Praise in Present Suffering | 1 Peter 1:3-12

1 Peter

What is a right theology of suffering? We will all face different trials in life, but God can use your suffering for your good and His glory. 1 Peter 1:3-12 shows us that we can praise God and have joy in suffering because we have the hope of ages.

John ElmoreFeb 5, 2023
1 Peter 1:3-12

In This Series (9)
What Christ Accomplished Through His Death, Burial, and Resurrection | 1 Peter 3:18-22
Blake HolmesMar 26, 2023
Hope in Jesus on Display | 1 Peter 3:8-17
Oren MartinMar 19, 2023
The Key to a Better Marriage | 1 Peter 3:1-7
Timothy "TA" AteekMar 12, 2023
God’s Identity, Calling, and Example for You | 1 Peter 2:13-25
John ElmoreMar 5, 2023
How To Find The Right Church | 1 Peter 2:4-12
Timothy "TA" AteekFeb 26, 2023
3 Indicators of Spiritual Growth | 1 Peter 1:22-2:3
Blake HolmesFeb 19, 2023
Battling Spiritual Amnesia | 1 Peter 1:13-21
Timothy "TA" AteekFeb 12, 2023
Praise in Present Suffering | 1 Peter 1:3-12
John ElmoreFeb 5, 2023
Remember Who You Are | 1 Peter 1:1-2
Timothy "TA" AteekJan 29, 2023

Summary

We will all experience suffering in this life, but God works for good even through trials. We can praise God as we suffer well because salvation has come. In 1 Peter 1:3-12, the Apostle Peter demonstrates the praise of God, surpassing joy in suffering, and the hope of ages.

  • The praise of God. We should praise God because He caused us to be born again, He keeps our inheritance, and He guards us by His power.
    • Praise God for your salvation. According to God’s great mercy, we have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3). This hope is not wishful thinking; it is a fixed reality of things to come.
    • Praise God for eternal expectation. We have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading (1 Peter 1:4). Not death, nor evil, nor time can take it away from us.
    • Praise God for His protection. God’s power guards us through faith (1 Peter 1:5). We are protected from both evil without and evil within.
  • Surpassing joy in suffering. Suffering is a reality in this life because we live in a fallen world caused by the sin of mankind. We will suffer, but we can rejoice in it.
    • The paradox of suffering. We don’t rejoice because of suffering; we rejoice in suffering (1 Peter 1:6). We can rejoice because we have salvation, eternal expectation, and God’s protection.
    • God’s purpose of suffering. Through suffering, we are tested and refined (1 Peter 1:7). Our suffering is not in vain; through it, impurities are burned off and we are shaped into the image of Christ. God will redeem your pain, using it for your good and His glory.
    • The proof following suffering. The joy we experience in suffering is proof of our salvation (1 Peter 1:8-9).
  • The hope of ages. The culmination of God’s redemption plan for mankind has come to us.
    • What they wrote is now your hope. All of the prophesies about Christ, including His own sufferings and subsequent glories, have now come true (1 Peter 1:10-12).

Discussing and Applying the Sermon

  • How have you seen God work for good through trials in your own life?
  • What “impurities”—such as sinful actions or attitudes—still need to be removed from your life? How might God be using your present sufferings to refine you? How can you better submit to His sanctifying work in your life?
  • Spend some time praising God today for all He has done, is doing, and will do for you.