Introduction
I
read an article last week about a group of Christian students at the University
of Indiana who were holding a pro-life rally on campus when they were
approached by another student who verbally accosted them and said, “You’re in
conflict with the world that I want which is a world where all your churches
burn.” I’ll let you think about that for a moment. I have to confess that when
I was much younger, my immediate reaction to being insulted or offended would
have been to fight. I grew up in a violent home where a wrong word at the wrong
time earned you a smack across the head or sometimes worse depending on the
level of alcohol involved. In any event, I was always quick to fight when I
felt like I was offended or insulted in some way. Thankfully, I’ve changed much
in this respect since I’ve gotten older. Nevertheless, one of the hardest
things I encountered when I became a pastor was the sheer venom that
unbelievers have spewed at me because of some of the things I’ve written. I
struggled with it at first because I really didn’t know how I was supposed to
react. I know how I would have reacted 30 years ago but I’m pretty sure that
you won’t find an example of it in the pages of Scripture. So that left me with
trying to understand the hatred for Christians from a new perspective. Paul
talks about that perspective in his letter to the Romans when he calls them to
be A Living Sacrifice. To do this,
Paul says that everything about their lives, and by extension our lives, must
no longer conform to the ways of the world but we must be transformed by
renewing our minds (Rom 12:1-2). This is accomplished by the work of the Holy
Spirit and by the truths contained in God’s Word. Although Paul moves forward
with his letter to describe how his readers were to behave that demonstrated
their transformation, there is an assumption that his readers would recognize
how that transformation corresponded to being A Living Sacrifice. We automatically think of “sacrifice” in terms
of its religious function in worshiping God. However, that usually involves
death, so we must understand A Living
Sacrifice differently. I think the basic definition of “sacrifice” serves
perfectly in this case: The act of giving up something we want in order to get or do something for someone else. Perfect!
When we are conformed to the world we commit our lives to taking care of
ourselves and getting what we want first. When we no longer conform to the
world but are instead transformed by the Spirit and God’s Word, we commit our
lives to caring for others first and getting what we want goes way down on our
list of priorities; we seek the good of others in body, mind and spirit. Furthermore,
when we no longer conform to the ways of the world, we quickly come to the
place where differing worldviews collide. And that collision can often be
fiery—literally and figuratively. We are often shocked when this happens; a
college student dreams of a day when all churches burn so babies can continue
to be slaughtered; Christian businesses forced into closure by the militant
LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) movement for failing to accept their
sinful life choices; churches in Syria being burned to the ground by Muslims
who want everyone that doesn’t believe the way they do to die; Christian college
students butchered in Africa also by Muslims and countless other atrocities perpetrated
against Christians that have been prominently displayed in the news in recent
days. If these stories were normal, they wouldn’t make the news. However, they
are news-worthy because they are abnormal; shocking; disturbing; unusual. But
should Christians be surprised? Perhaps sad, but should we be surprised when these
things happen to us? Paul gives a good picture of how to be A Living Sacrifice.
But Peter gives us a picture of what it
means to be A Living Sacrifice—the
consequences.
Subject
Text
1 Peter 4:12-19
12Dear friends, do not be
surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were
happening to you. 13But rejoice that
you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be
overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted because of
the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the
Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15If you suffer, it should not be
as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16However, if you suffer as a
Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin with the family
of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for
those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And, “If it is hard for the
righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 19So then, those who suffer
according to God’s will should commit themselves to their
faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Context
Peter’s
letter is written to the Jews that were driven out of Jerusalem and scattered
throughout the various provinces of Asia Minor. However, Peter knew that true
Christians wouldn’t be able to hide indefinitely from persecution. Rome’s
attitude toward Christians would eventually permeate the outlying provinces and
the persecution would find them. Peter was probably writing this letter from
Rome where the great persecution of Christians under Emperor Nero began. Most
likely, Peter was a witness to this brutality as Nero had Christians killed for
sport or tied to the tops of poles that he then lit on fire and lined the
palace streets and gardens to use for lighting. Ultimately, Peter was more than
a witness to these events as he too fell victim to Nero’s rampage and was
eventually crucified. The 2nd century Christian author, Tertullian
writes: “Nero first laid bloody hands upon the rising faith at Rome. Then was
Peter girded by another when he was bound to the cross.”[1]
Peter wasn’t spouting platitudes in our subject text, he was writing, in
essence, from ground zero of the persecution that his readers would eventually
be faced with. Peter begins his dialogue on suffering in Chapter 3 when he
warns his readers not to fear being persecuted for doing what is right. And
then in Chapter 5 warns the church leaders to be sure to look after those given
to their care that they do not succumb to the persecution and once again
conform to the ways of the world. When Peter says that Satan prowls the earth
looking for those he can devour in Chapter 5, he is talking about those who
once again conform to the ways of the world because of persecution as being
easy prey for Satan that church leaders must protect.
