Suffer for Glory
INTRODUCTION
If you didn’t notice from the Scripture reading, today we’ll be talking about suffering as Christians… Again.
This is actually going to be Peter's last time in this letter that he addresses suffering in depth. He makes a couple closing comments in chapter 5 on suffering, but this is the last “section” on the issue.
And if it feels like we’ve spent a lot of time on this topic, that’s because Peter has spent a lot of time on this topic.
Now, Peter’s immediate audience would have been reading this whole letter within 20 minutes, and we’re taking weeks & months to dive into what he’s said, so there is a difference, and this may feel more repetitive for us than it does for his original audience.
But consider this. Yes, the church received this as a letter that they could read in 20 minutes. But they weren’t done with Peter's words as soon as they put the letter down. These Christians would go on to be horribly persecuted, outcasted, and even tortured for their faith in Jesus.
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And so as they watch the world around them go crazy as exiles; as they’re persecuted; as each week when they gather they notice another brother or sister missing again; as they anticipate their court trials where they will almost certainly be found guilty as criminals for loving Jesus; as they suffer;
don’t you think they’d store Peter's words up in their hearts like gold?
Don’t you think they’d be glad that Peter addressed suffering so much? Don’t you think these precious Words on suffering would be on repeat in their heads, just like they’ve been on repeat from this pulpit?
So I get it. I get it if this feels a bit repetitive. But I hope and pray that the Lord does something to our hearts this morning to make the repetition glorious.
Repetitive? Yes… Just like eating is repetitive to strengthen your body, so too I pray that these truths are repetitive to strengthen your souls.
So, there's a lot of material here that isn’t new, but there’s some that is. Here’s how our passage comes at us today.
COMMANDS:
- Do not be surprised
- But rejoice
REASONS:
- That you may rejoice when Jesus’ glory is revealed
- Because the Spirit of Glory & of God rests upon you
COMMANDS:
- Don’t suffer for evil
- Suffer as a Christian, giving God glory
REASONS:
- Judgment starts with us
- The ungodly will perish
THEREFORE:
- Trust your creator & keep doing good
So, we’re going to walk through the text, see what Peter wants us to do, untangle Peter's arguments for why we ought to do it, and then we’ll take some time to meditate on the truth in application.
If you’ve got your Bible, start with me in verse 12, and notice how Peter addresses believers
“12. Beloved…”
Right out of the gate, Peter addresses his brothers and sisters warmly, calling them beloved.
Peter’s being a good shepherd. He’s not just telling them to toughen up and do what he’s about to say. He’s addressing them in a warm, kind, loving tone. And this brings us to our first set of commands.
COMMANDS:
DON’T BE SURPRISED (v. 12)
“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.” (1 Peter 4:12)
Peter’s first command: Don’t be surprised when you suffer trials. It’s not a strange thing for us to suffer.
Notice that Peter set’s this trial & this suffering up as a test. “When it comes upon you to test you”.
So this passage is framed within the idea that God is testing our faith, which again is not a new idea for 1 Peter.
These trials are supposed to test if our faith is genuine (1 Peter 1:7).
But the test isn’t the main point here. What the test accomplishes - what the test reveals - what the test brings us - is the main point in this text, and we’re going to see that idea as we walk through.
But, the first step of this test is not being surprised.
I remember in grade school we’d have spelling tests. And every time I was surprised by a spelling test I did awful. You need to be ready for a test.
So expect suffering. Be ready for the trials & tests of the Christian life. Be on guard. But don’t be surprised. Instead:
BUT REJOICE (vv. 13a)
“But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings” 1 Peter 4:13a
Instead of being shocked and saddened when you suffer or experience trials, rejoice! But we shouldn’t just rejoice in just any suffering.
There’s bad reasons for suffering that we can't rejoice in that we’ll see later. But here you are to rejoice “Insofar as You Share Christ's sufferings”.
What are “Christ’s sufferings”? Like we’ve seen, it’s suffering for doing good & obeying God.
