Sanctification of the Shepherd, 1 Peter 5: 1-5

If you were reading consecutively through 1 Peter, it almost seems as if chapter 4 would have been the logical place to end the letter.  The theme of 1 Peter has been sanctification, and at the end of chapter 4 we see basically a summary of the teaching that sanctification comes through suffering because of the reaction of the world to holy Christian living.  And in that context, Peter says that God will be the judge of such matters and we should entrust our souls to a faithful Creator.  But he also says that judgment will begin with the house of God.  

That sounds like a warning to the church to stay stedfast and vigilant as we see the day of the Lord approaching, that God is not slack concerning His promises, but will bring every work into judgment, whether good or bad.  That seems a good place to end the letter, I would think.  

So the question then is what do we make of chapter 5? Is it an addendum, an after thought, without reference to the former passage?  Well, the answer is to notice the word “therefore” which starts the first sentence.  “Therefore” ties this passage back to the last of chapter four.  In what respect?  In respect to the judgment of the church.  And in regards to the judgment of the church, God puts the brunt of the responsibility for sanctification of the church upon the pastor.

Peter more than likely has in mind a passage from the Old Testament, Ezekiel chapter 9, in which there was a similar season of judgment against the church of Israel that was announced by God. And in Ezekiel 9:6 the word says that God wanted to “begin the judgment at My sanctuary.” Ezekiel continues in vs 6 saying, “So they began with the elders who were before the house.”  The elders bore the beginning of God’s judgment against His church.  

Peter undoubtedly sees that judgment as a foreshadowing of the judgment that he speaks of here, as beginning with the house of God.  And even as in the vision of Ezekiel when the executioners started with the elders of Israel, so even in the church God starts with the elders as those with the greatest culpability. 

So Peter begins to exhort, to urge, to beseech the elders of the church as the judgment is to begin with them first. This is a urgent call to remain faithful, to be stedfast till the end, and fulfill your responsibility as the shepherd of the church.  

These opening verses then are directed toward the elders of the church.  And though not all in the church are elders, this is still pertinent to you.  Because you need to know what the elders job is supposed to be.  There are a lot of mischaracterizations regarding what the elder or pastor of a church is supposed to be, and a lot of expectations on the part of the congregation that are not necessarily in accordance with what God wants them  to be doing.  

The Greek word for elder is presbyteros. The NT uses the term bishop, elders, and presbyters interchangeably. I don’t believe that they are different positions in the church, but speak of the same position. So elder can refer to all of those.  However, the best definition may be given here by Peter himself; and that is shepherd.  Paul also uses the word poimēn in Ephesians 4:11 when he speaks of pastors in the church which is translated shepherd.  And that is the description that Peter gives here as well in vs 2, “shepherd the flock of God among you.”

So the elders are simply the overseers, the shepherds, the pastors of the flock of God. The word elder, overseer, shepherd, pastor all refer to the same persons, those who are responsible to lead the church, those who are the shepherds and pastors of God's people. They are called elders, which speaks of their seniority and maturity, or at least spiritual maturity.  Overseers  speaks of their leadership. They are called pastor or shepherd which speaks of their responsibility to feed and tend to the flock.

It’s a serious responsibility to care for God’s flock.  It is not the pastor’s flock, it is the Lord’s flock, and the pastor has been given the solemn responsibility to care for them the way that the Lord would have them to.  James warns in James 3:1, “let not many of you become teachers, for as such they will incur a greater condemnation.”  And as Peter indicates here, as well as Ezekiel, the pastor will be held responsible first for the condition of the sheep.

The primary task of the shepherd is feeding the sheep which is done by expounding the word of God. The pastor protects them in order that they may continue to be fed the truth. He guides them into the truth so that they don't go astray into false doctrine which will cause them to stumble. He protects them from predators that would do harm to them, that would ravage the church.  Paul said in Acts 20:29 "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.”  So the pastor is to be on guard against false teachers, false prophets, which try to ravage the church.

The sin of the shepherds in Israel, according to Ezekiel 34, is that they did not feed the sheep. Job one of the pastor of a church is not administration, it's not about establishing programs, it's not about producing entertaining services, it's about feeding the sheep. And God’s word is that which gives life according to John 6:63,68.

