1 Peter 4:12-19

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. 14 If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God[a] rests upon you.15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. 16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! 17 For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? 18 And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?” 19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

Last time we saw Peter positioned us to live in the present by getting us to focus on the future and the reality of Christs return. When we live life in the light of His return we will pursue pray passionately, loving lavishly, and giving generously. But living life in the present also means dealing with the problems and having a proper perspective on persecution. It’s here that Peter turns his attention to the trials and how to handle hard times and because suffering has such potential to shape our lives this is the second time that Peter has taught on trials. Peter doesn’t just remind us of the reality of trials, he teaches us how to respond rightly. The truth is we will all go through times of trial and moments of moaning but the question is how will we respond in the rough times? How do you respond when the rug is pulled out from under you? Do you panic or praise? Do you doubt the Lords love for you or dive deeper into His love? Do you trust God to get you through the tough times, do you turn to Him or turn away from Him? For those of you that are currently being tossed around in the riptide of trials some of Peters teaching is going to be tough to take. But remember Peter suffered greatly for his faith, and the words we have before were shaped in the blast furnace of Peter’s own suffering. The word “trial” means to be “under the thumb” of pressure and in the New Testament the word trial means to prove by testing. In other words, a trial demonstrates the genuineness of your faith in Christ and refines the quality of your spiritual life. When we respond rightly in the rough times, God can chisel our character and change our conduct to be more like Christ. Trials allow God to adjust my conduct, which is what I do. At a deeper level, God is committed to reshaping my character, which is who I am. And it’s all about His glory, which is why I exist. God changed Simon Peter from the stubborn, impulsive, self-reliant rebel to the rock through the things he suffered for Christ. Next time we will look at the four truths Peter presents that will help us process our pain.