So, don’t be surprised when you suffer because of Jesus or for doing good. Be ready for the test. And when the test comes, rejoice.
Why rejoice? Are we rejoicing in the test? I never rejoiced for a spelling test even when I did study. So why are we rejoicing when the test comes?
Remember, the main point here is not the test itself, but what the test reveals. What the test brings us.
And in verses 13-14 Peter shows us what the test brings us by telling us why we should rejoice when it comes..
REASONS:
THAT WE MAY REJOICE WHEN HIS GLORY IS REVEALED (vv. 13b)
“But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:13
Why should you rejoice when you see the test come your way? Not because of the test itself, but because if we pass the test of rejoicing in our suffering, we will rejoice even more and be glad when Jesus’ glory is revealed!
We’ve already seen in 1 Peter that Jesus’ glory means our glory if our faith is genuine. Again going back to chapter 1:7;
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 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
Jesus’ suffering brings us Jesus’ glory! Believer, even if it feels wrong, trust the grace of God, and believe the Word of God, that you - yes you will receive glory!
This has been Peter’s whole motivation for suffering like a Christian throughout all of first Peter - glory - and we’re going to dwell on that in the application.
Now there's a question we have to answer here before we keep going.
Peter says to rejoice insofar as or as much as you share Jesus’ sufferings, so that you may also rejoice when His glory is revealed.
Is this saying that we’ll only rejoice on the last day as much as we rejoice in suffering? Is Peter saying that if we don’t rejoice in suffering that we won't rejoice when Jesus is revealed? It seems like it.
Rejoice - only as much as you share in Jesus’ suffering so that you also rejoice when His glory is revealed.
Don’t just let the trials happen to you. Don’t kick rocks and mope when the Christian life is as hard as Jesus said it would be.
That’s worth nothing. That brings no glory. Don’t be surprised. Rejoice. If you want to rejoice then, rejoice now!
Now this doesn't mean the trials aren't hard, and it doesn't mean that you can’t mourn or be saddened by the trials. Remember, 1:6 says you have been grieved by various trials. Grief & rejoicing march hand in hand.
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So here’s why you rejoice when you see the test coming. Here's the first reason to rejoice in your suffering for Jesus: As much as you do this, you will have greater and greater joy on the last day when Jesus shares His glory with you.
THE SPIRIT OF GLORY & OF GOD RESTS UPON YOU (vv. 14)
“If You are insulated for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1:14).
If you’re insulted for Jesus’ sake, you can rejoice because you’re blessed. Why are you blessed? Because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
You’ll notice that the word “Spirit” has a capital “S”. That’s a correct translation, because Peter is talking about the Holy Spirit.
So when you’re insulted for Jesus, rejoice because you’re blessed, and you’re blessed because the Holy Spirit rests upon you.
That's the present tense by the way. Peter is not saying that you get the Spirit by suffering. Read carefully. He’s saying that when you suffer, you’re blessed because the Spirit already does rest upon you.
And we know that. We know that the Holy Spirit lives within everyone who believes. And that’s amazing. But Peter’s saying a bit more than that here.
And to know what Peter’s saying, we need to open to Isaiah 11, where he’s quoting from. So if you’ve got a Bible in your lap, I’d invite you to open to Isaiah 11, starting in verse 1.
1 “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.”
Who’s this talking about? It’s talking about Jesus, the Messiah who would come as the offspring of Jesse, and bring the fruit of repentance. And what does it say about this Messiah? Listen carefully here.
2 “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,”
Scholars agree that this is the verse Peter expected his readers to remember when he told them that the “Spirit of glory & of God would rest upon them” in suffering.
The very Holy Spirit that was upon Jesus in His earthly ministry. The same Spirit that anointed Him to do the will of God as His life’s purpose.
