Now in that passage that Brother
Randy just read, there's so much instruction and comfort for the
people of God in going through the trials and the troubles,
the tribulations, the difficulties of life. And that's who Peter
wrote this to. He wrote it to believers. There's
no doubt that this is written to believers. He starts off there
in verse 12, he says, beloved. And of course, the whole letter,
just like over in the first part of this letter, when he talks
about God's children, God's elect. He makes it clear. This is verse
two of chapter one, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father through sanctification. These are those who are chosen
of God before the foundation of the world, evidenced by being
set apart by the Spirit through the preaching of the gospel.
And he says, unto obedience of the sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ. And then here in verse 12 of
our text, chapter four, beloved. So there's no doubt he's writing
this to sinners saved by grace, the most blessed people that
have ever been, or ever will be. And if you are saved by the
grace of God, that's who you are. You are a person, a sinner,
who has been blessed beyond imagination. Now you may not particularly
feel blessed today, or tomorrow morning, or some point in time. But because of God's word, because
of what God says, we know it's true. We are so blessed of God. It's unimaginable, it's indescribable.
And I thought about this as I was studying for this message. Where
would we be without God's word to teach us and to tell us these
things? I think about the old prophet
Isaac, comfort ye, comfort ye my people. Beloved, loved of
God, that's who he's talking about. Paul wrote about that
in 2 Thessalonians 2.13, he says, we're bound to give thanks all
the way to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord. Because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. And you know, Paul wrote
that in a context of talking about the second coming of Christ
in which times would be hard. Many, many millions of people
deceived by Satan with the deception of unrighteousness. And that's
false religion. That's the deception of unrighteousness. The mystery of iniquity, an iniquity
that God must reveal, and he has revealed it to his children. And he's revealed in light of
the standard of righteousness which he brings forth in Christ,
that he's gonna judge the world in righteousness by Christ, that
man whom he hath appointed and that he's given assurance unto
all men that he has raised him from the dead. And so Peter says,
listen, verse 12, think it not strange, Out of the ordinary. Concerning the fiery trial. Now there are trials, and then
there are fiery trials. You've been through trials, haven't
you? Have you been through any fiery trials? You have. Because
it's common to the people of God. Don't think it's a strange
thing. Don't think this is something out of the ordinary, whatever
you're going through today or future, whatever, whatever you've
been through. Because it's to try you, he says, to test you
as though some strange thing happened unto you. What's he
talking about? Well, Peter's been talking about
suffering for Christ's sake. That's what he's talking about.
He's not talking about all suffering that is common to all people.
There is a suffering that's common to all people. Believers and
unbelievers. Believers get sick, unbelievers
get sick. Believers lose everything they
have, unbelievers lose everything they have. That's common to everybody. And so Peter's saying, don't
be surprised or think it out of the ordinary concerning the
fiery trial, the severe trial. How severe can it get? It can
get pretty severe. The testing that we go through.
And I'll tell you one thing right now, even that one verse alone,
and there are a lot of verses that do this, even that one verse
alone deals a death blow to the false health and wealth gospel. Your best life now, the power
of positive thinking, all that, that movement, that puts a sinner's
relationship with God on the ground of How well you're doing, financially,
health-wise, whatever. Speak a word, they say, and it'll
come true. That's a lie from hell. I understand that. But let me
say this. These fiery trials, don't go
looking for them. Don't reach out for them. They're
just part of the territory, folks. They're coming. They may come
when you least expect it. But don't think it's strange
that this thing has happened to you, Peter says. And then
look at verse 13, he says, but rejoice. How is that possible? Well, rejoice in as much as you
are, and here's the title of the message, partakers of Christ's
sufferings. You're a partaker of Christ's
suffering, that when his glory shall be revealed, you may be
glad also with exceeding joy. And he goes on, verse 14, if
you be reproached for the name of Christ. Now this is a specific
type of reproachment, isn't it? reproach for the name of Christ.
