The Strand Study Bible

I PETER

2093

Written From Babylon (Rome)

predestination ( Rom 8:29c , Eph 1:4-5 , Mt 28:19a , Romans 9 Subject Head and II Thes 2:13 ). 1:2b According to the Bible, CHRIST’S blood (Acts 20:28, Rom 3:24-25 and Heb 9:1-12 & 12:24) was taken to Heaven, where it was sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat of Heaven for the sake of our redemption (Lev 16:6,14-16). 1:7a According to I Peter 4:1 -2, the reasons trials and afflictions are “much more precious than of gold that perishes” is because trials (sufferings) cause sin to lose its power over our lives and leads us to focus on the truly important things in life (the eternal perspective - II Cor 4:18 ). NOTE – According to I Peter 1:7, if trials are more precious than money ( than of gold that perishes ), then every time we are confronted with a trial we’ve been offered a raise. Those who react properly to trials are given a raise when Jesus returns. 1:7b According to Genesis 50:20, Job 23:10 and Romans 8:28, God works all things (even sufferings) for the future good of the believer ( might be found ). In fact, according to Philippians 1:27-29, it is a gift from God to go through troubles (vs 29). Sometimes bad things do happen to people. Nevertheless, all suffering can be justified because suffering leads to a better tomorrow. That’s God’s promise. Had Jesus not suffered for our sins on the cross, we would not be able to look forward to a better future (Jn 12:32). The truth is, if we never suffered, would we really think about the next life? Hardly. Our focus would remain on this life, and this life is not the real life. The next life is the real life ( II Cor 4:17,18 ). Ray Comfort in What Hollywood Believes notes:

Sadly, many use the issue of suffering as an excuse to reject any thought of God, when its existence is the very reason we should accept Him. Suffering stands as terrible testimony to the truth of the explanation given by the Word of God. The Bible is the supernatural testament of our Creator about why there is suffering…and what we can do about it. 2

Although God does not promote nor produce suffering, He does permit it (Job 1:6 - 2:7), since suffering wakes us up to what’s “real,” which is the next life. The simple truth is, although Satan is the one who promotes and produces much of the heartache that goes on in the world today, most of man’s suffering is really self-inflicted. Comfort goes on to note:

The dilemma is that we are like a child whose insatiable appetite for chocolate has caused his face to break out with ugly sores. He looks in the mirror and sees a sight that makes him depressed. But instead of giving up his beloved chocolate, he consoles himself by stuffing more into his mouth. Yet, the source of his pleasure is actually the cause of his suffering. The whole face of the earth is nothing but ugly sores of suffering. Everywhere we look we see unspeakable pain. But instead of believing God’s explanation and asking Him to forgive us and change our appetite, we console ourselves by feeding on sin’s sweet delicacies. There we find solace in its temporal pleasures, thus intensifying our pain, both in this life and in the life to come. 2

Because God has given every man a “free will,” man is at liberty to abuse himself: physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, socially, and financially. Even the suffering that is caused by atmospheric conditions (natural disasters) are the result of man’s disobedience before the Flood (Gen 6:1-17 & 8:22). Oswald Chambers in The Love of God notes:

Nature is wild, not tame… Yet God in the beginning created man to have dominion over it. The reason he cannot is that he has twisted the order and become master of himself, instead of recognizing God’s dominion over him... The Bible says that nature is indifferent because it became disorganized through the disobedience of the human race. 3

Our problem is not Mother Nature, it’s human nature. NOTE – According to the Scriptures, there are seven purposes for trials: 1. Trials teach us to focus on the eternal, not the temporal (I Pet 1:7 & 4:12-13 and Jms 1:12) One of the great reasons why God allows us to go through trials is to keep us from getting too attached to this world. 2. Trials check our spirit (Psa 119:165 and Deut 8:2) One of the great reasons why God allows us to go through trials is to check our spirit . Motive for why we do what we do means everything to God ( Mt 20:1 , I Cor 3:13 b , II Cor 5:14 and Rev 2:4 ). 3. Trials check others’ spirits (Job 2:1-9) 4. Trials keep us humble (Deut 8:2-3,16) One of the great reasons why God allows us to go through trials is to keep us humble (Prov 6:16-17 & 16:18). 5. Trials keep us holy (Heb 12:10-11) One of the great reasons why God allows us to go through trials is to purify us and to let us know we belong to Him (Heb 12:5-8). 6. Trials teach us patience and wisdom (Jms 1:2-5 & 5:7-11) 7. Trials test our Christianity ( I Thes 2:18 ) One of the great reasons why God allows us to go through trials is to test our Christianity (to see what we’re made of ). God receives no pleasure afflicting anyone, saint or sinner ( Lam 3 : 32- 33 ). Yet, as painful as trials and afflictions are, He uses them to achieve his purpose in our lives, which is to heal both saint (Psa 34:19 & 66:10-12 & 119:67,71 and II Cor 4:17-18) and sinner (II Chro 33:1-12). Larry Crabb in Shattered Dreams notes:

The suffering caused by shattered dreams must not be thought of as something to relieve if we can, or endure if we must. It’s an opportunity to be embraced, a chance to discover our desire for the highest blessing God wants to give us, an encounter with Himself. 4

1 The King James Study Bible , Nashville, TN, Thomas Nelson Pub., 1988. Print. 2 Comfort, Ray. What Hollywood Believes , Bartlesville, OK: Genesis Publishing Group. 2004. Print. 3 Chambers, Oswald. The Love of God , Grand Rapids, MI, Discovery House Publishers, 1938/1988. Print. 4 Crabb, Larry. Shattered Dreams , Colorado Springs, CO, WaterBrook, 2001. Print