Peter gives us here in this passage then four points; the role of the shepherd, the readiness of the shepherd, the reward of the shepherd, and the responsibility of the sheep. Peter begins his exhortation  to  the shepherds by saying he is a fellow elder of the church.  Peter was more than just a shepherd, of course.  He was an apostle.  He is writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  But he shows his empathy with pastors and understanding of their role because he says he is an elder himself.  Jesus could show empathy with us because He became a man, He became one of us.  And Peter knows the trials and burdens of being a pastor, having been the pastor of the church of Jerusalem. 

Not only though does he have empathy for them, but he has apostolic authority over all pastors of all the churches.  And the authority which he gives is that he is “a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed.”  That speaks of his apostleship.  The primary requirement of an apostle was that they had been with Christ during his ministry and seen the risen Lord. And so Peter is subtly reminding them of that position that he has to give them instruction, even though he considers himself a fellow elder and under the same responsibilities. 

First then, Peter speaks of the role of the shepherd. He calls upon the pastors or elders of the churches scattered abroad to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you.” The shepherd is to take care of the flock that is local, that is in his community.  I think it’s a reference to their responsibility  to a local congregation.  There may be some benefit for radio preachers or television preachers or traveling evangelists, but there is a primary role for a shepherd to his local congregation and vice a versa, a need of the local congregation to be shepherded.  A good pastor tells his congregation not just what they want to hear, but what they need to hear.  Without such a pastor, the church tends to tune in to things that they find appealing, which ultimately leaves them with a poor diet and malnourished in the doctrines which are less appetizing.

That raises the question though which is, what is meant by shepherd the flock of God? What is the job of a shepherd? Sometimes, it’s helpful to see what something is not supposed to be, in order to understand what they should be.  In Ezekiel 34, God speaks against the shepherds saying in vs 2, "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?  You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat [sheep] without feeding the flock.  Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.”  These are the characterizations unfaithful shepherds.

Faithful shepherds however, in contrast to those in Ezekiel’s day, will feed the sheep. They will not take advantage of their position to feed themselves, to clothe themselves without feeding the flock. They will attend the sick, they will strengthen those who are weak, they will seek the lost, they will go after those who have strayed and bring them back into the fold, and they will not be domineering in so doing.

That’s a pretty high standard. And even the Lord recognizes it as such.  Thus He says to Ezekiel in vs 11 of chapter 34,  “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.”  And in vs 23, “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd.”

God is speaking, obviously, of the Lord Jesus Christ, symbolically called David, who Peter identifies in vs 4 as the Chief Shepherd. It is the word of Christ which ultimately feeds the sheep and tends to the sheep. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, and the pastor is but a under shepherd, faithfully rendering to the sheep what the Chief Shepherd has provided and following in His example.  

Peter knew better than anyone the reality of a leader falling short,  even to the point of denying Christ in a moment of crisis and failure of the flesh. But Jesus made a point to restore him, and commission him to feed his sheep, in spite of his failure of faith. God made Peter fit for the office.  And God must equip shepherds today by the gift of His Spirit who is able to make us fit for service and to equip us to do His will.

So a shepherd is to feed the flock, he is to be spiritually mature and a man of good character, he is to love the sheep even as Christ loved the church, and he is to exercise oversight, meaning to oversee, to inspect, to care for, to look diligently, to keep watch over the souls which he has been entrusted with.

Next, Peter speaks of the shepherd’s readiness. Again, there is a contrast to show how a shepherd is to exhibit readiness. He gives three negatives, followed by three positives in two verses. Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly.  Not for shameful gain, but eagerly.  Not for domineering those under your charge, but being an example to the flock.

Peter gives three negatives, or pitfalls that cause a shepherd to fall short in his position; duty, greed and a misuse of power.  I think that in the first negative which is a sense of duty, it can be contrasted to a calling. Perhaps a better description of the first negative is a pastor who is in that position because it’s a career choice.  Compulsion speaks of constraint.  Someone who perhaps is constrained by an ecclesiastical board. They may be constrained by pride, by ambition. I believe the great problem in church leadership today is that too many pastors are not called by God, but called by men.  Jesus talked about a shepherd who was a hireling, and as such did not really care for the sheep.  They are constrained by their denominational association, or by their ambition or their pride, but they don’t have a servants heart, and they are not called by God.

The second negative which Peter gives is shepherds that are attracted to money. Even in Peter’s day there were false teachers who were in it for the money and would use their position to fleece the sheep.   In 1Timothy Paul tells Timothy that an elder should not be a lover of money.  In 2 Timothy, he said that false teachers are lovers of money.  These television preachers that are always asking for money and flying around the country in private jets and living a lavish lifestyle are the epitome of false teachers who love money.

