Christian Suffering Part 2

Opening:

It is a beautiful thing to open the Word of God on the Lord’s Day.

Introduction of the Passage:

This morning we are continuing on in our study of 1 Peter. This morning we will be in 1 Peter 3:18. Peter has begun a section on how Christians ought to suffer. We know Christians will face various trials and pains. He was writing to the first century church that was beginning to face pains that would only get worse. They would face persecution like we never have. So Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is giving them marching orders on how to face suffering and pain. In the previous passage, Peter called the Christians to obey God, to believe God’s promise, and to suffer in a Christian way. This morning, Peter is calling them to remember Christ in suffering. I will read verses 13-18 in order to keep the context clear.

With this in mind, I would ask that you stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.

Reading of the Passage:

1 Peter 3:13–18“13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,”

Behold, the Word of God. Let’s Pray.

Prayer:

Our gracious Heavenly Father, we commit this time to you. We ask you to open our hearts and minds to hear your word and to obey you. May we stand in awe of the beauty of our redemption that we have in Christ. We ask this in Jesus name, amen.

Introduction/ Opening Illustration:

As my catechism class could tell you, The Heidelberg Catechism opens this way:

1. What is thy only comfort in life and death?

That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with His precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him.

The first two questions of the catechism are laying out the purpose of the catechism. And what is this purpose? First, to bring comfort. And what is it that we need in order to be comforted? Well, if I were to shorten this answer it would this:

In order to have comfort regardless of the suffering and pain of this life, we must know that we are redeemed by Christ. Regardless of the pain or suffering we face, we can have peace knowing that Christ suffered for us, buying us from the power of sin and the devil. We are set free completely.

There are many comforting doctrines in the Scriptures. But standing above them all is this; we are saved. No pain or suffering can ever change this. Our sins are forgiven and we are right before God.

That is what Peter is saying in this text.

Need:

We live in a fallen world. We will face suffering and pain in this life. We need to know how to suffer as Christians.

Text Idea:

Peter is encouraging the first century Christians suffering for their faith to remember that Christ, the Righteous one, suffered crucifixion and death in their place and rose from the grave that He might redeem them and bring them into right relationship with God.

Sermon Idea:

We too will suffer in this life, and we can suffer well by remembering Christ's death and resurrection that has redeemed us and made us right with God.

Interrogative:

How do Christians suffer well? The central point is this, We suffer well by remembering Christ suffering on our behalf to redeem us.

Transition:

This passage is a theological gold-mine. It is dense and rich. So let us just open with a summery of the passage.

Christians Suffer Well, Knowing Christ Suffered For Their Salvation.

1 Peter 3:18 “18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,”

Explanation:

Peter is encouraging the Christians to remember the suffering of Christ when they suffer. They are experiencing difficulty and pains due to their faith. How are they to handle that? Remember Christ.

Christ suffered for our sins. He died in our place. Why? He did this so that He could bring us to the Father. Christ died the death we deserve so that we could be made alive in Him. He paid the debt we owed. This is the theme of this verse.

This is the reminder Peter was giving the church. You are suffering. Their suffering is going to increase. What are they to do? Remember our hope. Remember the gospel.

You were dead in your sins. But Christ suffered. Christ died on the cross. Christ rose from the grave. Christ paid the debt we owed. Christ has made us right with God. This is the key to enduring any pain or tragedy this life can throw at us.

Argumentation:

And if we are not careful, we can almost be bored with this. We are tempted to say, “yes, I know this. Let’s move on.” If that is our response, I worry we do not know this. I worry we have missed the depth and beauty of the gospel. You see, we can never hear often enough the depth of our sin, the greatness of our redemption and the thankfulness that is to be given to God for this. We must preach the gospel to ourselves every day. We can never hear too often of the grace God has given us in Christ.

Transition:

And that is what this passage is. it is a reminder of the gospel. And the first thing we must recognize is that we need a redeemer.

A. We Need a Redeemer.

Explanation:

The unspoken question of this text is, “why did Christ have to suffer?” Peter has already dealt with this, but it is worth a refresher. We need a redeemer. We need redemption. You see, there is a problem, but it is not one people like to think about. We are all sinners. Romans 3:23“23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...” We are all sinners. No one is righteous. In fact, in Romans 3 Paul makes this abundantly clear.

Romans 3:10-18, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

11  no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

12  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”

13  “Their throat is an open grave;

they use their tongues to deceive.”

“The venom of asps is under their lips.”

