"For it is better, if God should will it so,

thatyousufferJor doingwhatis right rather

thanJordoingwhatis wrong. For Christalso
died Jor sins once Jor all, the just Jor the
unjust, in order that He might bring us to
God, havingbeenputtodeath in thejlesh, but

and madeproclamation to the spirits now in
prison, who once were disobedient, when the
patience oj God kept waiting in the days oj
Noah, during the construction oj the ark, in
which a Jew, that is, eight persons, were
brought saJely through the water.
"And corresponding to that, baptism
now saves you- not the removal oj dirt
Jrom the jlesh, but an appeal to
God Jor a good conscience-
through the resurrectiOn oj
jesus Christ, Who is at the right
hand oj God, having gone into
heaven, aJter angels and
authorities and powers had
been subjected to Him."
I Peter 3: 17:22
Sometimes a Christian
will be called upon to suffer
undeservedly for thinking
and behaving as a Christian.
WhenhedoesitisGod'swill,
vs. 17. When we go through
these difficult times faithfully,
weare nevermore like Christ,
and never closer to Him. We are
experiencing "the fellowship of His
sufferings."
Furthermore, our suffering for
righteousness' sake brings great benefit,
not only to us, but also to other people.
The PROOF that this is true, and the
MOTIVE forrejoicingwhen we suffer for
Christ is none other than the experience
of undeserved suffering in the life of]esus
Christ Himself, the prince of sufferers.
Believingmeditarion on the sufferings of
Christ-their nature, purpose and
consequences-will reconcile the
Christiantoundeserved persecution and
slander, and will give him support and
direction while being persecuted.
I Peter 3:17-22 has two main focal
points: (1). THE INCOMPARABLE
SUFFERER, and (2). HIS INCOM-
PARABLE SUFFERlNG.
The Incomparable Sufferer
Jesus Christ is the incomparable
sufferer. Understanding Who He is is
essential to understanding the nature of
His suffering and the meaning of His
death. In our text He is given a two-fold
identification. (1). He is "the Christ" and
(2). "the just One" or "the righteous
One."
"Christ" is the Greek word for the
Hebrew word, "Messiah," meaning "the
Anointed One." The Old Testament
prophesies that the promised, great,
messianic Deliverer would be anointed,
i.e., consecrated and equipped, by
Jehovah Himself. He would be God's
anointed Prophet sent to earth to dispel
man's ignorance and pelverted thinking
caused by sin by bringing to him the light
of written revelation and Spiritual
enlightenment. He would be God's
anointed Priest sent to earth to become
the sacrificial victim for sin, taldngupon
Himself the guilt and punishment of sin
belonging to those for whom He died,
forgiving them and setting them free. He
would be God's anointed King sent to
earthtogovemtheunruly,sinful passions
of the human heart and restoring God's
order for Hiscreation, disrupted byman's
rebellion. And He does all this as "THE"
Christ, "THE" Anointed One from God.
He stands in a class by Himself. No one
else can accomplish what He can
accomplish. Without Him we can do
nothing.
This suffering Christ is also "the just!
righteous One." This isa personal and an
official description of Christ. He was and
is free from sin, in heart and life,
completely conformed to all the
reqUirements of the holy, just and good
Law of God. Hischaracteris
not merely free of faults, it is
distinguished by every
possible moral perfection in
his mind and conduct. He
did fullyall thatGod required
of Him as our MeSSiah,
cheerfully and perfectly. He
suffered all that God
appointed for Him. He
faithfully accomplished all
that Godsent Him to earth to
accomplish- glorify Godin
the eternal salvation of God's
chosen people. And He did
all this as "THE" just One. Of
all the sons of Adam,He, and
He alone, is just and
righteous. The rest of the
human race is unjust. He is Jehovah our
Righteousnessinourhumanity, in Whom
alone any unrighteous sinner can find
righteousness by believing in Him.
If]esusis the Christ, anointed by God
tobetherevealerofthewillofGodforus,
HearHim!. His word is the word of God.
Don't play around with it. Submit to it.
If] esusis the Christ, anointed by God
to be the One who atones for human
guilt, Rest in Him! Rest in His great
sacrifice of Himself for your salvation.
If] esusis the Christ, anointed by God
to be King in the world and church, Bow
to Him! Leam His laws and walk
according to them, depending upon the
power of His Spirit to obey them.
July/August, 1992 4 TIlE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 4 9
If Jesus is The Righteous One, stop
o:yingtoestablish youroWnrighteousness
with God! Stop uying to impress God
with how good you are. You can do
notbing to impress Him! drrist's perfect
life impresses God. Rest in His perfect
life and His atoning death as the only
basis for right standing with God.
If Christ, TheRighteousOne,suffered
so intensely forus, how terrible sin must
be. Howweshouldhatesinandlovethe
Savior! Nothing strengthens Christian
faitl".Jillllessmore trum"hCkt-red for s.nand
love for the Savior.
