"Enduring Injustice in Trust"
[I Peter 2:18-25]
July 29, 2007 Second Reformed Church
Why should we do what is right?
Last week, we saw Peter explain to Christian running from Nero and his armies, that they ought to do what is right according to the Word of God, no matter what their situation is and no matter what the outcome may be. Why? Because, in then end, when Christians do what is morally good and right, according to the Word of God, God will be glorified through our acts and the responses of those who observe us.
We may do what is good and right for a variety of reasons, but our first and the ultimate reason for doing what is good and right is that God might be glorified. The Psalmist wrote, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!" (Psalm 115:1). The Word of God clearly tells us that everything that is, all that we are, everything we do, our motivation, and our life's purpose, is found in glorifying God.
Now, remember, the people Peter was writing to were under a death sentence for being Christians. They expected Jesus' Promise of suffering to come upon them. They didn't believe in the false health and wealth gospel that is so popular in the United States. They understood that the troops were coming, that Nero wanted them dead, and if serving Christ meant that they would be put to death for His Sake, then, to God be the glory.
This was not some sort of fatalism, remember, they were on the run. They did not want to be killed, Christians should not want to suffer or be put to death. However, we should want whatever brings the greatest glory to God. And, for some, that will mean suffering and death.
Peter goes on in this morning's Scripture to specifically address how Christians ought to live to the glory of God. He begins by addressing servants, and he has in mind both those who serve in their occupation and all Christians, since we all serve someone; we all have authority over us, even if we are self-employed.
Peter writes, "Servants, be subject to your master in all respectful fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the crooked" (my translation).
Peter says, first, we are right to submit to those in authority over us and do what is right, whether or not the people we work for are good people. We should do what is good and right, we ought to work to the best of our ability, no matter what those in authority over us are like. It ought not affect the kind of work we do if those in authority over us are good, honest people, or if they are evil, dishonest people. We should live and work as Paul wrote, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24).
We are to be a people who do what is good and right and submit to those in authority over us. Yet, we are ultimately to do what is good and right and submit to those in authority over us, because we are ultimately working for the Lord. We are representing Him in our work, in all that we do. When we are tempted to do what is less than good and right and submissive, we need to keep before us that we are showing the worth of Jesus in the way that we live and work. If you're willing to do less that your best, take short cuts that make your work less than it could be, what you're saying is, "Jesus is not worth my best."
And someone may object, "But isn't it glorifying to Christ if I do something to get back at my dishonest boss? Isn't it right for me to use whatever means necessary to get what I deserve from my cheating boss? He steals and cheats his customers, so aren't I right in stealing and cheating him?"
It is not for us to bring that sort of "justice" on those in authority over us; we are not to do wrong to get back at bad people. "Two wrongs don't make a right." We've heard that expression. It's likely that we have been "servants" to people we didn't think deserve us, more than to those we thought were wonderful, righteous people. How should we respond to those in authority over us who do wrong?
Well, we have seen that we should not do wrong to "make things even." We should not say, "he doesn't pay me what I'm worth, so I will take a longer lunch that I am allowed, I will take a stapler, or a box of paperclips, whatever." Christians are to live for the Lord and do all things for Him and for His Glory. We ought strive for holiness in all that we do, that Jesus might be known as glorious.
What if our superior wants us to do what is wrong or bad? We are never to do what is wrong, even if our job depends on it. We are representatives of Jesus. We ought politely, humbly explain that we must do what our God says is good and right to do. We cannot purposely shortchange customers. We cannot purposely pass off foreign coins in people's change. We can't charge an hour and a half for a half hour job. We must be honest. Even if it means our job, or our life. In some countries, people are put to death for confessing Jesus. These Christians Peter was writing to would have been put to death when they were found. Would you and I deny Christ if our option was deny Him and live, or hold fast to our confession and die?
What if our superior is murdering people, kidnaping people, or doing some other heinous act? In such severe cases, we ought to examine our consciences, and, if we are sure, then we should inform the proper authorities. But that is, Lord willing, a very rare case.
