In these
verses upcoming, Peter is helping prepare the Christians for suffering and
persecution that they were either already enduring or about to experience. Sometimes,
despite your best efforts, you can find yourself suffering for your faith in
Jesus Christ. Peter did not want them to
be surprised by it. He wanted them to
know what to do beforehand. He lays out
for us some striking truths about how God sees suffering compared to how we
naturally see it. And then he has some
advice for how we should handle it.
Our
text:
1 Peter 4:12-19
12 Beloved, do not be
surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though
something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share
Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is
revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed,
because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you
suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if
anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God
in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God;
and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey
the gospel of God? 18 If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of
the ungodly and the sinner? 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to
God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
The
word of God is teaching us in this passage that there is a natural perspective
or reaction to suffering – and then there is God’s perspective. First, we will look at
1. The natural perspective
on suffering: avoid it
In verse 12 it says, “Beloved,
do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as
though something strange were happening to you.”
A. We are surprised by it
When Peter wrote this
letter, Christians were enduring suffering and persecution. While Peter is vague about exactly what form
the persecution took, he is describing at the very least, experiences of pain
comparable to the pain of being burned with fire.
When unjust suffering happens
to us, we are surprised and shocked by it.
This persecution was
specifically against individuals who professed to be Christians. It was harassment, from officials and the
general populace reacting to the lifestyle of Christians. This type of
persecution is described many times in the Bible in the stories of the early
church. 1 Thessalonians 1 describes
believers who received affliction for turning from idol worship to worship the
One true God. In Acts chapter 5 the
Christians were beaten and threatened not to speak in the name of Jesus. Back
in 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 6 he speaks of being grieved by various trials. Just for being Christians.
It is difficult for us,
if we have grown up in the Western Hemisphere, to understand this type of
persecution. Being a Christian has been
socially acceptable and even the norm. But from the time Peter wrote this until
today Christians in many parts of the world have suffered at the hands of
others, just for being Christians.
So Peter says - don’t be
surprised by this. This word carries the meaning of not being bewildered or
resentful or bitter. It was hard to understand, but these trials are not
accidental, they are part of God’s purpose.
Sometimes you’ll hear people say that if you are a Christian, Jesus will
bless you with wealth, and bountiful blessings.
Your relationships will thrive. So
we expect smooth sailing. And when the
suffering comes our natural tendency is to be surprised by it. Peter says,
“No. Don’t be surprised by the fiery
trial. It is to be expected. For one thing, if Jesus suffered, how can His
followers expect something different? We share in the sufferings of Christ in
the sense that through suffering we identify with Christ. To be a disciple involves suffering like the
Jesus.
Another natural reaction
when facing suffering is to conclude that:
B. It’s not the way life is
meant to be; it makes no sense that God will not make you suffer
We
think: Life is too short. You only live once. God doesn’t want you to suffer. A loving God wouldn’t ask you to suffer. If you are not suffering, it must mean that
God has given His stamp of approval on your life. But Peter is teaching the opposite. The
absence of suffering does not mean God’s approval. On the other hand, suffering
is to be expected.
We seem to assume that
God knows what he is doing when we are happy and well. Suffering for simply
living our Christian faith can rattle us and make us question if God knows what
He is doing. We question whether He is
in control or even cares about us. It’s a natural feeling to have doubts when
we suffer because we expect God wants us to be comfortable above all else.
We also tend to think
that if suffering comes our way, its payback for something that we did
wrong. It’s the idea that
C. It’s your fault, like
karma.
We all enjoy the idea of
poetic justice until we are the ones facing it.
It’s natural to like the idea of karma when bad things happen to bad
people. Karma is the belief that a
person’s actions decide their fate in the future. So if you as a basically good person are
experiencing suffering, something is out of whack. You are shocked by it.
Peter is teaching that suffering
for Christ doesn’t mean we are punished for something. We think that we must
have done something wrong, and it must be our fault. Those natural tendencies are wrong about
suffering. God has a different
perspective. These are important lessons for the Christian life. We need a different perspective, a different
focus.
2. God’s perspective on suffering:
embrace it
A. It’s an opportunity for
joy - Verse 13
13
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice
and be glad when his glory is revealed
Is Peter off his
rocker? In one verse about suffering he
mentions joy and happiness three times - “rejoice…rejoice…and be glad.”
If I suffer for being a
Christian, it isn’t about something I have done. It’s not even about who I
am. It’s about what Jesus Christ has
done and Who He is. In that
circumstance, I am sharing Christ’s sufferings.
The Son of God who loved me and died for me – He was rejected and
despised. And when I suffer for
following Him, I’m sharing His suffering.
Have you ever noticed
something about people you go through tough times with? You are closer to them than anyone else. You love someone deeply when you are in the
trenches next to them during battle. You
trust a person completely who has held your hand as you walked through the
fire. Now make that other person Jesus. Thus, we learn to love Jesus more
deeply and trust Him when we share in His sufferings.