His Incomparable SufIenng
Astateofsufferingwasnottheoriginal
condition of the Son of God. From all
eternity He lived in the blessedness of the
Holy Trinity. But when He took upon
Himself our humanityin orderto obtain
our eternal redemption, He by necessity
became a sufferer.
By divine appointment His suffering
wentfarbeyondthesufferingexperienced
by any other man. It was inllicted upon
Him by His human enemies, His friends,
and by Satan and his demons. But, His
mostseveresufferingwasinllictedbythe
hand of God as the manifestation of His
holy anger at the sins of those in whose
place He stood. "These sufferings of His
soul were the soul of His sufferings."-
John Brown. It is written in Isaiah
53:4,6,lO:
'Surely our griifs He Himselfbore,
andoursorrowsHecamed;yetweourselves
esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and
ciffticted. - All of us like sheep have gone
astray, eachofus has turned to his own way;
but the Lordhas caused theiniquily of us all
to fall on Him. - But the Lord was pleased
to crush Him, putting Him to griif; if He
would render Himself as a gpilt offering .... "
What His sufferings were, no
one knew, noonecanever know, but
He who endured them and He who
ilif/icted them. Never was there a
sufferer like Christ, TheJust One.
PART I: TIlE NATURE OF diedfortheungodly. Foronewillhardly
CHRIST'S SUFFERING die for a righteous man; though perhaps
for the good man someone would dare
Two phrases in verse 18 describe the even to die. But God demonstrates His
nature of Christ's suffering: "Christ also own love toward us, in that while we
died for sins," and "the just (died)for the were sinners, Christ died for us," Rom.
unjust." These twO expressions teach us 5:8-10. "The Son of Man came not to be
that Christ's suffering was penal, served,but to serve; and to give His life a
vicarious and propitiatory. ransom for many," Mk 10:45. But He
First, Christ's suffering was penal, was pierced through for our
i.e.,justpunishmentforsin. Theprimary. transgressions, He was crushed for our
objective of Christ's suffering was to iniquities; the chastening for our well-
manifestthehatredofGodforsin. Christ beingfe1luponHim,andbyHisscourgmg
was treated by God as the most wicked we are healed. All of us like sheep have
siimerwho ever lived, orwhowouldever gone astray, each of us has mmed to his
live. From His conception through His own way; but the Lord has caused the
burial, God punished]esus with all the iniquityofusalltofaU onHirn," Isa. 53:5-
penalties of violating God's holy Law. It 6.As a result of the anguish QfHis soul,
was all the result of God's decree: "God He will see it and be satisfied; by His
sent fonh His Son, made of a woman, knowledge The Righteous One, My
made under the Law," Gal. 4:4.The Servant, wiUjustiJYthemany, as He will
Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all," bear their iniquities. - .. He HimseIf
Isaiah53:6., "He(God)madeHim(Jesus) bore the sin of many, and interceded for
who knew no sin to be sin our our the "!sa 53 11 12
transgressors. . : - .
behalf ... ," II Cor. 5:21.
Third, Christ's suffering was
Pontius Pilate had an inscription propitiatory. A propitiation, or
placed Over Jesus' head on the cross, propitiatory sacrifice is an offering that
which read, "Jesus the Nazarene, the turns away the wrath of God. The
King of the Jews," In. 19:19. Another consistent Bible view is that the sin of
inscription could also be placed there; manhasincurredthewrathofGod. That
"The Victim of Guilt! TheWagesofSin!" wrathisavertedonlybyChrist'satoning
Second, Christ's suffering was offering.Fromthisstandpointhissaving
vicarious. How could one so righteous work is properly called propitiation."-
andso pure, sufferat the hands of Godso l.eonMorris,Baher'sDictionaryojTheology
painfully? He deserved no suffering or Jesus suffered vicariously the
punishment whatsoever. Did God punishmemwedeserve,inorderthatHe
fiendishly and sadistically brutalize His might mm away God's holy anger from
Son, so unjustly and inexplicably? No! us, satisJY God's perfect justice for us,
An infinity of No's! Christ suffered honor God's law in our place, restore
vicariously as a Substimte for sinners. God'smoralorder,whichwehadviolated,
The RighteousOne suffered and died in so that sinners might be forgiven and
the place of the unrighteous ones. We reconciled with God.
deserved to die accursed and damned for
our sin. Jesus, standing in our place, God exhausted fully all the demands
sufferednotwhatHepersonallydeserved, of God's justice on Jesus, who offered
but what we deserved. ... He Himself Himselfasaperfectandcompletesacrifice
bore our sins in His body on the cross, for human sin. He made Himself,
that we might die to sin and live to throughout His life, liable to the
righteousness; for by His wounds you vengeance of God's justice; until He
were healed," I Pet. 2:24. "For while we completely paid the debt with which He
werestillhelpless, at the right timeChrist was charged and which we owed. He, as
10 'I' 'IRE COUNSEL of Chalcedon t July/Angust, 1992
our propitiation, IJn. 2: If, turned God's
anger away from us by means of His
obedient life and violent death in our
place. God displayed Christ publicly as
our propitiation, ourpropitiatorysaaifice
in His blood through faith, Rom.3:25.
