Trials and Glory - Part 2 - 1 Peter 3:13-17

Before we read 1 Peter 3:13-17, let's pause to pray. Thank you, Father, that we have been forgiven through Christ. Thank you that He died for us, that He lives for us, one day He will come for us. And now, Father, many of Your people are suffering, they're in trial and difficulty, and I pray that our study of the Word today will be an encouragement and a help to all of us. For Jesus' sake, Amen.

In 1 Peter 3:13, we begin the fourth division of Peter's letter. Now you perhaps remember from our previous studies that in 1 Peter 1:1-12, Peter wrote about God's grace in salvation. Grace is the theme of this letter, and he looks at four different aspects of God's grace. 1 Peter 1:1-12, God's grace in salvation. 1 Peter 1:13-2:10, God's grace in sanctification—how to live a holy life. And then 1 Peter 2:11-3:12, the section we've been looking at, God's grace in submission. Submission to God, and to government, and to those who are in authority over us, submission in the home, submission in the church. 

Now at the end of that section on submission, he mentions those who create problems for us. 1 Peter 3:9, not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing. In other words, there are those who would want to do evil against God's people. In 1 Peter 3:12, the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. There are people in this world who do evil. So in 1 Peter 3:13 he says, and—in other words, he's connecting this new theme to the old theme. Peter is saying, I've talked to you about God's grace in submission, and in this matter of submission, sometimes you have to submit to people who are evil. Sometimes you have to just submit to the Lord and say, "God take care of these my enemies." And now he talks about God's grace in suffering. From 1 Peter 3:13 through the end of the letter, the emphasis is on suffering. And if you will read this section, you'll find that some ten or eleven times, Peter talks about suffering. 

You'll notice 1 Peter 3:14, "But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake." 1 Peter 3:17, "For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just one for the unjust." So the context here is that of unjust suffering. And Peter is saying to these Christians who are going through difficulty and trial and persecution, your Lord went through the same thing. 

Now he makes it very clear that the Lord Jesus Christ is the conqueror, the victor. You'll notice the section ends in 1 Peter 3:22, "Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." Peter gives to us four key events in the earthly life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. First, he tells us in 1 Peter 3:18 that Christ suffered and died. Then he tells us that He arose from the dead. Then he tells us that He ascended to heaven. And finally, Peter tells us that the Lord Jesus made a proclamation of victory. 

First of all, He suffered and died. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit," or in the Spirit. He suffered and died. Now the sufferings of Jesus Christ play a prominent role in this letter. 1 Peter 1:2 talks about the blood of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:11, the Holy Spirit testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ. 1 Peter 1:19, the precious blood of Christ. 1 Peter 2:21 talks about Christ suffering for us, leaving us an example. Here in 1 Peter 3:18, Christ hath suffered. 1 Peter 4:1, "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us." Also in 1 Peter 4:13, "rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings." 1 Peter 5:1, Peter says he was a witness of the sufferings of Christ. So throughout this letter, it is the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ that is paramount. He is telling us that Jesus suffered and died. 

Now His suffering is different from our suffering in this respect: His suffering was redemptive. Our suffering is not redemptive. We cannot suffer and pay the price for somebody else's sins, but He did. Now it's important that we recognize two different kinds of suffering. In 1 Peter 3:13-4:11, Peter is talking about the ordinary everyday kind of suffering that comes to a believer because he lives a good life. He's doing good. Other employees in the shop or the office are lying, he's telling the truth. Others are stealing, he is not stealing. Others are creating problems, he's not creating problems. Consequently, those that do evil fight him, fight her. And you know what I'm talking about. You have done the right thing in school or in your neighborhood or in your home, but somebody took it and twisted it around and started gossiping about you and now it's turned into a real problem. There is the ordinary suffering that comes to every Christian who lives a godly life. Paul wrote to Timothy and said, "Yea, and all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 

