3 key insights for true spiritual life that help us seize the opportunities that unjust suffering provides
I. Understand the Nature of True Spiritual Life (vv. 13-17)
A. Doing good - ...if you prove zealous for what is good…But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed…those who revile your good behavior in Christ…that you suffer for doing what is right…
B. A lack of fear – "Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? …And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled.”
C. Courage to speak with kindness – “…always being ready to make a defense to everyone…yet with gentleness and reverence.”
II. Look to the Example of True Spiritual Life – Christ (v. 18-20)
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.
Restatement: Believers who are facing unjust suffering, are to look to the example of Christ who amidst unjust suffering died in the flesh (his body) to the world of the flesh (the world’s value system) and was raised to new life (and new value system). So also, you are to die to your natural responses during unjust suffering to bring forth true, supernatural, spiritual life.
Romans 6:6-8 - …knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin (flesh in Peter’s terms?) might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.
A. “Put to death in the flesh” – Christ’s physical suffering in the flesh carries the theological significance of dying to the world of the flesh – its fleshly lusts which animate sin.
B. An additional past example of the judgement of the “world of the flesh” – Noah’s flood (v. 19-20a)
1 Peter 3:19-20 - …in which (or better: or considering this work of Christ) also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.
The point: Peter uses the greatest past example of universal judgement of “the flesh” – the flood. During that time Christ’s Spirit was preaching through Noah to repent. Yet, the world of the flesh did not repent and it was universally judged. Now, Christ’s death on the cross “in the flesh” is the ultimate and true judgement upon “the world of the flesh.”
C. “Made alive in the spirit” – Christ’s physical resurrection carries the theological significance of NEW LIFE after the judgement of death/suffering in the flesh.
D. Exalted above all opposition (v. 22) – "who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.”
III. Embrace the Means to True Spiritual Life – Salvation Through Judgement/Suffering
“…you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. (1:8-9) …you are blessed when you suffer for righteousness (3:14)…but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing (4:13)… For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God …And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved… (4:17-18)”
A. Noah had to go through the judgement/suffering to experience a new creation (v. 20b, 21)
B. Believers, likewise, must go through the waters of judgement/suffering – “Baptism” symbolizes precisely that believers must be immersed through suffering in the death to the flesh for new life
“The very waters that would have crushed you will save you. It will lift you up. The glory and distinctiveness of the Christian life is not that we escape troubles and escape the floods, we have something within us that uses those things to make us into something great.” (Tim Keller)
“…our suffering does not destroy us, but purifies us. The fire of God’s judgment that we endure is not the fire of wrath that will consume the unbelieving. It is the purging fire of his discipline. God will destroy all sin from his new creation; he has begun that work in us. The trials that we experience show us that God is already beginning his great work of renewal...Suffering, then, is not a threat, but a promise. The pattern of Christ’s life is the pattern of our lives, too.” (Edmund P. Clowney, The Message of 1 Peter, 190–191)
C. God’s children must set “Christ as the Lord of our Heart” (v. 15) going through the judgment/suffering of unjust suffering unto the new life.
An undercurrent of human society in ancient history and even today is a tendency to violence when unjust government authority exercises its strong arm.
In the United States we have seen this recently regarding the January 6th incident.
In the aftermath of the George Floyd killing, riots took place across the country as well.
In the time of Jesus Christ, a great empire existed that governed the known world—the Roman empire.
The power of the Roman Empire brought a level of forced peace to the world which fostered ease of travel and commerce.
However, “forced peace” of an Empire often meant force ideology on the inhabitants of the Roman empire.
Before, during, and after the time of Jesus Christ, a certain population of the Jewish culture—primarily the elite, priestly-class leadership— the Sadducees— had certainly achieved a level of “peace” or “compromise” with the Roman Empire.
However, portions of the Jewish populace believing that the elite ruling class had comprised religiously formed sects.
Some of these sects were actively resistant and some were striving to peacefully maintain the purity of inherited Jewish traditions.
