A true first principle of our Faith is that the Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, is also, and altogether, a human being:

"We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin (Heb 4:15).

"He himself suffered when he was tempted, [and therefore] he is able to help those who are being tempted" ((Heb 2:18).

There is a wonderful comfort in this; as believers in Christ, we are not alone in this world. Christ is with us. Because of the very nature which he possessed in the days of his flesh, we know that our troubles in the flesh are not foreign to him. He is able to share with us the good times and the bad, and there is no struggle or trial through which we might go which he cannot understand.

In Romans 8, Paul mentions a number of the ways in which Christ shares with us in our experiences, and in which we share with him in his experiences:

  • "Summarturei": Christ ("the Spirit") agrees, or testifies, along with us ("our spirit") that we — he as well as his disciples — are all God's children (v 16).
  • "Sunkleronomoi": We are co-heirs with Christ because we are all heirs of God (v 17).
  • "Sumpascho": We share in Christ's "passion", or sufferings (v 17). We do this also, and especially, in the breaking of bread: "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer ['pascho'}" (Luke 22:15).
  • "Sundoxasthomen": Consequently, we also may share in Christ's glory (v 17). Because we share in the sufferings of Christ, we shall also share in the glories that should follow (1 Pet 1:11).
  • "Sustenazo": We, the new spiritual "creation", are groaning or sighing together with one another, and also sharing in the sighings (that is, the sufferings) of Christ. This sighing together with Christ is connected with the "sunodino": labor in childbirth, mentioned next.
  • "Sunodino": This sighing together is as if we are all laboring to give birth, that is, to be reborn into "the glorious freedom of God's children" (v. 21,22).
  • "Sunantilambanetai": The simple phrase in the NIV ("to help") means, literally, to take hold of a heavy burden together with others so as to assist them. Christ helps us to bear our burdens, and so we are burden-bearers together with him (v 26). Christ has invited us: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me… and you will find rest" (Matt 11:28,29).
  • "Summorphos": God has marked us out, as believers, to be conformed to the likeness of His unique Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, so that he will be the "firstborn among many children" in the Father's divine family (v 29).
  • "Sun auto": God did not spare even His own Son, but gave him up for us all, so that — "along with him" (Greek "sunauto") — we will receive the gracious gift of "all things" (v 32).