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.

The first thing he tells us is to:

1. Expect suffering.

As Peter tells us to expect suffering he is calling us to stop being surprised by suffering and to stop seeing suffering as strange. Many Christians are surprised and even shocked when the trials and sufferings come into their lives. Today there is a popular theology called prosperity theology, which teaches that the sun always shines on the saved, that the grass is always greener for good Christians, that suffering doesn’t come to those who are sincere in their faith. But Peter proclaims that prosperity preaching is not only deceitful and bogus but it’s dangerous.  Because it causes us to pursue happiness instead of holiness. River rock is prized and sought out by builders because of its beauty, but it’s a beauty that came about through being bashed about. The raging river didn’t just tossed and turned this rock it transforms it. Just as the rock is refined by the raging waters so God transforms our lives through turbulent trials. We may not like the scalpel of suffering but we need the surgery so that we can be shaped into men and women who reflect His glory. We may wish for the slow streams and the still pools so that we can live undisturbed lives. But God cares too much about our character to leave us in the calm and the comfortable creeks. Jesus never taught the “prosperity gospel,” but He did preach the “persecution gospel.” Matthew 5:10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” In John 15:20, Jesus said, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” In John 16:33 He adds, “…In this world you will have trouble…” 2 Timothy 3:12 says, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Philippians 1:29: “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.” We shouldn’t be surprised when fiery trials come our way because we are at spiritual war with Satan himself. Do you have Prosperity theology or proper theology? A proper theology is ok with pain that produces Christ like character, but a Prosperity theology will always panic at pain because when your pursuit and purpose is pleasure you will only see pain as a problem. Proper theology is concerned with character, Prosperity theology is concerned with comfort. Prosperity theology is also dangerous because it causes us to question God’s love. But notice that Peter starts with the words “dear friends or beloved” which means to be “prized and valued, dearly and very much loved.” The first seven uses of this word in the New Testament refer to the love that the Father has for the Son. When you are going through a season of suffering it’s easy to question God’s love. But you are beloved by God even when you’re being bombarded by suffering.  God’s love is not tied to your current circumstances it’s tied to the cross. God treasures you even in the midst of your trial. But Prosperity theology forces us to find our love in a problem free life not in the Lord of life. Suffering is a seal of discipleship, something that is guaranteed for the follower of Christ. If you have a false belief you are going to get blindsided, and a faith that leaves you unprepared for suffering is a farce. When you base your faith on a lack of affliction, your faith teeters on the brink of extinction and will fall apart and fail at the first mention of a debilitating disease or disaster. A False faith can’t survive suffering, nor should it. One of the blessings and benefits of suffering is that it exposes and eliminates our toxic Theology and replaces it with truth. Believing God exists is not the same as trusting the God who exists.