Tonight we continue our study of 1st Peter. 1st Peter 3 verses 17 through 22 will serve as our text which will bring us to the close of the third chapter of 1st Peter. And I'd like to back up a little bit beginning at verse 8 as we have been considering the suffering of the Christian, suffering for doing good. Peter kind of sprinkles that theme throughout. He talks about it a bit in chapter 2. He will talk about it again in chapter 4, but spends a bit of time on it here in chapter 3, as we have already noticed. We'll read together verses 8 through 22. And when we get to verse 17, that begins the text for this evening. Hear now the Word of God. 1 Peter 3, beginning at verse 8. Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another. Be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called, so that you may inherit a blessing. For whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good. He must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear. Do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better if it is God's will to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water. And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also. not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to Him. Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Peter has been giving, as we know, privileged pilgrims, Those who have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light, those who are not home here on this earth, that's why we call them pilgrims, again, privileged to be called by God, He has been giving them instruction regarding Christian living in a pagan world. How are Christians, those who have been called out of that darkness, how are they called to live in the midst of a wicked world? He's been giving that instruction. those who have been redeemed by the imperishable blood of Christ and know it, those who are conscious of it by the grace of God through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, are simply called to live differently than the world does. Their relationships at home, at work, and in society as a whole are to bear a different character than what unbelievers demonstrate. Because they are, as Peter says, a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation of people belonging to God, they are called then to demonstrate good behavior that is good in relation to God. They are called to turn from evil and do good. To actively turn away from evil. To consciously turn away from evil. And to consciously and actively do good. They are called to set apart Christ as Lord in their hearts and to always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. And their Christian conduct is to be so above reproach, above accusation, that even if they are accused of evil, they have a clear conscience because there is no foundation whatsoever for the accusation. And Peter makes it clear in this text before us that because their excellent behavior can't help but to be seen, Christians may very well be called upon to suffer for Jesus' sake. But God's people indeed have a reason to be of good cheer because it is because of the work of Jesus Christ, because of the work of the one for whom they suffer, on whose account they suffer, that as pilgrims travel through this earthly pathway, they are suffering toward salvation the text begins tonight verse 17 it is better if it is God's will to suffer for doing good than for doing evil now this verse makes a connection with what Peter had said before regarding suffering connecting it with what he is about to say after this considering Christ's suffering and here he gives God's people the righteous prescription for suffering it is better if it is god's will to suffer for doing good than for doing evil you see when one does something wrong boys and girls for example stealing which violates both the civil law of the land and the law of god then that one is expected to suffer a punishment at least in the civil realm according to the courts of this land if that person admits their guilt and boldly endures their punishment now we all know they may be somewhat commended some might say of them well that was an honorable thing to do at least they came clean yet the truth is they are only receiving what they deserve and there is really nothing honorable about it because of the wrong that they did suffering for doing evil or wrong on the other hand those who do what is right as we said in connection with verse 14 most likely will be left alone but it is possible that God will allow them to suffer most often one does not suffer for doing what is right but it could happen in Peter's day professing one's faith in Jesus Christ could be a dangerous thing to do unlike anything that any of us most likely or most of us have ever experienced experienced a Christian might suffer at that time at the hands of unbelievers physically mentally or economically their jobs might be in danger their families might be in danger their very lives might be in danger as well and if Christians are called upon to suffer for righteousness they are by the grace of God to endure it patiently and they are able to do this because of the hope that is in them one who suffers for doing good that is for Christ's sake and entrusts himself to God trusts him as we sang already tonight will be given that conscience free from guilt. A conscience that knows that the suffering was not deserved. You see, Peter wants Christians to know that as they live in this world, if they are called upon to suffer for Jesus' sake, then that suffering is in God's will. Now they may not fully understand this, but it is a part of God's plan and it will work for the good of the believer. And knowing this, they are then to be motivated to face those situations in jesus name knowing that they are in harmony with christ because as peter points out he is the perfect pattern of suffering now before we consider jesus as the perfect pattern of suffering i think it's good to to to hold