I heard some time ago that the television faith healer Benny Hinn has a mansion overlooking Dana Point in Laguna Nigel, Ca.  I’ve been there, there is a well known surf spot at the base of the cliff.  The Ritz Carlton is perched up on the cliff and according to this report Benny Hinn has a house somewhere near by.  That has to be a multimillion dollar property.  I had a business partner once a long time ago who took money out of our capital and used it to give Benny Hinn $10,000 for a private prayer session with him. He charged $10,000 per private session.  He flies around the country in his own private jet. And yet he claims to be a shepherd of the flock of God.  I can only say I don’t want to be in his shoes when he stands before the throne of God and gives an account for what he has done as a false shepherd of God’s flock.  

However, I do want to affirm that the Bible indicates it is proper for the pastor to receive wages for his position.  The financial abuses of false teachers do not annul that. In fact, it’s the responsibility of the church to provide for the pastor’s financial needs. 1Cor. 9:14 says, “So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.” And Paul said in 1Tim. 5:17 “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”  But money should not the motive for becoming a shepherd.  

The third shortcoming of shepherds is a misuse of their position. They lord it over the flock, Peter says.  They are domineering.  Instead Peter says that they should be examples to the church of good behavior, of a humble spirit. In Matthew 20:25 Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.   It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  The pastor should be an example in serving the church.

So if shepherds are not to be motivated by position, or money or power, then what is their motivation supposed to be?  Peter answers that in vs 4, “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”  The reward will be when Jesus comes again. The prize for shepherds does not come in this life, but in the next one.  So the faithful pastor should be looking forward to the glory that is ahead and the reward that will be given to faithful stewards. And unlike the fading glory of this life, and the things which we must leave behind which we worked so hard for, in the next life there is laid up in store a glory and a reward which will never fade away. And whatever sacrifices that are made in this life will be worth it all when that day comes.

Finally, we look at the sheep’s responsibility.  Shepherding requires sheep.  What does the Bible teach about sheep?  Sheep need feeding, tending to, caring for.  On their own they are subject to getting lost, hurt, confused, scared, or becoming lunch for a hungry lion. They have no way to clean themselves.  They have a poor sense of direction. They can’t find water or proper pasture without guidance.  And the Bible says that we are like sheep;  all we like sheep have gone astray.  Jesus said in Matt. 9:36 that the Jews were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus said My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me.  David said we are the sheep of His pasture.  David likens himself to a sheep saying that the Lord was His shepherd in Psalm 23.

After Peter was restored to the Lord after his betrayal at the crucifixion, Jesus asked him three times if Peter loved Him.  And in response to Peter’s affirmation that he loved Him, Jesus said, feed my sheep, tend my sheep.   Jesus, who is titled the Great Shepherd of the sheep in this passage by Peter, has entrusted his sheep to shepherds who will tend his sheep and feed his sheep.

And now that the shepherds have been exhorted to be faithful, Peter turns his attention to the flock. He says in vs.5, “You younger men, likewise, be subject to [your] elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”  Actually, in the Greek it is not necessarily addressed to young men, but those that are younger, or new, or youthful. So we may take that to be in contrast to the elders who are supposed to be spiritually mature, to those who are less so.

The first thing that Peter lays stress on is to be subject to the elders, or to the shepherd. Being subject to authority has been a constant theme in Peter’s epistle.  Wives are to be subject to their husbands.  Servants submissive to their masters.  All are to be subject to the government. And now we see that the church should be subject to the shepherd. 

Now that requires humility.  Because in our nature we like our independence.  Some even go so far as to say that they don’t need a pastor.  They don’t need to belong to a local flock.  And they certainly won’t submit to a shepherd’s leadership.  But that is not the attitude of humility that Peter says God approves of.  Submission requires humility. It requires humility to receive instruction.

So actually Peter quotes from Proverbs here to make his point that we need to clothe ourselves with humility. Proverbs 3:34 says, “Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor or grace.”  Pride is the original sin. Pride was the sin of Lucifer. And God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.  Humility is a willingness to give others first place, to show others consideration, to serve others,  to not think so highly of yourself that you cannot take instruction.  If a shepherd is faithful to expound the word of God, then the humble in heart will accept it as the word of God, and not find offense in being told what God has said.  Pride is really an offense towards God.  And an unwillingness to submit to the authority that God has ordained is rebellion not against man, or even against the church, but against God Himself.

