Grace Means Suffering: Reasons For (Part 1)
Grace Means Suffering: Reasons For (Part 1)
1 Peter 3:13-16
Here, Peter's letter takes a definite turn. Up to this point, Peter has only hinted that times of trouble for being a Christian could come. He predicted some fiery trials might be needed (1:6). He urged us to prepare our minds for action (2:1). He warned us about internal passions that would wage war against our souls (2:11). He even hinted that we would be rejected by highlighting Jesus' rejection -- he's the stone of stumbling and rock of offense (2:4-8). He told servants they might be beaten even though they were good towards their masters (2:20). He reminded us of Jesus' example -- he did not return insults or threats for the suffering he endured (2:23). Peter told us to copy Jesus when he said, "Do not repay evil for evil or reviling by reviling" (2:9).
But Peter has finished talking to us about the practice of the Christian life. Our passage today is a sober one, and it takes us into the hardest portions of Peter's letter. He knew many of the believers he originally wrote to were beginning to suffer for the faith but that many more would suffer in the years to come. They didn't know it yet, but Rome was about to unleash one of the most brutal and bloody persecution upon them. Peter wrote these words to all believers are or will be persecuted for the gospel. Family members, employers, governments, cultures, and civilizations have all taken turns aiming their hostility at Christians.
The first thing Peter wants you to see is that suffering for Christ's name highlights God's blessing upon our lives.
The question Peter asked was a hopeful one. Stemming from his reading of Psalm 34, which he just quoted, a believer who doesn't say evil or untruthful words and instead fills their life with good works might expect a peaceful life in return. Why would anyone want to harm you if you are zealous for good works? (13).
Peter hopes there will be times where believers live at peace with their host cultures. Paul says, there will be times believers "aspire to live quietly, to mind their own affairs, and work with their own hands, so that they may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one" (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).
But as much as Peter thought this would happen, he also knew hostility would happen and was happening. Many governments and masters and spouses would appreciate the humble submission and godly character of the Christians they knew, many others would not. He'd heard all of Jesus' warnings about persecution and trouble (Matthew 5:10-12). He'd watched the life of Paul and others who suffered intensely for Christ. He himself had been thrown into prison and beaten for his faith. He witnessed the fulfillment of a message he heard Jesus deliver to him one day before he died: "Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God." (John 16:2)
So as much as Peter wanted host cultures to treat believers well because believers were a net gain for those host cultures, he knew hostility would often occur. So he gave instruction: But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. The believers Peter wrote to were beginning to suffer for their faith. They were already spoken of as evildoers, the subject of ignorant talk, the targets of threatening words, and the victims of slander (2:12, 25, 3:14, 16). Peter knew this. So he promised them: you will be blessed. When he did, he echoed the words of Jesus that were written in Matthew 5:11 (ESV) -- “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
How Are We Blessed Even if We Suffer for Christ? Doesn't what Peter and Jesus’ promise of blessing for suffering sound strange? The words "suffering" and "blessing" don't go together in society. How can the apostle claim that suffering for Jesus means we will be blessed?
People who legitimately suffer for their true and genuine Christianity must be spiritually healthy and wealthy. They experience heaven's rewards right now, tapping into their Heavenly Father's kingdom. It isn't so much that marginalization for the faith leads to blessing, but here Peter means it demonstrates you are the kind of person who is already spiritually blessed. Because you have a real relationship with God, you have the truth, you have the gospel, you are blessed. It's just that you might also be marginalized or hated for the gospel's sake.
The question remains, however: Can you see yourself as blessed even if you suffer for Christ? Can you see yourself accepted by God? Do you cherish his feelings towards you even when the world is hostile to you? Too many have felt the fires of hostility warming and have abandoned the gospel. They've valued what they get from man more than what they get from God. But what you get out there isn't worth it. Jesus is the greatest treasure.
