Ep. 353. 1 Peter 3-5 | Suffering as a Christian

EPISODE 353

SUFFERING AS A CHRISTIAN: 1 PETER 3-5

Suffering, for the believer of the first century, was a given. Suffering for the believer is still a reality for many of our fellow Christians around the world today. Most of us in the West will never face true suffering for our faith in Jesus. A letter on how to suffer well for Christ doesn't strike as close to our hearts as it would have the saints in the early days of the church or for those faithful followers of Jesus in closed and hostile countries today.

"But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them [ your persecutors], 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."

Think about that for a moment. The saints who were being beaten, thrown in prison, and escorted off to death were to suffer well for the sake of Christ so that when those persecutors queried about the undying hope of the persecuted, they would be able to speak about their faith in Jesus.

Suffer so well that even the wicked who lead you off to death will want to know how you seem so profoundly hopeful.

And to think that we Western Christians get perturbed when the day doesn't quite go our way. If we seem so hopeless to the world when even the smallest things go wrong, how will we ever stand a chance to suffer well when our lives are on the line? And if we seem hopeless in the small things, we can be certain the wicked of the world will never inquire about our hope in the truly dark days because we will have completely abandoned all hope.

But those who have RIGHTLY set their minds on Jesus, recognize that "After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." So then we see that our hope is not in our present circumstances, but our future one.

ADDITIONAL READING: 1 Timothy 2:9-10; Psalm 34:12-16; 1 Peter 2:19; Hebrews 12:1-5; James 1:2-3; Acts 5:41; Proverbs 11:31; Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6