Text
Analysis
Consider
what characterizes the life of an authentic Christian: Love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (fruits
of the Spirit—Gal 5:22). Can you imagine why anyone would hate such a person?
Well Peter’s readers were probably wondering the same thing. Nothing about
being a Christian is offensive—unless you consider not conforming to the ways
of the world as offensive and that’s exactly what Peter’s readers were guilty
of. Consequently, v. 12 leads us to believe that they were naturally surprised.
It seems so illogical to fight against something that is so naturally good but
this is the insidious nature of darkness and evil. Peter tells them that they
shouldn’t be surprised by the fact that evil hates goodness like darkness hates
the light. Peter’s audience was deviating from the norm of their culture and
persecution has historically been the way to try and achieve conformity or
re-conformity. “Sources bear ample witness to the ways unofficial persecution
and other attempts at deviancy control were used in an attempt to
‘rehabilitate’ Christians.”[2]
Think about that for just a minute—if Christians are characterized according to
the fruits of the Spirit as identified above, what characteristics are they
being rehabilitated toward? Let’s see if I can list them for you: Hateful, miserable,
conflict oriented, intolerant, filled with animosity, corrupt, disloyal, harsh,
and impulsive. Let’s take a giant step back and recognize the influence of God
in one set of characteristics and the influence of Satan in the other. Never
forget that there is an ongoing and unseen battle taking place at all times in
the spiritual realm between these two worldviews—the worldview of God and the
worldview of Satan (Eph 6:12).
There
is a recurring theme in the Bible that Peter repeats in v. 13—We should
consider it an honor and blessing to be persecuted for our association with Jesus
Christ. In fact, Peter goes so far as to say that we should rejoice! Why?
Because there is a special place of honor and eternal joy that awaits those who
faithfully endure persecution and suffering. Peter isn’t making this up as
something he “hopes” awaits faithful Christians, he knows it to be true based
on Jesus’ promise. In what is considered to be his greatest sermon, the Sermon
on the Mount, Jesus specifically promises: “Blessed are those who are
persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Mt
5:10).” Peter is simply reminding them of Jesus’ promise that their prized
inheritance of God’s kingdom awaits them as they persevere through trials and
tribulations. “Servants who know the suffering of Christ will have the wonderful
joy of sharing his glory.”[3]
It’s
a little difficult to understand v. 14. I mean we understand when the text says
we are blessed when we are persecuted for being Christians as I’ve described
above. But what does it mean that the Spirit of glory and of God rests on us?
Peter makes it sound like two different entities. Here we have multiple
references to God: Spirit, glory (sometimes [G]lory), and God. However, some translate
the text as “[s]pirit of glory and of God.” This translation is possible, implying
that future glory awaits the persecuted with the spirit of that glory resting
on believers as a present deposit of that future glory. Additionally, God is
present in, or rests on, the lives of all those persecuted giving strength to
persevere and wisdom to represent God faithfully. However, it is more likely the
Spirit of God is being referenced in an awkward grammatical construct. Nevertheless,
it’s “not that possession of the Spirit makes suffering inevitable, but that if
it is suffering for the sake of Christ, it is a sign that the Spirit rests upon
the believer. Note the connexion between Christ and the Spirit: the Spirit is
the Spirit of Christ…The Spirit is bestowed especially on the persecuted…The
glory which manifested itself in the pillar of cloud and in other ways in the
OT is now a present reality in the life of the persecuted Christian…What was in
the first instance applied to the servant of Yahweh [the Messiah] and then to
Christ is here applied to the believer, for the believer belongs to Christ
through the Spirit, and shares in his suffering and life.”[4]
It is
a generally accepted fact of life that you will go through difficulties at some
point. Some may be relatively minor while some could be significantly major.