That's for the glory of God in Christ. Happy are you, and Randy
read that right. That doesn't mean you go around
with a fake smile on your face all the time. It means you're blessed. You're
blessed. And he says, for the spirit of
glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part he is evil
spoken of. That is the enemies of God. But
on your part, God is glorified. See, on their part, when you
go through this fiery trial, unbelievers, a lot of times now,
they'll say, well, what'd you do wrong to get this put upon
you? You must not be living right. You must not be, you know, the
only way to live right is to live in the grace of God, begging
him for mercy every minute, looking to Christ. You must not be living
right. Job's three miserable comforters. Job, what's going on here now?
You must have done something really bad that God's mad at
you. And you know what? The lesson
of the book of Job is that believers can fall into such thoughts too,
thinking that way. Old Job, he started justifying
himself, didn't he? And then he comes to the end,
he said, well, he said, I know this was so. I heard of you by
the hearing, but now I've experienced some things I hadn't experienced
before. And I repent in sackcloth and ashes, he said. Isn't that
amazing? Partakers of Christ's suffering,
that's what I want to talk about. And then I'll come back and do
the rest of this chapter next week, Lord willing. What is a
partaker? Well, it's a partner. It's a
word of fellowship. Peter, if you look right across
the page in most Bibles, you'll see 2 Peter chapter one and verse
four. He says, whereby are given unto
us, that is believers, exceeding great and precious promises,
that by these, that is by these promises applied to our minds
and our hearts by the Spirit, you might be partakers, same
word, of the divine nature. That is you're brought into fellowship
with God. The divine nature is God there.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of the divine nature having escaped
the corruption that is in the world through lust. We're brought into fellowship
with God through Christ. And in 1 John 1, you don't have
to turn there, but 1 John 1, he talks about our fellowship.
That's the same word, partaker. We're partners in fellowship
with the Father and the Son, and we're in fellowship with
one another. And our fellowship, John says, is basically benchmarked
by three things. Light, which is truth, that's
the gospel, the light of Christ. Righteousness, that's it, we
have a righteousness that answers the demands of God's law and
justice. It's not one of our working, it's the imputed righteousness
of Christ. And love, where we band together. in this fellowship. We stick
together. We're a family, a spiritual family. But when you think about Christ's
sufferings, what do you think about? Well, we think about his
suffering on the cross, don't we? You know, there is a legal,
you know, people say, well, I preach too much on the legality. I don't
preach enough on it. There is a legal fellowship with
Christ that every believer has entered into before the foundation
of the world. when God chose us and gave us
to Christ, made him to be our surety. Paul spoke of it in 2
Timothy chapter one when he talked about a salvation that was given
us in Christ Jesus before the world began. And by that legal fellowship,
we are justified before God based upon Christ's righteousness,
given, imputed, accounted to us. We are forgiven of all our
sins by his blood. And it was so real that when
he came to this earth, he substituted himself in our place, he became
our surety, as our substitute, and when he died, in fellowship
with him legally, we died. In fellowship with him legally,
when he was buried, we were buried. In fellowship with him legally,
when he arose again, we arose again. He was our substitute
and our redeemer. And now we stand in fellowship
with him as our intercessor. He's our advocate, Jesus Christ
the righteous. And he pleads the merits of his
obedience unto death on behalf of his people. And that'll never
stop. Our sins imputed to him, his
righteousness imputed to us for our justification. And he redeemed
us from our sins on the cross and purged away our sins legally.
Fellowship, together. Paul calls it in Ephesians chapter
two, we suffered together. Everyone of God's elect was together
legally in Christ. But now this is not the partnership,
the fellowship that Peter's speaking of here specifically. which Peter's writing here. What
Peter's writing here is in light of and because of our legal fellowship,
our partnership with Christ, but this legal partnership in
and of itself does not bring the fiery trial on us, it brought
the fiery trial on Christ. Why did he have to suffer? Oh,
he suffered, didn't he? You know, he suffered throughout
his lifetime here on earth. He suffered the derision of sinners,
He suffered their nasty words, their accusations. Boy, did he suffer on that cross.