And let us not forget, that judgment begins with the house of God.  God will hold you accountable for what you did with what you have received. And even though God places a stricter judgment upon the pastor/teacher, yet He will certainly also judge the one who is under the charge of the shepherd, but will not submit to the word of God spoken through the pastor.  God hates pride.  Let us submit to one another, and let us feast fully on the word of God, that we might grow in the grace of God.  

1 Peter 5:6 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,  casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” 

The Reaction to Sanctification, 1 Peter 4:12-19

The theme of Peter’s epistle is our sanctification.  He stated his thesis in chapter one, quoting the Lord who said, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”  Sanctification is being set apart by salvation for holiness.  By justification we are reckoned as holy by what Christ did for us on the cross.  In sanctification we live out that holiness as Christ lives in us.  It’s living holy, because He is holy, and He is Lord of our lives and lives in us and through us.  So sanctification is submitting first of all to the Lord in doing His will.  It’s being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ who is holy and blameless. 

Now this is the  goal of our sanctification.  Now that we are justified by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on our behalf, we are set apart for holy living, to be ambassadors for the Kingdom of God. And as we live sanctified lives under the authority and leading of the Holy Spirit, even as Christ lived during His time upon the earth, then we are going to experience suffering that comes from this world in response to our life, even as Christ suffered for righteousness sake.

So in that regard, Peter continues in his letter to the church writing to prepare them in regards to the suffering that will be a  part of the process of sanctification.  He wants them to know what the reaction of the world will be in regards to living a sanctified life. 

First of all, he says we should expect suffering.  Vs.12, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.”   The irony should be obvious.  Living righteously, living holy lives, ends up bringing on trials.  You would think that living as Christians, living as Christ lived when He was on the earth, would cause people to love us.  After all, we should be prime examples of good citizens.  We should be pillars of the community, doing good to the poor, compassionate to  others and helping those who are misfortunate.  We should be paying our bills and paying our taxes, and submitting to the governing authorities.  We should be the kind of neighbors that every one would wish for.  The kind of employees that every company looks for.  We should be loved by the world.  

But Peter, as well as many of the other gospel writers, tells us that is not going to be the world’s response.  Instead they are going to hate us.  Jesus Himself said in John 15:18-19  "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before [it hated] you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”

So don’t be surprised.  Expect it.  The world loves those who love sin, who love pride, who love sexual immorality, who love money, who love fame.  They love the Bonnie’s and Clydes of this world.  And they despise those who live holy lives. 

That’s the problem with the “relevant church” strategy prevalent today by which some churches are trying to get the world endeared with Christianity.  They try to lower their standards and mimic the world’s practices hoping that the world will like them and want to become Christians like them.  That doesn’t work.  You just end up with a worldly church. 

On my way back from Virginia Beach the other day I saw a billboard by a church that said something to the effect, “No perfect people allowed!”  I told my wife that I guess they don’t allow Jesus in their church then.  Because He was perfect. And while I’m not about to claim I’m perfect by any means, yet that doesn’t diminish the fact that Jesus told us in Matthew 5:48 that we are to be perfect, even as God is perfect.

That’s the problem with trying to soften the offense of the gospel message.  Take out sin and don’t speak of hell or judgment, and just tell the unsaved how much God loves them just the way they are.  That is the strategy of many churches today in hopes of getting the lost to like us and want to become a Christian.  But it’s not going to work, because they are not going to be saved unless they first realize that they are sinners and hopelessly lost and condemned to die in their sins.  And that’s an unpopular, offensive message.

So when we are living out our Christianity as Christ lived in the world, then we can expect that the world will treat us the way Christ was treated.  Notice also that Peter calls this suffering a “fiery ordeal.” Some commentators have said that this was a veiled reference to the burning of Rome which may have happened shortly before Peter wrote this letter.  You will recall that Nero intentionally set Rome ablaze, and then blamed it on the Christians and began a time of severe persecution of the church.  That may or not be what Peter had in mind.

Personally, I think it echoes chapter one vs 7 in which Peter talks about the proof of our faith, even though tested by fire.  It’s a refiner’s fire that Peter has in mind, I believe.  It’s a trial by fire in which that which is unholy is burned up, so that which is left is pure.  Fire in the Bible is usually associated with the holiness of God.  Moses saw a burning bush from which God spoke telling him to take off his shoes for it was holy ground.  Fire was on Mt. Sinai, so that the mountain was enveloped with fire and smoke and the people trembled at the sight and could not approach it lest they be burned up.  Fire is associated with the burnt sacrifices which were offered for sin.  The law is full of references to the requirement for an offering by fire.  And so just in those references to fire, we can assume that the trials and ordeals which the Lord leads us through are meant to cleanse us, to refine us, to purify us so that we might be sanctified for holy purposes.

