God has called us to follow the example of Jesus Christ, who endured unjust suffering while always doing good. Emulating Him means that suffering is often inevitable due to the world's opposition to godly ways. We must adopt the attitude of Christ, who was determined to fulfill the Father's will, even when it led to suffering rather than self-preservation. If doing His will results in suffering, we share in the fellowship of Christ's suffering. Suffering also relates to sin, as our sins and those of others cause pain in our lives and around us. Yet, approaching suffering with faith—belief, trust in God, and obedience—can lead to a good outcome. Suffering reveals where God's law of love has been broken, serving as a powerful teaching tool to deepen our understanding of how He desires us to live. Even when suffering seems undeserved or unrelated to our actions, committing ourselves to Him who judges righteously allows us to trust that it will accomplish good, whether by teaching us aspects of God's way, helping us identify with our Savior, sympathizing with others, testing our trust, or keeping us humble. Approaching suffering with faith assures us that God will not allow us to be tested beyond what we can bear. He either strengthens us to endure or provides a way of escape. Beyond the immediate moment, a long-range perspective reminds us that suffering is temporary, and what God has prepared for us in the resurrection far surpasses our current trials. Our momentary afflictions are preparing an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison, as we focus on the unseen, eternal promises of God rather than the transient struggles we face.

When we partake of the Passover cup, symbolic of the blood of Jesus Christ, we agree to share in all consequences of the New Covenant, including both blessings and suffering. Drinking from this cup means accepting everything that results from unity with Him, not just the glory but also the pain. Jesus Christ Himself questioned if James and John could drink the cup He was to drink, implying that reigning with Him in glory requires sharing in His entire experience, which includes suffering. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed for the cup to pass from Him, yet accepted the suffering it entailed as part of fulfilling the covenant. Suffering is an inevitable part of our union with Christ, just as it was in His life. We often desire the crown of honor and white robes of glory, but shy away from the crown of thorns and scarlet robe of mockery He endured. The sequence is clear: suffering precedes glory, and we cannot attain the latter without enduring the former. Jesus Christ, as the ultimate example, suffered before entering into His glory, and we are called to suffer with Him to be glorified together. He encourages us not to fear the suffering we are about to face, promising the crown of life to those who remain faithful through it. Throughout history, being chosen by God has meant enduring suffering, as seen in the lives of the heroes of faith, apostles, and prophets, for glory follows only after we have gone through darkness.

The concept of glory, intertwined with suffering, reveals a profound hope for God's people. We are assured as joint heirs with Christ that if we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together. Glory, a term beyond full human comprehension, signifies God's magnificence and the dazzling splendor of His throne, which we long to share as part of His Family. It embodies worth, acceptance, brightness, and beauty—attributes we yearn to participate in, to be within this divine holiness rather than outside it. Originally, mankind possessed a form of glory as Adam and Eve were made in God's image, enjoying His approval and presence in the Garden of Eden. Their sin, however, led to a departure of this glory, bringing decay, suffering, and death, tarnishing the beauty of heart and mind they once held. Yet, through Christ, salvation offers not just restoration but a glorification surpassing what was lost, promising an enjoyment and participation in God that exceeds the original state. In comparing present sufferings to future glory, the intensity of our trials pales against the weight of the glory to come. Suffering affects only our outward being, while glory will be revealed internally, transforming our very essence. Moreover, while our sufferings are momentary, confined to this present age, the glory awaiting us is eternal, belonging to the age to come. This perspective shifts our view of life, encouraging endurance through hardships and a vision of life in its eternal context, knowing that the weight of future glory far outweighs current pain. Suffering, experienced in our bodies, often causes groaning, yet as believers, this groaning is expectant, akin to childbirth pangs, filled with hope for a joyful outcome. We groan in hope, aware that these frail bodies will be transformed into glorious, sinless ones, like Christ's resurrected body. This hope is certain, grounded in God's promises of redemption, adoption as His children, and the gathering of His harvest. Thus, even as we suffer, we wait eagerly and patiently, actively serving Christ, confident that sharing in His sufferings ensures we will also share in His glory.

