Living in Faith
1 Peter 4:12-19
“I’m trusting God with my situation,” a Christian in the midst of suffering may say. “Amen!” another may respond. “Aren’t you worried at all?” a third person may ask. “Well, sort of,” the first person may answer. “I wish I could trust God just a little bit more,” a fourth friend may say. Then a fifth person may declare, “You certainly can trust God to show He cares for you in the midst of suffering.” At which the other four may ask in unison, “How do you know?” They want to know the basis behind this concept and how strong it is. And they can. Not only can they know the basis for this concept, they can know that it is a certain truth. Even more, they can experience God’s care in their lives.
In chapter 1, Peter addresses believers that were not new to suffering, but it appears to have caught them off guard. They were not expecting to be hated or persecuted as much as they were, and were probably surprised and confused by their suffering.
Shouldn’t believers be protected from these types of attacks? Not so, as Peter tells believers in 4:12, “Do not be surprised” at the fiery ordeal they face, since the gospel of Christ will be offensive to the world and will produce persecution. But the fiery trial also comes for our testing and purification, that whatever is not like God may be extracted from our lives. Therefore, believers should keep on rejoicing, knowing God is working in the suffering and that we share in the sufferings of Christ. When believers are experiencing the same kind of sufferings He endured, they should know they are blessed because the Spirit of God rests upon them.
Certainly, believers who commit crimes have no right to complain about suffering, since they are enduring just punishment for their crimes (4:15). But no one should be ashamed of suffering for what is right, but rather should glorify God (4:16). If this be the case and you have to suffer for what is right, it is an honor to suffer for His name.
The true hope and security we have through suffering is knowing that the eternal destination of our souls is forever settled. God’s judgment first begins within the household of God (4:17), and if it’s “with difficulty” (i.e., hardly or scarcely) that believers are saved, what will happen to unbelievers? This verse reveals the difficulty with which believers are brought to salvation through things such as unjust suffering and God-ordained purification. God is faithful to bring us through it all.
Sands– Lessons in the ETB series for the fall quarter are being written by Alex Sands, pastor of Kingdom Life Christian Center, Greenville.