14  “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

15  “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16  in their paths are ruin and misery,

17  and the way of peace they have not known.”

18  “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

This is the natural state of man. You see, God created everything perfect. He made man in His image and had perfect fellowship with him. Adam and Eve were in right relationship with God. But Adam, our father, sinned. He plunged all of humanity into sin and death. He broke God’s commands and the result was that all mankind was damned. We were no longer in a state of right relationship with God. Now, all are born in sin. And our natural state is one of hatred toward God. We are all born just as Paul describes in Romans 3.

We are all unrighteous. We are all blind. None of us seeks for God. We all have turned away from God. We all naturally do evil. Our words are sinful and vile. We are filled with curses and bitterness. We are quick to sin. We are on the path of ruin and misery. We are at war with God. There is no fear of God in us. We hate God by nature.

Argumentation:

And this is the bad news. Because God is righteous and holy. Now you may not think that is bad news, but let me pose this to you. The Bible demonstrates again and again that God is a just judge. So let’s look at what this means.

Moses at one point was graced to see God. Not God’s face, but the back most part of God. God tucked Moses into a rock and covered him. Then the Lord passed by, and this is what was said. Exodus 34:6–7“6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,” So far so good, right. God is gracious and kind. But that is not the end of the passage.

“...but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.””

Now hang on a minute. How can God be gracious and kind, forgiving sin and yet not clear the guilty? We are all guilty. We are all sinners. We are all wrecked and hate God. So who does He forgive? If He does not clear the guilty, then who has hope?

You see, here is the reality. God is a just Judge. And a just judge must punish sin. Let me illustrate this. Some of you have probably heard me use this illustration. Let’s say we have a human judge. And this human judge is judging a case of murder. A man has committed a brutal murder. And he is guilty. He even confesses he is guilty. And the trial wraps up. The guilty verdict is passed. And the judge strikes the gavel and says, “You know what, you’re good to go. Don’t worry about it. I know you killed that person, but it’s fine. Go ahead and go.” Now this is not a trick question. Is that a just judge? Is that a righteous judge?

No! Of course not. That is a wicked judge! What makes a judge good is the meeting out of justice. A just judge punishes sins. And God is a just judge. God, by His just nature, must punish sins. And that is bad news for us. You see, we are guilty. We have sinned. But we have not just sinned, no we sinned against God. We all are constantly sinning against God.

And think of what this means. God is the most holy, most beautiful, most wonderful, most innocent of all. He is the highest good, the most wonderful of all loveliness. And that is who we have sinned against. We deserve punishment. We deserve hell.

And God will punish sin. So what hope do we have? How is it that God forgives anyone? You see, the surprising part of reality is not that people go to hell. No, the surprising part is that anyone is in heaven!

So how does God forgive sins? This is the good news! We need a redeemer. We cannot ever hope to pay for our sins. We cannot pay the debt we owe. The more we try the more of a debt we wrack up against God. So we need someone to step in and pay the debt we owe. But a sinner cannot pay the debt we owe. I cannot pay for your sins. I would first have to pay for my own sins. But I cannot even pay for my own sins! We need someone without sin, to step in and pay the debt we owed. We need someone who is sinless to pay for our sins.

Transition:

And here is the good news. Not only do we need a redeemer. We have a Redeemer!

B. We Have a Redeemer.

Explanation:

God has provided redemption! And this is what Peter is saying in This verse. We need a Redeemer. And now hear this verse, 1 Peter 3:18 “18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” And once we see the misery of our sinful estate, we see the beauty of the gospel. We are sinners. Christ died for us. He suffered in our place, dying the death we deserved. Through His death on our behalf, we have been made right with God.

We as sinners could never pay the debt we owed. We are, as Peter says here, unrighteous. But the Righteous one suffered for the unrighteous.

I want you to see the depth of this. So let’s just walk through this verse a little more deeply.

Christ suffered once for sins.

Peter opens by saying, Christ suffered once for sins. That word suffered is also rendered as “died” in some versions. What Peter is saying here is that Jesus suffered and died on the cross to pay for sins one time. Now there are some that try to say that Jesus is still being offered for our sins. We think of the Roman Catholic view that in the mass Jesus is re-sacrificed in order to pay for sins. But that is not the biblical view.

Peter here states in clear language that Jesus suffered and died once. His one death on cross finished the work. The death of Christ on the cross accomplished the work of salvation. And this is why Jesus said on the cross “It is finished.” (John 19:30) The work was done. The debt was paid. No longer do we need any propitiation. All those who place their faith in Christ are redeemed. Jesus did not pay for part of our sins. No, the debt is paid!