But in 1 Peter 4:12, the apostle tells us about an extraordinary kind of suffering that the church was going to experience. 1 Peter 4:12, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you," test you, "as though some strange thing happened unto you." What's he talking about? Official persecution. You see Nero was on the throne of the Roman Empire, and Nero was a tyrant. And Peter knew that there was going to come to the church a fiery trial of testing and persecution, and it came. When you read the history of this period, you find out that Nero took the Christians and made living torches out of them, soaked their bodies in oil and in various tars, and then lit them and made living torches out of them. People were arrested, people were persecuted officially. Now there's some places where it is terrible, and we need to pray for those who are undergoing that kind of persecution. In most places, we have the freedom to propagate our faith, to practice our faith. We even have the freedom to protest and to petition when the government gets out of line. But there's going to come a time, said Peter, when you're going to go through the fiery furnace of persecution—extraordinary suffering. 

He tells us how to act. And what he says in this whole section, 1 Peter 3:13-5:14, what he says is this: times of fiery trial, times of trial and testing, are times of testimony. Listen to the word of God. 1 Peter 3:13, "And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts," or sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, "and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good manner of life in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing." 

He had said something similar to this to the slaves over in 1 Peter 2:18-25, and he used the Lord Jesus as the illustration. He's talking here about the ordinary sufferings of life that come to us because we live a good life. Unfortunately, there are people in this world who hate the truth, who hate the light. "Every man that doeth evil," said Jesus, "hateth the light, neither cometh to the light." Now you and I are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. We ought to live good lives. Our lives, our words, our deeds ought to be different from that of the people around us who aren't believers. Peter tells us we should, 1 Peter 3:15, "be ready always to give an answer." This word answer means a defense. The Greek word gives us our English word apology. Now in English an apology basically means saying I'm sorry I did something wrong. But the Greek word means a defense of that which is right. In theology you study one section called apologetics, the defense of the faith. Peter is talking about that. Peter is saying when you go through times of trial and testing, remember they are times of opportunity. Let people see you have hope. 

Peter is saying when you go through times of trial and testing, remember they are times of opportunity. Let people see you have hope. They're going to be amazed that you don't give up, you don't return evil for evil, you don't criticize, you don't create problems. And they're going to say, "What is different about you?" And you're going to say, "Well, I have a living hope." Peter had written about that back in 1 Peter 1:3, He "hath begotten us again unto a lively hope." Now, said Peter, when you go through difficulty, remember that living hope. And let that living hope show forth in your life. And the officials of the state and the people around you are going to say there's something different about this person. They're going to come and ask you about it. What is different about you? And you're going to say, "Well, I have a wonderful hope." 

You'll notice that he says we should do this with meekness and fear, that is with holy reverence. We should not be big mouths. We should not have a loud mouth and be arrogant and critical. It is too bad when Christians go through persecution and trial that they do return evil for evil and they do return railing for railing; they are not a blessing. Peter says you should instead give an answer, but do it with meekness and reverence and love and let people know that Jesus is your Lord. 

What then are the requirements for a faithful witness in times of trial? You and I are going through difficulties and problems, the unsaved world is watching us. What conditions must we meet? What are the requirements if you and I are going to have a faithful witness in times of trial? Faithful like Daniel. Faithful like those three Hebrew children. Faithful like the apostles. Faithful like the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Well, number one, he tells us to have a courageous attitude. "And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake"—and here he must have been referring to what our Lord said in the Sermon on the Mount—"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." Expect to suffer unjustly. Don't be surprised at it, just expect it. Expect that when you tell the truth, they'll lie. Expect that when you love, they'll hate. Just expect it, it's a part of the world. But don't get bitter and don't get critical, just be faithful. And just remember above everything else that your Savior is reigning from the throne of glory. 