There is joy in the
present – even in suffering. Paul the
Apostle put it this way in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 where he mentions afflictions,
hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, sleepless nights, hunger,
slander – verse 10 –“As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” There is joy even in the present with Jesus.
Then Peter quickly
points to the future. God’s perspective
on suffering is that it isn’t about the present only, it’s about the future too. “That you may also rejoice and be glad when
his glory is revealed.”
While
we feel the present joy, and it surprises us; this present joy will turn into
super joy when the pain is gone at the return of Jesus
Joy is a deep confidence
that God is in control of every area of our lives, even the painful places. The fullness of joy comes from the deep sense
of the presence of God in our lives.
My younger brother is
dying from liver cirrhosis and cancer.
He is receiving hospice care at home. He has days or weeks left on
earth. The other day we were praying together and he said this – “Thank you
God, for breaking my heart. For helping
me to see how much you love me and drawing me closer to You.” There can be joy
in the present, even in suffering. But
nothing compared to when His glory is revealed.
Just think about that day.
Peter goes on to say the
second reason to embrace suffering for Jesus is that
B. It’s a path of blessing and
God’s presence
14 If you are insulted
for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God
rests upon you.
Peter
mentions a specific kind of suffering; namely, you are insulted. This could also carry the meaning of being abused
or slandered.
Guess what. If that happens, you are blessed. What’s that
again? You are blessed!
Those who suffer for
Christ, Peter says, are blessed. The
blessing is not in the suffering itself but because the presence of the Spirit
of glory and of God is present with us. God has not abandoned the Christian who
suffers; to the contrary, God is powerfully present in the experience of
suffering.
This is because we have
the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 teaches us that from the very
beginning when we believed, we received the Holy Spirit and He never leaves us
– “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” 2
Timothy 1:14 says, “By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.”
Verse 14 in our passage
says, “The Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” “Rests” indicates that the Holy Spirit is
within us continually to refresh and strengthen. We can always rely on the
Spirit but especially in moments of crisis and suffering.
The Spirit is equipping
us to keep following Christ and not turn aside due to the persecution and
suffering. We can’t do this on our own. When
I’m feeling threatened because I’m standing for Biblical values and Christian
convictions – I need the Holy Spirit to find the strength and resolve to stand
firm.
Warren Wiersbe made a
great observation – “Suffering Christians do not have to wait for heaven in
order to experience His glory. Through
the Holy Spirit, they can have the glory now.
This explains how martyrs could sing praises to God while bound in the
midst of blazing fires. It also explains how persecuted Christians can go to
prison and to death without complaining or resisting their captors.”
In
verse 15 we find that God’s perspective about suffering includes the idea that
C.
We should suffer for the right reason
15 But let none of you
suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.
Sometimes we’ll bring
suffering on ourselves through our own actions and we’ll say - It’s not my
fault (when really it is my fault)
We all tend to believe
our own bad decisions are not our fault.
It’s interesting that murder and meddling are used in the same sentence
as if they are equal offenses.
They may not have
recognized that at least some of their suffering could be coming from meddling
in a way that did not seem obviously wrong to them. It’s possible for us to
claim we are suffering for Christ when we are really just suffering for our own
bad behavior.
We shouldn’t say we are
suffering for Jesus because we broke the law; or we stuck our nose into
situations where we have no business sticking them. When we bring punishment on ourselves; or
when we play the victim of oppression when its not for the right reason – we
shortchange the gospel. We lose our
credibility and have no real voice with those who need to find and follow
Jesus.
Peter’s point is that if
we are suffering for being Christians, let’s make sure that’s the reason we are
suffering.
As we move on to verse
16, Peter instructs that suffering is nothing to be ashamed about. In fact, it brings glory to God!
D. It glorifies God to suffer for His Name
16 Yet if anyone suffers
as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
If you search your Bible
you’ll find that followers of Christ were only referred to as Christian three
times. Once in Acts 11 when they were first called Christians; once in Acts 26
when King Agrippa said he was almost persuaded to be a Christian by Paul. And here – in our passage. “if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him
not be ashamed.” It may have been a
derogatory term culturally. (We’re getting close to that now). But Peter said
it glorifies God if we suffer in the name of Jesus.
In Acts chapter 5 when
the account is told of how the Christians were beaten for their faith and told
not to speak the name of Jesus, in verse 41 is says, “Then they left the
presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer disgrace
for the name.”
One of my relatives had
a little plaque hanging in their home that convicted me when I was young. It said, “If you were arrested for being a
Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Peter is not referring to being a Christian
in name only, but in lifestyle and behavior.
