Life can be tough. We need a resilient faith.
How would you describe your faith? Does it come easy to you, or are you like many who struggle with trust. When difficulties knock on our door, our faith is tested, and for some of us, it's even shaken. How can we maintain a faith in God that is resilient, a faith that – no matter what happens – withstands the ups and downs of life?
The Book of 1 Peter is a short letter that shows us what resilient faith looks like. Mark Twain once said, “Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.” Our study will show, however, that Twain’s idea of faith “just ain’t so.” In fact, a resilient faith grounded in Christ is quite the opposite. By having a resilient faith we will discover 4 important truths.
A resilient faith:
- Provides an actual foundation for a sure hope for mankind
- Frees you to do what is good and right
- Helps you find joy in a world of pain and suffering
- Is yours because of the sure resurrection of Jesus Christ
Because of Jesus, a strong faith – a resilient faith – can be ours. We can stand strong regardless of what comes at us.
Our third lesson in this series is an:
Trust God in every circumstance.
We love our rights and we want to exercise those rights. But do our rights ever become secondary? And what do we do when those rights are trampled on? Submission is not a popular word in a culture focused on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – yet that is the life a Christian is called to live. And when those rights are trampled on because we are followers of Jesus, our submissive attitude becomes all the more important.
1 Peter 2:13-23
Peter urged the first-century Christians, facing the hardship of persecution and discrimination for their faith, to concentrate on doing good and not evil. He pointed out that this required submitting to and honoring earthly authorities, even those who practice cruelty toward them. Peter held up Jesus as their example, who Himself endured undeserved persecution by entrusting Himself to God, who judges justly.
What are your best tips for enduring a long road trip?
You may never run the Ironman, but you've gone through your own tests of endurance. And you've got more tests coming.
As followers of Christ, different situations can test our endurance when it comes to trusting God. Maybe we can trust Him during the first few days after a traumatic experience, such as losing a job. But what if those stressful days stretch out to weeks or months - even a year? It's harder to endure in our trust when we can't see the finish line.
In this lesson, we'll explore Peter's encouragement to put our trust in God - even through hardship - because He is worthy to be trusted. The apostle gave us a reason to endure and continue to do what is right: because God is good.
In this lesson, we'll explore Peter's encouragement to put our trust in God - even through hardship - because He is worthy to be trusted. The apostle gave us a reason to endure and continue to do what is right: because God is good.
Remember the point of this week’s lesson is that we should trust God in every circumstance.
I. DO WHAT IS GOOD AND RIGHT BECAUSE YOU SERVE GOD – 1 PETER 2:13-17
13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 As God’s slaves, live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the Emperor.
How do we demonstrate our freedom in Christ? One way is to honor those in authority over us - including governing authority.
This seems like an odd command, given that Peter was writing to persecuted Christians. Why should these people give honor to a government that violated their freedom of religion? The answer is that showing honor proved they were truly free in Christ - they were free not to sin against others. They didn't need to agree with the governing authorities' views or actions. Yet, in their own freedom from the slavery of sin, the early Christians were not enslaved to hateful attitudes, words, or actions toward those authorities with whom they disagree.
This is a picture of true tolerance.
Christians are not supposed to use their freedom in Christ to tear others down - not even in elections. If we truly trust God to care for our needs, even an unwise ruler cannot harm us in the ultimate sense. So, while citizens of the United States have the freedom to speak their minds, citizens of heaven have the freedom to do good and must avoid the slanderous tongue of the evil one. Wise servants of God are those who trust Him as their protector of freedom, and they will not return to the slavery of fear. We are to continue to do what is right and good as members of God's family.
In our desire to control our reputations and social status, we might be tempted to attack those who insult us. But Peter stated that the way to silence ignorant people is by doing good.
How do we submit to and honor leaders we disagree with?
We express faith in such circumstances by continuing to act uprightly. Furthermore, our upright actions are grounded in these confidences:
- Confidence that God will bring truth to light.
- Confidence that, even if God permits falsehoods to be spoken about us, nothing will change the truth that there is no condemnation in Christ as we belong to Him forever.
