1 Peter 4: 12 -19

God’s Loving Judgment
1 Peter 4:12 – 19
July 13, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming

Turn in your bibles to 1 Peter chap 4:12. It is good to be back with you. Thank you Dan and thank you church family for your love and support. Thank you for allowing me to be open and transparent with you during this journey our family has been walking through. ….. When we speak of suffering as a Christian, few of us believe such is possible or that it will be something that we have to go through… Edward Kuhlman writes, “Pain is the fundamental human predicament. No one escapes life without experiencing pain, although many become preoccupied with attempts to alleviate it. It is in the place of pain where we meet each other in humanity and more importantly where God meets us.”

Pastor David Biehl writes these words after loosing his two little boys ---- “sometimes life is agony and our loving God is in control” --- the problem is that for a believer who only embraces the first part – they might as well write on their tombstone the words --- Died at thirty – buried at seventy. If you only embrace the second part – your faith may survive, but your pilgrimage through life will be marked by an inability to truly love God with your whole heart ------ which is the key to healing and wholeness. It is hard to sing “Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before” when your heart is defiled by bitterness from anger at God that you have never resolved.”

In our text today, Peter has been writing about suffering to Christians. He wrote this letter to Christians right before the persecution by the emperor Nero began. They were suffering or he was wanting to equip them to suffer victoriously. Suffering comes to our lives in different forms. Sometimes we suffer physically. Sometimes we suffer because of our own sin --- sometimes we suffer because of the sin of others – sometimes we suffer because of the sin of the church or the sin of our nation. Other times we suffer because of the judgment of God. Romans 8:1 tells us that “there is therefore now no condemnation or judgment for those who are in Christ Jesus”. Paul is referring to judgment for sin…. A believer will never come under the judgment of God for his or her sin….. Jesus took the judgment of God for the sins of God’s children….. But – the believer and the non believer will stand before God at the great judgment throne. The non believer will be judged and thrown into the lake of fire – eternally separated from God and suffering the full 100% wrath of God….. The believer will be judged for how they lived out and reflected the life of Christ here on this earth.

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” The judgment of God is not just when the believer and non believer meet God face to face – but for the believer, the judgment of God is also now…... Some of us are walking through the judgment of God in our lives right now. All of us are going to experience judgment from God more and more.

In our text, Peter writes about the suffering of the Christian and says in verse 17 “For it is time for judgment to be with the family of God.”. Let’s put it this way as we talk about God’s judgment ----

Divine judgment = God’s refining discipline of His children. Does God judge His children? Yes!!! Perhaps the best scripture that tells us about the judgment of God upon His children is found in Hebrews 12:7 - 11 “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

So, in this message today, I am going to use the word– suffering – judgment or discipline to refer to that which is good – that which comes from God and is allowed by God for the good of His children.

1 Peter 4:12 - 19 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

Bible professor Howard Hendricks said “There is no fear of judgment for the man who judges himself according to the word of God”. We find it easy to judge other people but we find it difficult to judge ourselves and if God brings judgment upon us as believers we lean towards questioning God and often we do not see it as coming from God. Look on your outline and see with me what Peter says what the response of the believer should be to the judgment of God.

1. Expect the judgment of God. (Vs. 12) “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”
Peter is telling these Christians that they will encounter judgment. God is going to allow them to go through discipline – testing and that it may come to them in the form of suffering. In 2 Timothy 3:12, “Paul said to Timothy “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Living godly and suffering for the believer go together. COMMENT The NIV calls this judgment Peter writes about a painful trail – other translations call it a fiery ordeal. To the believers Peter is writing to it might have been a painful experience of persecution but the word he used also refers to a furnace melting down metal to purge it of impurities. God uses judgment to purge impurities from a believer. 2X Psalm 66:10 “For you, O God, tested us; You refined us like silver.” The judgment of God comes upon the believer to test him or her. The judgment of God comes to a believer to prove the genuineness of a believers faith. Paul put it best perhaps in Romans 5:3 “we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character; and character hope.” If God did not bring suffering – judgment and discipline into the life of a believer He would not love them. God is more interested in our character than he is in our pleasure. Pleasure does not last --- character is that which lasts.

