No Cross, No Crown

“…Rom 8:17b…if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us…”

Introductory Thoughts

* We are now in a series within a series on Eternal Security, also known as The Perseverance of the Saints.

* There are many who teach one of two wrong views:

** Salvation can be lost

** Profession = security

* The key point is to understand the nature of salvation.

** Salvation is an act of God

Jonah 2:9 "… Salvation is of the LORD.""

Eph 2:10 "For we are His workmanship…”


** Salvation is a permanent change of state— John 5:24 ""Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."

** Salvation Involves Justification by Faith, which is a permanent change in legal status—Rom 3:28 "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law."

Rom 4:6-8 "just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.""

** Salvation involves a changed heart, a changed life, a changed man or woman.

* If you do not believe in the security of true believers, you cannot believe in salvation by Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

* A true born again believer in Christ possesses eternal life and eternal salvation and cannot lose that salvation. Though he/she may fall into sin, God, through His chastening Hand will restore him/her to fellowship. A person who apostasizes totally from the faith gives evidence that they were never truly saved.

* But for Christians, they often don’t feel saved.
Physical problems, mental problems, work problems, family problems, spiritual attacks, persecution—these can and do attack the assurance believers have. These things devastate the believer spiritually and mentally and lead to a diminished witness, to sin in the believer’s life, etc.

* Satan comes along and accuses you, accuses God, tells you it’s not worth it, etc.

* And there are many who signed up for the trip, but they don’t want all that comes with it. Eternal life, avoidance of punishment, joy and bliss—they want these. But bearing a Cross, coming under the discipline of the Word and the Spirit, following Christ, giving up all, suffering persecution and hurt in this world—many have no desire for that.

* If you are a Christian, and you are suffering, that is the normal Christian life. The question is, what are you doing through the suffering? What opportunities for witness are you having in suffering?

* The basic equation of the Christian life is this:
No Cross, No Crown, or No Crown Without a Cross.

Rom 8:17-18 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."



1. NO Cross, NO Crown:— “…if indeed we suffer with Him…”

a. Here again, we have a “first class condition” of the word “if.”

(1) The meaning is “since we suffer…”

b. We have a secure heritage in Christ, we are heirs to the universe, but that is to come. The Christian is guaranteed one thing in this life—tribulation. John 16:33 ""These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.""

(1) The “name it claim it” view of life and faith is heresy.

(2) It is concerned with fleshly things and worldly riches.

(3) Yes, God has prospered some of His people in this life—not many.

(a) 1 Cor 1:26 ”… For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. ….29 that no flesh should glory in His presence."

(b) James 2:5 "Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?"


(4) There is nothing particularly holy about poverty per se, nor is there anything particularly unholy about riches.


(5) There are many covetous poor people, and some Godly rich people.


(6) But more Christians come from the poor than from the rich of this world. And the “name it, claim it” teaching is just Americanized worldliness. What is an Ethiopian Christian supposed to claim—a sack of potatoes?

c. The World and the Christian:

(1) The World is Not Our Friend—the world hates us.

(a) John 15:18-19 ""If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."

(b) 1 John 3:1 "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him."

(c) 1 John 3:13 "Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you."

(d) 1 John 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

(e) 1 John 5:4-5 "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

(2) We are not to love the world—1 John 2:15-17 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."

(3) We are not to be conformed to the world, we are to be rather transformed by the Gospel—Rom 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

(4) We are to be salt and light in this evil world—Salt preserves, Light reveals

(5) The World will not react favorably to our being salt and light—2 Tim 3:12 "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."

(6) The world loves darkness—John 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

(7) The World loves its own rottenness

d. The Cultural War

(1) There is a cultural war going on in America right now. One side is represented by liberalism, the Hollywood establishment, the media, and much of academia.

(2) They stand for total freedom to do anything you want, without restrictions, without responsibility, and without consequences. They laugh and scorn traditional morality and ethics.

(a) Everybody does it

(b) You’d do it to if it was you

(c) Character makes no difference

(d) Gay rights, animal rights, “children’s rights” (that means you can’t spank them and you can’t educate them in your faith), feminism, etc.

(e) The other side stands for the right to kill babies in the womb and the right to put older folks to sleep like an old dog.


(f) The other side is scary, they are well-funded, and they own the media, etc. Your children watch their shows and movies, and they seek to invade your mind by subtle brainwashing on TV.

(3) The other side of the cultural war:

(a) Resorts to psychics instead of God—I want each person here to know that a psychic is ungodly by definition.

