Download the Bethlehem Baptist Church Mobile App
Available for iOS and Android
August 16, 2020
Bruce Power (South Campus) | 1 Peter 3:13-17
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.—1 Peter 3:13–17
Introduction
It’s been emphasized again and again as we’ve walked through 1 Peter together that we are witnessing a dramatic and swift cultural shift from a society where Christianity is seen as a force for good and righteousness to one where it’s seen as out-of-step, on the wrong side of history, or even as a threat to the peace and stability of our culture. It’s disorienting and sometimes frightening to be living through.
This seems to be the very situation that the apostle Peter is speaking to in his letter. We’ve seen all through our study so far that Peter is exhorting his readers to hold fast to the faith in the midst of increasing persecution. At the time of the writing, most commentators feel that it was what we might call “soft” persecution. No one was being imprisoned yet, no one burned at the stake or beheaded. But, Christianity was a new and somewhat radical religion in the midst of the polytheistic, morally corrupt society in Asia Minor at that time. Christians were considered weird and strange and thus subjected to mocking, reviling, and ostracism. In our increasingly post-Christian culture, we find ourselves in a similar environment. So Peter sees his main theme as preparing these people for suffering. He wants them armed with the right attitude and focused on their new identity in Christ, their calling to a new way of living, and their place as strangers and aliens in this world heading toward their real home. This is what makes this letter so important to us now. We don’t want to have some martyr complex, but the fact is, we must be preparing to suffer and to respond to it in a God-glorifying way.
Last week, Peter told us not to respond to evil with evil. Vengeance is not the way. God is the only one who knows all and can make perfect judgments and take vengeance properly. So we respond by blessing in return! That’s right. When others speak ill of us, we speak well of them. When others criticize us and mock us, we respond by finding only good things to say of them. We fight evil with good. And then he gave us a motivation: so that we’ll be blessed. This led him to quote Psalm 34, which gives a scriptural ground for expecting this response.
A Question
But now we come to the question posed in 1 Peter 3:3 that links our passage this week to what we saw last week.
Now, who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?
And the answer ought to be “no one,” right? I mean, why would anyone mock you or revile you or ostracize you when you’re working hard to do good? And thankfully, most of the time we are not harmed for doing good. But, the answer changes if cultural concepts of good and evil shift so that what you’re doing or saying is now considered evil or harmful toward others. And that’s what we’re seeing in our day. As the culture shifts, insisting on things like Jesus being the only way to God and living out a biblically moral life are seen as wrong, detrimental to one’s psychological health and self-esteem, harmful to others, and even discriminatory and evil. A God who would send people to an eternal hell is seen not as just and righteous but as a moral monster, unworthy of worship. So in this culture, like the one Peter was writing to, the answer might just as easily be “many people!” Many might seek to do us harm for doing what God says is good. So does that negate the truth of Psalm 34? Are we sometimes not blessed for doing good? And Peter’s answer is 1 Peter 3:14.
But, even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them nor be troubled.
The word used here literally means “happy.” So there is this promise of joy in the midst of trial. It’s the same word Jesus uses in the Beatitudes. In fact, Peter seems to be borrowing Jesus’ wording from Matthew 5:10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Peter also exhorts us not to fear or be troubled by this. So our response to suffering is to have a joyful fearlessness.
Now, frankly, this is a hard principle to apply. In fact, I have trouble getting my mind around the idea. I’m an American. I have rights. If people speak evil of me or falsely accuse me or slander me, I should defend myself and return fire. Injustice must be resisted and demolished. I should not be happy in this kind of treatment, I should be angry, stand up for my rights. If we’re honest, that’s the instinctive response of most of us. And it’s actually a fear response, not a joy response. Indeed, most all trial and hardship that comes into our lives tends to elicit a fear/anger response. Amazingly, the Scriptures tell us time and again that this instinctive response to suffering that comes into our lives is the wrong one.