Peter continues saying that we, Christians, are to endure suffering in trust. "For this is a gracious thing, if being mindful of God one endures unjust suffering" (my translation).
"For what do you merit if you do wrong and endure being beaten for it? But if you do good and you endure suffering, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God" (my translation).
Peter says, if we do what is wrong and we are punished for it, well, we deserve it. Patiently suffering for a crime we did commit is not something to brag about, there is no merit in it. We ought to be ashamed of our crimes, our sins. We are not rewarded for suffering for our sins.
However, if we are punished for doing what is right, and we endure our punishment, it is a gracious act, it is an acceptable work, to God, a glory to Him. It has no bearing on our salvation if we suffer for doing good -- we do not merit salvation for unjust suffering. But we bring glory to our Savior if we endure suffering for doing what is good and right.
And someone may object, "You mean we should never defend ourselves? We should never say that what is being said of us is untrue?" No, we should offer a defense; we ought to show that we have done what is good and right and we have not done anything worthy of punishment. However, if the final judgment is against us, we ought to endure it in trust. If we are ultimately brought before the Supreme Court, and we defend ourselves, and we have done no wrong, but we are still found guilty, we ought to endure our suffering, trusting in God and His Justice. We are not called to lie and confess to a crime we didn't commit, but there may be times when we are forced to suffer for a crime we didn't commit. In those cases when we are wrongly accused and have lost our defense, we ought to endure suffering in trust, just as we endure suffering in trust when we suffer for doing what is good and right, according to the Word of God.
We are not to look for suffering, or desire suffering, nor are we to enjoy suffering when it comes. And I dare say, suffering, being wrongly accused, or even for the good, for the sake of Christ, is not appealing. Still, we ought to prepare ourselves for it, and understand that should the day come, we must stand for Christ against His accusers, and we must enduring suffering for Him in trust.
There are bills before our government that would make it a hate crime for a minister to say any sexual act is sinful. It is likely, even if these don't pass, that the day will come when preaching the clear Word of God will be a criminal offense. Those ministers who actually believe the Bible will have to chose on that day if they are willing to submit to Jesus and possibly suffer unjustly for the good, or if they will find an escape in denying parts of the Scripture. It is likely that the day will come when I will be confronted with the option of risking jail for preaching what God has said, and I pray, and I ask you to pray for me, and I will pray for you, that if the day comes, in this country, when Christians are hunted down and jailed -- killed -- that we will stand firm, confessing salvation in Jesus Alone and doing those things that are good and right, submitting to our God and Savior.
Peter says we ought to be like Christ in all things, trusting justice to God: "For to this you have been called, because Christ experienced it on your behalf, leaving you an example that you would follow in his steps, who committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth, who was reviled, but did not retaliate when he suffered, nor did he threaten, but delivered himself up to him who judges justly. Who himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, who heals you by his bleeding wounds" (my translation).
Isaiah puts it this way: "Who has believed what they heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth, like a lamb to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and their was no deceit in his mouth.
"Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring: he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted as righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him as portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53).
God has called us as Christians to do what is good and right at all times to the glory of God, no matter what the outcome is for us.
God has called us as Christians to submit to those in authority over us, to serve them as though we were serving the Lord, no matter whether those in authority are good or evil.
God has called us to be like Christ in all things, even in suffering unjustly. Are you and I willing to suffer injustice in trust that our God is faithful and is doing all things to His Glory and for the good of those who love Him?
"For you were led away like sheep, but now you have turned around to the Shepherd and Overseer of your being" (my translation).
Shall we submit to our Good Shepherd and do all that the Overseer of our being commands?
Let us pray: Good and Faithful God, we admit that we get angry when those in authority over us do what is wrong. We ask that our anger does not become an occasion for sin. Keep us from doing what is wrong in response to those in authority over us doing wrong. Keep us living and becoming more like You, so that when our hour comes, and we suffer injustice, we might suffer as You did, trusting our selves in all things to You and Your Justice. Be glorified in our lives. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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