Father, I pray that the effect of your word read, recited, seen, preached, heard, would produce faithful sufferers for Christ's glory.

Oh, what a price the Lord Jesus has paid for us that we might suffer well with him

in order that we might be glorified with him.

Would you draw near now and help me to rise to the worth

of this truth

that was just given

to us?

I ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Treasuring Christ and the call to suffer.

I want to begin with what I might call clarifications and expansions on the third and closing point last time,

namely that suffering in the universe is judicial.

And to that end, I would direct your attention again to chapter 8 of Romans, verse 20.

For the creation was subjected to futility.

So somebody did this.

Somebody subjected the creation to futility and slavery to corruption and the miseries that we see, not willingly.

That is, it wasn't the creation's will.

He subjected it to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope.

And I argued that the only person that could have done that in hope,

that the creation would be set free from its bondage to decay,

is in fact God himself.

And so we interpreted the miseries of our lives as the subjection of the

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