Young men - if your friends make fun of you for not laughing at filth. If they snark at you for treating women with respect. If you end up on the bottom of the social totem pole because you look like Jesus - because you refuse to live for status or pleasure - because you actually act like a man and not a boy, like Christ & not like the world;
Young women - if you’re a Christian, and other girls around you use their vicious words like poison, and cut you out of their social circles, and if young men who act like little boys label you “un-datatable” and make fun of you;
Adults - if friends, or co-workers, or family insult you because you refuse to pretend you’re not a Christian. If siding with Jesus brings you insults;
So what?
You know what that tells you? All that tells you is that the same Spirit that rested upon Jesus rests upon you!
Jesus shares His suffering with us, yes, but He shares His Spirit with us too!
You have His persecution, and His presence!
This fiery trial that comes on you to test you, refines you, and proves that the Spirit does really live in you, and you really do belong to Jesus!
Isaiah 11:2 goes on to define this Spirit for us. So Christian, when you’re insulted for Jesus, here’s the Spirit that lives in you:
“the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,”
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:1-2
Wisdom to speak about the truth of Jesus, might to endure the insults of the world, knowledge and fear of the Lord that help you realize that men aren't so scary when you fear the creator of Heaven and Earth!
What Peter is saying here is huge. Jesus as the divine Son of God was predicted to have this Holy Spirit resting upon Him to carry out God’s will. To represent God’s name in a God hating world.
Isaiah was writing this to a disobedient people.
When Isaiah wrote this prophecy, nobody would have had these qualities of the Holy Spirit.
Nobody had wisdom or understanding.
Nobody had or gave good counsel.
Nobody lived according to knowledge.
Nobody feared the Lord.
But one day - one glorious day - one would come who had the Spirit of God upon them. One anointed by God’s Spirit like flowing oil before time began!
And Peter’s saying that this is fulfilled in you and I. Yes it’s about Jesus, but Peter applies this to everyone who is in Jesus and suffering for His name.
So, the test brings us glory. And the test also reveals that we are anointed with the Spirit of God. That’s why you rejoice when you see this test.
Flip back to first Peter 4. We should note that Peter adds a word in verse 14 that isn’t there in Isaiah 11. He calls the Spirit the Spirit of “glory”. Why would he do that?
Well remember this is Peter's second reason for rejoicing in suffering. His first reason was motivating us with glory - that we’d rejoice when Jesus’ glory is revealed.
So it seems to me the reason Peter calls the Spirit the Spirit of “glory” is because as this Spirit anoints us like He anointed Jesus, He reminds us of the glory coming with Jesus.
He gives us wisdom, might, and knowledge to live for that glory until the last day.
The Spirit of the glory coming our way rests upon us.
Rejoice because as you suffer, it proves that you are anointed with Jesus to do God’s will in this mess of a world.
Rejoice because He sends His presence with you.
Rejoice and ask the Spirit of glory in those moments to give you just a taste of glory so that you have strength to stand.
Rejoice.
So those were our first commands and our first reasons - to be ready, and rejoice, because of glory, and because the Spirit is with us.
Now we’re going to move through verses 15-16 a little quicker, because they’re commands that Peter’s given us before.
COMMANDS
DON'T SUFFER FOR EVIL (vv. 15)
“But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.” (1 Peter 4:15).
The idea here is to suffer for doing good, and not for evil. We’ve seen this before in 3:17
“It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
So this idea isn’t new, but what is new is that this time, Peter gives us solid examples of the evil we should not suffer for.
- A murderer (Maybe you don’t struggle with this)
- A thief (Hopefully you don’t struggle with this)
- An evildoer (which is broad enough to cover anything missed by murder and theft)
- A meddler
The term “meddler” might sound funny to some of you, but the word in the original language implies someone who gets their nose into affairs that aren't their business.
Or someone who messes with things that aren’tunder their authority. So yes, maybe a gossip or a busybody, but also someone who tries to undermine authority, or rebel against power systems.
So what do all of these terms that Peter points to have in common? Their all social sins. None of these are internal personal sins of the heart (though they started there).
These are all sins that would probably provoke the punishment of the Roman authorities.
