1 Peter 3:13-17, Suffering the Honors Christ

Introduction

Please open your Bible with me to 1 Peter 3. There are not enough words to adequately thank you all for praying for our family and particularly our son, Jordan, this week. Then there were countless ways that a number of you served our family in tangible ways logistically while we had him in the hospital. We are so immensely thankful for his health and recovery and we are immensely thankful for you, our church family. Thank you for loving and caring for us so incredibly well over this past week.

We are continuing our study of 1 Peter and it is a joy to have that privilege once again. We will be looking at 1 Peter 3:13-17. I will first read the passage. Then we will pray and ask the LORD to bless our time in His Word together this morning. Please follow along as I read 1 Peter 3:13-17.

READ 1 PETER 3:13-17

[Matthew 4:4 Responsive Reading - “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”]

PRAY

Well as I was preparing for our time in the word this morning I was reminded of my love and appreciation for church history. It’s not as consistent a love and appreciation I would like it to be. But I do periodically go through seasons where the LORD uses the lives of those who have gone before us to nourish and strengthen my own soul. I think that would be the case for many of us if we simply took the time to take up and read good biographies of great saints used by God for the advancement of His kingdom.

One such period that has been life giving is a period of time that has become known as the Great Awakening. It was a period of time in the 1730’s and 1740’s where it seems there was a particular effectiveness of gospel preaching. In fact, there were particularly well known men that God seemed to bless in a special way and the effectiveness of their preaching so that there were many people who came to true saving faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. You probably recognize some of their names––George Whitfield, Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, etc.

When we here of such times in church history we can often look back on them with a lens of those must have been the golden days. What joy there must have been. Certainly that latter part, exceeding joy, was certainly present. Untold thousands were converted under the itinerant preaching ministry of those men by God’s grace and power. But, such times of incredible outpouring was not always a bed of roses. Though these men drew crowds of many thousands and many were converted, they still drew the ire of many others who persecuted them.

There is an account of John Wesley, who was one of those itinerant preachers traveling around preaching in open fields to many. He would ride along on horseback from place to place. There came a point where he was riding along and it occurred to him that it had been a few days since he was last persecuted. In other words, he had been preaching and no one had insulted him or thrown anything at him. And he saw it as God having removed His blessing from him. He was concerned that he wasn’t being persecuted!

So, he stopped riding, got down off his horse, knelt down and prayed, asking God that He would return His blessing and favor to him. While he knelt there and prayed, a man came along and saw him kneeling to pray and recognized him––“That’s John Wesley!” When he recognized it was John Wesley, he picked up a brick and threw it at him, supposedly narrowly missing his head. And Wesley became overjoyed that the LORD’s blessing had not left him as evidenced by a guy throwing a brick at his head––“Hallelujah!”

How many of us would have the same reaction in that situation? If I’m being honest, I don’t know that I would and I suspect that I’m not alone. The fact that we hear such testimonies and think those men are strange is not an indication of their strangeness, but more an indication of how complacent and comfortable we have become in the world. It is an indication of how tight a grip this world and the fear of man has on us. Men like John Wesley rightly understood that this world is passing away and knew the blessing it was to be persecuted like Jesus.

Peter is writing to Christians who were facing exactly this kind of persecution. They were not yet experiencing widespread violence. But they were facing great social pressures. They were seen and treated as strange. They were isolated and being excluded. Treated as foolish, backwards, and unwanted. The social circles and families that once included them and held them close were now reviling them and ostracizing them. The pluralistic Roman society they lived in found them to be intolerant and foolish for not toeing the line of their godless beliefs and practices.

This is exactly the kind of persecution that faithful Christians face in our part of the world. We believe in the exclusivity of Christ and the gospel. That there is only one exclusive way to be saved. We believe in biblical marriage between one man and one woman for life according to God’s good design. We insist on not just teaching the Bible but ordering our lives according to the whole counsel of God revealed therein. As a result, we are often thought strange and treated as such. “You don’t really believe THAT do you?”

This passage in 1 Peter has a lot to say to us in our day and age as we seek to be faithful followers of the LORD Jesus Christ who will draw the ire of the world around us.

MAIN POINT––Endure suffering by walking in the fear of the LORD and bearing witness to your hope in Christ.

Two main applications in this passage for how we endure suffering in a way that honors Christ:

Walk in the Fear of the LORD

Bear Witness to Your Hope in Christ

Walk in the Fear of the LORD

The first thing I want us to see is that we endure suffering in a Christ honoring way by walking in the fear of the LORD. Look with me at verse 13––“Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?” This verse is closely related with the verse, and really section, we covered last week. Peter cited a few verses from Psalm 34 reminding his readers that the LORD opposes those who do evil but His favor will be with those who persist in righteousness.

