Q4. Glory and Suffering

[Niyonka16]

Q4. (Matthew 5:13-15) How do verses 13-16 relate to verses 10-12? ANSWER: Jesus emphasizes to His disciples that their lives are enormously valuable. They are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. That's why it is so important they do the good works God gives them to do. It is how those in the darkness of the world will see God. Like lamps give light to a dark room, or salt prevents decay in food, Christian influence is meant to counter evil and despair (Matthew 5:13–16).

How does hiding our light affect the glory of God?

ANSWER: The reason why it's important to shine: “so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” Many a believer seems just as lost as the rest of the world. Many believers seem to be groping in the darkness unable to find their own way much less guide others. Or they seem to be leading their followers into a ditch because the light of God in them is covered.

Here are 3 things that can cover a believer’s light:

1. Neglect of the word of God: Christians have not developed the discipline of reading and studying their Bible constantly. No wonder they seem to be leaving the road to wander around in the bush. We need to form the habit of reading our Bible through once every year, the entire Bible, not just the parts we choose. When we do this in a devotional manner (i.e. under the guidance of the Holy Spirit), it changes our perception and helps us to see things more clearly.
2. Seeking worldly approval: Many believers are struggling to please the world and live according to its standards. This is a violation of the word of God and steeps us in the very darkness we are to shine our light on. While we cannot avoid unbelievers as long as we are in the world, it is unwise to make them our best friends and aspire to please them more than God.
3. Fear of persecution: Believers sometimes hide their light to “protect” themselves. We may fear standing out because it exposes us to ridicule and persecution but that is part of what it means to be a child of God in a world where evil predominates. However, the Lord Jesus promises to be with us through it all.

Why must glory and suffering go hand in hand?

ANSWER: Since God is the source of all goodness, his glory is the wellspring of all joy. What God does for his own sake benefits us. Therefore whatever glorifies him is good for us. And that includes the suffering he allows or brings (biblically, either or both terms can apply) into our lives.

Was Jesus' suffering necessary?

ANSWER: By sending his son Jesus to die for our sins, God is working to restore the radiance of his own glory shining in and through us. The purpose of Jesus suffering: it was the ignominy of the cross that He endured that was the lowest point that He had to reach for God to reward Him with the highest office of lordship as a Redeemer. The merit of Jesus' suffering is sufficient to atone for every sin that has ever been or ever will be committed.

Is ours (suffering necessary)?

ANSWER: Suffering can make us more resilient, better able to endure hardships. Just as a muscle, in order to build up, must endure some pain, so our emotions must endure pain in order to strengthen. God allows us to suffer because we are living in a broken world. Suffering is necessary for a meaningful life because living a meaningful life requires that we choose to take on a reasonable amount of pain.

What does this have to do with Romans 12:2?

ANSWER: Paul tells us to abandon the chase for pleasure, possessions, and status—to stop living like everyone else. Instead, he urges us to be transformed from the inside out. We must be changed in how we think, to have our minds renewed so that we can begin to understand God's will for our lives. As believers renounce the ways of the world and submit to Christ, their minds, hearts, and wills are renewed by God’s Word and Spirit. This is how we can test and approve God’s will. In summary, embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.

[Lisa Wolf]

Q4. (Matthew 5:13-15) How do verses 13-16 relate to verses 10-12? How does hiding our light affect the glory of God? Why must glory and suffering go hand in hand? Was Jesus' suffering necessary? Is ours? What does this have to do with Romans 12:2? 

Verses 13-16 describe a follower of Jesus: salt, light, and not just light, but light placed so others can see. And not just placed so others can see but a city on a hill!!!! Everyone sees that! and not just so people can see what you are doing as a follower of Jesus, but so they see AND glorify out Father in Heaven!  WOW. Some verses with a strong message.  May they have impact in our lives as Believers.  Returning to verses 10-12 where Jesus talks to His followers about persecution, insult, and not being accepted...this will not happen if no one sees a follower living differently. Thus, when these difficulties come, we know that Jesus is seen and we rejoice to count our message with that of the prophets sent by God long before us.

Glory and suffering do go hand in hand.  Yes, Jesus's suffering was necessary because in the Law, sin required the sacrifice of blood atonement. Hebrews 2:9 states, "But we do see Jesus who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." Romans 5:8 reminds us that "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Our suffering is necessary because we know that to live is Christ and to die is gain. Paul talked with Believers about this in Philippians 1, talking about his chains in prison and his suffering.  He was certainly a city set on a hill--all knew Paul stood with the Gospel of Jesus.

Romans 12:2 states, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." If we don't conform to the pattern of the world, we live constantly swimming upstream against the currents.  Eventually people notice and complain about it. May we choose to be a city on a hill.