Suffering in the life of believers: (Chap. 4)
Some people will do anything to avoid pain. As believers we should be willing and prepared to do God’s will and if necessary undergo suffering.
The purpose of suffering: (4:1-11, 15, 17-18):
- Suffering causes sin to lose its power: (4:1-3): Believers must also be willing to suffer unjustly. When a believer suffers physically or mentally on discrimination, he or she should show the same attitude of Christ. Peter says, arm yourself with the same attitude. Paul also writes similarly in (Phil.2:5-11). Such suffering would straighten out his priorities. Sinful desires and practices that once were regular becomes unseen. Serious suffering makes a believer to get sanctified.
Further Peter advises that a converted man should not live the rest of his life pursuing the lust or evil human desires, on the contrary he would continue to live on the will of God. The man had spent enough time enjoying in his lust. But his friends find it strange to see the converted believer refrains and changes his direction. It is a paradigm shift for the converted man.
- Suffering gives testimony: (4:4-6): Many people in the early church had doubts about life after death. In Thessalonica, Christians worried that loved ones who died before Christ’s return would never see Him (1 Thess.4:13-18). But Peter makes it very clear that there would be judgement after death both for saved and unsaved. The judgement would be perfectly fair because the dead also have heard the Gospel. The preaching was done not after they had died, but while they were still alive. There will be no opportunity for people to be saved after their death (Heb.9:27). The Gospel affects both living and dead people.
- Suffering gives tenderness: (4:7-9): Anticipating Christ’s second coming would influence believer’s attitudes his actions and his or her relationship with Christ. The believer would shun sin and learn to be self-controlled. Their possessions and status will not bother them but they would live in a perfect fellowship. His love for God makes him to love others viz, other Christians. Love forgives the sins and convers multitude of sins. Love forgives them.They would invest their time, talents and skills for the growth of the fellowship that one day they would all spend their lives in eternity. So a believer learns tenderness through suffering.
- Suffering gives talents or skills : (4:10-11): Some people well aware of their abilities, believe that they have the right to use their abilities as they please. Others feel that they have no special talents at all. Peter addresses both the groups that everyone has some gifts. If someone does know what gift he has, he can pray ask to find out. But everyone has use their gifts and talents to serve others and Christ. None should use their gifts for themselves for their enjoyment. Here Peter speaks of 2-exclusive gifts viz. speaking and serving, whereas Paul lists several gifts and talents given by the Holy Spirit in (1 Cor.12:8-11; Eph. 4:11). Peter offered two basic ways of serving that represent two types of gifts as examples Those who can share a word from God should do so by presenting what they say as God’s Word, not just their opinion.
Obviously God’s words are more important, and the way we present them should reflect their significance. And those who can serve by providing some other kind of help or assistance should do so realizing that God has made their service possible.