Article: If you suffer as a Christian, Do not be ashamed! | Jacob Varghese

Through this I want to share with you how a Christian believer can face troubles, difficulties and sufferings in his or her life. Sometimes life can be unpleasant. We may go through prolonged seasons of sufferings or we may feel like we are going through a tunnel experience and do not know how to hold on and how to respond to such times in our life. In those times, it is tough to believe that God is in control of such situations of our life. It is tough to believe God is good. We may even wonder whether God really loves us. We may feel like shouting, ‘God, I can’t believe, you would allow that to happen in my life, Why me?’ ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ or ‘I gave my life to Christ and I get this?’ Have you ever responded like these in your times of sufferings? Or have you heard others asking such questions in times of their sufferings. As Christian believers, what should be our response when we go through sufferings in our life?

Please turn with me to first Peter chapter 4 verses 12 to 19. “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

Suffering is something we try to avoid at all costs. But as a Christian, suffering should be different for us. We should welcome it, we should rejoice, and we should not let suffering discourage us from doing good whatever we can. Strange teaching isn’t it? But this is exactly what Peter is telling us in this passage to help us mature in Christian faith. You see, Peter is writing to a group of believers who are scattered throughout the Asia Minor region in the first century. And they were facing sufferings and persecutions from their own Jewish family members. And then we have the Roman Emperor and his people persecuting them and then when we read in the book of Acts of Apostles, because of the gospel many peoples with witchcraft and sorcery, they lost their jobs and they lost their income-they also persecuted the believers. So, believers were going through a large scale persecution from family, from emperor and other business men. And Peter is writing to exhort them that suffering for a child of God is a universal aspect.

You will notice here in verse 12 that Peter begins this section in a beautiful way. He addresses his readers as dear friends; and in some translations we see that he calls them ‘beloved’. Isn’t it such a beautiful way of addressing someone beloved or dear friends. I think Peter is doing this because he knows what is coming next. It is going to be quite hard to deal with. He is going to bring in this passage the theme that he has been weaving throughout the letter. The theme of suffering reaches to a climax. You see the letter of first Peter is really can be broken down into three different parts. If you think of the letter of first Peter, think of these three different sections. The first section runs from chapter 1 verse 3 to chapter 2 verse 12 and can be called as our living hope and our holy life. Peter reminds believers of the living hope that they have because of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and he calls believers to a holy life because they have been redeemed as they wait for the return of Christ. The next section runs from chapter 2 verse 13 to chapter 3 verse 7 and can be called our submission and God’s honor. Then we come to the third section chapter 3verse 8 onwards. Our read passage 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 19 falls in to this section and we see that this section is really about our suffering and Christ’s suffering. Here Peter calls believers as strangers and exiles to suffer well. He says we should always set aside Christ as Lord of our hearts and we should be willing to give a defense for the hope we have and he holds up Jesus as the ultimate example of one who suffered while being treated unjustly and so this theme of suffering that has been weaving all throughout the letter really reaches a climax in the passage that we are going through today.
My dear brothers and sisters, if you are going through suffering as a child of God, understand believers around the world go through such sufferings. 1 Peter 5:9 says “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” So, suffering is a universal aspect for believers. Everywhere believers go through suffering for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ. So how do we face sufferings? What is our response to suffering? Yes, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed! In the read passage Peter gives us five ways how a Christian can respond in the time of sufferings in life. 1. Do not be surprised at your sufferings 2.We are called to rejoice in our sufferings.3.We must evaluate ourselves in the midst of our suffering.4.We must understand that suffering purifies us and 5.Trust God in your sufferings. Peter basically telling us as we respond to suffering we should expect sufferings in our life, we should rejoice in our sufferings, we should evaluate our sufferings and we need to entrust ourselves to God in our sufferings. Peter is talking to Christians persecuted because of their faith. These principles can apply to our life no matter what form of suffering we will experience.

First of all, do not be surprised at our sufferings. Look at 1 Peter 4:12. Peter tells us not to be surprised when trials come. Interestingly, the first reaction we have when suffering hits us is one of surprise. ‘I can’t believe this is happening to me!’ or what is going on? I don’t deserve this’ Peter says, “Don’t be caught off guard. Don’t be shocked.” Don’t be surprised that you are a Christian and you go through pain, persecution and suffering in life. Don’t be surprised if people are isolating you, your due promotion is not given and there is partiality in your work place. Sufferings in our health, in our family, at our work place and so on because we are bound to face sufferings, if we are a child of God. Remember who our Lord is. Our Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to suffer and to die on the cross of Calvary and if we are following our Lord, we will go through sufferings. It is not that we need to look forward for sufferings but sufferings will come on our path because Lord suffered and died for us and we as believers, we may go through sufferings. We can go through sufferings in this world. So, don’t be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come upon you. Notice Peter calls their situation a “fiery trial.” Understand tough times are no surprise. But recognize the purpose of our sufferings and respond to it accordingly. Don’t be surprised, God knows it and God’s grace is sufficient for you.