Beyond this perspective that suffering highlights God's blessing, Peter also wants us to know that Exile Suffering requires fearlessness. He said: “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy...”
The Bible is a great source of inspiration to help you deal with fear. In it, God constantly exhorts us to trust him and operate without the fear of man. It will remind you not to fear those who can kill the body, but cannot affect the soul (Matthew 10:28). It will declare to you that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). It will also ask you, "If God is for me, who can be against me?" (Romans 8:31). "If the Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? " (Psalm 27:1). And it will remind you that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). No man is worth fearing.
But how can we adopt this fearless mindset? Peter tells us to, in our hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy (15). What does this statement mean? We are to set Christ apart in our hearts as the Holy Lord of our lives. We are to have such reverence towards Jesus that we are inwardly confident that, no matter what goes on around us, Jesus is King. Angels and authorities and powers are subject to him, and even when it feels like this isn't so, we know it is. Christ is Lord. He is supreme. This is the secret to fearlessness -- getting our focus on God.
With an exalted view of Christ in our hearts, we can endure the age to come just fine. So keep pressing into Jesus.
When you sin, run to Jesus for cleansing.
When you feel weak, run to Jesus for strength.
When you are tempted, run to Jesus for escape.
When you are spiritually fatigued, run to Jesus for spiritual strength.
When you want the acceptance of others, run to Jesus for acceptance.
When you are marginalized, run to Jesus for his embrace.
Receive communion to remember Jesus.
Read the word to discover Jesus.
Talk with other believers all about Jesus.
Meditate on the life and message of Jesus.
Let Jesus become famous to you, and you will be strengthened for the inevitable difficulties attached to the Christian life.
The last passage tells us that Exile Suffering leads to gospel opportunities. Our suffering, if we suffer well, can be a key in the door of someone's heart.
Peter makes it clear that he is not going to promote withdrawal from society. When suffering comes, we are not to retreat. Peter wants us to suffer well. He wants us to operate hope towards Christ and his kingdom, with gentleness and respect towards others, even those who mistreat us, and a good conscience toward ourselves.
Peter knows this kind of response will open doors because it is such a unnatural approach. When someone watches you suffer in the way Peter describes, when they see your reasonableness, gentleness, respect, and humility, they might wonder about the hope that is in you (15). You must always Be Ready to Explain Yourself.
When we respond as Peter describes to hostility and marginalization, it so defies the natural way of man that many men will want to know how we did it. Peter tells us we better be prepared to make a defense when those questions come our way (15).
Consider these truths we believe.
First, we believe God is in control. This flows from the supreme nature of God. So, when people around you are panicked because they can't find their phone or their most hated politician did something they don't like, be a calming presence that displays God's sovereignty. And look for an opportunity to share about why you aren't worked up.
Second, we believe God is good. This means we believe his ways and his word provide us with the best course of action. It means we turn to God for satisfaction and joy. When people chase relationship after relationship, display the joy that comes from being in a relationship with God. And look for an opportunity to share why you are so content.
Third, we believe God is full of love and grace. This means we believe God is approachable and accepts those who are covered by the blood of his Son. We don't have to prove ourselves to anyone. So, when people around you are trying to prove themselves by the quality or intensity of their work, their outward appearance, or their influence on earth, show them how you aren't thirsting to prove yourself. Let the acceptance of God, change how you act.
There are some statements we can make that capture Peter's message.
First, we can say, "I am blessed." Even when troubling times come because of your love for Jesus, know that you are favored by God. It might even be because of his work in your life that you are marginalized in the first place.
Second, we can say, "I am not afraid." Though threats and insults might come our way, we can boldly stand with Christ.
Third, we can say, "I have a King." Jesus must be sanctified in our hearts as Lord. We must get our eyes on him, especially when ridiculed or marginalized for him.
And lastly, we can say, "I have a mission.” I want to tell people about the hope I have in Christ. So, I will respond well to trials and suffering and look for a chance to explain why I have the hope I do.