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Rejoicing through trials

1 Peter 4.12-19

We are not to be amazed concerning the fiery trial which comes to prove us, as if something strange were happening to us: the fiery trial is a metaphor, referring to the smelting of gold and silver in a furnace (Proverbs 17.3, 27.21 and Psalm 66.10): David spoke of the fact that God's testing of him was like putting silver into a furnace to purify it. We find this thought throughout all of Scripture. When suffering comes, most of us react as if it were something strange, that nobody else has ever suffered like we are suffering, that it is unlike anything that has been suffered before, and that God is not caring for us.

But it is to be accepted as something quite normal, being part of a series of tests through which all of us must go through. It is not accidental, but is the normal Christian experience. Others have gone through it, and we will never be the ones who will suffer more than anyone else. When Paul was chosen as an apostle, the Lord said, "For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake." (Acts 9.16). Paul went to the limit of suffering; we will not be going beyond the limit, so we should not consider our suffering a strange thing.

On the contrary, we should rejoice, exulting. Suffering prepares us for the coming of Christ. "… And if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together" (Romans 8.17). There is no shortcut to living the Christian life. There is no easy way. We are to suffer for Him and with Him. And we will know the reason for each testing when we stand in His presence someday. The Word of God makes it very clear that suffering is a part of the Christian life, and it is what develops us.

Our Lord said "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5.12). It may mean being separated from family and friends, being reprimanded by the authorities, or even being put to death because of the name of Christ (Matthew 19.29; Acts 5.41; 9:16; 21.13).

The Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Glory and of God rests upon us (as the Glory of God rested upon the tabernacle). Suffering is natural for the child of God, and enduring suffering provides the greatest proof of this. If we are having an easy time in this world, we must not be God's child because that is not the way He educates His children.

We can glorify God whatever comes, even when He is blasphemed by the world. It is said that during the devastating San Francisco earthquake of 1906 a Christian lady came out and was singing praises to God. Everybody else was cursing, crying, and some were even praying for the first time in their lives. She was asked "What do you mean by singing praises to God at a time like this?" She replied, "I thank God that I have a God who is strong enough to shake this little earth!" There are very few people who could praise God like that during the time of an earthquake.

This has nothing to do with suffering because of doing evil: God never tests us with sin, or evil of any kind. It is completely against the Christian character to be an evil doer, and this includes the meddler in other men's matters, together with the murderer, the thief and any other kind of criminal.

The idea of a meddler is apparently one who spies out the affairs of other men, a busybody, which could result in breaking up family or inter-Christian relationships, among other things. The believer is to mind his own business (1 Thessalonians 4.11).

But one must not be ashamed to suffer as a Christian (this word occurs only three times in the Bible, to distinguish followers of Christ from Jews and Gentiles: here and in Acts 11.26 and 26.28. They are rather called disciples, saints and believers. The Jews used Nazarenes as a nickname for Christians: Acts 24.5).

Peter memorably once had been ashamed to suffer reproach or even a sneer for being a disciple of Christ (Mark 14.68). "Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8.38) said the Lord, and Paul declared "I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day" (2 Timothy 1.12).

Those who suffer because they are Christ's have the opportunity of glorifying God through their ordeal and to witness for Him in the midst of it.

Judgment begins from the house of God: the house of God can be the whole church, the spiritual house (chapter 2.5), or a local church. This statement can be understood in three ways:

1. It follows the type of the cleansing of the temple given in Ezekiel's vision (Ezekiel 9:1 ff.). Judgment refers to the trials suffered so that the genuineness of our faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found … (chapter 1.7).

2. It concerns the discipline of God upon His children, who are punished for good, in order that they may share in His holiness (Hebrews 12.5-11 - see also 1 Corinthians 11.31-32).

3. Believers are going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ long before the final judgment of the "dead": we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5.10). Christ has paid the penalty for our sins, but if we have lived a life that has not brought glory to Him, we shall suffer loss, though still be saved.

The first question made is if judgment begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? If God punishes His own with earthly discipline, what will be the final fate of the lost world which prefers to ignore the Gospel of God?

The second question is on the same theme: If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? In other words, we as believers just barely made it: only by the death of Christ and our faith in Him. And now, loved by the Father, we endure suffering on earth on the way to holiness. This being so, how much worse will be the fate of the ungodly and the sinner?

The answer to these two questions is that for the unbelieving, the ungodly who reject the Gospel of divine grace, those who still carry their sins, there is no beneficial discipline from a loving Father as they are not his children, but eternal punishment from a righteous Judge who is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12.29). There is not but one hope: there is only one way of salvation. The Lord Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14.6).

To us, God is our faithful Creator: we may safely commit our souls to Him. The word commit is a banking figure, meaning to deposit, which involves trust in the person who will be holding the deposit. This is summed up by the apostle Paul: "For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day" (2 Tim 1.12).

Paul was saying, I came to Christ and simply committed everything to Him. I made a deposit. What things were gain to me I counted loss, and what was loss became gain to me, in order that I might win Christ."

Paul listed about eight different things that he formerly trusted for his salvation (Philippians 3.1 to ch. 6), then he said, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Phil 3.8).

We may fully trust His goodness and wisdom toward us and, if we suffer in this world, we know it is for our good. Let us, therefore, continue to do good and in this way we shall show that perfect love that casts out fear (1 John 4.18).

 

R David Jones

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;

13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters.

16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

17 For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

18 Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.