A Suffering People

November 15, 2009

Background Scripture: 1 Peter 4
Lesson Passage: 1 Peter 4:12 – 19

I don’t know of anyone or any particular group that goes through life without suffering occasionally. Even the wealthy that are so often envied as though they are problem free have their share of problems. We live in a fallen world that is under constant demonic attack and influence. It is this wrestle with spiritual wickedness that tends to bring suffering to many. Some are directly involved and others are just part of the collateral damage in this spiritual warfare. We learn much about human suffering from studying the book of Job. Although Job and his friends viewed Job’s suffering much like many view human suffering today, we see in the scriptures that there was another reality occurring at the same time in the spiritual realm. The forces of evil were roaming the earth seeking to wreak havoc against humanity. The good news in all of it is that those who belong to God are protected by God and only suffer what God allows. The mystery was that Job was an upright or good person who hated and avoided evil but yet he was attacked and made to suffer by Satan. In other words, Job’s suffering was in spite of his righteous living. Again, the good news is that he only suffered what God allowed and afterwards God restored what Job loss.

Today’s lesson brings us again to the discussion of the suffering of the righteous. Peter reminds the reader that Christians are stewards of God’s grace. Non-Christians are introduced to the grace of God through the preaching of the gospel by Christians. Part of our stewardship responsibility is to work to bring the grace of God to those who are lost. This must first begin with how we treat each other. We are admonished to be hospitable and loving with the right attitude towards each other. If we can’t treat other Christians with love what hope is there for the lost? Everything that we do should be to God’s glory. Our service, or ministry, and speaking should all be to God’s glory through our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s really not about us. In the midst of our service, we will sometimes be confronted with trials and suffering. Being on the Lord’s team does not exempt us from suffering; rather, it moves us to the front of the line or to the top of Satan’s wish list. Trials are a part of Christianity. We suffer because Christ suffered as our substitute and as our example. On the other hand, we should be sure that our suffering is because of Christ in us not because of ungodly behavior on our part which will also bring suffering as well as chastisement. There is still a mystery in it all that has not yet been made clear to us: God is glorified through Christian suffering. How our suffering for Christ’s sake brings glory to God is not altogether clear. Comparatively speaking, however, Christian suffering is to be preferred above any other kind of suffering. Christian suffering is a joy when compared with the suffering that the lost will endure. The lost will suffer without mercy. There is no one to limit satanic attacks against the lost. But throughout Christian suffering, we should be reminded that it is God who keeps our souls and therefore we are assured that suffering in this life is temporary but our salvation is eternal.

Robert C. Hudson
November 9, 2009