There are a number of references in scripture regarding a refiner’s fire being used of God.  Let me share a few. Job 23:10  "But He knows the way I take; [When] He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Pro 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts.

Isa 48:10 "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Zec 13:9 "And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My people,' And they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"

Mal 3:3  "He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.”

Notice also Peter says these fiery trials come upon you for your testing.  Again, that testing correlates to the proof of your faith mentioned by in chapter one.  Let me read that for you again, in chapter 1:6-7  “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,  so that the proof of your faith, [being] more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

So trials are not just a situation in which the world or the devil persecutes a Christian and God is helplessly standing by saying “just hang on till it’s over.”  But what this indicates is that God is using even the ungodly who persecute you, He is using the various trials which come upon you that make take all sorts of forms such as poverty or hunger, or imprisonment, or bad health, whatever form it takes, God is using it and superintending it, to use it for good.  

Now that’s hard to fathom, especially when you are suffering in a major way and you don’t think you deserve it or you don’t understand why God would allow you to suffer in this way.  Our prayers are usually “Lord get me out of this situation quick!” But what we have to remember and even find the means of rejoicing in, is that God uses the suffering which we experience to form us into the character and image of Jesus Christ and as such His will is often to let us go through it that it might conform us to Christ.  A good illustration of that is when Joseph was unjustly incarcerated and mistreated in prison for 13 years.  When he finally was released, and he saw his brothers who had sold him into slavery many years before, he said, “you meant it for evil, but God used it for good.”  

And that’s what Peter is saying here.  God will use the trial by fire to conform you into the image of His Son.  And don’t forget, that it pleased the Father to crush Jesus, putting Him to grief. God chose suffering as the path for His beloved Son.  And He often choses suffering for us as well that we  might be like Christ.  So, Peter says, don’t think it’s strange when suffering happens to you.  It’s to be expected.  

Unfortunately, a lot of Christians fall from the faith because they don’t expect suffering to be a part of their Christian experience.  They were expecting to live their best life now. They were expecting a life of blessing. Instead, they got suffering.  Peter says, don’t be surprised.  Don’t think it strange.  It’s par for the course.

Instead, we are to rejoice, Peter says.  Funny thing, James said to rejoice in suffering as well. James 1:2-3 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”  The question though is how can we rejoice in suffering?  It’s painful.  It’s stressful.  It’s not an experience that we want to go through.  How can we rejoice in it?  

The answer is that we rejoice by looking beyond the temporary suffering to the eternal reward. That’s how.  It is said of Jesus in Heb. 12:2  “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  We don’t fixate on our circumstances, on how bad we have it, on how bad we are being treated or how bad we feel, but like Jesus we fix our eyes on the joy set before us.  The joy that is ultimately our reward when Christ returns. 

2Cor. 4:17-18 says,  “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,  while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”  Paul says compared to the glory in eternity that will be ours, the present suffering is temporary, momentary and light in comparison.

So as Jesus looked beyond the suffering of the cross, He considered the joy set before Him.  In the same way, we look beyond the suffering we experience in trials, and consider that glory which is far beyond all comparison. 

The next point that Peter makes is that there are two types of suffering.  There is the suffering for righteousness, and the suffering for unrighteousness.  First the righteous suffering  is stated this way; vs 14, “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”   This is the type of suffering that will come upon a person who is living righteously, who is walking in the way that Jesus walked, who is conformed to the image of Christ.  Such a person even though they are reviled for the sake of Christ, they will be blessed, because they are living a Spirit led life.  They are filled with the Spirit, and thus they will enjoy the spiritual blessings of such a life.

But then Peter contrasts that with the person who is suffering as the wages of unrighteousness. He says in vs 15, “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler.”  In other words, there are consequences to sin not only at the judgment, but in this life as well. God has appointed government to wield the sword of justice, and there are punishments that will be exacted by those governments for such offenses.  When we studied the ten commandments on Wednesday night recently we commented that all civilizations legislate much of the second table of laws.  Murder and stealing are pretty much illegal in every society and every civilization and the punishments for such are usually quite severe.  

