Peter encourages us that we are blessed as we suffer for Christ's sake. The blessing takes the form of the Spirit of glory and of God resting on them. The Holy Spirit infuses us with a deep, intense consciousness of the Lord's presence. This is the joy unspeakable and full of glory that Peter wrote about in 1 Peter 1:7-8. In suffering for Christ, we can have an inward peace and joy.
As we have seen in our study of First Peter, God is with us through the fiery trials just like he was with the three Hebrew boys who were cast into the fiery furnace ~ Christ was with them and protected them. (Daniel 3:23-25). Daniel was thrown into a den of lions because of his beliefs and practices, but God delivered him Daniel 6:15-23. David Constantly cried out to the Lord for deliverance from his enemies (Psalm 7:1-2; 18:17-19). When Stephen was stoned to death because of his beliefs, he saw Jesus in heaven at the right-hand side of God and experienced God's glory Acts 7:54-60.
My friend, we need to evaluate our lives and make sure that we can say with Paul, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith – 2 Timothy 4:7. Live our lives to glorify God.
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