I Peter 2:19-25

Verse 19, For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

I. For this is thankworthy, or acceptable to God. See verse 20.

II. If a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

A. I believe that a person first has a conscience toward God, then acts as his conscience instructs.

1. A person may know that he will suffer if he acts in a certain way, but his conscience toward God will allow him no other action.

2. If there would be no suffering, the faithful Christian would act exactly the same way.

B. There are some who believe that a persons conscience allows them to feel they are serving God by enduring grief and suffering wrongfully.

1. I believe this is looking at serving God, and suffering because of that service, with a wrong attitude.

2. It is impossible to serve God with anything except the deepest heartfelt love for Him.

3. Our expecting grief and wrongful suffering has nothing at all to do with our serving God.

C. Notice that enduring grief and suffering wrongfully are service to God.

1. Sometimes we have the idea that service to God is doing something publicly, like teaching, singing, or preaching.

2. Some of the most faithful servants of God are those people who suffer silently.

a. Those saints whose families turn against them because they no longer run to the same excess of riot as they do.

b. Those saints who lose friends because they had rather serve God.

Verse 20, For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

There are two kinds of glory mentioned here.

I. A glory for which there is no acceptance with God.

A. Glory (credit or honor) is not given from God (or men) if we are buffeted (hit in the face with a fist, or anything else handy) for our faults, (our guilt). We've all been in this position.

1. The general idea is that the rebuke was deserved.

2. We do not congratulate the thief who accepts the sentence from the judge, for he deserved everything he got.

B. The guilty party may have exercised the same measure of patience as the person in category II (below)

1. It is not the amount of patience that received glorification from God.

2. It is the reason for the patience.

II. A glory which God accepts.

A. God will never buffet (hit in the face) the innocent person!

B. The innocent person who takes "a licking" from others is in a position to receive rewards from God. We've all been in this position.

1. If he handles the situation with patience, then God will give him eternal glory, even if he doesn't receive recognition in this life.

2. If he doesn't handle the situation with patience, then God won't give him eternal glory, and he won't receive recognition in this life.

C. Men may not ever give glory because they don't understand what you have gone through, but God does understand, His glory will last eternally.

Verse 21, For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

I. We are not called just to suffer for the sake of suffering.

A. Christ didn't come into the world just for the sake of suffering.

1. He came to perform a specific task, and in performing that task had to suffer.

2. This is what we are supposed to do.

B. Christ doesn't want us to go around looking for something we can do that will cause us suffering.

1. That would be pointless and quite ridiculous.

2.

C. We ought to fully understand that the saint is not called unto a life of ease and relaxation.

1. Matt. 8:18-22 - When certain disciples told Jesus they were going to follow Him, he told them in no uncertain terms what they were going to face.

 

II.

 

III.

 

IV. That ye should follow his steps.

 

 

 

Verse 22, Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

I. Who did no sin.

A. "Did" speaks of action. Therefore there was no act of sin in Christ.

B. Sin means a missing of the mark. Christ never missed the mark of God at all, but was completely perfect in all his actions, thoughts, and purposes.

II. Guile found in his mouth.

A. Guile means deceit, hypocrisy, or insincerity.

B. "Found" speaks of a search that was made.

1. There were those people who tried to trick Jesus when He spoke, but they were confounded.

2. At the mock trial of Christ, He finally had to force Pilate to convict Him, because the witnesses kept getting their story mixed up.

C. Mouth speaks of the tongue.

1. What comes out of the mouth comes out of the heart. Christ had a pure heart, therefore what came out of his mouth was as pure as his heart.

2. Christ was completely able to control His tongue.

a. James 3:5,6 says the tongue is set on fire of hell.

b. The symbolism is that Christ can control the fires of hell.

Verse 23, Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

I. The word "was" means that He was actually reviled.

A. The reaction of Christ was that he didn't revile in return.

B. When Jesus was hanging on the cross for the sins of the world, the very first thing He said was, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

C. There were some times when Christ called the Pharisees some pretty strong names: hypocrite, whited sepulcher, etc.

1. Even though Christ told these people exactly what they were, He didn't revile them, or try to make fun of them.

2. He only said those things so they would open their eyes to what they really were before God.

II. When he suffered, he didn't threaten.

A. The word "threaten" means to say what a person would do, whether they could do it or not.

B. Matt. 26:53 - When Peter cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest, Christ told him that he could call more than twelve legions of angels.

1. A legion is between 5,000 and 6,000 angels, for a total of 60,000 to 72,000 angels.

2. According to II Sam. 24;15, one angel killed 70,000 in three days, or 972 an hour, or one every 3.7 seconds!

3. This means that 60,000 angels could kill 58,333.200 per hour and 72,000 angels could kill 69,999.840 per hour.

4. Jesus didn't have an empty threats! Power like the world has never seen was waiting at His beck and call.

III. Committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.

A. Jesus committed His every care to His heavenly Father.

B. Isn't this what we are to do?

Verse 24, Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

I. Another didn't bear our sins, nor did He offer an animal sacrifice.

II. In his own body.

A. Jesus didn't become a sinner.

B. He took our sins upon Himself.

C. This is the Bible doctrine of Imputation.

1. Romans. 4:6,8,11.

2. II Cor. 5:19.

Verse 25, For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.