In August-September 2011, John Piper is in Australia to preach at a number of events hosted by KCC. This blog series, 5 Reasons to Rejoice in Persecution, is taken from his article “Suffering: The Sacrifice of Christian Hedonism” which is featured in Voice of the Martyrs book “The Triumphant Church”.

Joy in suffering comes not only from

1. Focusing on our reward, and
2. The solidifying effect of suffering on our assurance, but also from
3. The promise that joy in suffering will secure eternal joy in the future.

The apostle Peter expressed it like this:

Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:13).

Joy now in suffering is the appointed pathway to the final rejoicing at the revelation of Christ. Peter is calling us to pursue joy now in suffering (he commands it!) so that we will be found among those who rejoice exceedingly at the coming of Christ .

Life can be really tough and many of us struggle just to keep our heads above water. When you are struggling, remember that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

All of John Piper’s sermons, books, articles and other resources are available for free at DesiringGod.com

Related Posts

• 5 Reasons to Rejoice in Persecution
• Your Reward is Great
• Persecution Deepens Assurance