This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Our Fiery Ordeal – A Firm Foundation through Fiery Trials. 1 Peter 4:12-19

Last week, Peter gave us Marching Orders for Soldiers of the Cross through four commands on how we should live in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ.

 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[e] rests upon you.[f] 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?”[g]

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.

It is time for us to move on to the third and final movement of the letter 1st Peter. Here, Peter revisits the motifs of hope and struggle—two competing themes working together toward an awe-inspiring climax. In this section, Peter will comfort his readers amid their fiery ordeal (4:12-5:14). He will remind them not to be surprised at their difficult circumstances (4:12). Rather than being surprised, they should keep rejoicing (4:13), entrust their lives to God (4:19), and cast their worries on Him (5:7). Peter will also encourage all of us, his readers, to focus on God’s grace and to rejoice, turning our attention toward a firm hope through faith (4:19). So, in this grand finale of Peter's great symphony of hope, we see Christ Himself as the Composer and Conductor of our lives—our sure foundation of hope in hurtful times.

Pause for a moment and replay these words in your mind. Take your time. Ponder each line. (How firm a foundation)

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,

My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

These timeless lyrics from a classic hymn have been sung boldly and confidently for generations. But they are quickly forgotten when the things we hold dear suddenly ignite in the incinerator of earthly trials. When the furnace's flames begin to singe our lives and livelihoods, those timeworn lyrics can seem strangely remote, even unreal.

Such is human nature. We so easily forget the promises that accompany the trials of life. We forget the hymns, Scriptures, sermons, and lessons that taught us the purpose of testing and the outcome of suffering. And when trials subside, it isn't long before we return to patterns of thinking and living that set us up for another surprise attack when the inevitable fires return.

Peter wrote this letter to Christians who faced desperate circumstances— undeserved suffering, unfair treatment, and unexpected calamities. Here, in his concluding counsel, he cycles back to this central theme of hope in hurtful times, giving us practical insights to help us not merely survive the flames but even thrive in their midst.

-4:12-13 —

Peter's term for “fiery trials" (pyrosis) refers to an agonizing experience of burning with fire. It's the same term John uses to describe God's judgment on “Babylon" (Rev. 18:9,18). But here Peter has in mind a particular circumstance his readers are enduring together: “the fiery trials you are going through" (4:12). We know this trial is related to unjust treatment at the hands of despisers of Christianity>back in the first century. That excruciating trial was severe enough for Peter to write a letter reminding them of their source of hope in such times. But we don't know the precise details of that trial.

Occasionally, trials are slight and brief and quickly forgotten. At other times, they linger and lean hard upon us; leaving us exhausted and discouraged. Sometimes, they even put us out of commission for an extended period. (Bulletin Insert)

Peter gives us two appropriate responses to these agonizing trials. First, we must not be surprised (4:12). We’re not to think it's strange that such things are happening to us. Peter doesn’t open this section with “Dear friends” for nothing—this addresses faithful believers, not disobedient saints or phony frauds. He also describes the “fiery trials” as occurring “among you," “upon you,” and “to you” (4:12). This isn't something that accidentally swept them up, like innocent victims who got caught up in a mob stampede by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The fiery trials they were experiencing came upon them because they were believers.

Ironically, a lot of Christians believe they should be fireproof. Their first reaction is just the thing Peter rejects—surprise! Too often, we hear objections like “I can't believe this is happening to me,” or “Why doesn't God protect me from these things?” or “Why is God allowing this to happen now?” But Peter responds to this normal reaction of surprise with an important reminder: The fiery trials come upon believers for their testing. Like refining fire that tests and purifies gold, separating the precious metal from its impure contaminants, the fire of trials tests and purifies us deep within.

It might help to view our present life as a schoolroom with God as our instructor. We would never be surprised when our human teachers give surprise quizzes and challenging exams. Tests are expected when we're involved in pursuing intellectual growth or developing skills. Why should it alarm us if the master Teacher tests us as we follow His instruction in the curriculum of Christlikeness?

This should logically lead to the second reaction to our fiery ordeal: Instead, be very glad, even joyful (4:13). Peter is not alone in promoting the paradox of joy amid suffering. James wrote, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” (Jas. 1:2). Paul declares that trials draw us into more intimate fellowship with Christ (Phil. 3:10). Peter tells us that when believers suffer, it makes us partners in the sufferings of Christ so we can rejoice in his glory when he returns (1 Pet. 4:13). In suffering unjustly, we participate to a limited degree in the kind of suffering Christ experienced on our behalf. If our Master suffered, so will His disciples. At the same time, Peter urges us to rejoice, knowing that at Christ's return, He will bring with Him relief and rewards for those who suffered faithfully in this life. Our firm hope for the future allows us to rejoice amid our fiery trial. James 1:12 puts it this way: God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

-4:14-18 —

Having instructed believers on how to react during fiery trials, Peter then describes five remaining truths to remember as the flames intensify:

