Prevailing Under Fire - 1 Peter 4:12-19

There are times when God says, "All right, if you don't want to do the job the way it's supposed to be done, I'm going to have to refine you." And he has to put us through the fire of persecution to refine us and to renew us. Where is this judgment going to begin? It's going to begin at the house of God.

It has well been said that the one thing that we learn from history is that we don't learn from history. The church today has a way of ignoring the lessons of the past and Christians go on their comfortable way, little realizing that a fiery trial is going to fall. This is the way Peter explained it in 1 Peter 4 beginning at verse 12. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings. That when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye. For the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part, he is evil spoken of, but on your part, he is glorified. But, let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet, if any man suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. For, the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful creator.

When you read the Old Testament scriptures, you discover that God had to send fiery trials often to the nation of Israel. Why? Because they disobeyed him. The nation became disobedient, the nation was defiled, the nation no longer radiated the glory of God or testified to the truth of God. As a consequence, they were a bad influence on the Gentile nations around them. In the book of Judges, God brought seven nations in to chasten his people. And then the people would cry out to God for mercy, God in his mercy would forgive them and restore them, and then they would trust God and obey God for a while, and then go right back into the same old disobedience and defilement again. Finally, God had to bring the Babylonian Empire down upon the people. Take them off into captivity. In the book of Judges, he chastened them in their land. But then he had to chasten them outside their land. And then he allowed them to come back and they were restored once again, their temple was rebuilt and their nation was restored. Alas, they sinned again. They rejected the Lord Jesus Christ when he came and offered them salvation, and then God destroyed their city using the people of Rome, and then God scattered them throughout the whole world.

And so the history of Israel is the history of blessing, disobedience, defilement, discipline, repentance, and then God's restoration and blessing again. And I fear that this is the history of the church. When you read the history of the church, you discover that regularly God had to put his people through the fire. In the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus told his disciples. And Paul told a group of new believers that they would enter into the kingdom of God through much tribulation. I don't think that the Lord Jesus or Paul or Peter, , I don't think any of them were talking about the tribulation. I think they were talking about the trials that the church must go through on earth.

We read here in 1 Peter 4:17, for the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. Now what's he talking about here? Well, 1 Peter 4:17-19 answer three very important questions about the fiery trial. Once again, let me state clearly, I do not believe Peter is talking about tribulation in the sense of judgment that comes from heaven. We read in the book of Revelation, also in Matthew and in Mark and in Luke in our Lord's Olivet sermon, about the awful tribulation that's going to come. I don't think that's what he's talking about. He's talking about fiery trials that must come to the church. And he's making a very strong case here for the church repenting and cleaning house and getting right with God.

Now what are the three questions that Peter answers? Well, number one, where will this fiery trial begin? Well, he answers that in verse 17, at the house of God. Where will it end? Well, he answers that in 1 Peter 4:17-18, it'll eventually result in judgment for the sinners. If the righteous have to face judgment, how much more the unrighteous? That's Peter's argument. The third question is answered in verse 19, what should believers do during this fiery trial? And he gives those instructions in verse 19.

Right now, let's take these first two questions. Where will this fiery trial begin? And then where will it end? But the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. Now what is the house of God? Well he's not talking about a building, he's talking about a people. He's already told us who the house of God is. 1 Peter 2:5. Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house. And so we are God's house, God's household. We are God's spiritual temple. In Hebrews 3, we have this same definition. Hebrews 3:6. But Christ as a son over his own house, whose house we are. If we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. So God's people are God's house, God's temple.

Now we've noticed in the Old Testament that God judged his people Israel. We've noticed in church history that God sent fiery trials to his people, the church. When our Lord Jesus Christ began his ministry, he started at the temple and he cleansed the temple. It's rather interesting, when you study Old Testament history, before God judged a Gentile nation, he had to judge his own people. Because they had gotten involved with that nation. So often the nation of Israel would adopt the idols and the wickedness of some nation, and God had to punish Israel first and then he would punish that nation. Judgment began with the people of God.