Then, he makes an inference, or draws a logical conclusion from all of that here in verse thirteen with a rhetorical question. In other words, if you persevere in walking in the LORD’s ways (that is “you are zealous for what is good”), who then ultimately is there to harm you? Of course the implied answer to that rhetorical question is ultimately no one can truly harm those who are in Christ (i.e. those who are zealous to do good).

Peter is drawing the same conclusion that others have drawn before. Think of Paul in Romans 8:31––“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Jesus also drew the same conclusion in his own teaching in Matthew 10:28––“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” In other words, ultimately, for those who are in Christ, we have no reason to fear man, but every reason to walk in the fear of the LORD.

Beloved, what is the worst thing that could possibly happen to you, humanly speaking, this side of eternity if you are faithful to Christ? The worst thing anyone on earth can do to us is kill us, right? As bad as that may seem, if we are thinking rightly and walking in the fear of the LORD, we remember that fear has been taken care of by the finished work of Christ. Therefore, we fear only God who can cast both body and soul into hell, not man who can only kill the body. To think and live that way is not extreme. It is biblical.

Now, perhaps you’re thinking that is likely not going to happen. That may be true here in our corner of the world. But remember, we’re talking about Christians who were suffering in the ways that we are likely to suffer here in our day and age. Being ostracized. Being criticized and even slandered. Being excluded in certain social circles. Being at odds with those whom we were once close to––family, friends, former church members who make a shipwreck of the faith and go their own way.

The question we must wrestle with is more so are we willing to be thought ill of by those around us who think us strange for following the LORD and His clear Word? Can we, like Wesley and others, give a hearty “Praise the LORD!” when our neighbors and friends and family insult us for the LORD’s sake? If we are ultimately not to fear those who could merely kill us, how much more should we not fear those who simply insult us and exclude us for following Jesus? Ultimately, loved ones, no one can harm us. In fact, to suffer in this way is to be blessed.

That’s where Peter goes with this next. Look at verse 14––“But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed.” Peter is continuing this train of thought that ultimately there is no one who can harm you if you are in Christ. But he takes it a step further to even suggest that if you suffer for “righteousness’ sake”, that is doing good for the sake of Christ, then you will be blessed. It is a sign of the LORD’s favor upon you and a source of great joy and happiness to suffer for the LORD’s sake.

Again, this idea isn’t original to Peter. He learned it from the Master Himself. Jesus taught this very thing in the sermon on the mount:

Matt. 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matt. 5:11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Matt. 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Now, I’ve said this before on a number of occasions and I feel it must be reiterated here as well. Nothing about this suggests that we are gluttons for suffering. We’re not seeking to suffer. In fact, if you are faithfully following Christ you do not have to go find suffering. It will find you in one way or another. Nor is this some kind of call to a masochistic love of suffering. We don’t wake up in the morning going, “boy I hope to have a good dose of suffering for Jesus today.” That’s not at all what is being communicated.

Here’s an important distinction we must have. The suffering itself is not the reason for blessing and having joy. It is the cause or reason for our suffering that brings joy and blessing. We are not happy to suffer so much as we are happy for the reason we are suffering. Follow me? We are blessed and happy not because we suffer, but for why we are suffering––that is if we are suffering for doing good, for righteousness sake. Suffering for obedience to our LORD and Master, Jesus Christ.

When others revile us and speak evil of us and exclude us because of our faithfulness to follow Jesus, we are to fix our eyes on the eternal hope that is ours in Christ. With our eyes fixed on that ultimate reward, the things of earth grow strangely dim. We are to remember that we are in good company. It is how all of God’s people have been treated, including the LORD Jesus Himself. We ultimately have nothing to fear.

Bear Witness to Your Hope In Christ

The second thing I want us to see is that we endure suffering in a Christ honoring way by bearing witness to our hope in Christ. We see this in one long sentence running from the latter half of verse 14 through the end of verse 16.

1 Peter 3:14b-16, “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 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, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

There’s a bit of overlap here between these two points we are drawing out of the text, right. Once again, Peter doubles down on our need to have no fear of those who persecute us for righteousness’ sake. Rather than fear man we are to walk in the fear of the LORD. He puts it this way––“in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy.” The idea here is that no matter what, come what may, we are to set apart the LORD Jesus in our minds as holy. We are to have our hearts and minds fixed on Him and live to please Him above all else.

From that posture of fearing the LORD, we are to always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks us for a reason for the hope that is in us. The way that we respond to hardship, persecution, and suffering should cause some to look at us with intrigue. Such that, our conduct and confident hope in Christ is evident outwardly amidst such hardship and suffering. People are to see how we respond and take notice. We are to stand out in such a way that invites questions. Then, we get to tell people about Jesus, our only hope in life and death.