When your hopes, plans and dreams fall apart how do you respond? What are the words out of your mouth. Where do you look to for help and hope? Expect suffering – judgment and discipline from God in your life. Application points:

* Know the Word of God. Develop the discipline of reading the Bible. Grow in the habit of reading God’s Word. Learn to hear from God in His Word. Discover who He is. I guarantee you – when you experience the judgment of God in your life you find guidance – comfort – hope and encouragement from the Word of God.

* Know the people of God. God never expects His children to walk through judgment, suffering and pain alone. When judgment comes upon the life of a believer – God expects His children to hold onto other believers. The bible tells the believer to encourage one another – join fast to one another – call to one another – tell one another – teach one another – show compassion and mercy to one another – love one another –be devoted to one another – honor one another – accept one another – serve one another – be kind and compassionate to one another and spur one another.

2. Exult in the judgment of God. (Vs. 13 -14) “But rejoice that you participate in the suffering of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” Look what Peter says now – we are to rejoice when we experience the judgment of God in our lives. Peter says that if you suffer for Christ you are to have an attitude of joy. The believer who sufferers because of their faith On this earth will receive eternal rewards according to how they suffered for Christ.

Jesus puts it this way in the gospel of Luke 6:22 -23 “Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven…”

Peter is talking about suffering for Christ – a believer who rejoices because they were insulted for the name of Christ and responds with joy is rewarded in heaven. Google the words “persecuted Christians” and read about those who really are suffering for Christ. But we also suffer because of the judgment of God upon our lives as believers. He disciplines and punishes those whom He loves. He says that we are to rejoice in whatever we suffer --- we are to exult in the judgment of God. I have to say that in the suffering this past month in my own life – as tears and pain tear you apart – I did not see joy – or even feel joy. It was only in the times after the tears that I was able to begin to identify what was joy and taste it. I believe Peter is telling us that suffering reveals your faithfulness to Jesus Christ. Here is what I believe the principle Peter is trying to get across.

Your capacity for pain is an indicator of your capacity for joy.

Alison had tasted a lot of suffering and pain in her short 9 years. She remembered how alone she felt when her brother died at the age of 2 and how the complete focus of her parents was on him. When she turned 9 her 5 year old brother Christopher became sick and again the focus of her parents were poured into him – it was another year without attention. She lied in bed and cried and looked out her bedroom window at the stars. From those tears she wrote this poem.

As life goes by some things change – but others seem to just stay. I’ve always known that God is with me – but now He sees right through me. I feel as though I’ve been cheated one whole year, and no chance to complete it. Some people say life is not fair – though from my experience I feel as though God doesn’t care. I used to wonder if my life would break, when the next sob I would take. When I lie alone in bed, the place where I rest my head, I see the stars and moon above and that is when I know I am loved. Expect judgment from God and when it comes exult in it.

3. Examine the judgment of God. (Vs. 15 - 18 ) “If you should suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name….. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

Divine judgment on a believer is the decision God renders on their sin, for the believer that judgment contains no condemnation – they are declared not guilty by God because of the payment made by Christ but in that decision by God the judgment includes a chastening and leads to a cleansing or purifying of the believer. That is why we read such words in the bible “Be holy for I am holy and without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Notice verse 17 “for it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God..” Peter is not writing about judgment for sin. He is talking about the personal judgment of a believer --- which could be called as well the sanctification process whereby God disciplines the believer so that they will stand apart and separate from this world and be prepared to met Christ when He comes again. Paul makes puts this judgment and discipline of the believer clear to us when he writes in 1 Cor 11:32 “But when we (the believers) are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.” How does God judge His children? I cannot give you answer to that question but I can tell you the bible tells us that God judges His children out of His love and for His love and for His glory. God judges His children to purify them and so that they may gain more of His glory. How does God judge a nation or a group of people? Dr Erwin Lutzer says that the judgments of God take various forms. Many times we are prone to think God’s judgments are seen in war, natural disasters or a terrorist attack, but the judgments of God are more evident as a result of the accumulated consequences of our sins. Lutzer says that you can see in American this judgment very clearly in three areas:

