One question that we’ve thrown around recently is if our church is prepared for more suffering. There are different kinds of suffering, and who’s to say what kinds may or may not be around the corner (even as was true for Peter’s readers). The Lord knows, the Lord wills. There is a sense in which you never really know if you’re prepared until you’re in the midst of the trouble and, according to the Bible, some troubles are the means to increasing our ability to handle them. But whether or not we are prepared, 1 Peter is written with an expectation that you can do some things to get ready.

1 Peter is about suffering, as a Christian and even for doing good as a Christian. It is less about personal suffering, as in, from sickness or injury or depression, though it has application for all kinds of griefs (see verse 6). It is more about relational suffering, we could call it social suffering, with insults (4:14) and slander (4:4) from others. It is about suffering that might happen when a woman is married to a disobedient husband (3:1-6), suffering under a crooked boss (2:18-25), suffering under ignorant (if not malicious) government (2:13-17), and suffering in a culture that is non-Christian (2:11; 4:3-4). 1 Peter was written to Christians in such a hostile environment, and it has application for much of what we see around us now.

The three main themes of 1 Peter are suffering, submission, and salvation, but in the reverse order. Peter thought there were things Christians could do to prepare for suffering, and he thought so directly and by argument. That’s why the first chapter and a half are about our salvation, because when we understand what our God-given faith is for, we will be less surprised at the fiery trial that’s upon us (4:12). Faith is given by God, and in another way it is made by fire.

The Peter who wrote the letter is the apostle Peter. He watched his Lord suffer, up close. He tried to avoid suffering one memorable time by denying that he knew the Lord. By the time he wrote this letter he had already spent time in prison for preaching.

He wrote to the elect exiles throughout a dispersion, perhaps better not capitalized as a proper noun. These were “scattered” Christians in the area of modern day Turkey. Though he was the apostle entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised (Galatians 2:7-8), the description of his readers in 1 Peter seem to be more Gentile, even if mixed.

That Peter refers to “the futile ways inherited from your forefathers” (1:18) indicated that most of his readers were Gentiles. They had once not been a people, but are now God’s people (2:10).

The provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia were diverse demographically, though all of them were part of the Roman Empire at this point. The order in which the areas are listed probably designates the order in which the courier (Silvanus, see 5:12) would carry the letter to the readers.

Evidence is lacking for an official government policy against Christians. Though Nero’s persecution around A.D. 64 was clearly targeted at Christians, it’s not clear that martyrdom was expected by Christians before that, even if the culture was unfavorable or belligerent against Christians.

So Peter calls them exiles, not because they weren’t living at home. It is more than a geographical condition, it is a spiritual one. We’re living away from our native country; our citizenship is dual-nature (earth and heaven per Philippians 3:20), resident aliens.

This world is not the Christian’s home. We are “aliens and strangers” (1 Peter 2:11: NASB), “foreigners” (NIV), “pilgrims” (KJV). I do think that this is true, and it does not have to make a man a dualist if he also pays attention to his responsibilities as an exile, which is more than mere evangelism. God wants His people to (here) live by faith.

The way to prepare for submitting how God wants us to submit is by following in the steps of Jesus who left us an example (2:21). The way to prepare for suffering how God wants us to suffer is by trusting Him as the faithful Creator (4:19). We are to gird up our mental loins with faith (1:13). Faith, birthed (1:22) and grown (2:2) and finished (5:10), is the point of Peter’s letter, and here in his introduction.

Peter identifies himself and his readers as exiles, those who are elect, chosen by God. They are Christians, by the various work of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for sake of obedience. They’ve been washed by sprinkling with his blood.

In verse 3 he blesses God.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

This is salvation, but the word salvation here is used for a future salvation. Salvation needs to be defined; it is ambiguous in that it has a number of meanings. Being born again is salvation, living by faith is salvation, and also getting to this eternal inheritance is salvation. The end part is what Peter refers to, though the whole story is one that the prophets wrote about and the angels give attention to (verses 10-12).

This is also God’s sovereign salvation. It is salvation by God’s initiative and God’s power and God’s purpose. It has come to us with the nickname Calvinism (notice at least the doctrines of election, calling, and perseverance in these verses), and it is a great buttress against the battering rams of suffering.

As a child does not choose its parents or its date of birth, so Christians are caused to be born again by the Father. This new life is a life of living hope, which overlaps with faith. The way this life came about is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We saw that Jesus was declared to be the Son of God by His resurrection (Romans 1:4), and here all those who are born again as sons of God come through the resurrection.

He gives life, He gives hope, and that living hope looks to an eternal inheritance. We may be exiles, but we are immortal exiles, and there’s more to say about the end of our salvation still to come. But God promises to us what we cannot fully grasp even by faith, an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading glory that He shares with His children.

For now He keeps us. We are being guarded by faith. Faith is His gift, faith is our guard. Salvation is by faith, and the Father, Son, and Spirit’s work is not to save us without faith, but to give and sustain and prove that faith. That’s why perseverance of the exiled saints is such a fitting doctrine.

