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September 20, 2020
Steven Lee (North Campus) | 1 Peter 4:12-14
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.—1 Peter 4:12–14
Introduction
How many of us enjoy suffering? No one desires, relishes, or eagerly anticipates suffering. Whether a fractured collar bone, contracting COVID-19, chronic migraines, or beginning hospice care for a loved one, suffering reveals the brokenness of our world. Yet we believe that God has a good purpose in suffering.
The Bethlehem Elder Affirmation of Faith—the document all the elders are committed to uphold and teach—states it in the following way (Section 5.3):
We believe God has subjected the creation to futility, and the entire human family is made justly liable to untold miseries of sickness, decay, calamity, and loss. Thus all the adversity and suffering in the world is an echo and a witness of the exceedingly great evil of moral depravity in the heart of mankind; and every new day of life is a God-given, merciful reprieve from imminent judgment, pointing to repentance.
Our Elder Affirmation of Faith also states that God is sovereign over all things, yet never sins, and his ordaining of all things is compatible with the moral accountability of all persons. It states it in the following way (3.2):
We believe that God upholds and governs all things—from galaxies to subatomic particles, from the forces of nature to the movements of nations, and from the public plans of politicians to the secret acts of solitary persons—all in accord with His eternal, all-wise purposes to glorify Himself, yet in such a way that He never sins, nor ever condemns a person unjustly; but that His ordaining and governing all things is compatible with the moral accountability of all persons created in His image.
We believe that our world groans under the weight of the pervasiveness of sin and that God is at work in the world in order to glorify himself. Very often we want easy and clear answers to our pain and suffering. Why am I suffering? What is its purpose? While we can’t always draw a straight line from pain to a specific purpose, in our passage this morning, we do get a glimpse of how God uses suffering in the lives of believers.
Like Joseph. After he was nearly killed by his brothers, sold into slavery, unjustly thrown into prison, and then had the opportunity to repay his brothers, he said this to them: “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20).
In our passage this morning the apostle Peter revisits suffering and gives a final word on it (1 Peter 4:12–19). One of his aims is to help his readers make sense of their suffering for Jesus. Peter makes a startling claim in this passage. God is using and redeeming the suffering of believers for Jesus to intensify their joy in God. Their experience of maligning, slander, and estrangement with the surrounding culture is a sign of God’s blessing. In revisiting these truths, Peter wants his readers to be unshakeable and steadfast. He’s inserting rods of rebar into the poured-out, concrete-like foundation of their faith.
Peter begins a new and final section that takes us to the end of the letter. In our passage Peter reminds his readers of two aspects of suffering:
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
Peter calls them “beloved” to remind them of their status once again. They are not being punished, under wrath, or being judged. They are God’s beloved. The Father of Lies, Satan, shoots fiery darts that tell us we are condemned, forgotten, unlovable, beyond hope, too far broken, too inept, and too dysfunctional, and that we deserve the suffering we experience. But Peter sticks that first piece of rebar in: Believers in Jesus have “beloved” written on their hearts. Hardship does not mean God is absent, impotent, or angry.
Peter then commands, “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you.” This echoes his exhortation from 1:6–7, “You have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6–7). Suffering and trials test our faith. Peter is painting the image of a blacksmith removing impurities from precious metals through heating and reheating it in a fire.
In the book of Malachi, God is described as a refiner’s fire:
“But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For [the Lord] is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.”—Malachi 3:2–3
The Levites, the priests, are the ones being refined so that they will “bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.” Another way to put it is this: “Once my people are purified they will be useful in serving me.”
God is not like a raging forest fire in California, devouring everything in its way. God uses the fiery trials that believers experience as a perfectly calibrated precision instrument to accomplish his purpose. God uses suffering in the lives of believers to purify, not destroy. We’ve seen this truth in 1 Peter 1:6–7, and therefore Peter reminds his readers to be unsurprised at trials and suffering.
Don’t view suffering “as though something strange were happening to you.” Why shouldn’t we think of suffering as strange? At one level it is strange—it’s not the way things should be when God created the world. But sin entered into the world, and now believers should expect suffering in this life; we are “elect exiles,” this world is not our home. There are two types of suffering for believers: the fire of affliction and the fire of self-denial (e.g., “Pick up your cross and follow me”). Peter’s focus has been mainly on the fire of affliction. We see this in verses like James 1:2–4.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Testing of one’s faith has a purpose. Namely, to produce steadfastness. What is steadfastness? Here is one definition I came across: “Loyalty in the face of trouble and difficulty.” How do you know if you are loyal? The only way you’ll know is when you experience opposition. Will you trust in Jesus and his promises in that moment, or will you throw in the towel and give up? Will you cleave to Christ in tribulation, or will you choose to avoid persecution for being a follower of Christ? Trials produce steadfastness by testing one’s faith in Christ. Trials don’t just test our faith, but through that testing, they help believers to see and experience the truth that Christ is all we need. That Christ is all-sufficient, reliable, trustworthy, faithful, true, kind and gentle, and sovereign. God is using and redeeming suffering so that we will see that Christ is all that we need. He is trustworthy, and we emerged on the other side still cleaving to him. Every trial is an opportunity to display the trustworthiness of Jesus.
