"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."

The previous verse 16 reads: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” And this is followed by verse 17 which we are going to reflect on at the beginning of Lent: “And if children, then heirs – heirs of God…” Are we aware of what it means to be an heir of God? If someone had said in the past that he or she was the Emperor’s child, and hence his heir, others would have been envious: “They will get so much without making any effort, and they inherit a fortune! Why not us? Why not me?”

Imagine a billionaire who has no children and suddenly decides to make you heir of all his wealth. Oh, how happy you would be! What a great fortune! But think: will such wealth really make you happy? You have only one stomach and you can only be in one place at one time. If you fell seriously ill and were confined to bed with fever, you would just look helplessly at all this wealth and money. What good would it be for you if you inherited the whole world? The Lord Jesus Himself says, after all: What profit is it to a man if he gains or inherits the whole world, and loses his own soul?

Being an heir of God... Ask yourself: What belongs to God? All the earth belongs to God which is but a mere speck in the vast and unknowable universe which also belongs to God. And this is only the visible world. The invisible word, however, likewise belongs to God. Angels, archangels, cherubim, all heaven belongs to God which, unlike this short earthly life, does not last 70 or 80, a thousand or a million years but is eternal. Be aware that you are an heir of God. Being a child of God, you will inherit all that belongs to God. This beautiful heritage awaits you after you cross the threshold of life and enter into eternity. It is something wonderful, inconceivable. Try to think or dream about it for a while like you dream about some small fortune you are about to gain. You dream about it for hours, making plans. And now instead of dreaming, try to become aware at least for a few minutes of the reality which awaits you as a child of God, an heir of God.

Next it is said that we are “joint heirs with Christ”. It means that we receive everything that Christ obtained for us when He became man and, being true God and true man, died a redemptive death on the cross for us, i.e. for you and your sins, and obtained for you eternal life as an inheritance.

But there is one condition, do not forget, and it says: “if indeed we suffer with Him”, and then we read: “we may also be glorified together”. What does it mean to suffer with Christ? All people, believers and unbelievers, the good and the evil, must suffer on earth, physically or mentally, whether they like it or not. But there is a difference in the life of a Christian as he should learn to suffer with Jesus, and not alone! What does it mean? It means that you consciously accept the suffering which God allows in your life, even through open enemies. You may suffer from a certain handicap in life, for example you are of small stature and you cannot overcome it. If you accept it with Jesus, your suffering will thus change. You can suffer from toothache, you can endure mental suffering when, for example, someone has stolen something from you or hurt you, or you can suffer from fear of an incurable disease etc. But there is always only one right solution – simply to accept this suffering and to unite it to the suffering of Jesus! This is the mystery connected with the words “with Christ”. We experience it in prayer reflecting on the truth expressed in Gal 2:20: “I have been crucified (i.e. powerless) with Christ”. Not alone but with Christ! It means that I share my suffering with Him. But before that, I admit my sin and then I unite my suffering to His. Every day we experience little sufferings, fear, sadness, various hardships or illnesses – every day we have a new opportunity to deepen our relationship to our crucified Lord and Saviour.

In the lives of the saints, especially in the lives of the martyrs, we find examples of heroes who suffered with Christ and for His sake. Even in connection with the following statement, we can realize the power of faith through which the Lord made them endure even the most extreme torments: 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.

Let us share a little from the life of Saint Arcadius:

The judge told him: “Offer a sacrifice to the Roman gods!” Arcadius said: “I will not do that, I am a Christian. Do you think you will scare a faithful servant of God if you threaten him with death? We know what is written: For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Phi 1:21) Invent what torments you please. Nothing shall make me betray my God.” In a rage the pagan judge decided: “Tie his hands and feet, and cut off his limbs, joint by joint, so that he may feel agony with each piece being cut off.” The executioners first cut off his fingers and toes. The brave martyr stretched out his hands and feet towards the executioners and prayed in his suffering: “O Eternal God, You have given me these limbs and so I offer them to You, for I will get them back from You when our bodies will rise from the grave.” The judge ordered his limbs to be severed from his body. But the martyr cried out with a loud voice: “You are happy, my members. Now you really belong to God. You have all been sacrificed to Him. You were never so pleasing while joined to my body as you are now. I am separated from you only for a short time, but we will again be gloriously joined together one day and stand before Jesus, our King and Judge.” Then he admonished the onlookers who were moved to tears by his patience: “All of you who are present at this bloody theatre, know that all torments of the flesh are nothing to the one for whom there is in store the unfading crown of glory. Believe me who am dying that your pagan gods are no gods, and stop bowing to them. I cannot help you otherwise. Know the true God who strengthens me, for whom I am about to die. To suffer for Him is to live and a delight. His love will never grow cold, His glory will never cease, and I will now reach Him after my little sufferings to live with Him forever and never more to be separated from Him.” In the end, he prayed: “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.” And he breathed his last. He was martyred in 312. A year later, the bloody persecution of Christians was ended in the Roman Empire and Christians enjoyed religious freedom.

The example of the martyrs shows us that to suffer with Christ means to obtain eternal glory and that even amidst the most terrible suffering, which makes us tremble with fear, the Lord Jesus gives the strength. Let us remember that He is with us even amidst our little sufferings. But we mostly suffer without Christ. Often in bitterness, hatred, obstinacy, or seeking a false way out in sin. The martyr Arcadius could have escaped suffering if he had bowed down to the pagan gods – modern Pachamama. Those, however, who worship them will be where they are – in hell. By contrast, those who suffer with Christ will live in the eternal glory of heaven, and that is a big difference! Each of us personally must make a choice. May we always choose Christ in our life trials!

Download: Reflection on Rom 8:17