on for a second to think about this this idea of suffering for jesus sake in many respects isn't that somewhat foreign to us it's i have to admit It's somewhat foreign to me. Suffering for Jesus' sake. What does it really mean? Do you suffer for the sake of your faith? Are you ridiculed? Is your life ever in danger? Certainly none of us suffer like those martyrs of old have done. If we don't suffer for our faith in any way, shape, or form, then we need to ask ourselves, why, I think? But if we are suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ, then also are we suffering with Jesus Christ as the perfect pattern of suffering? Peter says in verse 18, For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. You see, Jesus Christ suffered for doing good. Now the cause of His suffering and death was something bad, namely sin. But what He did was good in that He laid down His life for those who really deserved to die. He substituted Himself in the place of those who deserved to suffer the eternal torments of hell. Remember the great exchange that we talked about this morning? Peter makes it clear that Jesus was perfect. And He didn't deserve what He suffered. And Peter sums it all up with one word, and that is righteous. He describes Jesus as the Righteous One. Now again, think about that. We say that Jesus is sinless. We say that He is perfect. He is the Righteous One. We must understand by this that Jesus Christ had no guilt, no guilt feelings. We have guilt feelings at times. He had no corruption. He performed absolutely no evil. He was spiritually and ethically perfect and this perfection was manifested in all of His walk and life. Again, a foreign concept to us. But this is our Savior. He was not guilty before God of any sin, any of His own sin. We know that our sins were laid upon Him. But He was not guilty before God of any of His own sin. Peter wants to make it crystal clear with absolutely no doubts that Jesus Christ suffered for well-doing on His part and not for evil-doing. And as we consider this morning, Isaiah also made this clear centuries earlier in Isaiah 53. Surely He took up our infirmities, not His own, and carried our sorrows. He was pierced for our transgressions, not His own again. He was crushed for our iniquities. The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. And all of this, even though, as Isaiah also says, though he had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth. And notice that Peter says he died for sins, plural. Peter doesn't say sin, which would mean, in this case, sin in general. He didn't die for the sin of the whole world. Indeed, he died because of sin that entered the world. But Peter means to say here that Jesus died for specific sins. That is, He died for the specific sins of His people. That means that Jesus died for my sins and yours as children of God. And He did this once for all. As we mentioned this morning, in the Old Testament, the blood of bulls and goats and sheep and birds had to continually over and over again be shed because they weren't enough. It wasn't sufficient to satisfy God's wrath and anger against sin. But the writer of Hebrews says that Christ does not need daily like those high priests to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. And the blessing and the beauty here for the church, for you and me, is that He did this for a purpose. Peter says, in order to bring you to God. That is awesome. In order to bring you and me to God. That's why Jesus suffered. Sin had taken away access to God. The way is forever blocked for those who reject Him. But for those who believe in Him by true faith, by His grace, for them He tore open the curtain. He opened the access, the way to the Father. You see, beloved, no one will come to God on their own. The truth is left to ourselves. We will only turn and run away from God. And because of sin, we don't deserve to come to Him and have fellowship with Him. But by the grace of God, His people have been brought near to Him through Jesus Christ. He is the only way. Boys and girls, you know the verse. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one, absolutely no one comes to the Father except through Him. And how did Jesus bring His own to God? Peter says in the second part of verse 18, He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit. By His death and resurrection, the two again go together. One is not effective without the other. Remember, by His death, Jesus made the payment for sins. He made the required satisfaction to God. and by His resurrection, God accepted that payment as sufficient. You see, Peter gives a beautiful picture of God's amazing grace here. God's people may be called upon to suffer for Jesus' sake, whether it's in the office or on the job site or in the neighborhood. Again, not in big ways as we might think, but in little subtle ways. When your neighbor knows that you're a Christian, but they continue to use that language that is offensive or your co-workers know that you're a believer but they continue to come to you to tell you hey I heard this joke and it's completely off color because they just want to see your reaction it could be in many ways subtle little ways that we are called upon to suffer but if that call comes he is our perfect pattern of suffering but we cannot, we need to understand, we cannot and we do not suffer in the same way as Christ. We do not suffer to the same degree as Him. And we do not suffer for the same purpose as Him. That could never be. But by His grace, God's people are able to suffer for Jesus' sake and endure it patiently because He first suffered. Our suffering for righteousness means nothing apart from His death and resurrection, but now Christians imitate Him. We're called to imitate Him when we are called upon to suffer as evidence of His saving grace in our lives. You see, the Christian's suffering again does not in any way add to His suffering and His work, but it identifies the Christian