When the believers live a life for the kingdom of the heavens, in its spiritual nature and according to its heavenly principles, they will be reproached, persecuted, and evil spoken of, mostly by religious people who hold to their traditional religious concepts. The Jewish religionists did all these things to the apostles in the early days of the kingdom of the heavens (Acts 5:41; 13:45, 50; 2 Cor. 6:8; Rom. 3:8). This is also true today. If we seek Christ and follow Him, many in religion will rise up against us. In Matthew 5:11 the Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, and while speaking lies, say every evil thing against you because of Me.” Verse 12 is an encouraging word to those who are persecuted for His sake: “Rejoice and exult, for your reward is great in the heavens; for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Our reward is great, and it is in the heavens. It is a heavenly reward, not an earthly one.
First Peter 4:14 says, “If you are reproached in the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” As believers, we have believed into Christ (John 3:15) and have been baptized into His name (Acts 19:5), that is, into Christ (Gal. 3:27). Therefore, we are in Christ (1 Cor. 1:30) and are one with Him (6:17). When we are reproached in His name, we are reproached with Him, sharing His sufferings (1 Pet. 4:13), in the fellowship of His sufferings (Phil. 3:10).
According to Peter’s word we should not think that it is a curse to be reproached in the name of Christ. On the contrary, this is to be blessed because the Spirit of glory, that is, the Spirit of God, will rest upon us. In His resurrection, Christ was glorified through the Spirit of glory (Rom. 1:4). This very Spirit of glory, being the Spirit of God, rests upon the suffering believers in their persecution for the glorification of the resurrected and exalted Christ, who is now in glory. The more we suffer and are persecuted, the more glory there will be upon us. Therefore, we should rejoice when we are reproached in the name of Christ.
When we experience the dispensing of the Divine Trinity, we will rejoice that we are counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the name of Jesus. In Acts the apostles were beaten and charged not to speak in the name of Jesus (5:40). But “they went from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the Name” (v. 41). This shows that it is a real honor to be dishonored on behalf of the name of the man-dishonored but God-honored Jesus. Hence, we can rejoice that we are counted worthy of being dishonored on behalf of the name of Jesus.
Through the experience of the divine dispensing of the Triune God, we can also “boast in our tribulations” (Rom. 5:3). Our natural being needs to be sanctified, transformed, and conformed; consequently, God brings in certain tribulations and sufferings for our good (8:28-29). We may appreciate peace, grace, and glory but not tribulation. Tribulation is actually the incarnation of grace with all the riches of Christ. This is similar to the incarnation of God in Jesus. Apparently, He was simply the man Jesus; actually, He was God. Apparently, our environment is tribulation; actually, it is grace. This means that to reject tribulation is to reject grace. Grace—God as our portion for our enjoyment—often visits us in the form of tribulation. If we realize this and experience the dispensing of the processed Triune God, we will boast in our tribulations.
As believers, we are those who have been called by God. God’s calling includes not only enjoyment but also suffering. Our destiny in God’s calling includes both the enjoyment of Christ as the embodiment of the processed Triune God and also the suffering of Christ. First Peter 2:19-21 says, “This is grace, if anyone, because of a consciousness of God, bears sorrows by suffering unjustly. For what glory is it if, while sinning and being buffeted, you endure? But if, while doing good and suffering, you endure, this is grace with God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered on your behalf, leaving you a model so that you may follow in His steps.” We have been called to suffer with Christ, to suffer what He suffered, so that in suffering we may have the enjoyment of God as grace and express Him. Whatever the circumstances may be, God is our grace, our inner enjoyment. This enjoyment motivates us and then becomes our outward expression, an expression that is visible to others. Those who observe this grace, which is expressed from within us, will be able to see something attractive on our face, in our attitude, or in the atmosphere around us. Our living will become gracious and acceptable in the sight of both God and man.