So, two questions arise from what we’re instructed here: Why should I be happy and not fearful when suffering comes? And, how do we fight against fear and for joy in the midst of trials? I think this passage gives us answers to those questions. Not the only answers—Scripture is full of answers to these two questions—but important ones. So the rest of this message is going to focus in on this central issue: “The Lordship of Christ and the Apologetic of Suffering.” I want to make the case that the key to fighting for joy and against fear in suffering is the lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives and that, when we see him for who he is, that vision not only equips us to respond joyfully to suffering but provides the best defense of the faith by means of that response. So let’s tackle the “how” question first:
The fight for joy and against fear in suffering begins with sanctifying Christ as Lord in your hearts. I don’t really like the way the ESV puts this. There is no word for “honor” in the original Greek. The actual word is the Greek word for “holy.” It means to set apart. So it should actually read more like the NASB has it: “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” Now, what does that mean? It means that you should set Jesus Christ apart as Lord of and over everything in your life. Now, I’m not sure that we even understand the word Lord anymore in our culture. Many years ago, it was a common teaching that Christians need to “make Jesus Lord of our lives.” Now, I never liked that teaching. We don’t “make” Jesus Lord of anything. He is Lord whether we believe it or not, whether we like it or not. However, it did serve to focus attention on what the lordship of Christ really meant in our lives. Sadly, I don’t hear much talk about that anymore. It seems that concepts borrowed more from pop psychology have replaced the concept of lordship. Jesus now exists to bring peace and fulfillment to our lives. He desires us to become all we can be. To follow our hearts and reach our greatest human potential. This, of course, necessitates that we feel good about ourselves and suffering just does not really comport with that kind of theology. Many have used the term Moral Therapeutic Deism to describe this. Jesus becomes our therapist more than our Lord and Savior. But, in our text, the lordship of Jesus Christ is placed right at the center as the key to finding joy and fearlessness in the midst of suffering. So we better know what it means to “sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts.”
Here’s just a sampling of texts from Scripture that give us a picture of what it means that Christ is Lord of all in our lives:
We could go on and on. Now, none of us will live this perfectly. And it’s not going to be a one-time, “pray-a-prayer” experience. It’s part of the daily fight of faith. Our flesh gravitates the other way. Over time, Jesus subtly becomes not the love and treasure of our heart but a distant acquaintance who seems to be uninvolved in our lives and not tremendously relevant to our day-to-day living. Contrast this with the vision of Jesus to which the Puritan John Owen calls us in his work “Of Communion With God”:
He is gloriously exalted above angels in his authority, both good and bad, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world but in that which is to come.” They are all under his feet—at his command and absolute disposal. He is at the right hand of God, in the highest exaltation possible, and in full possession of a kingdom over the whole creation; having received a “name above every name.” Thus, is he glorious in his throne, which is “at the right hand of the Majesty on high;” glorious in his commission which is “all power in heaven and earth;” glorious in his name, a name above every name, Lord of lords and King of kings; glorious in his scepter, “a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of his kingdom;” glorious in his attendants, “his chariots are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels,” among them he rideth on the heavens and sendeth out the voice of his strength, attended with ten thousand times ten thousand of his holy ones; glorious in his subjects, all creatures in heaven and in earth, nothing is left that is not put in subjection to him; glorious in his way of rule, and the administration of his kingdom, full of sweetness, efficacy, power, serenity, holiness, righteousness, and grace, in and towards his elect—but of terror, vengeance, and certain destruction towards the rebellious angels and men; glorious in the issue of his kingdom, when every knee will bow before him, and all shall stand before his judgment seat.
So Peter’s call to us to set Christ apart as Lord is a call to get back to our first love. A call to put Christ in his rightful place as Lord of all we are and all we do. A call to treasure him as the beautiful, gracious, loving, holy, awesome, eternal, powerful, prayer-answering God and Savior that he is. How does this help in the fight for joy and fearlessness? It keeps our hope fixed on Christ and not on the circumstances around us. It puts us back in the proper frame of mind that Christ is the sovereign Lord and is working all things for our good, even if that entails suffering and persecution for now. God is after something much bigger than our comfort.