This begs the question for all of us with some self-reflection, right? When you experience this kind of suffering, do your words and your demeanor beg the question from others, “what makes you so different?” or “why are you the way that you are?” Do you have a hope and joy that is so evident to others around you that it sets you apart and even invites inquiry from others? Are you unflappable and poised no matter what comes your way?

Are you marked by a sober-mindedness––a stability of heart, mind, and soul that invites curious observers to ask you how you can be so calm and joyful when this person has abandoned you and this person who was once close to you now won’t speak to you? And then, when people do ask you for the hope that is in you, are you prepared to make that defense? Are you ready to give an answer that points them to your hope in Christ? That’s the other question we all must answer. Are you ready to make that defense?

There are two things that mark this kind of readiness. One, which is implied, is knowing what you believe and why you believe it. Now, if you are intimidated by that, let me just assure you that you do not have to know the answer to every possible question or objection you might face concerning your faith in Christ. I have been a Christian for almost 25 years, have a Masters of Divinity from a reputable seminary, and have been a pastor for several years now and I still get questions that I do not know how to answer.

You don’t have to have all the answers to every possible critique or objection of Christianity to be able to give a reason for the hope that is in you. Do you know the gospel? That God is holy and you have sinned against Him. That there is nothing you can do in and of yourself to appease God’s righteous standard. That God loved you by sending His only Son into the world to live the righteous life that he requires and die the death that you deserve on your behalf. That you are reconciled to Him by faith in the finished work of Christ and have eternal hope therein?

That, loved ones, is your reason for hope. You can share that. In fact, you should. Now, I don’t want to let you off too easily. Lest you think that there is no call to grow in knowledge and understanding of the truth, you should do that. You should seek to study the Word so that you better understand it and are more equipped to answer critiques and objections. The word for “defense” that Peter uses here is the Greek word from which we get our word apologetics––which is the defense of Christianity.

We should all aspire to steadily and continually, over the course of our lives, grow in our ability to make a compelling defense of Christianity. Nothing I’ve said should be taken as minimizing the call on every believer to diligently grow in our knowledge and understanding to do this good work. I just don’t want you to feel as though you have nothing to say in regards to your hope and use it as an excuse to remain silent when the time comes for you to speak of your hope in Christ.

There is a second thing which marks our readiness to give a reason for the hope that is in us. Our readiness in demeanor. Do you see that there? We are to do this, Peter says, “with gentleness and respect.” This is hard work isn’t it? When people revile us or speak harshly to us everything in us wants to rise up and return that same kind of treatment. That same demeanor. Give them a piece of our mind. But that’s not at all how we are to respond when people critique or question us. We are to respond with gentleness and respect.

Are you prepared to do that? Is it a settled conviction and commitment in your mind that you will not revile in return? That you will bless those who revile you and even respond to their questions with gentleness and respect? When someone questions you with disdain or hostility, “how can you possibly think that way?” Are you prepared to respond gently with “you know I remember when I struggled to understand these things. I’d love to sit down over coffee and show you why I confidently believe these things now. My treat!”

Peter gives us the reason we are to respond in this way. To respond in this way will leave us with a clear conscience, so that if and when we are slandered by others, they will be the ones who are put to shame. Our gentle respectful conduct toward them may be what draws some to repentance and faith. But when it doesn’t, it will lead to their shame. Perhaps in this life as your conduct and demeanor calls their testimony about you into question Even more so, it will be their shame on the last day when all stand before the LORD.

Peter brings this conclusion to a point in verse 17––“For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” There is a lot that could be said on this. But I want to draw out one main application. Beloved, the message of the gospel and the teachings of God’s Word are offensive enough to the unbelieving world. What we believe is foolishness and folly to the unbelieving world around us. We don’t have to help it be any more offensive by adding our bad personalities to it. And so we shouldn’t.

If people reject the Word of God and the gospel we love, believe, and proclaim together, let it be because of the message itself, not our own offensiveness as the messengers. If we suffer for being brash and inhospitable in the way we communicate the truth, there is a sense in which we deserve the poor treatment that comes our way for doing so. But if we communicate with others out of love, gentleness, and respect and they still revile us and utter evil against us––this is a good and gracious thing in the sight of God. Well done, good and faithful servant.

Conclusion

Loved ones, while we await the return of Christ, we are going to find ourselves not feeling at home in this world. At least, we should. We should not be surprised with our allegiance to the LORD Jesus Christ causes some to reject us and revile us. If we are being faithful to the Word––teaching it and living it––we are going to face rejection. Such rejection will come from our neighbors, our family, even those who once sat in these chairs with us. None of that should surprise us at all. It isn’t a surprise to Jesus or those who went before us.

So, as we experience such suffering together, let's do so in a way that honors Christ. Endure suffering by walking in the fear of the LORD and bearing witness to your hope in Christ.