Today, I had meant to continue looking at Colin Smith’s series on the Beatitudes, especially as concerns meekness because of the wonderful crossover between that content and these verses in Peter. We covered his initial sermon on meekness in some part in yesterday’s study, Meekness. If you would like to read or listen to his following sermon, it can be found here. But, in reading John Brown on these verses, I decided that it would do better to go through Brown’s material, specifically today on what he calls the motives for patient endurance of wrongs. The motives are the God’s approbation and sanctification. I am not sure how much I will even contribute today. Praise God greater minds have tackled all these verses long before we were ever born!
19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1 Peter 2:19-25
God’s Approbation and Sanctification
Brown states that Peter gave us two great motives for patient and cheerful endurance of mistreatment. The first he lists is that undeserved suffering is “of high estimation in the sight of God,” resulting in God’s approbation. The second is that of sanctification – we are to be conformed to the image of Christ. The second of Brown’s motives, sanctification, we touched on in the previous two studies, Meekness and Called to Suffer. However, I have no doubt that Brown’s focus on sanctification will take us much further than whatever I put together in either of those studies.
The Christian approach to suffering
Let’s begin with Brown’s picture of a Christian’s approach to suffering.
He submits patiently to suffering, from an enlightened regard to the character and will of God. He believes that he is in his present circumstances by the providence of God; he knows God requires him to bear the evils he is subject to with fortitude and patience; he believes that God will support him under them, in due time deliver him from them, and make them work for his good; and therefore he ” endures” them. “Such a servant’s obedience is not pinned to the goodness and equity of his master, but, when that fails, will subsist upon its own inward ground. This is the thing that makes sure and constant walking. It makes a man step even in the ways of God.”
John Brown, Expository Discourses on the First Epistle of Peter Volume 2 153, William Oliphant and Co. 1866
God’s approbation
Now, let’s move on to the first motive. I love the way Brown sets this up. He presents unmerited suffering – meaning suffering you don’t deserve – as an opportunity. “The apostle does not deny this; but he says, you are placed in circumstances in which you have an opportunity of drawing down upon yourselves a larger measure of the approbation of God, than had you been placed in what you might have thought better circumstances.” Is that not marvelous? When we suffer, not for wrong we have committed in error or sin, but for doing good, we are presented with an opportunity to drawn down upon ourselves God’s approval.
Requisite caveat
This is not some situation where we are forcing God’s hand. God’s approbation cannot be forced by our actions or prayers. He is not a delivery boy, or some great waiter in the sky, ready to receive our orders. But, God’s character is such that when we are subject to suffering despite (or due to our) actively attempting to live in imitation of Christ, we receive God’s approbation. And, suffering becomes an opportunity to receive more of God’s approval than we might have had we carried on without it.
Why should this result in God’s approbation?
Why is that? Well, Brown gives a reason, and I think it worth reprinting here.
The reason why such conduct is peculiarly acceptable to God is that all undeserved suffering, endured patiently from religious motives, shows the submission of the mind and will to God. It is an embodiment of the soul of true religion, “Not my will, but thine be done. The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”
John Brown, Expository Discourses on the First Epistle of Peter Volume 2 155, William Oliphant and Co. 1866
A short jaunt into meekness
If we could jump back to Colin Smith for a moment, he echoes this same sentiment in his sermon on meekness. Quoting Thomas Watson, Smith says the following:
Thomas Watson asks the question: What made Christ so meek in His sufferings? His answer is: “He did not look to Judas or Pilate, but at his Father… ‘the cup that the Father has given me’” (18:11).
At one level, you could say that the suffering of Jesus on the cross was a direct result of the decision of Judas to betray him and the judgment of Pilate to condemn him…
But Christ did not do that. He looked to his Father: “The cup that the Father has given me.” He discerned the hand of God, even in the work of his enemies. As long as you see your life as a story of what others have done to you, you will live in disappointment, anger, frustration, and resentment, “Judas and Pilate and all that they have done to me.” You don’t want to live there.