Complete the activity “Authority Issues”
Final Thoughts:
1. Christians have a responsibility to be model citizens.
2. Those who give themselves over to serving God are set free to do what is good and right.
3. Good and right living can be an effective way to silence critics.
4. Freedom is not a license to sin but an opportunity to live in a good and right relationship with others.
Commentary: Peter wrote to Christians in regard to their relation to civic law. (Other New Testament passages on this theme are: Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:1-7; and Titus 3:1-8.) The human authority, that is, any authority set-up among people, ideally seeks the highest good for all people – protection, fairness, justice, and peace. In order for that to happen, the citizens must obey the laws and respect those who enforce them. The term human authority would not refer to each individual law but to the institutions that make and enforce the laws, therefore making it possible to submit to the institutions and still disobey the laws, if those laws infringe on God’s law or breach God’s will. Human authority covers any and all authority figures in one’s life. The reason to obey the governing authorities is because of the Lord. Because of believers’ reverence for and submission to Jesus, they are to obey the human institutions.
Peter next explained why believers should submit. Obeying is a matter of God’s will or God’s desire. Acting in God’s will as God’s people, believers make a bold statement to an unbelieving community. By submitting to the civil authorities, believers demonstrate they are good citizens, not anarchists trying to overthrow the government. In addition, such good works silence the ignorance of foolish people. The word silence means muzzle, as one might do to control a howling dog.
Peter presented one of the many paradoxes of the Christian life: as God’s slaves, live as free people. Believers have entered into a binding relationship with God. He is Master, Lord, Sovereign. Believers are His slaves, His servants. As slaves, believers do not have freedom without limitations. Biblical freedom is not permission to sin but the opportunity and desire to do what is good. Freedom exists only under God’s authority. Here’s the paradox: only those who are slaves to God will ever know what genuine freedom is; only they can genuinely be free. Believers’ liberty comes by the freedom to do what is right. Therefore, believers obey civil laws and government as God’s servants.
Peter issued four commands:
1. Honor everyone – showing courtesy and respect to all people. That is, believers don’t abuse other people or treat them as objects. They treat people with the same respect they would the Emperor.
2. Love the brotherhood – displaying value and worth toward fellow believers. Peter returned to a constant theme: love the fellow members of the Christian family, seeking their highest good.
3. Fear God – reverently awing God. Believers are to respect and honor earthly authorities, but they aren’t to fear them. Fear is only directed toward God because only He grants life and takes life.
4. Honor the Emperor – showing respect for government leaders as the ones responsible for civil law and order. In each of Peter’s commands in verse 17, the tense calls for ongoing action on the part of believers, a constant display of these attitudes: keep on honoring, loving, fearing, and showing respect.
II. ENDURE ANY HARDSHIP RESULTING FROM FAITHFULNESS TO GOD – 1 PETER 2:18-20
18 Household slaves, submit with all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel. 19 For it brings favor if, mindful of God’s will, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God.
How can we understand and apply God’s command to submit in these verses?
We sometimes bring suffering on ourselves through our own thoughts and actions. Other times our suffering comes from the unjust hands of others. Consider Peter's example of slaves. He encouraged them them to trust the Lord not just in their daily circumstances, but even under the ruthless rule of cruel masters.
How is it possible to persevere under such hardship? Peter wrote that we can endure when we remain "mindful of God's will."
- It's not God's will that there be any evil done under the sun.
- God is the righteous Judge, and no act of injustice will go unnoticed by the Lord of heaven.
- God is faithful to judge both the righteous and unrighteous.
Remember, God knows firsthand about injustice and persecution. Jesus was cursed, spat on, beaten, and put to death to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus then defeated death by rising from the grave, demonstrating that we can have hope through faith in Him.
God punishes evil, but He also provides hope for us. He doesn't leave us to face the dire consequences of our sin.
Furthermore, there is hope even in the midst of injustice. God honors the one who has suffered. God doesn't forget His people, nor does He allow evil to ultimately go unanswered. Because we trust in God and know His nature, we are called to act as those who truly believe God is the real Lord and Savior of the universe.
When have you endured persecution or hostility because of your faith?
"Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time."
- Oswald Chambers
Final Thoughts:
1. Believers have a responsibility to discharge their work faithfully, whether the environment is favorable or unfavorable.
2. As Christ followers, our disposition toward life situations should be shaped by the convictions we have about God and from God.