A murderer would be put to death.
A thief may have their hand cut off publicly.
A known evildoer would be outcast from social settings.
A meddler would be arrested as a rebel against the established order.
And when the authorities came against people for sinning in these public ways, they may be tempted to make themselves into some sort of martyr for their crimes. They may be tempted to appear persecuted or righteous in their suffering.
But Peter is saying “if you suffer for being a nuisance, there is no glory there. You are an evil doer, and should be ashamed. You’re not a victim. You’re not a martyr.
Your suffering is not persecution, it’s consequence.”
Listen to what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:
“aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you” (1 Thessalonians 4:11)
Christians are to live quietly, mind their own business, and work hard. End of story. So, public sins like this don’t glorify God, they don’t bring glory, they don’t make someone a martyr or a victim. They only bring shame.
Murder, thievery, and evil doing may seem a bit out of touch for us, but just consider the type of sin Peter is getting at.
How often do people evade taxes, and then blame “the big man” when they get caught as a thief?
How often do Christians think they know better than authority, and so they become meddlers, play the hero, try to lead a little crusade and then complain when they’re shut down?
This suffering is shameful, because it’s suffering rooted in sin. Again, this suffering is not persecution, but shameful consequence. Play stupid games…
So instead;
GLORIFY GOD AS A CHRISTIAN SUFFERER (vv. 16)
16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.” (1 Peter 4:16)
If you suffer as a Christian: That is, if you suffer as one who lives quietly, doing good, and working hard. If you suffer as one who isn’t a revolutionary, but also isn’t afraid to say no to sin because of Jesus.
If you suffer as a Christian, you have nothing to be ashamed of.
If you act sane in the light of God’s Word, and the world around you is insane, they should be ashamed, not you.
So, don’t be ashamed, but glorify God in that name. What name? The name of Christian.
Originally it was used as a derogatory word to “name call” people who followed Jesus.
But instead of being offended, the church took the name on for themselves because they were honored that the world identified them with Christ. That’s why they called them Christians!
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And so, if people see Jesus enough in you for them to hate you because they hate Him, do not be ashamed, but glorify God in the name Christian, because Jesus’s life is shining through you.
Remember Christian, the world named you after Christ because they saw His light shine through you. They hated the light, but they couldn’t deny it. That brings glory to God.
So, we have the 2 command’s to
1) avoid suffering for evil
2) glorify God while doing good.
And again, Peter gives us reasons for this command in verses 17-18.
Verse 17 begins with the word “for”, which means “because”. So what follows is why we should suffer like Christians, and not for evil. So we’ll look at Peter’s reasons and then see how they connect.
REASONS
JUDGMENT IS HERE (vv. 17a)
“17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God;
Remember, that’s us. We’re the household of God now. Peter already said that we’re being built up as a spiritual house (2:5). So Peter is saying that it is time for judgment to begin with the church. WIth you and I.
And in his language, Peter is drawing on an old testament motif. He’s getting this language from Ezekiel 9, & Malachi 3.
Write those down if you’d like to visit them later because we don’t have time to go there today, but here’s the idea:
YHWH promised to purify His own people, and destroy the sin in Israel before he would move on to the world.
That’s the order of priority. That’s the pattern in the Bible. YHWH will judge all nations, but He begins with purifying His own house. His own temple. His own sanctuary.
1 Peter 4:7 told us that the end of all things is at hand. Jesus has ascended, and there's a day fixed where He will judge the nations. But He’s starting with us.
Now Peter doesn't mean that we are judged like the world who will pay for their sins and be damned. He’s actually about to contrast us with the damned in verse 18, so we know it’s not that.
But there is a judgment for us still, and here it is:
it’s a purifying judgment. Remember, the “fiery trial” in verse 12 is to test us. Remember what Peter says in 1 Peter 1:7
“If necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith … may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6-7
The judgment that begins with us is God testing us, to judge if our faith is genuine. He’s sending us trials of suffering to distill our faith down to pure golden faith and prove that we belong to Jesus.
