How Christians Participate in the Sufferings of Christ

Episode 57 Show Notes

How Christians Participate in the Sufferings of Christ

From the Show

How can you tell the difference between the Lord’s discipline and the Lord’s punishment?

You've seen kids who just get away with everything, their parents are totally uninvolved, they refuse to correct or teach their kids, and the result is spoiled children who, you can't help but think, are going to find adulthood a rude awakening when the rest of the world refuses to revolve around them. Well, God is a good father. He refuses to let us gorge ourselves on candy instead of enjoying a good meal, but his discipline is correction. It's not punishment. The end is not punishment. The goal is to share in His Holiness….God’s doesn’t deal with us as our sins deserve, as Psalm 103:10 tells us. Why? Because Christ has born our guilt. But God doesn’t save us from guilt without also saving us from the tyranny of sin. And because we still kind of cling to sin, it hurts when he pries our fingers apart from the idols that would only destroy us. He's leading us to repentance, it is his kindness that leads us to repentance. — Michael Horton

Questions in this Episode

1. Hebrews 12 says, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.” How can you tell the difference between the Lord’s discipline and the Lord’s punishment? Is there is a difference?

2. In 1 Peter the Bible says that we participate in Christ’s suffering. How does that work?

3. Can God save people who have never heard the gospel?

4. Should every Christian seek to be baptized in the Holy Spirit?

5. How can I gain victory over my sin?

6. In Matthew 6 how should we understand Jesus saying that some who even did miracles in his name will not enter the kingdom of Heaven?