To receive the full impact of Peter’s words in our text, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of late first-century (and later) conditions. Christianity was declared to be an illegal religion in the Roman Empire. In the places that took this edict seriously, it was physically dangerous to be known as a Christian or to associate with those who were Christians. A person could be killed or placed in prison for recognizing Jesus as Lord. Some were ostracized from the community, and some lost their jobs and were banned from pursing their work. The end result was extreme physical hardship.
In our society, the worst a Christian might anticipate is inconvenience. When today’s consequences of faith in Jesus are compared to their consequences for believing in the resurrected Jesus, there is little comparison. How are Christians to react to physical hardship and danger caused by their faith in Jesus? How are hardship and danger to be factored into faith in Jesus as Lord?
In a desire to bring people to Christ, Christians today tend to “downplay” any difficulty to be found in declaring Jesus to be Lord of our lives. Today, Christians seem to “downplay” any difficulty in being a Christian. The result: converts often are caught unaware by difficult physical choices. Too often hardship in following Christ becomes in itself a faith crisis.
Question: Does hardship or difficulty in Jesus Christ become in itself an opportunity for Christian leadership?
Opportunity # 1: People out of Jesus Christ often define what is good differently than those in Christ. The non-Christian definition of good and evil may not be the Christian definition of good and evil. Hardship often provides the Christian an opportunity to get the non-Christian to re-examine his (her) definition of good and evil. Yes, there have been those who harmed Christians for doing good (by Christian definition). This occurred when the person who harmed disagreed with a Christian on what was good.
Opportunity # 2: The Christian sanctified in his (her) heart Christ as Lord. The word “sanctify” basically means to “set apart.” The Christian had one Lord—and only one—in his (her) life. Jesus Christ alone occupied that role in a Christian’s life then! People then were accustomed to having many Lords! To them, having one Lord was strange—especially if that only one was Jesus! Just as having Jesus alone as our supreme authority is strange to many today! If, then, there was a conflict, there was no question as to who directed the Christian’s life no matter what the harm or the danger.
Opportunity # 3: The chance to explain “why” was to be seen as an opportunity. It was opportunity for the Christian to give wanted input.
Try to place this occurrence in the context of their circumstances. Use words and concepts we understand. This writing said the official persecutors asked, “How do you suffer as you do? We are accustomed to being cursed, being threatened, or seeing people die in fear as they lost their lives. However, you people do not do that. Your attitude is different! You do not curse or threaten. You do not fear death. You endure in your conviction that faith in Jesus is worthy of suffering. You face the loss of life as a benefit. How do you do that?”
The opportunity to explain arose from the attitudes that controlled Christians as they confronted hardship and danger. Christians were not like people who were not Christians as they suffered. Notice two things: (1) they were ready to explain their attitude as they suffered. (2) They explained respectfully. Their answer was not based on a sense of “getting even” or the threat of “You will pay for this”—they were gentle and reverent.
Opportunity #4: Their explanation was in keeping with a good conscience. Even when they endured injustice and pain, they behaved like Christians. As Jesus could pray for those responsible for his death as he died, they could look upon those who caused their anguish with sympathy and compassion. Their persecutors might slander them before the suffering and pain, but they could not deny that their faith made them unusual people after they endured suffering and pain. The injustice might begin with slander, but it would not end with slander—because of who they were in Jesus Christ. Unjust hardship proved the genuineness of Jesus Christ!
Often Christians of today think only in terms of benefits leading people to Jesus. We commonly think of leadership occurring only when good is done or good results from a situation. However, some of the most powerful leading in righteousness occurs when hardship or pain is involved. Suffering often demonstrates genuineness. Hardship often demonstrates the power of endurance. Though we often prefer to lead because blessings and benefits occur, we urgently need to remember that leading is powerful among Christians when they endure injustice.
May you reveal who you are in Christ through the good that occurs in your life, and through the hardship and injustice that occur in your life. May the good you encounter declare God’s goodness, and may the pain you encounter declare God’s goodness. Never forget that God often produces good from injustice long after the injustice has happened.
For Thought and Discussion
1. What were the conditions Christians faced when 1 Peter 3:13-17 was written?
2. What critical question did many early Christians have to answer?
3. Why do many Christians of today “downplay” any difficulty in being a Christian?
4. What was opportunity # 1 presented by the existence of hardship?
5. What was opportunity # 2 that hardship presented?
6. What was opportunity # 3? Discuss the probable reaction of official persecutors.
7. How did opportunity # 3 arise? You were asked to notice what two things?
8. Discuss opportunity # 4.
9. Often today’s Christian thinks only in terms of what providing leadership opportunities?
10. Discuss how pain or injustice can provide powerful leading opportunities.
11. What should declare God’s goodness in a Christian’s life?
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 9