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1 Peter 1:6-9

We’ve just begun this series on 1 & 2 Peter called Stand Firm. And the first day we talked about a living hope – how because Jesus was resurrected from the dead, we can be to and that gives us hope for our future. But also that hope can be a suffering hope – a hope that brings joy into present circumstances even when suffering is involved and we can hold on to the joy of our salvation and that will give us hope.

And today I want to talk about suffering in general, so let’s read our passage together and then take a few moments to talk about this idea that Christians probably will suffer and what Peter means by that.

1 Peter 1:6-9 (NIV) In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

So what does Peter mean when he notes “…all kinds of trials.” There’s different kinds of suffering? Well yes there is.

Think about this that in Peter’s time suffering could mean physical suffering like pain from an injury or sickness. There could also be suffering brought on you from other people such as the suffering Israel experienced during the exile or under Roman rule. Even now days, we know people can suffer emotionally and intellectually from things. You don’t have to be physically affected by traumatic situations to suffer you can witness or hear descriptions of or see pictures of traumatic incidents and experience perceived trauma. Even an extended crisis, like we are in now can have a similar effect on your brain.

But what is Peter talking about here? Peter is talking about suffering for having faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Peter speaks less about the how or why we suffer and mostly to how we are to react to suffering.

“Suffering is not inevitable for believers (1:6), and yet every Christian must be ready to face it (1:7; 4:1). Thus, the concern of the letter is not if believers will face suffering but how they should react to it. Christ is used as the supreme example. Like Christ, believers are to react to suffering in three ways. First, they should not respond with hate or retaliation (2:21-24; 3:9). Second, they are to meet suffering with a spirit of submission (2:13-3:6; 5:6). And third, they are to persist in doing good (1:15; 2:12-15, 20,24; 3:6, 11, 13, 17; 4:2, 17, 19).”

As we progress on in this study we will go deeper into these other references within 1 & 2 Peter regarding suffering. Suffice to say that Daniel Powers has an interesting point in that Peter really does not deal with how we suffer or when or if we will suffer, but how we will respond to suffering. In his world and in this world that is a concern to Peter, and should be a concern to us. Are we following Christ’s example when we suffer?