We saw in 1 Peter 3 types of suffering:
Redemptive sufferings:
1Peter3:18 – expiatory, substitutionary, reconciliatory and victorious
Right at the geometric and doctrinal centre of 1 Peter stands the redemptive sufferings of Christ.
In first Peter we are either leading up to the sufferings of Christ on the cross or we are being lead out from it.
The Cross of Christ and the sufferings of Christ tower above this epistle
The whole of 1Peter derives its flavour and its fragrance from the sufferings of Christ at Calvary.
We could never go away from 1Peter with the idea of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar that suffering only happens to bad people!
Retributive Sufferings:
1Peter 2:20 : “For your faults”
1Peter 3:17: “For evil doing”
1Peter 4:15: “let none of you suffer as a murderer…”
Suffering which comes about as a direct result of our own sin:
By Human Law
By Moral Law: “whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap” – a man caught in a net of drugs and addiction: ‘well I suppose I’ve only got myself to blame,’ – he recognised the inevitable consequences of his actions.
By Divine Law: Sometimes in time, eg Sodom and Gomorrah, Ananias and Sapphira, always in eternity.
Righteous Sufferings:
1Peter 2:20 : “If when ye do well and suffer for it”
1Peter 3:17: “Suffer for well doing”
1Peter 4:16: “yet if any man suffer as a Christian…”
Here we are not suffering as a direct consequence of our own sins but rather because of our moral, personal, spiritual relationship with Christ.
If we are like Him morally then the world must reject us as it did Him
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” (John15:18)
“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John1:5).
When we come to consider Righteous Sufferings in the life of the believer we see that it is the sufferings of Christ which allow us to understand the sufferings of the believer for they are after the pattern of Christ’s suffering.
In Christ we have the Purpose of Suffering (2:21; 1:7; 4:1-2)
In Christ we have the Pattern of Suffering (2:21)
In Christ we have the Prospect of Suffering (4:13)
In Christ we have the Power of Suffering (3:18)
In Christ we have the Purpose of Suffering (2:21; 1:7; 4:1-2)
Suffering is presented as the believers purpose!
Suffering is our calling: “For even hereunto were ye called” (2:21). A strange statement since we have already seen that the purpose of the Christian life is 2 fold:
Relationship with Christ: “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself.” (Eph1:5)
Resemblance to Christ: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom8:29).
It is by a path of suffering that this purpose is brought out practically, suffering brings about changes in my character, changes that bring me into conformity with the character of Christ.
In Christ we have the Pattern of Suffering (2:21)
Suffering comes by the expression of the Divine nature in a fallen world.
To live out the nature of Christ must bring suffering (2:21-23) such were the events leading up to: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter.”
“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John1:5).
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” (John15:18)
Suffering must come as the Divine nature is expressed in a fallen world because evil must hate good, evil is incapable of love for “love is of God.”
This truth of the Righteous Sufferings of the believer leaves us with something of a question: if we are not suffering because of our sin is God being fair? Is God acting righteously? Job didn’t think so! (Job19:6-7; 27:2; 34:5).
Want to share a thought this pm, find it in a number of scriptures: if God did not allow His people to suffer He would not be righteous!
The reason for this is quite simple, the world which you and I live in is a fallen world, men and women around us are sinners, you and I are sinners saved by Grace and still possess a fallen human nature; the ‘flesh’ in such a fallen world we can never find a permanent abiding home, never find satisfaction here, this is a fallen world, it lies under the judgement of God.
The sufferings of Christ define the nature of the spiritual reality of this world: it is a world of sinners, a world of lawlessness, a world of Christ rejecters, a world of God haters, a world in which men love darkness rather than light.
This true nature of the world was fully expressed at Calvary.
The blood of Christ cries for the judgement of God upon this world: “…the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.” (Gen4:10)… “O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.” (Job16:18).
It is in that world that you and I are tonight
Let’s just suppose for a moment God was willing to keep all suffering from your life! In this world you would never know disappointment, only ever find satisfaction, only ever find peace, never conflict, never argument, never blood shed. In spite of any action you or any other might take there would never be an accident, never a criminal act against you, never a loss of property, never an unkind word, never a disease, never a pain. That’s wonderful – God has made heaven upon earth! God has made a highway to hell: Ps73:3-6, 12, 16-20!
