Praising God Amidst my Problems, Part 4b

The reason for trials is because it ratifies our sonship, verifies our faith, purifies our life, solidifies glory, honor, and praise, and ratifies our sonship. That is, he confirms the fact that we are his children. And we are confirmed in that as well.

Over in chapter 2 of 1 Peter, we'll take a, we'll go out of chapter 1 for a moment and go to chapters 2, 3, and 4 to understand what Peter is saying as he goes through this epistle, when he says this. He says in verse number 9, you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. For you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God.

You had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshy lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may, on account of your good deeds as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

You're an alien. You're a stranger in the land. You're a citizen of another kingdom.

You're a son of a different family. And all that needs to be seen by those in the world, in a world that wages war against your soul, so that on the day of visitation, when God visits the soul of the unbeliever and saves them, they glorify God. Remember Matthew 5? Matthew 5, verse number 43.

Listen to what Christ said in His very first sermon. You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who what? Who persecute you.

When you're under a trial and people are against you and they persecute you, you pray for them, in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. In other words, in order that you may prove that you are a son of your Father in heaven. Why? Because the child of God is not going to lash out against his persecutor.

He is going to pray for his persecutor. He is going to love his enemy. And so when you live for God, when you seek to fulfill His plan for your life, when you understand the trials come your way, what happens is that the reason for them is because God wants to ratify your sonship.

He wants to confirm it to the unbelieving world that you are a child of the living God. Number five. You with me so far? Hang in there.

Six more to go. Number five. The reason for trials is because they identify us with Christ.

The trials identify us with Christ. Verifies, purifies, solidifies, ratifies, and identifies you with Christ. That's the reason for your trial.

First Peter chapter two, verse number 21. For you have been called, I like that, for this purpose. What's that? Since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.

Whoa, I don't like that one. But that's what it says. Because you see, your suffering identifies you with Jesus Christ our Lord.

You have been called for a purpose. And what's that purpose? That somehow you might share in His suffering. Paul said it this way.

That I may know Him and the fellowship of His sufferings. So there's somehow, there is that fellowship that I have with my God amidst my sufferings that without them I would not have. And Paul would long to understand the fellowship of the sufferings that he would have with his God.

He said it this way in Galatians chapter six, verse number 17. I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. They are the Lord Jesus Christ marks.

That's what they are. Can you see the apostle Paul with having been beaten so many times you can't even begin to count them, saying, hey, here's one of the marks of Jesus Christ right back there. You see that? That's a, that's a mark for Christ.

Wow, man, wouldn't you love to be able to do that? And rip off his shirt, man, say this is the marks for Jesus Christ right there. That's what the apostles did in Acts chapter five. They were counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ.

And Christ says the reasons for trials is because they identify us with Jesus Christ our Lord. Over in 1 Thessalonians chapter two, Paul says this in verse number, number 14, he says this, for you brethren became imitators of the churches of God and Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out.

They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins, but wrath has come upon them to the utter most. You identify with us and with Christ and with your own countrymen by experiencing these severe trials and suffering. It says over in 2 Timothy 3, verse number 12, that those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

You see, we, we tend to think that we need to somehow be a friend of the world so that we can escape the hatred of the world. And James said, well, if you're a friend of the world, you're an enemy of God. John said in the first John chapter two, verse number 15, if any man loves the world, then the love of the father is not in him.

So you can't love the world and love the father too. You can't be a friend of the world and be a friend of the father. You just can't do the two.

Either I do one or the other. And Paul said in Ephesians 5, 11, have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. So you set your mind and mission to expose the evil of the world.

And what happens? People come against you. They don't like you. They despise you.

You become despicable in their sight. And Christ said these words in John 15, you know them well. If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.

If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Christ says, if the world loves you, guess what? You're of the world. You're one of them.

He says, but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Isn't that good? The world hates you. Take great comfort in that.

If the world loves you, guess what? God doesn't know you. That's what Christ is saying to his men. He's preparing them for what's about to happen in their lives when he goes to Calvary and they are left all alone.

And they will have to begin this church thing and begin to do this evangelism thing and begin to tell people about this saving Messiah that was hung on a tree and they would suffer great persecution because of it. The problem with us is we just don't like hardship. We like people speaking out against us.

We don't want to be embarrassed. We don't want people to rattle our cages. We don't want people to disown us.

And God says, if they hate me, they're going to hate you because you're part of me and I'm part of you. We are one. And they identify us with Christ.

Verifies our faith, purifies our lives, solidifies our praise, glory, and honor, ratifies our sonship, identifies us with the Christ. And number six, edifies others who suffer. Edifies others who suffer.

The reason for trials is somehow you might be able to edify other people who suffer. Can you believe that? Listen to what Peter says in chapter five, verse number nine. Peter had some experience in trials.

