Forged in the FIRE 

• 1^st – Not a surprise… vs. 12-14
  • 1^st – Going to SUFFER… vs. 12
    • Having defined the WILL of God to SUFFER – and our MINDSET in SUFFERING…
      • We now move on and see us HOW we are to SUFFER for Christ…
      • The first things we need to address is that we are NOT to be surprised by SUFFERING!
    • BELOVED…
      • BELOVED [ἀγαπητός] – from the root word [ἀγαπάω] those LOVED by God…
      • Those who are LOVED by God – are going to SUFFER – John 16:33
      • This can seem counter intuitive to us – LOVE and SUFFERING seem to be OPPOSITES…
      • If God LOVES us – then He would NOT allow SUFFERING in our lives…
      • God should keep us from DIFFICULTIES – He should make our lives EASY!
      • Job was a VERY good man – but lost everything – his wealth – his family – his health…
      • One might question why God would let such hardships come on someone He loves…
      • Before the trials Job only knew about God – after He say God with his own eyes!
      • Job 42:5 – “I had heard about you before – but now I have seen you with my own eyes.”

• We often assume bad things only happen to bad people – you get what you deserve…
• But the truth is God lets bad things happen to good people – those whom He LOVES…
• Because it is in the hard times of life we cry out to and draw close to God!
• Hebrews 12:6 – “Whom the LORD loves He chastens…”

• FIERY TRIALS…
  • Do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you!
  • FIERY TRIALS [πύρωσις] – 3x in NT – the fires of a FORGE meant to BURN metal…
  • An appropriate description because the heat of TRIAL [πειρασμός] is meant to BURN…
  • I Peter 1:7 – “The genuineness of your faith – being… tested by fire.”
  • When a blacksmith first picks up raw METAL – it looks nothing like the finished product…
  • The ONLY way to shape it into a USEFUL tool – is to throw it into the FIRE – over and over…
  • Through intense HEAT – and POUNDING – he is able to reshape the METAL…
  • Make something USELESS – into something USEFUL – a tool in in the hand of the MASTER!
    
  • We want God to use us – but at FIRST – we are just RAW material…
  • God must FORGE us in the fire – into something useful in His hands…
  • Therefore – God allows us to go through TRIALS – SUFFERING – He puts us in the FIRE…
  • Where we are BROKEN [our pride] – we are melted and made flexible…
  • So we can be reshaped into the perfect TOOL – fit for the MASTERS use!
• NOT strange…
  • As though some strange thing happened to you!
  • STRANGE [ξένος] – 14x in NT – to lodge a stranger in our home…
  • We are NOT [imperative] to treat TRIALS like a stranger in our home…
  • The inference is that we should be welcoming TRAILS as though they were an old friend!
  • Too often when things in life fall apart – we react with surprise and astonishment…
  • As though something unusual has happened – and we are caught off guard…
  • Maybe other people have hardships – but we never thought it would happen to us!
  • The truth is we should expect TRIALS – welcome them like an old friend…
  • Knowing TRIALS are how we are FORGED into the Men and Women God wants us to be!

• 2^nd – Joy in SUFFERING… vs. 13
  • But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christs sufferings…
    • That when His glory is revealed – you may also be glad with exceeding joy!
    • Instead of being surprised by TRIALS – we must [imperative] REJOICE…
    • Not that we are HAPPY because we are SUFFERING…
    • Hebrews 12:11 – “No [suffering] seems to be joyful for the present…”
    • But we can have JOY because we KNOW what comes from SUFFERING!
  • PARTAKE [κοινωνέω] – meaning to have something in COMMON…
    • Just as Jesus SUFFERED on the cross – but will one day come as KING…
    • REVEALED [ἀποκάλυψις] – the SECOND coming of Christ – Revelation 19:11
    • Through SUFFERING – we JOIN [have something in common] with Christ…
    • Not ONLY in His SUFFERING – but also in His GLORY – I Corinthians 6:2
    • We will RULE with Jesus – which should give us EXCEEDING [to leap] joy!
    • You can buy IRON for around FIVE pesos per KILO – it has little value…
    • But that same KILO forged into a KATANA – is worth P500k!
    • Our JOY is not in going through the FIRE – but knowing the RESULT…
    • God takes something ORDINARY – and makes us EXTRAORDINARY!
    • II Corinthians 4:10 – “Through suffering – [we] continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in [us].” [NLT]
• 3^rd – Glory from SUFFERING… vs. 14
  • [Since] you are reproached for the name of Christ!
    • Since we represent Jesus – we WILL [passive] be MOCKED by the WORLD…
    • Which can make it TEMPTING to want to BLEND in…

