2nd Cor.1:8] For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
[9] But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
[10] Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
The sufferings of this present time can be very overwhelming and difficult for many today. But our Father has provided for us the “salvation” from our sufferings by His Word. And this “salvation” from the Word of God ‘delivers’ our inward man from the sufferings of this present time. And even though we will “physically’ go through tribulation and sufferings of this present time, the Word of God is designed to renew our way of thinking concerning our sufferings, and how we ought to respond to them with “the mind of Christ.” And as Paul says in the verses above, he experienced sufferings to the point where he was “pressed out of measure, above strength.” Paul went through each of those sufferings, but then he says in 2nd Tim.3:11, “Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.” The question is, how did Paul get delivered from “all” sufferings, but yet he went through them?
Rom.8:22] For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
[23] And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
[24] For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
[25] But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
The Apostle Paul gladly “endured” the sufferings of Christ, and the sufferings of this present time by his renewed mind by the Word of Christ. And even we ourselves will ‘gladly’ bear the infirmities of our children, and others for their sake. We enjoy the fulfillment of taking on burdens for their sakes. And our sufferings that we endure for the sakes of our children we do not ‘count’ each and every one. And we do not ‘count’ each sacrifice that we give up of ourselves for our loved ones or expect it to be taken away from us. But we will gladly take on their burdens and ours for their sakes because we love them, and think of them ‘first things first’ regardless what we are enduring at the moment. And our Father knows that we know how to love in this way, and he has taught us His true selfless love, and we are to know that it is for His sake, and the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake that we will endure the sufferings of this present time, and the sufferings of Christ, and learn to be “more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
Rom.8:36] As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
[37] Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
And so, our understanding about our sufferings is vital and essential to understanding godliness and our position ad sons in Christ. And most importantly, we fully understand and appreciate the sacrifice that we are to make for our children, and our families regardless what we endure. For instance, parents who have a newborn child understand that they have to ‘endure’ lack of sleep in the beginning, but would not tolerate the same from a 17-year-old child keeping them up all night. We must renew our minds to understand that our Father desires that we be a living sacrifice for Christ’s sake. And our sufferings are going to continue to be around us, but it is how we think about them, and knowing “Who” we ‘living for.’ And this is because once we understand that our child or spouse is our ‘dependent,’ or responsibility, we will make those sacrifices, and we will not look at our sufferings for them. Our Father and His Son sacrificed for us, but it was for our “inward man,” not our flesh. And this is why our Apostle says that he was ‘delivered,’ but endured all sufferings, because Paul was a living sacrifice for Christ’s sake, not his own sake.
2nd Cor.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 always 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, our understanding of Godly deliverance ought to be understood as inward man deliverance only. And because He saved our souls, with our souls we ought to be a “debtor” unto Him, and when we suffer, our response ought to be to ‘look right through’ those sufferings as we are taught. We are to “look not at the things which are seen,” and we are to “hope for that we see not,” And we are to ‘say’ to these things, “if God be for us, who could be against us.” Knowing that it is for “Thy sake” that we are “killed all the day long.” Moreover, just as we all could add a ‘new’ person as a family member like a baby, or spouse, we know how to embrace, and renew our minds about someone ‘new’ to sacrifice for, we too ought to understand and appreciate the necessity to love the One who has saved our inward man and justified us unto eternal life, therefore as we are being beseeched to be a living sacrifice, we should know “Who” is actually doing the beseeching unto us. And once we understand that it is the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and the Saviour of all mankind beseeching us, we too should know that when our sufferings come up in our lives, we turn to the Words of our Lord, knowing that they are designed to give us deliverance and salvation from our sufferings. And operating upon Their selfless Love, we would desire to be transformed by the renewing of our minds about our sufferings, and once we are, we will be “persuaded” that “nothing shall separate us from” operating upon Their selfless love, and we will not only be delivered, but “more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”
Rom.8:31] What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
[32] He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom.8:38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
[39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rod Jones
SUPPLY OF GRACE 
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