He says this, speaking of Satan, resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. Be of good cheer. Satan just is not picking on you.

He's not going about like a roaring lion just for you. He is after your whole countrymen, all your brethren, every single believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so Paul would say these words about those in Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians chapter one, verse number six, you also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

You received the Lord amidst much persecution, amidst much tribulation, so that you would become an example to other believers from Macedonia to Achaia. Think about it that way. Paul said it this way over in 2 Corinthians chapter one, verse three, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in the affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

The very first thing Paul says is that blessed be our God, who is the God of all comfort, because what he wants to do is to try to comfort you so you can comfort others. The only reason God comforts you is not to make you feel any better. The reason God comforts you is so you can help somebody else feel better.

Think about it that way. Isn't that good? Man, that is so refreshing, because you see, we are so into us and to me. I got to feel better.

Things got to be better for me. And God says, no, no, no. Things got to be better for that guy over there.

So I'm going to use you to make sure that happens. That's how it works. So you become an imitator of me, so you can be an example to others.

What a perspective. Peter had that perspective. He knew because Christ said, you know, after you deny me and you're brought back again, you can strengthen your brethren.

You see, how could Peter strengthen his brethren the best? By God allowing Satan to inflict his life and to tempt him in such a way that he would deny the Lord Jesus Christ and yet not defrock the faith, but return to his Lord, be reunited with him, to be strengthened in faith, to go back and strengthen the brethren, knowing that that trial would make him a better man, that that trial would purify his life, that that trial would identify him with Christ, that that trial would solidify his praise, his glory, and honor, that that trial would cause him to edify another man, another woman who is going through great hardship because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Boy, I tell you, this is so good. We need to understand this.

We need to get it. Think about it. The next time you go through a great hardship, you're saying, boy, I wish this was what happened to me now.

I wish it was somebody else and not me. Think of it this way. God particularly chose you for this.

He wants you to experience this because He is the only one that can take you through it, and He is the only one that can prepare you to edify another person who one day is going to go through something very similar to you, and you're going to be able to come alongside them, put your arm around them, and say, let me tell you what God wants to do. You see, that's the best counselor in the world. You know those guys got the PhDs outside their door? Don't go see those guys.

You're going to waste your money. You're going to waste your time. You know what you need to do? Go find some godly man, some godly woman who has been through the war.

Sit down with them and say, you know, how did you do that? How'd you make it? You know what? You want to help your marriage? Don't come see me. Go see somebody who's been married for 50 years. I'm coming up on 18 years.

Go see somebody who's been married for 50 years, who's weathered the storm, who's weathered the difficulties, the arguments, the ups and downs for 50 years, and say, how did you stay with him for 50 years? Could you please tell me how you did it? What happened in your life? What did God do in your life to cause you to stay with one man for 50 years through all the valleys, through all the death-like experiences, through all the verbal abuse, through all the turmoil? How did you ever do it? Please, I pray, tell me how you did it. And listen to them. That's wisdom.

That's wisdom. I love to listen to those people. My folks are about to embark on their 50th wedding anniversary in October this year.

My mom has counseled more women than I can ever believe, more women than even in our church, about marriage and sticking with the same guy for 50 years. And believe me, my dad's not an easy man to live with. He'll attest to that fact.

But that's who you need to see. Because they can edify you. God has taken them through much so they can comfort you.

Number seven, we gotta hurry. This is good. You know what? One of the reasons God allows the trial is because it mystifies the ungodly.

It mystifies the ungodly. Listen to what Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 4. He says this, Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For the time already passed is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lust, drunkenness, carousals, drinking, parties, and abominable idolatries.

And in all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you. They are completely surprised. You used to be this way.

You used to run with them to all the parties. You used to be involved in the drunken orgies. You used to be involved in all the immorality.

But you know what? You don't do those things anymore because you're a new creation in Christ. And this absolutely baffles them. They are completely caught off guard.

They are surprised. They are mystified. They don't understand.

And because they don't understand, they malign you. They malign you. They revile you.

They can't stand you. They don't understand. They don't get it.

It's like the believing spouse with the unbelieving spouse. The believing spouse says, yeah, I'm going to church, man. I've got to worship the Lord today.

So, see you later, honey. Got to go. They go off to church, and they worship the Lord, and they come back excited about serving the Lord.

And they go off to church again. They get involved in missions trips, or they get involved in doing different things in the church. And the unbelieving spouse says, what are you doing all that stuff for? Why? Why do you go there? What's at that church? Oh, man, the people of God are there, man.

We go and worship the Lord. We listen to the Word of the Lord. They don't understand.

They don't get it. They're completely mystified. Or you get saved, and you go back to work, and everything changes.

