“Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ Since you call on a Fa-ther who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in rev-erent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:13-19, NIV).
Everyone suffered inconvenience, discomfort, or difficulty in this life.
Have we reacted to it just in the same way with the ordinary person in this world?
How should we face false accusation? How should we react when we are treated unjustly? If we suffer opposition, oppression, or persecution, what should we do?
Or, if we are suffering pain, trials, or difficulties in our Christian life, is there anything we can do aside from asking for God’s help?
Actually, in God’s Word we find many ways how to triumph over trials. So this time, we will learn to defeat overwhelming difficulties, which is my topic this time, as we go through in our text (1 Peter 1:13-19).
So, what are the things – at least 3 things – we can do to defeat overwhelming difficulties in our Christian life?
Already we learned that the writer of 1 Peter was Peter, who once denied Jesus but He prayed for Peter that his faith may not fail. And that when he turned back, he should strengthen his brothers (Luke 22:32). This was exactly what Peter was doing in this letter. While he was in Rome in the mid-60’s A.D., he was writing both to the Jewish and Gentile Christians (scattered throughout Asia Minor). The Christians then were already suffering sporadic and local persecutions before Nero’s reign (before A.D. 68).
In the early portion of the first chapter of 1 Peter, he encouraged the believers that they have a solid ground to praise God, though they were suffering trials and difficulties.
And, now, in our text, Peter related how the believers could cope with their sufferings.
He told them at least three things to defeat their difficulties.
I - The first one: BE HOPEFUL (verse 13).
Verse 13 states, “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.”
Peter encouraged the suffering believers then to “set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.”
He told them to have “minds that are alert and fully sober” – not only “quick to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous or difficult circumstances,” so they can avoid them, but also vigilant for the coming of Christ. He also told them to have their minds “fully sober” or “self-controlled” – not to be affected by any undesirable situation.
Rather, they should look forward for the blessings or grace they would enjoy at the appearance of Jesus Christ.
Peter encouraged them to be hopeful. Not just to hope that their sufferings would end, but to look forward for the event that will surely happen -- the return of Christ.
Today, we hope that nothing wrong will happen to us. But, no matter how careful we are, trouble will still come to us. So, let’s rather hope for the return of our Savior.
If we are in whatever pain, if we suffer unjustly, if we are misunderstood or being oppressed, if we suffer difficulties in different angles of our life while we are obeying our God, let’s not be affected by any of those sufferings.
As Paul wrote in Romans 8:18, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
Also, Jesus comforted his followers in John 14:1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
In order to defeat any difficulty, be hopeful.
Saints, let us not allow the trials in our Christian life to tempt us to give up or be desperate.
When we suffer big or various trials, do we hope that all of them would just disintegrate?
Or, do we hope that we just “rest in peace”? Or, if someone would trouble us, do we hope for him to “rest in peace”?
Or, do we hope to find a human solution to solve our difficulties?
Why not just “set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming”?
II – The second thing that we can do to defeat difficulties: BE HOLY (verses 14-16).
We read verses 14-16, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”
Peter reminded the believers, then, who were suffering persecution that they were children of God. And they were supposed to be obedient. And he impressed on them that God who called them is holy, so they need also to “be holy in all you do” – they need also to show their holiness in their performance, they need to really obey. They should have now godly desire. Not only they should no longer entertain lustful desire, but they should not also entertain the desire to get even with those who persecute them.
They should not have the desire for revenge against those who ill-treated them or who caused them to suffer.
So, if we are also suffering, because of what others have unjustly done to us, let’s remember to be holy. Let’s prefer to suffer unjustly than to fight back. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 7:1, as we read in part:
“…let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
In the New Living Translation, we read Psalm 15:1, “Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?”
The Psalmist enumerated in the succeeding verses who may enter in the Holy Presence of God. Let’s just read verses 2-3, “Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.”
Let’s also be holy and do what is right even we going through difficulties. Let’s refuse to speak evil or refuse to harm those do us wrong.
