I Peter 4:12-19 – Suffering Is a Privilege

I Peter 4:12-19 (New Living Translation)

¹² Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. ¹³ Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

¹⁴ So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian,^[a] for then the glorious Spirit of God^[b] rests upon you.^[c] 15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. ¹⁶ But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! ¹⁷ For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? ¹⁸ And also,

“If the righteous are barely saved,
    what will happen to godless sinners?”^[d]

¹⁹ So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

Peter has been trying to encourage the followers of Jesus who were suffering persecution for their beliefs.  In this short passage Peter reminds the followers of Christ that suffering comes before glory.  As Christians we cannot escape suffering, for satan is at spiritual war with us, and will make sure we have plenty of trials.  He wants to discourage us from serving Christ. 

As Christians we do not suffer because we have disobeyed the Lord, but because we identify with Jesus Christ.  When His glory is revealed, we will be glad that we were privileged to suffer for Him.  Jesus tells us in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:11):   “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.

If we were suffering for the sins we were committing, then we would deserve what we are going through.  We are accountable to God for everything we do or don’t do.  There are consequences for sinning.  But if we are suffering because we are claiming the name of Jesus, and living for Him, then we are in for a great blessing ahead.  God sees, and God knows.  He is in the process of making us more and more in the image of Christ, His Son.

Peter is in agreement with another apostle, James, also one of the early church leaders.  James wrote:  Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:2-4)

We can know this about trials:

·         Trials will happen to all Christians.

·         Trials come in various forms at various times.

·         Trials test our faith.

·         We grow and mature through trials.

We should consider it a joy when trials come our way, because they draw us closer to Christ.  Rather than feeling shame for suffering for Christ, we should feel honored.  As Christians we are privileged to suffer for the King of Kings.  One day we will reign with Him, so what we go through here is only temporary, and He gives us the strength to endure it.

Peter reminds us that suffering is also needed in our lives to keep us pure.  It’s like a spring cleaning in our lives to keep us ready and waiting for His return.  Besides, we will overcome, we will win, and we will be rewarded.  How untrue that is for those who do not obey Christ.  They have a terrible future awaiting them if they do not turn to Christ and forsake their sins.  Christians, on the other hand, can count it all joy to suffer for Jesus, because we will one day revel in His Glory!!  We will be sharing eternity with Jesus Christ, Creator of all, and King over all.  Praise His name!!

I Peter 4:1-11 - A Life Characterized By Christ

I Peter 4:1-11 (New Living Translation)

So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. ² You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 

Vs 1-2

Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had.  In this verse Peter says that if we suffer for doing good, then we are given the opportunity to respond with the same attitude of Christ.  Through suffering we learn to put our priorities in order so that sin no longer has a hold over us…it is no longer our master, and we no longer have the sinful desires we once had.  Our suffering and responding with a Christ-like attitude is the best witness we can give that we are done with sinning and are living for Jesus.  Now it is our desire and purpose in life to do the will of God.  Adopting the attitude of Christ changes our perspective on life.

People are watching us.  They want to observe whether or not our behavior matches up to our claim to be a follower of Christ…a Christian.  If it does not, then they will want no part of Christianity.  We are soldiers in a war against satan and his evil ways.  Through the death of Christ we are enabled to continue his lifestyle.  He didn’t save us to give us a vacation through life, but to represent him.  We are soldiers of the cross, as the song goes.  He lives through us to continue his work in this world.

In our suffering, according to Peter, we must remember that our hope is in Christ alone.  Suffering is only temporary, and we do not go through it alone.  Because Jesus suffered, he knows what we are going through and he promised he would be with us.  So we can say with confidence “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear.  What can mere people do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)

God has a purpose for our suffering, as Paul reminds us in Romans 8:28:  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 

The wisdom found in Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us:  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Doing God’s will means we quit behaving as we used to when we were led by our carnal nature.  With Christ living in us, we have his Spirit to guide us and help us to live as Jesus wants us to live.  We are done with ungodly living.

³ You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.⁴ Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. ⁵ But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead. ⁶ That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit.

Vs 3-6

Satan does not like the fact that we are living pure lives for Christ.  He is going to badger us in any way he can to get us to go back to our former lifestyles.  In these verses Peter describes the past pagan lifestyle that the followers of Christ have left behind.  They were being ridiculed and slandered by their former friends because the Christians would not join them in their evil acts. 

As an encouragement to the followers of Christ, Peter reminds them that even though their former friends may judge them for not participating in their wild and wicked ways, ultimately those people will be judged by God for how they are living.  Everyone is accountable to the Father and Son on the last great judgment day…including the living and the dead.  No one escapes that day.  Those who accepted the good news of Jesus Christ, even though they were once destined to die, will now have eternal life with the Father and Son (God).

We must keep our focus on Jesus, living our lives for God’s purpose.  It should come as no surprise that the world doesn't understand us, or rejects us, or ridicules us or treat us wrong.  They have an earthly mindset which does not comprehend the heavenly world.  We are reminded once again in Hebrews 12:1-3:  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.  Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

⁷ The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. ⁸ Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.¹⁰ God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. ¹¹ Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

Vs 7-11

Peter becomes very blunt in these next few verses.  He never did like to waste words or beat around the bush.  He reminds the Christians that the end of the world is coming soon.  The end of their suffering is in sight.  Peter is encouraging those he is writing to with this hope…it will soon be over.  Christians are to be characterized by having a clear mind to reason, making wise decisions, and having a definite purpose in life.  With the end of all things coming close, Christians should all the more watch their attitudes and actions so they exemplify Christ to the world.  Therefore, Peter gave some specific instructions to heed:

1.    Vs 7 - Use good judgment and stay calm by being fervent in your prayers.  There is no need for anxiety.  Prayer is a two way communication which includes listening to God.  He often speaks through his Word.  Fervent prayers means that are we in an attitude of prayer continuously.  That is the only way of discerning the will of God.

2.    Vs 8 - Keep on loving each other all the more.  True love, agape love, the kind of love Christ has, forgives one another.  It is also unconditional love. Christians are characterized and known by their love for one another.  John told us in his gospel chapter 13:35:  Your love for one another will prove in the world that you are my disciples.  We see here again that fervently means continuously.  When we are tempted to criticize or tear down a person, instead we should ask the Lord to help us love that person with the love of Christ and see the best in him, building him up. 

3.    Vs 9 – Show hospitality to those who are in need, and do this cheerfully, without complaining.  Whatever God has given us we are to share with others…our home, our meals, our resources.  The worldly mindset is a selfish one, watching out for number one.  As Christians, however, we should share with others, not out of a sense of duty, but with the spirit of joy.

4.    Vs 10-11 – Share your spiritual gifts with each other…the grace gifts that God has given you.  They are given to be used to minister to the Body of Christ.  They are to be used as though God himself were speaking through us or acting through us.  We are not doing this in our own strength, but through God’s strength working in us.  God should always get the glory, not us.

Peter was not exhorting his readers, including us, to go and sell everything and sit in a commune waiting for the return of Christ.  He exhorts us to show the love of Christ all the more and serve each other with our spiritual gifts all the more so that we bring glory to God by our actions, our service, and our words.  If we will follow these exhortations of Peter, we will live a life characterized by Christ.