I Peter 4:12–19 (NRSV)
Read I Peter 4:12–19 on biblegateway.com
Verse 12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. Verse 13But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. Verse 14If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. Verse 15But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. Verse 16Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name. Verse 17For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God? Verse 18And "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinners?" Verse 19Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God's will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.
Devotion
On April 9, 1945, shortly before the Allies arrived, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian and pastor, was executed in the Flossberg concentration camp. While defending his faith, he was charged with treason for defying Hitler and the Nazi party. His suffering exemplifies Tertullian’s words, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.” His life and writings have been, and continue to be, a great inspiration to many.
Bonhoeffer believed Christ’s gifts to us in baptism – God’s all-sufficient grace, the cross of Christ and our call to discipleship – are all intertwined. He taught the importance of renewing our baptism daily by examining God’s will no matter the cost; to die with Christ and rise to newness. God promises joy in sharing Christ’s sufferings and that believers will be “blessed because the Spirit ... of God rests upon you.”
Prayer
Lord, help us receive your grace and accept your cross and will as it leads to fresh service, whatever the cost. Amen.