The two groups known most widely to us today from Scriptures are the Pharisees who desired to maintain the Jewish traditions and the Zealots who desired a violent overthrow of Rome.
Geographically, the home and hot bed of Zealotry and Pharisaism was not surprisingly in Jerusalem but …in a tri-city area—Bethsaida, Capernaum, Chorazin, just north of the sea of Galilee.
This is also the area in which Christ began his ministry.
And in which, Christ called his first and lead disciple.
Question: Who was Christ’s first disciple and ultimately the leader of the disciples?
The rough, man’s man, fisherman extraordinaire, ready to pull out a sword, from the hotbed of zealotry and Pharisaism— Bethsaida (Jn 1:44)— Peter—the author of book of Scripture that we are studying.
Perhaps, in our terminology today, Peter would on the far right, the first to believe conspiracy theories, the first to be a prepper, and the first to take up arms against unjust authorities.
Even Peter’s original name, Simon, had become a popular name because of the heroic efforts of Simon Maccabaeus, brother of Judas Maccabaeus, leaders of a successful Jewish revolt a century earlier.
If you are a student of Scripture, you know that a big part of the expectation of the coming Messiah was to lead Israel in a political and military victory against Israel’s oppressor.
Although Peter is never identified as a zealot, Peter shared some of the zealot ideology.
John 18:10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear.
Peter’s perceived power was in his strength of his sword in the face of unjust suffering.
When that power was seemingly out of reach —that is when his political and military Messiah was voluntarily giving Himself over to unjust authorities—Peter, ashamed of Jesus, denied even knowing this seemingly feeble so-called Messiah.
This Messiah does not have the kind of power that Peter aspired to.
Peter’s hopes of overthrowing unjust Rome and its Jewish sympathizers by power of the sword were dashed.
Later many groups of Jewish zealots would try to overthrow Rome.
Eventually Rome crushed Israel in 70AD after an uprising by the Jewish zealots.
Roman was never conquered by the sword of Jewish zealots.
However, Rome, the evil empire of the day was ultimately conquered—and it was not by the power of the sword.
It was by a different kind a power,
a power that had transformed Peter…
a power that gave him hope during unjust suffering…
a power that gave him courage not to fight but to proclaim…
a power that gave him motivation not to lash out but to love…
a supernatural power greater than the sword…
a power that is greatest during unjust authority
a power that can bring salvation not from political enslavement and oppression but from spiritual enslavement and oppression…
a power that transformed him to be zealous for something else during unjust suffering
1 Peter 3:13—Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?
And notice where Peter is writing his letter from
1 Peter 5:13 She who is in Babylon (i.e. Rome), chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark.
Fascinatingly, the evil empire of Rome was eventually conquered not by the political maneuvering of zealots but by the Gospel—lived out during unjust suffering in part by the apostle Peter.
With that in mind…please turn with me to 1 Peter 3:13. That is on page 182 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you.
We are continuing our series this morning on Hope for Everyday Life.
Our passage this morning concerns:
Hope for True Spiritual Life through Suffering
And we will be discussing.
Three key insights for true spiritual life that help us seize the opportunities that unjust suffering provides.
Hear the Word of the Lord:
1 Peter 3:13-4:2
13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
Martin Luther, commented on the passage I’m about to read, vv. 19-20, ‘A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.”
19 in which (better: because of this) also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.
I will not pretend to settle the debate on what this passage means today, but we will have to address it. I think we can take a stab at what it means.
21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
Chapter 4: 1Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
Again, we are speaking about three key insights for true spiritual life that help us seize the opportunities that unjust suffering provides.
The first is….
I. Understand the Nature of True Spiritual Life (vv. 13–17)
Friends, Peter’s description of the expected responses to unjust suffering are difficult.