So, whenever we go through severe or big problem, saints, never forget that we have a Holy Father, let’s react not in an unholy way. Let’s exercise our holiness even in battling with our trials.
Let’s also remember our Savior, the Most Holy One, who suffered injustice, torture and death in the hands of sinners. Yet, He did not retaliate, did not even open His mouth to justify Him-self (Isaiah 53:7).
As holy or obedient children of God, should we not also make the same reaction toward those who would inflict us great pain or harm? Let’s be holy toward them. If they curse us, let’s bless them. If they persecute us, let’s pray for them.
Yes, if we suffer, let’s be holy.
And finally the third thing that we can do to defeat our difficulties: BE A SOJOURNER (verse 17).
We read in verses 17, “Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.”
Notice the last part, “…live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.”
Peter told the believers who were facing or would face persecution that their Heavenly Father is the Judge. He would judge both the Jew and Gentile Christian for the rewards in their good works in spite of their sufferings. So, he instructed them that in their time of pain, while doing good in this world, to live not as if their suffering is permanent. Rather, consider them-selves as foreigners, strangers, or sojourners in this place. Also, they should not fear what would happen to them, they should not fear those who persecute them. They should fear God, the Judge – the One who would punish the unbelievers.
So, if ever we are now in great pain or we would have to endure trials or difficulties, let’s avoid any apprehension. Rather, let’s fear the Righteous Judge. Instead of being afraid in our suffering, let’s follow the instruction of Peter:
“…live out your time as foreigners here…”
None of us will live eternity in this kind of world filled with injustice, sorrow and pain. Whether in pain or in pleasure, we will not stay.
I encountered a quote from Abraham Lincoln. He was the President of U.S. when civil war troubled the nation. If you happen to read his biography, you would have learned that many trials happened in his life. And every time that he would encounter one, he was quoted as saying: “This too shall come to pass!”
In our case, perhaps, some of the difficulties will remain, but surely we will pass through them. We are just sojourners. We are just passing through in this reality. Our citizenship is in heaven. And our joy there is eternal and glorious in the Presence of our Father.
Do not forget, then, fellow saints, of our heavenly citizenship every time we bump or fall into difficulties. We will not dwell in eternity with our trials in this world.
Few months before my elder brother died, I was able to meet him. Among my four half-brothers, I was more close to him than the rest and I was really sorry to see him with a sort of plastic container attached near his stomach, wherein he could discharge the human waste. He underwent a surgical operation called “colostomy.” I was able to mention to him that he would not be enduring that even for 100 years, but what is really serious or dangerous is for a man to have a perfect health in this life without having faith in Jesus and during the next life, he will suffer not only for 50 or 100 years, but for all eternity.
Consider what you are suffering now or would suffer later. And let us resist the temptation to magnify our present problems and project its duration.
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
Let us regard ourselves as sojourners, foreigners, or just visitors in this world.
Before we close, let’s remember one more thing. After Peter encouraged the believers to be hopeful, be holy and be a sojourner while they battle difficulties, he pointed out to them the great cost, when they were redeemed or purchased from their life of sin. It is not just silver or gold, but “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”
And they knew and believed that sacrifice of Jesus Christ. No matter what would happen to them in this life, they now belong to God. Whatever they suffer would not be at par with the cost of what God had paid for them. So, they should be more motivated to be hopeful, be holy and be a sojourner.
Do we also believe that Jesus redeemed us from our sins by His precious blood? Do we realize that we already belong to God? If so, then, though we face overwhelming difficulties in our Christian life, let’s be hopeful, be holy and just regard ourselves as sojourners.
PRAYER: Our Loving Heavenly Father, we thank You for Jesus Christ, not only for dying for our sins and being raised from the dead for our righteousness, but also for His example on how we could go through in our present sufferings and trials. Thank for Your Spirit for reminding us of Your promises and for the strength to cope with whatever pain in this world. We thank You, in Jesus Name, Amen.
