Trials and Glory - Part 5 - 1 Peter 4:12-16

Our example in suffering is the Lord Jesus. And so we glorify him in our suffering when we behave the way he behaved.

This is what Peter wrote in 1 Peter 4:12. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to test you as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice inasmuch 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 suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf.

Peter seems to believe that Christians go through times of persecution and suffering. He’s talking about the fiery trial that comes because we live for the Lord Jesus Christ and we bear his name. And of course, our Lord Jesus taught this to his disciples when he was with them in the upper room. He said in John 15:18, If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own, but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my saying, they will also keep yours. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

Our Lord was talking here about persecution from religious people, people who claim to know God and yet he says they don’t really know him. Well, Peter and Paul and the Lord Jesus and all the host of martyrs and suffering saints agree that Christian living in this world is not easy. Now, when it comes to this matter of suffering for the Lord, you and I must decide to live on one of three levels. Peter discusses these three levels in 1 Peter 4:15-16. Well, the lowest level is found in 1 Peter 4:15, suffering because of sin. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evildoer or as a busybody, a meddler, in other men’s matters.

You see, not every Christian is suffering because of the offense of the cross. Some Christians are suffering simply because they themselves are offensive. They do things they simply shouldn’t do. You see, sometimes Christians in their zeal to serve the Lord create more problems than they solve. Peter’s emphasis in this letter has been on doing good works. Peter said, the government is after you. They’re going to persecute you. Now the way to silence them is not to argue, it’s not to fight. The way to silence them is to live such a good life that they cannot accuse you. Pay your bills, pay your taxes, show respect to those who ought to be given respect, and don’t make yourself a nuisance.

For example, back in 1 Peter 2:12, Having your behavior honest among the Gentiles, the unsaved. That word honest means comely, beautiful. Live a beautiful life that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. I believe that day of visitation is when God visits them and they’re saved. In 1 Peter 2:20, For what glory is it, if when you are buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently? Anybody can do that. But if when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

Peter emphasizes the fact that it is by well-doing, by living a good life, that we silence the accuser. 1 Peter 2:15, For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Instead, some of these Christians were meddling and shooting off their mouth in unchristian ways and saying and doing things that they should not say and do. The emphasis in 1 Peter is on doing good works and therefore glorifying God.

This is what Jesus said in Matthew 5 when he talked about believers and persecution. Matthew 5:10, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, not for sin. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you. Peter talked about that. And persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely. Notice it says falsely. For my sake, rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Now he names some specific sins that should never ever occur in the lives of believers. Let none of you suffer as a murderer. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:21-22 that anger in our hearts is murder. Sometimes Christians get so angry at public officials, they say and do things that are really murderous. Oh, they might not actually kill anybody, but we’ve got to be very careful, says Peter, not to act like murderers when public officials are making life difficult for us.

Let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief. Now we don’t go around robbing banks, but you know, there are people who take pencils and pens and paper clips and paper from work. There are Christians who rob their employers of time. They come late, they leave early, they waste time on the job. Let no one suffer as a thief. Or as an evildoer. That just covers everything, doesn’t it? We’re supposed to be doing good, not doing evil. Or as a busybody, a meddler, in other people’s matters. Interfering in the name of the Lord Jesus, telling people how to run their lives, how to run their offices. Now we’ve got to be very careful about this. We have to fight sin, we have to oppose laws that are wrong, but let’s do it in a Christian way.

The lowest level, we can suffer because of our sin. Now the next level is to suffer for Jesus but be ashamed of it. 1 Peter 4:16, Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. Oh, Peter knew about that, didn’t he? Peter had boasted that he would stand with the Lord and then when the furnace turned on, Peter just fell apart. He denied the Lord three times. He was ashamed of the Lord.

Mark 8:38, Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Our Lord warns us that he was not ashamed of us and we should not be ashamed of him. Paul said, I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, it’s the power of God unto salvation. I know whom I have believed, I’m persuaded he’s able to keep that which I’ve committed unto him against that day. Let’s not be ashamed of the Lord. By our good works let’s reveal the Lord. By our gracious words let’s magnify the Lord.

You see, the lowest level is suffering because of our sin. The next level is suffering for the Lord Jesus but being ashamed of it. The highest level is suffering for Christ and glorifying him. How does our suffering glorify him? Well, because we’re doing good works while we’re suffering. Instead of reviling and retaliating, we are acting like the Lord Jesus. 1 Peter 2:21, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps, who did no sin. In other words, when you’re suffering, don’t sin. Neither was guile found in his mouth. Don’t lie. Who when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.

Our example in suffering is the Lord Jesus. And so we glorify him in our suffering when we behave the way he behaved. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. We are imitating the Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we glorify Christ in our suffering, in our persecution, by seeking to be a witness for him. 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 ye troubled. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. That means let the Lord Jesus be Lord in your life. And be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you. And do this with meekness and fear.

You see, when we’re going through difficulties and trials and the unsaved people see our hope and they feel our love, they say to us, where did you get this? And we’re able to give them a reason for the hope that is in us because we know Jesus Christ as our Savior. That’s the kind of people God blesses and uses, those who suffer for the Lord Jesus Christ and who glorify him in their trials.

In the early days of the church, believers were simply called disciples or saints or believers. But the word Christian is really a nickname that was given to these believers by the people of the unsaved world. The word Christian is found only three times in the entire Bible. 1 Peter 4:16, Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. I would like for us to look at the three places in the New Testament where you find the word Christian and try to discover what kind of a name this word Christian really is.

