Yesterday we went through some of John Brown’s writing over the verses from 1 Peter 2 below. That study focused on what Brown called the first motivation for enduring suffering, God’s approbation. Today, I want to cover the second of his motivations. In a word, we call it sanctification. In John Brown’s words it is conformity to Christ.
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
Christ’s example
Brown, in defining conformity to Christ, writes that our motives for conformity to Christ which come from Christ’s suffering can be viewed in three ways. The first and simplest (Brown uses the word here, but I do not think we need take offense; I believe he means the most elementary, and is not defining its quality) is Christ’s example. Peter describes Christ’s example, “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.” And therefore we have a basic motivation to do likewise as our captain and king did. In this way we can see the most basic motive for conformity to Christ.
Christ’s expiatory acts
Next, Brown states that Peter presents to us motivation from Christ’s expiatory acts. Expiatory is not a word we throw around too often. Expiatory means “having the power to atone,” and so we might be more familiar with the adjective propitiatory. But, if not, you and I, dear reader, are definitely familiar with the term propitiation. So, if you can wrap your mind around that term it will give you a better feel for what is meant by expiatory. And so, Brown says we have a second motivation from Christ’s expiatory acts.
In verse 24 Peter expresses this, “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.” Brown, then would say that we have therefore another motive for enduring the sorrows of undeserved suffering in that Christ did so himself, and that he did so on our behalf – in order to atone for our transgressions. Here, if I understand Brown rightly, and can follow my own feelings in the matter, we have a more compelling motive for conformity to Christ.
A complex motivation for conformity to Christ
Finally, then, Brown says our full motivation for conformity to Christ is only found by viewing these together. Brown says that we must view our motivation as complex. I will quote him here.
…it must also, if we would feel its full force, be considered as a complex one. “Hereunto are ye called.” Patient, undeserved suffering, is a portion of that conformity to Christ to which, as Christians, ye are called: ” Hereunto are ye called.” Patient, undeserved suffering, is a part of that universal holiness to which ye are called, and to secure which was, so far as relates to man subjectively considered, the great ultimate object of our Lord’s expiatory sufferings.
John Brown, Expository Discourses on the First Epistle of Peter Volume 2 158, William Oliphant and Co. 1866
These are some powerful words! Undeserved suffering is a portion of conformity to Christ and to universal holiness to which we are called. And, I may be wrong here, but I believe Brown is saying in his final line that we are called to endure undeserved suffering in order to secure that for which Christ himself endured and was slain, namely salvation.
What Brown is not saying
Now, before you take out your pitchfork and chase me into the town square for a good old fashioned burnin’, let me qualify my last conjecture. I do not believe that Brown is talking about meriting salvation. That is, I don’t believe he means we are called to suffer, and we will be saved because our suffering earns for us our salvation. Rather, like James writes in James 2 that faith without works is dead, by which I believe James means works are evidence of a living faith, I believe Brown is saying something along those lines about suffering.
Take out the rake
Let’s “take out the rake,” as they say in Anathem (Neal Stephenson, Harper, 2009). Does the Bible say that Christians will suffer? Must suffer?
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Romans 8:16-17
10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
2 Timothy 3:10-13
Faith without suffering is dead?
Shall I go on? I think you see my point, and there are many other places in scripture I could cite that say the same. So, we should not be so ready to reach for our torches and pikes. Brown, as I said, is not saying we earn salvation by suffering a certain way. Rather, he is saying it is something to which we have been called in Christ’s securing of our salvation. God’s will is supreme and will be done. And, if it is His will that we endure suffering like, and even, as the Apostle wrote, with Christ, we will do so as we grow in conformity to Christ. All of this is both part of and evidence of our salvation.
Two principles for conformity to Christ
Now, on to Brown’s discourse on conformity to Christ. He lists two general principles, and I have below tried to capture the core of each. As in our study yesterday, I have had to chop these down in order to try and present to you the general thrust. Here is the first.
Let us now turn our attention a little to the general principles here laid down. These are two. In thus patiently enduring undeserved suffering: from a regard to the divine will, our Lord set an example to his people; and to the imitation of this example Christians are expressly called.
The first of these principles is stated in these words: “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps.” …Christ also suffered; suffered undeservedly, suffered patiently, suffered piously, leaving you an example that ye should follow in his steps. He did all this with the intention of showing you what you might expect, and how you should behave.’
It is quite plain, that within certain clearly definable limits, our Lord’s character and conduct is the great exemplar after which his followers are to fashion theirs. They are commanded to have the mind in them that was in him. They are to think as he thought; they are to feel as he felt; they are to “walk as he also walked.” They are to be “in the world as he was in the world.” “To follow him,” is the comprehensive term which describes all the varied duties of discipleship. In running the Christian race, we are constantly to “look to him” as the exemplar as well as the rewarder.