Our second question was “Why should we be happy and fearless in the face of suffering?” Peter answers with an exhortation in the second half of verse 15, “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” Two things help us to answer this question. First, we have hope! There is the hope of the kingdom in our hearts. And setting Christ apart as Lord puts the King on the throne over his kingdom, and us as his subjects. And, second, the pathway to experiencing this even in suffering is to see it as an apologetic. That’s the Greek word used here for “defense.” It’s where we get the term “apologetics,” meaning “a defense of the faith.” So what is the Spirit telling us here? That we should all become experts in all the reasons for the faith? That we should study all the arguments defending the Resurrection, the deity of Christ, and the truthfulness of the Bible? Well, I would certainly not criticize that, and in fact, I would commend to you that we all ought to have some knowledge of why we believe what we believe. But, frankly, most unbelievers will not be converted by you having all your neat arguments ready to destroy their secular ones. So, yes, get knowledge of these things, but unbelievers can know all those arguments and it makes no difference. Here’s what I think Peter means:
When Christ is Lord of all that we are, then we see everything through the lens of his sovereign good purposes for us. That means that there is no suffering that can touch us except that he wills it in some sense. Look down at verse 17: “For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.” See it there? That little clause, oh so important: “If that should be God’s will.” Again, our minds struggle to understand this concept. The almost default theology of every human being, of whatever religion they may be, is this: “If I’m living the right way and doing the right things, then things ought to go smoothly for me.” The Christian version is this: “If life is good and everything’s well, I must be in the will of God. But if trials and difficulties have come my way and I’m suffering, then I must be out of the will of God and he’s punishing me for something.” In other words, we consider ourselves “blessed” when God brings good things into our lives. But, when suffering comes, something must be wrong. This was the theological framework from which Job’s comforters operated. It’s the framework of the prosperity gospel. But God has many reasons why he might bring or allow suffering to touch our lives, and they don’t all revolve around being punished for some sin. There are many passages that teach very clearly that God wills and even calls his children to endure hardship for Christ’s sake. Here’s just one:
For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.—Philippians 1:29
This is one of the most stunning verses on this topic in all Scripture. The apostle Paul actually tells us that suffering for the sake of Christ is something that has been granted to us. As if we’ve been given this truly rare privilege! You know, like, “You’ve been granted season-long access to the sidelines at every Vikings game.” Or, “You’ve been granted a week-long vacation in Paris.” Do you realize what a privilege has been given to you that you believe in Christ? Only the gracious work of the Spirit breaking down all your resistance to the gospel and granting you faith makes you a believer with all the Kingdom privileges that go along with that. But, just as equally, it has been granted to you to suffer for Christ’s sake.
When believers endure suffering for the sake of Christ, we should see it as an opportunity to show that Jesus is more to us than our reputation, or our career, or our friends, or maybe, in some cases, even our family! It becomes a chance to show that Jesus is more to us than what others think of us or what they say about us on Facebook or Twitter. Jesus said, “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household” (Matthew 10:25). Beelzebul was a name for Satan. So if they called Jesus the devil, we ought not to expect anything different. It doesn’t take a prophet to see that we are probably nearing the end of the time of comfort and ease for Christians in our society. I sometimes wonder if God has brought the current historic difficulties upon us to test his church. How are we doing? Do we divide with one another over politics or pandemic responses? Is that reflecting Jesus as Lord? Are we looking to politicians and the Supreme Court for answers? Have we forgotten that we are citizens of a different kingdom? Have we forgotten that America is not our home? Have we forgotten that our entire civilization could crumble like the Roman Empire and nothing would change in relation to Christ and his kingdom? He would still be on the throne. And our identity would still be found in him. What if God is shaking his church to set us free from our dependence on the things of this world, even governments and policies and even freedom and democracy! Will we still love Jesus if everything we know comes crashing down? Will Jesus still be Lord of our lives if our whole world changes and hostility toward Christianity grows? Might the test for the church in these unusual days be this: Where is your hope, O Christian?
Nothing makes a defense for the glory of Christ and his supreme worth than for us to suffer for his sake and, in the midst of that, be joyful and fearless.
