Over the last three chapters, Peter has made a case that we need to conduct ourselves honorably before the Gentiles. In this way, by doing good, we will put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. We don’t fight them. We don’t revile them. We don’t belittle them. Even those who do not serve the Lord, we treat with kindness and compassion, serving others as best we can.
Sadly, this message doesn’t play well in the modern day. A whole host of those who claim to be Christian tell us this is how we will pave the way for persecution. I even see folks on social media belittling Christians for refusing to take up arms in the culture wars against the worldly. I’ve even seen them say when the worldly or when false religions take over and they start persecuting us, it will be our own fault and we will be receiving what we deserve. They tell us we must stand up and fight.
But I encourage you to reread all we’ve read from Peter so far. These Christians who monger fear and encourage us to fight back in the culture wars might as well have told Jesus to call the legions of angels down to keep Him from the cross. They might as well tell Jesus He got what He deserved.
But what did Jesus do? Did He revile? Did He fight back? Did He rebel and try to take over Judea or Rome? No. He taught. He worked. He served. And when His approach paved the way for people to kill Him, He did not stop them. Why? Because He entrusted Himself to the one who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23). Then, having entrusted Himself to God, He died.
Yup! He died. God didn’t swoop in and save Him. God didn’t send down an army of angels to save Jesus from death at the last possible minute. God watched and did nothing as Jesus died. This isn’t a Mission: Impossible movie.
And this is a really important point. God has not told us we must fight in order to make sure His church doesn’t get persecuted. He hasn’t even promised us if we don’t fight He will make sure we don’t get persecuted. Living honorably, seeking peace, doing good, and entrusting ourselves to God who judges justly may in fact pave the way for persecution. After all, Jesus’s way of life paved the way for His crucifixion. Why do we think our way of life will do differently?
But…and don’t miss this…God did judge justly. He didn’t rescue Jesus before death, but He did bring justice to Jesus and those who killed Him. Three days after Jesus died, He rose. Justice! Forty years after He rose, judgment came upon Jerusalem for their rejection. Justice! I know we like to say, “Justice delayed is no justice at all.” But in this case, justice delayed was mercy for many who turned to Jesus and had their sins washed away by the very sacrifice He offered when unjust hands nailed Him to a cross.
Jesus didn’t take matters into His own hands. He trusted God. Then Peter tells us to do the same:
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
–1 Peter 4:19 (ESV)
And this is the real question. Do we really think God will work justice for His people? Or do we think we are supposed to set up our own justice? Recall Jesus’s parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8. When Jesus ends that parable by asking, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” He isn’t asking, “At the final coming of Jesus will anyone have saving faith?” He’s asking when the Son of Man comes at any time to bring justice, will He find anyone who is praying and not losing heart because they are entrusting themselves to God to bring justice. Or will He find a bunch of people who decided not to trust God and instead take matters into their own hands? No doubt, some of these who have lost faith will abandon Jesus entirely. But some of them will still claim to follow Jesus but believe their job is to make God’s justice happen by their own strength.
Of course, the final point in all of this is when we entrust ourselves to God, the justice may not come in our lifetime. Like Jesus, the justice may come after we have died for God. In fact, that is the message of Revelation 6:9-11, isn’t it? The souls under the altar cry out “How long?” And God responds there are more who must join them before He brings the justice. But He will bring the justice.
Don’t take matters into your own hands when the Gentiles rise up against us. Simply keep doing good. Keep teaching truth. Keep conducting yourselves in an honorable way. Trust God. He is the faithful Creator, He judges justly. Even if we die at the hands of the persecutors, we will find justice in God’s court of eternity.
Praise the Lord!
Next week’s reading is 1 Peter 5.
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PATHS:
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What do you want to share with others from 1 Peter 4?
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