LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SUNDAY 24 JULY 2022
1 PETER 3 VERSES 1 TO 18
“For Christ
also hath once suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring
us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”
As Peter writes his epistle you will notice suffering is mentioned quite often. He talks about the suffering of the Christian and then the suffering of Christ. The suffering of Christ is more important to focus on and that is not making light of the Christian’s suffering. Peter is trying to encourage those people who were suffering both physically and verbally. It has been said that Nero was one of the greatest persecutors of Christians in the Roman empire. He once threw a party which was held late into the night. His servants asked him where they would get light at that time of the night. Nero reportedly said “the Christians proclaim to be the light of the world so have them crucified and hung on a pole, then cover them with tar and set them alight. That is what they did. A horrendous thing, indescribable yet they suffered not because they were guilty of any rebellion against the Roman Empire but simply because they were followers of Christ. Persecuted because they were faithful to the gospel of Christ. Verse 8 “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.” We are told not to render evil for evil, to be courteous to those around us, to show something of the love of God. These people preached the unsearchable riches of Christ. No doubt times were hard. But no matter what storms or suffering we are going through we need to keep on believing Jesus is near. These sufferings were real, the veracity of persecution was horrendous. Peter says keep on going on. “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.” (verse 15) Peter then reminds them that Christ also suffered. God knows all about our suffering. He is not blind to what we are going through. He has promised he will never leave us nor forsake us. Our suffering is in the will and purpose of God. “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing than for evil doing.” (verse 17) Why would it be good for a man or a woman to suffer persecution? To spread the gospel. God scattered the early church believers that they might take the gospel with them. Romans 8 verse 28. Chapter 2 verse 21 “For even hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” Christ’s sufferings are not only for encouragement but for an example. We need to look unto Jesus, to focus on him. Hebrews 12 verse 2 “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” This is the context in which Peter is trying to encourage this people to fill their hearts and minds with the cross of Christ.
The person – “For Christ”. Who is Christ? We know that the word Christ means anointed one. He is the one who left the splendours of heaven and came down to this sin filled earth. Christ is the anointed one. Peter introduces himself straight away. A direct connection between who he is and what he has accomplished on Calvary. Why does the Christian look to the cross – for salvation and why does he look to Christ? For sanctification through him. We are separated from the world, set apart unto God of heaven. These people saw tremendous value in the worth of Christ on the cross. Lets not only focus on the cross but on the person of Christ, God’s anointed prophet, priest and king. He gives permanence and pre-eminence to ourselves. God incarnate, God manifested in the flesh. “He is the God of glory”, “he is the brightest of God’s glory and the express image of his person.” (Hebrews 1 verse 3) Isaiah 6 “in the year King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord.” Isaiah had a vision of the glory of God in the temple in that year. The people didn’t know where to turn. Isaiah gets a vision of heaven in the temple. John 12 verse 40 and 41 “I beheld his glory”. The glory of Jehovah is seen in the Old Testament and in the new it is the glory of Jesus. As we look at the cross of Christ we are looking at the one who God manifested in the flesh that he might destroy the works of the devil. Who is he really? He is the only begotten of the father. 1 Timothy 3 verse 16 “great is the ministry of godliness.” John 1 verse 14 “the world became flesh and dwelt amongst us.” Christ the Lord of Lords and king of kings. The preaching of the cross must include the person of God. To them that perish it is foolishness but unto us that believe it is the power of God unto salvation. To preach Christ on its own would be wrong. The apostle Paul said “we preach Christ and him crucified.” Without that element it becomes another gospel. The person who was born of the virgin Mary is not emphasised enough today. We have got to preach the person of Christ, the one who is sovereign in eternity past is still sovereign today. He is the God of glory. He is the same yesterday today and forever. Stop and think of the one on the cross, the anointed one to be prophet, priest and king.
The passion of Christ – “also hath once suffered on the cross”. Read through 1 Peter and you will see suffering is mentioned 7 times and of course the number 7 is a sign of perfection. It is mentioned in chapter 1 verse 11, chapter 2 verses 21 and 23, chapter 3 verse 18, chapter 4 verse 13 and chapter 5 verse 1. The suffering of Christ commenced at his birth. He left behind all the glory in heaven and came down into the world, he was despised and rejected, to enter into the world full of sin. That they would reject him and despise him. His life was threatened on many occasions. He knew what it was to be hungry. He was tempted for 40 days in the wilderness without food. The people wanted to stone him, to put him to death, people said he was doing things against God. We see him in Pilate’s hall, the soldiers flogging him, striking him. He was in agony. Then he was taken out and hung on a cross for 3 hours. A holy God took over. God laid on him the iniquity of us all. He made him to be sin for us that we might understand the righteousness of God. These were the sufferings of Christ in the physical sense but he also suffered in his soul. Imagine the anguish and mental sufferings of Christ. His sufferings were unique. We understand that thousands of people were crucified at the time of Jesus but his sufferings were unique because he was God manifested in the flesh. The wrath of sin was poured on him. It pleased the Lord to let him suffer because there was no other way to save us. God spared not his son but gave him up. Notice the words “once suffered”. It was once for all. When he had endured all that he sat down at the right hand of God. The sacrifice was made, finished, never to be repeated again. Sin had separated us from God. Romans 5 verse 12 “wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” “God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.” A payment due to a broken law. It was all in the will and purpose of God, planned before the foundations of the world. Christ submitted himself to the will and purpose of God, he was willing to pay the debt.
The perfection of Christ – “the just for the unjust”. That word “just” means holy and righteous. Whenever Christ was before Pilate his wife said “have nothing to do with this just man”. He never did anything wrong in his life. Focus on Christ today. He also suffered and more than we could ever imagine. Ecclesiastes 7 verse 20 “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.” Christ came from heaven and was absolutely perfect, free from sin. Christ was able not to sin and able to sin.
The propitiation of Christ – he died the just for the unjust. 1 John 4 verse 9 “in this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God send his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him.” The doctrine of substitution cannot be separated. He died in your place. He paid a price for me. It is up to God what he does with that life. Our sins have separated us. Isaiah 9 verse 12. We needed someone to stand in our place, to take upon himself our sin. “God has made him to bear that sin for us … that we might be manifested.” He was being made sin, that we might be made righteous in God. Think of his substitution – Christ stood in my place.
The purpose of Christ – “that he might bring us to God.” That is the reason for Calvary. We come to Christ as sinners. You can look back to the moment when you received Christ as Saviour. Christ brings us to God, now we are children of God. Christ has saved us, Christ has delivered us from our sin. He has made us fit to come into the presence of God. He is our mediator. We need Christ to bring us to God. Not only into the presence of God but into the glory of God. You cannot come by your own religion, Christ must bring you. In Luke 17 and the lost sheep we see that the sheep could never come to the shepherd because it was lost. If you think of the greatest relationship of this world it is beyond money and price. If only the rich man would realise what it means to be saved and it is available to everyone.
The power of
Christ – “being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit.” Whilst we focus on the cross we need to also
focus on the resurrection. The Lord was
able to take his life again. The power
of the cross is seen in the resurrection.
Chapter 2 verse 21. What we are
suffering in this world is mild compared to what he has suffered. We simply come to the cross of Christ as
sinners and he will bring us to God and give us the power of his resurrection.
