REJOICING IN THE NAME;
“…but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. “-{1 Peter 4:13-14}.
1. Think And Rejoice About Your Privilege To Share In The Sufferings Of Christ;
Isn’t it interesting he doesn’t say complain, give up and quit, turn back, retaliate, but “keep on rejoicing.” Why? He shares in the verse “to the degree you SHARE the sufferings of Christ.” Suffering because of your identification with Christ and proclamation of Christ. He suffered for saying what was right, doing right and as you do toO, you share and indeed the opposition they use against you, they do against Him and would do so if He was here. You share in that! In the passage, they “share the suffering of Christ, reviled for the Name of Christ.” The people whom Peter wrote to suffered for their identification and proclamation of Christ, and Peter tells them how to respond? Keep on rejoicing! That’s the LORD’S will and way!
Because you belong to Him you are suffering he tells them, people opposing you, he tells them to “Keep on rejoicing.” {Chairo} “Rejoice, Be glad, Be Delighted.”…” A primary verb; to be “cheer”ful, i.e. Calmly happy or well-off;”- {Strongs Concordance}. Be Glad for His Grace, His Spirit the Source within to empower you as by faith you choose to!
Peter contrasts between being “surprised,” in regards “fiery trials,”{v 12}, with acceptance of them, and the evidence is you follow His instructions and keep on rejoicing! It is a command and is present tense and “active voice” which means to make a personal choice and keep on rejoicing. You choose to delight in what you know to be true. You have the command, the capacity by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to enlighten and give you reasons to keep on rejoicing even in times of fiery trials and suffering! Don’t let things get you down. Be glad-Not glad in glad, but in the LORD, Who He is and what He has revealed to you in His Word and “fuel” to delight, be glad, rejoice in the Privilege afforded you to suffer for Christ! We read of the apostles, “So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.”-{Acts 5:41}. We read Jesus’ words, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”-{Matthew 5:11-12}. Paul was chosen to suffer, “But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”-{Acts 9:15-16} And we read later on in 2 Cor 12:9-10 “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” James wrote, “ Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”-{James 1:2-3}. And Peter writes and tells the people that they too shared, partners in the sufferings of Christ! They were in that royal lineage of those prophets whom Jesus referred to in Matthew 5. Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12, this promise, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
Suffering for Christ means you are in a right relationship with Christ…If you weren’t His you would not be suffering, opposed, reviled, mocked because of Him.
Rejoice you are counted worthy to suffer for Him!
2. Think And Rejoice About Your Future Reward;
“…so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”
At His second coming, you will rejoice exceedingly because as you have suffered for Him, so will be your reward from Him when you see Him. And the word he uses for “exultation,” agalliáō (from agan, “much, very” and 242 /hállomai, “jump, leap”) – properly, getting so glad one jumps in celebration; to exult (boast) because so experientially joyful. “-{helps word study}. Jumping for Joy. Have you ever been to a ball game or your child is playing and they score or make a great save and you jump up out of your seat and punch the air and hop around the place hooting and hollering and hug strangers who are likewise jumping and shouting with joy? Well, that’s the idea!
3.Think And Rejoice Because You Are “Blessed;”
“…you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”-{ 1 Peter 4:14}.
“Blessed!” In the middle of suffering for doing what is right for Christ, know He says you are “Blessed!” Not rejected, not abandoned or forgotten but”Blessed!” The favor of God upon you. This is His verdict of you. Remember when Jesus was on the cross “And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.”-{Matthew 27:39-44}. They accused the LORD Jesus, and questioned if God delights in Him let Him deliver Him. And the assumption since God did not rescue Him from death on the cross was because God took no delight in Him!
God did delight in Him and He was on that cross for the benefit of…others. They had got it wrong for they did not understand God or His ways! And how often we see someone suffering for Christ and wonder if something is wrong with them if God is “trying to get their attention,” when in reality God places His stamp of approval on them and says they are “Blessed!”