And this is because of how precious His death was. We must remember that Jesus is truly God. He is God the Son. It was God, who created the universe who hung on that cross. This is why Paul can say that “He is just and the Justifier.” (Romans 3:26“26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”) We owed the debt for our sins to God. And it was God the Son who took our debt and paid what we owed. His suffering paid the debt of every sin of ever Christian for all time. He suffered and died in our place.

And through His death, Peter tells us that He has brought us to God.

Through His death, Christ has brought us to God.

You see, this is the language of total reconciliation. We have been fully redeemed. His work accomplished what it set out to do. In Christ, our debt is paid in full. Our father Adam broke all of humanity’s relationship with God. He etched an uncross-able cavern that we are hopeless to cross. He plunged us into unpayable debt. But Christ, the Second Adam, has redeemed us completely. Now, through faith in Christ, our relationship has been restored. We now stand before God washed completely clean.

Peter then reaffirms the humanity of Christ.

Christ was truly man.

Peter says Jesus died in the flesh. Peter is saying that Jesus is God, but is also man. He died in the flesh. You see, in the early church, there was a rising heresy called Gnosticism. The gnostics taught that Jesus was not really human. They taught that He only appeared human. Well, Peter shoots this completely ought of the water.

Peter clearly says that Jesus died in the flesh. He possessed a true human body and nature. You see, Jesus did not just appear human. He is God-man. He is truly God and truly man. And He died in the flesh. His true human body was beaten, scourged, and crucified. His human body died. His human body was buried.

And why is this important? It is important because it was humanity that owed the debt to God. God did not owe the debt. Humanity owed the debt. Our federal head, Adam, gave us this debt. But now, Christ is our new federal or covenant head. Adam was our representative in the debt. Christ is now our representative in the redemption.

Christ died the death we deserved, paying the debt we owed. But Christ did not stay dead. No, He concurred death and the grave.

Christ died physically and was raised by the power of the Spirit.

Now, I will tell you, there is a lot of debate over exactly what Peter means when he says “made alive in the Spirit.” In the Greek, that word in is not there. It directly reads “Being put to death flesh, made alive spirit.” So it could be “in the spirit” or “by the Spirit.” Now, Peter clearly affirms Jesus’s physical resurrection in verse 21. But what is he saying in this verse?

Some say he means that Christ in His divinity was alive after His body died. Others say that Peter is saying Jesus’ human soul was alive and in heaven, as Jesus himself says on the cross to the thief. “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus’ human soul did go to heaven after dying.

But for me, context is key. Peter is giving a summary statement on what Christ did. And I think it is clear that Peter is saying in once sentence that Jesus died in the flesh, paying the debt we owed, and was raised bodily by the Holy Spirit. And we see this explicitly stated in other places. Very clearly in Romans 8:11 “11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

I think Peter is simply making that same statement here. Christ died bodily and was raised bodily. Of that there is no doubt. The resurrection of Christ was a physical event. Scripture teaches that the disciples saw Jesus, they touched Him, they ate with Him. Jesus ate food. Jesus ascended bodily and Jesus will return bodily. Of this, there is no doubt at all in the Scriptures. And I think that is what Peter is getting at. But that little theological skirmish does not change at all the emphasis of this text.

Jesus Christ suffered and died in our place. He paid the debt we owed. And through Him, we are right with God.

Illustration:

So let’s go back to our earlier illustration of the just Judge. Let’s go back to that courtroom. But you are the one on trial. And you stand before a just Judge. You are judged according to everything you have ever done, said, or thought. And you are guilty. The gavel falls and the verdict is pronounced. You are guilty. All of us would admit this is just. We are all guilty. We are all sinners.

If we could put our thought lives on the projector and have every secret thought and desire played in front of God and everyone, all of us would fall down on our knees and proclaim our guilt. And we stand before God, the Judge of the universe. Our doom is sure. He is Righteous. He is just. He is truly good. We know our fate. The sentence is death. And that is right. We are corrupt and sinful. The Psalmist was right when he penned these words; Psalm 130:3 “3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” None of can stand before God.

But here is where two different things will happen. You see, if you reject Christ, you stand there on your own merits. You stand there alone. The sentence is cast. And you will face punishment. And this is right. You will pay for your sins.

But if you are trusting in Christ, let me tell you what happens. The sentence is cast, and you are guilty. You fall to your knees. But then Christ stands up. The only one who is guiltless. He is innocent. He stands up and says, “They are guilty. But I will bear their punishment. I will stand in their place. I will pay their debt.”

