Sanctified By Suffering To Stand The Cost

What this episode covers

Today Pastor Kirk transitioned from family and brethren relationships to our relationship with the world. If someone is doing your kingdom, business, or home good and benefitting society, you should leave them alone. However in the end times, those who do good are called evildoers. If you are trying to do good to those around you, you should come to no harm. I don't need reciprocation for doing good. 1 Peter 3:13 is a natural blessing of living peacefully. 1 Peter 3:14 is a supernatural blessing of doing righteousness at a cost. Martyrs are clostest to Jesus in heaven. Being harmed for righteousness is not fair, logical, or right. Yet it is not going to effect your hope. Many times suffering for righteousness produces opportunity to minister or witness. Peter was told by Jesus that his own death would come through suffering. Paul and Silas sang in prison after being beaten and the Philippian guard was saved. They blessed the jailor who was part of the reason they were in prison. When the world harms/hates you, will you revile them or just take it? Rather can you commit to say, I am not going to be afraid or be troubled and look at how I can serve and be a blessing. If nothing else, I am finding out WHY I do good. Am I doing good to receive good or am I doing good to honor God? Suffering also sanctifies you. You become more holy (set apart to God). Pastor describes the difference between justification, glorification, and sanctification. That suffering is calling you to sanctify the Lord in your heart, to make Him in control of more and more of your life. He is now your Lord; you are set apart to Him. You should set Him apart in your heart as your Lord. I am more His today than I was yesterday. Who is more dependent on God; those with everything or those with nothing? He is the one who I trust in and will follow every day no matter the cost! You don't know if you will stand until it has cost you and you continue on. Is your faith genuine to stand the cost until the end? Will you pay the price to keep doing right? Suffering provides us confidence in our statements of faith.