Devotional 13 September 2025
Peter does something we might find uncomfortable: he calls Christian suffering judgment. Many preachers avoid this word because it sounds harsh, but Peter is clear, God begins His work of judgment with His own people. This does not mean condemnation, because “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Instead, it is the refining discipline of a Father who loves His children (Heb. 12:6–7). As Malachi says, God “will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver” so that His people may offer righteous worship (Mal. 3:3).
Peter’s argument builds on this truth: all humanity must face God. He is holy and will not tolerate sin (Hab. 1:13). This means judgment is unavoidable. For those outside Christ, this will be a consuming fire (Heb. 10:26–27). But for those who belong to Christ, it becomes a refining fire that burns away what is sinful, leaving behind only what reflects His holiness (1 Pet. 1:6–7). In this way, suffering is not the evidence of God’s rejection but of His refining love.
Peter quotes Proverbs 11:31 (LXX): “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” The point is not that salvation is uncertain, but that it comes through trial and fire. God does not leave His people as they are. He purges, disciplines, and conforms them into the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). This is why John says, “when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
The image of Christ as the Ark helps us understand this. Peter already connected Noah’s Ark with baptism (1 Pet. 3:20–21). Just as the waters drowned the world but saved those in the Ark, so judgment either refines in Christ or destroys apart from Him. We either encounter God’s judgment now in Christ, where our sins are burned away and our lives reshaped into holiness, or we will encounter judgment later without Christ, where there will be no refuge.
Therefore Peter concludes: “let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” (v.19). Our calling in suffering is not despair but trust. Jesus Himself entrusted His spirit to the Father in His final breath (Luke 23:46). Paul declared, “I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me” (2 Tim. 1:12). The faithful Creator is both Refiner and Keeper. As we endure trials, we can rest secure in His hands, continuing to do good (Gal. 6:9), knowing the fire will not consume us but will purify us until only Christ remains.