You see, God begins with his people, not with the lost. Sometimes Christians pray, "Oh God, we see all of this wickedness around us. Now why don't you judge these people? These people who are peddling narcotics, these people who are murdering, these people who are peddling pornography, these people who are promoting abortion and so forth. Why don't you judge these people?" And God says, "Wait just a minute. Do you know why these problems are in the world today?" "Well, no, Lord, why are they there?" "Because my people have failed." That's why. "I put you here to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. If you would win more people, there would be less crime.

If you would win more people and if more people would trust the Lord Jesus Christ, there would be less wickedness. The more salt we have in the world, the less leaven we're going to have. The more light that we have, the less darkness that we're going to have. And the reason that there is wickedness in this world is because we as a church have failed, number one, to preach against it, number two, to practice against it, and number three, to try to win people to the Lord Jesus Christ." The best way to clean things up in a town is to get people saved.

But you see, the church instead of winning the lost, is being won by the lost. And we're getting just like the world. You see, we have greater privileges and where there are greater privileges, there are greater responsibilities. God's holding us accountable. God's holding us accountable because we are not fulfilling the commission he gave to us.

You see, God has saved us. And God has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. And therefore he says, "I want you to carry greater responsibilities because I have given you greater privileges, and where much is given, much shall be required." And God is going to hold his church accountable. I read in Ezekiel 9:4. Mark those that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst of it. We don't have saints sighing and crying today. Why? They're singing and rejoicing. They're living comfortable lives. Why? They have no burden for the lost. It doesn't worry them, it doesn't concern them that thousands of babies are being slain in their mothers' womb. It doesn't concern them that every year thousands of people are killed on the highways by drunken drivers. It doesn't concern them that narcotics is spreading like a, like a forest fire throughout our schools and our communities.

And you see, we don't, we aren't concerned about these things. We're worried about our building programs, we're worried about all of these minor matters. And God says, "Judgment's going to begin at the house of God." Now, this judgment can come in different ways. Sometimes God sends judgment into a congregation and godly leaders are taken from them. Sometimes God permits the church to go through persecution. There are times when God says, "All right, if you don't want to do the job the way it's supposed to be done, I'm going to have to refine you." And he has to put us through the fire of persecution to refine us and to renew us. Sometimes God permits sickness to come to his people. Sometimes God permits economic distress to come to his people to wake us up. Where is this judgment going to begin? It's going to begin at the house of God.

We are so prone to criticize the wicked people outside of the church. But the reason for trouble in this world is the wicked people inside the church. We are the salt of the earth and we are the light of the world, but the salt has lost its saltiness and the light has been put under a bushel. As a consequence, there's a great deal of darkness and corruption in this world, and we have no one to blame but ourselves. And so it's going to begin at the house of God.

Now, where's it going to end? Well, ultimately, it's going to reverse itself. If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? The word scarcely there means with difficulty. It does not mean that God doesn't have the power to save us. What it simply means is this, if God chastens his own children, what will he do to the rebels? If God permits persecution to come to the saints whom he loves and for whom Jesus died, what is eventually going to come to the sinners?

In fact, the difficulties that Christians go through are a witness to the unsaved that their day is coming. Philippians 1:28. And in nothing terrified by your adversaries. Don't let these persecutors throw you. Which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation. And that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. What's he saying here in Philippians 1:28-29? That suffering is to be expected, that really it is a gift of God, and it's an honor to suffer on behalf of Christ. But when we go through persecution and stand up with faith and courage, this is a token, an evidence, a sign to the unbelievers that they had better watch out because their day of perdition is coming.

