1 Peter 4:12-19

PETER CONTINUES THE ONGOING THEME OF SUFFERING. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS HE SAYS IS "DON'T BE SUPRISED BY IT, AS IF SOMETHING UNUSUAL WERE HAPPENING TO YOU" (V. 12). IF I AM A CHRISTIAN, SUFFERING IS NOT ALIEN TO ME. THIS IS HARD FOR ME TO FULLY GRASP IN THE CULTURE OF COMFORT THAT I LIVE IN (RELIGIOUSLY SPEAKING). SUFFERING IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO "SHARE" (V. 13) COMMON GROUND AND EXPERIENCES WITH CHRIST. BECAUSE WE ARE BECOMING MORE LIKE CHRIST AND HE IS BEING GLORIFIED BY OUR SUFFERING, WE HAVE REASON TO REJOICE GREATLY.

PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS ASKING GOD FOR BLESSINGS AND TO BE BLESSED. THE WORD OF GOD IN THIS TEXT SAYS THAT IF YOU ARE REPROACHED, RIDICULED, INSULTED, TREATED UNFAIRLY FOR THE NAME OF CHRIST, YOU ARE BLESSED. HOW ABOUT THEM APPLES JOEL OLSTEEN? YOU ARE BLESSED BECAUSE "THE SPIRIT OF GLORY AND OF GOD RESTS ON YOU" (V. 14) WOW! GOD IS THERE WHEN HE IS WITNESSING HIS OWN ADOPTED, REDEEMED CHILD IS SUFFERING AND GIVES HIM REST.

IF WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING, WE "SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED" (V. 16) OF BEING A CHRISTIAN, BUT GLORIFY AND HONOR GOD WITH THAT NAME. THIS IS THE MESSAGE OF ROMANS 10:9:

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

IN THAT TIME, CAESAR AND THE ROMAN EMPIRE WERE IN CONTROL, POLITICALLY AND RELIGOUSLY. CAESAR WAS CONSIDERED TO BE GOD AND HE WAS WORSHIPPED AS SUCH. CHRISTIANS, WHO DENIED CAESAR'S DEITY, WERE CONSIDERED ATHEISTS. WHO WAS LORD? MOST, IN THAT DAY, WOULD SAY "CAESAR IS LORD" BUT THE CHRISTIANS WOULD SAY "JESUS IS LORD." BECAUSE OF THIS CONFESSION, THESE PEOPLE WERE CHRISTIANS AND THUS SAVED.

EVEN THOUGH SUFFERING MAY SEEM OR FEEL LIKE GOD IS PLACING JUDGEMENT ON US, HOW WOULD IT BE FOR THOSE THAT HAVE REJECTED THE "GOSPEL OF GOD" (V. 17). IN OTHER WORDS, THE SUFFERING WE MAY EXPERIENCE NOW IS NOTHING LIKE THE JUDGMENT OF HELL, WHICH NEVER ENDS.

VERSE 19 IS THE ULTIMATE MOTIVATING FACTOR FOR A CHRISTIAN TO NOT LOSE HEART AND COMMITT THEMSELVES TO GOD'S WILL (IN THE CONTEXT OF SUFFERING FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST): BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL. BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS, WE CAN FOLLOW HIM, EVEN THROUGH THE FIERY TRIALS.