Five Pieces of Armor for Suffering

I was reading 1 Peter 4 this morning. I was quite distracted by the verse:
"For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit." (1 Peter 4:6)
This verse followed what I read yesterday:
"After being made alive, he (Jesus) went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, ..." (1 Peter 3:19-20)

According to this commentary (see section Barnes' Notes on the Bible), the "imprisoned spirits" is what the Roman Catholic church refers to as the purgatory:
"Unto the spirits in prison - That is, clearly, to the spirits now in prison, for this is the fair meaning of the passage. The obvious sense is, that Peter supposed there were "spirits in prison" at the time when he wrote, and that to those same spirits the Son of God had at some time "preached," or had made some proclamation respecting the will of God. Since this is the only passage in the New Testament upon which the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory is supposed to rest, it is important to ascertain the fair meaning of the language here employed. There are three obvious inquiries in ascertaining its signification. Who are referred to by "spirits?" What is meant by "in prison?" Was the message brought to them while in the prison, or at some previous period?" The commentary went on to explain three other possible meanings - a good read. In any case I don't think there will be a satisfactory understanding of these verses until we ask St. Peter in heaven!

Back to the main passage, especially 1 Peter 4:1-6. No doubt the theme is on suffering. I really like John Piper's message on this. He entitled it "Arming Yourself with the Purpose to Suffer". This title is clearly stated in verse 1: "Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin."
John Piper explained: "There are a good many reasons in the Scriptures to believe that the Great Commission will not be completed without suffering. One of these reasons is that when Jesus said that the gospel will be preached throughout the world as a testimony to all the nations, he also said in the same context, "You will be hated by all the nations" (Matthew 24:9, 14). In other words, wherever you go among the nations, your efforts to bring good news of everlasting life will be met with joy in some and anger in others." He then gave three further reasons based on references in Colossians 1:24, John 20:21, and passages in 2 Timothy 1:8; 2:3; 4:5.

John Piper found Five Pieces of Armor for suffering from this passage (remember also the other Armor in Ephesians 6:11-17?). He prefaced this by saying "Thoughts and purposes arm us. They protect us and help us get victories. The purpose Peter has in mind is the purpose to suffer if God should will it (as 3:17 says) for righteousness' sake. If you choose that purpose, you are armed. One reason is that you will not be so taken off guard when it comes. And another reason is that you will have prepared yourself for what's coming." So these are the five pieces of armor, which I will keep in mind and purpose (with my will) it each and every day for as long as I live:

1. Christ suffered (verse 1) - He chose it (John 10:18). He has called us to take up our cross and follow Him. Our purpose is to suffer with Him.
2. Making a clean break with sin (verses 1b & 2) - choose suffering because if you don't, you will choose sin.
3. Any amount of past sinning is enough (verses 3,4) - Peter is basically telling us: "arm yourself with this thought: the time you've spent sinning is sufficient. Make the break; choose the will of God. And suffer for it if you must."
4. Adversaries will be brought to justice (verse 5) - trust God the righteous judge to call our adversaries into account now and into the future; it is better to suffer for doing right and to leave judgment to God.
5. We will triumph over death (verse 6) - John Piper expanded this difficult verse this way: "For the gospel has for this purpose [namely, referring back to verse 5, to save people from the judgment] been preached even to those who are [now] dead [not that they were dead when they heard the gospel], that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God." The gospel was not preached to our dead Christian friends in vain. They are now alive in the spirit. They are with the Lord. And the sufferings that they experienced here are not worthy to be compared to the glory that has been revealed to them (Romans 8:17-18). The Message has a very nice translation for this verse: "Listen to the Message. It was preached to those believers who are now dead, and yet even though they died (just as all people must), they will still get in on the life that God has given in Jesus."