If the righteous responses to unjust suffering were easy and natural Peter certainly would not have to exhort his audience to respond differently to the present and coming fiery trials
What is natural in the midst of unjust suffering is our efforts to s
- take up the sword—like Peter, originally…
- Attempt to escape the situation in fear…
- Grasp for power in the situation…
- Slander
- Manipulate
- Seek Revenge
The supernatural spiritual life in the midst of unjust suffering is characterized by
Doing good— “...if you prove zealous for what is good… But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed… those who revile your good behavior in Christ… that you suffer for doing what is right …
If you are experiencing Peter déjà vu, — that is you have heard this before in doing good… in suffering…and… you are blessed and a blessing to others—you are not mistaken.
Peter has said…
2:12 …because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
2:20 But if when you do what is right …, this finds favor with God.
3:1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands … they may be won without a word
3:9 not returning evil for evil … but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
Peter has not been arguing linearly, but more in concentric circles —going out from our center of our living hope with Christ (first circle) and applying the principles to the various spheres of relationship in which we encounter unjust suffering (spouse, local, national).
Somehow In unjust suffering when I do good, I am blessed, and I have the possibility of blessing others—…
Also, the supernatural true spiritual life is characterized by:
A lack of fear—"Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? … And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled”
Is there in the bible a command against murder? (Yes!)
Is there a command in the bible against adultery? (Yes!)
Is there a command in the bible against fear? (Yes…right here) ….
“No Fear” —more than being some kind of advertising slogan— is a possible supernatural response, a sign of true spiritual life … in the face of unjust suffering.
And Peter is exhorting others on how God empowered him to live on occasion….
Acts 5:40…and after calling the apostles (Peter and John) in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus... 41 So they went on their way… rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.42 And every day, … they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus…
What is the supernatural surprise response here… Peter and John counted this unjust suffering somehow as a blessing and rejoiced!!!!
And, without fear…they kept on proclaiming Jesus….
Which leads to a third and fourth characteristic of true spiritual life in unjust suffering….the….
Courage to speak with kindness— “always being ready to make a defense to everyone … yet with gentleness and reverence.”
Now, we often use 1 Peter 3:15 in Christian apologetics in the sense of “Be ready to give a defense of Christianity—meaning:
- explain all of Christianity’s theology,
- show Christianity’s consistent, comprehensive, and cohesive worldview,
- explain its difficult passages to the satisfaction of the unbeliever.
What a daunting task!
In context, I don’t believe that is the burden that Peter is placing on God’s people while experiencing unjust suffering.
Question: What does the text say about what I am to give an account
ANSWER: “the hope in you”
QUESTION: How is that hope manifested?
- Your supernatural response in the face of unjust suffering….
- How is it you respond by …
- Doing good
- …. without cowering in fear,
- while speaking courageously and kindly.
How can I do that?
Because I have a living hope that beyond this world….
Where Peter says, “DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION,” Peter is quoting from Isaiah which literally says, “Do not fear their fear!”
If my living hope is of secure eternal home, I will not fear the loss of this earthly one—like those without a living hope do.
If my living hope is confident of a resurrected body, I will not fear the harm to this one—like those without a living hope do.
If my living hope contains glories that cannot fade and are imperishable, I will not fear the loss of earthly possessions—like those without a living hope do.
Faith friends this kind of true spiritual life is possible…and is to what you were called.
- Employees, how are you loving your unreasonable bosses with this kind of true spiritual life?
- Wives, how are you loving your unreasonable husbands, no fear, with this kind of true spiritual life?
- Students and teenagers, there may be some authorities in your life that are not godly, how are you loving the ungodly authorities with this kind of spiritual life?
- Citizens, how are you loving your unreasonable political leaders, no fear, with this kind of true spiritual life?
Understand this is the nature of true spiritual life…Doing good, a lack of fear, courage to speak with kindness.
and then ….
II. Look to the Example of True Spiritual Life—Christ (v. 18-20)
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.
Folks on the surface this seems to be a simple statement about Christ’s death and his resurrection.
However, I think Peter means more by “in the flesh” and “alive in the spirit” than “Christ died as a man in his body, and He was raised again.”
If we zoom out a bit, I think we will discern Peter’s meaning and help ourselves with the difficult verses to come.
Let me:
- First, restate what I think Peter is saying,
- Second, compare it to Paul’s words, with which we made be a bit more familiar.
