Must Born Again People Suffer? Being born again, is being made a new creature in Christ Jesus: "Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2Cor.5:17). When one is put "in Christ" by the power of God, it can also be said that such a person is "dead to sin, and alive unto God" (Rom.6:11).

But this is not the same as some wrongly teach, being "crucified with Christ". "Crucifiction" has never meant "death", for Jesus did not die when he was crucified. Crucifiction is a "process", which in the end will result in death! It was the Apostle Paul who said: "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live. - Galatians 2:20. Crucifixion with Christ is attained only through suffering the same abusive persecutions which Christ suffered, for the same reasons he suffered them. To be crucified with Christ is to have our character crucified - by ungodly men, not by God.

This complete death to sin, this being crucified with Christ, is not accomplished merely by being born again. We are crucified with Christ only as we patiently endure reproach for righteousness' sake, as Jesus endured it. Even Jesus's complete death to self was accomplished only by the sufferings which he endured. We are told, "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect by the things which he suffered, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Heb.5:8-9; 2:10).

The apostles labored to prepare the saints to endure patiently the suffering which righteousness would bring. Peter wrote, "Forasmuch as Christ hath suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind" (1Pet.4:1). And again, "If, when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps" (1Pet.2:20-21). Said Paul, "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake" (Phip. 1:29). And Jesus warned his disciples, "The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not Him that sent me." (Jn.15:20-21). The certainty of suffering for righteousness was not hidden from the saints; on the contrary, suffering was promised to them. The saints were exhorted to follow after righteousness, to endure with grace the suffering it would bring, and thus be "crucified with Christ".

This is a truth which the congregation does not want to hear by and large today. Anything but "suffering". So much false religion would be done away with if the saints of God would gird their loins, ready to follow in the footsteps of their master, Jesus, and be willing to suffer if that be their lot.

For example, one of the reasons that many do not believe the truth about the New Birth, is their fear of suffering. The truth is, that a person is not born again until they have received the baptism of the holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. But to believe that would cause great suffering, perhaps not physically in most cases, but a real suffering and rejection nevertheless.

If a person had enough of the love of God in them to examine "Christianity", they would find that it is not the family of God (though it falsely claims to be so). They would see that the family of God is not a religion, but is the body of Christ, consisting of members that have been baptized into it by the holy Ghost (1Cor.12:13). "Christianity" is NOT the body of Christ, but actually consists of many that are not in the body at all. "Christianity" is a religion that worships Jesus, but NOT in Spirit and in truth. It's doctrines, ceremonies, divisions, traditions, and denominations are "anti" Christ, and anti-Spirit of Christ. But who will proclaim the truth and expose such things? Only those willing to suffer for the truth, and be "crucified with Christ"! Didn't Jesus also expose what was in the hearts of many who proclaimed to be "Jews", but inwardly were something else?

Our loving heavenly Father is determined to perfect us, to discipline us until we bear His image on the earth; and He will do this for us, if we will yield to His chastening hand. The only way for a follower of Christ to avoid being thus perfected with Christ is to refuse to receive God's chastisement. Yes, we have the option of quenching the Spirit in order to obtain a good name among men, but what will the harvest of that choice be?

Without exception, every one who is obedient to the Spirit of God will be misunderstood and hated. Paul, am I correct in saying this? "Yea, and ALL that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." There is no such thing as living a holy life and, at the same time, being highly esteemed by men. And the persecution which comes from following after holiness always serves one of two purposes: either it will drive us closer to God, or it will cower us into quenching the Spirit so that men will receive us into their company.

"A man's enemies shall be they of his own household." The most puzzling and painful element of the persecutions which we face as we grow into the knowledge of God is that our own brothers and sisters in Christ often lead the mob against us. And this is where the real crucifixion in spirit is accomplished. We are in truth crucified with Christ when by the word of God we "come unto our own, and our own receive us not." The leaders of his own people accused Jesus of being demon-possessed (Mt.12:24; Jn.8:48). One of his own disciples betrayed him. They were God's own people who demanded his crucifixion at the hands of the Romans. It is doubtful that the Romans would have considered Jesus to be any threat at all had not the children of Israel slandered him as an enemy of Caesar and of Rome.

That unclean religious spirit which at the close of the era of the apostles perverted the faith and blinded the eyes of the congregations still blinds them. He is sitting in their temples, claiming to be God and exalting himself above all that really is God. Jesus has taught me that truth, as he taught my earthly father before me and as he has taught many others; but most of the children of God that I have met and to whom I have testified of the truth consider the truth to be wrong and Satan's lie to be right.

Even my natural brothers and sisters, "having loved this present world", have forsaken the truths which were taught us by our father. They have cast God's law behind them; they have joined various sects within Christianity - and they are held in very high esteem by Christians. They are now an especially prized possession of the Devil. He treats them well, for he is concerned to make their prisons comfortable places in which to dwell. And much to his pleasure, they lead the chorus of ridicule and scorn against the right ways of God in Christ. By their examples, they have justified those who for years despised the truth and persecuted those few who dared to stand for it. Nevertheless, in order for me and others like me to please God and be crucified with Christ, I must bear their scorn and slander with meekness and mercy. To be crucified with Christ I must be able to say with him in all sincerity, "Father, forgive them. They know not what they do."

Yes, crucifixion with Christ entails much more than experiencing rejection and scorn at the hands of the brothers; it also requires that we respond to such rejection with meekness and good will. Peter reminds the persecuted child of God of Jesus's example, "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously" (1Pet.2:22-23). When those who ought to understand and love the truth do not understand it and hate us for bringing it, then we have the opportunity to turn the other cheek and let our old natures be thoroughly crucified with Christ. We expect the world to reject us; indeed, the world cannot receive us. The real test of humility is when our own family in Christ joins hands with the world (as the Jews joined hands with the Romans against Jesus) to ridicule, reject, and condemn us.

How about you friend? Are you of the mind to suffer for the truth? Yes, you can be comfortable NOT walking in what you know to be right; but you will, in the end, be rejected by the one who knows all things. Man is deceived by "the outward appearance", but God looketh on the heart.

Satan dreads the day when God will raise up His army of undefiled servants to feed His children with knowledge. He dreads the day that someone like Nehemiah arrives "to seek the welfare of the children of God". He earnestly labors to prevent the saints from coming to the knowledge of God, by offering high positions and honors to those who know the truth - if only they will not plainly reveal it to God's hungry children. There is spiritual wickedness in high places. The day of deliverance is coming for the children of God, the day when the call of the Spirit will be heard throughout the kingdom, and the humble will gladly follow the Voice. Yes, praise God, when the gates to Babylon are opened at last to the saints, the humble will happily "come out from among them and be separate"; they will happily obey the Father and no longer "touch the unclean thing". And they will at long last be crucified with Christ - by the rebellious children of God who love this world and who have put their trust in the frail, whitewashed sepulchers of Christianity.

Our prayer for those still entrapped within its walls is "that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Rom.10:1-2). "For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1Cor.2:8) . . . nor would they have persecuted those who walked in the same spirit.

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