However, Peter tells his readers in v. 15 that they should take care not to
bring suffering on themselves by doing wrong either as a result of some
criminal act or through something as simple as being a “meddler” or “troublemaker.”
“Christians who feel discriminated against because of their faith may well in
fact be an object of derision because of their own faults and failings: a
censorious attitude toward others, a sharp temper, intolerance, petty
dishonesty and so on. Peter warns his readers to beware of persecution as a
consequence of un-Christian conduct. He has already made the point that there
is no credit or glory in suffering for that reason, even if it is borne
patiently (2:20). On the contrary, it is implied here, Christians should feel
ashamed of themselves.”[5]
On the other hand, Peter continues in v. 16, saying that there is great honor
in suffering for the sake of Christ. As Christians, our faith in Jesus Christ
is nothing to be ashamed of and any persecution for our faith, if it is truly
because of our faith, is really an indictment of our persecutors. “Some readers
were suffering because of their faithful identification with Jesus Christ
through their lifestyle choices or their verbal testimony. Faithfulness to
Christ will produce suffering and persecution. The reverse also seems to be
true: a lack of persecution in a believer’s life may suggest a
less-than-faithful lifestyle and testimony.”[6]
Peter
issues a dire warning when he gets to vv. 17-18 that a time of judgment is
coming and all will be subject to God’s final ruling. We often contemplate the
persecution of Christians and smugly rub our hands in anticipation of God’s
judgment muttering about persecutors, ‘You’ll be sorry when God gets hold of
you.’ But we tend to forget that God’s judgment will begin with us which Peter
makes clear. Nevertheless, Peter’s point is that if we are subject to judgment
as believers, what will it be like for those who reject Christ? This is not a
new principle as Peter quotes Prov 11:31 in v. 18 that salvation is extremely
difficult for the righteous so sinners have no hope whatsoever of escaping the
coming eternal condemnation. “The difficulty of being saved that Peter observes
may not be fully appreciated by modern Western Christians for whom society has
not (yet) drawn a line in the sand. Even so, how sad it is that many who once
professed Christ eventually turn away under peer pressure. If that happens in a
society that has a relatively great tolerance for Christianity, imagine the
difficulty of living for Christ in a society where today it is illegal to be a
Christian.”[7]
Peter’s
final instruction in v. 19 can be summed up with one word: Trust. Peter is
saying that if we suffer according to God’s will then we can trust God’s
sovereignty and continue our lives of service to others. Think about what Peter
is asking here—Peter is saying that we should trust; commit out lives, in the
midst of pain and suffering to a God who could have protected us from pain and
suffering to begin with. That is hard to accept. However, the principle behind
Peter’s instruction is that we are not fully aware of God’s ultimate purpose
for our suffering. If we believe that God is always good then we must be
willing to trust that God is good in the midst of our pain and suffering. “Unwavering trust is a rare and precious thing because it
often demands a degree of courage that borders on the heroic….It requires
heroic courage to trust in the love of God no matter what happens to us.”[8] I have a
confession, I’m no hero so I struggle with always trusting God. I’m better at
it now then I was when I was younger but I still have a hard time shrugging off
struggles and opposition as though God has everything under control; always has
my best interest at heart. I can accept this when everything is running
smoothly in my life but the minute the trials come, I begin to doubt. Nevertheless,
our doubt doesn’t speak nearly as loud as our deeds. And Peter encourages his
readers to continue doing good to others as a sign of their faith even in the
midst of their suffering. “Because God is the Creator, he has the power to
sustain; because God is faithful, believers have reason to trust…‘All of the
Christians’ convictions about God, about creation, about human destiny, about
the meaning of suffering should lead them to persevere in the active witness of
leading a good life.’”[9]
Application
It is hard to argue that Western
culture generally and the culture in America specifically has been moving away
from its Christian heritage and roots. Some would argue that we’re just going
through a phase but I contend that we are on the path to destruction. I know, I
know, this is where everyone thinks I’m just a crazy old man longing for the
“good old days.” The truth is, I’m very conscious about human tendencies and
the religious and cultural patterns recorded in the pages of the Bible.
