Introduction
13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
One thing I love about sports is the shift from practice to performance. At every level, gameday or game time has a special air about it. You can see it in seasoned professionals -- they are serious when they step out onto the playing surface. You can see it in teenage athletes. And you can see it in the littlest athletes as well. I remember coaching a first-time introductory girls' softball team. We had so much fun practicing, trying to learn what way to run, when and how to swing the bat, and how to throw or catch the ball. But it was always fascinating to watch these little five-year-old girls show up to their first gameday. They could feel the intensity. Their parents were different. I was different. The other team was there. It wasn't practice time anymore. Something shifted. The season, on the first game day, took a turn.
The Turn
Here, Peter's letter takes a definite turn. Up to this point, Peter has only hinted that times of trouble for being a Christian could come. He predicted some fiery trials might be needed (1:6). He urged us to prepare our minds for action (2:1). He warned us about internal passions that would wage war against our souls (2:11). He even hinted that we would be rejected by highlighting Jesus' rejection -- he's the stone of stumbling and rock of offense (2:4-8). He told servants they might be beaten even though they were good towards their masters (2:20). He reminded us of Jesus' example -- he did not return insults or threats for the suffering he endured (2:23). And, in our last study, Peter told us to copy Jesus when he said, "Do not repay evil for evil or reviling by reviling" (2:9).
But Peter has finished talking to us about the practice of the Christian life. Our passage today is a sober one, and it takes us into the hardest portions of Peter's letter. He knew many of the believers he originally wrote to were beginning to suffer for the faith but that many more would suffer in the years after this letter arrived. They didn't know it yet, but Rome was about to unleash one of the most brutal and bloody seasons of persecution upon them. I don't know how much insight the Spirit gave him, but since Peter wrote these words, millions, if not billions, of believers have been marginalized for the gospel. Family members, employers, governments, cultures, and civilizations have all taken turns aiming their hostility at waves of Christians.
I'm not predicting the same will happen to you. But I don't see Christianity becoming more popular in our society. I do see true Christianity growing in the coming decades, partly because hostility against the church purifies the church -- this makes our testimony better and brighter and, therefore, more attractive. So I have hope and confidence that many will come to Christ in the age to come. But, in the larger culture and society, I don't see the trend towards seeing Christianity and the Bible it clings to as cancerous and dangerous as passing away anytime soon. So we should allow Peter's words over the next few studies to resonate with our hearts. Let's be ready.
1. Exile Suffering Highlights God's Blessing (3:13-14)
The first thing I want you to see is that suffering for Christ's name, what I will call Exile Suffering, highlights God's blessing upon our lives. For this, we look at the first two verses of our passage. It starts with a question:
13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed.
A Loaded Expectation
The question Peter asked was a hopeful one. Stemming off Peter's reading of Psalm 34, which he'd just quoted, a believer who doesn't say evil or untruthful words and instead fills their life with good works might expect a peaceful life in return. Why would anyone want to harm you if you are zealous for good works? (13).
Peter hopes there will be plenty of instances where believers learn to live at peace with their host cultures. To borrow from Paul, there will be times believers "aspire to live quietly, to mind their own affairs, and work with their own hands, so that they may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one" (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).
An Inevitable Exception
But as much as Peter thought this would happen, he also knew hostility would happen and was happening. Many governments and masters and spouses would appreciate the humble submission and godly character of the Christians they associated with. Many others would not. And Peter was aware of this. He'd heard all of Jesus' warnings about persecution and trouble (Matthew 5:10-12). He'd watched the life of Paul and others who suffered intensely for Christ. He himself had been thrown into prison and beaten for his faith. He witnessed the fulfillment of a message he heard Jesus deliver to him one day before he died:
John 16:2 -- "Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God."
