PETER’S CALL TO SUFFERING

“But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” Notice Peter’s main point in this passage: “For to this, IE., suffering, you were called.” The Apostle Paul said it this way: “No one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.” The word “afflictions” is translated from the Greek thlipsis and literally means to crush, being also translated difficulties, trouble, adversity, distress, hardship, anguish, suffering, tribulation, and the like. The writer of Hebrews defines thlipsis as “a great conflict of suffering”, and in scripture thlipse encompasses ill health, poverty, the loss of loved ones, and all the perils, hardships, and persecution that can accompany one’s profession in Christ. And, suffering must be endured… patiently, if it is to be commendable to God.

“For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil … Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good.” It is better to suffer unjustly for doing good than to suffer justly for doing wrong. Saints are appointed to suffering, and Christ is our example. And yes… our suffering as a saint can be the will of God.

“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

Since Christ suffered in the flesh for you and me, we should arm yourselves with the same thought and purpose by patiently suffering rather than fail to please God. And here is a golden nugget of revelation: For whoever has suffered in the flesh, having the mind of Christ, is done with intentional sin – has stopped pleasing himself and the world, and pleases God. This means we no longer spend the rest of our natural life living by our human appetites and desires… Self, but we live for what God wills! Saints, suffering changes us, enabling us to become Christlike and obedient to God’s will.

Hear the words of the Apostle Paul from the Amplified Bible: “Moreover, let us also be full of joy now! let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (IE., Christlikeness), approved faith and tried integrity. And character of this sort produces the habit of joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.” Suffering produces Godly character, the nature of Christ within.

Peter said suffering is experienced by the whole Christian brotherhood, and that God would, “after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” Suffering has a divine purpose, our perfection, to establish us, strengthen us, and settle us.

Hear the words of James the brother of our Lord: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience … that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” The goal of suffering is our perfection, Christlikeness, that we may be completely free of spiritual imperfections, lacking nothing in the spiritual realm.

SUFFERING… COUNT IT ALL JOY

(1 Peter 2:20-21, 3:17, 4:1-2, 19, 5:9-10; 1 Thess. 3:3; Heb. 10:32-33; James 1:2-4; Rom. 5:3-5)

GIVING TO GOD

So what’s the deal with “tithing”? The word tithe simply means “one-tenth part.” Under the Law of Moses in the Old Testament, the Israelites were required to give three different tithes, totaling a little over 23 percent of their income. The first tithe was 10 percent of all of their possessions (Lev. 27:30–33; Num. 18:20–21), which was given to the Levites for Temple Ministry. A second tithe was taken from whatever produce was left after the first tithe was given. Jewish interpreters consider this to be a second tithe for feasts and sacrifices (Deut. 12:17–18; Lev. 27:30; Num. 18:21). Finally, a tithe was given once every three years to support the poor (Deut. 14:28–29). On top of these tithes were the voluntary freewill offerings given out of their own will and desire above and beyond their normal tithes (Ex. 35:29; Lev. 22:23; Ezra 3:5). 

When it comes to the New Testament teaching on giving, we must realize that the Mosaic Law no longer binds us. This leads us to the question, “Should we still give according to the Old Testament system, or are we able to give less or even more?” 

Concerning this, Paul wrote, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Cor. 9:6–8). 

As Christians who are no longer under the Law, we give because of the grace that God has given us. In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul commends the believers in Macedonia for what is often referred to as “grace giving.” Paul describes the qualities of this benevolence as being generous (2 Cor. 8:2), willful (2 Cor. 8:3), directed by God (2 Cor. 8:5), shared (2 Cor. 8:6), active (2 Cor. 8:7), and motivated by love (2 Cor. 8:8). This kind of giving should not be done out of a “legalistic” mentality, but as the Lord leads you to give (2 Cor. 8:8). 

In the Old Testament tithing system God set a standard for giving. Under the New Covenant of Grace God allows us, individually, to set our own standard of giving. We are not under compulsion to give; rather, we should give cheerfully and prayerfully as the Holy Spirit leads us. In a sense giving measures both our love for God and our level of spiritual maturity as we align our heart more and more with the heart of God through spiritual growth. Most importantly, giving to God is an act of worship, and God is seeking worshipers!

