1 Peter 3: Are You Suffering For Christ’s Sake?
Verse of the Day: (V17) “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.”
1. Sight Of God (V1-11)
V4 “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.”
The home and the church are the two institutions that Christ loves as they are precious in His eyes. Let us like Christ loves our family and church knowing that they are precious in His sight. We may not fully agree with our family and church members in everything, but we must still love them. This is especially so for the husbands, as God shall not hear their prayers, if they do not love their wives - their weaker halves and joint-heirs with Christ.
V7 “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.”
2. Will Of God (V12-17)
V14 “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;”
As I write this devotion, my dearest sister, Daisy, is suffering much due to her severe illness. Though she has done nothing wrong, yet she knows that it is God’s will that she suffers, just like Christ, who also suffered much, when He died on the cross, not for His own sins, but for the sins of the whole world – yours and mine! Let us continue to endure our suffering for righteousness and Christ’s sake, and preach the gospel of Christ to all.
V15 “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:”
3. Longsuffering Of God (V18-22)
V18 “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:”
Let us not take for granted God’s longsuffering, as during the Great Flood, He destroyed all, except the eight souls in the ark, because the rest kept refusing to repent their sins.
V20 “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.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that I am suffering for righteousness’ and Your sake.
