Lesson 17 – I Peter Chapter 4:12-19

Last week Peter trained us up by bringing the word “fervent” into view, that we should have a “fervent love” for each other, and also be willing to extend this same fervent love to strangers. This means we’re willing to put in the extra effort that it takes to do that, just like an athlete pushing hard to win the race. We all need to pray about this, because when you really think about this, it’s not easy to love a stranger.

We also talked about knowing what kind of spiritual gift God has given us, and that it’s our responsibility to find out what it is and then use it to glorify God.

In this last section of chapter 4, we can title this “Fiery trials and Christian suffering.” There’s that word again, “suffering” …we naturally try to avoid any suffering at all costs, but hopefully God’s Word will help us further understand this.

I Peter 4:12
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;”

Peter says “Beloved,” he’s starting out by being the kind, warm-hearted pastor he needs to be for his flock. Beloved conveys tenderness, compassion, affection, and care. Perhaps when you approach someone you deeply care about, you might start out by saying “Sweetheart, I need to talk to you about something that is important.” After saying that, you know you have their attention. Being a child of God and living in a “fallen world,” you’re not a stranger when it comes to enduring trials and tribulations, you know it comes with the territory. Trials are part of God’s will for your life, they aren’t because you’ve disobeyed Him in some way. Trials are tools that God uses to perfect us.

With this in mind, Peter says, “Don’t be surprised when you start experiencing these “testings” (a fiery ordeal). Do not be surprised tells us that as you go out into the world with the gospel of Christ, you are going to run into people who will totally reject anything you say about Jesus. This will undoubtably bring some kind of persecutions your way. When that happens, wear it like a crown!

Luke 19:5
“When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

Zaccheus was surprised that Jesus would take notice of him. He wanted to meet Jesus, and now Jesus was coming to his house for dinner. In the context which Peter is speaking, we shouldn’t be surprised as believers when the world doesn’t like anything we stand for. There’s going to be a battle, and you can expect suffering at some point.

I Peter 1:6
“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,”

Romans 8:18
“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later.” (NLT)

It’s interesting to note that fiery ordeal symbolically describes a painful experience of persecution, but it is also used to describe a furnace melting down metal to purge out the impurities.

Isaiah 48:10
“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”

Take comfort in knowing that God never wastes anything. Even though you might go through some kind of severe testing at times, God will use it for your benefit… God knows exactly what He is doing! The key is to look and see where God is refining you. But remember, even though we have to deal with certain trials, it doesn’t mean we will always get the answer on this side of eternity.

I Peter 4:13 “But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”

“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.” (NLT)

But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ…

To the degree is an interesting phrase here. One commentary says this phrase is to show that the Christians’ eternal reward is proportionate to their earthly suffering. Meaning, that if you’ve suffered in any way for Christ’s sake, you will probably see rewards for that when you stand before Jesus at the Bema Seat Judgment.

II Cor. 4:16
“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”

Share… (koy-no-neh’-o), a related word is “koinōnia” meaning communion, fellowship, and having a close relationship.

Sharing in the suffering of Christ puts you in a very exclusive club. It’s like being part of a select fellowship, where the bonds are forged through empathy, compassion, and a deep connection to the divine sacrifice of Christ.

One of the greatest paradoxes in Christian history is that the church is most pure in times of cultural hostility. When things are easy and good, that is when the church most often goes soft. When you juxtapose the church and the world and see that the lines have become blurred, that is when the church is weak. Conversely, when the church goes through persecutions, hardships, and sufferings… that is when she is closest to her crucified Lord. When this happens, you will find that there are fewer hypocrites and nominal believers among her members, and with that, the faith of Christians burns more intensely.

C.S. Lewis: “We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us, we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.”

Phil. 3:8-10
“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in his death,” (NLT)

If you are indeed suffering in some way for Christ, Peter says, keep on rejoicing…

Rejoicing in the fact that you’re suffering?

In the “world’s eyes” that sounds like crazy talk. Unsaved society goes out of its way to avoid any kind of suffering.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said; “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt. 5:10-12)

Jesus also gave us a wonderful illustration concerning suffering when He reminded us that after a woman endures pain and suffering to give birth to her baby, she forgets all about the pain once her baby is born, because the suffering is transformed into glory. The pain fades into insignificance compared to the overwhelming joy of a new life. In a similar way, even though we have to endure pain and suffering at times, it can also lead us to a closer communion with Jesus.

