Conduct In Suffering - Part 1

Thank you for joining us today. We're examining the message given to us by God, the Holy Spirit, through his messenger, Peter, who was a fisherman, who became an apostle. Peter was one of the 12 disciples that God chose to teach and come to reveal personally who he is and his ways with men. This, by the way, is our 22nd lesson on God's message in 1 Peter.

It covers from chapter 3, part of the verses 13 through 17. It deals with the believer's conduct in suffering. God's message through Peter shows us what is real right now, and it's based on all of his plans not just for time, but also on into eternity. Jet McCauley outlined in First Peter in his book, Comfort in Suffering. That book, by the way, you can get, if you ask for it, at the website wordoftruthkc.org. We've studied God's message through the first two parts of this outline, salvation and submission. The last part, suffering, we begin today.

Now in 1 Peter 3.13 through the end of the book, the part that we're beginning today, God turns us toward his perspective of our growth through suffering. And Chet McCulley, in his book, Comfort in Suffering, gave this section the title, The Believer, His Discipline. And Chet went on to outline the remainder of 1 Peter as suffering for righteousness, suffering with Christ, and suffering in service.

For Holly Hills folks, we've outlined it with three main words. salvation, submission, and suffering. By way of review, using this outline of God's message, Andrew Malloy, in our last lesson, listed the six submission qualities that we are to reveal in this body assembly this called out of the world ones assembly.

We who have believed on the person and the work of Christ, we titled that lesson that he gave, living harmoniously. And it was over verses eight through 12. In this part of first Peter, we saw that this harmony among believers includes five descriptive words. They give us insight into God's perspective of his life, revealed through us. And these are like-minded focus, not necessarily with the same results, but the focus is on Christ.

A fellow feeling of each other, a loving as brethren of each other, a sensitivity of kindness towards each other, and also being self-aware. And lastly, the equality in verse nine is a present active participle. It means giving good words or blessings to one another. Our words are to reveal all five of these qualities of our Savior in a positive, helpful way, producing peaceful, harmonious relations with each other as believers. And so as a review, These are the words chosen by God for Peter to give to us, and those that were scattered abroad in Northwest Turkey were also being addressed by his letter. To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind-hearted, and humble in spirit. not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead.

For you were called for this very purpose, that you might inherit a blessing. For the one who desires life, to love and seek good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. He must turn away from evil and do good. He must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are looking towards the righteous, and his ears, they attend to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

Last week in his last slide, this one here, Andrew gave us some very concise final deep thoughts about our duty of submission towards one another in the body of Christ. And I'm sharing it here to stir up our minds by way of remembrance. Andrew asked us, how are we to accomplish all of this?

He noted that we're all one with one another by being placed through baptism by the Holy Spirit into our fixed position, united with Christ. That's in 1 Corinthians 12, 13. And secondly, he noted, Christ in his prayer to our father, he will that we be one with one another, that we be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that you, the father, sent me, the son. That's in John 17, 23. Andrew's final comment was, how could we not be all these things to each other? Well, we're gonna see more of this perspective that God has about us in the verses that we study today.

So as we begin this third major section of this letter, suffering chapter three, verses 13 through five, verse 14, These two lessons, 22 and 23, titled Conduct in Suffering, are to cover 1 Peter 3.13-17, and by way of looking ahead, we have titled the coming lessons The Consequences of Christ's Suffering, The Proper Attitude in Suffering, The Importance of Mutual Love in End-Time Living, The Facts of Suffering, then the application of suffering, and there are three more lessons planned for the end of this book. So that's sort of an overview.

So let's begin by reading 1 Peter 3.13-17, that part that we're covering today is actually up through verse 15, from several English translations. First, the King James Version.

For who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good? But if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye, and be ye not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you, a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. Who's going to harm you? I'm sorry, this is from the New International Version. Who's going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.

Do not fear their threats. Do not be frightened. But in your hearts, revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. In the Holman Christian Study Bible, it reads, but who will harm you if you are deeply committed to what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed, but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts.

Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason of the hope that is in you. And finally, the version that I'm going to use for the rest of our study, it is the New American version from 1995. I believe it's the most accurate translation from the Greek into English that we have today. Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?

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. But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts and always, being ready, make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.

Now here's the grammatical highlights of verse 13. Good versus bad is the comparison. and there's more concerning the good in verse 23 for next week, but I'm sharing this for the benefit of anyone wishing to check it out with me on the text of the oldest copies that we have today. For the sake of the rest of us present today, I'll not go into this in detail, okay? Here's my literal rendering for this verse.

Who is there to harm you? If you prove zealous for what is good, that's a new American standard. Now who will harm you if you become passionate for the good? Notice that this is not a statement, okay, but a question from God about the possible results of bad being done to us and good being revealed through us.

The fact shown to us back in verse 12 is that God sees and hears us, his righteous ones. So based on his care, God asks us this question. Negatively, he does not imply that we will not suffer from bad actors. No, God tells us that we would suffer, like he would suffer, or he suffered. Look at John 15, 20, or if you want to, review 1 Peter 2, 21. But will that suffer bring harm, i.e., make us less than what God wants us to be? That's the negative focus here in the first part of God's question. Now, who will harm you?

