Persevering in Suffering

Acts 1:6–14 ESV

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

1 Peter 4:12–14 ESV

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

1 Peter 5:6–11 ESV

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

As Jesus ascends into heaven, he gives the disciples one last command: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses.” There is a lot packed into that one verse. Simply put, the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples to witness to the world about Jesus. All the gifts will be given to the apostles so that people will know that what Jesus said about himself through the teaching and witness of the church is true.

‌Christian living is the testimony of who Jesus is to those we meet daily. How we respond to others, and the joys and trials we face will display our faith. Peter encourages his readers to persevere in the face of the trials that they will face. This will not be easy. It is only through the action of the Holy Spirit that this is possible.

‌There is an ethic or way of life present in the Christian that is different from how the world lives. We are to show that to a lost world so that the world may see the living Lord alive in us. This is the power that comes from on high. Today, we will learn how to live in a world that rejects the gospel so that those around us may witness the glory of Christ through our faithful living.

1. Rejoice in suffering. (4:12-14)

Peter reminds us in this final section of the letter that we struggle with the world. He has repeatedly said that we are going to face ordeals because of the witness of our faith in Christ. The world will not welcome the message of Jesus because it contradicts how the world operates. The world wants to live according to its own way that is marred in sin. It believes that following your heart or trying to gain power and material things is most important, regardless of cost. By proclaiming that Christ calls us to a life of sacrifice, self-denial, and loving one another, it goes against humanity’s natural inclinations. Our trials are tests of our faith and whether we will place our lives fully in Christ.

‌When we place our lives in Christ, the response is not defeatist. It is one of rejoicing. Jesus tells those gathered to hear the Sermon on the Mount in Luke 6:22-23, “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.” How hard is it for us to leap for joy when others revile us? This is a supernatural response, not one that is in the flesh. Our flesh and sinfulness would respond to those who try to wrong us. But we are called to a different life that does not react with vengeance but with love. In our world, this kind of response is seen as a weakness. But for us, it is sharing in the sufferings of Christ. We may not give our lives in a brutal and torturous fashion, but we will understand that the Holy Spirit rests upon us and gives us the ability to stand in the face of ridicule.

‌This is a supernatural joy that can only come from God. Our strength and hope are dependent upon him and not us. It is our acts of service and obedience to God that the world rejects, but Christ gives us the example to live for him even in the face of suffering. We are called to persevere in these moments because his glory will be revealed in his coming again.

2. There is a spiritual battle around us. (5:6-9)

‌Part of persevering during trying times is humility and submission to God. Humility and submission have ramifications beyond our inner spiritual life. They are the foundations of resisting Satan’s temptations to lead us away from God when things get hard.

‌It is easy to honor God when times are good for us. We can worship and praise him for all he does in our lives. Our kids are making straight A’s in school. The cars don’t have any problems. There is food in the fridge. We are healthy and able to do it. All the bills are paid, and we even have some to take a trip. When life is good, loving Jesus is easy.

‌But what happens when those things are not happening? When we are sick. When jobs aren’t what we wish they would be. When Both vehicles require major repairs. The kids are driving you insane. Are you going to be praising God and rejoicing in those moments?

‌Peter says, “Yes.” We take our anxieties and place them before him because God cares for us. We stay sober-minded, which means that our focus continues to remain on Christ even in difficult times. If we place our thoughts and focus on anything other than Christ, Satan can use those moments to lead us away from God. We can begin to blame God for all that is happening to us and allow Satan to bring doubts into our minds of God’s love and care for us. We place our faith in all other things.

‌What Peter is describing for us is a spiritual battle that happens when we are faced with stress and trials. Paul tells us that we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against all the spiritual powers around us. These spiritual powers want our focus and living to be contrary to what God desires. But we are called to resist Satan and stand firm in our faith in Christ. He cares for us. He will not leave us nor forsake us. Peter says in 1 Peter 4:19, “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” We are to entrust our souls to a faithful God. He will be with us.

‌We can persevere in hard times because God cares for us. We can place our lives in our hands and know that he will keep us. He will lead us to where we need to go and what we need to do. God never abandons us.

3. Christian suffering has its reward. (5:10-11)

Whatever suffering we endure in this life is for a little while. This means that it will not last forever. In the suffering, God will do something great. God’s grace and call will be evident in our lives. Peter lists four rewards that will be granted to us as we endure: restoration, strength, confirm, and establish us. These are the good things God will do in our lives. Let’s define these quickly. Restoration means that all things will be put in order. We will be mended and healed from the suffering. We will be strengthened and supported by God during and after suffering. God will confirm in us that he will do what he has promised through the Holy Spirit. He will establish us and provide a strong foundation to keep us from falling.

‌Peter has put together related terms to reinforce the good God intends for us, even in times of suffering. Paul says something similar in 2 Thessalonians 2:14-15, “To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that offers hope to us in times of suffering. Knowing that Christ has endured the punishment of sin on our behalf and made a way for us to be in glory for eternity is our focus in suffering. God uses our times of suffering to draw us closer to him. He gives us these gifts to help us move to the other side of suffering, peace, and hope. It does not look that way when we are suffering, but God has done great work in us in the end. As Peter does when he ends this section, we cannot help but to break out in praise of God for what he is doing in and through us, even in suffering for his glory.

‌As Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples had no idea what was ahead. Jesus had tried to prepare them, but they were still looking for the coming kingdom. They did not know they would endure many trials and tribulations to spread the gospel and share this good news with the world. Now it is our turn to do the same. We do not know everything that is ahead of us. All we know is that no matter if there are good times or bad times, God will be with us and bring us to where we need to be so that his light might shine in the world to bring others to Christ.