"But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."
1 Peter 5:10
Part 4
Yesterday: Where Is Our Suffering Taking Us?
“After that, ye have suffered a while.”
It is human nature to want glory without suffering. We are called to His eternal glory after we have suffered for little time.
Today: God Is Working in Us Through Our Suffering
“Make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”
God has a plan for each of his children. Part of that plan is that they become perfect, established, strengthened, and settled in Christ. Each of these verbs has a specific and distinct meaning.
“Make You Perfect”
God is working in us to “restore us to completeness.”[1] He is working, dear believers, “so that there shall be nothing defective in you”[2] (JFB). The word Peter used here means, “to render,…to fit, sound, complete,… to mend (what has been broken or rent), to repair,… to fit out, equip, put in order, arrange, adjust,… to fit or frame for one’s self, prepare,… ethically: to strengthen, perfect, complete, make one what he ought to be”[3] (Thayer).
This is the same word fishermen used when “mending their nets” (Matthew 4:21). Jesus used this word for a “fully trained” disciple (Luke 6:40). And Paul used this word for believers being “united” in perfect unity in their churches (1 Corinthians 1:10).
It seems plain that when the Lord said He would “make you perfect,” then whatever our deficiencies or needs, God will correct and supply those in us. He uses our suffering to help us see our flaws and learn to depend upon Him for our comfort and maturing.
“Stablish”
Our suffering helps us to learn to stay put. Being established has been called “the fixity of Christians.[4] The ancient word used here comes from the verb that means to make stable, place firmly, set fast, fix,…to strengthen, make firm,…to render constant, confirm, one’s mind”[5] (Thayer). Perhaps we could call this “stick-to-itiveness.” Believers today, we need a good dose of this! Our suffering shows us our need to stand firm in Christ.
God is working in the process of establishing Christians in good words and good works.
“Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work” (2 Thessalonians 2:17).
God is also establishing His child and guarding them against the evil one so that we may be able to stand up against his attacks.
“But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
Believers, we need to stay put in Christ.
“Strengthen”
God gives His child the “power to resist attack.”[6] This is the only place in the Scriptures where this ancient word is used. The word means “to make strong, strengthen,… of one’s soul”[7] (Thayer). Back when I was a child, we used to hear of men who had backbones of steel. This was describing men of principles and convictions. They stood for right and truth. These men of solid character were unmovable.
Lord, give us believers with backbones of steel, strengthened by you and your Word.
“Settle You”
God uses our suffering to help “ground” us or to help us be “fixed on a foundation”[8] (JFB). This word means “to lay the foundation, to found,… to make stable, establish”[9] (Thayer). Paul uses this word for a believer who is “grounded.”
“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and “grounded” in love” (Ephesians 3:17).
In settling His child, Christ is literally “laying a foundation.”[10]
“Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock” (Luke 6:47-48).
“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock” (Matthew 7:25).
Believers, are you grounded and settled on “the Rock?” The unsettledness we sense when we suffer helps us understand why we need to be fixed on Christ the Rock. If you have ever ridden out an earthquake, no doubt you have been convinced that being settled on solid rock is vital for safety.
As we have learned more about what Jesus is doing in our lives and suffering, we have great cause for joy and comfort in our souls. He is taking a personal interest in each of us, and He is perfecting, establishing, strengthening, and settling us in Himself! “To God be the glory!”
Quote:
Rock of Ages[11]
Augustus M. Toplady
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law’s demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
Amen
[1] Cambridge Bible, the electronic version in eSword. 1 Peter 5:10.
[2] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, pp. 513–514). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[3] J.H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.
[4] Cambridge Bible, ibid. Fixity is “the state of being unchanging or permanent.” This definition of “fixity” was downloaded on August 25, 2021. From: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=define+fixity.
[5] J.H. Thayer, ibid.
[6] Cambridge Bible, ibid. 1 Peter 5:10.
[7] J.H. Thayer, ibid.
[8] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Ibid.
[9] J.H. Thayer, ibid.
[10] Cambridge Bible, ibid. 1 Peter 5:10.
[11] “Rock of Ages,” Author, Augustus M. Toplady (1776); Music, Thomas Hastings (1830). Copyright status, Public Domain.