He cried great tears and sweat drops of blood in the garden.
Oh, what a fiery trial. So much so that in anticipation
of it in his humanity, he cried, Lord, if this cup could pass
from me, let it be so. Nevertheless, he said, thy will
be done. He suffered in our place. The
fire of God's wrath came down upon Christ. The fire of man's
hatred was toward him. The soul suffering that he went
through. That's what he went through.
But this partnership here that Peter's speaking of, this reproach
that he mentioned in verse 14, this being a partaker of Christ's
suffering, it's a partnership that brings a fiery trial upon
his people in this life. Because as his people, it does not come on us until
we're brought into a spiritual, living relationship with Christ
in the new birth, and under the preaching of the gospel, brought
to faith in Him, wherein we express in the gospel witness that we
are His servants, His children, we identify with Him, we believe
in Him, we rest in Him, and we've repented of all the evil works
and dung and religion of man. We turn to Christ, we turn to
serve the living God, and we turned away from what? Our idols. Where do those idols exist? In
any religion, be it called Buddhism, Shintoism, Mohammedism, or be
it called Christian. Where the truth of the glorious
person and the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is not
preached. Where the God of the Bible is
either ignored, lied upon, or not recognized. You see, before
this, before we are brought into that spiritual fellowship in
the new birth by the Spirit, spiritually, we're dead in trespasses
and sins just like the natural man and in unbelief, and we're
in fellowship with the world against Christ and against his
people. But when God brings us spiritually
into the fellowship of Christ, what happens? Then comes the
trial, this trial. Oh, we suffered before we were
regenerated and converted in a lot of ways, but then comes
another type of suffering in fellowship with Christ against
the world. And it's called being reproached.
Being derided, that's what that means. Being shunned. Oh, don't listen to that bunch.
Get away from him. for the name of Christ. What
Peter's talking about is a persecution that comes over our testimony,
our witness of the gospel of God's free grace, his sovereign
grace, in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. Now first of all, consider
exactly what this reproach or this fellowship brings about
for the name of Christ, what it is, and why we're not to consider
it strange. We'll listen to this, turn to
John chapter 15. We're not to consider it strange
because the Lord himself told us to expect it. He didn't sugarcoat the Christian
life. He didn't say, Well, if you just
speak a word, that cancer or that heart disease will go away.
He didn't say, let's start a prayer chain, boys, through Jerusalem
and see if we can turn this country back to God. He didn't say that.
Here's what he said, verse 18, John 15. If the world hate you,
reject you, you know that it hated me before
it hated you. Now, if you were of the world,
if you were in partnership or in fellowship with the world,
the world would love his own. You'd be okay, they wouldn't.
But because you're not of the world, but I've chosen you out
of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Now, somebody says,
well, I don't hate any of those people. They reject the message
of God's true love in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. And you
know what? The Lord considers that hatred. Verse 20, remember the word that
I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord.
If you're in partnership and fellowship with Christ, you're
not greater than Him. You think He's gonna give you
a bed of roses? You're just fooling yourself.
He says, if they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they've kept my saying, they'll keep yours also. If God brings
them to believe the gospel, and to submit to the righteousness
of God in Christ, they'll be in fellowship with
you. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's
sake, because they know not him that sent me. In other words,
because you're standing for the glory of God in Christ, they'll
do this, but they don't know God. But now look at verse 22,
this is interesting. He says, if I had not come and
spoken unto them, They had not had sin, but now they have no
cloak for their sin. Now you remember, what's he saying
there? He's not saying, well, if I hadn't come and spoken,
they're not sinners. He's saying, if I had not come
and spoken the word of truth to them, They wouldn't know the
reality of sin, but now they have no cloak for it. Now what
did he say to the, remember what he said to the, he said, well,
the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 520. Accept your righteousness,
exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you
shall not in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven. Now how do
you think the Pharisees received that message? You think they
looked up and said, praise the Lord? They said, let's get rocks
and stone that guy. He said, the harlots and the
publicans will enter heaven before the scribes and the Pharisees. Harlots and publicans? Wait a
minute, I thank God I'm not like that public. Wait a minute. Think
about it. He looked at the Pharisees and
he said, you're of your father the devil. And the works of your
father you do. He was a liar from the beginning. You're right with him. He said,
if you don't believe that I am, you'll die in your sins. Think
about that. Look at John 16 there, verse
one. He says, these things have I
spoken unto you that you should not be offended. They shall put
you out of the synagogue. They'll throw you out of their
worship services. Yea, the time cometh that whosoever
killeth you will think that he doeth God's service. And these
things will they do unto you because they have not known the
Father, nor me." Expect it, he said. And here's the second reason.
