This morning, I woke up in pain. It’s not new pain, it’s a constant ache in places I didn’t know had the capability to ache. I don’t remember this pain with my first pregnancy – maybe it was because it was 20 years ago, and maybe it’s because I was 20 years younger and in arguably much better shape…could go either way. The point is, it hurts and there isn’t really anything anyone can do about it. When you think about it, it’s kind of the perfect picture of the gospel: it hurts now, but at the end is a tremendous blessing that will glorify God.
I speak on my pain lightly. Compared to what some of my friends are currently walking through, I’m fairly certain most of them would trade with me in a heartbeat. They’re struggling with big issues like divorce, abandonment, serious medical conditions (that probably hurt worse and just as constantly), character attacks, prodigal children, addictions...you get it. In their stories, it is much harder to see the blessing at the end and how any of this could possibly glorify God.
I have been studying 1 Peter, and I was so struck this morning by the first two verses of chapter 4.
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. – 1 Peter 4:1-2
So many places in scripture tell you to bear your cross or endure your suffering in this life because you’re waiting for your reward in eternity. It’s hard when you’re living here and now to see how anything we suffer through could possibly affect our eternal promise.
But in these scriptures, Peter says it – suffering in the flesh causes us to cease from sin, so that we will set aside our human passions and live the rest of our lives on this earth for the will of God.
Suffering as a design is meant to draw us closer to God. We have a Savior that suffered horrifically not because of what he did, but because of what we would do. He intimately understands the plight of living on this earth: judgment by others (up to death!), physical pain, loss, grief, temptation…everything we experience today. When we endure suffering, the goal is to lean into a God who understands and who will remind us that we’re living for more than this temporary life.
Is that what we typically see happen? I’m going to go with no; much of the time we see exactly the opposite. There might be more communication to God, but instead of asking God to walk through it with us and seeking a genuine connection that will restore us as we walk through the challenges, we almost exclusively request he remove the suffering.
We’ve talked a lot over the last month or so about being kingdom-focused, and how everything God does is done on a kingdom-level. Sometimes we benefit individually, but if God makes a move, you can be certain it’s for his glory and to move his kingdom forward – you were just a lucky recipient of his grace. So why wouldn’t our suffering be kingdom-focused, too? It is, it’s just harder to see when you’re the one in pain.
In this scripture, Peter is giving some very specific guidance with suffering.
Since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourself…as in, arm yourself like a warrior. When we think of warriors, we automatically think in terms of war – be offensive, on the attack, strong, mighty, aggressive, weapons, destruction of the enemy, and personal glory. But that’s not where Peter is going…he’s telling us to arm ourselves, but with the qualities of Christ – forgiveness, meekness, gentleness, and complete self-control.
So, let’s put this in perspective a bit, ok? I mentioned my friends who are struggling with a host of suffering right now – much of it ranks among emotional suffering, although some with physical ailments (and some with both – God bless them.) Peter is saying – hey, Christ suffered all of these things, too, so you should handle it the same way he did. That sounds reasonable, right?
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. – 1 Peter 2:21-23
Paraphrase: Oh, and by the way, he’s not just asking you to do what he TOLD you, Christ left you an example to follow! Let’s look at that example:
He did not sin in his suffering.
He did not lie in his suffering.
When he was criticized or insulted, he did not return the favor.
He did not threaten in his suffering.
He entrusted himself to God, who judges fairly.
Ok, so we’re to arm ourselves with the qualities of Christ…but why? Peter tells us, because when you suffer in the flesh you cease to sin. This doesn’t mean you’ll never commit another sin – that’s impossible for us. What it means is that you cease to intentionally sin, because you begin to deprioritize the flesh. The flesh is all the worldly desires and passions; Peter gives some examples in verse 3 of things like sensuality, drunkenness, orgies, lawless idolatry. Those seem to be pretty extreme and would have been pointed directly at what the readers would have been experiencing in that time…but if you think about it, it’s not too far from what tempts us these days, too.
As we cease to sin, we begin to live the rest of our lives for the will of God. The ultimate will of God is that every person will know and experience his love and have the opportunity to spend eternity with him.
For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. – 1 Peter 4:6
Why does he do all of this? Because everyone – every single person, no matter what they’ve done before the moment God opens their eyes and ears to the gospel – deserves the right to choose, to be judged justly at least by God (even if men judge in the flesh), and live in the spirit differently than they have lived in the flesh.
What have we learned over the last couple months? God is always kingdom focused. That doesn’t exclude your suffering.
Here is what I’m asking you today. You will endure suffering, it’s part of this world and now you know a little bit about what God can do with it and the blessing at the end…but how will you endure suffering?
Will you sin in your suffering, carrying anger or unforgiveness and allow your heart to be hardened? Will you lie to get your way or prove your point? When you’re criticized or insulted, will you attack back with more criticism and insults? Will you threaten others, or their well-being, or your own well-being, or even God?
Or will you entrust yourself to the one who judges justly, who sees all, who has experienced everything you’re going through and has promised to walk through it with you? Will you arm yourself with his qualities – forgiveness even when it doesn’t feel warranted, meekness instead of an attack, gentleness in dealing with hard hearts, and above all else complete self-control?
Only you can answer those questions, but I’m here to sound the alarm: how you handle your suffering will be your fruit. It will be what helps or hinders you in your mission to help people find Jesus. It will be what gives the skeptics and deniers ammunition for “those Christians” and their hate. It will be what defines who Jesus is for the rest of the world…and it will be what God uses to define who you were to him.
Tread carefully, my friend. I know it hurts, but there is so much riding on this season.
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