1 Peter 4:15-16 - Ashamed?

“If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear his name.”

The second verse in this passage gives us the eighth of Peter’s 10 Commandments: do not be ashamed.

There will be many people who think you should be ashamed for being a Christian. They will argue that you are silly for believing in God – why not follow Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy while you’re at it? They will say you are a closed-minded, elitist, intolerant hypocrite. People will tolerate all types of abhorrent behavior, but they will not tolerate a Christian who believes in absolute truth.

But don’t listen to them – we have absolutely no reason to be ashamed. On the contrary, we could make a list of reasons as long as my arm why we should be proud to be called children of God, but I’ll mention just one: He sent His only Son to die for our sins so that we would not have to live in bondage to sin, mired in guilt and shame, and that will can live eternally in His paradise. I agree with Paul who said in Romans 1:16,

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then the Gentile.”

We’ve talked a lot about suffering in this little book; this verse gives us an idea of how we should suffer when persecution comes. Here is a nice 3-point rundown…

1. Don’t suffer like a murderer, thief, criminal, or even a meddler. This means a couple of things: first, we shouldn’t suffer like those mentioned above because they are guilty. First and foremost, don’t be a murderer, thief, or criminal! Second, how do you think criminals suffered? Perhaps they begged for mercy, perhaps they screamed and shouted that they were innocent, perhaps they attempted bribes or threatened others. Peter called the Christians to not retaliate in any way. If you suffer, do so in the quiet confidence that God sees and will act.

2. Do not be ashamed. When Christians were persecuted in the early days, the only charge against them was that they were Christians. Peter says don’t be ashamed of being persecuted for your faith. Also, the term Christian was originally a term of derision. Be proud that you are being persecuted for Christ’s sake. Own your faith regardless of the consequences and wear your persecution like a badge of honor.

3. Praise God. Again, Peter goes the extra mile in this teaching. He exhorts us not only to bear up under persecution with courage and not to be ashamed, but he also calls us to praise God for it. Again, Peter puts more stock in being identified with Christ than his own comfort or safety – and God calls us to do the same.

We have all felt the sting of ridicule, mockery, or persecution at some point in our lives. Nobody will argue that its fun or something to look forward to. But it isn’t something to shy away from or change your lifestyle to avoid. God will repay you for every insult you endure for His name – stand strong and be bold. God is with you!

“God takes a safe course with his children, that they may not be condemned with the world, He permits the world to condemn them, that they many not love the world, the world hates them…” – Richard Sibbes