CHRISTIAN SUFFERING  

I PETER 4:12-19 

          It has often been asked, “Why do the righteous suffer”?  It can be mind boggling to the believer when he or she suffers or sees other believers suffering.  For we recognize and loudly proclaim that we serve a God who can do anything.  Yet He allows our suffering to continue.  We serve a God with unconditional love for us and yet He does not stop our suffering.  We serve a God that knows all, can be present everywhere and at all times, and does not make mistakes.  Yet Christians suffer.

          The suffering of Christians is often a deterrent to unbelievers, and an excuse used by them for not serving God.  They ask, “If Christians suffer just as I do, then why should I bother to serve God?”  “Why the righteous suffer is an age old question”.  It is this same question that plagued Job and his three friends almost 4000 years ago. 

          In this world suffering comes in many forms, persecutions, false accusations, rejection, temptations, troubles, afflictions, distress, trials, satanic attacks, etc.  But, Jesus told His disciples, in John 16:33 “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”  

          Why do Christians suffer?  Well let’s consider the origin of suffering.  Suffering entered the world with sin.  So as long as there is sin there will be suffering and as long as Christians are in the world we will be subject to suffering.  To eliminate suffering sin must also be eliminated.  Now if God rid the earth of the Devil and his demons, would that eliminate Sin?  No, why not?  Because the human nature is to sin.  If God changed the heart and nature of every human being, would that eliminate sin?  No because the flesh still desires to sin.  Every sin that we do injures ourselves or someone else.  So to eliminate suffering God must eliminate every trace of sin.  And this He will do in His own time.  Until then we must learn to endure our suffering. 

In the Book of I Peter, Peter offers instruction on suffering.  He mentions two kinds of suffering; suffering because of one’s on personal sins and suffering for the cause of Christ. 

Verse 15   

          Though Peter listed several sins here, this list can be expanded to all sins.  Thus what can be said here is “Don’t bring suffering on yourself because of your own personal sins.” 

COLOSSIANS 2:5 – 10

          Here Paul tells the Christians “Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature.”  This is a command and the Greek word used here suggests a decisive, an urgent action.”  Christians are not to continue living as though they are alive to sin, but are to remember that sin no longer has power over them.  They are to put away the old life which springs from their fleshly nature and put on a new way of life, that is continuously being renewed and that comes from God. 

What Peter is saying in I Peter 4:15 is “Since we are not to yield to our flesh and we are to put off fleshly desires, then don’t increase your suffering by sinning.

In suffering for Christ sake Peter says first, “Don’t be surprised, and don’t think it is strange.”  Some times when we get saved we think that everything is supposed to go right for us from that day on.  We think life should get easier not harder.  When things do not go the way that some Christians expect them to go, they get disappointed and turn away from God; they think that God has left them; they think they are being punished for something or they think that they are no longer saved.  All of these are the enemy talking, trying to discourage us when he know full well that trials, tribulations, afflictions, etc. are normal in the life of everyone.  The real trial for the Christian is not the events that are happening, but how we will respond to the events.  Will we listen to the enemy, become discouraged, mumble grumble and complain, etc., when faced with trials and tribulations?  Or will we do a Peter commands in Verse 13 and rejoice.

VERSE 13

          Why does Peter tell us to rejoice?  Because suffering for Christ sake further identifies us with Christ.  Sharing in the sufferings of Christ results in joy with Christ when he is revealed.  According to Phil. 3:10, suffering for the sake of Christ results in fellowship with Him.  Romans 8:17 says that we will be glorified together with Him if we suffer with Him.  Finally, we are told in 2 Timothy 2:12, that if we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him.  So the believer should rejoice when suffering for the cause of Christ because we are presented with the opportunity to lay claim on these promises of God.

          If someone insults you because you are a Christian, you are blessed.  Being called a Christian is not a curse but a blessing.  Young people, being called a virgin is not an insult but rather it is a compliment. It says that you have self control, self-respect and that you value the body god has given you and will not disrespect it.  Being called a Christian means that people recognize that you have set a higher standard for your life than the ways of the world.  Being mocked or picked at because we will not do certain things is the devils way of trying to break us down, trying to get us to stoop to the world’s standard, rather than reaching high to grab and hold on to the standard of God.

I PETER 3:14 – 17

          Peter says here, “be happy if you are suffering for righteousness sake.  Don’t be afraid of what other are saying about you.  But give God His rightful place in your heart and life.  Be ready to tell them what you believe and why.  Have a good conscience, knowing that you have done right and what they are saying about you is false.  Since we must suffer while on this earth, it is better that we suffer for doing good rather than for doing bad.

HEBREWS 5:8

          This scripture says that Jesus learned obedience by the things he suffered.  I believe that God sometimes allows us to suffer so that we will learn to obey Him.  When we mess up, it is not like God cannot show us mercy and cause someone to show us favor.  Lots of people break laws, steal and cheat and never get caught.  Even when some people get caught they still may have their sentence waved and go unpunished.  If those who do not serve God can go scott free, certainly God can fix it so that we don’t have to suffer for our mistakes.  But He does not always do that.  Maybe in those times where we are forced to endure suffering for wrong doing, we are being taught to obey.  You can also learn obedience through suffering even when you have done nothing wrong. (Give a Tanesha example)

I PETER 4:17-19

          Suffering to learn obedience goes right along with these verses.  You see at some point in time we will all, saved and unsaved, stand before God in judgment.  If we who are called the righteous, having surrendered our lives to the will of God, having shared in the suffering of Christ through enduring trials, tribulations, persecutions, and afflictions for his name sake, having sometimes learned obedience by suffering, if we barely make it in, what will happen to those who have not surrendered to Christ, those who are unrighteous and have not shared in the suffer for Christ? 

          If you are trying to live upright, doing the best that you can do, and things are still going wrong, you feel that you are suffering through life, don’t give up on God.  I want to encourage you to endure your suffering with Christ-like faith.  Just as Christ committed himself to the will of God, we likewise should commit ourselves to our faithful God and creator, and continue to do good.

          In the verses we have studied today Peter encourages us to do 6 things.

1.     Be happy in suffering (vs. 14)

2.     Don’t be afraid of man

3.     Don’t be ashamed of being a Christian

4.     Consider your suffering as a work for God and continue to act in a godly fashion.

5.     Be ready to explain why you act and believe as you do

6.     Maintain a good conscience by continuing to have good behavior.

ROMANS 8:18

          Yes Christians suffer just like those who are unsaved.  While we are on this earth, suffering rains on the just as well as the unjust.  But here in this verse Christians are encouraged to endure because the suffering that we face here can not be compare to the glory that we will receive later. “Maintaining proper conduct when suffering requires that Christians maintain a Christ-like attitude, living for the present in God’s will, knowing that we will live for eternity in God’s presence. (New Bible Knowledge Commentary)”