Fruitful Fearlessness in the Face of Suffering

When believers face suffering, how are we to respond, and how are we to love and care for one another in the midst of it? The apostle Peter addressed these concerns as he wrote his first letter, reminding his readers to cultivate Christian character, love their enemies, commit themselves to doing good, and be prepared to explain their hope, all in view of Christ’s own suffering on our behalf. As Alistair Begg explains in the sermon “Suffering for Doing Good,” for the Christian, suffering is inevitable—but how we endure it can, by God’s grace, testify to God’s glory:

Peter is not writing in abstraction here. “Have no fear of them,” he says, “nor be troubled.” Surely there are a number of lines in this letter, as I’ve already said, that must have cost Peter to write. “Have no fear of them or be troubled.” Really, Peter? You mean like you didn’t have fear of those people who were asking you the questions about whether you follow Jesus or love Jesus or knew Jesus? Like when you didn’t have any fear when the lady says, “Surely you are one of his,” and on the third occasion, with fearful oaths, you said, “No, I’m not a disciple of Jesus; I don’t know Jesus”?

Now, it is this same Peter who is giving instructions: “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, … in your hearts honor Christ … as holy, always … prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you.” In other words, as you face this suffering and as you respond according to God’s plan, then it will be an occasion for people to say, “Why is it that you have responded in that way? Can you tell me why it is that despite the fact that you’re going through this, instead of you reviling, becoming spiteful, or whatever it might be, there is a dimension to you that I don’t understand? Can you please help me understand?”

… When, enabled by grace, we end up not fearing our opponents, we cause them to be surprised and so on. The setting may be a courthouse. It may be a common room. It may be a lab. It may be a golf course—whatever it might be. But Peter says, “Make sure you do this.”

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