Even Christians Suffer
September 18, 2016
Scripture: 1 Peter 3:8-17
I. You can be encouraged because you are part of a family.In vs. 8 Peter lists five adjectives that describe the people in the church. These adjectives speak about how Christians are to relate to one another. They relate to one another by having unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Peter is telling the church that one way for you to be encouraged in the midst of unjust suffering from the people in the world is for the church to be a place of support and refuge. And the only way that people in the church can offer a refuge to the other members of the church is to be a family to one another.
- Two of the five adjectives that Peter uses in vs. 8 are basically family words. First, Peter says that we are to have brotherly love for one another. We are to look at the rest of the people in our church as our family. The second family word that Peter uses in vs. 8 is the phrase “a tender heart.” In some translations of the Bible the word that is used is the word compassion. In Peter’s day this word was typically used in the context of kindness shown to family members. You are to treat people in the church as your brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers.
- You can be encouraged because you are called to be a blessing.
- The reason you need the support and encouragement of the family of God is because of the opposition of the world described in vs. 9: “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” God’s calling on us is a calling to bless other people. What kind of people? People in authority over us who persecute us. Instead of fighting fire with fire when authorities mock us or criticize us, we put out the fire with a blessing. We ask God to do good for those who hate us.
- Peter gives us some motivation to bless others. We bless our persecutors according to vs. 9 so that we may obtain a blessing. When we bless others, we receive a blessing from God Himself. We gain the approval and smile of God. Isn’t that great? We gain that blessing from God because we are following Jesus’ teaching in Luke 6:27-28: “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” When we bless those who are speaking against us, we receive the blessing of God.
III. You can be encouraged because God rewards the righteous.
- Non-Christians can be suspicious of Christians who do not share their values and their behavior. That suspicion can turn to hostility. But Peter says in vs. 14, “even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled.” Peter puts two words together in vs. 14 that do not seem to go together: suffer and blessed. Normally, if you are suffering, do you think of yourself as blessed by God? Peter is saying, “If people are saying nasty things about you because you are living like a Christian, do you know what you are? You are blessed. You are showing by your righteous life that you are saved and part of God’s Kingdom. What a blessing God has given you to suffer like this! He rewards you by giving you assurance of your faith.”
Application:
Be encouraged if you are suffering insults for Jesus. Join a growth group to be part of our family.
Sources:
The letter of 1 Peter
Commentaries on 1 Peter by David Helm, Karen Jobes and I.H. Marshall