Third, trials provide an opportunity to draw upon divine power (4:14). When faced with excruciating trials, we quickly come to the end of ourselves. We can soon become mentally confused, emotionally drained, physically exhausted, and spiritually spent at that desperate point. From a purely human perspective, we often think this is the worst possible situation. But from a divine perspective, this is the precise condition necessary to draw believers closer to God. We're never more dependent on the Holy Spirit's strength than when we’ve come to the absolute end of ourselves. If we operate under the illusion that we can handle things ourselves, we'll wallow in spiritual weakness. But when we finally admit that apart from Christ, we can do nothing (John 15:5), we can begin to draw on divine power. When we’re reviled for our faith in Christ, God promises to provide strength by His Spirit. In this way, we are “blessed” despite unfair treatment.

Fourth, we should keep in mind that although spiritual blessing and strength are given to those who suffer for the cause of Christ, some suffering is actually deserved (4:15). Peter chooses several examples of things believers could do to incur the wrath and reviling of civil authorities and unbelieving observers.

The first two offenses, murder and stealing, are extreme and obvious legal infractions that bring the wrath of governmental authorities. That kind of punishment is just and deserved! It is appropriate for believers to be punished for such crimes. They should not expect blessing from God in the suffering that results, but rather His discipline.

The second two offenses, making trouble and meddling, seem to refer not to lawbreaking but moral and social offenses. Believers can sometimes conduct themselves hypocritically, becoming instruments of wickedness instead of being conduits of righteousness. And they can also needlessly align themselves with causes and activities that annoy and irritate unbelievers. The term “troublesome meddler" refers to somebody who interferes in things unrelated to their calling. It is easy for Christians to drift off into political involvements or social causes that have little to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter's advice is to ensure we're not engaged in activities that not only would get us off target and bring reproach on the name of Christ but also cause us to miss God's blessing and lose our reward when Christ returns.

The word “barely saved or difficulty” (molis) refers to the quality of the spiritual journey. Luke used the word molis to recount the difficult voyage he and others experienced as they sailed toward Crete: “We had several days of slow sailing, and after great difficulty we finally neared Cnidus.” (Acts 27:7). Similarly, believers encounter many difficulties throughout their spiritual journey, from their initial launch at conversion to their ultimate destination of glory in the heavenly harbor. John Bunyan’s classic work, The Pilgrim's Progress, illustrates this beautifully.

— 4:19 —

During this difficult journey of the spiritual life, in which believers suffer “according to the will of God" for godliness, we could lose heart if we didn’t have absolute confidence in God's goodness and power. Because God is all-powerful, we know that no trial can ever be so far out of control that God's ultimate purposes are thwarted. We can also be sure that God can accomplish His plan through these painful circumstances. And because God is all-good, we know those purposes are to mature us, not destroy us. This is why Peter reminds us that God is a “faithful Creator"—all-powerful and all-good! We can entrust our lives to Him with hope even in hurtful times as we continue to do what is right amid unjust suffering.

APPLICATION: 1 PETER 4:12-19 – Bulletin Insert

God is Faithful - Rest in Him

The tests and trials we endure as Christians are never wasted or mistaken. God never says, “Whoops, made a mistake! That was meant for Frank. Sorry, Bob.” He doesn't indiscriminately toss trials into the lives of a hundred believers, hoping to affect a few. God has designed a specific curriculum for each of us, a particular course of study designed to bring out the virtuous character of Christ deep within us. These uniquely designed and tailor-made trials drive us to the Lord and produce measurable spiritual growth.

But the typical response is to resist. Such reactions are only human. Sometimes, the tests are so grueling that we want to drop out of God's training school entirely. But we all need to accept that God's tailored trials are not simply elective courses in the Christian life. They are, in fact, prerequisites for Christlikeness. But let me give you some suggestions tied to 1 Peter 4:19, which have helped me face trials without dashing for the nearest exit.

When the X-ray doesn’t look good, remember that God is faithful. Rest in Him. Remember that God is faithful when you read a note from your spouse you never thought you'd receive. Rest in Him. When you get news about one of your children that no parent wants to believe, remember that God is faithful. Rest in Him. When you get that dreaded pink slip at work and realize the ax just fell, remember that God is faithful. Rest in Him.

How do you remember that God is faithful? By His Word. I’ve mentioned several passages today. You only have to read a few pages in the Bible to see God's absolute faithfulness demonstrated in His people's lives despite their faithless rebellion against Him. Begin by reminding yourself of God’s faithfulness by reading His Word.

When trials come—and they will come—be confident that God is faithful. Rest in Him.

Next week, we will continue in the third section of  the letter of 1 Peter called “Our Fiery Ordeal.” Our message is titled “A Job Description for Shepherds.” Invest some time reading 1 Peter 5:1-4 for next week’s message.