Throughout history, humanity has vacillated between being faithful to God and
unfaithful to God. The pattern begins with people faithfully revering and
honoring God but as time passes, humanity slowly falls away from its
faithfulness and eventually reaches a state of grotesque depravity. At that
point, God steps in to put a stop to the unfaithfulness and the pattern starts
over again until one day when Christ returns and puts an end to the pattern at
the final Judgment of sin. Nevertheless, as part of this pattern, faithful
followers of God, in both the Old and New Testaments, were subject to severe
persecution as the culture reached the apex of its unfaithfulness. I believe
this is the direction of our culture as well. The trajectory of our culture is
a movement away from God not toward God and as the culture moves toward
unfaithfulness along the spectrum of faithfulness at one extreme and
unfaithfulness at the other extreme, Christians will experience growing
persecution. Now, before you write me off as just another one of those
religious kooks, I challenge you to consider the shift in attitude toward
Christians worldwide generally and here in America specifically and decide for
yourself if Christian beliefs and values are more respected or less respected
than they were 10 years ago; 50 years ago; 100 years ago; 1,000 years ago. What
direction is the culture going with the passage of time? Is it becoming more
Christian or less Christian? I think even an uneducated assessment of the
culture would reveal that we are becoming less Christian and that reality will
eventually make life miserable for all confessing Christians. I believe a day
is coming when it will, in fact, be very dangerous to be a Christian in America
if we continue along our current trajectory away from faithfulness to God.
Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not a “Doomsdayer.” I simply don’t want you to be
ignorant about what is going on around you. Persecution has already visited
some Christians here in America so we’ve moved beyond the, “It could never
happen here” argument. At this point, what you must do is decide in advance
what you will do when the suffering begins. Will you stand your ground? Many
have already begun to wither at the shrill screams of the opposition. The
Catholic church, a long-time, stalwart opponent of the homosexual and abortion
agenda, led by a new pope, recently announced that they needed to start
softening their position on homosexuality and abortion or else they would be in
danger of becoming irrelevant and losing followers. The fact that the Catholic
church’s spinmeisters immediately felt the need to offer a contorted
explanation of what the pope really meant—that church leaders needed to be more
pastoral and accepting, only made it more obvious that something was changing.
The announcement by the pope that Catholics needed to soften their position on
sexual immorality and baby killing was met with the proclamation that this could
be the greatest pope yet. An example of how the race toward greater
unfaithfulness continues. What will you do when the persecution reaches your
front door? Will you conform once again to the ways of the world? Will you
proudly confess the name of Jesus Christ and bring honor to his name by the way
you live your life and continue to do good by serving and loving those around
you? Can you pay the price to be a follower to the end—not to die for Christ’s
sake even though that will be required of some of us, but to do something that
will be even more difficult than dying for Christ, can you be A Living Sacrifice?
[1] W.
Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s
Greek Testament, Vol. 5, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.,
1983), p. 16.
[2]
David A. deSilva, An Introduction to the
New Testament—Contexts, Methods & Ministry Formation, (Downers Grove,
IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004), p. 105.
[3]
Bruce Barton, Philip Comfort, Grant Osborne, Linda K. Taylor, Dave Veerman, Life Application New Testament Commentary,
(Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), p. 1122.
[4]
Colin Brown, gen. ed., New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology,
Vol. 3, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), pp. 257-258.
[5] I.
Howard Marshall, 1 Peter—The IVP New
Testament Commentary Series, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1991), p.
155.
[6] David
Wallis and Max Anders, I & II Peter,
I, II, & III John, Jude—Holman New Testament Commentary, (Nashville,
TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1999), p. 76.
[7] Karen
H. Jobes, 1 Peter—Baker Exegetical
Commentary on the New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005), p.
294.
[8]
Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust, (New
York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 2000), pp. 3-4.
[9]
John H. Elliot, I Peter—The Anchor
Bible, (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2000), p. 806.
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