“WORTHY TO SUFFER!”

Acts 5:40-42                                (ESV)

“40 And when they had called in the apostles, THEY BEAT THEM and charged them not to speak in the name of JESUS, and let them go. 

41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted “WORTHY TO SUFFER” dishonor for the NAME.

42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they DID NOT CEASE teaching and preaching that the CHRIST is JESUS.”

Peter and some of the the disciples had been rebuked for proclaiming that the CHRIST is JESUS.  Not only were they rebuked, THEY WERE BEATEN and urged NOT TO SPEAK in the NAME of JESUS, but they could not help but speak TRUTH (Acts 4:20)!  Could they have been mistaken about this JESUS and HIS “claim” to Deity?  When JESUS performs a work in your own life, it becomes a part of you and denying the results will grow to be as unnatural as breathing water.  It won’t work!  

Imagining that anyone would consider themselves “WORTHY TO SUFFER” for any cause goes against human nature.  Galatians 5:17 says “For the desires of the flesh are AGAINST the SPIRIT, and the desires of the SPIRIT are AGAINST the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to KEEP YOU FROM DOING THE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO.”  The SPIRIT leading us will not necessarily lead us to the easiest, most comfortable path.  When the SPIRIT leads us, it is leading us to Glorify GOD, not our interests!  

SUFFERING is generally thought of by most as punishment for doing the wrong thing.  However, scripture doesn’t seem to build a strong case for this point of view.  In Acts 9:16 JESUS say to Ananias regarding Saul, “For I will show him how much he must SUFFER for the sake of MY name."  Saul, later known as Paul, was thought of by most to be one of the most dedicated Believers in the New Testament.  Yet he was CALLED to SUFFER for the sake of MY name!  By modern day standards, Paul wouldn’t have been selected to many denominational missions boards or councils, he would not be thought to very highly by noted Bible scholars, but he obeyed the Spirit of GOD’s direction in his life, something others don’t have a lot of experience in doing.  

When Peter and the other disciples left the presence of the Jewish council, they rejoiced that they were counted “WORTHY TO SUFFER” for the cause of CHRIST. The WORD is the WORD and trying to make it say what we desire it to say is a dangerous thing.  Being “WORTHY TO SUFFER” isn’t for the weak or Spiritually immature.  Remember Peter was the man who denied JESUS three times before the crucifixion.  Now he was rejoicing because he was counted “WORTHY TO SUFFER”!!  Am I Spiritually mature enough to be joyful when SUFFERING comes my way?  Or am I even “WORTHY TO SUFFER”???