In Psalm 73 the Psalmist is dismayed at the prosperity of the wicked, they don’t suffer like I suffer, every thing goes well for them, don’t have the problems I’ve got! Why have I got all of these problems? So he enters into the sanctuary (v17), drops to his knees and takes it to the Lord. His eyes are opened to their true fate! A cold sweat runs down his back when he realises what is happening, they have found contentment in this world, in its pleasures, its entertainments, its commerce, its business, they’ve found contentment in a world condemned to eternal damnation! They have found sin as the key to success (73:3) and violence as the path to victory (73:6) that means they will never repent of their sin nor of their violence! God has set them on a slippery slope to judgment and hell (Ps73:18)!
In contrast to this we find that by suffering comes:
In Suffering we Hear the Voice of God (Job33:14-21)
God speaks in suffering, to what end?
God speaks and touches mans work (v17), wealth (v17), well being (v18,19), He brings deep disappointment with this world.
Note v17: “purpose” = ‘occupation’ or ‘work’ or ‘possessions’
That we might learn that this place is not where I ought to seek or expect satisfaction and contentment, this is not my abiding place, my hope and my home is not here, this is a fallen world, this is a condemned place!
God frustrates our purpose, God unsettles us, God redirects us through suffering.
Here is a man, Job, enjoyed good success in this world, productive, gained wealth, a family, reputation and prosperity, so he’s quite happy and content, but this world is a fallen place, his occupation must not be his purpose in life!
In suffering God would draw me back from ever trying to find satisfaction in my occupation or possessions, “I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.” (Job16:12).
In Suffering we See the Work of God (Eccl7:13-14)
Almost all English translations translate this verse with a similar, and very strange meaning eg NIV “therefore a man cannot discover anything about his future.” The translation of the RV, RSV, Moffatt, Good News, Spurrell, NKJV, NLT are all similar, and I would suggest wrong! Gods purpose in providence is surely not to simply confuse us.
There are 2 very ancient translations of this verse, going back about 1700 years: the Vulgate and the Syriac versions, and when the verse came to be translated into these 2 languages the translators rendered it thus: “that man may not find anything against God.” In other words a man having lived his life and having ended up in hell or a believer having lived their life and missed out on reward because they have spent their life feeling settled and comfortable in this world, could never look back over their life and blame God! For in all of their lifes history God has always revealed the true nature of reality to them, that satisfaction and peace and joy does not lie on earth, only disappointment and suffering and pain for this is a fallen world, condemned to eternal separation form God.
‘what is meant is much more this, that God causes man to experience good and evil that he may pass through the whole school of life and when he departs hence that nothing may be outstanding (in arrears) which he has not experienced.’ (Keil & Delitzch)
In Suffering we Share the Mind of God (1Peter4:1)
As we suffer we share in the mind of Christ (1Peter4:1; Phil2:5).
In taking us through a path of suffering we share the mind of God on the true nature of a fallen world: disappointing, disintegrating and degrading and passing away!
What was Christs mind on this world? In one word ‘Calvary’!
No where is the truth better seen than in Job!
Right at the heart of Jobs sufferings we read chps 16 & 19, 51 verses which deal with the sufferings of Job.
In about 30 of these 51 verses you will find parallels and perhaps quotations form the book of Job in those passages of scriptures elsewhere which deal with the suffering Messiah: Psalm 22, 69, Isa53, Lam Chp1&3.
10 verses of these 2 chps parallel Ps69, 9 verses parallel Lam 3 and 8 verses parallel Psalm 22, plus there are other parallels to Lam chp1, Isa53 and Gen 4.
What was Job learning in his sufferings? What were the sufferings of Job all about?
Some say the reason for the sufferings of Job remains a mystery! If you grasp this you’ll grasp far more than most believers do about the book of Job!
In all of his sufferings, Job was sharing in the sufferings of Christ!
In all of his sufferings Job was learning the mind of Christ! (1Peter4:1).
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