“Good Christian men rejoice…” C. S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity of the term “Christian” as an adjective meaning a good person who treats others well. The meaning of Christian is somewhat closer to the above verses from Peter, who learned a thing or two about Christian behavior himself. Peter wrote to the churches under his care that there will be persecution. He mentions the suffering of Christ on the cross quite often in this letter, reminding them that Jesus told Peter and his other disciples to pick up their cross and follow him. For Peter, the Christian suffers as Jesus did, renounces sin, living for Jesus in obedience to his commands to love one another and make disciples.
If Peter wrote a letter to the churches in America today, not a word of these verses would be out of place. Just as Jesus suffered for us, we are called to suffer for him. We do not know what that will look like but it looks a lot more likely than it did just a few decades ago. We are also called to renounce sin instead of falling over each other to be the first church to affirm and celebrate sin. We are called to surrender our will to the Lord and Master Jesus Christ and live according to his desires instead of our own sinful ones. Good Christian men suffer, then rejoice…
With heart and soul and voice.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church