How Will You Find Your Comfort in Christ Jesus?

How Will You Find Your Comfort in Christ Jesus?

Many people vainly seek to find comfort in Christ without wanting to partake of Christ’s sufferings. “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our comfort also abounds through Christ.” What is the comfort that is in Christ? That we can cease from sin. What are the sufferings of Christ? They are the sufferings we enter into by not sinning. These sufferings are sufferings in the flesh, because the flesh with its passions and desires has been crucified. Only those who have done that belong to Christ. Gal. 5:24.

“For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Heb. 2:18. “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin . . . .” 1 Pet. 4:1-2. As we can see, the comfort we find in Christ is that we will cease from sin. All corruption that is in the world comes from sin—the passions and lusts. 2 Pet. 1:4. If we know this, we also understand how glorious the comfort in Christ is. Then we also understand that all those who have their comfort in Christ have the same mind, and that they love each other. No one can come to this same mind and the oneness that exists between the Father and the Son without the sufferings of Christ.

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” 1 Pet. 4:12-13.

People are not interested in the sufferings of Christ—in ceasing from sin—when tribulations and sufferings come over them; they are only interested in coming out of the trials and the physical sufferings. They have no understanding of what it means to suffer in the flesh and cease from sin. That is why they murmur and complain; consequently, they have no comfort in Christ and no hope of glory together with Him.

The intention is not that situations and people should be changed, but that the person who has to endure the fire should be cleansed by the fire and come to a greater glory together with Jesus. We are to rejoice to the degree that we share in the sufferings of Christ, so that we can also rejoice with exceeding joy at the revelation of His glory.