Explore the Bible: 1 Peter 4:12-19

Persecution is a very real issue for the church of Jesus Christ today. You’ve probably seen the videos of Christians being executed for their faith, or read the stories about the way Christians in some countries are being exiled from their homes and all they have. In places like that, standing for Jesus literally requires a believer to lay down his or her life for Him. As their brothers and sisters, we need to stand up for the persecuted church and the martyrs who are giving their lives for His sake.

In our culture, we face opposition, but at this point in time not at the same level. That doesn’t mean that Christians in Western society don’t face serious consequences for standing up for Christ. Some have faced lawsuits, some have lost businesses, others have been fired (or not hired) because of their beliefs. Still, most of our opposition at present comes in the form of attempts to denigrate our faith, to paint us as bigots of various stripes, or to try to shame us socially. These are uncomfortable, but certainly not risks that warrant abandoning our Lord and our faith.

Sometimes when we face opposition, we start to see everything as persecution. If anyone criticizes us, or finds our behavior or words objectionable, we think of ourselves as martyrs suffering for our Savior. When we do face opposition for the sake of Jesus, we should stand strong, but not overstate what is happening to us. But in some cases, Christians aren’t suffering because they are standing for the cause of Christ, but because they engage in genuinely objectionable behavior.

I knew a young man once who, as a new Christian, believed he was being persecuted for his faith. When I asked him about his “persecution,” he told me he was being reprimanded for sharing his faith and reading his Bible. As I probed a little deeper, I found that he was witnessing to his co-workers while he was supposed to be doing his job, and that he read his Bible not on break times, but while he was on the clock. I had to gently explain that what his company objected to wasn’t his faith, but his theft of time from the company.

Peter reminds us in this passage that when we are persecuted because we have done evil, we should not expect the Lord to reward us. We must stand up for Christ, but we must also be people of integrity. Perhaps that will bring us into conflict with what we are ordered to do on the job, and we may have to take a stand and face the consequences. Generally, however, we can be those who do our jobs, or live in our communities, with an honesty, integrity, and compassion that those who do not know Jesus can’t match.

When we do face opposition for the name of Jesus, Peter tells us we are blessed. We may not feel blessed as we stand up to the world, and suffer the consequences, but we must remember that this world is not our home. As followers of Christ, we measure what we have in light of eternity, and when our priority is to honor and serve Jesus we can stand, whatever may be thrown at us. 

Why did Jesus suffer?

[Note: This was originally posted on my blog on my home church's web site. I thought I would also post it here, even though Good Friday is past.]

Why do we observe Good Friday? When we think about the audacity of human beings to torture and kill God incarnate, our minds are unable to fathom a reason why this could happen. The suffering and death of Jesus Christ is the darkest moment in human history, yet we call this day "good."

In 1 Peter 3:14-18, we find Peter making a connection between the suffering we experience as Christians and the suffering of Jesus. We read: "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, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit."

Peter tells us that Jesus suffered for our sins. He, who was perfectly righteous, took on the sins of us, who are unrighteous, so He could bring us to God. Think about that. The way to God is a way of suffering. In order for us to be restored to God, our sins required judgment, and that judgment cam through suffering. Yet we do not have to face the judgment for our sins ourselves, because Jesus did the suffering for us.

This passage also points out the way we should react to suffering in our lives. If we are suffering because we have done wrong, we have no complaint; we get what we deserve. But if we suffer for doing what is right, we suffer in a very faint imitation of our Lord. He took on suffering that He did not deserve so we could be made right with God. We can take our suffering in stride because we know that Jesus has experienced suffering and understands what we are going through, even as He goes through it with us.

For me, the most moving service of our church year at CNCC is our Good Friday service. As we sit and listen to prophetic Scriptures and an account of the death of Christ, and as the darkness slowly envelopes the sanctuary, we are brought in a symbolic way into reflection on the terrible cost of our salvation. We are brought face to face with the agony of our Lord, even if it is only in a small measure, and reminded that the grace which gives us a salvation we did not deserve through faith in Jesus comes because He took a judgment He did not deserve on Himself.