with the one they follow, namely Christ himself. Now we come to verses 19 and 20. And verses 19 and 20, I must point out, have caused and continue to cause some difficulty. And that's because there is no agreement, there is no unanimity as to how these verses should be interpreted. Throughout history there have been a number of different interpretations that have been given and all of them claim biblical support. And even among Reformed scholars and commentators, there are a few different interpretations. These verses again say, backing up to the middle of verse 18, He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water. Now the major questions are who were these spirits to whom this preaching went? And when did this take place? Now we don't have time to analyze all the different interpretations, but let me say that those which the Reformed camp agreed that must be rejected include the interpretation that says that Christ's spirit, his soul, went to Hades to preach while his body was in the grave. Much of modern evangelicalism holds this view. And then even within that view, there are some differences of opinion. While he was there, some say that he preached of his victory to the devil and the fallen angels. But there's absolutely no scriptural support for that view. Others say that while he was there he preached the gospel of salvation to the fallen human spirits, thereby giving them a second chance. And this, we know, directly contradicts Scripture's teaching. As the writer of Hebrews says, it is appointed for man once to die and then the judgment. Another view is that the spirits in prison are sinners in general that are always in the prison of sin and death and in the Spirit, Christ preaches to them through the apostles back then and now through the ministry of the Word. This view as well cannot be supported by Scripture. Among the Reformed, some interpret this to mean that Christ's Spirit preached through Noah while he was building the ark, preaching to the wicked people around him. In his second letter, Peter calls Noah a preacher of righteousness. Another Reformed view which I lean toward follows the order of events as laid out in the Greek. Christ was put to death in the body, then made alive by the Spirit, through whom the Spirit also He went and preached to the spirits in prison. Now, a couple of considerations. It appears that these spirits, which were disobedient back in the days of Noah, were in prison when Christ's Holy Spirit preached to them. And what did He preach? The Greek word used is not the word used for preaching the gospel of salvation. It is clear that these spirits in prison were beyond being saved. What was preached was the announcement of Christ's victory over sin, death, and the grave which He earned by His death and resurrection. When was this message preached by the Spirit of Christ? I believe at Christ's ascension. At His ascension. You see, at that event, when Christ ascended, that event, and when He ascended to heaven, that event proclaimed victory. And it proclaimed that God the Father had subjected the angels and the authorities and the powers to Him, as Peter says in verse 22. And this submission was confirmed as Christ's ascension proved His victory. As He ascended His throne. As the victor, the one to reign. Now again, there is no complete agreement as to the interpretation of these verses. And except for a few that we completely reject, I don't believe that a few various interpretations among the Reformed camp take away from Peter's point. Peter, as we have said, refers to Christ's suffering, work, and victory. And this was accomplished for his people, the church. And now in verse 20, Peter brings the church's attention back to the days of Noah. Well, what was characteristic about those days? Well, the church was almost wiped out. God was patient for the 120 years of ark building and His word indeed was preached by Noah. But in the end, only a few people, as Peter says, eight in all were saved through water. There was no other time in the history of the world or of the church in which the contrast between faith and unbelief, between obedience and disobedience, was as pronounced as in the days of Noah. The rebellious spirits seemed to control the human race except for Noah and his family. You see, Peter's point is that it looked like evil had the victory in the days of Noah. But God spared His church through the same water, the very same water that destroyed the wicked world. And now Christ proclaimed His victory to those same spirits who thought that they had been victorious. As God's people understand this, you see, they are to be comforted by the fact that God has provided for His church through Jesus Christ in such a way that there is an eternal payoff. As God's people are called upon to suffer towards salvation, there is an eternal payoff that has already been secured by Christ's suffering. See, the idea here is not that we suffer towards salvation in the sense that we are working for that salvation, earning it. No, it's secured already. Peter says in verses 21 and 22, And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also. Not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to Him. Peter is clearly drawing an analogy between the flood and baptism. He quickly makes it clear that the external act of baptism, that doesn't save. But that to which baptism points. Baptism signifies and seals for God's people the deliverance from the greatest evil, namely sin and death, and becoming partakers of the greatest good. And those who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit receive a good conscience that longs for and searches for and asks for God. A good conscience that desires to have the fellowship with God that Christ restores for His people. But this regeneration means that our old nature dies with Christ. You may recall that Paul says in Romans 6, verse 4, Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. So that we too