3. Acceptance of mistreatment may be perceived by some as weakness; but God will place His favor on the one who endures because of his or her commitment to the Lord.
Commentary: Peter transitioned from speaking about governmental authorities to addressing household slaves. In other words, he moved from providing instruction for civic responsibilities to household responsibilities. His instruction was prompted because some slaves had converted to Christianity. Apparently they believed that the freedom they received in the spiritual realm at their conversion ought to apply to the personal and political realms as well. Slavery was rampant in the Roman Empire, and it was a social institution in Peter’s day. Early believers did not seek to abolish this system, nor did they commend slavery as an institution – but they did recognize godly principles of freedom that would eventually set into motion the abolishment of this practice with the understanding that no person can be owned by another. The slaves were to submit to their masters. Just as citizens are to submit to the government, so slaves were to submit to their masters. They were to submit with all fear. This attitude is more one of respectful submission. Slaves were to submit to their masters out of their fear for God. While this is easier and makes sense when the master is good and gentle, Peter admonished slaves to display this same attitude toward the cruel or crooked, perverse, harsh, or overbearing master as well.
While slavery has largely been abolished in western civilization, Peter’s instructions have application to employment today simply by changing household slaves to employees and masters to employers. The verse would read: “Employees, submit yourselves to your employer with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel.”
Such action brings favor or has God’s approval. It pleases God. It follows Christ’s example, who endured mistreatment even when He had done no wrong. Such a person is mindful of God’s will or “aware of God.” The word grief covers the abuse, beating, and torture which masters inflicted on their slaves. Slaves can endure grief from suffering unjustly because of their deep commitment to Jesus Christ and because the ultimate purpose of their work is to please God, to “glorify God on the day of visitation” (v. 12). Suffering often comes with being a believer. A test of integrity is how believers respond to suffering. Nothing reveals one’s character quicker than problems and pain.
Peter asked a rhetorical question: For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? Credit, parallel with favor, points to the fact that enduring unjust suffering in a way that honors God will result in His people inheriting a reward from Him. Favor can also mean that a believer’s patient perseverance in the face of unjust suffering demonstrates God’s grace at work. While there is no virtue in acceptance of deserved punishment, the one who patiently accepts mistreatment when he has acted rightly has God’s favor, His approval. This behavior not only brings God glory, it has the potential of witnessing to the masters and to others.
III. TRUST GOD IN EVERY SITUATION, EVEN AS JESUS DID – 1 PETER 2:21-23
21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps. 22 He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth; 23 when He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He was suffering, He did not threaten but entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly.
We can endure hardship without sinning, and our example is Jesus. Peter quoted from Isaiah 53, the prophetic "suffering servant" passage that points to the Messiah. Peter referred to this passage because he wanted to see that even in the most unjust suffering, Jesus did not sin.
Consequently, when we suffer, we are not to sin.
Someone might say, "Jesus didn't sin because He is God. But I'm only human!" Yes, Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully human. He chose obedience, and so can we. God knows we will not be perfect in our reaction to unjust suffering, as Jesus was, but Christ's response is our goal and our target. His goodness makes it possible for us to do good, even in the face of great darkness and pain.
So what was Christ's example? Jesus Christ exemplified perfect trust in the only One who judges justly. Whether you're dealing with a routine situation, your worst suffering ever, or something in between, God can be trusted because He is good. In fact, it's the hope of God's goodness to us that sustains a forward-moving attitude. It's the reason we can endure - because we really do find something better in God.
Ultimately, God will put and end to all suffering and injustice. He has already shown us that He will do so by defeating death and eliminating the major consequence of sin. God raised Jesus from the dead not only to defeat death, but also to restore all that is good. And when we stand with Christ in His goodness, we will stand forever.
What are your best tips for enduring our culture's hostility against Christians?
Final Thoughts:
1. Believers look to Jesus Christ as the example of how to respond to suffering with patient endurance.
2. Christ suffered and died on our behalf, though He Himself was innocent.
3. Believers are not to respond with a vengeful spirit against their opponents, but trust God to do what is right and just on their behalf.