(b) The other side resorts to psychology instead of prayer.

(c) They resort to excuses instead of repentance.

(d) Far too many professing Christians support the wrong side because of deception, because of being conformed to this world, because of buying in on Satan’s lies.

(4) Be advised Christian, they will lie for your support, they will deceive you with fine words, they will distort the truth to achieve their ends, but the goal of the other side in the culture wars is to remove Christianity, and all it stands for, from the public culture.

(5) Standing against the world are those who believe in the Bible, in Biblical morality and ethics, and in personal responsibility, honor, and character. What side are you on?

(6) This is not about politics, this is about Truth.

(7) If we do not take an active and assertive role in defending the Christian faith against the infidels and liberals who hate us and everything about us, God will raise up some folks who will?

(8) The other side in this cultural war is against everything Biblical Christianity stands for and is for everything Biblical Christianity stands against.

e. An evidence of our salvation is our attitude and actions toward the world. “…if indeed we suffer with Him…” No Cross, No Crown, Mat 16:21-26

f. John 12:25 ""He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

2. The Meaning of Life— Rom 8:17-18 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together.”

a. Doctrinal Basic—the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

(1) 1 Cor 6:19-20 "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."

(2) 1 Cor 10:31 "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

(3) Eph 3:21 "to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

b. But we will be glorified by God!

(1) It starts in our lives now, and that process is ongoing 2 Cor 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

(2) God’s plan includes glorification—

(a) Rom 8:29-30 "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified."

(b) Rom 5:1-2 "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

c. Suffering and Glory—

(1) 2 Cor 4:17-18 "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

(2) 2 Cor 5:1-2 "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,"

(3) Col 1:24-27 "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

(4) 2 Tim 2:12 "If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us."

3. Suffering and the Christian—18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

a. Some things about suffering (Lloyd-Jones)

(1) It should come as no surprise to us.

(2) It should not shake us

(3) “It is a simple fact of history that there was nothing which was more potent in bringing people to conviction and conversion in the early days of the Church than the observation of the way in which these Christian people endured suffering. When believers were put on trial they were not confounded. Even when they were condemned, and thrown to the lions in the arena, far from grumbling and complaining, they were to be found thanking God that at last they had been counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name….Nothing has so much shaken unbelievers and made them feel that there is something in Christianity after all, as the way they have observed that the Christian has some secret, mysterious power and capacity to endure suffering even joyfully, to rejoice in tribulations.” (Lloyd-Jones)

b. We should not doubt God’s power or God’s love—Where was God when your tragedy happened? He was on the throne!

(1) Psa 115:3 "But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased."

(2) Psa 135:6 "Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places."

(3) Psa 139 "O LORD, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. 5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. … 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

c. “There is no promise given or expectation held out, of any relief or any improvement in our lot…” (Lloyd-Jones) Mat 8:19-20 "Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." 20 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.""

d. All believers suffer, it is a part of life

(1) Job

(2) Elijah

(3) Jeremiah

(4) Paul

e. “Why?” is a question the Bible seldom asks and never answers, but we know that it is for the greater glory of God. 1 Cor 10:31 "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

f. Suffering is also an evidence that we are Christians.

(1) Acts 14:22 "strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.""

(2) Heb 12:6 "For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.""

g. The Book of Job—the classic explanation of human suffering.

(1) Job and his three friends speculate and philosophize on his problems.

(2) His friends accuse Job of secret sin, that God would never allow this suffering unless Job was wrong.

(3) Job denies this, but in his musings, he is obviously hurt at God and questioning things himself.

(4) Job and his friends philosophize endlessly for most of the book.

(5) Elihu, a younger man, finally speaks up on God’s behalf.

(6) Then God lets Job have it—verbally.

(Job 38:1-8) "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 2 "Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? 3 Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. 4 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 "Or who shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth and issued from the womb;"

(Job 40:1-9) "Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said: 2 "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it." 3 Then Job answered the LORD and said: 4 "Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. 5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further." 6 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 7 "Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me: 8 "Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? 9 Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His?"


(7) Then Job understands—

(Job 42:1-6) "Then Job answered the LORD and said: 2 "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. 3 You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4 Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, 'I will question you, and you shall answer Me.' 5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. 6 Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.""

Applications

1. Professing Christian, whose side are you on?
2. Are you willing to bear the Cross? If you are not, you will not wear the crown!
3. Suffering Christian—joy comes in the morning!