Lesson 8: Warring Against the Flesh - Following Jesus in Suffering
Questions 3 and 4
When we are led by the Spirit to put to death the misdeeds of the body, we suffer. When we deny ourselves and take up our cross, we suffer. Jesus “suffered in the flesh” as He died to sin, and we must arm ourselves with the same way of thinking.
"Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin." 1 Peter 4:1
Question 3. According to 1 Peter 4:1, to what does suffering lead?
Yes, whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. So we can see, then, that suffering is an integral part of freedom.
Think about how this applies practically: when temptation hits, and we say “no” to that ungodliness, we suffer in our flesh. If we deny ourselves that particular food, or that extra dessert, or that huge meal, and our flesh whines and pleads to have its previous comfort, there is pain in that choice. But this pain is what Jesus chose when He went to the cross for you, and it is what Jesus in you chooses today.
This is why Romans 8:17 is in the very chapter that deals with putting to death the misdeeds of the body (Romans 8:13). Let’s reread Romans 8:17: “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.”
Question 4. According to Romans 8:17, what precedes sharing in glory with Jesus?
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