Commentary: Peter wanted to encourage the slaves, and all people, to trust God in every situation, just as Jesus did when He suffered unjustly. The word to this refers to the times the believers had experienced suffering for doing what was right. The word called pertains to the call God placed on believers’ lives, wooing them to faith, and resulting in their salvation. This lifestyle is not optional; it is expected of believers. Jesus is our example. Christ also suffered for you, as believers now suffer for Him. His suffering is the example. The word example means a writing pattern. More specifically, it refers to children learning to properly write the letters of the alphabet by tracing over correctly formed patterns of the letters. Great power exists in example. Jesus’ suffering provides the example and the help so that believers will follow in His steps. Jesus’ suffering was due to His submission to His Master.
Jesus fulfilled Peter’s admonition to “do what is good,” even in the face of suffering unjustly. He did not commit sin, alluding to Isaiah 53:9. Peter referenced Isaiah 53 several times in the final verses of chapter 2. Peter showed that Jesus provided the ultimate example. Jesus, the servant, committed to His Master, did not sin despite intense and agonizing suffering. He was and is the ultimate suffering servant. The slaves’ identification with Jesus gives dignity to their suffering. This statement – He did not commit sin – also underscores Jesus’ sinless nature and His substitutionary death for sinners. No deceit was found in His mouth. Slaves often would have been tempted to deceit (dishonesty, treachery, deception). Jesus was innocent. No fault could be found in Him during His life or at His death.
Jesus’ sinlessness was not easily attained. Reflecting on Isaiah 53:7, He was reviled or insulted. The word conveys a sense of abuse. But He did not reciprocate. He suffered. Because of the hatred from the “human institutions” – the religious and civic authorities – Jesus was brutally beaten, scourged, and sentenced to die an agonizing death on the cross. He suffered as none of us can imagine. But He did not threaten His accusers, those responsible for His suffering. Jesus suffered in silence. He did not retaliate. He did not seek revenge. His humility and submission were evidence of His power, not weakness. What gave Jesus the strength to refrain from threatening and abusing those who mistreated Him? He entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly. Entrusted expresses a Greek verb tense that communicates ongoing activity. The trust Jesus displayed in the Father during the events surrounding His death and resurrection first distinguished His life and ministry. On the cross, Jesus emphatically declared this commitment: “Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit” (Luke 23:46). Jesus handed the events, the people, and the process over to God. He entrusted the fate of His enemies to God. He knew that God judges justly, vindicating Him and punishing His enemies if they refused to repent. God puts everything right in the end. Jesus trusted God in every situation, even when He died. He provides a fitting and proper example for all believers to follow.
Conclusion:
Peter did not give a new teaching in this portion of his message. The call he had heard himself from Jesus by the shore of Galilee many years earlier was a call to a new way of life, though not necessarily a popular or easy one. It would be a life filled with demands and challenges, but it was also a life filled with hope and promise. Jesus called out to Peter to follow Him so that he might “become” more than he was at the moment. That is the essence of Peter’s message to the believers of Asia Minor. As they faced the challenge and struggle with the suffering of being a people of faith, they could be sustained by the hope and promise that the Lord would provide and make them able to live as victors in the face of what others might perceive as defeat. Therefore, Peter told them to trust Him.
Some other questions:
What are some practical ways you could become a more effective Christian citizen, committed to doing what is good and right?
What encourages you to endure patiently a situation at home, work, or even at church, where you deal with mistreatment, pressure, or even some other hardship because of a stand of faith you have taken?
Live it Out
What steps can you take to trust God in every circumstance?
1. Get educated. Research your local and regional politicians as preparation for engaging your governing authorities in a way that honors Christ.
2. Choose freedom. To be a Christian is to be set free in Christ. Choose to exercise that freedom by not retaliating when someone wrongs you this week.
3. Care for the persecuted church. Connect with a ministry that serves as an advocate for churches and individuals undergoing persecution. Support that ministry through prayer; consider giving financially, as well.
Never lose sight of the goodness of God. Even in the midst of difficult situations, choose to bring honor and glory to Him before the world by enduring with Him in complete trust.
Prayer of Commitment
Lord, You are sufficient for every circumstance, so increase my faith that I may trust You, no matter what befalls me. Amen
Lord, You are sufficient for every circumstance, so increase my faith that I may trust You, no matter what befalls me. Amen
Many thanks to Larand Spencer for stepping in to teach this week!
In His Love,
David & Susan
