“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Philippians 3:10
Over the years I have spoken frequently of living a crucified life. This means living a life of sacrifice and service. It is a life of seeking first the Kingdom of God and placing His wishes ahead of my own. Living such a life demands Christ to be placed upon the throne of my life. The terminology for such a life was given to us by Paul.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20
When I first began in the ministry, many Christians embraced such a doctrine. Believers were willing to separate themselves from the world while sacrificing greatly for the cause of Christ. I witnessed many young men surrender to preach the Gospel. I saw others sacrifice a secular career to become missionaries, Christian school teachers, youth leaders, and a host of other humble ministry positions. Churches shunned the world’s entertainment, style of dress and standards of morality.
Those living a crucified life also realized that true worship always involved sacrifice. Abraham defined worship back in the book of Genesis.
“And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.”
Genesis 22:5-6
In Abraham’s mind he was not climbing the mountain to sing a few choruses, but rather he was to sacrifice his son. We were taught how to worship in prayer by sacrificing our daily bread in fasting. Jesus taught us the principle of sacrifice in giving through the story of the widow’s mite. Over and over we understood that we were not placed upon this earth to do our will, but to accomplish His will. Obviously, the concept of a crucified life is foreign to most Christians today. It is like we have skipped over the cross and established our dwelling place at the open tomb.
Indeed, there has been a change. The meaning of the death and resurrection of Christ has been altered over time. In the beginning, the disciples understood that Jesus’ death and resurrection demonstrated that they need not fear this world as they went about their ministry.
The words, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21), appeared to be the mentality of all of the Apostles. They sacrificed in order to participate in the resurrection. However, in this present day, Jesus’ death and resurrection has become a message of being free from pain or suffering. Although it is certainly true that Jesus Himself paid the full price of redemption, yet He has left us here on earth to carry out His work and to share His message. The modern idea says that “since Jesus served the Father, I don’t have to; since Jesus lived a good life, I don’t have to; and since Jesus suffered and sacrificed, I don’t have to.” The modern belief is that we should be free of suffering, hardship, and torment—because Jesus took care of all that for me. Many books at the Bible bookstore attest to this modern interpretation. Many modern sermons dwell on the subject of living without pain or hardship on the earth. In many churches if you are having a tough time, many will believe something must be wrong with you spiritually; indeed, something must be wrong with your faith.
So the modern teaching is that we’ve all received a universal protection policy from hardship. But that is not true, suffering and tragedy happens to Christians and non-Christians alike. It is clear that the early Christians never looked at Christianity as a way out of suffering.
Faith In Christ Includes Sharing In Every Aspect Of His Life.
First, knowing Jesus clearly involves the power of the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus conquered death and provided the way for us to be born into God’s family. (Philippians 3:10)
Second, Paul also notes in the same verse the importance of sharing in “His sufferings.” Many believers miss this trait, believing the Christian faith provides freedom from hardship. This is a popular teaching in the modern church. However, the Scriptures make it plain that the early church knew that living for Christ included sharing in both the joys and struggles, and sometimes these struggles would involve intense suffering. Paul personally endured hardship despite his faithful life. The early church understood and accepted this reality.
But here’s what happened, as Christianity became more worldly and flesh centered, Christians didn’t believe they needed to sacrifice in order to participate in the power of a resurrection life. We skipped over the cross and headed straight for the open tomb. It became a message of having resurrection power without the anguish and suffering of the cross. This thinking leads us to believe that following Jesus should lead to less suffering. But the truth is, living a self-sacrificial life is to choose a life that is sometimes uncomfortable. The good news of the resurrection is not that we get to avoid suffering, but that there is a resurrection power that comes out of suffering.
The resurrection is an invitation not to escape all the pain, but to see beyond the pain, sorrow, and suffering. It’s a call for us “to get out of ourselves” and our small, self-created world of painless entitlement. The Redeemer suffered in place of man and for man. But, each of us is called to share in that suffering which not only allows us to increase our faith, but also to more closely identify with Christ. In bringing about redemption through suffering, Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the redemption. Thus, each man, in his suffering, can also fellowship in the redemptive suffering of Christ. We must learn to personalize our suffering. Although we never seek to suffer, yet we also realize that godly suffering conforms us more to the image of Christ. We cannot experience the power of His resurrection without spending some time as partners in His suffering. And how can we be partners in His suffering, if we are not even willing to face suffering with a joyful heart?
I know some people say, “But He went through all of that so we don’t have to!” I’ve come to believe that the power of His resurrection is directly linked to the horror of His death; in much the same way as the experiences of sadness, illness, and failure enhance and intensify the experiences of joy, good health, and success.
So, to those open to a word of advice, do not attempt to bypass the cross to get to the tomb. Our Lord explained it this way:
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Matthew 16:24
I truly believe that the power of the resurrection will be more meaningful, more powerful, and more transformative for us, if we’ve spent some time sharing in His suffering first. The Resurrection is the most powerful, earth-shattering, explosive event to ever happen in human history. It has fundamentally changed the world. The belief that the eternal God became a man, allowed Himself to experience everything that is human, to die a horrific death in the midst of terrible mockery, and then rose from the dead and offered His disciples a share in His glory is a creed that has turned the most wicked into saints. This is the event that inspires, molds, and shapes the life of every Christian believer. It is the summons to goodness and the promise of eternal glory.
Rather than wearing a frown due to our suffering, or sporting a fake smile, we need to face our sufferings in this world and find resurrection power through the cross we bear. For the joy set before us, let’s face reality and share in the suffering of our Lord so that we can join in His victory. Those who live in resurrection power know that the cross always accompanies the open tomb. A crucified life is necessary if you are to live a life of resurrection power. Sacrifice is necessary in order to experience true worship. This power does not necessarily undo our past, fix our problems, or change the circumstances of our lives. Rather, it changes us, offers a way through our problems, and creates a glorious future in this world and in the world to come.
Whatever suffering God allows in your life; whatever pain, whatever disappointment, whatever trial, however big or small, we should want to be able to testify with Paul, “In my suffering I shall bring glory to my Lord.” We want whatever cross we bear or hardship we suffer, however big or small, to make God look more trustworthy and gracious for anyone who might see how we suffer.
Someone needs to see you pick up your cross and suffer triumphantly in resurrection power. People need to see you clinging to His promises, treasuring His friendship, and praising His name when life is falling in on you. Some may not know how much they need to see you endure because their suffering hasn’t come yet. But it will. And when it comes, they will remember the saints who they have seen suffer well.
Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry over forty years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries.