Are We Christian Tourists or Christian Sufferers | 1 Peter

This week, we continue our study of the Apostle Peter’s epistle and the call to live devoted to Christ, no matter the suffering we may face. In reminding us of our identity as sojourners and exiles in this life, we hear Peter’s pastoral heart exhorting, not only slaves and wives of unbelieving husbands to humbly obey the authorities above them, but for all believers to submit even to the point of suffering, out of reverence for, and for the glory of Christ. In light of his own sanctification journey, Peter endorses a fire-tested Christian witness, forged by enduring trials and persecution for the sake of the Gospel, over a fairweather Christianity, resulting from seasons of success and prosperity. In other words, because Christian “tourists” rarely persist long enough to see the fruit of perseverance, the Church must commit herself to suffering for and with Jesus, in order to truly mature in the fullness of Christ.