Devotional 02 September 2025

September 02, 2025 • Steve Torres

1 Peter 2:20.jpg

“Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” (1 Peter 2:18–22, ESV)

Peter’s words have been tragically twisted in history to defend slavery or excuse abuse, but that is not his intent. He is not commending injustice or approving cruel masters; rather, he speaks to Christians already in unjust situations, calling them to live faithfully in the midst of evil they cannot immediately escape. The point is not to legitimize oppression but to reframe suffering as an opportunity to display God’s grace.

Peter’s call connects directly to the larger theme of his letter: the Christian life is a refining fire (1 Pet 1:6–7), a proving ground for genuine faith. “Servants… be subject” (v. 18) echoes his command to submit to governing authorities “for the Lord’s sake” (1 Pet 2:13). In both cases, Peter grounds his exhortation not in blind obedience but in trust in God’s justice (Rom 12:19). He is teaching believers to endure unjust treatment with hearts fixed on God’s approval, not human vindication.

The ultimate example is Jesus. Peter quotes Isaiah 53:9: “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” Jesus was the only truly innocent man, yet He suffered shame and execution at the hands of sinners, not because He failed but because He obeyed. His suffering was not meaningless; from His wounds came salvation for the world (Isa 53:4–6; 1 Pet 2:24).

In this light, unjust suffering becomes a mirror of Christ’s own obedience. Like Joseph, who could say, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Gen 50:20), believers display the power of God’s redemption when they endure injustice with faith. This does not silence us from speaking truth or seeking justice, Peter himself defied corrupt authorities (Acts 5:29), but it does teach us that vengeance belongs to God (Rom 12:19), and that patient endurance proclaims the gospel louder than retaliation ever could (Matt 5:10–12).

When you suffer unjustly, you are being invited to step into Christ’s story. Your quiet faith in suffering declares that you believe in the Judge who “is making all things new” (Rev 21:5). Your endurance is not wasted; it is “a gracious thing in the sight of God” (v. 20). Like Christ, your suffering becomes a testimony that God’s grace is stronger than evil.