He's talking about suffering, and he's telling us that there are some very practical truths that you and I need to lay hold of if we are going to be the kind of witnesses we ought to be when suffering comes. You see suffering is an opportunity for us to multiply our witness. Now anybody can suffer. Anybody can suffer for doing wrong. Here are Christians who suffer for doing right. Anyone can suffer and complain about it, but a Christian suffers and glorifies God. Rejoice and be exceeding glad. "If ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye." And this is the word that means there's a welling up within you of a real joy. "Joy unspeakable and full of glory," he talks about that back in 1 Peter 1:8. "Joy unspeakable and full of glory. And be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled." The word troubled means anxious, pulled apart, agitated. Don't be afraid. Why? Number one, you're doing that which is good. You're suffering for righteousness' sake. If you're doing good, God is with you. 1 Peter 3:12, "the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers." God's eye is upon you, God's ear is open to you, His face is against those that do evil. Now it may not look like that, it may seem as though you are losing the battle, but we don't walk by sight, we walk by faith. He says don't be afraid. Have a courageous attitude. Don't be afraid. 

I appreciate Acts 4 where we're told about the boldness of Peter and the other apostles. Acts 4:13, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John." Acts 4:29, the church prayed, "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word." Acts 4:31, "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken... and they spake the word of God with boldness." Not arrogance, but boldness. The kind of attitude of confidence and courage that lets people know we're trusting the Lord. You see, when you have a courageous attitude, it's because you are doing good. You know that you're on the winning side. It's far better to fail in a cause that ultimately will succeed than to succeed in a cause that's ultimately going to fail. If you and I are doing good, we're building for eternity. If we're living a godly life and doing the things God wants us to do, a courageous attitude—don't be afraid. 

Secondly, a consecrated heart. 1 Peter 3:15, "but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts." Literally, sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. When Jesus Christ is Lord, you do not have to be afraid. Peter here is quoting from Isaiah 8:13-14. Let me give you the background of Isaiah 8. Ahaz is the king, the king of Judah, and Assyria has invaded Israel. Now Syria wanted Ahaz to join in a confederacy to fight against Assyria. But Ahaz said he wouldn't do it. However, behind their backs, Ahaz was negotiating with Assyria and doing the wrong thing. Now the prophet Isaiah came to Ahaz and said, "What are you doing playing all this dirty politics? Why are you talking about a confederacy? Why are you afraid of Assyria? Why are you afraid of Syria?" And this is what he says now, Isaiah 8:12, "Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread." 

What's Isaiah saying? He's saying to King Ahaz, don't trust Assyria, don't trust Syria, don't even trust yourself. If you'll make God the Lord of your life, He'll take care of all these circumstances. Set Jesus Christ apart as Lord in your life. You see if Jesus Christ is the Lord in your heart, He'll give you the joy you need, He'll take care of the fear. You won't have to be afraid of what people are saying or doing. Just set Him apart as Lord. Sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart. And when Jesus Christ is the Lord of your heart, that takes care of all of your feelings and all of your fears and all of the problems that are going on around you. If you submit to the Lord, He has to take care of things. If you don't submit to the Lord, He can't take care of things the way He'd like to. 

Which leads us to the third requirement. We must not only have a courageous attitude and a consecrated heart, we must have a clear conscience. 1 Peter 3:16, "having a good conscience." Now Peter has a lot to say about the conscience, doesn't he? 1 Peter 2:19, "For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully." 1 Peter 3:21, "the answer of a good conscience toward God." The conscience is your inner judge that accuses when you've done wrong and approves when you've done right. Conscience is only as good as its education. A dirty conscience, a seared conscience, an evil conscience doesn't function properly. Conscience is like a window that lets the light in so you can see what is right and wrong. If that window gets dirty, you don't have much light. Now Peter says have a clear conscience, have a clean conscience. Be sure you know down inside you are doing the thing that is right. And when you have a courageous attitude and a consecrated heart and a clear conscience, then you'll have a witness when the difficulties come. Love Him, believe in Him, rejoice in Him, receive from Him. Receive the purposes that He has for your life and for the trials that you are going through. Then you'll be able to give an answer in meekness and in fear. You'll be able to lead people to Christ because you're using your times of testing as times of testimony to the glory of God.