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1Peter 3:13-17 Suffering for Righteousness Sake
I. Introduction: Paul and Job’s Examples
A. Paul "suffered for righteousness sake" = for doing right!
1. Enemies Accused him of
a) Sexual sin
b) Greed
c) Sordid gain – in ministry for the money!
d) Lying about his apostolic credentials
e) boasting / over-stating his ministry – impact, etc.
f) Having a secret sin – hidden, secret life of sin, etc
2. Paul’s answer is the book of 2 Corinthians – specifically 2 Cor 1:12
12For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.
a) Paul: I’ve checked myself out on the inside!
(1) Examined myself by my conscience
(2) Answer: you’re wrong. I’ve conducted myself in holiness and godly sincerity in the grace of God – not fleshly wisdom.
(3) I testify by my conscience!
B. Job!
1. God lets Satan attack him
a) loses possessions, children, health
b) Friends give their infamous speeches
(1) Bottom line: Bad things happen to bad people.
c) Job SEARCHES HIS HEART to see they were right!
2. Job 31 – Job does an inventory
a) 1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin?…5 “If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot has hastened after deceit, 6 Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, And let God know my integrity.
b) Job 32:1 Then these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
3. Job listed all the possible sins –
a) in the end his conscience said he was clear!
b) Even called upon God to show him if any of this were true!
c) Job had a clear / good conscience
C. Q: When you face the persecution of the world…
1. Whom do you fear?
a) Do you allow the fear of man to control you?
b) OR do you fear only God?
2. Who do you turn to for help?
a) Do you devise your own plans – TRUST YOURSELF
b) OR do you TURN to God
(1) Wait on the SOVEREIGN God of the universe to DELIVER YOU?
3. AND – if you got all of those answers right –
a) Can you defend your faith
b) EXPLAIN your Christianity
c) TO THOSE who CHALLENGE you
d) WHO SEE your NON-WORLDLY response to trouble?
4. Let's answer these questions biblically!
D. Turn to 1 Peter 3:13
1 Peter 3:13-17 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
E. Proposition: Christian Suffering for Righteousness Sake - Basic Training so that you can be prepared to face suffering in a hostile world
II. The Baseless-ness / Unnaturalness of Suffering (v.13)
13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?
Peter: It makes no sense for someone to harm you when you are consumed with doing good- It is baseless
A. Rhetorical Question – Who is there to harm you? Answer – NO ONE!
a) Assumption: they ARE suffering (premise of letter)
b) Labeling suffering BASELESS/unnatural/ even rare
2. Where does Peter think these people are with that question?
a) Verb tells us! = “prove zealous” = “BECOME zealous”
b) = HAD ATTAINED some measure of GOOD
c) RECOGNIZES NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT
d) You can “BECOME MORE ZEALOUS” that you already are.
e) Paul: Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(1) BECOME MORE ZEALOUS!
3. What is “zealous”? - All know the “ZEALOTS”
a) EXTREME EAGERNESS, DRIVE
b) Are you known as someone WHO IS DRIVEN, CONSUMED, PASSIONATE?
c) Do you fill every minute with 60 seconds worth of pursuit of good and collapse into bed at night unable to imagine how you could have done more for Christ that day?
d) If so, you are ZEALOUS for what is GOOD.
4. Peter –
a) TO BE HARMED for being ZEALOUS FOR GOOD – BASELESS, UNNATURAL, certainly UNGODLY.
b) But I ALREADY warned you back in chapter 2 that you were CALLED to DO GOOD and SUFFER FOR IT
B. So, first, the baseless-ness of Christian Suffering…
III. The Blessedness of Suffering for Righteousness Sake
v.14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed…
A. “BUT” – what do you mean “BUT”?
B. Even if Suffering is BASELESS or UNNATURAL in LIGHT of DOING GOOD, IT IS A REALITY.
C. Peter: You’re right. It is not “normal” to be harmed for zealously doing good, BUT IT DOES HAPPEN, and GOD SEES IT and BLESSES YOU.
D. “But even if you should suffer”
1. RARE grammatical structure.
2. “suffer” is the common word that 1Peter uses 11X
3. Peter presents the possibility of Suffering AS VERY REMOTE
a) “In spite of what I have said of its improbability, if you should be called upon to suffer it is a possible but not probable thing.”
E. But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness,
1. “sake of righteous” = “doing good”
a) Very practical term, not positional term
(1) NOT suffering for BEING RIGHTEOUS (i.e. Christian)
(2) SUFFER for DOING RIGHTEOUSNESS
2. Major theme of Peter’s!
a) 1 Peter 2:20…when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
F. And – Peter saying – IF you do suffer, it’s no big deal – BECAUSE you are blessed !
1. Blessed =
a) Enjoy divine favor /Be Privileged, honored
b) You have God’s approval!
c) He is giving you the privilege to identify and share in the sufferings of Christ!
(1) Phil 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
(a) = partnership = deep communion of suffering believers share with Christ
2. 1 Peter 4:14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
a) Why are you blessed?
b) When a believer suffers, God’s presence specially rests and lifts him to strength and endurance beyond the physical dimension
(1) Steven being stoned was blessed by God to endure and even see Christ on the throne awaiting him.