In Romans 8:17, we are introduced to the profound connection between suffering and glory. As children of God, we are heirs and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. This verse begins with the promise of glory, acknowledges the necessity of suffering, and returns to the hope of glory, emphasizing that one leads to the other. What a marvelous truth, to be an heir of God Himself, sharing in the inheritance that awaits us through Christ! Suffering is presented as a proof of our relationship with God. Though it may seem contrary to human reasoning, it is through suffering that we demonstrate our sonship, for it aligns us with Christ's own path. Jesus Himself taught that suffering was necessary for Him to enter into His glory, as seen in Luke 24:26, and so it is for us. Suffering is not the end, but a necessary path to glory, offering genuine hope and consolation. This suffering takes various forms, each with a purpose. Persecution proves we are on the side of Christ, as He taught in Matthew 5:11-12, for the world opposes those who follow Him. Suffering also serves as spiritual refinement, shaping us into holiness, as depicted in Zechariah 13:9, where God refines us like silver until His image is reflected in us. Additionally, suffering trains us, much like a soldier endures hardship for battle, as Paul writes in II Timothy 2:3-4, preparing us for spiritual warfare and ultimate victory. Moreover, suffering empowers our witness to Christ, carrying particular weight when given under duress, showing the reality of God's grace even in pain or loss. Ultimately, suffering is the ordained path to glory, as Paul affirms in II Corinthians 4:17-18, where our temporary afflictions work toward an eternal weight of glory. Thus, we are encouraged to endure, knowing that glory awaits as the culmination of our journey with Him.

In our journey of faith, we find a profound truth in Romans 5:1-2, where the apostle Paul declares that, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. This hope of glorification, tied directly to our justification, points us toward the final, glorified state with God, as echoed in Romans 8:30, where those justified are also glorified. Yet, this path to glory is not without its trials, for Paul teaches in Romans 5:3-5 that we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, perseverance builds character, and character fosters hope—a hope that does not disappoint because the love of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. This glory through suffering is a testament to the security we have in Christ. Our justification leads us inexorably to glorification, assuring us that nothing can separate us from the love of God, as affirmed in Romans 8:38-39. The trials we endure are not mere obstacles but are instrumental in shaping us, preparing us to share in God's glory. Thus, we stand firm in this grace, confident that the peace with God, established through Christ's sacrifice, sustains us through every hardship, guiding us toward the ultimate hope of eternal glory with Him.

The call to glorify God is a constant and consuming task for His elect, far beyond mere emotional outpouring or simple praise. It is a life devoted to valuing Him highly, exalting and magnifying His name through every action. One profound way we glorify God is through suffering. As stated in I Peter 4:12-16, we should not consider fiery trials strange but rejoice in partaking of Christ's sufferings. When reproached for the name of Christ, we are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon us. In such moments, while others may blaspheme Him, we glorify Him by our steadfast perseverance and unwavering commitment. If we suffer as Christians, we must not be ashamed but glorify God in this matter, showing firm devotion even to the point of death if necessary. Moreover, we can glorify God even by our death. In John 21:18-19, Jesus signifies to Peter the manner of death by which he would glorify God, indicating that faithful martyrdom or dying in the Lord is a final act of glorifying Him. As Psalm 116:15 declares, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. This act serves as the culmination of a faithful life, reflecting the completion of God's work in us and bringing Him glory through our ultimate sacrifice. In all things, whether in suffering or in death, our lives must reflect His glory, aligning every thought, word, and action to honor Him, as urged in I Corinthians 10:31, to do all to the glory of God.

Jesus Christ, in the days of His flesh, offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to Him who could save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear. Though He was a Son, He learned obedience through the things He suffered, becoming perfected and the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Despite His position as God's Son, this alone did not qualify Him to be our High Priest; it was through His manifold sufferings that He was made complete and fully prepared for this role. He learned experientially what it means to obey even amidst suffering, submitting to God's will under unfair, unjust, and intense pain. Through this, He became personally acquainted with sufferings to a degree unmatched by any of His spiritual brothers and sisters, thus perfecting Him for the role of High Priest. He now intercedes before God with complete understanding on our behalf, personifying the voice of experience before God's throne as He mediates for us. Jesus also learned firsthand the wretched consequences of man's disobedience, understanding the suffering that follows when people deviate from God's superior way of life. His sorrows and griefs, described by Isaiah as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, stemmed not only from the physical agony of crucifixion but from a lifetime of rejection and distress. He felt anguish over the stubborn, faithless state of Jerusalem and the nation, grieved over unbelief, ingratitude, self-centeredness, and rebellion, and suffered the pain of betrayal and abandonment by His closest companions. The torment of bearing humanity's accumulated sins on His sinless head caused profound anguish, surpassed only by the misery of being separated from the Father, a separation He had never experienced before. His final cry, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" reveals the overwhelming anguish of the Father removing Himself. Even the Father suffers from the evil effects of human sin, enduring the pain of rejection by His children and the separation of death from His beloved Companion.