Living for our Faithful Creator

1 Peter 4:12–19 CSB

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. 13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. 16 But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God? 18 And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? 19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.

Hey kids – your mom says, “don’t touch that it is hot, you will get burned”. Your dad says, “don’t touch that it is hot, you will get burned”. Your brother or sister says, “don’t touch that it is hot, you will get burned.” SHOULD YOU be surprised if you touch it that it is indeed hot and you did actually get burned? Of course not! When you are told about something over and over it should not be a surprise when it happens.

1 Peter 4:12 “Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you.”

don’t be surprised

Peter wants to make sure we understand that we should not be surprised at the “fiery ordeals” that we might face.

• Jesus suffered for doing good
• Jesus said that his followers would suffer for doing good
• Peter has told them they will suffer for doing good

SO.. why are we surprised when we suffer for doing good? DON’T BE! That is the point Peter is trying to get across. It is not something that is unusual. It is what happened to the prophets long ago, to Jesus, to the apostles, to followers of Jesus for 2,000 years.

1 Peter 4:12 “Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you.”

It is NOT UNUSUAL – which is a double negative, which equals a positive – so it IS THE USUAL.

Just like you wouldn’t be surprised if you got burned by touching something hot – because you had been warned – you should not be surprised when you are persecuted for following Jesus. The believer’s in Peter’s day were in conflict with their culture, especially with the established order, household roles, sex, marriage, and purity. Therefore they were seen as a threat, and eventually a group to try to extinguish.

So… don’t be surprised that you will face opposition and persecution.

WHY WILL THERE BE CONFLICT?

There are many things that people who oppose Christianity do and believe that I find offensive and shocking. I disagree with many of the things they teach and promote. I am horrified that that my governor sees the killing of an unborn child as a “right”. I am angry that doctors are allowed to mutilate young people to “transition” them – messing their bodies up for life. I am confused about how our culture thinks biology is a state of mind. IF I am offended by their teaching and their actions, why would it surprise me that they feel the same way about my biblical beliefs or actions? Of course they will be offended and upset. If I opposed the things they teach and believe, should I not expect that they will oppose what I believe and teach? So why should I be surprised?

God’s Word does not change. God’s character does not change. We live in a society that has turned its back on God and is changing faster than ever. As a follower of Jesus I choose wholeheartedly to adhere to the unchanging truths of God’s Word, and I hope that you do as well. So, as society changes it should not be a surprise that there will be conflict.

HOWEVER, you might be surprised to learn that it is a TEST!

1 Peter 4:12 “Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you.”

to test you

The fiery ordeal, the opposition, the suffering for doing good is a test? Do you like tests? What type of tests do you have in school?

• academic – essay, multiple choice, etc to see how much we KNOW
• fitness – to see how we are doing PHYSICALLY

What kind of test might Peter be talking about, and who is administering that test? Let’s see if we can find the answer in the Bible. James used the same word for “test” when he wrote:

James 1:2–4 CSB
2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials [tests], 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

One purpose of the test or suffering can be to challenge our FAITH. Our faith in God. Are we willing to live out what we say we believe? Faith comes down to asking the question, “Do I Trust God?” and then living with that answer.

In Luke 8 we read the parable of a man who went out and scattered seed. Jesus explained the parable to his disciples:

Luke 8:11–15 CSB
11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for a while and fall away in a time of testing. 14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit. 15 But the seed in the good ground—these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, produce fruit.

Testing can be something that people use as a excuse to stop following God. Or, the testing can cause us to grow our roots even deeper and to endure so that we can produce fruit – so we can honor God and see people enter his kingdom.

Casual Christianity is deadly. Comfortable Christianity is dangerous. But Committed Christianity is fruitful. Testing helps to build our faith so we can weather the storms and produce fruit.

1 Peter 4:13 “Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.”

Instead… rejoice

Instead of being surprised, we are to rejoice. Actually, it is rejoice… rejoice. 2x! That is a word that might have lost its meaning on us.

Lexham Theological Wordbook χαίρω
χαίρω (chairō). vb. rejoice, be glad. Be in a state of gladness, happiness, or well-being.
The kind of rejoicing the term chairō denotes is not only a feeling and expression of joy but also an action one chooses.

It is a verb. Something we choose. Choose to be glad. Choose to be happy. Choose to be OK with your circumstances. You may not feel happy or glad, but you can choose to be glad. Rejoicing is an action, not just a feeling. Often, the feeling follows the action, and not the other way around.

If I am acting surprised at my trials, I am probably feeling like a victim. And, though I may be a victim, that is not what the focus should be! If I am rejoicing, I am acting and feeling in a way that is glad. Why would I choose to act that way? When I am suffering for living for God, then it is God who is on trial, it is Jesus they are persecuting, so I am just following in the footsteps if Jesus. Rejoice in the present because we are considered worthy to suffer for the one who suffered for us – so that in the future when we meet the one who suffered for us we will rejoice.

Blessed by the name

1 Peter 4:14 CSB
14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

First we have a counter-intuitive command to act and feel glad that we are suffering. NOW, Peter wants us to believe that we are BLESSED when we are ridiculed for the name of the Messiah. Ridicule is probably the most common type of trial, suffering, or fiery ordeal that you and I face. People will ridicule us for following God.

Peter says we are blessed when ridiculed. That is NOT how I feel when I am ridiculed, mocked, rejected, or opposed. I feel hurt, angry, upset, abused. NOT BLESSED.

You and I are blessed, not because we are ridiculed. We are ridiculed because we have the name of Christ. ⭐That is what it means to be a Christian – to have the name of of the Messiah as our own. We have that name because the spirit of God rests upon us. THAT is what we are blessed by. We have something that is amazing – God in us! The ridicule is a reminder that God’s Spirit resides in us.