Positively, he goes on, he does say, we can be compassionate for the good. And that's the positive focus in the second part of God's question here. Based on this being a question from God, how are we going to answer him? Well, here's a specific factual negative principle in verse 13 to consider.

Nothing can stop God's plan for his own being conformed to the image of his son, Jesus Christ. God makes all things work together to fulfill his purposes. Look at Romans 8, 28 through 30, and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purposes, to those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that we should become the firstborn among many brethren.

And these whom He predestined He also called These whom he called, he also justified. These whom he justified, he also glorified. I love it when the Lord uses these words in the past tense about us. He sees us as a done deal. We see it as an ongoing process in many regards. Here's another specific factual but positive principle in verse 13 to consider.

In Luke 6, 43 through 45, there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own kind of fruit. For men do not gather from thorns, they don't gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.

The good man out of his good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good. The evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil. For his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. Brethren, we have the life of Christ now in us, and we are passionate for the good. And that shows when God's spirit in us reveals his goodness.

Colossians 3.4 says that.

Look at Galatians 5.22-23. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, there's that word, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things, there is no law. Notice the word good there.

It's the same word as in 1 Peter 3.13 that we're looking at. So here are some general principles on verse 13 to consider.

Our response to, that is, of good in return for good, or good in return for evil, tends to bring about, but does not guarantee a good response from others. Not responding with evil in return for evil, but instead being zealous for what is good, will stop the revenge and retaliation cycles that are from sin natures. The human government that we live under should maintain order and limit the expression of evil behavior.

And we learned that from Romans 13, verses one through seven. Also, if you remember in the second chapter here, verses 13 through 17, We who are zealous for what is good are models in citizenship in the biblically legitimate form of government. The kind of if that is used here is a condition with a likely outcome. And God's question reveals his view of his good likely being seen through each of us. Now verse 14 gives us a bit more about the results of the harm that can be done to us. And verse 15 gives us more about becoming passionate for the good. Now let's turn to verse 14, the first part here. And I've given you the grammatical verse outline. However, again, I'm giving it for those wishing to check out the text with me for meanings. At the bottom, I've got my literal translation.

But even if you suffer unto death because of righteousness, you are blessed. The principles that are revealed here are, but the but being used is a strong contrast to verse 13. This verse deals with possible sufferings beyond harm This is possible sufferings even unto physical death. Verse 13, sufferings are while we live in bodies and it's used by God to reveal his good now. Verse 14, sufferings unto death would not end his goodness being seen through us. No, that's God's good seen through us may seem to be stopped by death, but we are still blessed.

What looks like an awful thing is really a blessing. We might even suffer if we've done what is right with our actions coming from the heart of righteousness, which is from Christ himself. Yep, that is a reality. And it could lead to death. The phrase, because of righteousness now, that makes righteousness in this text pivotal to this suffering being for good. God uses this figurative speech, by the way, as an ellipsis. He's showing us his view of this suffering. This verse says that we can suffer as Christians, so it adds information to verse 13.

Our Lord's brother James wrote in his book, James 1, chapter 1, verse 2, consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials God, through Peter and James, held back nothing when he expressed how he would show his good through our correct responses to trials and suffering. Notice the responses. Blessed. All joy. Hmm. It's really something. Some contrasting principles are revealed here. The but used is a strong contrast to verse 13 in another way.

There are two if-causes in these two verses, and both are expressions of condition with uncertain fulfillment that show how careful God is to reveal reality. Verse 13 is a third class with uncertain fulfillment but likely results, if and likely will. Verse 14 is a fourth class condition with possible fulfillment but not likely results, if but not likely. Notice also These two contrasts regarding the results of these sufferings in each verse.

In verse 13, negatively, will suffer bring harm, i.e., make us less than God wants us to be. Positively, God's question reveals his view of his good likely being seen through us. Verse 14, negatively, man thinks suffering to death will stop his good being seen. But positively, God reveals that suffering will not stop his good being revealed as a blessing.

And I couldn't help but also bring in James again here. God uses James with contrasting words rather than if clauses to reveal this also. Negatively, God uses Pairadzo for general testing by men designed to bring us to harm. And positively, God uses the word dakimanzu for testing by God always to reveal to us what is his good. To refine us, in other words. God reveals through James that he never pirates us or tests us to harm. How careful God is in the design of his words to us.

Verse 14b goes on this way with a grammatical translation. I've got this literal result. Also, the terror of theirs should not frighten nor intimidate you. And here are the principles revealed through this verse. Peter heard these words from our Lord, recorded in John 14, 27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

Note that God used the imperative or command mode in this verse. but that he used Peter to say this in the subjective mode of potential with a passive voice to indicate that we could be affected by their terror. But that's not what God wills for us. God never tests us to make us fearful. He only tests us to refine what we believe to be true as his blessed ones, our fear is best on his facts designed to lead us to his peace and to respond with joy. Their fear is based on their own false imagination that leads them to no peace and a response of terror.

