The video teaching for this lesson is at the bottom of the page.
1. Introduction
Fellowship of His Suffering is the fourth of our fellowship with God.
We enter the first fellowship in the gospel, followed by Fellowship with the Holy Spirit and His Son.
When we become believers in Jesus, we understand that He forgives us. Childlike faith recognises the kingdom of God within us. God does not want us to stop at simply enjoying fellowship in the gospel; He invites us to receive the Holy Spirit through baptism in the Holy Spirit. This baptism deepens and matures our relationship with Him. As we saw in the third part of this series, the Holy Spirit’s purpose is to glorify Jesus.
2. What is the Fellowship of His Suffering?
Jesus suffered at the hands of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He also suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane as He struggled to do God’s will. He suffered because of His twelve apostles, who abandoned Him, denied Him, and failed to understand or truly believe in Him. Jesus suffered at the hands of the mob who condemned Him to death, and at the hands of Pontius Pilate and the Roman soldiers.
As with Paul, a call to ministry is also a call to a fellowship of suffering:
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:10
3. How can we Fellowship with His Suffering?
Fellowship in suffering can be among the most precious experiences we know. Facing persecution, concern for the church(es), lack, and sickness can draw us into deeper intimacy with God as we discover how greatly He loves us.
It is a place where we bring our needs to Him, because He cares for us:
casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
God understands that we live in a fallen world where suffering exists because of the sin of Adam and Eve. He knows that some people choose good and others choose evil, loving darkness more than light. Jesus Himself endured these same kinds of suffering and abuse.
4. Purpose of this Fellowship
A. Becoming Like Jesus
The New Covenant brings victory over sin, sickness, and torment, yet it also includes seasons of suffering and persecution. When others mistreat us or speak against us, it is natural to want to retaliate; however, that is not the way of the gospel.
B. To Grow in Grace
Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was not an illness but a person who tormented him, keeping him humble.
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
2 Corinthians 12:7
The Greek word for “messenger” is ἄγγελος (angelos), meaning a messenger, envoy, one who is sent—an angel, a messenger from God.
And the word “buffet” in Greek is the same word used for “persecution.”
When it uses the phrase “messenger of Satan,” it uses the Greek word *aggelos*, from which we get the English word “angel.”
- In this context, Aggelos is defined as a demon or a person with evil intent.
If we desire to grow in grace, exalting ourselves is not the answer; humility is.
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
James 4:6
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
C. To Grow from Glory to Glory
God desires that we grow from glory to glory. Jesus suffered so that His glory could rest upon us:
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Hebrews 2:10
The stepping stone from one level of glory to another is usually suffering:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Romans 8:16-18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Just because we suffer does not mean we automatically move from glory to glory. We must also ensure that we have the right attitude.
D. Resurrection Life
Paul teaches us that if we want resurrection life to flow through us into others—releasing healing, deliverance, and victory over death—it comes through suffering.
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:10
5. Dangers of false Fellowship of His Sufferings
If we dwell too much on our sufferings, we can slip into a poverty mindset, self-pity, or a persecution complex. It can also become an unhealthy form of begging. These attitudes can hinder the growth of grace and glory in our lives. God will never turn away someone who comes with a contrite heart and a broken spirit:
“But on this one will I look:
Isaiah 66:2
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word.
God does not want us to remain stuck in self-pity or a poverty mindset; He wants us to grow in faith.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
It is dangerous for a minister to dwell in self-pity and to allow the demands of ministry to erode their closeness with God. A leader must balance ministry priorities with other key areas of life: intimacy with God, marriage, parenting, and finances.
Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
Hebrews 12:12-13
6. Escaping the Snare
A. Speaking out the Word of God
When we hear the Word of God, it produces faith:
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17
B. Praise and Worship
When we praise God, we focus on His goodness and greatness rather than on our problems.
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Ephesians 5:18-21
7. Summary of the Fellowship of His Suffering
After fellowship in the Gospel, fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and fellowship with His Son, comes this equally precious fellowship: sharing in the sufferings of Jesus. Participating in His sufferings brings great rewards: resurrection, life, grace, and growth in glory.
But it carries the risk of falling into discouragement, self-pity, or a poverty mindset.
The way out of this is to declare God’s Word and to respond with praise and worship.
Next, we will look at the final—and possibly most powerful—fellowship: Fellowship with the Mystery of His Will. This mystery, revealed to the Ephesians, is God’s original intention to have sons and daughters through Jesus Christ.
© Use by Permission. Awakening Impact Ministries/ Dr Neville Westerbeek van Eerten D.Miss BVSc 2026