There are two things that result from this celebration of guaranteed salvation. First, we rejoice in the truth of our faith from God. Second, we’re ready for the testing of our faith by God.

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Remember how the Ephesians had abandoned their first love (Revelation 2:4)? I sometimes think about getting back to my first comfort. 1 Peter 1:6 gave me great comfort at a time of great grief. I was broken, physically, with a fracture of my vertebrae and having had surgery to insert rods to hold things together. This verse was like a rod to hold my head up with living hope. (It was also the text for my sermon on the first livestream only service, March 22, 2020.)

I shared Charles Spurgeon’s sermon in the FB group a couple days ago (“The Christian’s Heaviness and Rejoicing”), and it is worth [reading] or [listening] to in its entirety. But let the KJV highlight some comfort.

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: (KJV)

Greatly rejoice. There is no little bit of comfort. The ESV’s “rejoice” is not enough for this word (ἀγαλλιᾶσθε). It’s like saying exult means not leaping up in elation but merely a seventh grade school picture smile, when you’re too cool for joy. This is exceeding joy, to be overjoyed.

for a season. It is only a short time, the phrase means a “little now” (ὀλίγον ἄρτι). Four thousand weeks (77 years) is long when compared to the weekend (48 hours), it is not long at all when compared to the unending inheritance. We are in the period of rain, but the sun will have its way. “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

if need be. Everything that happens is only what God determines; in His omniscient great mercy He does what is necessary. The Father knows your frame (Psalm 103:14), the Father knows what you need (Matthew 6:32). The Father has chosen you for faith, and for glory, and he knows what’s needful for your faith to get it to glory.

you are in heaviness. It is not easy. And they are light, as well as momentary, compared to the eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17). But for now it is deep sadness, sorrow, depression. It is not just that you are having troubles; many men laugh easily by faith. This is a heartache, a grief, a darkness.

Why are you cast down (bowed down/depressed), O my soul, and why are you in turmoil (disquieted) within me? (Psalm 43:5a)

A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? (Proverbs 18:14)

Here’s what Spurgeon said:

your spirits are taken away from you; you are made to weep; you cannot bear your pain; you are brought to the very dust of death, and wish that you might die. Your faith itself seems as if it would fail you. That is the thing for which there is a needs be.

manifold trials. For as many colors as there were in Joseph’s coat, so there will be as many different tones and tints in your trials. The life-cycle of a bruise is not so well outlined, but varies in shape and shade. Maybe it’s one after another, maybe it’s a perfect cocktail of trouble. It is standard for faith to be tested, but the tests are not standardized. The Lord has a diversified battery of tests.

Wherein or “in this”. When your head is bowed under the burdens, look up by faith. Memorize this verse. It will, itself, trigger you to remember at least the gist of the “this” (in verses 3-5 at least) but hold onto it like a ballast in the waves. Exult in your merciful Father, His risen Son, their preserving of your inheritance, their power to hold on to you (see also John 10:29).

There is purpose in your problems, there is a needs be, and oh, what gold God is making of your faith.

so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

It was not my idea that muscles get stronger by being torn, or that gold becomes purer through heat, or that faith gets faith-ier through trials. But these are beyond hypothesis. They are observable, they have been tested, they are reproducible. They are also unhidden, made manifest in God’s Word (Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4).

According to verse 7 God will get our faith where it needs to be: proven and purified and precious and praiseworthy.

Verse 8 pictures what faith looks like in all of it.

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

The life of faith is a life of: love and joy+. The life of faith, beloved, is personal, as in, loving Jesus and believing in Him and living in hope for His revelation, His return, His vindication, His honor. For now we have His Word, He is present in His Word, but He is three-dimensional. Our love and joy are often two-dimensional, no thicker than ink scratched on a piece of paper. I know.

This is not to say that there is no heaviness. Peter actually just said there would be. But for exiles who are immortal, the heaviness won’t be. Heaviness is bound. One of the reasons that others ask about the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15) is not that we don’t have heaviness, but that we are also rejoicing in Jesus.

Verse 9 shows us the end, faith perfected.

obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

There is a termination point for faith. Faith is not immortal, though believers are. Faith will become sight (1 Corinthians 13:12), and that sight will be faith completed, faith perfected. While we live by faith we are not finally saved, even though we have been saved and are being saved. While we live by faith our faith is being made provocative, and praiseworthy.

Conclusion

If all we want is mud-pie faith, we will get mud-pie joy. But if we have golden faith we will know glory-joy.

How do you prepare for suffering? You live by faith.

Thomas Watson, A Godly Man’s Picture:

“Faith is the vital artery of the soul: ‘The just shall live by his faith’ (Habakkuk 2:4). … Faith is the mother of hope; first we believe the promise, then we hope for it. … If the sinews are cut, the body is lame; if this sinew of faith is cut, hope is lame. Faith is the ground of patience; he who believes that God is his God, and that all providences work for his good, patiently yields himself to the will of God.” (28-29)

Let’s get the second half of Psalm 43:5.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. (Psalm 43:5)