Easter is coming shortly. We rejoice at the resurrection triumph of Christ, and often can't wait to get to the celebration of life over death and grace over sin. In our desire to celebrate, however, let's not rush past the cross and the tomb. The joy of Easter only comes because of the sorrow of Good Friday. We experience the "good" of salvation because of the "bad" of the killing of the Savior. Enter into the darkness for a while, and remind yourself of the price paid for you to be made right with your God.

Sunday Sermon: "Call Me Bitter"

The book of Ruth, set in the background of the time of the judges, tells us a marvelous story that gives us a picture of even greater realities. The beginning of the story, however, is awfully dark. The family of Elimelech goes into a voluntary exile to Moab during a famine, leaving behind their home and their place in the people of God. While there, Elimelech's sons both marry Moabite wives, something not forbidden directly by the Law but certainly not completely in line with it. Then the greater tragedy occurs: Elimelech and both of his sons die. (The names of the two sons, Mahlon ("weak") and Kilion ("pining") may give us insight into their early deaths.) Who is left? Elimelech's widow, Naomi, and the two wives of her sons, Ruth and Orpah.

Naomi decides to return to Israel, perhaps just out of desperation. While her two daughters-in-law begin the journey with her, it may have been just the politeness of the younger for the elder. Naomi urges them to leave her, since there really is no future hope for them with her. Orpah follows Naomi's advice and returns to her home, but Ruth refuses to leave. She has decided to remain with Naomi, not only out of family loyalty but also because she has chosen to adopt Naomi's GOd as her own.

Ruth is the central character of the story, and we often focus on her choices when we look at this passage. I think we miss a big point, however, when we skip over Naomi's reactions  When we examine her situation, we see a woman who is older, with no husband, no place of her own, no financial support, and an extra mouth to feed in her foreign daughter-in-law.

How does she react? She acknowledges that it is the Lord who is in control, and accepts that what has happened to her is from Him. Her faith is shaken because of that, and she is in despair. She actually asks that her name be changed, from Naomi {"pleasant"} to Mara {"bitter"}. Her life has become bitter, and her spirit is bitter.

At the end of chapter 1, everything looks bleak for her and for Ruth. Since we tend to rush right into chapter 2, we see what's going to happen and how the Lord will provide, but I think it's important to see where Naomi is at this point. In our own lives, we often find ourselves in situations where we see the Lord moving in ways that make no sense to us, and that leave us at least close to despair. We wonder where God is, and why He isn't doing anything to help us. Yet we may only be at the end of "chapter 1" in our situation.

What does that mean for us? Before we fall into despair, and give up on God, we need to recognize that one moment in our lives does not tell our whole story. The Lord may be working out something that is greater than we expect, but we need to be prepared for it. I believe that we more often arow and move forward in our spiritual lives through our trial than through our blessings. We may need to be dislodged from things in which we have placed our faith, and learn to rely on the Lord.

So if you are experiencing challenges in your life, don't despair. You may just be at the end of chapter 1. The Lord is in control, and He knows what He has in store for you and will move you to that place in His time.

The best-laid plans...

It's amazing sometimes the way life derails even our best-laid plans. Thus, no blog posts for the past three weeks. Sure, it sounds like an excuse; after all, everyone's busy with the stuff of life. And, in fact, it probably is just an excuse. However, it gives me a chance for some theological ruminations.

We all live out our lives here on earth under the providence of God. For some, this provides the comforting thought that no matter what happens, God is there with us through it all. For others, it provides a level of frustration, since they expect that God's presence should keep all the problems away from us. For many, the providence of God is an uncomfortable or even unwelcome thought. They want to be in control, and if there is a God is means that He has some claim on their lives.

Maybe for most of us all three of these are true at various times in our lives. For instance, we have the innate desire to be in control of what happens to us, to be the captain of our own fate. Further reflection will remind us that this is obviously not true. That's not a fallacious "obviously" that attempts to evade the question; if you think about your life, how much of it happened without your approval? Your physical makeup, your family, where you were born and grew up, the talents you have, many of the circumstances of life- all of these happen without any input on our part. No matter how hard we try or how much we work at it, we can't control much of our lives.