" ... now once at the consummation He
0esus) has been manifested to put away
sin by the sacrifice of Himself. - ... so
Christ also, having been offered once to
bear the sins of many, shall appear a
second time, not to bearsin, to those who
eagerly await Him, for
salvation," Heb. 9:26-28.
Daniel tells us that the
Messiah would "finish the
transgression, make an end
of sin, make atonement for
iniquity, (and) bring in
everlasting righteousness,"
9:24.
If it is true that Christ's
sufferings were penal,
vicarious and propitiatory,
then, how terrifying and
horrible and certain will be
the eternal destruction of
everybodywho does not believe and rest
in the penal, vicarious, propitiatory
sufferings ofjesusChrist for hissalvation,
Acts 16:31. Nowhereisthislessonmore
clearly and graphically given that at the
crossofChrist-"Itls afearful thingtofall
into thehandsoftheLivingGodl" IfGoddid
not spare His Son, standing in the place
of sinners, it is absolutely certain that He
will not spare the person who refuses to
seek refuge in Christ. No forgiveness
withoutsatisfaaion of divine justice! No
satisfaction except inJesus Christ! Praise
God forJohn 3: 16-"ForGod so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believes in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life."
THE GOAL OF CHRIST'S SUFFERING:
"TO BRING US TO GOD"
To be brought to God implies four
things: (1). To be brought into a true
knowledge of God; (2). To be brought
into God's favor; (3). To be brought into
a renewed resemblance to God; and (4).
To be brought into intimate communion
with God.
First, by His death, Christ brings us
into a true knowledge of God. We
cannot fellowship with God until we first
know Him, correctly, savingly and
personally. To be brought near Godis to
know God. However, two things are
required to knowGod,just as two things
are needed to see a tree: Light and eyes.
Ifwe have good eyes and clearvision, but
the tree stands in total darkness, we
cannot see it. If the tree stands in broad
daylight, but we are blind, we cannot see
it. So it is with knowing God. We need:
(1). the light of an objective, written and
inerrant revelation of the character and
will of God, i.e., the Bible; and (2). the
restoration of sight to the eyes of the
human spirit subjectively, and the
enlightenment of our inner life, by the
Holy Spirit, counteracting the effects of
sinonourheanandmind,and powerfully
convindng us of the authority and
meaning of that revelation from God.
How does the suffering and death of
Christ do this? Without Christ's atoning
death there would have been no biblical
revelation or enlightenment of the Spirit.
Why? Because God gives all His gifts
through the mediation of His Son. "He
who didnotspare His ownSon,but delivered
Him up for us all, how will He not also with
Him freely give us all things?"- Rom. 8:32.
Christ purchased the Bible and the Spirit
for us by His death. There would be no
Bible and no Spirit without Calvary!
John 16: 1-15and 14:26linktogether:
(1). the death of Christ, making possible
(2). the sending of the Holy Spirit, to
enlighten usconceming(3). therevelation
of Christ in the Bible, by which believers
will (4). know God. Jesus said: "These
things I have spoken to you, that you may be
kept from stumbling. They will nwke you
outcasts from the synagogue;
but an hour is coming for
everyone who killsyou to think
that he Is offering service to
God. And these things they
will do, because they have not
known the Father, or Me. -
But now I am going to Him
who sent Me.... - But I tell
you the truth, it Is to your
advantage that I go away; for
if I do notgo awCo/, the Helper
shall not wme to YOU; but if I
go, I will send Him to you. -
But when He, the Spirit of
Truth, wmes, He will guide
you into all the Truth;Jor He will not speak
on His own initiative, butwhatever He hears,
He will speak; and He will disclose to you
whatls to wme. He shall glorify Me;Jor He
shall takeofMine, and shall dlscloseit toyou.
All things that the Father has are Mine;
therifore I said, that He takes of Mine, and
will disclose it to you." "But the Helper, the
HolySpirit, whom theFatherwill sendinMy
Name, He will teachyouall things, andbring
to your remembrance all that I said to you."
Think what it cost Christ in order for
us to have the Bible and the Holy Spirit!
The Bible is a blood-bought Book! How
much we should value it and studyit. Be
less concerned with self-esteem and more
concerned with developing a higher
esteem for the Bible. Cherish the Biblel
Don't grieve or quench the Holy Spirit!
