Rom.8:26] Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
[27] And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Phil.1:29] For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

One of the most important parts of our “adoption” as sons consists of our having privilege to suffer for “His sake,” and this is a very vital component to our being “conformed to the image of His Son.” But what we must understand and fully appreciate is that, our Father is NOT giving the Saints the sufferings, but that He has given the Saints by His Grace the privilege to “suffer with Him,” and “for His sake.” And when the Saint who “will live godly” suffers, our Father had provided the Saints with His Holy Word to give them the “salvation” from the “sufferings of this present time,” and from the “sufferings of Christ.”

2Cor.1:3] Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
[4] Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
[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.

Moreover, it (the privilege to suffer for His sake) is “given” to us “in the behalf of Christ” to operate upon the Living Word of the Living God when we suffer for His sake, we are to understand and appreciate this provision given unto us, and how our sufferings achieve the designed objective in suffering “with Him.” Because when the Saint in Christ experiences the sufferings of this present time, or the sufferings of Christ, the “Spirit” (the Word of God) gives our “Inward Man” the “salvation” from these things, when we operate upon His Word in these times.

2Cor.4:16] For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
[17] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
[18] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Furthermore, we are to understand and appreciate that it is our “Inward Man” who receives the “salvation” from these sufferings, and that our Father’s ‘relationship’ with us will ALWAYS concern our inward man only. And as we saw earlier, it is our inward man who is “led by,” and “filled with,” and a partaker of the “fruit” of the Spirit, but oftentimes,  many sadly believe that the power, love, and Word of God is shown in our outward man circumstances of this life. But if God was working in our outward man circumstances, and taking our sufferings from us, we would never have the opportunity to allow verse 16, and 17 to work “for us, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

2Cor.4:[7] But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
[8] We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
[9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
[10] Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
[11] For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
[12] So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

Finally, the “Excellency of the power” of God will only work for, and within our inward man, and it is the doctrine of the “new man” (this is how our relationship began when He saved us, and this how He will deal with us throughout eternity) that ought to be counted as “treasure,” and when we suffer, (and we will) and experience the “infirmities” associated with them, we “stir up” the “treasure” of His Word within us, and operate upon the doctrine of the Spirit, and when we “look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:” the Spirit will ‘help our infirmities.’ And we must trust that His Word will work within our inward man, so that when we are “troubled on every side,” our inward man will say; “yet not distressed,” this is how we “look not at the things which are seen,” because it is through the eyes of our inward man that we are to live unto Him, and when this is done by the saints, the Spirit will have the opportunity to help our infirmities.

Rod Jones