Purposeful Suffering- 1 Pet. 4:1-6

One of the purposes of this small letter of the apostle Peter is to instruct Christians on how to live within this world of suffering. But he does not just list ways that we can live in the world of suffering, but also how to have purpose in suffering.

In basic training, soldiers are required to do many physically and mentally challenging things. Often these tasks seem pointless, like the drill sergeant is only taking out past pain on his new recruits simply because he had to go through the same challenges. What the newly minted soldiers learn, however, is that this training was purposeful, even if they could not see it at the time. Their training equipped them to not only endure but to thrive in adverse circumstances. Perhaps it would help if the instructor sat down and explained all of this to the new recruits, perhaps not. That is a topic for another venue.

It does help the believer, however, to know the purpose behind our suffering. It helps us suffer in a godly way, as we have discussed the past two Sundays. We learned how to suffer in a godly way; we learned to look to Christ in our suffering for encouragement. Now we will see the ways to maximize the purpose of our suffering. Let me explain this a bit before we dive into this new chapter.

We live in a fallen world that is beset by sin. Creation has been marred by the sins of humanity, and things are not always sunshine and rainbows. In fact, they are often dark and depressing. Added to this is the fact that we live with other human beings who are sinful. We lie to one another, steal from one another, mistreat one another, and murder one another. Suffering, in other words, abounds.

But suffering is not pointless, it is purposeful. Knowing this and utilizing this are two different things. We can have sheers with which to trim our bushes, but using them to trim our toenails is not fulfilling its purpose. And unless we engage in suffering in a purposeful way, we will waste the pruning pain that God uses to cultivate Christ in our lives (cf. John 15:2).

If we are to engage in purposeful suffering...

We must aim to live like Christ, adjust our desires, and acknowledge the end.

We aim to live like Christ- 4:1

We display great pride, arrogance, and disdain for God when we complain and gripe at the suffering we face when we remember that Christ suffered. Consider those two words, the images and sounds and blood that they convey…Christ suffered. Christ, if you remember, was smacked around by cruel men. Christ, if you recall the Gospel accounts, was whipped by Roman guards. Christ was crucified naked. Christ suffered.

Peter commands us, arm yourselves. Get ready! Prepare for this. Just as we “get ready” to leave the house (put on shoes, comb hair, smell our breath then decide to go ahead and brush our teeth) we are to get ready like Christ. He suffered, we must be ready to follow His lead (1 Pet. 2:21).

Aim to live like Christ. Realize that this life is one of suffering, and not just blind suffering, but purposeful suffering, and you will be well on your way to purposeful suffering.

We aim to live like Christ, but we also adjust our desires.

We are to adjust our desires- 4:2-3

The goal of living like Christ is to adjust our desires. He came not to be served (for His own interests) but to serve and give His life for a ransom (Mark 10:45). Likewise, we aim to live like Christ to adjust our desires. This is more than behavioral modification, because it involves more than just a change in behavior, as we have already noted in our goal to live like Christ. Peter discussed this earlier in 1:13 when he exhorted us to prepare our minds. We also know that this change is only possible through the work of the Holy Spirit.

While this process may appear hard and unenjoyable, I want us to not look at it like beginning a diet. Those are aggravating. We do not look forward to a change in our eating habits. No, I want us to view this like a young man who has fallen head-over-heels for a beautiful, logical, young lady. He changes his habits with joy, because the small enjoyments from his previous way of life pale in comparison to the glories of being in a relationship with this young lady. That is the kind of change in desires that the believer has. He realizes that they are sweeter than honey and more valuable than gold (Ps. 19:10)!

A. Our former desires—the way of the Gentiles

Peter distinguishes betwen the former and present desires. Now, we would all acknowledge that, at times, the former desires are more important to us than the present desires. It is a life-long task, as every wife will agree, to rid the bachelor out of his selfish and often filthy habits.

We aim to live like Christ (i.e., suffering) in order to avoid living like the Gentiles. Or, to put it another way, human desires. This stands as the exact opposite of God’s desires, God’s will. The two are more mutually exclusive than the Democratic and Republican parties, than Carolina and Clemson, than black and white. Paul tells us the same in Gal. 5:17

Galatians 5:17 ESV

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

These Peter elaborates upon in verse 3. We have already wasted enough time doing this! Again, the bachelor serves as a perfect picture. He knows he wants to marry this girl, and yet continues to hold off, choosing rather to enjoy what he thinks is his last ounce of freedom. We know that this young man is wasting his time, but so often we are like the bachelor when the greatest Husband awaits, Christ! Change these desires, Peter tells us!

B. Our present desires—the way of holiness

Rather than following human wills (i.e., our flesh) Peter commends to us the desire for holiness, or God’s will. That is, we learn to replace our desires for God’s desires. We, like Christ, when confronted with a choice say, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

Paul provides us with the step-by-step process for this change in desires in Eph. 4:22-24. It involves putting off, renewing, and putting on. Identify the sin, change your mindset about it in accordance with God’s Word, and then work to develop the holy aspect of life.

We acknowledge the end- 4:4-6

In order to suffer purposefully, we aim to live like Christ as well as adjust our desires. But we also acknowledge the end. This is what the book of Revelation is, an acknowledgement of the end by which saints can persevere through horrendous suffering.

Peter encourages us to suffer purposefully by acknowledging the end. The Gentiles are surprised when we do not live like they do, and as a result they blaspheme. In other words, it is not a “live and let live” mentality, it is a “do as I do or else.” We see this in our society today, do we not? We were encouraged to accept issues that were normally not accepted, to let people do as they wish as long as it did not bother us. Now we are told to not only accept it, but to celebrate it. Anything less is seen as discrimination.

Peter reminds his readers, and us as well, that God is the Judge, and He will have the final word. Those who misalign believers and engage in human passions will be judged. The dead who will live in the Spirit (verse 6) are those who have ended their journey in this life. They will be vindicated, while the wicked will be judged. Purposeful suffering is not simply a fight uphill all our lives to end in failure.

The Triune God’s work in our lives brings about purposeful suffering, but when we aim to live like Christ, adjust our desires, and acknowledge the end, we are able to suffer in the flesh like Jesus did, for God’s glory.