He’s purifying His house before moving on to the world.
So the first reason that we should suffer for righteousness instead of evil is because God is judging if our faith is real.
And if we only ever suffer for evil, and we’re never suffering for doing good, as a Christian - then the test, the judgment call of God, will reveal that our faith is not genuine.
So here’s how God is judging His house: He tests you to reveal if you’re genuinely a Christian. Only those who truly love Jesus will follow Him in His suffering.
Suffering for selfless good, and not for selfish evil.
He’s weighing. He’s testing. He’s purifying. He’s judging.
Don’t be found out as fake.
Don’t make God use suffering to purify you from your evildoing.
You’re going to suffer in life.
God is watching you.
Be found suffering for doing good, not for doing evil.
Because it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God.
THE UNGODLY WILL PERISH (vv. 17b-18)
“and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (17 b).
If even God’s own people can’t escape suffering in this life - if even God’s own people are tested and judged by suffering - then what will happen to people who don’t repent and believe? Peter makes the same point in verse 18
18 And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved, (By the way, the word scarcely doesn’t mean not often, it means with difficulty. That would be a better translation)...
“If the righteous is scarcely saved, - if it’s hard for even the righteous to be saved
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 1 Peter 4:17-18
Peter is quoting Proverbs 11:31 from the Greek Old Testament. We don’t have time to go there, and even if we did the quote wouldn’t match perfectly, because again, Peter was quoting from the Greek Old Testament.
But here's the point. If even God’s own children have to suffer in this life, then how much worse will the suffering be of the sinner?
That’s a rhetorical question, but I think we all know how Peter expects us to answer in our minds.
The suffering of the wicked will be much worse and last forever.
What will become of them? They will become fuel for the fire in Hell forever.
So how does this serve as an argument to suffer as a Christian and not as an evildoer? Well I think it’s clear.
You can suffer for righteousness now. You can be insulted with Jesus now. You can suffer as a Christian now, and receive glory When Jesus comes.
Or - you can suffer for sinning - you can suffer for living for your own desires - you can suffer as a consequence for ruling your own life - and receive Hell when Jesus comes.
In this life, you will suffer. It’s up to you if you suffer for sin or for glory. But know this - God is testing. God is weighing. God is judging.
And it starts with us.
SO TRUST (vv. 19)
19 “Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” 1 Peter 4:19
Notice the therefore - because glory is coming for those who suffer for Jesus. Because judgment is here. Because suffering for evil only brings damnation.
Because of all of this:
Let those who decide to suffer for doing God’s will trust God, and keep on doing good.
Do not lose heart. Do not give up. Do not be surprised by the trial. Rejoice.
He is a faithful creator. He is faithful to bring the glory He promised on the last day. He is your creator who knows you and loves you. You can trust Him.
He wants you to make it until the last day. Trust Him, and keep on doing good.
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So, as we step back, what's the big picture? We’ve walked through the text, and so what is going on when you zoom out?
- Be ready for testing, and suffering and rejoice when you see it - why? Because Glory is coming for those who share in the sufferings of Jesus.
- Make sure your suffering is for doing what’s right, and not just a consequence of your sin. Why? Because God is judging His church, and will purify her from sin.
Because there's coming a day where those who suffer for doing evil will only continue to suffer forever.
Here’s what Peter is putting before us. There are two groups of people. Both will suffer in this life. To live is to suffer since the fall.
But there's coming a day, and the day is coming soon, where some people here are going to shine like the sun in glory, and some people here are going to wish they were never born.
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If you’re here and you don’t know Jesus. If all you have to show for your suffering is sin. I want to ask you what Peter asks - what do you think will become of you?
If you’re here, and you do know Jesus, and you know that you know Him because you’re insulted for His name.
If you know you know Him because you suffer with Him, then I want to encourage you that you will see glory, and you will see it soon.
I want to end with two points of application, and then we’ll be done.