Quite a contrast. In verse 15, the very first part, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, I've given you the grammatical analysis here, and my literal translation, but Lord the Christ set apart in the hearts of you. Using that literal rendition, these are some principles. The remedy and godly alternative to fear and a troubled heart is personal, it's Christ. When suffering for the sake of righteousness, Christ is the answer. The command here, set apart, means to set him apart in our hearts as perfect, the I am, the Christ, the promised anointed one. And the purpose of this is that our heart, we who really are now, we as new and kind creations, that He has made us to be, revealing His glory.

Now we were told this in 1 Peter 1.9, which I'm going to quote now. but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Our hearts need this focus. So God provided the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us, to give us the things of Christ. Notice John 16, 14, he will glorify me, for he will take of mine and will disclose it to you. And we're also told by Paul in 1 Corinthians 3, 16, God says to us, do you not know that you are a temple of God? and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? When faced with suffering because of righteousness of God being revealed through us, our logical response to this command is to take the essence of Christ as revealed to us by God, the Holy Spirit, as being reality.

Note that in 2 Corinthians 3.18, God says, for we all with unveiled face are beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, and we're being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. Notice the examples in scripture of this process being shown through Stephen before he was martyred there. It's recorded in Acts 7, 54 through 56 this way.

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and they began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, behold, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. What a comfort that must have been to Stephen. Notice also that in the context, if you read it, Saul, who became named Paul later on, was holding the coats of those who stoned to death Stephen.

Two of my favorite verses are 1 Corinthians 1.30, but by his doing, you are in Christ Jesus. who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. Notice who's doing the doing. It's His doing, God's doing. I am in Christ because of Him, and it is He who has made Christ wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. What a blessing. He's changed our focus on to Christ and who he is and what he's done and will do.

And like also 1 Corinthians 2.12, now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God so that we may know the things freely given to us by God. It's a blessing to realize that that is the purpose of God.

Today's text in review in the New American Standard first, Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 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, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. And my literal translation from the oldest Greek sources is, now who will harm you if you become passionate for the good? But even if you suffer unto death because of righteousness, you are blessed. Also the terror of theirs should not frighten nor intimidate you, but Lord the Christ set apart in the hearts of you.

I have some concluding thoughts here by C.H. McIntosh that were given by Miles J. Stanford in his position papers, page 246. Miles titled this, With Him Inside, For Him Outside. We can only effectually serve the Lord Jesus as we are enjoying fellowship with him. It's while the heart dwells upon his powerful attractions that the most acceptable service is performed in his name.

Nor is there anyone who can share the Lord Jesus with the freshness and fruitfulness to others if he be not feeding upon him. in the secret his own soul. True, he may preach a sermon, he may utter prayers, write a book, and he may go through the entire routine of outward service and yet not share him. The one who will present him to others must be occupied with the Lord Jesus for himself. Happy is the man who ministers, thus, whatever be the outward success of reception of his ministry, For should his work fail to attract attention, to command influence, or to produce apparent results, he has his blessed retreat in his unfailing portion in the Lord Jesus, of which nothing can deprive him.

Whereas the one who is merely feeding upon the fruits of his ministry, who delights in the gratification that it affords, or the attention and the interest that it, and retaining only which it produced, I'm sorry, let me repeat that, or the attention and interest which it produces is like a mere pipe conveying water to others but retaining only rust for itself. This is a most deplorable condition to be in, and yet it is the actual condition of that servant who is more occupied with his work and its results than with the Lord Jesus and His glory. This is the matter which calls for the most rigid self-judgment. The heart is deceitful and the enemy is crafty, and hence there is great need to hearken to the word of exhortation, be sober, be vigilant, It is when the soul is awakened to a sense of the varied and manifold snares which beset the servant's path that it is in any measure able to understand the need there is for being much alone with the Father. It is there in His presence that one is secure and happy. It is when we begin, continue, and end our work in our Father's presence that our service will be of the right kind. I find these words exceedingly personal to me. Today's text in review.

Now who will harm you if you become passionate for the good? But even if you suffer unto death because of righteousness, you are blessed. Also, the terror of theirs should not frighten nor intimidate you. But Lord the Christ set apart in the hearts of you.

Heavenly Father, as we close today, we recognize deeply that it is your ministry that helps us by the indwelling of you yourself in the form of your Spirit, who takes the things of Christ and shows you unto us. Thank you for that. And thank you, Lord, that your Father has made you exceedingly precious to us. revealing to us who he is, what he's doing and will do and what he wants through us to be a channel to reveal you in the way you want to be revealed. We are indeed blessed and we are indeed honored today to be in this position of trust Thank you, in Christ's name, amen. Thank you for joining us today. I trust Heavenly Father will continue to be at work in your heart in a very personal way like this. He sure has put me through many trials to be able to see His righteousness. and the benefit that only He can reveal through me to others. Thanks.