Believing And Suffering

by Richard St.James

Believing And Suffering

1 Peter 3:13 “And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.”

1. Be Followers
2. Be Not afraid
3. Be Ready
4. If The Will Of God Be So

1. Be Followers

Verse thirteen: “And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?"

Here are some of the facts of life! A believer is … in Jesus Christ! This is a basic truth in life. Ephesians chapter one, verse one, is addressed … in part “to the faithful in Christ Jesus”. Not only is the believer in Jesus Christ, but Jesus Christ is in the believer. Think on that one! This BOOK makes this truth as plain to see as the nose on your face. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” [John 17:17] Here it is in Romans chapter eight, verse nine and ten: “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” [Romans 8:9-10]

Now, if the Bible says all this about a person who has been “born again” and “saved by the blood” of the Son of God, how can there be any possible argument with this? There is no argument, my friend! It is just a matter of FAITH in the BOOK of God. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” [Romans 10:17] It will wind up this way at the end of the day. Do you believe what God has said?

Now all this has been said so that I could ask you this one question. [Are you ready for this?] If the Spirit of God dwells in you “who is he that will harm you”? Do you not realize how powerful our God is? Here is what it says in First John chapter four, verse four: “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” [1 John 4:4] The bottom-line is this. Nobody, but nobody [not even the Devil himself] can touch you, or hurt you, unless God Himself allows them to touch you or hurt you. Amen! Greater is HE that is in YOU! Amen! Do you trust in God?

2. Be Not afraid

Verse fourteen: “But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;”

What is the Spirit of God saying to us here, in this verse? He is saying here, it is “just part and parcel” for a true Christian … to partake a little taste of the suffering that Jesus Christ went through when HE went to the Cross of Calvary for us … to shed HIS blood for our sins. This is exactly what the Holy Ghost is saying to us in Philippians chapter one, verse twenty-nine: “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;” [Philippians 1:29].

Consider what it says in the book of Hebrews chapter two, verse ten: “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.” [Hebrews 2:10]

We are not to fear men. Do you get that? Now, why should we not fear man? The answer from the BOOK is this. [The Bible has all the answers!] “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” [Proverbs 29:25] We are not to fear what man may do unto us. It is in Matthew chapter ten, verse twenty-eight, where we can see the mindset of God in this matter. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” [Matthew 10:28] There it is! Friend, we are to fear God … not what man may do to us.

Now, where does this lead us? It leads us straight to the promises of God. We need to stand on the promises of God. Here is one of them for both you and I, and it is located in Isaiah chapter forty-one, verse ten. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” [Isaiah 41:10] MEMORIZE it!

3. Be Ready

Verse fifteen: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

When you and I got “saved” … something totally supernatural happened to us. [Man cannot explain it.] We were of the Spirit [born again] and the Holy Spirit came inside us to dwell in us. This is what the Bible says about it. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” [1 Corinthians 3:16] HOPE is now in us. FAITH is now in us.

This is the FAITH that is in us. This is the HOPE that is in us [which is the Holy Ghost living inside our bodies]. It is the very something inside of us that draws others to us to ask of us for the “reason of the hope” that lies within us. Friend, these are the lost souls who are looking at us each and every day. Now, SHINE! Jesus Christ wants you and me to be HIS ambassadors to a lost and a dying world. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” [2 Corinthians 5:20]

Brethren, be ready to answer “every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”.

4. If The Will Of God Be So

Verse seventeen: “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.”

Have you ever read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs? If you have, then you know that thousands of believers have suffered in times past for their faith in Jesus Christ. They have suffered torture … even to the point of their death. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” [Psalm 116:15] “He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.” [Psalm 72:14]

We should be willing to go this way if it will please our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!

The Spirits In Prison

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The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the
conversation of the wives;

1 Peter 3:2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

1 Peter 3:3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

1 Peter 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

1 Peter 3:5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

1 Peter 3:6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

1 Peter 3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

1 Peter 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

1 Peter 3:11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

1 Peter 3:13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

1 Peter 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

1 Peter 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

Believing And Suffering