Life & Message of the Apostolic: Fellowshipping in the Sufferings of Christ

For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now. (I Corinthians 4:9-13)

Over and over again throughout Paul’s letters, he repeats the lifestyle of an apostle as one of a bondservant—a slave, who gladly lays down his life (Rom. 1:1, II Cor. 4:5, Gal. 1:10, Phil. 1:1). He speaks of the apostle as being one who is whipped, beaten, shipwrecked, reviled and distained (II Cor. 11:22-33). He defines the life of the apostle as being one who fellowships in the sufferings of Christ and bears the marks of His suffering (Phil. 3:2-11).

All throughout the New Testament, the life of following Christ and the life of the apostle is one of laying down your own life and completely giving all to Christ. The lifestyle of an apostle or minister of Christ is not one of glamor, fame, or popularity, but one of suffering, labor, and hardship.

Many of us care so much about fulfilling our assignment or calling in this life. However, look at the life of Jesus. What was His assignment on this earth? What was He born to do? Heal the sick? Raise the dead?  Cast out demons? Preach the Gospel?—No.

Jesus Christ’s assignment on this earth was none of those things. Those things were just demonstrations of how believers are supposed to function on the earth in communion with the Holy Spirit. He was demonstrating how sons and daughters walk in their inheritance.

When Jesus Christ came to the planet, His assignment was to die. He was called to die on the Cross and save all of humanity. Jesus did not fulfill His assignment until His death on the Cross.

In Gethsemane the night before He died, Jesus was in agony over fulfilling His assignment. He asked the Father to take the assignment from Him because it was too difficult to bear.

Many of us want the glamor of a big assignment, but we do not realize that it will cost us our very lives. If our own Lord and Savior had to die to fulfill His assignment, how much more should we?