Shortly before the outbreak of persecution under Nero, the apostle Peter penned a letter to the faithful in Christ Jesus throughout Asia Minor. His words of encouragement to remain faithful despite the tauntings from the adversary was exactly what was needed. I want to begin this study on suffering in chapter 3 verse 13.
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And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14. But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:Peter's words are difficult to find in the 21st century where everywhere you look people are so quick to defend and fight back when being asked to suffer for righteousness sake. Many of the senseless shootings we hear about in the news could have been possibly averted if the perpetrator was willing to suffer and not push for his/her desires so strongly that they would take another persons life just to have their way. Peter says to rather set aside the Lord in our heart, and rather be ready to answer the adversary with a word from the Lord.
16. Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.As in everything the Lord does is good, so it is with suffering for doing good. The reason for the adversary feeling ashamed is because the accusations they hurl at the believer are false. The conscience is where both the good and evil reside. Good conversation produces a clear conscience because the will of God is being done, evil conversation because what's being said are lies.
18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;Peter now proceeds to give three illustrations of suffering and the how God was able to deliver them through the suffering. Not from the suffering but through the suffering. The first illustration is Jesus of course. He suffered on the cross in the flesh, the just for the unjust. But God but God delivered Him through it by bringing Him back to life by the Spirit.
20. Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.The second illustration of suffering and being delivered is Noah, He suffered 120 years preaching to people who were determined to do evil continuously. Eight souls were delivered through the suffering.
21. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:22. Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.The third and last illustration is that of a believers in Christ. this is meant to give comfort to them to whom he's writing to who are suffering. He says that the water baptism that they received delivered them. The parenthetical statement clarifies the washing of water to cleanse the flesh with the water that is able to cleanse the conscience.
4:1. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2. That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.Peter concludes this section on suffering with words of encouragement to a people who are in need of it because of the persecution threatening them. He reminds them who they should be following. In that Christ died in the flesh on the cross, believers in Christ have crucified the flesh in baptism. The old man of sin has been buried in the water and the new man that arose should live the rest of his time in the flesh not to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
Consider what I say.....