• Because if we do the things the WORLD does – they will NOT hate us…
• By joining in with them – we JUSTIFY them – rather than CONVICT them!
• It is far easier to BLEND into the world – than to STAND for Jesus…
• But if we seek to please the world – follow the crowd – go with the flow…
• We are choosing this world rather than Jesus – it means we reject Jesus!
• James 4:4 – “Whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
• Blessed are you – for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you!
  • BLESSED [μακάριος] – we will HAPPY when we SUFFER that wrath of this world…
  • Because THE Spirit – THE Glory [Jesus] – and THE God [Father] – are with us!
  • Adolph Hitler ruled Germany ruthlessly until his death at the end of World War II…
  • He is hated and despised for his cruelty and murderous rampage across Europe…
  • If you met the man who cleaned his house – you would not like him either…
  • Not because of anything he had done – but because he worked for Hitler!
  • John 15:20 – “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me – they will also persecute you…”
  • We work for Jesus – so because the world HATES Jesus – they also HATE us…
  • They do NOT have a problem with us – they do NOT like WHO we stand for…
  • It should make us HAPPY when we SUFFER – because if PROVES Jesus is in us!
  • If we are NOT making the world uncomfortable – if they do not HATE us…
  • Then we might want to examine ourselves – make sure we are living for Christ…
  • The mark of a SPIRIT filled believer – is someone who the world openly despises!
  • Luke 6:22-23 – “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you – and [reproach] you – and cast out your name as evil – for the Son of Mans sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven…”
• On their part [Jesus] is blasphemed – but on your part He is glorified!
  • The final part of verse 14 is not found in the Alexandrian texts of the NT…
  • Therefore – you will ONLY find them in the KJV and NKJV of the Bible…
  • But it seems to be GENUINE – as the thought concludes the point Peter is making!
  • Although our SPIRIT filled lives causes [passive] the world to blaspheme the Lord…
  • Because the example of our lives bring conviction – causing them to hate us…
  • It ultimately brings [passive] GLORY to the Lord – because it shows we are living for Him!

• 2^nd – What we SUFFER for… vs. 15-16
  • 1^st – Not for Sin… vs. 15
    • But let none of you suffer…
      • We are NOT [imperative] to SUFFER for living a SINFUL life…
      • We are given FOUR examples of the sin that we should NOT get into…
      • It is NOT an exhaustive list by any means – but an effective sample to make a point!
    • MURDERER – someone who kills another person…
      • A violent and open CRIME – that causes irreparable harm to others…
      • Those who commit murder rightfully deserve to be punished!
      • The penalty for taking the life of someone – is the death penalty – Genesis 9:6
      • Because ONLY the Lord has the right to determine the number of our days!
    • THIEF [κλέπτης] – someone who steals from others…
      • A more subtle CRIME – one that is done in secret…
      • But none the less one the does damage to others – and shows a rejection of God!
      • God promises to provide us with all we NEED – Matthew 6:33
      • The thief is someone who does not believe God is faithful to His Word!
    • EVILDOER [κακοποιός] – a compound word that means to create EVIL…
      • A very broad and general term that seems to cover everything else!
      • From telling a little white lie – to living a sexually immoral lifestyle…
      • We are NOT to do anything that would create EVIL in our lives…
      • We are NOT to SUFFER just because we have made foolish choices to live for this world!
    • BUSYBODY – only here NT – a compound word that means to rule over others…
      • [ἀλλότριος] – can be translated as a stranger – not from your family…
      • [ἐπίσκοπος] – an overseer – often translated as pastor [bishop]
      • The idea is a person who APPOINTS themselves as the PASTOR over someone else!
      • This seems a little out of place in light of the first THREE sins on the list…
      • MURDER – THEFT – and those who create EVIL are extreme sins…
      • Someone who thinks they NEED to HELP others – does NOT seem as BAD!
      • People tend to think they have life figured out – and need to HELP those who do not…
      • Rather than ASSUME we are more holy than the person next to us…
      • We need to realize the standard of God is PERFECTION – Matthew 5:48
      • And compared to His standard – ALL of us are in desperate need of Jesus…
      • God takes it VERY seriously when we try to replace Him as the solution!
  • 2^nd – As a Christian… vs. 16
    • Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian – let him not be ashamed!
      • CHRISTIAN [Χριστιανός] – 3x in NT – the word means a LITTLE Christ…
      • It was first given by unbelievers to MOCK those who followed Christ…
      • It eventually became the TITLE used to describe those who BELIEVE in Jesus…
      • But over time has been WATERED down – to just refer to a RELIGION…
      • The MARK of the true CHRISTIAN – is one who is NOT [imperative] ASHAMED!
      • Luke 9:26 – “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words – of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory…”
      • Many people today are CHRISTIAN only in Church…
      • On Sundays – they look and sound like CHRISTIANS…
      • But when they leave church – at work – in their homes – they do NOT stand for Jesus…
      • Being a CHRISTIAN is not about SUNDAYS – it is who we are EVERY day!
      • Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…”
    • But let him glorify God in this matter!
      • We MUST [imperative] glorify [δοξάζω] God in our SUFFERING [this matter]
      • There are no coincidences with God – He uses all thing in our lives – Romans 8:28
      • Our SUFFERING might be a CONSEQUENCE – the result of SIN in our life…
      • Our SUFFERING might be a fiery TRIALS – God has brought into our life!
      • It does not matter the reason for the SUFFERING – how do we RESPOND…
      • We try to label things in life – we call them either GOOD or BAD…
      • We might think that NOT being punished is GOOD – but then we might never learn…
      • We might think going through a trial is BAD – but that is how we are FORGED…
      • The truth is – it is all about drawing us closer and closer to Jesus!