Well, let’s begin at Acts 11:22. The tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem. The tidings of what things? Well, some of the believers during this persecution had gone up to Antioch and they had preached the word of God to the Gentiles. And lo and behold, the Gentiles believed and were saved. Here was a brand new thing, Gentiles were now received and Jews and Gentiles were there in the church and the grace of God was so evident he saw a change in their lives. Now the unsaved crowd also saw a change in their lives. And this unsaved crowd called these disciples Christians.

Herodians belonged to Herod, they promoted Herod, they were the members of the Herodian party. Christians belonged to Jesus Christ. They were members of his party, so to speak. And originally, this was a term of ridicule. Oh, these Christians. Yeah, they belong to the party of that, that crucified carpenter, yeah, Jesus of Nazareth. And so it was a term of reproach originally, but it became a term of really wonderful glory and praise to God. Christians, we belong to Christ. You see, the name Christian is a name that declares a difference. Christians ought to be different.

The unsaved people in Antioch saw these people who had been born again, they had been saved through faith in Jesus Jesus Christ, they had experienced the grace of God, and they saw a difference in their lives. That’s what Peter’s been writing about. You see, Christians have a different allegiance. These Christians would not say Caesar is Lord, they would say Jesus is Lord. A different allegiance. What is your allegiance today? You say, well I’m a Christian. After all, I’m not a pagan, I don’t worship some false idol somewhere in my basement. No, I go to a church and I sing Christian hymns and so forth. Wait a minute, is your allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ? Can you really say I belong to him and he belongs to me?

We Christians ought to be different. We have a different affection, we love the Lord Jesus Christ. We have a different association, we don’t run with the world. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:3-4 about the unsaved crowd who think it strange that we don’t run with them anymore in that former life that we had before we were saved. The word Christian is a name that declares a difference, and if you and I are going to wear the name Christian, our lives ought to be different.

Now the second time you find the word Christian in your New Testament is in Acts 26. The apostle Paul is giving his defense before Agrippa and Festus is also there. And so Paul gives his testimony, it’s a marvelous testimony. Acts 26:19, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Acts 26:22, I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great. Oh, how Paul exalted the Lord Jesus Christ in this testimony. Well, in Acts 26:24, Festus got a little bit convicted. And as Paul thus spoke for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself, much learning doth make thee mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. He said, I’m being reasonable, I’m reasoning with you. For the king knoweth of these things before whom also I speak freely, for I am persuaded that none of these things are hid from him. For this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God that not only thou but also all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am except these bonds.

Now we don’t know exactly how he spoke these words. King Agrippa probably spoke sarcastically. He probably was saying, oh it’ll take a lot longer than this, a lot more speaking than this to make me a Christian. Or, do you expect with such a few words to make me a Christian? I think he was speaking sarcastically, but deep in his heart, he was under conviction. You see, the word Christian is not only a name that declares a difference, it is a name that demands a decision. You’ve got to make a decision about the Lord Jesus Christ.

You have here the word persuaded. Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. That’s a decisive word. You see, when a person’s going to be saved, God speaks to that person’s mind. In Acts 26:26, For the king knoweth of these things. King Agrippa was not ignorant of the facts, he knew the facts. If you’re going to be saved, you’ve got to receive the facts in your mind. Secondly, you’ve got to have your heart stirred. In Acts 26:24, Festus is stirred and so did Agrippa get stirred. Paul, thou art beside thyself. They said the same thing about the Lord Jesus, didn’t they? That he was beside himself, that he was not really sane, he was a demon-possessed madman. Well, they called Paul the same thing.

You see, Agrippa’s heart was stirred and Festus’s heart was stirred. But you see, your mind can be informed and your heart can be stirred and you still be lost. We find in Acts 26:28, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. You’ve got to make a decision of the will. God has given to you the privilege of making a decision of the will. The name Christian is a name that declares a difference and the name Christian is a name that demands a decision and the dangerous word here is the word almost. Almost persuaded now to believe. Almost persuaded Christ to receive. It’s a dangerous word, almost. The almost Christian has his heart stirred. The almost Christian knows the truth in his mind. The almost Christian has never surrendered his will.

You don’t have to make any decision about the name of Napoleon or the name of George Washington or the name of Henry VIII. You have to make no decision about those names, but you have to make a decision about the name of Jesus. It’s a name that declares a difference, it’s a name that demands a decision. And thirdly, it is a name that deserves our devotion. 1 Peter 4:16, Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, let him glorify God on this behalf. This is the name that deserves our devotion. How can we be ashamed of the name of Jesus? The name of Jesus belongs to the greatest person in all the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins.

Well, we certainly can be proud of the person who bore this name. Can you find any fault in the Lord Jesus? Any other name listed in any encyclopedia is a name of a person who failed in one way or another, who sinned in one way or another. Nobody is perfect except the Lord Jesus. How can we be ashamed of that name when it belonged to such a wonderful person? Think of the power of the name of the Lord Jesus. In Acts chapter 3, Peter met a cripple and Peter healed this cripple in the name of the Lord Jesus. Peter said to him in Acts 3:6, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. Oh the power that is in that name.

When Peter was arrested and had to give a defense of what he had done, he was very open to tell the people it was by the name of Jesus. Acts 4:10, be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, this man stands before you whole. Oh the power that’s in that name. At the name of Jesus every knee should bow. God has given him a name which is above every name. It’s a name that declares a difference. It’s a name that deserves our devotion. It’s a name that demands a decision. What a privilege it is to suffer for the name of Jesus, to suffer as a Christian.