Day 459: What an honour! – 1 Peter 4 vs 12 – 19
12-13 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.
14-16 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name.
17-18 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God? And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? 19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good. 1 Peter 4:12-19 Christian Standard Bible
Do Christians suffer today? Yes they do, but the extent of the suffering depends much on where they live. In Communist and Muslim countries, as well as nations where other religions predominate, the suffering will be greater. Living for Jesus Christ in those places takes courage. But even in places like Europe, USA and the UK, those who seek to live for Jesus Christ are facing hard times again. What's the first thing Peter said to Christians in his generation as they faced harsh opposition which we must apply to ourselves if similar trials come. (vs 12-13)
They were not to be surprised as if something unexpected had happened. Jesus warned His followers many times that sufferings were sure to come. But such sufferings enable Christians to share a little of what Christ went through and identify them as belonging to Christ. And, having shared in His sufferings, they will one day share in the glory when He returns. What encouragements does he then give them in vs 14-16?
God's Holy Spirit would be with them in whatever trials they faced and they need not be ashamed if they were humiliated and ridiculed because they bore the name of Christ. It is a glorious name which will be seen by all at His return. In other words, there's a sense of tremendous honour in sufferings we experience because we bear His name. It's like the battle scars of soldiers returning after defeating a cruel enemy.
But there's another side to our sufferings which might sound odd to our ears. What do vs 17-18 imply?
A verse in the Old Testament says: “If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!” (Psalm 11:31) So Peter says that sufferings we go through now can be God's discipline in our life. A New Testament verse says: “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?” (Hebrews 12:7) The point Peter makes is that if Christians are disciplined for their good by such trials, imagine how terrible it will be for those who hurt God's people when He punishes them for their evil. The book called Revelation gives startling descriptions of the different outcomes of God's friends and His enemies.
So what was Peter's conclusion in this matter of fiery trials that Christians face. (vs 19)
In God's grace they are not always as fierce or as long as they could be. Some Christians were literally burned to death. For many, though, it may only be mocking and being side-lined in society. But Peter says that whatever sufferings God allows to come our way, we must keep on doing what is right in His sight, and place our body and spirit completely into His hands. We read even of Jesus that, on the cross, He called out with a loud voice: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” And when He’d said this, He breathed his last. And the Roman Centurion who saw it said: “Surely this was a righteous man.” (Luke 23:46-47)