Your attitude changes. The way you deal with your boss changes. I mean, you learn to respect the guy who nobody likes.

And you respect him. You honor him. Because as we will see later in 1 Peter chapter 2, that's what we're supposed to do.

We honor the ungodly guy. We treat him with respect and dignity, even though he's an unbelieving fool. We treat him with dignity and respect, because that's what God says.

And they don't understand. They don't get it. And that's the way it ought to be, right? People are looking at you and they grasp their heads, saying, I don't understand this guy.

If the unbelieving world understands you, you live in the natural life, not the supernatural life. They should not understand you. They should not get it.

And you know what? Even in the church, you're going to find people who don't get it. They're not wanting to walk with the Lord anyway, and you are, and they're not going to get you. They're not going to get why you do what you do, and how you live the way you live, and why you're so committed to Christ.

And it mystifies the ungodly. Number eight, it beautifies our testimony. Listen, if your life is purified, your life is going to be beautified, right? It beautifies our testimony.

I love what the Bible says in John chapter 12, when it says in verse number nine, the great multitude therefore of Jews learned that he was there, and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead. But the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him, many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. They wanted to kill Lazarus.

Let's kill him, because more people are coming to Jesus because of Lazarus. And so one Pharisee pipes up and says to himself, well, if we kill him, it's not going to do us any good, because Jesus is going to raise him from the dead again. So let's kill the guy who raises him from the dead, so that Lazarus, once he's dead, can't be raised up again.

But you see, they were mystified. They were completely baffled by this man who lived the resurrected life. And of course, Lazarus is the classic illustration of what it is for the believer to live what? The resurrected life in Christ, right? We were buried with him in the likeness of his death, and raised in the likeness of his resurrection.

And we live a new life. We have a resurrected life, because we were once dead, and now we are alive. And people should be wanting to put us to death because of our resurrected life, like they did Lazarus.

But the testimony is absolutely beautiful. Listen to what Peter says. This is so rich.

Verse 12, 1 Peter 4, 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. Peter says, don't be surprised. This is not something strange.

This is something normal for the believer. But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exaltation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

Listen, what's the Spirit of glory? The Spirit of glory is the beauty of God. The glory of God is His brightness, His bigness, and His beauty. That is the glory of God.

That's who He is. He is beauty personified, and the Spirit of His glory rests upon you. That's why you are so blessed.

Your life is so different. That's why trials beautify your testimony. They make you so attractive.

Remember Stephen, Acts chapter 6? The Spirit of God would rest upon Him. His face would shine like an angel, and He would preach the gospel. And those leaders hated Him, and they gnashed their teeth.

They ran at Him, and they pummeled Him with stones. And what did they say? I can see Jesus standing up in glory. And they hated Him all the more, because the Spirit of the glory of God would rest upon the man.

His testimony was so beautiful in the eyes of God. And that's what God wants to do with you and with me. Number 9. Two more.

You with me so far? Fortifies our faith. Verifies, purifies, solidifies, ratifies, identifies, identifies, mystifies, beautifies, and fortifies. Fortifies our faith.

1 Peter chapter 5, verse number 10. And after you have suffered for a little while, there we go again. Remember He said in chapter 1, you're going to suffer for a little while if necessary.

And now He says, after you have suffered for a little while, here it is, the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ will Himself, God's going to do this, perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you to Him, be dominion forever and ever. Amen. Only God can do that.

And He fortifies your faith. He barricades it. He supplies you with all that you need.

He will stabilize you with the energy that He Himself has. He will strengthen you because you'll be filled with His strength. And He will settle you because He will lay a foundation that is immovable.

That's our God. That's the reason for your trial. He wants to fortify your faith.

And lastly, and most importantly, it glorifies the Lord. It glorifies our Lord. And we read earlier, 1 Peter 2.12, keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

That's what it's all about. It's about the glory of God. You see, God loves you so much that He wants to be glorified in your life.

And He will stop at nothing to make sure that happens. That's how God works. And you know what? As I was preparing this week for this sermon, I have a newfound respect for this man, Peter.

He knew about hardship. He knew about difficulties. He knew how hard it would be to follow his God.

You see, Peter was—ended up being crucified. You know that, don't you? John 21, Christ prophesied that. But he was crucified upside down because he didn't believe that it was right for him to be crucified right side up like his Lord was.

Before he was crucified, his wife was crucified. And he stood by her side, rubbing her face, saying, remember Jesus, remember Jesus, remember Jesus. And then when she died, he was crucified.

And he's the guy who said, they're only for a little while. They're only for a little while. And they're necessary.

When they come, there are so many reasons for them. I can't even begin to count them all. But the most important one is that our Lord is glorified.

And I know, because I know many of you, you want the Lord to be glorified in your life.