JUNE 9
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REJOICE WHEN YOU SUFFER FOR CHRIST
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be overjoyed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, and of God, rests upon you.
-1 Peter 4:12-14
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In this letter, Peter stresses the importance of suffering for Christ. In the following passages, he cautions all believers to avoid making an ordeal of the hardships that they go through when they are experiencing trials to bring truth through their words and way of life. Instead, believers need to change their perspectives in the event that they are faced with adversities for the sake of Christ and the gospel.
Peter raises a counter-intuitive approach to such challenging events that brings about occasions to preach the gospel. His antidote to such suffering is to rejoice. The world will never understand this concept because it focuses on pleasuring the self. Humans are by nature self-serving. They will never serve Christ in their natural. Peter explains why it is important to suffer for Christ joyfully. It brings him glory. The tendency for humans is to complain and only be happy when they get what they want. It is only in Christ that we can view suffering as a way to grow endurance, and thus, grow our faith as well.
Peter further clarifies the process of spiritual growth that happens when we are insulted for the name of Christ. If we are insulted because we believe in Christ, that is like sharing in Christ’s suffering here on earth as he became the sacrificial lamb to cleanse all mankind from sin. He says that we receive much blessings when we allow ourselves to go through such suffering with rejoicing.
I have actually experienced an abundance of blessings just because I endured being mocked with my love for the Lord and with living a life of integrity and honesty. It is foreign for unbelievers to understand why believers would even embrace suffering for the sake of Jesus. They do not have a concept of servanthood. Our world system discriminates such act of humility because it caters more to power and corruption rather than humility and being under authority to the Lord God himself. Remember that rejoicing in suffering for Christ, you are earning heavenly points for your soul.
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REFLECTION
• Why shouldn’t we be surprised when we are ridiculed for suffering for Jesus?