1 Peter 2:18-21 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 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. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

The Big Lie Told From The Pulpits

Several years ago a horrible lie was pushed through the Protestant pulpits and seminaries, a lie that continues to this day. This lie caused a lot of harm. It basically said this:

“Salvation is a free gift of God. Once you are saved, you don’t have to do anything else. There is a second level of Christianity called “Discipleship” that you can choose to follow – or not. You’re still saved and have a free ride to Heaven no matter how you live your life.”

They may not have used those exact words, but that was what was preached. Using this formula, the “Church Membership Rosters” filled with members, and for a time the number of attendees rose. I actually saw one preacher do this – play along with me. “How many of you want to go to Heaven – raise your hand? All right, how many of you believe that Jesus died to save you from Hell, to give you Heaven? Raise your hand. All right, everyone who raised their hand is saved! Let’s praise the Lord!”

After a while though, the Churches began to empty out. Do you know why? Because if you’re going to Heaven no matter what you do in this life, you can be a serial killer or a rapist. You have no incentive to become a “disciple”, that second tier of Christianity, if everyone goes to the same place and gets the same reward. This is the reason that Hugh Hefner, when he died, was depicted as entering Heaven in numerous editorial cartoons. He and his Playboy Empire helped create a $10 Billion a year porn industry.

There is another reason (among a myriad of reasons) that “Two Tier Christianity” failed, and the Churches are emptying out. Many believe that once they were saved, that they would not only miss hell, but would also miss out on suffering. But that’s not true. All people suffer.

So called “Two Tiered Christianity” will not stand
through the fire of suffering.

One of my favorite Bible Teachers was Dr. Tim Keller, an ordained Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in America. Keller pastored the 5000 member Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, New York City. He wrote 34 Books on various Bible subjects. Though I didn’t agree with him on everything he wrote, he asked those who professed Christ:

1. Is There EVIDENCE OF GOD’S PRESENCE In Your Life?
2. Is There EVIDENCE OF SCRIPTURE Changing Your Life?
3. Is There EVIDENCE OF A GROWING APPRECIATION for God’s Mercy?

Listen to me, Beloved. If you are saved, YOU ARE SAVED INTO A FAMILY. If you are saved, YOU ARE SAVED INTO A KINGDOM. There are not two levels of Christianity, but one. Life will try your faith. Bad things happen to the best of people. Tim Keller died of Pancreatic Cancer at the age of 72, but he died praising God for His goodness. Tim Keller’s last words were these:

“There is no downside for me leaving, not in the slightest.”

Christians Will Suffer. Is God Present
With You In Your Suffering?

1 Peter 2:18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

Word Study: The Apostle starts with the word “Servants”. This is the Greek oikétēs, {pronounced oy-ket’-ace}, which means “a menial domestic, a live in maid or butler”. Jesus used this same word in:

Luke 16:13 No servant {oikétēs} can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

One of the lowest jobs a person could have is to be an oikétēs or a live in servant. This job was usually held by slaves, though it could be a very low paying position. The oikétēs did the lowest jobs, washing the feet of the master and his family, cleaning up after those in his or her charge, waiting on the Master’s family hand and foot. The word oikétēs speaks to those who are in a miserable job with little wage – a hand to mouth existence.

Word Study: The oikétēs is told to “be subject to your masters with all fear”, to willingly and respectfully serve them. He says, “not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward”. The word “froward” is the Greek skoliós, {pronounced skol-ee-os’}, which means “the crooked, the wicked, the surly or mean spirited”. Your level of service and your attitude is to be attentive, respectful, and patiently longsuffering toward the “master”, regardless as to how you are treated, or what you think you deserve. Though you are a “SERVANT” in this person’s employ, and though this person may treat you badly, you are nonetheless a “Child of God” in the House of God. You belong to God. You represent God. You represent the Kingdom of Heaven.

1 Peter 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

Word Study: The word translated “THANKWORTHY” is the Greek cháris, {pronounced khar’-ece} which means “GRACE”. When you do good to those who do bad to you, you are demonstrating Christ in your life. You are showing people what Grace looks like. This is what Jesus did for you. We are told in:

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

“For even hereunto were ye called”. This is the reason God called you. You were considered by all else to be less than or the least of these. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NKJV) For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence

God called the weak. He called the broken. He called the lowly servant. Look at who Jesus Christ called to be His Apostles. He did not call rich people, or Bible Scholars, or Doctors of Theology, or great Rabbis. Jesus called fishermen. Jesus called despised tax collectors. Jesus called stewards. Jesus called merchants. Jesus told these men, “Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19).

We are called to imitate Christ.
We are called to model Grace as Jesus did.