The Right Attitude, A Good Conscience
When we respond to suffering this way, people will be curious. Nothing frustrates those who oppose the truth more than the happy, loving response of Christ’s followers to their reviling. This is why Peter instructs us that our defense should be done with a certain attitude: gentleness and respect. This gentleness is listed as part of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:23. It means meekness. And “respect” is the same word translated “fear” in verse 14. Obviously, in this context it refers to a reverence and respect. So we meet reviling and slander with meekness and respect. It’s an unbeatable combination. And boy will it arouse the curiosity of those who see it. They will want to know how you can respond like that to such treatment. And right there is your chance to make much of Jesus. Notice that verse 16 says that responding in this way will give us a good conscience. Why? Because we’ve responded like Jesus did when he was mistreated. He did not revile in return. And doing the same makes him look good.
But notice what else such a response does: It puts those who revile us to shame. I’m not sure if Peter means that they’ll be ashamed in this life or at the Final Judgment. Perhaps some will feel it in this life and be drawn to Christ, but certainly all will feel it at the final judgment. You see, God will soon set to right any wrong we suffer. We can safely leave it with him. But a gentle and respectful response to those who don’t deserve it is a powerful witness. When you’ve set Christ as Lord in your hearts, it makes you more concerned with God’s agenda in a given situation (such as suffering) than with your own rights or comfort or security. And God’s agenda is that you would bear witness to a better world, a better kingdom!
Application
So, clearly Peter’s application is directly to suffering for the sake of Christ. The application there is clear. Not easy, but clear. Now we’re just beginning to feel the heat turned up in our culture. We’re struggling to reorient ourselves to living in a culture more like Sodom or like Israel in the days of the judges when “everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” Setting Christ apart as Lord means getting our minds used to the idea that we will be the objects of reviling and derision. And if Jesus is really Lord in our hearts, we’ll see that all of that is part of God’s sovereign plan to give us a platform to witness to his lordship by responding with love to their hate. Don’t run from this reorientation. It is the Spirit’s work in our hearts. Engage it. Make it your first thought each day when you get up that Jesus is Lord of this day and all it brings, whether pain or pleasure. And it may just give you an opportunity to make a gentle, winsome defense of the hope you have to others.
But what about other suffering? Can this principle be applied to other types of suffering? Like cancer or some serious health issue. Or like a difficult marriage to a spouse who mistreats you or is unfaithful? Or to an exhausted mother sitting up with a sick child at 2am struggling to find energy to keep going? Does anything here apply to these kinds of suffering that we all can experience at times, no matter what the culture around us is doing? Or is it just for when people are calling us names and slandering us and silencing us for the sake of our faith?
I do think there’s application for other types of suffering here. In fact, I think Peter hints at this when he says that it’s better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. The only suffering that isn’t covered by this teaching is suffering for doing evil. If you’re suffering for that you’re enduring the consequences of your actions, and God has purposes in that too. But it’s not what Peter is talking about. What if we saw cancer, or the death of a loved one, or a difficult handicapped child, not as a burden and a frightening thing but a chance to show the sufficiency of Christ to sustain hope in the midst of hard things? A chance to show that our brief few years of life on this earth are only a drop in the bucket compared to the eternity that God has prepared for us. I think it’s legitimate to see any suffering that’s encountered in the course of seeking to live a godly life as suffering for Christ in some ways. Satan wants to use suffering to attack your faith, to get you to question God’s goodness, or even his existence. He wants it to pull you away from Christ. But, God has purposes for that suffering or he wouldn’t have allowed it into your life. And right here, in the passage, is one of those purposes: to give you a chance to show how wonderful and sufficient Jesus is, and how temporary and “light” these present afflictions are in view of the greater glory to come. And when others see this kind of hope, they’ll want to know why.
So how do we fight for joyful fearlessness in the face of suffering (any kind of righteous suffering)? Set Christ apart in your hearts as Lord of all (including the suffering) and respond to it with an attitude that reflects that of our Lord. And why should we do this? Because, this is going to send the aroma of Christ all over the place and those whom the Spirit is drawing will want to know about that kind of hope.