Faithfulness to Christ will produce suffering and persecution. The reverse is also true: a lack of
persecution in a believer’s life may indicate we aren’t faithfully living
Christian values.
Faith in Christ is
nothing to be ashamed of, even when society says it is. What is more, suffering for Christ is
actually a mark of honor to God—who is more important than man.
The next part of God’s
perspective on suffering contains a couple of the scariest verses in the Bible,
in my opinion.
E. It’s revealing true faith vs. false professions of faith
17 For it is time for
judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will
be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And “If the
righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
Suffering is
communicating something very important - If you suffer as a Christian and
continue to stand for your faith – even though it results in more suffering –
it’s still better than the alternative.
If you reject Christ now to escape persecution you will suffer much
worse in the coming judgment as one who has denied and rejected Christ.
Peter is teaching that
God is separating the true believers from those who don’t really have faith in
Christ through this fiery trial. It’s
like testing for precious metal in the refiner’s fire.
You say, “This doesn’t
sound like the gospel of love and grace.”
The thing is, God’s love and grace are real because His judgment is also
very real. Acts 17:30-31:
The times of ignorance
God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because
he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man
whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him
from the dead.
Jesus died and rose
again that we might be saved from the judgment and punishment our sins
deserved. He died and rose again that we
might have eternal life. And we know
that if we accept Him as our Savior we do not face condemnation. Romans chapter 8, verse 1 says, “There is
therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Judgment and punishment
is coming for those who disobey God and reject Jesus Christ. Christians also
will still be judged and their faith in Christ will bring this judgment to a
good end. Our chapter says, we will
scarcely be saved. But we will be saved
through faith in Christ. Is that faith
real? God knows. We don’t have to fear
that judgment.
I know we feel that
society is going downhill. We see
Biblical values under attack. Our
culture may have no use for the Bible.
We may face growing criticism and persecution for standing firm in our
faith and against evil. But make no mistake, it is God’s judgment that
ultimately will stand. Where do you and I stand with God?
God’s final judgment
could come at any time. Today is the day
of salvation. Have you been putting off
getting right with God? The Bible
teaches that when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we cross over from
death to life. Our status is changed
from an outcome that is so awful it can’t be adequately described to “There is
therefore now no condemnation.” I urge you, don’t let another day pass before
you get right with God. You can start your personal walk with Jesus today.
So God’s perspective is
different from our natural perspective when it comes to suffering. We:
ü Are surprised by
suffering and avoid it at all costs
ü Think it’s not the way
life is meant to be, that God will not make you suffer
ü Think if you suffer it’s
your fault, like karma.
But
God’s perspective is different. We
should embrace suffering because:
ü It’s an opportunity for
joy
ü It’s a path of blessing
and God’s presence
ü We should suffer for the
right reason
ü It glorifies God to
suffer for His Name
ü It’s revealing true
faith vs. false professions of faith
Peter
ends this section by helping us understand that
3. The best response to
suffering: trust
19
Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a
faithful Creator while doing good.
It is
really important to note that phrase “according to God’s will” in this
verse. If His will is for us to suffer
persecution, there is no other place we want to be than at the center of His
will.
Wayne
Grudem puts it this way -
“No
better comfort in suffering can be found than this: it is God’s good and
perfect will. For therein lies the knowledge that there is a limit to the
suffering, both in its intensity and in its duration, a limit set and
maintained by God Who is our creator, our savior, our sustainer, our Father.”
What
do we do? We do what Jesus did. What did Jesus do when He was reviled and
suffered? He entrusted himself to the
one who judges justly (2:23). This
example of trusting God even unto death is the example Jesus left that
Christians might follow in his footsteps.
We
entrust our lives to the faithful Creator, who is the one who has the authority
and power to judge all humanity justly. He made our souls and He saved our
souls. We can trust Him. He is purifying
us, making us more like Jesus. And
drawing us closer to Him.
In
understanding God’s perspective on suffering we learn that faith does not keep
us from suffering. But it’s better than
that – it helps us get through it. We get so occupied with our problems, but we
should focus on the One who carries us through them.
Peter’s
last piece of advice regarding suffering in this passage is that we
Don’t turn away from
doing good in the face of suffering
The pressure of our
society will try and make us bend, to conform to the opinions of this
world. There is a temptation to
surrender clear Biblical guidelines for living, in order to avoid any pain or
persecution. We don’t like to be called right wingers, or bigots, or Bible
thumpers or any number of names that can be used to undermine our faith.
It is important for us
to establish clear moral boundaries and restraints for our lives based on the
clear teaching of the Word of God. Continuing to do good is how we express our
trust when suffering.
Continue to live as a
Christian. Do not let persecution and suffering deflect you from your calling
in Christ, because as we learn from this passage, suffering is a part of our
calling.
Acknowledgement: Steve Collard, Elder, Lakeside Bible Chapel