So as much as Peter wanted host cultures to treat believers well because believers were a net gain for those host cultures, he knew hostility would often occur. So he gave instruction: But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. The believers Peter wrote to were beginning to suffer for their faith. They were already spoken of as evildoers, the subject of ignorant talk, the targets of threatening words, and the victims of slander (2:12, 25, 3:14, 16). Peter knew this. So he promised them: you will be blessed. When he did, he echoed the words of Jesus:
Matthew 5:11 (ESV) -- “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
How Are We Blessed Even if We Suffer for Christ?
Don't Peter and Jesus' promises of blessing for suffering sound odd? The words "suffering" and "blessing" don't often go together. How can the apostle claim that suffering for Jesus means we will be blessed?
To understand this, we might be helped by thinking about what Peter must not have meant. In the Old Testament, when God blessed the nation of Israel for their obedience, he prospered them with health and wealth. Christ's coming suspended that version of blessing, but there is a sense in which suffering for Christ does indicate health and wealth.
People who legitimately suffer for their genuine, true, uncompromising, loving, gentle, and humble Christianity must be spiritually healthy and wealthy. In a sense, they experience heaven's rewards right now, tapping into their Heavenly Father's kingdom. They feel the keeping power of the Father, just like Jesus asked (John 17:15). It isn't so much that marginalization for the faith leads to blessing, though it can, but here Peter means it demonstrates you are the kind of person who is already spiritually blessed. Because you have a real relationship with God, because you have the truth, because you have the gospel, you are blessed. It's just that you might also be marginalized or hated for the gospel's sake.
A Question
The question remains, however: Can you see yourself as blessed even if you suffer for Christ? Can you see yourself favored and accepted by God? Will you cherish his feelings towards you even when the world is hostile to you? You must. Too many have felt the fires of hostility warming and have abandoned the gospel. They've valued what they get from man more than what they get from God. But what you get out there isn't worth it. Jesus is the greatest treasure.
2. Exile Suffering Requires Fearlessness (3:14-15)
But beyond this perspective that suffering highlights God's blessing, Peter also wants us to know that Exile Suffering requires fearlessness. He said:
14 Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy...
The Isaiah Exhortation
The Bible is a great source of inspiration to help you deal with fear. In it, God constantly exhorts us to trust him and operate without the fear of man. It will tell you "not to be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6). It will remind you not to fear those who can kill the body, but cannot affect the soul (Matthew 10:28). It will declare to you that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
It will ask, "If God is for me, who can be against me?" (Romans 8:31). It will ask, "If the Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? " (Psalm 27:1). And it will remind you that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). But no man is worth fearing.
It will regale you with stories of courage, times when God's people launched out despite reasons to fear and trusted God. Noah built the boat and didn't fear everyone's laughter. Joshua led Israel despite inevitable comparisons to Moses. David ran into battle with Goliath even though human logic would never have encouraged him to do so. Elijah prophesied to Ahab even though the king was a murderous lunatic. Time and time again, the word will encourage you to live without fear. Be in the word. Let it bolster you for the times we are in.
One such encouraging passage is found in Isaiah 8, and Peter quoted it here. There, Isaiah was tempted to fear the invading Assyrian armies just like everyone else feared the invading Assyrian armies. But he was not to be afraid. God was with his people. He would defend and stand with them. Isaiah did not need to act in fear like everyone else. He could be bold.
How: Sanctify Christ in Your Hearts
It should be clear that Exile Suffering requires this kind of fearlessness? As Peter said, we should have no fear of our accusers, those who threaten the church. We should not be shaken up, disturbed, or emotionally troubled by the events of our days (14). God is with us even when we are marginalized.
But how can we adopt this fearless mindset? Peter tells us to, in our hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy (15). What does this statement mean? To "sanctify" means to set something apart. We are to set Christ apart in our hearts as the Holy Lord of our lives. We are to have such reverence towards Jesus that we are inwardly confident that, no matter what goes on around us, Jesus is King. Angels and authorities and powers are subject to him, and even when it feels like this isn't so, we know it is. Christ is Lord. He is supreme. This is the secret to fearlessness -- getting our focus on God.