might walk in newness of life. That's what's expected of you and me as brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what's expected of those who confess Him and believe on Him, who are children of the Heavenly Father, to walk in newness of life, not the old way that the world continues to walk in. In a sense, the ark was like a grave for Noah and the others. Just as the flood separated Noah and his family from the wicked world of their day, Baptism separates believers and their children from the evil world of our day. Just as the floodwaters cleanse the earth of man's wickedness, so the water of baptism is a sign and seal of God's promise of man's cleansing from sin. And just as Noah passed through the flood and reached salvation on the other side of the flood, when God's people receive by faith that which the water of baptism signifies and seals, we are delivered from the guilt and pollution of sin and we receive the righteousness of Christ and fellowship with God. And Peter tells us that all of this is accomplished by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If we read verse 21 without the inserted explanation, it says baptism now saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The doctrine of Christ's resurrection is basic to the Christian faith. Peter says in chapter 1, verse 3, that we are given new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain. Your faith also is vain. It's futile. It's good for nothing. It's a waste of time. Without the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the signs and seals of the promise of baptism, namely the forgiveness of sins and renewal of life, these are worthless and they're for nothing because without the resurrection Christ's work has not been accepted by the Father but Peter says that not only has Christ risen but in verse 22 he has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him the one for whom we suffer reigns supreme. He is victorious. Everything has been put under His feet. And Paul says, Therefore also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Even those who cause us suffering and pain in this life for Jesus Christ, will bow before Him one day. Imagine that. They'll have no part of it now. And even then, their bowing will not be in faith. It will be with much trembling. Beloved, God's people suffer in this life. Again, it may not be physical or verbal abuse or anything like that. It may not be unto death, although it may be. But simply living in a world of sin, surrounded by it, in the midst of the kingdom of darkness. That is suffering for the child of God. Living in the midst of trials and temptations, doing battle as well against the sin that remains in us, against our renewed will. It is suffering for the sake of Jesus. But that suffering is on the pathway toward salvation. We can only endure this suffering by the grace of God because Christ suffered on behalf of His own and He has secured the payoff. It is secure. Victory over sin, death, and hell, and salvation for those who believe in Him by faith. By His perfect work, Jesus Christ has separated His own from the world. And that means that no matter how destroyed or no matter how beat down or no matter how devastated Christ's church may look on this earth, he is victorious and so is his bride so are we as God's people struggle with his enemies in the world and suffer at their hands we have the comfort of knowing that his grace is sufficient for us and just as as Christ preached his victory to the spirits of Noah's day who are now in prison the very same Christ himself when he comes again will proclaim his victory to the whole world when He returns on the clouds of heaven. And oh, what a day that will be. Are you suffering in Christ as He leads you towards salvation? Are you actively fighting against sin and temptation? If you are, if you are suffering, take heart. As Paul says in Romans 8, For I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. not worth comparing our hope is in our resurrected lord jesus christ his suffering means that our suffering will not destroy us guaranteed because in him we are more than conquerors apart from repentance and faith in him one will suffer forever not for doing good in him but for rejecting him but our comfort beloved is in his eternal victory and by His grace the treasures of His suffering will be yours both now and forevermore and you will be safe and secure in the ark of His grace, mercy, and love. Amen. Shall we pray? Father, as we come to the close of this sermon and this time together, As we have considered Your Word, we indeed must admit that we have to think long and hard about whether or not we do suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ. If we do suffer because of our faith, because of our testimony. And ashamedly, we must say that we, in many ways, really don't. Father, we pray that we would stand up boldly for You. That if you should allow suffering to come our way, we would indeed be able to patiently endure it. That we would not strike back and try to destroy those who would seek to cause us harm and suffering for Jesus' sake. But to know that they are already destroyed who reject the Lord Jesus Christ. And we are victorious in Him. Well, Father, what a victory that is. What a blessing that is to know that we are a part of the victorious Christ, both now and forevermore. We pray, Father, that you would help us to live in a way that indeed gives open testimony to your grace and your mercy and love in our lives. Father, may we always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks, and we pray to you that you would bring many to ask, what is it about us that is different? What is this thing we call hope? Why do we have it? Where do we get it? And Father, when those questions come, give us your word by your Holy Spirit to speak the truth in love. And may you, O Lord, be praised. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray these things. Amen.