LIVING AS ONE BEING JUDGED
Do you believe that Judgment starts with you Christian? Is it a reality to you that God is testing your suffering to see if it reveals Jesus or worldliness?
Have you ever considered that God is weighing these things constantly, or do you think that you can just show up on Sunday, and sneak into glory quietly?
We need to live understanding that judgment begins with the house of God. With us. And we need to take it seriously.
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But remember this is a judgment of purifying out of love for God’s people.
So instead of just being scared when you hear the word judgment, here’s one practical way you could apply this truth.
Go home today. Take out a pen and paper. Write down all of the suffering and grief and trials that you have in your life right now.
And prayerfully go through that list, discerning what suffering is from sin.
Maybe you’re suffering because you’ve sinned by being a bad employee.
Maybe you’re suffering because you’ve sinned by neglecting your family.
Whatever the case, find any suffering that doesn't bring glory, and repent. Ask God to forgive you. He will.
You don’t have to do this exactly, but the point is to be aware of these things, because the Lord is very aware.
And once you’ve repented, do good, and trust God. Live as a Christian at work, at school, at home, and whatever comes, whether insult, job loss, or worse, trust God, and rejoice. That’s the suffering that brings glory on judgment day.
REAL GLORY FOR REAL SUFFERING
Last point of application, and we’ll end with this.
“Real glory for real suffering”.
Peter has once again motivated us to endure by rejoicing in the glory coming our way.
But here’s the problem.
When you’re being insulted for Jesus' name. When the daggers hit your ears & heart, that’s real. You can feel it now.
When you lose your job, that's real. That impacts you immediately.
When the knife is to your neck, and you’re being asked to reject Jesus, and you can feel the serrated edge, that’s real.
Is glory real? Is glory real to you? What do you even think glory is? Do you imagine it just as this detached, mystical, glow of light that will surround you when you’re in heaven?
Is glory as tangible as suffering? Can you touch it? Feel it?
If you’re right on the crux of a test, and the suffering is real but the glory is not - that will never be enough to endure. It’s just going to seem like the suffering is all that’s reality, but glory is just a distant fairytale from the Bible.
And if the suffering is all that’s real, why on earth would you keep suffering for Jesus?
And so I’m worried for you that you have a low view of glory, that’s disconnected from reality, and “out there” somewhere.
I wan’t glory to be real to you so that you can endure the very real suffering. And for that to happen I’m convinced that you need a perspective change. I think you need to become obsessed with glory.
But we know that setting our eyes on Glory is the job of the Spirit of glory.
We can’t do this on our own. So ask the Spirit for help. Ask the Spirit of glory to make glory real in your heart, and then trust Him to do that as you start looking for glory all around you. How?
There’s so many ways. You could read great books like “the Great divorce” by C.S. Lewis that paints a real and physical, real picture of glory & Heaven.
You could meditate on the glory of sacrifice and victory when you watch sports instead of turning your brain off.
You could find what’s beautiful and glorious about history, and cultures, understanding that the kings of the earth will bring their glory into the new earth one day (Revelation 21:24).
You could look up at the stars tonight, and believe that you’ll shine brighter than they do one day.
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And even these things are just a small taste - just a pale reflection - of the glory coming to us. But they move us in the right direction of seeing the density and realness of glory.
And obviously, you need to search the Scriptures about the glory that we’ll receive. Passages like 1 Corinthians 15, or Revelation 21. And there’s so much more in the Word that would take a lifetime to savor.
I’ve had some experiences that have solidified glory as real and precious and my mind. But I’ve had those experiences because I was looking for glory. A few years ago I became obsessed with glory, and I can’t think any other way now. It’s so real to me.
And I can’t give you those experiences, but I can tell you to search for it yourself as the Spirit helps you.
The glory coming our way is real. More real than suffering.
So trust God, do good, and whatever suffering or insult comes our way, we will be able to bear, because we have our hearts & minds set on glory. Real glory.
Let me read to you from our call to worship this morning, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18:
“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18