One author said it this way:
To break the throttling grip of fear we must confess God’s lordship with more than mental assent. We must confess it with our heart’s devotion. Setting him apart as Lord means bowing before him in the adoration of praise. A praising heart is immune to the fear of other people. Fear of another sort takes possession of our hearts and minds: a fear that does not flee in terror, but draws near in awe and worship. -- Edmund Clowney
With an exalted view of Christ in our hearts, we can endure the age to come just fine. So keep pressing into Jesus. When you sin, run to Jesus for cleansing. When you feel weak, run to Jesus for strength. When you are tempted, run to Jesus for escape. When you are spiritually fatigued, run to Jesus for spiritual strength. When you want the acceptance of others, run to Jesus for acceptance. When you are marginalized, run to Jesus for his embrace.
Receive communion to remember Jesus. Read the word to discover Jesus. Talk with other believers all about Jesus. Meditate on the life and message of Jesus. Let him become famous to you, and you will be bolstered for the inevitable difficulties attached to the Christian life.
3. Exile Suffering Leads to Gospel Opportunities (3:15-16)
But let's consider one last passage today. It tells us that Exile Suffering leads to gospel opportunities. Our suffering, if we suffer well, can be a key in the door of someone's heart. Here's how: d
15 ...always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
Our Response Opens Doors
This statement from Peter makes it clear that he is not going to promote withdrawal from society. When suffering comes, he will not propose that we retreat. Instead, Peter wants us to suffer well. He wants us to operate with hope towards Christ and his kingdom, gentleness and respect towards others (even those who mistreat us), and a good conscience toward ourselves.
And Peter thinks this kind of response will open doors because it is such a counter-intuitive, counter-cultural, unnatural approach. When someone watches you suffer in the way Peter describes, when they see your reasonableness, gentleness, respect, and humility, they might wonder about the hope that is in you (15).
Be Ready to Explain Yourself
In the book of Daniel, three young Hebrew men were thrown into a fiery furnace as a punishment for their refusal to bow down to a statue made by a king named Nebuchadnezzar. But they didn't die in the furnace and instead walked around inside with an angel of the Lord. This stunned the king, so he called them out and began to question them. Who are you? How did you do that? Why didn't that fire kill you?
In a similar way, when we respond as Peter describes to hostility and marginalization, it so defies the natural way of man that many men will want to know how we did it. And Peter tells us we better be prepared to make a defense when those questions come our way (15).
I am the first to want to apply this in systematic ways. But, though this verse could serve as a great motivation for studying apologetics (the reasoned and intellectual defense of the Christian faith) or might be an exhortation for Christians who are brought into the legal system to defend themselves, Peter has more in mind. When suffering for Jesus with gentleness and respect, with a good conscience, without fear and a troubled heart, and with Jesus on the throne within, we must be ready to give a reason to those who ask about our hope.
I suspect many of us would know what to say if the Philippian jailer presented himself to us. He asked Paul, "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). We know that one, and if anyone ever randomly approaches us with this question, we will be ready with our full gospel presentation.
The problem is that most people aren't walking around asking that question. And it seems many of our approaches to sharing the good news of Jesus assume a fairly high level of interest. One author put peoples' interest in the gospel on a scale of one to ten. Many of our programs and spiritual laws and outreaches and plans for sharing Christ begin with the idea that people are at an eight or nine when it comes to their level of interest. These methods might work in a children's church setting, where their interest likely is at an eight or nine -- until snack time -- but most people in our society aren't quite there. So we should pray for opportunities to carry people along the process, to, say, go from a two to a four when it comes to their interest. This is a more practical and realistic approach, especially in a post-Christian culture, than waiting for people to walk up and ask us what they must do to be saved.
Truths to Consider
And I don't think Peter expects us to sit back and wait for people, either. I think he wants us to be gently and creatively opportunistic. For those who are looking, the Spirit will give them chances to share about how the Lord filled their emptiness, cured their loneliness, released them from guilt, and empowered them for change.
