1 Peter: suffering for your faith

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgement to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.   1 Peter 4:12-19

Suffer according to God’s will

To be clear, we Christians have absolutely no idea what it is to suffer for our faith in the way these early believers suffered. Or for that matter, the way other people of faith are suffering around the world in other countries to this day.

Suffer according to God’s will

I’m not a fan of that persecution complex that pervades social media – that we as Christians are being treated badly in this country by the withdrawal of nativity plays from schools, not being allowed to wear a cross to work, councils changing Christmas Holidays to Winter Holidays etc. Yes, things are changing. This is not the Christian country it used to be – in name anyway. People of many different faiths have made the UK their home and it is right to accommodate them and their religious beliefs, in my opinion. Public changes such as these are not a direct attack on Christianity. We have the freedom to worship together. We are not arrested, imprisoned, tortured as many have been and still are. It does us no favours as the body of Christ to cling to these trappings. Jesus does not need these things to be at work in our communities. Let’s stop moaning and get on with spreading God’s love.

OK, rant over.

Suffer according to God’s will

So when Peter talks about a fiery ordeal, he is not talking figuratively. Believers faced persecution and even death. And this should not have come as a surprise. This movement of new believers was subversive, giving hope and the strength of unity to the oppressed. The authorities were naturally looking for ways to stamp out this radical, revolutionary new Way. And why be surprised that as followers of Jesus, you would face opposition? After all, look at how Jesus was treated and put to death.

Suffer according to God’s will

To be honest, what do the authorities have to fear from Christians in the UK? Maybe we are simply not radical and revolutionary and subversive enough. Maybe the authorities have no need to silence us because we are not speaking out. Maybe we would get arrested if like the Revd Jo Rand (arrested in October 2019 as part of Extinction Rebellion), we protested about climate change –

I’m an ordained minister in the Methodist Church and on Monday morning, I was carried off Lambeth Bridge by four police constables for ‘wilful obstruction of the highway’.

Maybe we should be concerned that we are not suffering as Christ did. Maybe that’s an indication that we are not living as he has called us to live – as counter culture, standing up for values that the world has rejected, standing up for the dispossessed who the world has ignored.

Suffer according to God’s will

This extract from Peter’s letter definitely implies that suffering for our faith comes with a blessing: the blessing of knowing we are joining God in His direct action to bring His kingdom to earth. There is no shame in suffering for being a follower of Christ – quite the opposite. If we are not being arrested or our lives are not being made difficult, then should we then be ashamed that we are keeping our heads down and not living as God intended?

Suffer according to God’s will

Living in peace with others does not mean keeping our heads down and our mouths shut. There will be times when we are called to suffer when we stand up for what is right, Suffering for our faith will be at times in accordance with God’s will. This should not surprise us any more today than when Peter wrote this letter.

Suffer according to God’s will

This is scary stuff. But the God who created the whole universe has our back. We can look to our faithful Creator and trust that He will be with us every step of the way.

Suffer according to God’s will

It is when we continue to work out what it looks like to do good day after day that we may find ourselves adopting a more radical, revolutionary and subversive lifestyle. Good is not the same as nice. Good can be uncomfortable to us and those around us.

Who’s ready to find out?