“For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Heb.2:18 ESV

Here are seven things that I can think of that involves suffering, I bet you can add others to the list but here is mine:

1. Pain, when we have to live in physical pain that is a type of suffering
2. Loss of a love one. We can call that heart pain
3. Physical deprivation, there are many folks living in this world that barely have enough food to eat and clothes to wear and a warm, dry, safe place to stay at night.
4. Prison, for whatever reason, just or unjust, this is suffering.
5. Living with folks either at home or work that irritate the hell out of us, this is a form of suffering.
6. Living alone and feeling alone. Loneliness 
7. Being persecuted because of your beliefs. More on that later.

You can add to this list as you wish, put them in the comments section if you are inclined to do so. 

But the suffering mentioned in above verse is a different kind of suffering than all of these. “Because he himself suffered when tempted…”

What amazes me is that our Lord, our Savior, our perfect Redeemer, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords suffered when he was tempted! I would think that it would be a cake walk for him who is our Great Hero.

But I have to say I am no theologian, as a matter of fact I can barely spell it let alone be one. So there are some nuances in scripture I do not understand. But I am Holy Spirit taught, and this I consider a honor of the highest level. This is something I don’t take for granted and this is something that is not given in the same portion to all Christians. Some of us are singled out for whatever reason and are invited to enroll into the Holy Spirit’s school of higher learning, no pun intended, hgher learning, get it? This I consider way, way higher then the ivy league schools here in America. The things I learn from Him are precious and of eternal value.  I like to think I started in His school as a first grader and now I think I am in the second grade. First grade you are taught the gospel, what it is and what it is not. Whew, what a schooling, He is often like a drill sargeant, the same lesson over and over and over again until you know it like the back of your hand. So , yes I know the gospel and to my shock most of us have been taught wrong and this breaks my heart. Now I see that Christ taught me the things that are dearest to his heart. The things that mean the most to Him. And what is that? It is His Church and the gospel. And what about the Church that concerns Him? False teaching. We must correctly understand the gospel and we must live the gospel. Get that? We must live the gospel. Which brings me back to the subject of this paper, suffering. 

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Rom.8:17

So far we have learned that Christ suffered when tempted and we learn from this verse that we are to share in his sufferings.

So this is the suffering that we must address. And what exactly is this suffering? What I am talking about is the awful feeling we get all over us when sins temptation comes over us. This is suffering. Anyone want to argue with me on that point? Tell me what Christian who is tempted isn’t suffering? Often times the suffering happens to us after we cave in to our temptations and we have to deal with the guilt. But to those of us who gear up for the battle and face the spiritual foes attacking us, foes that we know darn good and well are far stronger than us. And needing to put our trust in Christ, our deliverer, and having to wait for Him to come to our rescue. The waiting, the waiting, dear Jesus the waiting, though it is never that long of a wait, that wait is suffering.  That is the suffering that Christ experienced and that is the suffering that we share with Christ, because he himself suffered when tempted.

And get this, this is the good news, let us go back to the first verse I quoted, because He himself suffered when tempted,  “He is able to help those who are being tempted.”

I cannot underestimate how big a thing this is in our Christian walk. This is not optional, this is a necessary and vital ingredient to our salvation. Salvation is not a one and done operation. That by the way is why I call this blog, “one and done” I am mocking this whole idea of one and done.

We must endure temptations. One more verse I’m going to quote, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James1:12 kjv

So you see, when you are tempted you are also at the same time tried or tested. God is not tempting you, that is obvious, but you are drawn into it by your own sinful desires. But once you are into the temptation God uses it to see if you are going to exercise the faith that he has given you, and will put your trust in Him for deliverance. 

After you have been tempted and you endured it by putting your trust in Christ for deliverance, then you are in a position to receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to us, to us that love him. 

And what’s with the “those that love him” bit? during this struggle, during this enduring, during this battle against the spiritual forces of evil when you experience the great and mighty and wonderful deliverance of our God something akin to magic will happen: you will fall in love with Him.

These are the things I have learned in the first grade in God’s school of higher learning. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you, may he make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May he lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

P.S. more on suffering (persecution) in a later post