I know thinking about suffering is not a pleasant thought. What I have been learning is simply this:
praise God for Jesus - He suffered and died for me so that my past and present sins are all forgiven. I have been given the Holy Spirit to help me make healthy choices to stay away from sin and to live for righteousness. I have been called to share this wonderful gospel with those who have never heard. There will be suffering involved - ridiculed or physical harm even. But the work of the Gospel will not be in vain for those who will hear. And God will judge my adversaries. The choice of embracing suffering will arm me for the rest of my life so I won't be caught off guard. The life ahead is far better than the life now. Thank you Lord for the lesson today!

Gleaning from the Book of James

I was reading James 2 this morning. James' writing is quite unique. Overall I feel a certain warmth towards him and really respect him for what he has to say. But he is like a brother you like but would rather keep a distance! He seemed rigid, dogmatic, short of empathy, and some of the things he said seemed to stir up confusion and controversy. Here is a sample of his famous verses:

On suffering: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)

On God's unchanging generosity: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17)

On obeying the Word: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." (James 1:22-25)

On showing favoritism: "But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." (James 2:9-10)

On faith and work: "But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." (James 2:18-19)

On controlling our tongue: "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness." (James 3:9)

On true wisdom: "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:17-18)

On fights and quarrels, Christian discord: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."  (James 4:7, 10)

On confession and prayer: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." "Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins." (James 5:16, 20b)

The author James is thought to be the half-brother of Jesus. The "letter" is one of the "circular epistles" which was passed around and read in different locations. There is therefore no salutation in the beginning or the end of the letter. This letter was thought to have been written very early on, after the scattering (James 1:1) of Jewish believers from the persecution in Acts 8:1-4. This happened before the formation of any churches.

I have found this commentary very helpful to understand the purpose of the letter:
It has long been a common misperception that James has no unified theme and is simply

a series of aphorisms or maxims strung together in what was called in the ancient world a “string of pearls.” The epistle, however, clearly indicates the writer’s purpose to develop a primary theme. That theme is that believers should meet trials with faith and wisdom, resulting in joy (Jam 1:2–5)... The theme is mentioned at the beginning (1:2–5) and the end (5:7–11) in what might be called grammatical “bookends.” A strong promise is given at the beginning, of the eternal benefit of meeting trials and temptations with faith and wisdom (1:12). This promise is reinforced at the end of the book (5:19–20) by a practical illustration of the intercession of one believer in behalf of another. 
From - basictraining.org

Although the context is different. Believers that James spoke to were persecuted and scattered from their homes and suffered tremendously because of their faith.  James is still teaching me to face difficulties in life head on. The uncompromising approach is what is needed a lot of the times. The faith-work debate boils down to these practical day-to-day disciplines:

• suffering (even from bad choices I made in the past) can be used by God to shape my character
• obey God's Word whenever I am prompted by the Holy Spirit (see my blog on Nov 7)
• be particularly generous with Christians, watch my tongue, be a peace maker
• confess my sin if I have wronged someone - it will heal the relationship
• finally, pray for one another
• rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4)! For Nehemiah said, “Go and (1)enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and (2)send some to those who have nothing prepared. (3)This day is holy to our Lord. (4)Do not grieve, for (5)the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

For He Who promised is Faithful.

I am on a train heading to Toronto for a conference. This is a big annual conference for family doctors practicing in Canada. One of the main reasons for attending this conference is to reconnect with colleagues from other parts of Canada. Cam is from the province of British Columbia. He and I have developed a deep friendship over the years. I remember one year Cam and I shared stories of our journey as Christ followers and in particular, the pain of seeing our children suffering from mental illnesses and wandering away from the faith they once held. We shed tears as we prayed for each other. One of the things Cam encouraged me with and I still remember to this day is that God loves our children better than we can. It is a real comfort to be reminded of that. It helps me to trust God and to depend on Him ever more deeply. So as we met again yesterday, I was reminded again how Jesus laid down His life for us. His agony for the pain - not just physical, but also the burden of carrying the sins of the world and being forsaken by His Father (even though briefly) was shown clearly in the Garden of Gethsemane. Gotquestions.org summaries the 4 Gospel accounts of what happened in that garden:
"Each of the Gospel writers describes the events of that night with slight variations, so reading the four accounts (Matthew 26:36-56, Mark 14:32-52, Luke 22:40-53 and John 18:1-11) will give an accurate picture of that momentous night in its entirety."
Luke in particular, described it this way: "And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground"

His sweat was like drops of blood! How often do I feel that much pain for my loved ones that I pray for them like that?

