Consolation, Part 4

This meditation will mark the conclusion of this series on the consolation that is in Christ. We begin today’s meditation with this informative commentary of the Scripture on our subject:

2 Corinthians 1:5  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
6  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7  And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

The effect of this passage turns on the words “as…so.” When these two words are used together in a sentence, as they are in this passage, they denote a more or less exact correspondence, similarity, or proportion between two things. In this case the two things are the sufferings and the consolation that we experience. The consolation by Christ that we receive corresponds to the sufferings of Christ that we experience. Everything you suffer as a Christian carries with it a proportionate amount of relief from the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though the burden may be more than you can handle alone, with His consolation you can bear it. Remember, it is “God, that comforteth those that are cast down” (2 Corinthians 7:6).

Now bear in mind that there is consolation in Christ equal to the sufferings “of Christ” that we experience. There no such consolation provided for sufferings that stem from our own misconduct.

1 Peter 4:15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

We can never rightfully expect to be consoled in sin. We can rather expect to be heavily burdened when we have sin in our life that we are not dealing with. However, we can expect relief from the burden of guilt when we confess and forsake our sin.

Psalms 32:3  When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
4  For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
5  I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Referring back to the passage cited above from 2 Corinthians, we note that it also teaches us that the sufferings and comfort that Paul and Timothy experienced, are for our “consolation and salvation” when we endure the same sufferings. Whenever you experience a problem in your Christian walk and you find that the people in the Bible experienced the same thing, it brings relief. You don’t feel so alone in what you are going through. That in itself alleviates the sorrow. And when you see how God comforted them and brought them through it, it encourages you to expect God to do the same for you. As the passage teaches, God comforted them “for your consolation.” God’s dealing with them sets the precedent for all believers that come afterward. This is why you should continually read your Bible. As you read about the lives of the godly men of the Bible, you will be able to trace your own experience. And there you will dip into the consolation that is provided for you in Christ.

As we have seen in the foregoing meditations, there is indeed consolation in Christ. It is a strong consolation. It is everlasting in duration. And it is equal to anything we suffer as a Christian. When we turn to Christ in our troubles and focus on Him, it puts our present burdens into perspective and gives us relief. It is as the song says:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

As I write of the consolation that is in Christ, do you value that consolation? Do you consider it real? Have you experienced it? Have these meditations brought you any consolation? I would appreciate knowing they have. I close with the following searching question:

Job 15:11  Are the consolations of God small with thee?