Peter is talking here from Proverbs 11:31. Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth. That simply means when David sinned, he paid for it. When Solomon sinned, he paid for it. When Peter sinned, he paid for it. When you and I sin, there is a recompense, we reap what we sow. Proverbs 11:31. Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth, much more the wicked and the sinner. If God permits that the righteous suffer, what in the world is going to happen to those who do not trust the Lord Jesus Christ as their own Lord and savior? Proverbs 11:8 says this, the righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his stead. That's Proverbs 11:8. We go through the furnace, but we come out on the other side. The Egyptian army went into the Red Sea and they drowned. Now God delivered his people, he drowned the enemy. And you can just go through your Bible and find instance after instance where the enemy thought they really had it made. But in the end, the situation was reversed. You see, I don't mind going through a fiery furnace of trial here on earth. That's a lot better than a lake of fire for all eternity.

Now he gives to us three instructions to follow when the fiery trial comes. Here are three instructions for us to follow. Number one, accept the will of God. Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God. We've noticed in First Peter that Peter has a great deal to say about the will of God. Often he mentions the will of God. God knows what is best for us. I don't know and you don't know. People phone me and they write me and and they share their burdens with me and they say, "Brother Wiersbe, why is this happening to me?" And the only thing I can say is, "Well, my brother, my sister, God knows that you need it."

Now we may not know that we need it, but God knows that we need it. He says this in 1 Peter 1:6. In this ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold trials. Then he goes on to talk about the trial of their faith being like gold that goes into the fire. Now, that little phrase if need be encourages me. God knows when I need to suffer. God knows when his church needs suffering. Some of us can remember back during World War II when all of the missionaries were chased out of Ethiopia. And all that was left behind was the was the national church. And of course the the war moved right in. And you know, when it was all over and we went back in again, the missionaries discovered that the church had grown under suffering and persecution. And there was a strong, viral ministry there. This has happened more than once. So just accept the will of God. Trust his promises, believe that he is working out his purposes.

Secondly, depend on the faithfulness of God. Look at 1 Peter 4:19. Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him, as unto a faithful creator. Now why creator? Why not a faithful sovereign, a faithful king, a faithful savior, a faithful father? No, a faithful creator. Why? Peter is saying, the God who takes care of creation can take care of you. This is the only place I know of in the New Testament where you find this word creator. This reminds us of what the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6. Our Lord said, "Now why are you worrying? Why are you fretting over what you're going to eat and what you're going to wear? Why do you try to solve all these problems yourself? Your Father in heaven knows your need."

Now the next time you're tempted to get ulcers over these things, watch the birds. Just watch the birds. God feeds the birds. God is taking care of all of nature. Jesus said, "You're worried about what you wear. Look at the lilies. They don't worry about it. They don't keep closets, wardrobes. They aren't worried about the fashions that come from Paris or New York or Hollywood. God clothes them." And so accept the will of God and depend on the faithfulness of God.

Thirdly, seek to glorify God by good works. Notice how we commit our lives to him. Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing. Now well doing has been a major theme in First Peter. I don't have to give you all the references. If you've been studying with us, 1 Peter 2:12. He talks about good works. And 1 Peter 2:14. He talks about doing well. 1 Peter 2:15. For so is the will of God that with well doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. You find it again in 1 Peter 3:13 and 1 Peter 3:17. Here in 1 Peter 4:15. Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, which means you should be a good doer, not an evildoer.

How do we glorify God in the midst of the furnace? By doing good. This has been an emphasis all through this letter. He says, "Don't argue with the government and don't accuse the government and don't try to make a big nuisance of yourself. Just simply do good works. Take care of the hungry, take care of the naked. Give comfort to the sorrowing." If the church in every community would simply start doing good, not just passing out tracts and preaching sermons, doing good, caring for the elderly and for the children, being an encouragement to people, just doing good, and then entrust it to God, what a difference it would make.

And so here are three instructions for us to follow when we are in the fiery trial. Number one, accept the will of God. He knows what is best. Number two, depend on the faithfulness of God. And number three, seek to glorify God by doing good works. While you are committing your soul to him, be busy in well doing. Well, the fiery trial's going to come. God's going to purify us and refine us, and God's going to melt us together. It's going to begin at God's house. Do you know Jesus is your savior? When the fire hits you, where will it find you? Oh, what an opportunity we have to do the will of God and glorify him.