The thought that if God is for us nothing bad should happen to us  is the focus of a lot of teaching these days. (It was also the focus of a lot of teaching throughout history, but we tend to forget that.) By reading certain Biblical passages in a certain way, and taking a few verses out of context, and tying that together with the truth that God does care for us, we think that as long as we're trying to please God we should avoid the bad things that happen in this world. Yet the Bible never promises us that we will avoid problems if we're faithful to God. In fact, it promises just the opposite! (Read Mark 10:30 and James 1:2-4, in context please.)

Ultimately the promise of the presence of God in our lives provides comfort not because it ensures we won't face trials, but because it promises that He goes with us through the trials. One of the salient points of Easter is that Jesus went through suffering on our behalf, so when we suffer we don't go to a God who doesn't understand what we're facing, but One who experienced it all for us. In the end, our peace and comfort come from knowing our loving Father carries us through all the trials of life, so that whatever happens we are not separated from Him.

Or, maybe, I should say that in the end, the trials of life will bring us to the glories of a perfect life, the kind of life we desire and were made for. Life only lasts so long. Unless Jesus comes back first, we're all going to die. (There's an encouraging word for the day!) But, through the suffering and death of Jesus and the promise of His resurrection, we can be restored to life the way God meant it to be. We've wrecked our lives and our world through sin; Jesus broke the power of sin so the life we want to live can be ours through Him. So I'm not complaining (at least, I'm trying not to). I just want to lean on the comfort of the presence of God through my life, until I have the life He promises in Christ.

Sunday sermon: "When Opposition Arises"

Many teachers have become popular by proclaiming that God wants every Christian to have success in life, with good health, material prosperity, and no conflict. That kind of teaching appeals to our fallen human nature with its self-centeredness, but it isn't consistent with what the Bible teaches. Jesus never promised us a life without opposition; in fact, He promises exactly the opposite. So how do we handle the inevitable opposition we will face in this life?

Nehemiah and the Israelites faced opposition in their task of building the wall of Jerusalem. What began with the provision of God and the enthusiasm of the people was seen by their enemies as a cause for fury. We read about the escalating opposition in chapter 4. The enemies of the Jews began by mocking them and their work. They essentially said the Israelites were wasting their time, that their work would prove to be worthless. Nehemiah handled this opposition by praying that the Lord would hear and deal with the insults, then the people simply ignored what their enemies said and kept on working.

This led their opponents to a stronger response. They met together and plotted to disrupt the work. This was more serious, and led to Nehemiah posting guards to watch for signs of trouble. The people would not be stopped from focusing on the work God had given them.

Israel's enemies then stepped up their opposition once again. Word came back to Nehemiah that the Jews would be under attack from their enemies. Their lives were in danger. This was a real threat, and required a serious response. So Nehemiah and the leaders of Israel took measures to watch for danger, planned for the protection of the people, and then kept right on working. While the need to guard against threats may have slowed the work somewhat, the response of the leaders and the people was to work even harder to finish the walls.

In our lives today we will face opposition. It may be simple mockery, belittling our faith and wondering how we could imagine such a thing to be true in our modern times. It may be distraction, seeking to divert our attention from what is important to what those around us consider important, in the process shuffling our faith off to one side. It may be actual threats against us, not necessarily against our lives but against our careers, our families, or our relationships. The world is not aligned with Jesus, and those who follow the ways of the world will seek to detach us from our connection with Him.

How do we handle this? The same way Nehemiah and the Israelites did. We first pray, seeking God's guidance and protection. Then we guard ourselves against whatever might challenge us, preparing to face the challenges in the strength of the God who has the power to guide us through our trials. Finally, we keep doing what He has called us to do, even as we prepare ourselves for whatever may come against us.

Jesus told us we would have tribulation in this world, but that He has overcome the world. (John 16:33) We do not have a Savior who is free from suffering Himself, but one who has suffered and died on our behalf. We can trust Him not only because of His power, but because He understands the tribulations of human life. As we rely on Him, we can stand against our opposition, and remain faithful even in times of trouble.