Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Gal.3:4 Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain?

Suffering in the flesh is the way among those in Christ Jesus, we are told that we must follow in Christ foot step and to arm ourselves with the same mental disposition as Christ Jesus; for those suffering in the flesh desist from sin. If we do not suffer in the flesh we are not in Christ Jesus, and if we are not in Christ Jesus we are not sinless by his righteousness, and we have not desisted from sin. That is, suffering is a mark of truth for those in Christ Jesus, if we are without suffering of our sinful flesh, we are not in Christ and covered by his righteousness. We cannot be perfected in the our spirit or declared righteous without suffering as Christ Jesus suffered in his flesh.

Without faith, that is, trust in God, we cannot overcome or understand our circumstance, if we tried to understand by a groups religious doctrines we will fail. We can only understand by Spirit unseen and unutterable words of our spirit being tried by the flesh.

So is suffering in vain? Perhaps, if it is not in Christ Jesus, one cannot be in Christ Jesus without suffering in their flesh, they may chose not to suffer, but it should not be strange nor in vain that they do suffer. That is, if the body has a hand and the body is suffering because that is what it is called to do than the hand suffers with the body. The Galatians wanted another body they wanted a body of law, in this manner they would no longer need to suffer in their flesh for the Christ. Their own righteousness would be upheld by their laws, if they obey the rules they would be accepted as righteous according to the fleshly group associated with; those put in charge over them by laws. These not in Christ would read their faith by actions for or against the rules of the group. The acceptance of these men judgments would be their reward in honor, and glory for obeying the rules of the group.

No longer would they have to bear the reproaches of the Christ in their spirit filling up the trials of the body. The Spirit of God in the temple would be replaced by the spirit of men, judging and condemning according to the flesh, but why the flesh? Because the flesh cannot read the Spirit it can only read the flesh and its actions by the law. Suffering for Christ in our spirit can not be rewarded by the flesh and it's laws, it can only be endured in love, patience, and silence outside the approval of the flesh. Yes, in thankfulness, while the glory of God rest upon those suffering in their flesh for Christ Jesus..