Look at Jesus on the cross. When his enemies have done their worst, they cannot overcome him. See the glory of the Son of God as he says, “Father forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.” That’s what you want to be like, isn’t it?
Colin Smith, Blessed Are the Meek
Back to the why of God’s approbation
Why is it that enduring unmerited suffering should bring God’s approbation upon a Christian? Because that Christian has recognized his suffering is God’s will. It is the cup given each of us by the Father. Shall we not drink it? Well, we shall either way! But, how much more blessed to respond to suffering like Job? Job’s wife also believed her suffering was the will of God, but it filled her with anger and resentment. But, we see Job respond with grace and acceptance. And in the final line of verse 10 we see God’s approbation of Job.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Job 2:9-10
A celebration of conscience towards God
Brown celebrates this motivation for enuring suffering in a quite lengthy passage. I will try to reproduce it here, though I will have to cut it shorter. I pray I take nothing too important from it, but pass on to you, dear reader, the core of his sentiment.
The great principle which the apostle requires Christian servants to act from, in cheerfully doing the duties and enduring the hardships of their condition, is “conscience towards God.” Submission to the divine will, respect to the divine authority, desire of the divine approbation, should be, and, if we are Christians, will be, the ruling principle of our conduct in all our actings and sufferings in life. To borrow the striking words of him whom in these discourses I so often quote, “Let us all, whether servants or not, set the Lord always before us, and study, with Paul, to have ‘ conscience void of offence towards God and towards man.’ Let us apply constantly to our actions and to our inward thoughts the command of God. Let us walk by that rule abroad and at home, in our houses and in the several ways of our calling, as an exact workman, who is ever and anon applying his rule to his work, and squaring it. Let us, from conscience towards God, do and suffer his will cheerfully in everything, being content that he should choose our condition and trials for us; only desirous to be assured that he has chosen us for his own, set us apart for himself, and secured for us ‘the glorious liberty of the children of God,’ and the full ‘redemption of the purchased possession.’ “Let us seek as our great object, “that whether we sleep or wake we may be accepted of him,” and obtain at last the inheritance, as those who serve the Lord Christ. Let us steadily walk in the way that leads to this inheritance, overlooking this momentary scene and all things in it, accounting it a very indifferent matter what our outward state here be in this moment, provided we may be happy in eternity… When all earthly splendour has vanished in darkness, patient endurance of suffering for conscience sake shall be found unto glory inextinguishable; and the slave who for conscience to God, in circumstances of peculiar trial, “enduring grief, suffering wrongfully,” proved that the mind of Christ was in him, and that he had learned to walk in the steps of the example he has left behind him, shall receive tokens of a degree of divine approbation, which may be withheld from many who, placed in what men reckoned far more enviable circumstances, have not attained to the same measure of conformity to him who is “the brightness of glory,” “the excellency of beauty,” the “first-born among many brethren.”
John Brown, Expository Discourses on the First Epistle of Peter Volume 2 156-158, William Oliphant and Co. 1866
In this life you will have trouble
It is truly remarkable to imagine living life with this in mind. When we encounter suffering we should see it as an opportunity to please God. I hope you are grasping what I have form reading these verses and studying Brown’s discourse. We will all suffer at some point. Jesus told us we would experience trouble in this life (John 16:33). It is going to happen regardless of our attitudes toward it. We can, if we decide, be like Job’s wife. We can rail and curse. But, we’ll suffer just the same.
How much more honorable to imitate Job, and how much more gracious to imitate Christ. I say gracious because it is only due to God’s grace, through Christ’s sacrifice, and by the graceful inner-working of the Holy Spirit on our hearts and minds that we can imitate Christ. We can face all suffering with a humble heart. Our minds perceive the will of God. And, our lips proclaim with Christ, “The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” This response to suffering is acceptable in God’s sight. As we are conformed to the image of Christ we will be more and more able to respond thus. And, God’s approbation will be the result.
Well, dear reader, looks like I once again failed to get through all I hoped. Let’s plan, Lord willing, on touching on Brown’s second motivation tomorrow.
