“PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM!”

 Romans 8:14-17                        (ESV)

“[14] For ALL WHO ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT of GOD are sons of GOD. [15] For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the SPIRIT OF ADOPTION as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” [16] The SPIRIT HIMSELF bears witness with our spirit that WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD, [17] and if children, then heirs—heirs of GOD and FELLOW HEIRS WITH CHRIST, “PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM” in order that we may also be GLORIFIED with HIM.”

According to those who claim to know, the world population is currently approximately 8 billion people. Of these multitude of people, our CREATOR has only selected a certain ones to CHOSEN to “suffer” for HIS GLORY.  In writing to the Roman church the Apostle Paul identifies these Believers as SPIRIT OF ADOPTION in the focal passage above.  To be ADOPTED in a society could grant the said child full rights of inheritance!  

It is difficult for this finite mind to grasp that a person can be CHOSEN “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), especially when the subject is according to Romans 3:10 “None is righteous, NO, NOT ONE”!!!  Why would THE CREATOR divinely select me out of all of HIS CREATION to sacrifice HIS SON so I could spend eternity with HIM in HEAVEN???  The only way to fathom this is to accept HIS AMAZING GRACE and be forever grateful for HIM!

As humans, we have NO intrinsic value in our earthly lives.  If we are CHOSEN, we need to prepare for times that we are subjected to persecution.  “PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM” isn’t a veiled threat, it is what comes before “in order that we may also be GLORIFIED with HIM”.  Most want to “be GLORIFIED with HIM”, but we try to ignore the “PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM” that precedes it!  REJOICE when “PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM” is exhibited in your life, because that is followed by “that we may also be GLORIFIED with HIM”!!!