trouble. Forgive us for trying to get out of it by our own flesh and our own strength. Forgive us, Lord, for not looking to you and waiting on you and trusting you. Lord, we're so grateful that you are the Father of mercies and that you're the God of all comfort. Lord, we just, we just, We have to give you glory and praise you. You're just so good to us. And we thank you, Lord. Thank you for Christ, and we pray to you in his name. Amen. All right, Brother Greg.