In this message we shall consider further the believers being profited by all things in their circumstances and environments through their experience of the dispensing of the divine Trinity.
First Peter 2:19 and 20 say, “This is grace, if anyone because of conscience toward God bears sorrows, suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if sinning and being buffeted you shall endure it? But if doing good and suffering you shall endure, this is grace with God.” Here Peter is saying that if, due to our conscience toward God, we are willing to bear sorrows and suffer unjustly, that is, suffer unjust treatment, this is grace. The Greek word translated “grace” in verse 19 is charis, referring here to the motivation of the divine life within us and its expression in our life, becoming in our behavior gracious and acceptable in the eyes of both man and God. Grace is actually the Triune God becoming our life for our experience and enjoyment. With this understanding of grace as the basis, we can say that in verse 19 grace is the motivation of the divine life within us and its expression in our living. Therefore, this becomes in our living something gracious and acceptable in the sight of both God and man.
According to verse 20, if we endure buffeting because we have sinned, this is not a credit to us. But if we do good and yet suffer and endure, this is grace with God. Such a situation indicates that our living expresses the working of God’s grace within us and through us. Therefore, concerning this matter of life Peter says, “This is grace with God.”
In 2:21 Peter goes on to say, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered on your behalf, leaving you a model that you should follow in His steps.” God’s calling includes not only enjoyment but also suffering. Our destiny in God’s calling includes both the enjoyment of Christ as the embodiment of the processed Triune God and also the suffering of Christ. We have been called to suffer with Christ, to suffer what He suffered.
In verse 21 Peter says, “To this you were called.” The word “this” refers to the unjust sufferings, the sufferings for doing good, mentioned in verses 19 and 20. This means that we have been called to unjust suffering so that in it we may have the enjoyment of God as grace and express Him. Whatever the circumstances may be, God is our grace, our inner enjoyment. This enjoyment motivates us and then becomes our outward expression, an expression visible to others. Those who observe this grace expressed from within us will be able to see something attractive on our face, in our attitude, or in the atmosphere around us. They will feel that what they see expressed is pleasant and acceptable. This is grace.
As believers we have been appointed for afflictions. To suffer afflictions is our destiny because this is God’s ordination. God has appointed, ordained, that we should suffer afflictions.
In 1 Thessalonians 3:3 Paul encourages the believers not to “be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed for this.” If we are established in the faith, afflictions will do good to us according to God’s purpose in His appointment. Otherwise, we may be shaken by the tempter (1 Thes. 3:5) through the afflictions. The Greek word rendered “appointed” in verse 3 also means destined, set, located. God has destined, appointed, us to pass through afflictions. Hence, afflictions are God’s allotted portion to us, and He has set us, located us, in the situation of afflictions.
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