Christ takes the court record. He erases your name from the record. He then signs His own name to all of your crimes. He takes your sins upon Himself. All the sins you have ever or will ever commit are taken freely by Him. He then goes a step further. He pulls out His court record. The record showing His innocence on all counts. His spotless, perfect record. And erases His name and signs your name there.

And then He marches willingly to the gallows. This is what Christ did for all those who have faith in Him. The big word is “imputation.” Imputation is a legal term. Our sin was imputed to Christ. It was placed on Him on the cross. And His righteousness was imputed to us. His righteousness has been placed on us.

Argumentation:

We now stand free and clear. Through faith in Christ, we are made righteous. Our sins are gone. They have been paid for. We no longer owe any debt. We are completely forgiven.

Transition:

Do you see how this ties to our suffering?

C. In Christ, We Are Can Suffer Well.

Explanation:

You see, we may face injustice. But in Christ, our debt is paid. We are made right with God. Peter has told us that we will suffer injustice in this life. We will be cursed and hated. Those who hate God will curse us! We are to bless them. How? Because we, who were enemies of God, who cursed God, have been forgiven. We are free. People may try to oppress us and persecute us. But we know on the cosmic scale, we are forgiven and free. We are debt free.

And Christ sets for us the ultimate example. He suffered for us. He was innocent. He deserved no pain, no suffering, no death. Yet, He willingly suffered for us. Can we not suffer for Him? When the state tells us to disobey God or face pain and suffering, we simply look at them and say, “do your worst. For He took the worst for me. I will take your worst for Him.” This is what led the Apostles to die brutal deaths for Christ. This is what has enabled literally countless Christians to march to their deaths rejoicing.

He suffered for me! And now I get to suffer for Him! I am blessed to suffer for Him! I get to walk the same road Jesus walked. He was beaten and bruised for me! He was scourged for me! He was spat upon and mocked for me! And now I get to suffer for His name.

This is why James wrote James 1:2 “2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,” Count it joy! Rejoice to be counted worthy of suffering for your Lord.

Conclusion:

I have faced many hardships and challenges in my life. And I can honestly say that the most comforting this to me is to look at the cross. When I am in pain, I look at the cross. When someone hates me, I look at the cross. He was in pain for me. He was hated for me. He took my sin on myself.

Visualization:

You see, Jesus’ suffering and death in our place is what enables us to suffer well in the pains and trials of this life.

Reiteration:

Christians Suffer Well, Knowing Christ Suffered For Their Salvation.

Application:

And I pray you remember this. But more than this. I pray this affects you. The gospel must bear down upon our hearts. So I end with this. Three actions. First, come to Christ.

Action 1: Come to Christ.

I say this often, but I mean it. I cannot see any of your hearts. I do not know where your hearts lie. I cannot see into your soul and know if you have faith in Christ. So let me urge you with my whole heart, come to Christ.

If you are here and you are not trusting in Christ, then you stand before God, the righteous Judge, alone. You stand condemned of your sins. And you will have to pay for your sins. You will pay for them for all eternity in hell. But there is hope. Even now, you can turn from your sins. You can repent. Reject your sins and turn to Christ. Look to the cross. Confess your sins and trust in Christ. Romans 10:9–10“9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

That is the promise. If you turn to Christ, you sins will be forgive and you will be saved.

But for those of us in Christ, I urge you, remember Christ.

Action 2: Remember Christ.

This life is filled with pains and trials. We are not exempt from this. Many of you are suffering right now. You have family who are sick or suffering. You are experiencing pains and trials. Remember Christ. Remember His suffering and death for you. Find hope in the one who took the pain and death you deserved. Remember the salvation won for you. Find hope in the fact you are free before God. You have been forgiven. When life is painful, remember Christ.

And finally, do not just remember Christ, rejoice in Christ.

Action 3: Rejoice in Christ.

Peter is writing this to encourage Christians. He is writing this to give hope and joy. This is a message of hope. We have freedom in Christ. Our debt is paid. We stand before God free. Romans 8:1 “1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We stand free. This is joyful! Let this give you joy. Sing loudly, laugh louder. We are not condemned! Jesus has paid the debt we owe! We are free! Rejoice in this!

Let’s pray.

Closing Prayer:

Offering:

Offertory Prayer:

Benediction:

James 1:2–4“2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Go now in the forgiveness won for you by the vicarious death of Jesus Christ on your behalf.