- and then third, justify why I believe what I am arguing about Peter’s words here.
Here is what I think Peter is saying….
Restatement: Believers who are facing unjust suffering, are to look to the example of Christ who amidst unjust suffering died in the flesh (his body) to the world of the flesh (the world’s value system) and was raised to new life (and new value system). So also, you are to die to your natural responses during unjust suffering to bring forth true, supernatural, spiritual life.
I think Peter in the context of unjust suffering is saying the exact same thing as Paul without the context of unjust suffering, when Paul says in Romans 6
Romans 6:6knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin (flesh in Peter’s terms?) might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;7for he who has died is freed from sin.8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.
How can I justify this?
Context is king….
I’m going to try to not steal the thunder from next week’s sermon, but we must look at the following context to help us understand our passage today…because Peter will clearly state his point.
4:1Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
Sounds a lot like Paul, doesn’t it?
Now, I don’t normally do this in subpoints, but let me walk you through four key pieces of Peter’s theological logic to help us understand our difficult passage today…
The first key piece of logic….
“Put to death in the flesh”—Christ’s physical suffering in the flesh carries the theological significance of dying to the world of the flesh—its fleshly lusts which animate sin.
As Christ died for the penalty of our sin, taking our judgement for us, this also rendered a verdict on the world of fleshly lust which animate our sins….
Christ death and his bloodied, unrecognizable body, becoming our sin on our behalf…and then dying represents the old man, the flesh, which is not to be resurrected…. (there are reasons zombies look putrid death things are not supposed to be brought back to life)
Christ’s dying in the flesh declared death to the world of the flesh.
- Exercising unjust authority for the lust of selfish gain—death to that
- Responding to unjust authority by the lust of returning evil for evil—death to that.
- The perpetual cycle of revenge caused by blood lust—death to that.
- The flesh…the lust of men…death to that way of life
- Thus, in the face of unjust suffering, operating that way anymore is not to be true of God’s children.
Peter gives a second key piece of theological logic to bolster his point.
A additional past example of the judgement of the “world of the flesh”—Noah’s flood (v. 19-20a)
19in which (or better: or considering this work of Christ) also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,20who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.
The point: Peter uses the greatest past example of universal judgement of “the flesh”—the flood. During that time Christ’s Spirit was preaching through Noah to repent. Yet, the world of the flesh did not repent and it was universally judged. Now, Christ’s death on the cross “in the flesh” is the ultimate and true judgement upon “the world of the flesh.”
When you read commentaries on this passage you will find various plausible views.
If you email me, I will happily give you a summary of the various views.
But in summary, the flood was a past and universal judgement on the way of life represented by our unredeemed way of life….
Furthermore, using that illustration of the flood, provides Peter with an analogy— 8 individuals came through the fiery suffering, or should I say watery judgement, to new life post flood.
Which leads us here to the third key piece of Peter’s theological logic…
“Made alive in the spirit”—Christ’s physical resurrection carries the theological significance of NEW LIFE after the judgement of death/suffering in the flesh.
The type of responses we have been talking about…precisely the type of responses that Christ manifested all of us life…are made truly and available to His children.
The true spiritual life has become a reality in Christ’s resurrection!
And finally, those with true spiritual, new life of Christ, will like Christ one day….be …
Exalted above all opposition (v. 22) —"who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.”
So…. following Christ’s pattern…. who is there, then, to harm you…sufferings first…glories to follow.
In one sense Peter has been exhorting his audience to reenact the life of Christ amidst unjust suffering…
Which will mean surprisingly…like Christ…we press into the suffering…... third, to experience this true spiritual life, we must….
III. Embrace the Means to True Spiritual Life—salvation through judgement/suffering.
I think now we are in a position to understand Peter’s theology a bit more now about suffering and our difficult passage today
Peter has said truly surprising things about suffering throughout his instructions….
“…you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. (1:8–9) …you are blessed when you suffer for righteousness (3:14)…but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing (4:13)… For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God …And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved… (4:17–18)”
“You are Blessed when suffering?!!” “I don’t feel blessed!!!?