…But in the great leading principles of our Lord’s conduct, supreme love to God, disinterested love to man, there can be no doubt that he is our exemplar; and, supposing him placed in our circumstances, we are always to think, and feel, and act, as he would have thought, and felt, and acted.
…there can be no difficulty in the case before us: for the mode of conduct referred to is just the natural expression of those great principles of love to God, and love to man, by which, in common with Christ, all Christians should be animated and guided ; and we have the express declaration of an inspired writer, that in submitting to undeserved suffering, and in enduring it patiently and piously, it was the intention of our Lord to exhibit to his people a picture of the trials which they might expect to meet with, and a pattern of the manner in which they ought to sustain these trials. This fact of itself, then, sufficiently shows that Christians are bound not only to admire, but to imitate, their Lord, in meekly and piously submitting to undeserved suffering.
John Brown, Expository Discourses on the First Epistle of Peter Volume 2 166-168, William Oliphant and Co. 1866
The second principle for conformity to Christ
I think I need not expound on Brown’s words. They are clear. So, let’s go on to his second principle.
This is made still more evident by the second general principle laid down in the text. To this meek, pious submission to suffering, in imitation of Christ, Christians are expressly called. “Hereunto,” to this, “are ye called;” that is, when you were called to be Christians, you were distinctly told that you should meet with suffering, with undeserved suffering, and that you would be expected to bear it in a meek, pious spirit. What says our Lord? “If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word which I said unto you. The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. In the world ye shall have tribulation. These things have I spoken to you, that ye should not be offended,” stumbled, when they come to pass; thinking it strange, as if some strange thing had happened to you. “Behold, I tell you before.” And what say the apostles? They assure Christians that it is through much tribulation that they are to enter into the kingdom;” and that “all who will,” who are determined to, “live godly in this world, must I suffer persecution.” They bid them “count it all joy when they are brought into manifold trials;” tell them that it is needful that they “for a season be in heaviness through these manifold trials;” caution them against counting “fiery trials strange things,” and exhort them when they meet with these to “rejoice that they are partakers of Christ’s sufferings.” And as to the manner in which these afflictions are to be borne, this is their calling : “Let patience have its perfect work.” “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.” “Be patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”
John Brown, Expository Discourses on the First Epistle of Peter Volume 2 168-169, William Oliphant and Co. 1866
A changed perspective
So, Brown has laid down his two principles. Christ gave us an example, and we are called to follow it. Now, Brown makes the following wonderful conclusion.
It clearly follows, from the facts stated and the principles laid down, that Christians need not wonder, and ought not to be discouraged, when they meet with undeserved suffering from the world; that they should be careful that all the sufferings they are exposed to from the world be indeed undeserved sufferings; and that they ought to submit to these undeserved sufferings in a spirit of meek forgiveness towards those who inflict them, and of humble, hopeful resignation to Him by whose appointment they are subjected to them.
…In like manner. Christians are to see in the men of the world who treat them unjustly and unkindly, “the hand,” “the staff,” ” the rod” of Jehovah; and of all the afflictions produced by their instrumentality to say, “This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, wonderful in counsel, excellent in working.” They are to recollect, that though they have not deserved this, though they may have deserved the very reverse, from those who maltreat them, they deserve this, far more than this, at the hand of God: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that they are not consumed.” They are to remember, that both as creatures and redeemed creatures he has an undoubted right entirely to manage their affairs. They are to believe that he orders all things well and wisely; that he “will not suffer them to be tried above what they are able to bear; “that he will sustain them under their afflictions;” that he will make them work together for their good, work out for them “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” And under the influence of these convictions, they, when suffering according to the will of God, like their Lord who, when suffering according to the will of God, “committed himself to him who judgeth righteously,” are to “commit the keeping of their souls to God in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” Thus have I endeavoured to bring out the force of the motive to patient endurance of undeserved suffering on the part of Christians, grounded on that example of our Lord, to the imitation of which they are called in their high and holy calling
John Brown, Expository Discourses on the First Epistle of Peter Volume 2 170-175, William Oliphant and Co. 1866
A further example from our Lord
What an excellent perspective! We should not be surprised or wonder or become downhearted when we find ourselves suffering for the sake of righteousness. I left a large section of Brown’s writing out. But, he suggests that all suffering – even if only patient suffering which has no motive of evil behind it – should be endured with a conscience toward God. Brown writes that we should imagine Christ, our Lord through whom all of Creation was made. He became a man. This alone means he was made to suffer in countless small ways. Day in and day out he suffered things small and large which he did not deserve any more than did he deserve torture and death on the cross. If our Lord had to suffer all the small daily sufferings that life brings, and did so with joy and a mind focused on the Father, so should we.
I hope this quick glance through Brown’s discourse on 1 Peter have been edifying for you, dear reader. For me, they have been eye-opening, edifying, and even fun! I think next time we will move on to 1 Peter 3.
