So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. 1 Peter 4:19
This has to be some of the most repulsive teaching in all of God’s Word. Is “repulsive” too strong?!? Read that verse again, slowly. Suffering…according to God’s will…and doing good in response? Repulsive! Just so we are on the same page here, I offer my Funk & Wagnall’s Dictionary definition of repulsive: “Exciting such feelings, as of dislike, disgust, or horror, that one is repelled; grossly offensive; causing aversion.” Yes…that’s it. I find doing good in response to unjust treatment repellant. (To see that the suffering referenced here is as a result of unjust treatment, read 1 Peter 4:12-18.) I guess, to be fair, it is not that I dislike the concept. In truth, I find the concept noble, good, even admirable, when contemplated in a non-specific sort of way. However, when I find myself the target of unjust treatment, or at least perceived unjust treatment, the idea of accepting it and even responding by doing good is tough to hear. Doing good, in general, appeals to me. When I see someone in need or in harms way, I like to help out—even if it is a complete stranger. And I try to be quick with a smile or a greeting to everyone. But when I am the recipient of unjust treatment, these “good” attributes quickly fade. Continuing to do good in the face of injustice—therein lies the rub! I tell you what I want to do when I feel wronged—I want to get snarky. I want to put someone in their place. I want vindication at any cost! But Peter says I can’t. It isn’t that Peter forbids speaking out against injustice, or taking a stand, or defending myself. But what he does indicate is that I can only do so in a manner that conforms to what is good. A bitter, vengeful spirit DOES NOT conform to what is good. The need to be proven right DOES NOT conform to what is good. Resorting to snide comments, name calling and insulting remarks DOES NOT conform to what is good. This does not rule out defending my person. In fact, extreme situations may even call for physical violence as a means of protecting myself or others. Case and point…David and Goliath. The problem is, I am too often driven by a fear that someone has trampled my rights—and I simply cannot let them get away with it. Makes me feel a bit like Robert Deniro, “You talkin’ to me?” In an increasingly angry, aggressive, and isolationist world—it is easy to get a chip on your shoulder, always ready to go after anyone who dares tread on my rights. But then I come to Peter. And it isn’t just the verse above. 1 Peter 2:19 and 20 says, “For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God….if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.” And again in 3:17, “It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” Then we read in 4:16, “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” What is Peter’s justification for such difficult statements? What is the reasoning behind being willing to be treated badly and not responding in kind? Actually, Peter does provide some rather profound motivations for responding to evil with good. First, it is a response of faith, believing that it is God’s vindication that really counts. Second, it is a recognition that if people mistreated our Lord, they will mistreat His disciples. Finally, it is a modeling ourselves after Jesus’ example as one who experienced the most unthinkable form of unjust treatment, yet did not resort to vengeance. Of course, it isn’t just Peter who offers such repulsive teaching. We find it in Paul’s questions, “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” (1 Cor. 6:7). And we find it again in his charge, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21). And all of this difficult teaching finds it’s source in the words of Jesus, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them” (Luke 6:32). To wax philosophical on these teachings is easy. To praise their moral worth is not hard. But to live them out in real life—that’s hard, that’s repellant, that’s repulsive. And, I might add, apart from God’s empowering presence—it’s impossible. But as those set free from sin’s power and indwelt by the Spirit—prayerfully seeking to obey this teaching and repenting when I do not is not optional. No matter how repulsive it may seem, it is part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
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Dan GannonDan has ministered at Renton Bible Church, with his wife Debbie, since 2003. Archives
June 2022
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