In what way are they “Blessed?” He says, “The Spirit of Glory Rests upon you.” What does That mean? “The Spirit of glory,” or the “glorious Spirit ” for such He is. In The Old Testament, The “Shekinah” glory was the luminous, shinning, glowing, radiant, brilliant light, signified the PRESENCE OF GOD. Moses saw it on the Mount, that took residence in the temple, that moved to the sky to lead the children of Israel, that moved to the tabernacle, that brilliant light. It marked where the Presence of God was and in Peter signifies the Presence of God, through the Holy Spirit, His power and He “rests” upon you. What does “Rest” mean? It means to REFRESH you by taking over in your suffering and helping your mind. You are not on your own, but the Glorious Spirit of God rests, refreshes you, empowers you, your mind in times of suffering! What a Promise for the suffering ones! Where is God in times of trouble? ” The Spirit of Glory and of God rests upon you!” The word is used in Matthew 11:28 of Jesus who gives “rest,” refreshment.” The Glorious Spirit is resting upon you, refreshing you to enable, strengthen you, in times of suffering!
In Philippians 3:3 we worship by the Spirit, He will enable us to worship God in our pain and make much of the LORD Jesus to us. He will enable us to Glorify the LORD Jesus.-{John 16:13-14}. He will impart wisdom to us -{Ephesians 1:17}. He will teach and remind us of the truth.- {John 14:26}. If we need to speak and share He will give us the words to remind us from His Word .-{Mark 13:11}. If we don’t need to say anything and be quiet, He will enable us-{Isaiah 53;7, 1 Peter 1:23}. He will empower you, {Phil 2:13}. He will remind you of truth, point you to the Love of the LORD Jesus for you, { Rev 1:5}, and the Father’s care for you-{1 Peter 5;7}. He is our greatest need, and He was sent to meet us including our hour of suffering!
In our hour of suffering He not only teaches, reminds us of truth but shows us that Christ loves us, is for us, is with us and will work all things together for good, including the suffering we are experiencing, and He Himself will intercede, pray for us according to the will of God when we don’t know what to pray.-{Romans 8:26-27}. He will strengthen, empower us. -{Read Phil 2:13. } He is God’s gift to us! He has not been withdrawn from us, will never be, He is with us, eternally, to help us, including in our suffering!
In times of suffering don’t believe the lie, believe the Scriptures,
We are not abandoned, we are “Blessed!”
3. Think And Rejoice About His Greatness;
Another way you can do that is to Delight, be glad, rejoice, praise Him for His Greatness – Read 1 Peter 1:3 and note the number of reasons to “Praise” Him in the verse. Use each of them to delight in and praise Him for!
4.Think And Rejoice About His Great Salvation You Have;
Another way is to delight, be glad, rejoice, praise Him for the Greatness of His salvation for them! Read and count your blessings in 1 Peter 1:4-9. He gives us the desire and ability to rejoice -{Read Phil 2:13}. It is what the Holy Spirit produces as “fruit,”of the Spirit when He is controlling our lives as we live in submission to His Word.- {Read Galatians 5:22; Colossians 3:16}. Rejoicing in the LORD according to Philippians 3:1 is a “safeguard” to you, which means to keep you from “tripping up, overtaken,” and notice it is in the LORD. Think about who He is and what you have in Him and who you are to Him, “accepted,”holy, chosen, beloved” and so so much more.-{Read Ephesians 1:6; Colossians 3:12}.
5.Think And Rejoice About His Sovereignty Over Your Suffering;
Know He controls the timing and the temperature of the “fiery trials,” in the furnace of affliction you are in “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” He prospers good in your spiritual maturity as revealed in 1 Peter 5:10!
6. Think And Rejoice On Truth To Strengthen our Faith In Time Of Suffering.
We have to THINK RIGHT, and this we do as we THINK on the TRUTH of His Word and so we have to RENEW our Mind to align with God’s desire and design for our thinking! -{Read Romans 12:2}. And if you are not suffering now, don’t wait to get your mind on truth for the time will come. “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”-{2 Timothy 3:12}. Know what His Word says not only for yourself but also to share compassionately with …others. That they may nor be shocked, surprised when they suffer, and know it’s not some strange thing that is happening and encourage them and give them reasons WHY they should rejoice, and keep on rejoicing. It’s An ATTITUDE to be adopted and an ACTION to be practiced, depending upon the Holy Spirit to empower, remind you, and them!
“Fuel To Rejoice;” Read Ephesians 1:3-14 and look at the phrases,”In Him…In Whom..In Christ…” and note the blessings that He has imparted to you and Praise Him!-{Eph 1:3}. Rejoice in the privilege to suffer in His Name and who you are “In Christ.”
A Good prayer for joy whether for you or someone you know who is suffering is in Romans 15;13 {NLT}- ” I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”