Suffering for Jesus Part 17
1 Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy 😁 are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified. KJV Note: AMP=Amplified Bible; NKJV=New King James Version
Christ came to the earth 🌎 and became a Man ♂️ to put Himself in the place of every sinful man ♂️ and woman ♀️taking God the Father's Eternal wrath against sin upon Himself so that everyone of us who would come to Him in repentance and faith would not have to do so eternally. How then can we shrink back from suffering His reproach as Peter declares with these words, "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy 😁 are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified." (1 Peter 4:14) (KJV). We have just gone by the Christmas 🎄 🎁 season and the little baby 🐥 🍼 Jesus is not the Jesus that suffered 'reproach' and this English word is translated by Greek word oneidezo which means to defame, that is, rail at, chide, taunt. It is the full grown God/Man who walked out of obscurity and into the world 🌍, with His first Words this, "Now after John [the Baptist] was arrested and taken into custody, Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the good 👍 news 📰 of [the Kingdom of] God, and saying 'The [appointed period of] time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent [change your inner self, your old way of thinking 🤔, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God's purpose for your life] and believe [with a deep, abiding trust] in the good 👍 news [regarding salvation].'" (Mark 1:14-15) (AMP). When the Apostle Peter here says in verse 14 that we are being defamed or railed upon or taunted (as was our Lord Jesus Christ) because the Spirit of Glory and of God 'resteth' upon us, we understand that this little English word is translated by the Greek word anapauo which means (reflexively) to repose (literally or figuratively) (remain); by implication to refresh: take ease, refresh, (give, take) rest. We have been refreshed by the Spirit of God with a 'new nature' completely contrary to our 'old nature' we were born with, for we have been 'born again' or 'born from above' and that is why we are persecuted by the devil 👿 and his demons who still have influence and control over unrepentant, unregenerate, and unsaved men and women. This reminds me of these lyrics in one of LaCrae's earlier songs when he wrote, "Everybody got a problem with God, but when you mention 'The Christ' they really get to turning the nod, but some rappers say they roll with Christ believing He was cool with all the sin in their life." We must remember who we were (before
Christ gave us the gift 🎁 of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9)) and continue in prayer 🙏 and supplications for all of those still on the outside of His marvelous grace. Paul the Apostle reminds us of this fact and reality with these words he wrote to Brother Titus, "Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good 👍 work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lust and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love 💕of God our Savior toward man ♂️ appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done ✅, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:1-7) (NKJV). Can everyone of us who have received this spiritual washing say Amen!!!
Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of 1 Peter 4:14, "It means that they were to regard their condition or lot as a blessed one; not that they would find personal and positive enjoyment on being reproached and vilified. It would be a blessed condition, because it would be like that of their Savior; would show that they were His friends; would be accompanied with rich spiritual influences in the present world 🌍; and would be followed by the rewards of Heaven. That they might expect that the Holy Spirit would rest upon them, or abide with them, if they were persecuted for the cause of Christ. There may be some illusion here, in language, to the fact that the Spirit of God descended and abode on the Savior at His baptism (John 1:33); and, in like manner, they might hope to have the same Spirit resting on them. The essential idea is, that, if they were called to suffer in the cause of the Redeemer, they would be left or forsaken. They might hope that God would impart His Spirit to them in proportion to their sufferings and that they would have augmented joy and peace. This is doubtless the case with those who suffer persecution, and this is the secret reason why they are so sustained in their trials. Their persecutions are made the reason of a much more copious effusion of the Spirit on their souls. The same principle applies, doubtless, to all the forms of trial which the children of God pass through; and in sickness, bereavement, loss of property, disappointment in their worldly plans, and death itself, they may hope that larger measures of the Spirit's influences will rest upon them. Hence, it is often gain for the believer to suffer. On their part- So far as they are concerned; or by them. He is evil spoken of -That is, the Holy Spirit. They only blaspheme Him, (Greek;) they reproach His sacred influences by their treatment of you and your faith. But on your part He is glorified - By your manner of speaking of Him, and by the honor done to Him in the patience evinced in your trials, and in your purity of life."
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray 🙏 this from your heart ❤️ to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn 🛞 from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart ❤️ and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen!
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