Turn to Philippians chapter one. The second reason that we should
not consider the fiery trials, the persecutions over the gospel,
is because what I said before, it just comes with the territory.
It comes with true saving faith and true repentance. Look at
Philippians 1.27. And this one, if you haven't
read this before, it may surprise you. Paul writes, only let your
conversation here walk. your conduct be as it becometh
the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you or else be
absent, I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one spirit
with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.
Now that's the fellowship of the faithful. That's the fellowship
of brethren. Standing fast in one spirit,
one mind striving together. In verse 20, and in nothing terrified
by your adversaries, your enemies, which is to them an evident token
of perdition. Their rejection of the gospel
evidences their condition. But to you of salvation and that
of God. For unto you, now listen to this,
unto you it is given, a gift. In the behalf of Christ, not
only to believe on him, we know faith is the gift of God, it's
given, but also to suffer for his sake. That's a gift. That's one of those gifts that
keeps on giving. Somebody might say, well, that's
a gift I really don't want. Oh, you, it comes with it. Verse 30, having the same conflict
which you saw in me and now to be in me. So this suffering is
part of Christian living. It's part of the life of grace.
Standing together. And let me say this. We either
stand together in the gospel and the witness of it, or we
don't. I've seen people in gospel congregations
where the gospel is preached. They'll talk about their brethren
all over the place, even in false churches. I want you to know
that when you do that, you're not standing together, striving
together in the truth with the people of God. Our brethren are
those who know our Savior. Christ said it. They'll do these
things because they neither know God nor me. Turn to Hebrews 12. Here's the
third thing. Why these fiery trials are not
strange. They are to be considered the
loving chastisements of our Heavenly Father. Now a chastisement is not punishment
aimed at paying for sin. Now there are consequences sometimes
of sin, not always. For example, none of us love
God perfectly and love our neighbor perfectly. If there was a consequence
that we had to suffer here in this life over there, we wouldn't
be able to lift up our heads because we're sinners. But on
the other hand, if you go out and murder someone, the consequence,
you'll be arrested, hopefully, taken to jail and tried and convicted,
either put in prison or be be punished by the state. But here's the way a believer,
a child of God, a sinner saved by grace, washed in the blood,
clothed in his righteousness, is to look at these trials. They're
the loving chastisements of our Father. He says, verse five of
Hebrews 12, have you forgotten that exhortation which speaketh
unto you as unto children? My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord. Chastisement is not punishment
by way of paying for sin, it's correction, it's God teaching
us, testing us, correcting us. Nor faint when thou art rebuked
of him, for whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, he scourgeth every
son whom he receiveth. If you endure chastening, and
that is by the grace of God, God dealeth with you as with
sons. For what son is he whom the Father
chasteneth not? But if you be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers. Now this is talking again, specific
about suffering for Christ's sake, whereof all are partakers.
But any suffering a believer goes through, this applies. If
you're without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then
are you bastards and not sons. So these are the loving chastisement.
See, these trials, they don't create faith, but they do reveal
and strengthen faith. Because they cause us to grow
and to look to Christ even more as the author and finisher of
our faith, and they drive us to the word of God. Somebody
said, well, the only time so-and-so comes to church is when they're
in trouble. Well, so-and-so ought to come to church all the time. But don't stay away just because
somebody thinks you're gonna be in trouble. Because when we're
in trouble, we need the word of God, we need the fellowship
of God's people. We do. We're a needy people. But they're chastisement. And
here's the fourth thing. Why these trials are not strength.