“…with difficulty/hardship” the believers are saved?” “Difficult is part of salvation?!!!”
“…more suffering, to the degree I share Christ’s suffering” means more rejoicing?”
You want to say, “WHAT!!!????
How are sufferings blessings?
Unless….friends…. Peter’s words mean that God precisely uses suffering in the believer to bring forth something beautiful…to bring forth the life of Christ in you.
There is something that God does in suffering that could not be accomplished any other way.
And this is precisely what Peter means….and thus will explain are difficult verses….
Because
Noah had to go through the judgement/suffering to experience a new creation (v. 20b, 21)
Likewise, believers…. baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh…any church tradition that teaches that the act of getting in water saves you is not what Peter is talking about here and is wrong….
Peter specifically says it not the act of baptism but….it is going down into the waters of suffering and the death to the flesh that suffering produces in the life of the true Christian….so that the Christian will have a clean conscience—the new spiritual life that is produced….
Believers, likewise, must go through the waters of judgement/suffering— “Baptism” symbolizes precisely that believers must be immersed through suffering in the death to the flesh for new life.
“The very waters that would have crushed you will save you. It will lift you up. The glory and distinctiveness of the Christian life is not that we escape troubles and escape the floods, we have something within us that uses those things to make us into something great.”—Tim Keller
“…our suffering does not destroy us, but purifies us. The fire of God’s judgment that we endure is not the fire of wrath that will consume the unbelieving. It is the purging fire of his discipline. God will destroy all sin from his new creation; he has begun that work in us. The trials that we experience show us that God is already beginning his great work of renewal...Suffering, then, is not a threat, but a promise. The pattern of Christ’s life is the pattern of our lives, too.”— Edmund P. Clowney, The Message of 1 Peter, 190–191.
Oh…children of God,
…when your government treats you unjustly…there is your assurance, your hope, God’s promise that He is working to put to death all the remnants of the old man in your life (revenge, bitterness, harshness) and He is bringing forth that new resurrection life that is precious to God….thus…rejoice!
…when your boss treats you with contempt…there is your assurance, your hope, God’s promise that He is working to put to death all the remnants of the old man (get even, spite, blood lust) in your life and He is bringing that new resurrection life that is precious to God….thus…rejoice
…when your teacher engages in unfair treatment …there is your assurance, your hope, God’s promise that He is working to put to death all the remnants of the old man in your life and He is bringing that new resurrection life that is precious to God….thus…rejoice
…when your spouse or parent is unkind …there is your assurance, your hope, God’s promise that He is working to put to death all the remnants of the old man in your life and He is bringing that new resurrection life that is precious to God….thus…rejoice.
Conclusion:
The evil Empire of Rome was not conquered by those who were harden by blood lust, revenge and taking up the sword against oppression—the Jewish zealots.
Remember where is Peter is located when he is writing his instruction?
Precisely at the heart of the evil empire—the city of Rome
He may not himself, be to far from the time of his death at the hands of Rome.
Church tradition has indicated that Peter died in Rome and was crucified under Roman persecution.
Church tradition indicated that Peter requested to be crucified upside down because he did not want mistaken for being like Christ…what humility at the end of his life!!!
Do you remember what Christ had said to Peter after Peter’s restoration from his denial of Jesus,
John 21: 18 “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.”19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”
Peter did ultimately reenact the pattern of Christ in Peter’s life and his death.
And in Peter’s suffering, Peter was blessed, and others were blessed.
The flood waters of judgement and the fiery suffering did not crush him or consume him but purified him, blessed him, and caused him to be a blessing to others.
The church in Rome became a thing.
And Rome was conquered not by returning evil for evil but through the Gospel pattern lived out in part through the apostle Peter.
From Rome, the Gospel spread to you and me in western civilization….
How is this possible?
Only because of what Peter did and exhorted us to do during unjust suffering…
- God’s children must set “Christ as the Lord of our Heart” (v. 15) going through the judgment/suffering of unjust suffering unto the new life
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