(2) The early church directly saw the blessing of God on them time and time again!
3. James 5:10-11 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
a) Why?
(1) James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
(2) James 1:25 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
G. Application: God’s blessing falls on us FOR MANY ASPECTS of the CHRISTIAN LIFE
1. For DOING GOOD
2. For PERSEVERING in trials (1Peter 2:19, 20)
3. For Keeping His COMMANDMENTS – OBEDIENCE
4. Here – BLESSED IF YOU ARE MADE TO SUFFER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE.
a) God’s favor is upon you
b) You are privileged to share in sufferings of Christ
c) God gives you grace, strength, endurance… to endure through it
d) God blesses as He did Job
H. Seen that Suffering is BASELESS / UNNATURAL
1. That you are BLESSED when you do suffer
2. Now – How should you respond?
IV. The Basic Directives (Requirements) of Suffering for Righteousness Sake
A. Response prohibited (v.14b)
14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,
1. FEAR = MAJOR Theme of Peter!
a) 8 times he covers!
b) Started the letter with emphasis on FEARING GOD
1 Peter 1:17 If (since) you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
(1) CHRISTIAN should FEAR GOD because
(a) God is WATCHING his/her BEHAVIOUR
(b) WHEN OFF-TRACK from PATH to HOLINESS
(c) God CHASTENS (Heb 12) to GET BACK on track
(2) V.17 sets FOUNDATION for FEARING GOD as PRIME MOTIVATOR – IN GENERAL – and in ALL our RELATIONSHIPS with UNSAVED WORLD we WITNESS TO!
(3) Then
(a) FEAR GOD when SUBMITTING to ALL HUMAN INSTITUTIONS (2:17)
(b) FEAR GOD when being submissive to EMPLOYERS (2:18)
(c) FEAR GOD when you are WIFE married to UNSAVED HUSBAND (3:2) as God uses your behavior to win him to salvation.
(4) NOW – Peter CUTS OFF the FEAR of MEN
2. And do not fear [MEN'S] their intimidation,
(1) Do not FEAR / BE AFRAID of MEN
(a) =do not fear the FEAR / TERROR they are TRYING to CAUSE YOU
(b) Trying to GET YOU to be FEARFUL, INTIMIDATED, TERRORIZED
(2) Ignore them!
3. and do not be troubled,
a) "troubled" = AGITATED / STIRRED UP!
b) We all know what this means!
(1) Things get "under our skin"
(2) "churn and burn" within us!
4. Instead of fearing men, WHAT SHOULD YO DO?
B. Response prepared for (v.15)
15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
1. but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts
a) BUT! -Instead of FEAR as a response…
b) sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts
(1) Literally: LORD AS CHRIST, sanctify in your hearts!
(2) "Lord" is a proper title for Christ
(a) Jehovah of the OT WHO IS GOD
(i) STRONG DEITY EMPHASIS
(ii) And MASTER
(3) "Christ" = The Anointed One" = Messiah!
(4) "sanctify" = to set apart AS GOD!
(a) Make primary, first
(b) Exalt, worship, adore ABOVE ALL ELSE
(5) "in your hearts" = deep within as TRUE FAITH
c) Contrast here between FEAR of MEN and SETTING APART CHRIST as LORD
d) Peter: No Matter who attacks you
(1) Focus on Christ as your SOVEREIGN LORD
(2) FEAR Him, DO WHAT PLEASES HIM
(3) STAY in HIS WILL
(4) Consider His HOLINESS, MAJESTY
(5) SET YOUR MIND on HIM (things above, right?)
e) No matter how bad it gets, you have HIM in the RIGHT PLACE – all the way to death if necessary!
f) Stephen in Acts 7 was someone who had set apart / focused on Christ all the way to death.
g) THEN – with that as you MIND-SET / HEART ATTITUDE, you are to…
2. always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you
a) Peter: ALWAYS READY TO DEFEND YOUR FAITH!
b) Towards UNSAVED: Evangelism & Apologetics
(1) Evangelism = sharing the gospel, witnessing, message of salvation
(2) Apologetics is GIVING A DEFENSE of WHAT WE BELIEVE.
c) "always being ready"
(1) ALWAYS– formal or informal settings
(2) "being ready" = PREPARED = WORK ALREADY DONE
d) to make a defense
(1) = "a speech in defense" in judicial setting= "satisfactory and rational account"
(2) DEFENSE requires PREPAREDNESS, QUALITY, etc. – SATISFACTORY and RATIONAL.
e) to everyone who asks you to give an account
(1) "everyone"= people who are trying to JUDGE your FAITH. = who judge you!
(2) who asks you to give an account
(a) "an account" = explanation
f) for the hope that is in you
(1) = your Christian faith
(2) People should see Christians as
(a) Someone not living for the PRESENT
(b) Focused on the FUTURE
(3) = EXPLAIN your CHRISTIAN RESPONSE!
3. yet with gentleness and reverence;
a) Peter: ANSWER DIRECTLY but LET THE MESSAGE OFFEND – NOT THE MESSENGER!