Even If…

1 Peter 3:13-18a

Even if…

To fully be prepared to ‘make a defense’ of the gospel we must be fully living out the word of God as displayed in and through the life of Jesus.

Nik Ripken, author of two books, The Insanity of God and The Insanity of Obedience recently wrote:

As Western believers, we often default to “Romans to Revelation” Christianity, forgetting the foundational stories from Genesis to Acts that show us what it means to walk with God in uncertain, even hostile, environments.

https://nikripken.com/faithful-unto-death-lessons-from-believers-in-persecution-for-the-western-believer

One of the Biblical accounts that continues to encourage and challenge me is recounted in Daniel 3. Daniel is not mentioned in this account. Three other young men from the area around Jerusalem, trained in the same ‘class’ as Daniel asre prominent in this account.

Let me read just a portion of their life story:

Daniel 3:1-2, 12-18, 21-23, 25

“But… even if doesn’t rescue us …we will not serve your gods…”

Peter, writing to believers living in an uncertain, hostile environment calls them to

1 Peter 3:13–15 HCSB

And who will harm you if you are deeply committed to what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed, but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

The Hope Within

In our current climate we emphasize Bible studies. We stress the importance of learning the Bible. Even Peter will acknowledge that growing in our knowledge of Jesus is important:

1 Peter 2:2–3 HCSB

Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it for your salvation, since you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Peter’s second letter closes with a similar idea:

2 Peter 3:18 HCSB

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

As important as ‘learning’ or ‘education’ is, living God’s truth is much more a necessity.

We can learn much about Jesus and still not be a follower! We can study the texts of the Bible and walk away from God’s call to acknowledge Him and confess Jesus as Lord.

Peter was the first to publicly acknowledge the true identity of Jesus (see Luke 9). When the enemy attacked how did Peter respond?

By denying Jesus three separate times on the night Jesus was betrayed, tried, and eventually condemned to death by Pilate as a favor to the Jewish leaders.

In spite of Peter’s affirmation of staying with Jesus till prison or death, Peter failed miserably and spectatularly in a large crowd of people.

Twice in this brief paragraph Peter acknowledges the role of suffering in the life of a believer.

1 Peter 3:14 HCSB

But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed.

Perhaps Peter was remembering one of Jesus’ often repeated messages that we call ‘The Sermon on the Mount.’ It is recorded in both Matthew and Luke, but it is very likely a message Jesus repeated often as He travelled. In that message Jesus said:

Matthew 5:11–12 HCSB

“You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus’ words ‘redefine’ the way things are. Jews considered themselves as God’s chosen people, protected from suffering.

Jesus says that

…you are blessed when insulted, persecuted, falsely accused of evil…

Peter is writing to believers and he addresses them as “exiles dispersed abroad;” “strangers and exiles.” Later he will write,

1 Peter 4:12 HCSB

Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you.

The living hope into which we have received new birth literally remakes us, and this hope puts us at odds with the way the world is.

Make Christ Holy

A literal translation of the Greek would read, ‘sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts….’

How does one ‘sanctify’ the One who is holiness embodied?

Peter has already reminded his audience about the necessity of ‘holiness’ -

1 Peter 1:15–16 HCSB

But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

and

1 Peter 2:9 HCSB

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray in what we call ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ Jesus taught them to address God as

‘Our Father in heaven…’

‘Hallowed be Your name…’

Addressing God requires us to acknowledge that He is radically pure, radically different, total unlike anyone or anything.

Peter now reminds his readers that Jesus, who is God in the flesh, is deserving of the same recognition - we are to ‘hallow His name…’ in the same way we speak God’s name.

As Peter suggests this is a choice we make deep within our hearts. Those who have made clear their choice to be followers of Jesus must regularly remind themselves of the pre-eminent role of Jesus in their lives.

Always Prepared

Most of us have been caught ‘off-guard’ more than once. Someone asks a question we weren’t expecting, someone offers us a gift we were totally unprepared to receive. Peter suggests that we stop being caught off-guard!

As Jesus followers we are constantly ‘on’ guard for what is happening around us. Peter probably remembered an experience he, James, and John had with Jesus. On a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee Jesus was praying and the three disciples were sleeping. As they slept, Jesus’ physical body was radically transformed. Moses and Elijah appeared and the disciples slept. As Moses and Elijah were about to return to their place in the presence of God Luke records that the three disciples ‘became fully awake’ to the the transfigured Jesus and the two men with Him. As soon as they awoke, they departed!

You have to wonder…how often did Peter revisit that scene in his mind…’If only I had been awake...!’

Always be prepared!

Suffering for good conduct

Peter returns to the topic he started in vs 14 - suffering.

Earlier I quoted from Nik Ripken about forgetting Genesis - Acts and how we often assume that living as a believer is all about having constant victory, living in success, experiencing abundance. In the same article I quoted from earlier Ripken writes,

For the Western church, it’s easy to think God’s presence equals protection. But Scripture—and believers in persecution—teach us that God's presence is sometimes most evident in the fire, not in the escape.

https://nikripken.com/faithful-unto-death-lessons-from-believers-in-persecution-for-the-western-believer

REFLECT AND RESPOND

Peter’s challenge for those living in the first century is as valid now as it was then…

In Jesus’ letters to the churches, recorded in Revelation 2-3 we find this

Revelation 2:10 HCSB

Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The call of Jesus is not about comfort and convenience. It is about obedience. It is a call to an ‘even if not’ type of faith. One commentary summarizes this passage:

1 Peter 3:13–17

It is rather the narration of the way of Christ through suffering and death to resurrection and glory, itself none other than a narration of the ways of God from the beginning and on exhibition in the life of Israel as this is recounted in the Scriptures of Israel, all as recapitulated in the lives of Christ’s followers.

Early in the exciting days of the beginning of the church the apostles were put in jail by Jewish religious leaders. They were miraculously released by an angel. When the morning dawned and the religious leaders sent to the jail for the apostles - they were gone!

They found Peter and the apostles were in the temple - teaching the people. When re-captured and brought before the Sanhedrin they caused quite a stir!

After some moments of private deliberation the Sanhedrin called Peter and the apostles in, and as Acts 5 recounts, they were flogged (beat with a stick or some other tool).

The response of Peter and the apostles:

Acts 5:41 HCSB

Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the Name.

Is your heart fully surrendered to the person of Jesus Christ, fully man and fully God?

Are you fully prepared to acknowledge the new birth, the hope that has been given you through the promise of God and the activity of the Holy Spirit?

Will you be able to - as those three young men we read about in Daniel, as Peter and the apostles - rejoice in suffering for the privilege of bearing the name of Jesus?