The Patience Of The Saints

The Body of Christ will experience suffering, due to the fact we are members of the royal family.

Romans 15:3

For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

The enemies of God have become our enemies. The suffering we will experience is due to satan’s hatred of God. He will send messenger angels to inspire men to buffet or rise up against us and eventually to kill us.

Romans 15:4

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

The Lord is allowing us to know these things so that we might develop the patience that is needed to carry us through the sorrows and woes to come upon the earth and the persecution that will come upon the church. This is important, as the scriptures have declared the immediate days ahead are to be a proving and testing of the saints of God. Patience is the virtue that tribulation will work in the saints. John saw the persecution of the church and gave explanation; He that leads into captivity shall go into captivity: he that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints (Revelations 13:10). Even the time of the mark of the beast is a trying and testing of the saints who maintain faith in Jesus Christ. John writes:

Revelations 14:11-12

11 And the smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever: and they have neither rest day nor night, who worships the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.

12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

We are charged to keep the commandments of God, even as we face the power of antichrist.

Romans 15:5-6

5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is necessary for us to walk in the mind of Christ regarding suffering or we will not make it to the throne of God in peace. The antichrist is given a great mouthpiece and power to try the saints of God. Unless you are baptized with the mind of Christ, which is the mind to suffer all things for the sake of bringing souls into the kingdom of God, you will indeed fail and consequently perish with the unbelievers. You will have your part in the lake of fire. But we are not of the sort who draws back. We are fully persuaded and know in whom we have believed. We will remain steadfast, anchored, rooted and grounded in the work of the Lord. We will go after the harvest and will not be distracted by the politics and goings on of this world. We are the Sons and Church of the living God.