Peter includes in that list an evildoer.  I suppose that covers everything else not covered by murder and stealing. It means a lawbreaker.  One who does evil. And there are laws and punishments for evildoers.  There is one other word though that bears mentioning, and that is translated as “troublesome meddler.” That’s an unusual term.  It has in mind an overseer, but not in a good way.  It’s someone who gets involved in things that they shouldn’t be involved in.  Someone who is stirring up trouble, looking for trouble. Trouble is one thing that if you look for it you will find.  I’m always looking for things I have misplaced somewhere.  Usually I’m looking for things because my wife has decided to straighten up my desk or something. I know where all my junk is and I can’t find it when my wife cleans up.  But you know,  if you look for trouble, you will usually find it. If you’re trying to find fault, you will find it.

Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:11  “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands just as we commanded you.”  In other words you’re not to be a troublesome meddler.  You’re not to look for faults in others. As much as it is possible with you be at peace with all men.  You’re not to stir up trouble in your society.  You’re to lead a quiet life.  You are to attend to your own business and to work with your own hands.  Stay out of other people’s business.  In 2 Thessalonians 3:11 Paul says, “For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all but acting like busybodies.”  Don’t stir up trouble by being a busybody.

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 7:3-5  "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.”  So there you go.  Don’t be a troublesome meddler.  It will cause suffering not only for others, but it will also cause suffering for you as well.

There are inherent consequences to sin.  Ultimately, there is an eternal consequence to all sin, but even in the world there are consequences for sin. And as Christians, you get no exemption from the temptations to sin, no barrier to keep you from sin.  Though Christ will forgive you for your sin if you repent, you may still have to pay the consequences of your sin here in this world.  And that is a shameful and tragic consequence for a Christian to have to face.

However, Peter assures us that as a Christian who suffers for righteousness there is no shame in that.  Vs. 16, “but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.”

I am told that in the beginning when they were first called Christians, it was intended as a slur.  But in time the early church began to glory in that name.  And what Peter is saying there is that they are not to be ashamed of being called Christians, but to glorify God in the name of Christians.  That means that they have to act like Christ, since they take the name of Christ.  And that is precisely what being sanctified indicates; that we are like Christ, thus Christians.

The next point that Peter makes is that this is the appointed time for suffering.  We should expect it, we should not be surprised by it, we should not be ashamed of it, and it is the appointed time for it. Vs. 17, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?”

We notice first of all that suffering is a measure of God’s judgment.  As Christians, we sometimes think that we are not going to deal with any sort of judgment.  But in actuality, Peter is saying that judgment begins with the house of God.   A faithful Father disciplines His children, does He not?  Heb 12:6-11 says “FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom [his] father does not discipline?  But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.  Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?  For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He [disciplines us] for [our] good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”  

There’s so much in that passage, but notice that the results of the Father’s discipline it says is holiness and the fruit of righteousness.  That’s our sanctification.  That’s what the Father is achieving in our lives by allowing suffering.  As I keep saying, the goal is not suffering, but sanctification.  Suffering is the means, not the goal.  The goal is that you have all the dross, all the sin, all the world, all the pride, all the ego burned away, that Christ might shine in you.

And this time we spend in this world is the time for such suffering to begin.  It is necessary to begin with us, that we might share His holiness and be His ambassadors to the world.  But woe to the world.  The man of the world thinks his sin is unseen, he thinks he has gotten away with it.  He thinks that he can live any way he wants and there are not going to be consequences.  But the fact is that God sees, and has appointed a time for all men to die and to face the judgment.  And at the judgment, there will be a terrible price to pay, an eternal price to pay.

Peter says it is with difficulty that the righteous are saved.  That speaks to the fact that we have been saved by the suffering of Christ on our behalf. Christ took upon Himself the judgement that was due to us. But those that reject Christ must pay their own penalty.  And what a terrible penalty it is.

The blessing that the righteous has though is that they belong to a faithful Creator.  We are as Peter says, the house of God.  We are the children of God.  And even if we die in this body, yet we live in the Spirit.  Peter uses the title “faithful Creator” I believe in order to emphasize the faithfulness of God to keep His promise to us of eternal life, and to remind us that as Creator God He made life, and all life has it’s being through Him.  And so we can entrust our eternal soul to a faithful Creator who will raise us up on the last day, and change this corruptible body into an incorruptible body, so that we may share in His glory for eternity.

There is an eternal reward for those that belong to Christ.  In this world we will have tribulation.  But Peter encourages us to rejoice in it, knowing that God will use it to refine us so that we might share in HIs holiness.  I encourage you to look beyond the present circumstances to the glory set before us and keep on keeping on, having as your commitment to be found pleasing to God.  May the grace of our Lord enable you to do so and may you be found faithful when He comes.