The scripture passage I read today reminded me once again the importance of meeting with fellow Christians and encouraging one another in the Lord.
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25)

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23)

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

Christ died for sinners. Now just think about that every day!

Why today is important

In today's scripture reading I was once again struck by this verse in Hebrews 4:7

God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts.”

I then looked back and discovered a blog I had written exactly a year before:
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts
and reminded myself the lesson learned then and again needed to learn afresh today. I was focusing on the lesson on sabbath rest and what God teaches me about trusting in Him and resting on His promises in everything I do.

What I was struck today was also the idea of God setting a certain day, which He calls "Today". The writer of Hebrews seemed to be playing on the word "Today" which appeared in David's Psalm (Psalms 95:7,8) over 400 years before. There are extensive commentaries on Hebrews 4:6,7. After reading quite a few of them, usefulbible.com speaks to me most clearly. The title says it all:  

Why today is important
It is not good enough if people intend to trust God only at some future time. God has chosen a particular time when people must trust him. The author of Hebrews refers to Psalm 95:7-8, which calls that time ‘today’. We need to understand what those authors mean by ‘today’. On that day, God insists that we must have the right attitudes towards him. And only if we do can we enter God’s ‘rest’. That is, the relationship with God where he is present in our lives.

Hebrews 4:7 explains that ‘today’ does not just mean one particular date in the past. David wrote Psalm 95 several centuries after Moses led the people. But David said that the situation was the same as during Moses’ life. David wrote that ‘today’, as then, people could hear God’s words. And it was still important that they had the proper attitudes.

Also, Hebrews 3:13 ("But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.") tells us that each day is still called ‘today’ for this purpose. But clearly, the writer believes that, at some future time, the promise of God’s rest will no longer be available.

Therefore, the meaning of ‘today’ in these passages means the present age.

By the ‘present age’, we mean the time while people on this earth continue not to obey God. During this time, some people have the opportunity to hear God’s voice and to change their attitudes. But this time, the present age, will not last always. When Jesus returns to rule, this present age will end.

But in fact, people’s opportunity to trust God is much shorter than that. God demands that we trust him during our lives on this earth. It is only here, on this earth, that we may receive his good news. Only while we are alive do we have the choice to accept or refuse it.

Of course, nobody knows how long they will live. Nobody knows whether they will have another opportunity to hear God’s message. So, in the end, ‘today’ means what it says. It is this day, now, the day when you are reading this page. This is your opportunity to invite God into your life. This is your opportunity when you can ask him to forgive you. This is your opportunity to trust him. Do not hesitate or delay! Tomorrow may be too late. God is speaking by his word, the Bible, today.

I know this sounded like a message from an evangelistic rally. I also do take this message as a constant reminder for Christians like me. Clark's Commentary says it succinctly:

He limiteth a certain day - The term day signifies not only time in general, but also present time, and a particular space. Day here seems to have the same meaning as rest in some other parts of this verse. The day or time of rest relative to the ancient Jews being over and past, and a long time having elapsed between God's displeasure shown to the disobedient Jews in the wilderness and the days of David, and the true rest not having been enjoyed, God in his mercy has instituted another day - has given another dispensation of mercy and goodness by Christ Jesus; and now it may be said, as formerly, To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. God speaks now as he spoke before; his voice is in the Gospel as it was in the law. Believe, love, obey, and ye shall enter into this rest. 

Lord I do rest in you today!