It's because of man's natural hatred of the gospel light. Look
at John chapter three. Man has a natural aversion to
the things that glorify God in Christ, that exalt Christ in
the power, in the glory of his person, in the power of his finished
work, and puts man in the dust where he has no reason to boast. Verse 18 of John 3. He that believeth on him is not
condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because
he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the
world. That's Christ, the gospel. And men loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil. The things that man
by nature is proud of, that he thinks recommends him unto God,
the gospel light of the blood and righteousness of Christ,
that we need a perfection of righteousness that we cannot
find anywhere but in Christ alone, that message exposes man's deeds,
man's obedience, man's works, man's choices, man's efforts
as being evil because they deny the glory of God. Verse 20, for
everyone that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to
the light, lest his deeds should be reproved, exposed for what
they are. Verse 21 says, he that doeth
truth, believeth the gospel, cometh to the light, that his
deeds may be made manifest, that they're wrought of God, they're
the work of God. You know, Paul said, Galatians
6 14 he said God forbid that I should glory in the cross saving
the cross of Jesus Christ By whom the world is crucified unto
me What he's saying there is I look because I glory only in
the cross of Christ. I look upon the world as being
cursed By whom the world is crucified and by and I'm crucified under
the word they look upon me as being cursed I And then he says,
for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision or uncircumcision avail a thing.
You see the Jews, the unbelieving Jews thought that circumcision
meant something as to a relationship with God. And Paul said it means
nothing but a new creation. The true gospel of Christ sets
us on the outside of popular religion. But did you notice when Peter
wrote these words, He used words like this. He said, rejoice. He said, be
glad also with exceeding joy. He said, happy are ye. Now fiery trials are not pleasant. And we're not commanded of God
to act like they are. Over there in Hebrews chapter
12, when he brought this out, this
chastisement, He said this, he said in verse 11, now no chastening
for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. It's a
burden, it's heavy. Nevertheless, afterward, after
God has brought us through it, whenever that time is, and it
may be taking us out of this world and going to be with him.
But afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness
unto them which are exercised thereby. What is that peaceable
fruit of righteousness? It's an affirmation and a confirmation
of the knowledge that Christ is my hope. that I have His righteousness
imputed to me. I go through a trial and I never
come out on the other side feeling good about myself. Oh, I have
to pray, Lord, forgive me for my thoughts, my attitude. But
I know this, that peaceable fruit of righteousness is there. Christ
never changes. He's the same yesterday, today,
and forever. Were it not for God's power and
grace, we would not survive any trial, do you know that? So where
does the joy and the gladness and the happiness come in? Look
back at Peter and I'll close with, look back at 1 Peter 4
and verse 13. Here's what it said, but rejoice
in as much as you are partakers of Christ's suffering. Think
about it. Whatever we go through in this life is not even compared
to what Christ went through for our salvation. To establish the
only righteousness which enables God to justify sinners like us.
But when his glory shall be revealed, that's our gladness. Verse 14,
verse 14, if you be reproached for the name of Christ, blessed
are you, for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.
On their part, he's evil spoken of. You're not responsible for
what unbelievers think, but on your part, he's glorified. God
is glorified. The Lord said this in Matthew
five and verse 10, blessed are they which are persecuted for
righteousness sake. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you,
shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.
Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven,
the reward of grace. For so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you. Our fellowship is with Christ,
not with the world. But don't think it's strange
when that fiery trial comes, as if that some strange thing
has happened. Oh, why me, Lord? We say that,
don't we? But God keeps us. Think about
it this way, that peaceable fruit of righteousness. No matter what
happens to us in this life, God will bring us through for his
glory and our good to the praise of the glory of his grace. And
we can know coming out on the other side, I have a righteousness
that answers the demands of God's law and justice. That's Christ's
righteousness that he has imputed to me and which I've received
by God's given faith. Okay.