GIVING: A MATTER OF THE HEART

“CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART”

“My brothers and sisters in Christ, boast and rejoice when you are surrounded by trials, afflictions and hardships, knowing these pressures of life, which test your faith in God, produce God’s patience. And God’s patience produces Godly character and Godly character produces hope in God. And God’s hope graces us, because the love of God is lavishly poured to overflowing in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. So let God’s patience completely finish its objective, that you will be perfect... spiritually mature, completely whole in mind, body and spirit, never wanting anything.” (Rom. 5:3-5 sandwiched into James 1:2-4, John’s Translation)

These passages carry the same context and word usage, and develop one of the Apostle Paul’s favorite themes, the saint’s conformation... transformation, into the nature of Christ. Notice the progression produced by the Pressures of Life: *Patience, *Godly Character, *Hope, *Love. Godly Character is the character, virtues, values, and attitude of our Lord, His nature living in us as our nature. Jesus commanded His disciples, “You shall be perfect”, speaking of a progressive process of transformation that would grow them into perfection… complete maturity… godliness, “Just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Jesus set the standard of our “perfection” – Christlikeness, and Paul defined the process – the pressures of life.

Jesus said “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life”, Paul said we would have need of endurance, and James, the brother of Jesus said to “Count it all joy” when we encounter life changing trials and tests of faith. And yes these “difficulties” will produce a great need for patient endurance.

Submission to the Lordship of Christ and death to Self, our carnal fleshly nature, are the instruments of this heart surgery, our life in this world is the operating room. Our transformation is the number one item on God’s agenda, and He will not relent until the nature of Christ is formed in us… For we are “predestined to be conformed (IE., transformed) to the image (IE., nature) of His Son, that He (IE., Christ) might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

“AND DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD,

BUT BE TRANSFORMED

BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND.”

(Matt. 5:48, 7:14; Rom. 8:29, 5:3-5, 12:2; James 1:2-4; Heb. 10:6)

REST... PEACE... PATIENCE, AND GOD’S PLAN

If “The Way” stretches before us for ten thousand miles like a timeline, God will show us the next two inches and expect our faith and trust as we inch our way along. This is hard on our flesh… hard on our faith; He knows it and we need it. Faith only becomes a personal possession through trials and tests, the works which challenge, stretch, and purify dead faith into living faith. Remember, “Faith without works is dead.”

Entering the rest of God is apprehending and accessing His peace, the peace that passes our understanding – the peace that is better than knowing why. To apprehend is to know and understand that God has made provisions for our peace through His commands to be content, rejoice, and give thanks in all things, “For this is the will of God for you.” To access... enter, His peace is to put these precepts into practice by the setting of our mind on things above. This “putting into practice” is, of course, an act of living faith. There will be a battle, for our carnal fleshly nature, Self, wants to know “why”, wants to maintain control, wants to make all the decisions, and will keep us bogged down in the mire of life in the thorn bushes if we let him. Patience, which we all need, is endurance under pressure, and is the product of God’s peace, not vice versa: We have patience because we are at peace. Hearts willfully content, rejoicing hearts that offer up a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving – disregarding the circumstances of life – obedient trusting hearts… these hearts find the peace of God. So my prayer is that we will enter God’s rest finding His peace and thereby profiting from a patient heart that lives in the now and leaves the future to God. Amen, So Be It!

We all have need of patience and peace as we live out God’s unique plan for each of us. Joseph spent 22 years in holes, chains, and prisons before stepping into God’s plan. But since the 22 years no doubt prepared him for how God would use him, it was in reality all God’s plan – God doesn’t waste time, He owns time. We will, at times find ourselves in a different place than we expected, but our ever-present Lord is not the least bit surprised or worried. Saints, we should not look at adversity and affliction, the unexpected chunk-holes of life, as a waste, for it is God who works in us, willing and doing of His good pleasure, turning our bad into His purposeful good. As we rejoice and give thanks in all things – bad is a thing – we will enter the rest and peace of God and find the patience to patiently trust God to turn our bad into His good. Our trials and tests are, ultimately, valuable preparation for the “righteous works” God has prepared for each of us, and prepare us for our adoption into the royal family.

“FOR YOU HAVE NEED OF ENDURANCE

(IE., PATIENCE UNDER PRESSURE),

SO THAT AFTER YOU HAVE DONE THE WILL OF GOD,

YOU MAY RECEIVE THE PROMISE.”

(Heb. 4:1-10; 1 Thess. 5:18; Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:8; Heb. 13:5; Col.3:2; Heb. 10:36; Rom. 8:28; Phil. 2:13; James 2:20)