So that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation…

The hope that is in our heart is waiting for the revelation of Jesus’ glory, we have this to look forward to! When Jesus ascended into heaven, He returned to His glory. The day is coming when His glory will be revealed to the whole earth.

Rev. 19:11-15
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.”

Rejoice with exultation… it’s a good thing that we’ll be in our glorified bodies when we return with Jesus in the clouds, because our hearts will probably be pounding so hard that a normal human heart would probably explode instantly from the excitement.

II Cor. 4:17
“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,”

The saints’ suffering… it proves them, it refines them, and earns for them “an eternal weight of glory.” The more we suffer for Christ, the stronger our hope becomes, and the richer our joy will be for all eternity. Keep on storing up treasures in heaven!

I Peter 4:14
“If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

Anything that we suffer for Christ is a privilege and not a penalty. Being reviled for the name of Christ…

Reviled, means “to denounce,” or “to heap insults upon” someone. If you were connected in any way to Jesus, there was an evil hatred directed at you, because it was becoming clear that Jesus was the Messiah. Peter makes a bold statement in Acts 4:12:

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Of course Peter was referring to Jesus here. Peter found out that there were consequences for speaking boldly about Jesus.

Acts 5:40-41
“And after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.”

Warren Wiersbee writes: “Suffering” and “glory” are twin truths that are woven into the fabric of Peter’s letters. The world believes that the absence of suffering means glory, but a Christian’s outlook is different. The trial of our faith today is the assurance of glory when Jesus returns.”

If you have suffered for Jesus, you are blessed. The challenge of suffering is rarely appreciated until we are personally affected, then it hits home for us. We not only receive eternal rewards in heaven for suffering for Christ, but also rewards on this side of eternity, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

Hold on to the truth… that the cross that brought shame and agony to Jesus, also delivered unto Him, power and glory. We know that as believers, we’re not guaranteed the pleasures of life, but we can say that they are just postponed for a season. We might “pay a price today,” for what God will bless us with in the future.

It’s just like the athletes who grind out the physical disciplines to hone their skills, in hopes of one day coming home with the gold. The gold crown we’ll receive from God is far greater than anything this world can ever offer us.

The Spirit of glory and of God rests on you…

This is referring to the Shekinah glory of God that dwelt in the tabernacle and in the temple. It is reminiscent of when Steven was being stoned for his faith:

Acts 7:55-56
“But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

The word rest means “to give relief, refreshment, and intermission from toil.” When we’re suffering for Christ’s sake, the Holy Spirit can give us endurance, understanding and other fruits of the Spirit.

Gal. 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

The Holy Spirit came upon Steven and gave him relief, so much so, that he was able to say to God “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” We can rest in the fact that the Holy Spirit dwells within us… the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

I Peter 4:15
“Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;

When you think of a Christian as being a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler, this should never be what describes them. If any of these descriptions do come into play, certainly there is no suffering for righteousness sake! The old phrase “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime” is a concise piece of wisdom that carries with it a powerful message. There are consequences to lawless actions, and with that a person gives up their right to receive any blessing from the Holy Spirit when they commit such acts.

A troublesome meddler… this seems to pale in comparison to the crimes Peter just listed, but it shows that all sins, not just crimes, forfeit the Holy Spirit’s comfort and rest. As Christians, we’re never to be troublemakers or agitators in society or in the work place.

I Thess 4:11
“And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you,”

I remember working for a large corporation. There was a nasty little game that many people enjoyed playing. I like to call it a “gotcha” mentality. This is when a person looks for a fellow employee to make a mistake, and then they make sure it gets revealed publicly, so the employee gets in trouble. That’s a troublemaker.

Titus 3:1-3
“Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone. Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.”

The world is filled with troublemakers, don’t be one of them.

I Peter 4:16
“But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.”

As a Christian, I can’t possibly imagine being ashamed of suffering for Jesus. Perhaps in the back of Peter’s mind was the memory of him denying that he even knew Jesus for fear of his life. Peter knew Jesus had forgiven him, perhaps he was ashamed of being associated with Jesus for that moment in time. Jesus is never ashamed of those who call Him Lord.

Heb. 2:11
“For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,”

In the first century, being called “Christian” wasn’t a name that believers had picked for themselves. In fact, it was a mocking name given to them by the world, and it was associated with hatred and persecutions against them.

But now, Christian has become the dominant name that believers commonly refer to themselves… those who belong to Christ. There is no shame in suffering for Christ; if you do suffer in some way, consider it an honor.

To glorify God in this context means to praise God for the privilege and honor of suffering in this name.

