Once again, Peter returns to the theme of suffering as a Christian, which is a common occurrence throughout this letter. This time, he pairs it with a call to rejoice. You can see his encouragement in 1 Peter 4:12-13.
The doxology that we looked at last week ended the previous section of this letter, and this passage marks the beginning of a new one for Peter’s readers to think about. Peter has returned to the theme of suffering, which is a common theme throughout this letter, and this section mirrors much of the previous section. This time, however, he seems to take it just a bit deeper, and he reminds us to rejoice.
The first thing Peter does is to remind his readers that suffering as a believer is inevitable, and that we should not be surprised by it. Back in verse 4, Peter stated that unbelievers think it strange when Christians do not participate in worldly behavior. Here, Peter uses the same word, indicating that suffering and persecution are not strange things that catch us off guard, but are things that are to be expected.
Suffering for our faith is a common theme through much of the New Testament, and we can see that it was very common throughout church history as well. We should not be surprised when it happens to us. And Peter tells us why.
What the NIV translates as a “painful trial” should be translated a bit differently, as a “fiery ordeal” that carries the purpose of testing. This reminds us of Peter’s statements of gold being refined by fire, all the way back in chapter 1:6-7, and ties things together nicely. Peter’s statement here, when seen in that light, makes it very clear that persecution is a trial that can strengthen our faith. This fiery ordeal will refine us like gold.
Peter’s next statement may seem surprising, but it is actually the next logical step in this progression. He tells us that we should rejoice when this happens. That may catch you off guard, but if suffering and persecution are things used refine our faith and purify us, then we should rejoice when they occur, because it means we have an opportunity to grow in our faith. After all, if we are suffering for the sake of Christ, we are in good company, because he also suffered. And we are drawn closer to him through it. That is cause for rejoicing!
The joy we hold on to in the present is because we have a certain hope of joy to come. When Christ returns, he will take us into eternity with him where joy shall never end. Once again, this dovetails nicely with Peter’s words at the beginning of his letter, in 1:3-9, and point us towards an eternal perspective.
Peter’s point is this: We may face difficult times in this world, but this world cannot remove us from the embrace of God, because of what Christ has accomplished on our behalf. So we can rejoice, no matter what the world throws at us, knowing that our hope and joy rest on something much more firm and steadfast than this world could ever be!
Question: Where does your hope and joy rest? Is your perspective an eternal one, or a worldly one? You can leave a comment by clicking here.