Fiery Trials Upon Us

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And

“‘If the righteous is scarcely saved,

    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’

“Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1 Peter 4:12-19 ESV).

What kind of fiery trial is this speaking of? Well, if we go back to the beginning of this chapter, it is speaking of those who are living for human passions, who have not ceased from willful, deliberate, and habitual sin, who are living in sensuality, lustful passions, drunkenness and lawless idolatry. And when we do not join in with them in their self-indulgence, in what is dishonorable, corrupt, immoral, wicked, sensual and dishonest, which they are eager to do, they will malign us, i.e. they will do what is harmful to us.

And now this maligning of us who are following Christ with our lives, and who are refusing to do what is immoral, wicked, and depraved, may engage all sorts of hostile and evil activities being done against us. For one, those who are living wicked and evil and immoral lifestyles may slander us, i.e. tell lies about us with the full purpose to turn others against us, destroying our reputations so that others will think badly of us. Or they may lay traps for us to fall into (mind traps), for they want us to fail and to fall.

It is really a lot like how Jesus’ enemies treated him. They were all the time trying to trip him up with his words so that they would have cause to accuse him of wrongdoing. They continued on this path all throughout his years of ministry on this earth because they found him to be an offense to them. They did not like him for many reasons, but particularly because people were following him, and they were concerned that they might lose their own positions of power over the people if he continued to gain popularity.

And if we are truly following Jesus Christ with our lives, not in absolute perfection, but in walks of holiness, righteousness, and obedience to our Lord, and not in sin; and if we are sharing publicly the truth of the gospel, and if we are actively refuting the lies of the enemy which are in opposition to the truth of God’s word, we are not going to have huge followings, and we are going to face opposition from those who are opposed to the truth of the gospel because they want to continue in their sins without conscience.

So, we are not to be surprised when we are treated this way, and in ways perhaps much worse than just this. For the enemy of our souls wants to destroy us and to stop us from telling the truth, because he wants everyone believing and following after the lies. And if he can’t convince us to stop spreading the truth, then he may resolve to spread lies about us in the hope that the lies will keep others from listening to us. But we are to not let this dishearten us, but we are to rejoice that we share in Christ’s sufferings.

So, if we are insulted for the name of Christ, then we are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon us. And we will have cause for rejoicing when God’s glory is revealed, at the day of judgment, for we stayed the course and we did not let the evil others do to us keep us from following the Lord in obedience to his commands. By God’s grace we remained faithful to our Lord and to his service despite all opposition against us, and despite all evil done against us because of our walks of faith in Christ our Lord.

And then it says here that it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? So what kind of judgment? Well, for one, these trials and tribulations are God’s discipline in our lives to help us to stay the course and to keep the faith and to not depart from the faith and the ways of holiness and righteousness. They are for our good, to keep us on the right path. But they are painful. And we can only endure by the grace of God.

But what else? If we read Revelation 2-3 we will see that five out of seven churches mentioned – which are representative of the church of all time, I believe, at different times in history, in various locations – were corrected by our Lord in very specific areas of their lives, and he warned them of judgment if they did not repent and turn back to following him with their lives. So there is judgment on the church which is spiritually apart from God in practice and that is following after the ways of the world, instead.

And those who do not obey the gospel are not just those who make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but they are many who are professing faith in Jesus Christ but who are still living in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord. And many of these may be among those who are maligning those of us who are walking (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to our Lord in holy living, though not necessarily in absolute perfection. For if sin is what we obey and not God, we will not inherit eternal life with God.

And so what is meant by, “If the righteous is scarcely saved”? It goes to what the Scriptures teach on the subject of our salvation. For we don’t just make a profession of faith in Christ once in our lives and now we “got saved,” and now heaven is guaranteed us when we die regardless of how we live. That is a lie from hell! The righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. It is those who obey the Lord who are born of God and have eternal life.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

For Our Nation  

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

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