1 Peter 3:13-22 - Suffering to Glory, Looking Above

1 Peter 3:13-22

Suffering for Right and Wrong

13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Christ’s Suffering and Ours

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

Just as Jesus the Christ suffered to glory as we read in Psalm 22 and the gospel accounts, so we also suffer for His name and the sake of the gospel (2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 4:19) as we follow our Lord and proclaim Him in word and deed (Romans 15:18, Colossians 3:17, 1 John 3:18).  If we follow what is good in God’s eyes instead of those of the world and suffer persecution for doing what is right, we can find blessings in that righteous response to the evil in the world set against Christ and we who are in Him.  Why then be afraid (Psalm 118:6, Hebrews 13:5-6) or troubled (disturbed or perplexed) when threatened?  If we set aside the Lord in our hearts as we look to things above then we will take advantage of every situation, even the unpleasant ones, to proclaim Christ in a defense that is the answer of the good news of the divine person and atoning work of Jesus to our persecutors to their sin and its penalty coming on the day of judgment.  He is our only and complete hope of eternal life in God’s presence forevermore (Psalm 16:11) and so in godly meekness humility at our undeserved salvation we should be clear in our conscience by giving the reason of that hope in Christ to all who ask.  If we are then defamed for presenting the truth to them, we can rest with a clear conscience that we have born witness of the truth to them to take to God or to reject and suffer the consequences.  Then those who treat us badly will have the opportunity to be ashamed at treating the messengers of good news in such a way, either here or in eternity.  Above all, this truth is worth emphasizing, “it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”  We consider the suffering of Christ on our behalf to reckon Himself as the receiver of our punishment to death for our sin as one who is completely just and righteous because He is God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14, 10:30) and how He unjustly suffered that we do not suffer eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46, 1 John 4:18).  Then we consider how He raised Himself to life from the grave as proof of our own bodily resurrection to come as promised and count our own suffering here as little compared to the glory (Romans 8:18) to come!  His gospel was known, though veiled, in the Old Testament days and yet some believed and were saved from destruction by this same gospel of the Messiah-Christ that we are.  We then are baptized into Christ with the same hope of this resurrection to life to stand before the throne of God in the New Jerusalem to come down to earth that we may worship and enjoy Him forever!  We suffer now to the glory to come as we set our eyes looking above where our Lord rules in heaven over everything and everyone.  Amen.