1 Peter 4:15 CSB
15 Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler.

Again, Peter says that if you suffer for doing something wrong, well – you deserve it. BUT DON’T! We should be above that. We have a new name, a new life, a living hope – we are children of the King and the kings kids should not be marauders, murderers, or meddlers.

THAT would be to take the NAME that has been given us and use it in vain.

Exodus 20:7 CSB
Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God, because the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name.

To misuse the Lord’s name is to have his name, and then shame his name by the way we live. If we are known as “Jesus Followers” or “Christians” and we live like cheats and evil doers, we bring mockery not only upon ourselves, but also on the one whose name we have been given – Jesus.

The Naughty List

It is human nature, when a list appears like this, for us to think of all the people that are not US and start plugging THEM into that list.

Murder – I am not sure if anyone in this room has ever murdered anyone but I bet there are people you have hated. John said:

1 John 3:15 “Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer…”

Thief – perhaps you have never planned a heist like “The Italian Job”, but have you ever:

• spent time on your phone, surfed the internet, or taken a nap during work hours? You have stolen from your employer. I read a report last week that said 48% of remote/hybrid workers admit to regularly taking naps while on the clock. Frankly, that is stealing.
• “adjusted” numbers on your tax return to pay less taxes? Or taken cash payments so that you do not have to record it on your taxes? You have stolen.

Evildoer – that is an interesting word. This is the 3rd time Peter uses this word, and it is broad enough to cover any kind of intentional ill will or bad action you take against someone else or yourself. The NIV says “criminal” the NLT says “trouble maker”.

Meddler – This is a Peter word! This is the ONLY place in the Bible where this word is found. Additionally, it is not found in other literature of the first century either! There is a lot of talk about what this word actually means.

The two components of the word would mean someone who was involved in overseeing (ἐπίσκοπος) the affairs of someone else (ἀλλότριος), which in turn could mean anything from a moral or social busybody to a revolutionary to someone who, charged with overseeing another’s goods, embezzles them.

Achtemeier, P. J. (1996). 1 Peter: a commentary on First Peter (E. J. Epp, Ed.; p. 310). Fortress Press.

Since the list of items is things we might “suffer” for, and up this this word all of them would have had social punishments, I would probably lean towards understanding this to be about embezzling or misappropriating funds or cheating people out of money. This is, after all, a problem that the church in Corinth had:

1 Corinthians 6:7–8 CSB
7 As it is, to have legal disputes against one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves do wrong and cheat—and you do this to brothers and sisters!

When we suffer it should be for wearing the Name of the Messiah, not bearing the shame of our misconduct.

1 Peter 4:16 CSB
16 But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name.

IF we suffer for bearing the NAME, thank God that you have THE NAME!

Suffering is not something to be ashamed of if we are suffering for doing good. Paul was imprisoned for believing in The Name and because of that OTHERS were ashamed of being associated with him – but he was not ashamed.

The coming judgement

1 Peter 4:17–18 CSB
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God? 18 And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?

ALL will be judged. Justin talked about that a few weeks ago. Even you and I will be judged. We will stand RIGHT in God’s eyes because of the sacrifice of Jesus, but we will all be judged for how we lived as well.

1 Corinthians 3:11–15 CSB
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.

Don’t be concerned about the fiery ordeal you are in now… about how others are treating you. Instead, we should be concerned about the fire that will come that will test what WE have done and how we have lived out our new name – our faith in Jesus in the midst of our trials.

THE OUTCOME of the way that we live for God, the way that we carry his name, even though we will suffer for it, the outcome should be that more people will want to know Jesus and avoid the eternal judgement of God. THAT, my brothers and sisters, is what matters! Our suffering for a little while can prevent someone else from suffering for eternity.

1 Peter 3:18a “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. ”

That means that he also suffered so that those who persecute us might also turn to God. So, if our suffering might be used to bring people to God then we are modeling our Savior. It is not about what happens TO us but what God might want to do THROUGH us.

In conclusion… “so then”

1 Peter 4:19 CSB
19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.

Do you truly believe that God is in control? Do you trust that he will work all things out for good? Are you convinced that his mission is to use you and me to draw others to himself?

Perhaps you are a “control freak” and need to feel like you are in control? For you and me, control is an illusion. Sometimes it appears that we are in control, but we really are not. Have you ever seen that person walking their dog… or rather, the dog dragging the human for a walk? Some people cannot even control their pets! Yet that is a perfect picture of what it looks like when we think we are in control.

If we are not truly in control, the one thing we do have control over is who/what we choose to be in control of our lives. I think it is wise to allow the one who is “faithful” for all of eternity to be in control. I can “entrust” myself into his hands.

In the end, we have to trust. It does not matter what happens to us on this earth so long as we are doing what is good in our good God’s eyes.

Faithful Creator

Do you believe God is faithful? Do you believe he can be trusted?

He IS faithful! He has not changed. He has not wavered. He has kept his promises. He has changed my life. He has redeemed my soul. He has sacrificed his son for me.

Not only is he faithful, he is the creator and sustainer of all things. He created you and me. If we have accepted Jesus he as RE-created you and me! You are not a mistake. You are not an accident. He made you on purpose for his purposes.

If we endure, he will continue to do his work of RE-creation in and through us:

Philippians 1:6 “6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

We started out passage by noting it was a test. We end our passage being encouraged to trust.

May the testing of your faith through trials produce joy as your choose to trust your faithful Creator whose name your carry.