August 25 Daily Discovery - Read 1 Peter Chapter 4

This passage below is from the King James Version (ekjv.org).  

Remarks from the Berean Fellowship follow the passage below.

[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.
[3] For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
[4] Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
[5] Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
[6] For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
[7] But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
[8] And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
[9] Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
[10] As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
[11] If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
[12] Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
[13] But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
[14] If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
[15] But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
[16] Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
[17] For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
[18] And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
[19] Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Suffering in the Flesh

In this world that is out of step with God the Creator we are going to suffer for being godly. We will also experience suffering simply for being human. It's a part of our lot in life. We are grateful to God that there is a future that is awaiting us that will be free from suffering!

The ancient people of God (the Hebrews or Israel) persecuted those that represented God to them. The suffering was not from outsiders but from besiders. You are likely to find the same thing to be true today. I have heard it said that the Church of Jesus Christ suffers far more from termites within than it does from woodpeckers without.

Suffering for being Human

Job 5:1-7

[1] Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?
[2] For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
[3] I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
[4] His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.
[5] Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.
[6] Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;
[7] Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

If the fire is living, then the sparks are flying! When the fire is put out the sparks will stop. I can think of a couple of more analogies that we can take from the poetry here: the sparks will be numerous and frequent, but they will also be short-lived! If you ever watched a campfire and were looking at the sparks flying up from the fire, you saw them disappear within just a few seconds, normally. Even if we still lived hundreds of years as our forebears as recorded in the Book of Genesis, the time that we live on earth in these bodies is short,-- very short compared to the eternity that is before us in a new body with no trouble!

Suffering for being Holy

Acts 7:51-52

[51] Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
[52] Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

In Stephen's sermon is recorded in this passage, he reminds the Hebrew people that they persecuted at all of their prophets. Now the one Great Prophet, Jesus Christ, The Most Holy in human flesh, they have killed. He did nothing wrong. All he did was love people, help people, heal people ... and present the truth.  He lived the truth. He was the truth. He is the truth.

Jesus Suffered in our Place

1 Pet. 3:13-18

[13] 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:
[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.
[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:

1 Pet. 2:21-25

[21] For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
[22] Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
[23] Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
[24] Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
[25] For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Heb. 5:7-9

[7] Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
[8] Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
[9] And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Our Lord Jesus did not have to suffer, He chose to suffer because of His great love for us in order to redeem us to God! Hallelujah forever to Jesus Christ, Our Savior Lord and King!

Suffering for Right

[14] If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

John 15:16-21

[16] Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
[17] These things I command you, that ye love one another.
[18] If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
[19] If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
[20] Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
[21] But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

Matt. 5:10-12

[10] Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[11] Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
[12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Suffering for Wrong

[15] But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

You will probably never get away with being holy and being persecuted for it. You might break the law and not get caught, however. You might say something to someone that should result in you getting your teeth knocked out, and they may have better control of their temper than you have of your mouth. However, we will all stand before the Judgment seat of Christ and give an account for everything we have done while in our bodies, whether good or bad.

The ultimate truth is nobody ever gets away with anything. Jesus had to pay for our sins that are past, so we didn't get away with them; we had them paid for by Someone else.

2 Cor. 5:8-10

[8] We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
[9] Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
[10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

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