As a Christian, you’re in the Army of God, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. In the Army of God, His soldiers are called to counter evil with an “overwhelming good” that flows from having a heart in love with God. No matter what situation a Christian soldier is in, they must put faith in their commander, and live by the Spirit. Soldiers in Christ bless everyone around them, and labor to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

We can be proud to be called a Christian, but our boasting is only in the Lord.

Jermiah 9:23
“Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

When we boast of all of God’s greatness, this brings glory to God.

I Peter 4:17
“For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

Right now, God uses suffering as judgment in a positive and purifying sense for Christians (the household of God), or we could say, in “the family of God.” When we suffer, God knows it. Can He stop it? Of course He can, but He allows it to mold us and shape us more into the likeness of Jesus.

Charles Spurgeon, “It is right for judgment to begin at the house of God. There is equity in it; for Christians profess to be better than others, and so they ought to be. They say they are regenerate, so they ought to be regenerate. They say that they are a holy people, separated unto Christ; so they ought to be holy, and separate from sinners, as He was.”

John MacArthur says, “It is infinitely better for people to endure suffering with joy now as believers being purified for effective testimony and eternal glory than to later bear eternal torment as unbelievers.”

And if it begins with us first…

If God sends trials to the church now, whom He loves, this is evidence that He will someday judge all unbelievers. This is not to say that God doesn’t love unsaved people… “for God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son.”

Even though we experience trials and tribulation (judgment) now, we know that our glory is coming later… God has promised this. All through Scripture we see the persecution of the church, the trials and hardships that believers have faced. The challenge for us is to learn how to consider each trial a joy when it comes into our life, and that’s not easy.

What will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

The “world” is enjoying their glory now… apart from Christ, this is the only heaven they will ever experience. Those who reject Jesus Christ, will one day regret not choosing Him for all eternity.

Psalm 96:13b
“For the Lord is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with His truth.” (NLT)

I Peter 4:18
“And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?”

Proverbs 11:31
“If the righteous are rewarded here on earth, what will happen to wicked sinners?” (NLT)

The term with difficulty… means “in a hard way”, “not easily”, i.e. scarcely, or very rarely. The related adverb to this is the word “toil.” What Peter is referring to when he says, “with difficulty” is the sanctification process we go through in our Christian walk.

Hebrews 12:7
“It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”

Where the writer of Hebrews uses the word “discipline” we can easily inject the words trials or persecutions. And Peter’s point is, enduring difficulties in life is normal.

In the end, when the difficulties have ceased, it will lead to the believer’s final salvation… which is our glorification with Christ. Trust me, it will all be worth it.

The apostle Paul experienced this first hand…

Acts 14:19-22
“But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Trials and tribulations will come, our job is to always continue in the faith!

What will become of the godless man and the sinner?

I think we all know the answer to this question. The godless sinner may have suffered, but they’ve never suffered for righteousness sake. For the godless sinner out there who thinks they can just go through life ignoring God and doing whatever they please, and then in the end just die and fade away into nothingness… they’re in for a very rude awakening.

II Thess. 1:6-9
“In His justice He will pay back those who persecute you. And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from His glorious power.” (NLT)

Being separated from God for all eternity might be punishment in and of itself, but eternal destruction is far worse than just being separated from God. It’s not safe to die without Jesus!

I Peter 4:19
“Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”

Therefore…

All that Peter has been teaching us about suffering is encapsulated in the word “therefore.”

The Christian life can be a journey of epic proportions, it has peaks and valleys of every size. God is in heaven watching over us with His hand on the thermostat. To those going through a trial, it might seem like God isn’t in control, but He is, and we can trust Him. We can entrust our souls to God!

To entrust means to “commit to one’s charge.”

Entrust is a banker’s term referring to a deposit for safe keeping. Entrust is the Greek word: paratithemi – Jesus used the same word on the cross when He committed His spirit to His Father. (Luke 23:46) Jesus trusted His Father with His spirit and so can we.

We can entrust our spirit and souls to a faithful Creator. It’s interesting that only here and in Romans chapter 1 is God called Creator. One commentary says that is because it was generally understood that the Author of everything, the Designer of all that is, the One who sustains not only His material creation but achieves His purpose for it all… will bring to pass what He wills… only He is completely able and trustworthy in doing what is right.

Romans 8:35-39
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NLT)

If you can’t trust God, you can’t trust anyone! Because God is faithful in Himself and to His own promises, all believers’ souls are at rest in His power and purpose. Relax Christian, God’s got this!