Title: Grace is beauty (1 Peter 2:19-21)
Contents
Do you remember last week's sermon titles?
We had a talk last time under the title "Grace over grace". So, what exactly is grace? What is grace? Today, for the first time, let's share the Word with the title of "Grace is beauty" centered on 1 Peter 2:19-21.
The Greek word for 'grace' is 'charis'.
The word 'beautiful' is 'charis' in the expression of 1 Peter 2:19, "It is beautiful," and verse 20, "It is beautiful in the sight of God" that we see today. It means 'grace'. Peter said that those who have received grace are beautiful. Without grace, you cannot be a beautiful person, and you cannot live a beautiful life.
Grace makes people beautiful. Beautify people's thoughts, beautify people's hearts, and beautify people's lives. Ugly, dirty, ugly things are not grace and cannot be the result of grace.
There are certain parts that do not become beautiful with plastic surgery, makeup, or jewelry. It is only by grace that it becomes beautiful.
Then, what specifically did Apostle Peter refer to as 'beauty' or 'grace'? That is, “endurance, perseverance.” It is a beautiful thing, and it is grace.
And the patience that God wants is to endure to the end without change. Patience in the spiritual sense is not accumulating hate and sadness in our hearts, but removing the fundamental evil that causes them and sublimating them into mercy and love. For those who stoned themselves to death while preaching the gospel, please do not blame them for this sin. This is the same heart as Deacon "Steven" who prayed.
What do you mean to put up with?
1. In today's text, "To endure sorrow by thinking of God even when you suffer unjustly (vaguely)" This is what 'beautiful' is. Here, 'unfairly' is translated as 'vaguely' in the New Testament.
Suffering unjustly (vaguely) is neither beautiful nor grace in itself. It's embarrassing, and it just makes me angry.
The various incidents and accidents that occur even though there was no intention of one's own, the problems that one suffers from and has to sit down despite having nothing to work on are unjust and ambiguous hardships. There are many things like this in the world. There is a series of hardships that come completely unrelated to my doctor. What should I do in this case? As we have already seen in 1 Peter, it is said that even when we suffer ambiguous suffering, we can be blessed by thinking of God and being patient. How specific were you?
Around 300 A.D. there was a famous monk named Macarius.
The locals respected Macarius very much.
However, a girl in the village was pregnant, and rumors began to spread that it was the child of Macarius.
People cursed Macarius and beat him to the point where he was covered in blood. He was kicked out of his place.
But Macarius did not say a word and endured it.
And he gave the money he earned through hard work to the woman who framed him.
It showed Christian perseverance. Then the woman changed her mind, repented, and confessed her mistake to the locals.
Then people revered Macarius, and he was able to take the place of a great monk.
What if we fall into a situation where we suffer unjustly (vaguely)? How do you deal with the problem of unjustly (vaguely) suffering and sorrow?
When we suffer unfairly (vaguely), our normal reaction is anger. Anger rages. I want to pay you back in double. No, I would like to give it back 7 times more if I have the ability. Who is to blame for these feelings? But that doesn't mean it's beautiful. It's definitely not grace.
When we encounter unreasonable (ambiguous) hardship, it is said that it is beauty and grace if we endure sorrow by thinking of God.
2. "But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, it is beautiful in the sight of God."
Today's text clearly tells what real suffering is like. This suffering is voluntary, selective, and suffered for the sake of Christ. It is said that it is beautiful to endure unavoidable suffering, but how much more beautiful in God's eyes the suffering and persecution that one chooses for the sake of righteousness, even though it could be avoided.
The real suffering is doing good and receiving evil treatment and insults. We can say that the difficulties we face because we stand on the side of justice to keep our faith are real hardships.
1 Peter 3:14 “But blessed are those who suffer for the sake of righteousness; do not be afraid of what they fear, and do not be troubled.”
1 Peter 4:16 “If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God in that name.”
Jesus suffered the greatest and most ambiguous suffering.
Although Jesus is the Son of God, he came to this earth as a humble baby, suffered hardships, and lived a good life. But Jesus was treated as a sinner and a madman, and eventually caught by soldiers, spit in the face, slapped in the face, subjected to the worst mockery and insults, and naked on the cross with nails nailed to his hands and feet. You suffered. Even though Jesus had done good, He suffered like a thief by being crucified and dying. This is because Jesus suffered for the sins of us sinners, and also to set an example for those who follow Jesus to endure suffering in the future.
3. What is not commendable and beautiful in spite of suffering and enduring?
In Text 2:20, “they were beaten for their sins” can be said to be the kind of suffering that corresponds to this.
For example, King David had an affair with Uriah's wife Bathsheba and killed Uriah, and he lost the child he had with Bathsheba. The entire city of Sodom and Gomorrah was judged by fire and brimstone overnight, and disappeared without a trace from the map. The Israeli army led by Joshua was defeated in the battle of Ai because of the sin of one Achan. Ananias and Sapphira hid part of the price of the land and died instantly on the spot for lying to the Holy Spirit. These sufferings correspond to 'they were beaten for their sins'. If this is also a hardship, is it hardship? But there is no commendation for enduring such suffering. Of course, we must endure and repent.
Don't get confused. This is by no means a beautiful thing. Therefore, this is not called grace.
In this way, it is “beautiful and graceful” to endure by thinking of God when we suffer vaguely, or when we are suffering after doing good. To have received grace is to have the ability to persevere when you suffer vaguely and do good, even when you suffer.
Starting a good day and then giving up in the middle for any reason is neither good nor beautiful. The most beautiful thing is to endure the mission entrusted to us in the midst of suffering. However, only when we receive God's abundant grace can we live a beautiful life before God. Without grace, I would not be able to live this kind of life. Also, only the appearance of living by grace is God's evaluation of beauty.
Saints! I hope that you will become a victorious Christian by using it as an opportunity for grace and blessing, no matter how ambiguous the times of suffering or even when you suffer hardships despite doing good deeds.