SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 3:13-4:6
OBSERVATION:
When we suffer, we can see that as an opportunity to gently share the reason for our hope, in a way that will win over those who are troubling us. To set apart Jesus as Lord means to commit our safety to Him, and to devote ourselves to His way of life and love. It is our “good behaviour in Christ” despite persecution that will witness to others!
Jesus died so that we might live, He was separated from God so that we might be restored to God (v.18); therefore we need to imitate Jesus and do God’s will, not live like the world since are done with sin (4:1-6). Though the world mocks us for following Jesus, we entrust our care to the true Judge!
Peter suggests that Jesus somehow communicated with the spirits of those who died in the flood. The connection to the context may be that Noah, persecuted by his contemporaries for building the ark, was ultimately vindicated through the flood. It may seem stupid at the time, but following Christ in humility will ultimately be rewarded!
APPLICATION:
This is an important teaching for witnessing, to do so with gentleness and respect. We are not banging peoples’ heads or threatening them with hell, we are witnessing to the reason for the hope that lives in us, a hope that many people desire but cannot find.
No matter what happens to me, I belong to God and nothing can separate me from His love (Romans 8:38-39). This is where I need to put my confidence, not in schemes or gimmicks or popularity or shrewd powerplays – this is how the world does things. “Gentleness and respect” is the way of Jesus, the way of salvation, the way of the Christ-follower!
I avoid looking stupid, I always try to justify the way of Christ. But like Noah, maybe there is no way to make the way of Jesus seem sensible, I just need to live it and trust God to vindicate me in the end. If Noah had been a people-pleaser, he wouldn’t have built the ark! (see Galatians 1:10)
PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for being willing to be mocked for my sake. Help me to not focus on what people think, and rather focus on how You want me to live. Help me to trust that this is the way that You will bring others to You as well! Amen.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. These words of the passage just jumped out to me! I am alive, alive forever more in Jesus Christ. He is my Hope. As Noah was snatched from the old world and had to develop a new way of life, so I too must learn to live a new life in His Kingdom. Living for Jesus is my refrain. I need to submit to my Master and Lord and He will do His work in and through my life. What do I do when I suffer unjustly? I need to arm myself with the same attitude as that of Jesus Christ. I must live in submission to Him – separeted for Kingdom service. I need to give the answer that Jesus is the reason for living. He is the answer. He is my Hope and Surety.
Living for Jesus a life that is true;
striving to please him in all that I do,
yielding allegiance, gladhearted and free,
this is the pathway of blessing for me.