If you “endure grief, suffering wrongfully”, then you are following in Christ’s footsteps. Jesus endured grief. Our Lord Jesus came from the glorious Throne of Heaven, down to this earth, to make us right with God. As Jesus went through this life the Bible says:

Hebrews 5:7-9 (ESV) In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. 9 And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him…

All of us have experienced suffering at times. We have all been placed in positions where we were brought low. Jesus went through the same things. Though Jesus never did evil, and was “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15), He was accused of being empowered by the devil. The Pharisee said:

Matthew 12:24 This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

They accused Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65). They plotted against our Lord, and told lies about Him, and mocked Him. Jesus told them:

Matthew 26:53 (ESV) Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

Our Lord Jesus is the “Man of Sorrows”. Oh, how He suffered while on this earth. The Prophet said:

Isaiah 53:3-4 He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

How did Jesus respond when He – the “Beloved Son in Whom God the Father is well pleased” (Matthew 3:17; 17:5) – suffered as He did? Did He curse the Father? Did He rail at His tormentors? No. The Bible says:

1 Peter 2:22-23 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Jesus did not allow His pain to bring Himself into a state of sin. Being sinned against, He “did no sin”. Jesus did not lie nor hide in the gray shadows of the truth. There was no “GUILE {dólos, [pronounced dol’-os], deceitfulness, trickery} found in His mouth”. Jesus stayed within character, and continued to espouse the Word of God as truth. We are told that “when he was reviled, reviled not again”. How did Jesus use His mouth as the worst stage of His suffering?

Luke 23:33-34 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment {clothing} , and cast lots.

As Jesus hung naked and bleeding, making payment for your sins and mine, at no point did He curse His captors nor the audience who mocked Him. Jesus prayed for them.

Jesus epitomized Grace in how He suffered. We Who are His Children are to follow the same standard.

How did Jesus do it? He kept His focus on the bigger picture. He kept His eyes on the Father’s intent. We are told that when Jesus “suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him”.

Jesus gave the situation to His Father.
In His suffering, Jesus focused on the “big picture”.
He focused on our salvation.

The oikétēs or lowly servant focused on the miserable job or the hateful employer will let his emotions draw him downward into depression or hatred. He will, in time, look for ways to “get even” or to pay back the master for what he suffered. But the oikétēs focused on pleasing the Heavenly Father and glorifying the Son of God will praise the Lord in spite of the suffering. That oikétēs will trust that the Father is in control of all things, and that if the oikétēs do his part, that our God will do His part. The Bible tells us that “God is faithful” (1 Corinthians 1:9):

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV) No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Our Heavenly Father is faithful. He is always right in what He proposes and good in what He disposes. Jesus trusted this, and so should we.

1 Peter 2:20 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.

Illustrate: If you suffer for something you did to yourself, there is no glory in that. Sometimes we purposely do the wrong thing, knowing to do better, and cause ourselves suffering. There is no GLORY in that. It’s like a comedian once said, “Doctors can fix all types of sicknesses and diseases. If you were born with defects, specialized doctors can fix you up, make you look like a movie star. You can fix a hair lip, or crossed eyes. But there’s one thing you can’t fix. You can’t fix STUPID”. When you do something STUPID, or against God’s commandment, you can bring misery to yourself – misery you deserve.

What does God want us to do? We are told that when we “do well, and suffer for it” if we “take it patiently” that this is ACCEPTABLE TO GOD. This is what God wants us to do. When we suffer, invite God into the suffering with us. Follow Jesus’ footsteps. The suffering is not without purpose, but God is giving you an opportunity to display what GRACE is.

Has The Scripture You Heard Today
Changed Your Life In Any Way?

Christianity brings not only the Presence of God, but it also modifies your life as you study God’s Word. Jesus bore up under suffering because He knew that what He suffered would conquer death and bring salvation to us. The Scripture says:

Hebrews 2:9-11 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Jesus “TASTED DEATH FOR EVERY PERSON”. He died for the sins of the world. He did that so the He could “bring many sons unto glory”. To come to Jesus in faith is to REPENT, and to RECEIVE HIM as He is – both LORD AND SAVIOR of His people. Did Jesus die on that Cross just to bring us to Heaven? NO! We read:

1 Peter 2:24 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.

Jesus Christ, who is Perfect and Unbroken, was broken on Calvary to fix us. Because He died for our sins, we are ourselves “dead to sins”. The Apostle Paul said it this way:

Romans 6:1-2, 6, 11-18 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

We who are saved, are now sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus. We do not serve sin, but serve righteousness. We who are His “SHOULD LIVE UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS”. If you are saved, you were saved INTO a FAMILY. If you are saved, you are saved INTO a KINGDOM.

We’ll end with this:

1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

We live close to our Great Shepherd. We look to Him. We trust in Him, no matter what may come. Do you know Him? If now, please call upon Him now. REPENT, and turn to the Master. Give your broken life to Him, and He will make you whole. Amen and Amen.