Consider these truths we believe. First, we believe God is in control. This flows from the greatness and supreme nature of God. So when people around you are panicked because they can't find their phone or their most hated politician did something they don't like, be a calming presence that displays God's sovereignty. And look for an opportunity to share about why you aren't worked up.
Second, we believe God is good. This means we believe his ways and his word provide us with the best course of action. It means we turn to God for satisfaction and joy. So when people around you fill up their schedules and finances beyond capacity, show them an alternative life that does not have to scamper around for satisfaction. When they chase relationship after relationship, display the joy that comes from being in a relationship with God. And look for an opportunity to share why you are so content.
Third, we believe God is full of love and grace. This means we believe God is approachable and accepts those who are covered by the blood of his Son. We don't have to prove ourselves. So when people around you are trying to prove themselves by the quality or intensity of their work, their outward appearance, or their influence on earth, show them how you aren't thirsting to prove yourself. Let the acceptance of God change how you act. And look for an opportunity to share why you feel so accepted.
Questions to Ask
In addition to these doctrines, there might be good questions to ask people in your life. Again, these questions might not lead to a full gospel presentation today, but they might nudge them further towards being interested in what you have to say. Ultimately, you have the gospel to say, but perhaps you need to work towards it.
Each of these questions can help get the conversation moving. Feel free to ask, "Have you allowed Jesus to become the Lord of your life?" or "Can I tell you some good news?" But, more often than not, at least in our society (for many reasons), questions like these will not be well received. Instead, try some of these:
Try family-based questions. People are generally open to talking about where they are from and what their family is like. You can reciprocate, and even at this level, there might be an opportunity to lightly share how Christ has helped you through family wounds or redeemed broken relationships in some way.
Try career or education-based questions. People often express their purpose and goals for life in what they do. And as they talk about dreams and pursuits and background, you might find moments to share. Perhaps you'll be able to encourage them with a Bible verse that encouraged you in your work. Perhaps you'll be able to dig into where you find your meaning and sense of fulfillment. Perhaps you'll be able to provide biblical counsel or guidance as they search for their next steps.
Try questions that follow up on obvious cares they carry. People get excited or angry or enthusiastic about all sorts of things. Follow up with humility and gentleness and find out why they are so excited or angry or enthusiastic about a particular thing. Ask them what they want out of an experience. Ask them why it matters so much to them. Ask them what they are interested in. Perhaps you'll have a chance to share why you aren't as excited or angry or enthusiastic about those things, but other things -- namely, the Lord and what he means to you. Or maybe you'll agree with them and have a chance to demonstrate a biblical overlap with their passions.
Try trial and hardship-based questions. These can be delicate, but if someone is willing to talk about a hurt with you, it is often an open door. Listen, pray while you are listening, and speak slowly.
But be sure to ask all these questions as Peter said you should, with gentleness and respect. Don't worry too hard about "sealing the deal." God is sovereign. Trust that he is working on their hearts. He can bring them to ten when he wants to, and if your role is to take them a little closer, great. Some plant, some water, but God gives the increase. Trust the Spirit to finish the work he has begun.
Conclusion: A Perspective for Christian Suffering
So today, we have seen a particular perspective that's required for Exile Suffering. There are some statements we can make that encapsulate Peter's message.
First, we can say, "I am blessed." Even when troubling times come because of your love for Jesus, know that you are favored by God. It might even be because of his work in your life that you are marginalized in the first place.
Second, we can say, "I am not afraid." Though threats and insults might come our way, we can boldly stand with Christ.
Third, we can say, "I have a King." Jesus must be sanctified in our hearts as Lord. We must get our eyes on him, especially when ridiculed or marginalized for him.
And lastly, we can say, "I have a mission. I want to tell people about the hope I have in Christ. So I will respond well to trials and suffering and look for a chance to explain why I have the hope I do."