The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 23 May 2019 – Suffering For Doing Good
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TOPIC: Suffering For Doing Good
READ: 1 Peter 3:13-22 King James Version (KJV)
13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
THE MESSAGE:
From our text today, we discover that you should never be afraid in doing good.
However, you may suffer (persecutions, trials, insults, etc.), for doing good, but such brings blessing (see Matthew 5:10-12). In the midst of the suffering, firmly resolve in your heart to exalt Christ as Lord and always be ready to defend your faith in Him. But you must do this with gentleness and respect, having a clear conscience so that those who speak evil of your righteousness may be put to shame.
If it is God’s will for you to suffer, you must not suffer for doing what is evil (see 1 Pet. 2:20). Remember that Christ suffered in this way in order to bring us salvation and also to witness to the spirits who were bound in prison. This gives us opportunity to share in Christ’s sufferings in the good work done by faith in Him.
Concluding Thought: Christian suffering is accompanied by a Christ-like attitude with the determination to endure to the end (see Matt. 24:13). So, suffer in well-doing that Christ may be glorified in your suffering.
PRAYER: Father God, strengthen us in every kind of suffering and trial for righteousness sake, and evermore be glorified in us. Amen.
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