Philippians 1:6 – “Being confident of this very thing – that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

3^rd – The Contrast… vs. 17-19

1^st – Judgement begins… vs. 17-18

For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God!

Each word has THE [definite article] before it – emphasizing them…

THE time – is NOW – we are NOT talking about a future event…

THE house – is the CHURCH – we are the HOUSE of God – I Peter 2:5

THE God – is Jesus – He is the one who will JUDGE – John 5:22

THE judgment – BEGINS with the CHURCH – TWO thoughts:

FIRST – reference to the Bema Seat of Christ – II Corinthians 5:10 – I Peter 4:5

Which comes BEFORE the Great White Throne judgment – Revelation 20:11

SECOND – reference to the judgment that began in – Genesis 3

The SUFFERING of this life that comes as a consequence of the fall of man…

THE judgement even THE church [those who are saved] have been subject to!

[Since] it begins with us – what will be THE end of those who [reject] THE gospel of God!

Either way – the BEMA seat – or the FALL of man – the point is the same…

If we – who are SAVED – are not SPARED from THE judgment…

How much worse a fate will befall those who have rejected THE Gospel!

[Since] the righteous one is scarcely saved – where will the ungodly and the sinner appear!

SCARCELY [μόλις] – to be difficult – it is NOT easy for the righteous to be saved…

No doubt a reference to the SUFFERING we MUST endure in this life…

If those who are SAVED will SUFFER – what will happen to the UNGODLY…

Quoted from the book of Proverbs – reading the wording there the point becomes clearer…

Proverbs 11:31 – “If the righteous receive their due on earth – how much more the ungodly and the sinner!” [NIV]

It seems to present a contrast – we will SUFFER here on earth…

But how much MORE will the unbeliever SUFFER in eternity because they reject Jesus!

It is interesting that SUFFERING is NOT really an option…

We are either going to SUFFER for sin – or we are going to SUFFER for Christ…

The difference is one only has a temporary consequence – the other an eternal!

2^nd – Faithful creator… vs. 19

Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God…

Commit their souls to Him in doing good – as to a faithful Creator!

THEREFORE – in light of the fact it is BETTER to SUFFER now than later…

And SINCE – it is the WILL of God to SUFFER for doing GOOD – I Peter 3:17

COMMIT [παρατίθημι] – to PLACE something next to…

We MUST [imperative] put our SOULS in the LORD who is GOOD [ἀγαθοποιΐα]

How do we KNOW God is GOOD – He is our faithful CREATOR…

CREATOR [κτίστης] – only here NT – the one who MADE us!

We should NOT be surprised by the FIERY TRIALS of life…

As we live for Jesus – we have no reason to be ASHAMED of SUFFERING for Christ…

Because we understand that SUFFERING now – means we will have GLORY later…

THEREFORE let us COMMIT – place our TRUST in the LORD who is GOOD…

Knowing that the same God CREATED us – will be FAITHFUL to finish what He started!