Suffering Has Glorious Consequences - 1 Peter 4-5

1 Peter 4:12-13 (ESV)

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

When meditating on these two verses, it is important to remember the context of the day for Peter.  At the time of this writing, Caesar, the emperor of Rome, was using Christian’s as lanterns to light his gardens.   Yet, Peter has already written in this letter the following:

1 Peter 2:17 (ESV)

Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Peter, in the above two verses, then, is NOT telling the Christians to revolt.  He is not issuing a rebellion or crowd sourcing march against the palace.   Instead he is telling these Christians, two things:

1. Don’t be surprised about all this suffering. 

2. Rejoice in all this suffering.  

These are not the words most of us think about in persecution.   But Peter remembered that Jesus had warned them already about all this:

Matthew 16:21

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

We ought to remember that God is using all the events of this world to bring about His divine plan.  Nothing that happens, even the suffering of Christians, is outside His plan.  He is in complete control. Peter will eventually be killed for his faith (tradition says he was hung upside down on a cross).    Note what one commentator from that past said about suffering: 

Warren Wiersbe speaks of God's refining process in the furnace of afflictions noting that "God has never promised that we would miss the storm, but He has promised that we would make it to the harbor. When God puts His own people into the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat. He knows how long and how much."

We must not think of ourselves as exempt from suffering at the hands of evil doers.   Peter is writing to this group because they WERE surprised and WERE NOT rejoicing.  They are not to rejoice in the actual suffering.  No human can do that.  They would rejoice in the fact that the suffering benefit their walk with Christ.   Not only were they not to be surprised and were to rejoice but in these two verses Peter also gives two truths that we benefit in suffering:

1. Suffering provides a test of our genuine relationship with Christ. 

2. Suffering provides an alignment with Christ that results in our seeing Christ’s glory.   

Don’t be surprised at suffering and rather rejoice, because it is a test to show your alignment with Jesus and an avenue by which His glory is revealed.