Suffering and purification

Exercise

This year, I have started getting into Parkrun. I’m not like some of the keen people who go every week, rather I just go from time to time.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it is something that has become huge in recent years. Every Saturday morning, people arrive at designated places where they all do a 5km run. It’s technically not a race, although people do love to know what position they came. Rather, it’s about doing your best and trying to improve on your own time.

Now in the past, I’ve been able to run 5km in under 30 minutes. I get that by the standards of some, that’s not exactly fast, but it’s the bench mark I’ve set for myself. Unfortunately, since I’ve started parkrun, my times have been greater than 30 minutes, and I’ve been trying hard to get those times down.

So how do you do something like that? Well, unfortunately, there isn’t really an easy way about it. If you’re really keen, you can do specific training, but even if you don’t, you just have to keep pushing yourself and working hard until you slowly see your time improve.

It’s hard work, and it involve some level of pain, but you do see improvement.

Now I think we all readily recognise how the pain of exercise increase strength and fitness.

What we fail to see is how other forms of suffering can have a similar effect on our lives.

Now, it is true that we might sometimes say: “whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger”, but I want to take this further this morning. You see, I’m going to be arguing that suffering changes us, but this is not just a matter of being more resilient and street wise.

There’s something spiritual happening. There’s a higher power at work in our suffering, and this is what I want to explore this morning.

So what is this change that occurs during our suffering?

Suffering

Now, as we explore this question, it’s perhaps worth asking what sort of suffering we’re talking about.

Of course, suffering takes on many forms. It can be physical, emotional or mental suffering. It could involve relationships, finances, societal factors, careers or any number of life’s events. It could be self-inflicted or thrust upon us.

While the specifics will make a difference in how we respond, in a sense, all forms of suffering can be used in the process that we’re going to explore today.

Now it is true that in chapter 3, Peter does specifically mention a type of suffering that occurs when you do good. This is a specific type of suffering that can sometimes be inflicted upon us, partly because people feel threatened by what we stand for, but also because there’s a spiritual battle raging, in such a way that we’re completely unaware.

I want to suggest that this kind of suffering, that is, the type of suffering that happens when we do good, is first and foremost in the mind of Peter, however, as I’ll explore as we go, even the self-inflicted suffering, when it’s allowed to be redeemed by Christ, can strangely be used for positive purposes.

Context

Okay, well as we get into the letter, we’ll see that the passage that we are looking at today follows directly from the passage we looked at last week and follows some similar ideas. So let’s remind ourselves what we looked at last week.

The big idea that I shared last week when looking at this previous passage was that even when we suffer, we are still blessed.

Peter in his letter had told us back in verse 8 to be like-minded, sympathetic, loving, compassionate and humble and even though we explored how this can be a recipe for others to take advantage of, something which Peter seems to acknowledge… Peter doubles down, but gives us reasons. He tells us it’s what we’re called to… he reminds us of our future inheritance… but he also tells us that the blessing we receive actually starts now. Even in the midst of suffering, you are blessed now!

The change that occurs

Well, as Peter continues his letter, in a sense, he’s continuing this idea of being blessed in the midst of suffering.

You see, one aspect of the way that suffering becomes a blessing is that it changes us.

This is where we can draw a parallel with exercise. Exercise is hard… it causes pain… but is also brings about results. It makes you stronger and fitter.

But as I’ve already alluded, there is a bit more nuance that Peter brings to this analogy, so let’s have a look.

The change that Jesus suffering brought

Firstly, Peter reminds us that Jesus suffered, and it’s because of this suffering that any change is possible.

This is so important and the reason I want to insist I’m talking about something so much more then this idea of suffering just hardening us up and making us stronger in that way.

The change we’re talking about is the change that Jesus works through us. It’s a change that is only possible because Jesus dealt with the problem that has a strangle hold on us. Our sinful nature entangles us. We’re stuck. No matter how hard you try, you can not untangle yourself, and in part, that’s because the evil one is constantly drawing us down.

But, the suffering of Jesus - that which occured on the cross - means that we can be brought to God.

The confusing part

Okay… well so far in the letter, that is, up to half-way through verse 18, we more of less can make sense of what Peter is saying.

Particularly once we get to verses 19 and 20, I suspect you’re probably thinking - what in the world is going on here?

Let’s have a look… it says that after Jesus is made alive, he then goes and makes some sort of proclamation to the imprisoned spirits - who is seems based on verse 20, they were the disobedient ones in the day of Noah.

Now, is Jesus doing some sort of time travel and preaching in the day of Noah, or perhaps he’s going into hell and finding the section where they kept those killed during the flood and preaching to them?

Now, it’s possibly not surprising to you that there are a lot of different ideas on what is going on here. Whenever we come to a passage like this, we do need to approach it with some level of humility recognising that while we might be able to have a best guess, this is a passage we’ll need to recongise is not entirely clear.

But this being said, I’m going to offer an explanation that, based on the options I’ve read, I think fits the best. I’m not going to go into detail of all the options because this will take too long, but I am happy to discuss this with you later if it’s something you’re interested in.

In the NIV, verse 19 starts with the words “After being made alive...”

Actually, most translations don’t have these words, and even the NIV has a little footnote that gives an alternate such that verse 19 starts with the words: “in which also...”

So, there is a sense in which you could read what Jesus is doing as being in the spirit.

