SUFFER WELL
Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear them or be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. 16 Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 in which he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison 20 who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people—were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him. —1 Peter 3:13-22
The Instruction to Suffer Well (1 Peter 3:13-17)
Do Not Let Fear Cause You to Flee
Doing Christlike good in a post-Christian society will result in opposition.
Peter echoes His Lord in telling us that when we suffer for righteousness, we are blessed.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. —Matthew 5:10-12
In the midst of suffering for doing what is right, believers are sometimes intimidated into running from their belief system or running from their circumstances.
Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell —Matthew 10:28
Sanctify Christ in Your Heart
Rather than be fearful and take flight from their faith, Peter urges us to “regard Christ the Lord as holy.”
The word the CSB translates “regard” can also be translated “sanctify.” “Sanctify” means to recognize and honor His full holiness both inwardly and outwardly (E. G. Punchard).
The believer must view Christ as holy and sovereign. When we center our lives on Him—knowing He controls the universe (1 Peter 3:22)—we can face any adversity.
Be Always Ready to Give a Defense
Peter instructs us to be “ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that it is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). This means knowing what you believe and being prepared to explain your hope humbly, thoughtfully, and respectfully.
Witness by Your Conduct
Our response to questioning the hope we have or mistreatment should be marked by gentleness and respect—not aggression or self-righteousness. While we are called to holiness and it is obvious that the world around us is not holy, we cannot become hostile to the unbelievers around us. We must show them gentleness and respect while showing them through our good conduct that Christ the Lord is holy and we are merely imitators of Him.
The Reason to Suffer Well (1 Peter 3:18-22)
This paragraph interrupts the pain of the persecuted readers just long enough to remind them of the pain that Jesus Christ experienced and of the spiritual significance that Christ’s pain and death has for them.
Christ’s Own Suffering as Our Model
Even the sinless Son of God endured suffering—He suffered “once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous.”
This sacrificial act is our ultimate example: if Christ was willing to suffer, so should we be willing to endure hardships for His sake.
The Analogy of Noah’s Ark and Baptism
Peter uses the story of Noah not to advocate water baptism as the means of salvation but to illustrate a deeper spiritual truth. The ark protected Noah’s family just as our union with Christ (through the baptism of the Holy Spirit) protects us.
The point of the analogy becomes clear when we recall that when a person accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior, he or she is placed into “the body of Christ.” At that moment the Holy Spirit enters that person’s life as a permanent resident. This action is described in the New Testament as “the baptism of the Holy Spirit” (see 1 Cor. 12:13). This is Peter’s emphasis. When you accept Christ, you are placed spiritually in Christ. As this occurs, you stand before God with a “good conscience” (v. 21) because your sins have been forgiven. Water baptism does not provide a person with a clear conscience before God; baptism by the Holy Spirit does.
Victory Over Evil and Assurance of Salvation
Christ now reigns over “angels and authorities and powers.” His victory assures us that the suffering we endure cannot separate us from His love.
The Christus Victor model of the atonement is a way of understanding Christ’s work on the cross as a victorious battle against the forces of evil. Rather than seeing Jesus’ death as merely a payment for sin or a legal transaction with divine justice, this model emphasizes that through his death and resurrection, Jesus defeated the powers of sin, death, and the devil. In doing so, he liberated humanity from the bondage of these spiritual forces.
Takeaway:
When you suffer for doing what is right, God blesses you for it. So, respond well to those who mistreat you so you can share your faith with others. Then no one can speak poorly of you as a Christian. This is what Jesus did.
Cross References to Consider After the Sermon:
1. Mark 13:13 and 1 Peter 2:20–21 – For understanding suffering for righteousness.
2. Matthew 5:10–12 and Luke 6:22 – On the blessedness of those who suffer for Christ.
3. Romans 12:14, 17-18 – For guidance on responding to mistreatment.
4. Hebrews 12:2 – Keeping our eyes on Jesus, who endured the cross.