The Benefits of Trials for Christians

By Michael Kotch

As a Christian counselor, I am often asked why people go through suffering. The Bible actually gives several answers to this question. This book highlights these answers and it is divided into two sections. The first section takes an in-depth look at the question "Can Christians share in the suffering Jesus went through on the cross?" A Bible passage written by the apostle Paul may suggest this. This Bible passage is closely examined in the book, and the implications of this are explored. The second part of this book highlights what the Bible says are the benefits of suffering for Christians. These include following Jesus's example in his suffering; using personal suffering combined with faith as a powerful evangelization tool; suffering develops useful godly traits in Christians; and the Bible tells us that Christians may suffer in this world because of demonic attacks. Additionally, the Bible tells us that Christians are from God and not from this world; therefore, the world may be against us because of it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: May 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098020699

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The Benefits of Trials for Christians

Michael Kotch

Copyright © 2019 by Michael Kotch

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

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Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Can Christians Share in Jesus’s Suffering on the Cross?

Christians Are Members of the Body of Christ and God Is in Us

Additional Biblical Statements about Suffering for Jesus’s Sake

Following Jesus’s Example in Suffering

Open Faith While Suffering Is a Powerful Evangelization Tool

Why Faithful Suffering Is Good for Christians

The Bible States That Christians Will Suffer At Times Because of Their Faith in Jesus

The World Is Also against Us Because We Are Not From the World

Conclusion

Part I

Can Christians Share in Jesus’s

Suffering on the Cross?

Chapter 1

Can Christians Share in Jesus’s Suffering on the Cross?

My suffering makes up for what Jesus is lacking in his afflictions for the sake of his body, the church.

—St. Paul

The point of the first part of this book is a question being put out to the Christian community for debate. I do not have the answer to the question which is why I am putting it out for discussion. This question came to me when I shockingly read a particular Bible passage. The question that I am putting out for discussion is this:

Does Jesus transmit some of the suffering he went through on the cross to Christians who agree to accept it, so they can suffer in his place through the hardships in their own lives?

The following is the Bible passage which, in my interpretation, seems to suggest my above stated question. It is Colossians 1:24–26. I reproduced its translation here from three different editions of the Bible: The New International Version (NIV), The English Standard Version (ESV), and the New King James Version (NKJV). I wanted to compare multiple Bible editions to see if the passage says the same thing in all editions, just to make sure that I read it correctly. Although the wording may slightly vary from edition to edition, the meaning is identical in all three. In the NIV, the main point is stated in one short sentence. In the ESV and NKJV, it is stated in a compound sentence. In this Bible passage (Colossians 1:24–26), the apostle Paul is addressing the Colossian people through a letter he sent to them. This is the verse(s) in question:

"Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church" (Colossians 1:24, NIV).

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to the saints" (Colossians 1:24–26, ESV).

"I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of his body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints" (Colossians 1:2–-26, NKJV).

Again, based on the above Bible verse(s) by Paul to the Colossians, the question I am putting out to the Christian community is this:

Does Jesus transmit some of the suffering he went through on the cross to accepting Christians, so they can suffer in his place through the hardships in their own lives?

By the time Paul wrote the above referenced letter to the Colossians, he had suffered greatly for being an outspoken apostle preaching Jesus Christ as the savior of the world. In an earlier letter in the Bible, Paul wrote to the Corinthians and he detailed all of the suffering he went through for being an apostle preaching about Jesus:

"But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from