In fact, I’m going to suggest that what Peter’s describing is that when Noah was building the Ark, the spirit of Jesus was speaking through his actions… the spirit of Jesus was making a proclamation to the sinful people who were ignoring the warning of God.

Now, the story of Noah proves a powerful illustration to the point that Peter is making, albeit, while it might sound a bit harsh.

You see, the flood waters was suffering.

But it’s flood water that purified. It washed away the sinfulness of humanity and kept a remenant that accepted the word of God.

You see, the suffering of the flood waters brought about change… it brought about a renewed focus on God.

While we can get caught up in trying to figure out an interpretation of this passage, let’s use the story of Noah as an analogy for understanding suffering.

In this way, you’ve got a choice when it comes to suffering.

You can suffer like the sinful people that were washed away. These were the people who ignored God. They lost their lives. Ultimately they were imprisoned in hell.

If you don’t turn to God, this will be the end result of your suffering.

But for those who do turn to God… who follow his leading… who metaphorically get on that Ark… you will be like the eight who got on the ark… and you will be saved!

The eight people, by the way, are Noah and his wife, and his three sons and their respective wives.

Your suffering can be like the flood waters, but it is only ultimately good for you if you trust God and follow him.

Baptism

And it’s worth pointing out as Peter does here, that this brings us to baptism.

The waters of baptism function in a similar way. Yes this is a symbol, but symbols can be very powerful.

When we get baptised, we literally become fully immersed in the water. The water symbolises the washing away of impurities. But we’re not talking here of the dirt on our body… we’re talking the impurities of our sinfulness.

Instead, we’re left with a clear conscience before God.

Yes we’re going to suffer, but because Jesus suffered for us, if we accept him, our suffering points to our salvation.

Our atttitude

Okay, well let’s now move in chapter 4 because Peter is going to continue on a similar idea.

“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body has finished with sin”.

Let me just deal with that last bit when it says we’re finished with sin.

You might be thinking that doesn’t sound right. After all, I think we all recognise that even if we’ve been a believer for a long time, sin still creeps in and affects how we think and act. Is it really suggesting we’ve completely finished with sin?

Well, no. Peter is not under any illusion that anyone other than Jesus can be completely free of sin.

But he’s using this language to show the change that does occur. You see, the point of this first verse in chapter 4 is that when we arm ourselves with the same attitude as Christ, we no longer let sin be the dominant force that governs how we live.

Will sin still creep in? Yes. But is sin the dominant force when we’ve been changed by Jesus? No.

It’s finished in the sense that we now have a new rule in our lives - that of Christ.

But while Jesus provides the means for our change, we still have a role in arming ourselves with this atttitude. This is something we need to work on, and it can be hard.

The sinful influence

There are actually two reasons that Peter’s about to show why it’s hard to keep this changed attitude.

Firstly, because the sinful attitude is part of our past.

Verse 3 says: “For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagan choose to do - living in debauchery, lust, drunkeness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.”

Now, Peter is talking to people where most if not all of these things were very much in their past. Many of the people Peter is talking to are Greek convert who would have come out of a pagan lifestyle where these are really just part of life.

What’s in your past? For us, that’s going to vary quite considerably depending on your upbringing. Maybe some of those things listed in verse 3 might apply to you. Even if they don’t, I’m going to suggest that even for those brought up in Christian families, there will have been a time when the sinful nature has got the better of you.

The longer we’ve spent where our sinful nature has been dominant, the harder it is to change.

The influence of others

But it’s not just that it’s in our past. You see, regardless of how much time we’ve spent in living like that, there are people who surround us that still do.

Verse 4 reminds us that these people are surprised that you don’t join them in their reckless, wild living.

They wonder why you don’t just give in to whatever sexual desire you might have. They wonder why you restrain yourself even when other provoke you. They wonder why you would act like a servant even when you have the opportunity to dominate.

And you know what? Sometimes, particularly in our weaker moments, we can think that they are right. Why are we missing out on all the fun?

Except that it’s not fun. The momentary thrills they receive are nothing compared with the blessing we receive in being in Christ.

Working on our atttitude

And so, it’s hard to maintain this atttitude of Christ. The one that says, I’m going to build an ark even though it seems ridiculous, because God told me to.

What might that look like for us?

Well, it might mean loving that person that keeps throwing abuse at you.

Maybe you have an estranged child that doesn’t want to speak to you. Without forcing or manipulating the situation, you just love them. You pray for them each day. You let them know you are available to talk whenever they want. Maybe they’ll respond. Maybe they won’t. But you just keep the attitude of loving them, even when it feels like suffering.

Or maybe it might mean being generous even when you feel you have very little to be generous with.

This might be money… or it might be your time… or possibly some sort of resource you have.

You see an need, but you don’t want to give, because giving is going to be hard. Giving is going to cost you. Having the attitude of Christ says, there’s a bigger picture here. I might suffer, but I’m letting go of my sinful desire, and drawing closer to Jesus.

Conclusion

No one ever wants to suffer. We’re not talking about seeking suffering out… rather, when suffering comes, we can recognise the change that it makes in us.

The change is incredible, but it’s only incredible when we do it in the way of Jesus.

When we allow Jesus to transform us, we find that suffering produces a kind of purification.

Suffering starts to knock off the rough edges.

The financial suffering teaches us that our treasure’s in heaven.

The relationship suffering teaches us that we need to let go of our ego.

But they only do this when our eyes are on Jesus.

The gospel message is incredible.

It’s a message of hope because you can become acceptable to God and live in the spirit.

Let me pray...