Like the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:20–21, which says, “As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away”—when tribulation or persecution arises, he falls away. Yet this is one who heard the Word and received it with joy. Testing purifies the church, but it also strengthens and deepens the roots of those who are true disciples of Jesus. In every fiery trial, God proves his faithfulness, his sovereignty, his trustworthiness, his goodness, and his love. With each trial, we endure, another section of rebar is laid in the concrete foundation of our faith.
Suffering is unsurprising because it is assumed for all who will follow Jesus. Second Timothy 3:12 says, “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” It doesn’t mean the really radical disciples will be persecuted, but rather all. Perhaps not tomorrow, but it will come. Hostility will come as we share the gospel, as we hold to biblical convictions, and as we make disciples.
This morning, as we live as “elect exiles,” aliens and sojourners, are we surprised when we experience some suffering? Or do we see it as one of the ways God is purifying his church, strengthening our foundations, clarifying our priorities, and confirming our hope? Whatever may come, let the testing of our faith result in greater purity, greater steadfastness, and greater boldness.
These two commands function as a negative statement and a positive statement. Don’t be surprised (that’s the negative side), but instead rejoice in suffering (that’s the positive side).
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
Christians are to rejoice and be glad as they share in Christ’s suffering. Not only be unsurprised, but rejoicing. Jesus said similarly in the Beatitudes …
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”—Matthew 5:11–12
Earlier we stated that no one enjoys suffering unless they are deranged, like a masochist. Is Jesus calling for us to be masochists? I don’t think so. He gives us this purpose clause: “That you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” That is the purpose of rejoicing in suffering.
Believers rejoice because in sharing in Christ’s suffering means they truly belong to God. It confirms that Jesus is their treasure and that they are truly children of God. We aren’t counterfeit disciples. We aren’t illegitimate children but beloved children.
Willingness to endure suffering is a stamp of authenticity that says “true Christian.” This is what takes place when Peter and John are beaten for preaching Christ in Acts 5:41, “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” Suffering confirms that Jesus is their treasure, despite the cost or suffering. God redeems suffering—he doesn’t waste it—but uses it to confirm in our hearts that “Jesus is better.” We are really being kept by God. It’s another piece of rebar being laid down into the foundation of our faith.
In our Bible reading plan this week in John 18, Peter wants to escape the suffering of looking bad and of being thought of poorly. He denies knowing Jesus or being his disciple. He was ashamed of Jesus. Are we ashamed of Jesus? Are we ashamed to claim Christ? At work, school, or in your neighborhood, are you afraid of admitting that you’re a follower of Christ? Are you willing to align yourself with Jesus and not give in to what is culturally acceptable on one side or the other?
The second reason is that believers are promised a future joy when Christ returns at his second coming. Suffering for the sake and name of Jesus right now identifies us with Christ. When Jesus returns we partake and rejoice in the revelation of his glory. Consider God’s glory that passed by Moses as he was covered on Mt. Sinai. He glowed with the reflected glory of God. In Jesus, when he comes, we will behold glory in all of his fullness. Unfiltered and undiminished, and we won’t even die as we behold it.
Let’s say you’re a Vikings fan and you believe, without a doubt, that they will win the Super Bowl this year. Everyone else is a naysayer and they think you’re crazy. But if the Vikings win it all, at the Super Bowl parade, you will celebrate and rejoice at their victory. Right now, everyone thinks believers are crazy. They are naysayers: “God’s dead, there is no God, how could you believe in such fables?” But when Jesus returns in all of his glory, we will rejoice with immeasurable, mind-blowing, heart-exploding joy. Imagine that day. In that day there will be no room for bandwagon fans. You were either willing to suffer with Christ, or not.
To share in suffering now serves to confirm that we will partake in the incomparable joy and celebration when Christ in all of his glory returns to rule and reign over what is rightfully his. Earthly suffering will not compare with the glory and joy we will experience when Christ returns, and our faith is vindicated.
In Hebrews, we get a similar illustration regarding Moses in Hebrews 11:26, “He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” Take the long view when it comes to suffering for Jesus, knowing that you will be vindicated, rewarded, and receive everlasting joy and glory with God forever. Revelation 2:10 says, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” The apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Present suffering does not compare with future glory. God gloriously redeems suffering to intensify and maximize our joy in him.
