Godly Suffering (Part 1)- 1 Pet. 3:8-17

PLANNING A TRIP, PREPARING FOR IT PHYSICALLY—TWO SERMONS DO THIS (3:8-22)

When an individual decides they want to run a marathon, they begin planning. They pick the marathon they want to run in, learning about the terrain and weather and such. They find out the best shoes and clothing to wear. Then they do something else, they begin to train.

No one simply decides to wake up the day of a marathon and run it (no one not clinically insane, that is). They plan ahead, and train to get ready for it. And we do this for many things. We plan our vacations, our trips to the store, our evenings, etc.

What is one thing for which Christians fail to prepare? Our theme in 1 Peter is From Suffering to Glory, which was paved by the Lord Jesus and is a call for every one of His followers. The Scriptures, this incredible gift of God, prepare us for all life and godliness, which includes how to suffer. You may be thinking, “But Bobby, we talked about marriage last week!” This suffering, as we will learn this morning, is not just any suffering, it is godly suffering.

It is suffering for doing good, not evil. This morning we will see how godly suffering is to be practiced, and next week, Lord-willing, we will see our Greatest Example of Suffering, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Godly suffering involves righteous actions, which depend upon a biblical view of reality, and are extended through God-ordained suffering.

I. Righteous Actions to the Good and Evil- 3:8-9

Godly suffering implies godly living. Peter has been addressing a life of holiness since 1:15-16. We have examined various roles and relationships in the past few verses, but now Peter is transitioning his thoughts toward suffering. The holy life involves suffering. But how does a holy life interact with suffering? Let us look at two ways in which righteous actions, to the good and evil, interact with our suffering.

A. Bear the Fruit of the Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:22-23)

The first grouping of our righteous actions comes in a positive way, a Fruit of the Spirit way. Peter uses several words, some similar and some different, than what Paul discusses. There is unity of mind/spirit. A desire to be one, as Christ prayed in the Gospel of John and as Scripture encourages frequently.

There is sympathy. A desire to understand, to enter in one’s life to find out their views, feelings, etc. There is brotherly love, that love that connects every child of God. There is a tender heart, a heart that is soft for others, that hurts when they hurt and rejoices when they rejoice. Then there is a humble mind. That mind that realizes that perhaps someone else knows more, experiences more, or engages in more actions for God. Humility is the mark of a Christian.

This is impossible without the Holy Spirit (the whole point Paul makes in Gal. 5:22-23). We bear the fruit, that is the Spirit works through us. This fruit is to be given to the good and the evil, we respond with God’s Spirit to all.

B. Avoid the Works of the Flesh (cf. Gal. 5:19-21)

We should avoid these evil responses. But it is not just to avoid negative reactions; it is to counter them. This flies in the face of worldly, human thinking. Bless for evil and abuse? Are you kidding me? That is our response to this. And we are like Christ when we do this. It is our calling. You may ask, “How?” “How in the world can we do this?” Again, not without the Holy Spirit. But as we are filled (i.e., controlled) by the Holy Spirit, we also are reading the Scriptures and developing a Biblical View of Reality.

II. Biblical View of Reality- 3:10-12

RIGHTEOUS ACTIONS TO THE GOOD & EVIL Peter references Psalm 34:12-16. The idea behind Peter and the psalm is that God is in control. He is not absent, or careless, or heartless. He is present, personal, and active.

This reality applies to the believer (those who live holy lives). The reminder that Scripture offers is this: God watches His children and will judge the wicked. This view, biblical view of reality, must be ingrained into our minds. We should as easily recall this reality as we do our own names. This reality should be more a part of our thinking than breathing is for our bodies. I cannot stress the importance of this, because without this biblical view of reality we cannot engage in godly suffering.

A. A Biblical View of Reality realizes that God is Sovereign

Peter, quoting the psalm, says the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous. I think of one of my children at a park. While they are playing at the park, they are constantly looking back. They wait to make eye contact, and once they do they are off to play again. That look gives them comfort, they know their dad is watching them. It comforts them. Infinitely more comforting than a father’s look to a child, our Heavenly Father’s eyes are on us. [ISAIAH 43]

Then David gives us the picture of God’s ears being open to the believer’s prayers. Again, those of you with children know how your children want to know you are near by calling out your name. They want to know you can hear them.

B. A Biblical View of Reality remembers that God is Judge

Notice the next verse from Psalm 34 that Peter quotes. “The face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” God will take care of injustice and evil. His face is against them. While His fatherly eyes and ears are focused on His children, His face is against the wicked. In order to engage in godly suffering, we must keep this reality in mind.

III. Responding to Godly Suffering- 3:13-17

This all brings us to the point at which we actually respond to godly suffering. The previous points are the foundation, if you will, of how to respond to godly suffering. Peter asks an excellent question, and one that holds true generally. No one will harm you for doing good. But even if they do, assuming they do, you are blessed.

A. Responding with Our Speech

The first thing we see is the response of our speech. We have been harmed, it is assumed, and people are asking as why we believe what we believe. Peter says “Be ready to answer, to defend” your faith! But he qualifies this response with “gentleness and reverence, or respect.” In other words, we offer the reasons we believe in a loving way.

We all know people who speak factually correct statements with harsh words and tones. Believers, we must not be this way. We cannot respond with truth in an ungracious way. We must speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15).

B. Responding with Our Heart

We also must respond with our hearts. Peter uses the words “in your hearts,” your conscience.” Our hearts must be filled with grace and kindness, as well as our lips and our lives. We have already laid the foundations in points 1 and 2, so we will not belabor this point. However, we must keep in mind that Scripture speaks about our hearts as much as, and often more than, our speech and conduct.

C. Responding with Our Conduct

Response with speech & heart...Finally, we respond to godly suffering with a righteous conduct. Peter says “to suffer for doing good,” or “for your good conduct in Christ.” Our actions should be as godly as our hearts and our speech.

Godly suffering involves righteous actions, which depend upon a biblical view of reality, and are extended through God-ordained suffering.

If this is God’s will, Peter says. In other words, it may be God’s will for you to suffer. We need to prepare for that possibility. The Lord knows the way we take, it is no surprise to Him. The question is, will you be prepared?

STEPS TO PREPARE FOR GODLY SUFFERING

Be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:16, 22-25)

Develop and maintain a biblical view of reality (Psa. 34:12-16)

Overcome evil with Good (Rom. 12:21; 1 Pet. 3:14-17)