Secondly, Peter is asking us to rejoice in our sufferings. It is not that we need to put on a fake smile when we go through sufferings. But when we go through sufferings, we have the joy of the Holy Spirit. We suffer not without hope. We suffer with hope that God is with us and all things work together for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His great purpose. So, there is joy in sufferings. Tough times help us to experience true joy. Peter gives us few reasons why we must rejoice in our sufferings. First of all Peter says rejoice, you get to participate in the sufferings of Christ. We partake in Christ’s sufferings when we suffer in this world. Rejoice because you get to share in the glory of God. When we go through sufferings, we need to understand our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and when we go through sufferings God’s glory rests on us. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself”. 1 Peter 4:14 says “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” As Christ lives in us, we have the glory of God in our earthly vessels. We are the temple of God and when we go through sufferings and when we participate in the sufferings of Christ, God’s glory rest on us. What a joy that is? That should bring us to rejoicing in our lives. And Pater says again rejoice because great is your reward in heaven. When you suffer, God will reward you for every suffering that you go through. Let us read Matthew 5:11&12 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” So Peter very clearly says that don’t be surprised when you go through sufferings but to rejoice. My dear ones, are you going through a season of suffering in your life, don’t be surprised at it, we can still rejoice as we participate in the sufferings of Christ and God’s glory rests on us and we have a greater reward in eternity. We are not finished with this world, we have a life everlasting with God and we have a greater reward in heaven. We need to rejoice in our sufferings because we can experience deeper intimacy with Christ, because our sufferings will be transformed into glory. In the early days of the Church, it was considered to be a privilege to be persecuted for the cause of Christ, and believers rejoiced that they could suffer shame for His name’s sake. Should we not consider it our greatest privilege to be insulted for Him? Should we not consider it as an honor to participate in His reproach? Should we not identify with Christ as partners in His suffering and rejoice since we are partakers in His humiliation. What a joy to know that the suffering and insults we take on behalf of Christ are in fact a heavenly blessing, because the Spirit of Glory and God rest upon us. Let us look to Jesus and look away from the world, and let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly – so that the ungodly mindset of the world will be diminished.
Thirdly Peter says one must evaluate one’s life in the midst of sufferings. Evaluate what kind of suffering you are going through and why you are going through suffering. Peter is giving us a list of evils people do and as a consequence of it, one can end up in sufferings. 1 Peter 4:15 says “If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.” So if a believer does wrong, what is legally wrong and morally wrong and ends up facing the consequences of it. It is a suffering because of one’s own mistake, act or wrong doing. But Peter says on the other hand if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. So we must evaluate our sufferings. Tough times help us to re-examine our hearts. Why are we suffering? What sin is there in my life? How can I bring glory to God? What eternal perspective do I need to have? Are we suffering for the name of Christ, suffering in spite of loving others, in spite of doing good or is it because of our own wrong doings. If our suffering is because of our own wrong doing, we will have to face punishment that is the law of the nature that is the law of the land. Yes, we need to face punishment for that. So evaluate your sufferings. We are to live a life that honors the Lord Jesus who bought us. Before our salvation we were dead in our sin and at enmity with God. We were children of darkness who engaged in all sorts of ungodly behaviors and worldly sensuality. But as a good steward of the manifold grace of God through faith in Christ, Peter urges us to live a God-honoring life. If you are called to suffer, see that it is not for any crime, not as a wicked man; or as guilty of injustice and wrong doing toward others. If you are continuing to do good, you bless others, you pray for others, you live for godly principles and in spite of that if you face sufferings that is identifying with the sufferings of our Lord Jesus and God will definitely reward you. So suffering is no surprise, a time to experience true joy, and a time to re-examine our hearts.

Dear brothers and sisters, fourthly we must understand that suffering purifies us. It purifies us for greater usability and it purifies us for the eternal kingdom. 1 Peter 4:17-18 say “For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” Very clearly Peter says that judgment of God has to begin with God’s household. Now when we are in our flesh, when we go through this world as Christians and when we go through sufferings, it is purifying us and in a way God is judging us. It is better to come under the hands of God’s presence now and be purified now than live in this world the way we want to live and end up in eternal punishment. Suffering purifies us. If you are going through sufferings, it is for your good. Yes personally, I can testify that the sufferings I have gone through in my life were for my good. I know there is no condemnation for them who are in Christ Jesus. So, when we go through these little sufferings in this world, we are being purified. It is good that suffering purifies us now. Aren’t you glad my friends; sufferings have so much to accomplish in our Christian life? It makes us mature, It makes us complete, it purifies us and makes us worthy for the kingdom of God through the blood of Jesus.

Finally, what should be our response to our suffering? We need to trust God and continue to do good. Don’t stop doing good for others. You see 1 Peter 4:19 says “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” Don’t stop the goodness in your life. Don’t stop following God. Trust God even in the midst of the dark hours of your life. It is not over until God says it is over. You have been called by God, you have been loved by God, you have been promised everlasting life by God. Even when you go through this momentary trouble and pain and persecution or sufferings, God is with us, let us trust God and continue to do good. Tough times help us to trust God ultimately. Peter ends by giving us an application to everything he has been saying. “Therefore, in light of all of this, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to our faithful Creator while doing good.” We must understand that sometimes it is God’s will for us to suffer. So, understanding that we may experience difficult times as a part of God’s will, God calls us to entrust our souls to Him, our faithful and trustworthy Creator. One of the main messages of the apostle Peter, in his first epistle, was to endure suffering with a Christ-like faith and an unbreakable trust in God’s Word. Because the Lord Jesus suffered, we are also called to suffer for His sake, as this brings glory to His name. Let us recognize that the normal Christian life, in this fallen world will inevitably result in persecution and pain. Jesus Himself warned that in this world we will have trials and tribulation – but we are not to be fearful, for He has overcome the world and we are victorious in Him. Let us therefore entrust our souls to our faithful Creator, by doing what is right.
Let me conclude here, I don’t know what you are going through now in your life. I don’t know if you are going through pain; if you are- I want to tell you, don’t be surprised at it. Jesus suffered, we as His followers will suffer, you can rejoice because God’s glory is upon you. Evaluate your suffering and if you are suffering because of the will of God, you should be happy about that because God is purifying you and we must also understand that when we go through suffering, we must trust God and continue to do good, knowing well that God is preparing us for an eternity without any pain or suffering. So let us all rejoice in our Christian Life. God’s word is good, isn’t it? God’s word is good. It touches the very places that we need a message.

JACOBVARGHESE

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