1. The destruction of our families. We are now redefining the family. The church is even supporting the new modern definition of a family. Even in the church, divorce is the norm. We have raised a generation that accepts immorality, we have glamorized pornography and raised a generation who spend their time watching MTV. It is not hard to see the judgment of God upon our nation and especially the church of America. Listen to a description of the judgment God brought on His people.

Deuteronomy 28:53 - 55 53”Because of the suffering that your enemy will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the LORD your God has given you. 54Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children, 55and he will not give to one of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating. It will be all he has left because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of all your cities.”

2. The loss of a knowledge of God. In America today, a knowledge of the true God is overshadowed by our so called tolerant culture which is intolerant of anyone who believes that he or she has found some religious truth. The suggestions that Christianity is a revealed religion by which all others should be evaluated is scorned by many. Faith in America is a cafeteria of ideas where people can choose beliefs that are just right for them. Even evangelical churches are neglecting the gospel and diluting it before the world. If you think all religions are the same and have perhaps some value just ask Elijah whether he thought that the prophets of Baal worshipped God like he did. God is judging us for our compromises and sins, and Christians are partly to blame.

3. Diminished influence of the church. The church in America has an increased visibility but a diminishing influence. Lutzer says that the American church is under judgment by God because we have cast about for a solution to our nation’s problems and thought that it lay with political muscle and with a specific political party. We have redefined our faith as politics.

Application: What are the long term consequences of your sin in your life?
What can you do to examine the judgment of God in your life and respond to it?

4. Entrust to God your judgment. (vs.19) “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

When suffering – discipline or the judgment of God comes your way as a believer --- Peter says that you have a choice to commit yourself or entrust yourself to Your Creator. When Peter wrote this down he used a word that meant entrust – it was the same word used of a banker when you would deposit money or something valuable with the banker for safe keeping --- you have no concern or worry about the character or ability of the person you are entrusting that money or valuable with. We do it all the time --- we entrust money to the bank --- we entrust the dentist – we entrust the other driver when we go down the road --- one of the most astounding forms of entrust that we do is when we get on an airplane and most of the time you do not even see the persons who are flying the plane. They are behind closed doors. Peter says to us as believers ----- we must entrust to God the suffering we experience --- we must entrust to God the discipline that we undergo and if God brings some kind of judgment which we defined earlier as the refining discipline of God in our lives ----- we are to entrust that to Him – because He is the faithful Creator and He will not cease to do us good.

Psalms 31:1 - 11 1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. 6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. 9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction,£ and my bones grow weak. 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends— those who see me on the street flee from me.

Application
1. Trust overcomes fear. Genuine trust in God says, “Whatever mess I am in, my heavenly Father will lead me.” There will be something in your life this year where you will have to choose to trust God or be consumed by fear.

2. Trust overcomes depression. Depression is common and if God were not the gardener, it would grow like a weed in our lives.

3. Trust overcomes hate. When careless or cruel people hurt you and sometimes that hurt is irreparable – you can hate forever or trust, but you cannot do both.

Let us pray
Martin Luther, at the height of all his trials, testified, “Lord, now that you have forgiven me all, do with me as you please” Luther was convinced that a God who could wipe away all sins and save his soul could certainly care for his physical body and material needs. In essence, Luther was saying: Why should I fear what man can do to me? I serve a God who can cleanse me of my sins and bring peace to my soul. It does not matter if everything around me collapses. If my God is able to save and keep my soul for eternity, why wouldn’t he be able to care for my physical body while I am on this earth? Oh, Lord, now that I am pardoned, forgiven, and able to stand before You on judgment day with exceeding great joy, do with me as you please.”