Believers are exhorted to have patience (3:13-22):
Persecution occurred, however, in spite of believers’ desires to live peacefully and their eagerness to do good. Peter encouraged his readers with the fact that the right response to undeserved suffering results in blessing.
Who is going to harm you? The adversary, through physical suffering or material hardship, would distress those who were eager to do good but no real harm can come to those who belong to Christ. Even if suffering should occur, Christians are blessed and thus should not be frightened because they highly privileged. Christians are not to be afraid of what men can do to them. It is better to fear God rather than men. If a believer who can confidently say that the Lord is my strength can continue to say that of whom shall I be afraid? The believers should always be prepared to give the reason for the defence of the Gospel with gentleness. Christians who are not afraid in the face of persecution are able to witness respectfully to their faith in Christ.
Maintain good conscience: (3:16-17)
Christians who suffer unjustly and keep a clear conscience put to shame those who slander their good behaviour in Christ. Once again Peter encouraged his readers with the fact that good behaviour is their best defence against unjust punishment and persecution.
Conscience depends on knowledge, the “light” coming through the window. As a believer studies the Word, he better understands the will of God, and his conscience becomes more sensitive to right and wrong. A “good conscience” is one that accuses when we think or do wrong and approves when we do right. It takes “exercise” to keep the conscience strong and pure (Acts 24:16). If we do not grow in spiritual knowledge and obedience, we have a “weak conscience.
- Good conscience gives peace in our hearts: When we have peace within, we can face battles without. The restlessness of an uneasy conscience divides the heart and drains the strength of a person, so that he is unable to function at his best. How can we boldly witness for Christ if conscience is witnessing against us?
- Good conscience removes the fear: We do not have to fear what other people may know about us, say against us, or do to us. When Christ is Lord and we fear only God, we need not fear the threats, opinions, or actions of our enemies. “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do unto me? (Ps 118:6). It was in this matter that Peter failed when he feared the enemy and denied the Lord.
If we are to maintain a good conscience, we must deal with sin in our lives and confess it immediately (1 Jn. 1:9). We must “keep the window clean.” We must also spend time in the Word of God and “let in the light.” A strong conscience is the result of obedience based on knowledge, and a strong conscience makes for a strong Christian witness to the lost. It also gives us strength in times of persecution and difficulty.
If a Christian suffers for his own sins, it should not be taken as a trial or suffering for the sake of God. But if a believer suffers not for his sins and for the sake of the Gospel, he is a blessed one and privileged Christian.
Learning from Noah: (3:18-22)
The patriarch Noah was held in very high regard among Jewish people in Peter’s day, and also among Christians. He was linked with Daniel and Job, two great men (Ezek. 14:19-20) and there are many references to the Flood in both the Psalms and the Prophets. Jesus referred to Noah in His prophetic sermon (Matt 24:37-39), and Peter mentioned him in his second letter (2 Peter 2:5). He is named along with the heroes of faith in (Heb 11:7).
What relationship did Peter see between his readers and the ministry of Noah? For one thing, Noah was a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Pet.2:5) during a very difficult time in history. In fact, he walked with God and preached God’s truth for 120 years (Gen.6:3), and during that time was certainly laughed at and opposed. The early Christians knew that Jesus had promised that, before His return, the world would become like the “days of Noah” (Matt.24:37-39) and they were expecting Him soon (2 Peter 3:1-3). As they saw society decay around them, and persecution begins, they would think of our Lord’s words.