Suffer 1 Peter 4:12-19
Last week at the Bible class I attend, someone asked why don’t people trust God and turn to him anymore? After some conversation I was asked what I thought. I said I believe it’s because we don’t have to. Let me explain. What I mean by this is, we are blessed to live in this country and in this time. There are a vast number of medical conditions that can be cured, or at least controlled. We don’t, or at least the majority in the United States, don’t have to worry about how we’ll get our next meal. We have a large amount of leisure time to pursue pleasurable interests. And in our society, when the worst happens, those outside its immediate scope tend to push disease and death to the periphery. We don’t turn to God, instead we tend to just do what’s socially required and then move on.
When we look back through history, we see the diseases that decimated whole populations are mostly under control. When we look around the world, there are those who literally fear for their safety because of their faith. We must admit we don’t suffer that much. And as happy as I am to live here and now, I think this lack of suffering has detrimental effects. It causes us to not have to rely on God. And this lack of reliance creates a fertile ground for Satan to act in.
One of the problems I see is people can have this idea that we are sinners, we accept Christ, are saved, and everything will be perfect. The reality is a lot of the time the exact opposite is true. Romans 5:3, “…but we also glory in our sufferings.” Psalm 34:19, “The righteous person may have many troubles…” Philippians 1:29, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.” And today’s verse, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you…” (1 Peter 4:12) The Holy Spirit tells us through Peter that suffering is par for the course, that the difficulty in our lives is just a part of living in a fallen world.
Verse 12 again, “…the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you.” Does God test us to see if we are worthy? No, but he wants to see if we are committed. “I believe in Jesus, I’m saved.” Seems easy. But the part people miss is the commitment to Christ, and the reliance on God.
Matthew 5:30, “And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away…” Jesus wasn’t talking literally. He was testing those following him to see if they understood the level of devotion God expects. Did they understand they might have to give up home, family, friends, to be a follower of Jesus? Do we understand we may be asked to give these things up also? Many who heard Jesus that day left. When we are faced with suffering do we say, “God, you let this happen, you didn’t help me, I’m walking away from church, I don’t trust you anymore.” Like those people Jesus was talking to, is being a Christian just too hard.
Verse 13, “But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” This theme, rejoice that you suffer, appears multiple times in scripture. Peter tells us not to just endure suffering, but to rejoice in it; rejoice not in spite of trouble, but because of it.
Hebrews 2:12, “For the joy set before him, (Jesus) endured the cross…” Jesus endured the ultimate suffering and he saw the joy in it. Joy at doing the Father’s will. Joy at knowing he was bringing salvation to the world. If we suffer the loss of time, or money, or friends because of our faith, we should be joyful because we lost them for God. We should be joyful because we are doing God’s work, using our lives to bless other’s lives.
Verses 15-16, “If you suffer it should not be as a murderer or a thief…however, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God.” Peter tells us not to be responsible for our suffering, that is, make sure what you suffer is not deserved because of your actions. If you suffer because you stole, it’s deserved. if you suffer because you believe, that’s not deserved. If you suffer for your faith, you have nothing to be ashamed of.
As I read this scripture, the word “shame” popped up at me. I looked it up, the word “shame” appears 431 times in the Bible, 77 of those times are in the New Testament. Shame is a big deal. Why? Because it is one of the most powerful tools Satan has to use against you.
We feel shame when others say things about us, even when it’s not true. We feel shame when we make an honest mistake. We can feel shame when a family member does something wrong. Some even feel shame over their lifestyle. And there are those who feel shame because of a physical impairment.
1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…” God tells us that even though we are saved and in his family, we still live in a fallen world where the devil roams, and he can still cause us to doubt and feel shame. Jesus went naked to the cross and died a shameful criminal’s death. He took our shame upon himself and removed it from us. Our faith now elevates us above as the shame Satan tries to use against us.
I know that many times, to make us feel shame, Satan tries to make us feel alone, like we’re the only one going through whatever the circumstances are. Going back to 1 Peter 5:9, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of suffering.” You are not standing alone. You are not standing out like a beacon. You are going through the same thing others are because Satan has a limited arsenal to use against us.
Now to finish this morning, let’s look to our readings verse 19, “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
We are reminded here that the obstacles we suffer ae not arbitrary. The question this presents is, why does God let us suffer difficulties? The answer is in our verse. Our suffering and trouble should drive us into a deeper commitment to God. Our trials are not to be seen as evidence that God doesn’t care. Our trials give us opportunities to come closer to God and his love and care.
As I said in the beginning today, living in this country and time, that total dependence on God for life and sustenance is something foreign to us, but in many parts of the world that kind of trust and dependence is a way of life.
Now, you’ve heard me say before that I don’t necessarily believe that our troubles are God testing us. But if you want to look at it that way, when you have trouble in your life and you turn away from God because of it, you failed the test.
Today, Peter tells us that even as followers of Christ, trouble will be part of our lives. He warns us to not be the cause of our troubles. He tells us to be joyful because we suffer for Christ, our suffering is a small reminder of his suffering on our behalf. We’re reminded that we must not turn away from God when we suffer, but rather use it to bring us closer to God, to trust God deeper, and to see his love and care in our lives.
And now knowing this, I ask us to keep prayers in our hearts and on our lips for those who live in parts of the world where this kind of dependency on God’s grace sustains a life in desperation.
Amen