Peter then gives a very specific example: “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:14). Again we see that this fiery trial is suffering insults for the name of Christ. Peter again gives a stunning word: You are blessed to be insulted for Christ. This is the upside-down nature of the Kingdom. When we suffer, the world says we’re cursed, and yet God says we are blessed. Why are we blessed? Peter says, “Because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”
This phrase, “Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you,” alludes to Isaiah 11:1–2. “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him.” This Isaiah passage is speaking about Jesus that would come from the line of Jesse, and the Spirit of the Lord would rest upon him. So the Spirit of God enables the prophets, like Isaiah, to speak of the coming sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. This Spirit of glory and of God—namely the Holy Spirit—is the same Spirit that rested upon and empowered Jesus for his earthly ministry, and it is the same Spirit that caused him to rise from the dead. And Peter says this same Spirit is now resting on all of God’s believers.
When Jesus was baptized, what happened? Luke’s gospel account tells us. “And the Holy Spirit descended on [Jesus] in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” The Spirit rested upon Jesus as a visible sign of God’s favor upon Jesus and of his status as God’s beloved Son. And now Peter takes that same image and applies it to all of Jesus’ disciples. When you’re insulted for the name of Christ, you’re blessed because the Holy Spirit is resting upon you like it rested upon Jesus to indicate that you are God’s beloved children in whom he is well pleased.
What this means for us is that when we experience suffering for the sake of Jesus, it means that God is with us by his Spirit. The Holy Spirit is upholding us, sustaining us, empowering us, keeping us, groaning on our behalf, and giving us words in the moment we need them most. God will never leave us nor will he forsake us because he has given us his Spirit.
What would make suffering palatable or sustainable? What would allow us to endure maligning, slander, or hostility? If we had the guarantee and promise that God sees us, hears our prayers, and is present with us, sustaining us, enabling us to persevere, and empowering us to testify to his name? Would that be enough? If the very Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead—God himself in the third person of the Trinity—were right by your side and indwelling you and filling you with power, faith, and hope as you endure? Would that be enough? And that is precisely what God promises us this morning. The Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you!
God uses suffering to test, strengthen, and deepen our faith. So do not be surprised. And God redeems our suffering, using it to confirm that Jesus is our treasure, and uses it to intensify our everlasting joy in God because we have been given his Holy Spirit.
Application & Conclusion
Choosing to suffer with Jesus in this life only seems crazy if you believe that this is as good as it gets. Peter reminds us throughout this letter, we are elect exiles, aliens and sojourners, here on earth. This is not our final home, and it is not where we have “our best life now.” This is camping, nomadic sojourning, as we eagerly await our eternal home with Jesus in the heavens.
This morning, if you’re living to squeeze out all of the joy, satisfaction, and pleasure that you can in this life, we want to call you to something better. This life can offer a few pleasures: prosperity, physical pleasures, and exhilaration. But it does not last, and more often than not, comes with it heartache, pain, and eventually death. But Jesus offers you this morning a better way. A life surrendered to Christ means peace in the storms, eternal hope in death, joy in suffering, love within a new blood-bought family, and the guarantee of everlasting and ever-increasing joy. If you’re undecided this morning, we’d love to talk with you about your eternal destiny.
Believers can experience joy and gladness because God is using and redeeming our suffering for his everlasting purposes, and he will turn our sorrow into everlasting joy. Not only will every tear be wiped away, our joy, gladness, and rejoicing will never cease.
How then can we suffer well? Look forward to the greater reward that you will receive. We will behold God in all of his glory. We will share in that glory, we will be vindicated, we will not be ashamed, but we will experience infinite, ever-increasing, multiplying joy when Jesus returns. Meditating on the Scriptures is not just an exercise of knowing what the Scriptures say, but it’s allowing these truths to undo the lies, to reshape our hearts, and to reorient our priorities to long for the return of Jesus and the revelation of his glory. How much do we long for his return?
And the other way we can suffer well is to know that we are God’s beloved. The Holy Spirit right now is resting upon us and God will never leave us, nor will he forsake us. Charles Spurgeon once said that “they who dive in the sea of affliction bring up rare pearls.” Suffering with joy as a Christian is not only possible, but it tests our faith, confirms that Christ is our treasure, reveals to the world that “Jesus is better,” and proves the praiseworthiness and preciousness of Christ.
Main Point: God is using and redeeming the suffering of believers for Jesus’ sake to intensify their joy in God.
Outline
Intro Question: Have you ever been on the receiving end of some hard or harsh words that caught you off guard? How did that make you feel?
Discussion Questions
Application Questions
Prayer Focus
Thank God that though we live in a world where we will experience fiery trials as God’s people, he has not left us to our own resources, but has given us gladness, joy, blessing, and God’s Spirit. Confess any areas of shrinking back from aligning yourself with Christ in fear of insults or suffering. Confess any fearful or anxious thoughts that keep you from standing up for Jesus and sharing the gospel with family, friends, and coworkers who are without Christ. Thank God for forgiveness, grace, and the enabling strength of the Holy Spirit. Ask God for steadfastness, perseverance, and the right heavenly perspective in the midst of future fiery trials.