Christ suffered incomparably and shed
His predous blood, because He thought
it was that important for you to have the
Bible and the Holy Spirit.
July/August, 1992 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 11
Second, by His death, Christ brings
us into favor with God. He brings us
from a state of hostility to a state of
reconciliation with God. "Forljwhllewe
were enemies, we were reconciled to God
through the death of His Son, much more,
having been recOnciled, we shall be 5avedby
His life, "Rom. 5: 10.
In the beginning God and man were
friends; Man was devoted to God, loved
Him, obeyed, worshipedandservedHim.
Sin revolutionized everything! God and
man. became enemies. God did not
change, man did! Now, because man's
heart was filled with hatred for God,
God's hean was filled with holy anger
toward sinful man, Rom. 1:18. Now
fatlen man is far from God because ofhis
rebellion.
Is reconciliation possible? Are the
things that separate God and man
insurmountable? With man it is
imposSible, but not with God. How can
Goddoit? NotbydisregardingHisword
or Hisjuslice, but byprovidingthepeual,
vicarious, propitiatory sacrifice of the
incarnate Son of God in the place of
sinners.
Whathadto bedone forreconciliation
to take place between God and men,
before men could be brought into God's
favor and acceptance? Man's hostility
toward God had to be removed. God's
anger had to be appeased. God justice
had to be sarisfied. God's law had to be
honored. God's moral order had to be
restored and maintained. And the Lord
Jesus Christdidallthis by hispropitiatory
sacrifice in behalf of sinners, taking the
punishmenttheirsins deserved. "Godw(lS
in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,
not counting their trespasses against them,
and He has committed to us. the word of
reconciliation.-He (GoeD madeHim (Jesus)
who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that
wemightbe(ome the righteousness of Godin
Him." Rom. 5:19-2l.
Christ, our Passover Lunb, has been
sacrificed for us, therefore, let us "keep
thefeast; by believingin Him, by resting
in Him alone for salvation, by showing
OUT gratitude to Him in daily obedience,
and by our regular participation in the
Lord's Supper.
Third, by His death, Christ brings us
into a new Resemblance to God,
renewing the likeness to God and
restoring the image qf God in us. The
goal of Christ's sufferings was to bringus
out of a state of moral dissimilarity into a
state of moral resemblance to God. God
created man in His image, as "God in
miPiatllte. n ~ ~ is not God, but J:"1..e 'I}.'aS
created to resemble Him morally. Sin
perverted that image so that jt is hatdly
recognizable. Nowman "bates the light"
and "loves the darkness." l3ut God sent
Christ to restore that divine ilnage in us,
. to revetse the effects of sin in us, and to
enable us, who believe in Him, to live in
such a way as to remind people of God,
Rom. 8:29; I Pet. 1:16, "loving the light"
and "hating the darkness; being holy,
for God is holy.
Christ's death has ' secured for us
sanctification, as well as salvation from
the punishment of sin. "Sanctification is
the work of God's free grace, wherebywe
are renewed in the whole man after the
image of God, and are enabled more and
more to die unto sin, and live unto
righteousness." - Westminster Shorter
Catechism
The New Testamenthasmuch to say
about the relation of Christ's atonement
and our sanctification. "He Himselfbore
our sins in His body on the cross, thilt we
might die to sin and live to righteousness ... ,"
I Pet. 2:24. Christ "gave Himself for us,
thatHemightredeem us from every lawless
deed and purify for Himself a people for His
own posseSsion, zealous forgooddeeds, "Tit.
2:14. "Husbands, love your wives, just as
ChristalsolovedthechurchandgaveHimself
up forher; thatHemightsanctify her, having
cleansed herby thewashingofwaterwith the
word, that He might present to Himself the
church in all her glory, having no spot or
Wrinkle or any such thing; but that she
should be holy and blameless, "Eph. 5:25"
12 ~ TIlE COUNSEL of Chalcedon ~ July/Angust, 1992
27. "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself,
that they themselves also may be sanctified
in truth," In. 17:19. "Thenjorewe have
been buried with Him through baptism Into
death, in order that as Christ was raised
from the dead through the glory of the
Father, so we too might walk in newness of
life," Rom. 6:4.
To understand the relationship
between Christ's atonement and our
santtification is the essence of godlirtess.
(1). By Christ's atonement, satisfying
God'sjusliceandbeingthebasisofChrist's
exaltation, all obstacles in the way of
being restored to God's image-the
condemnationofthelE.WandthetyIllllIly
of Satan-are removed. (2). By Christ's
atonement, asthe basis forthe fulfillment
of the covenant promises. of God, the
sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit is
securedforus. (3). ByChrist'satonement,
the Biblewassecured forus asa powerful
sanctifying instrument in our lives. (4).
ByChrist'satonement, we haveconrinual
cleansing and forgiveness of sin through
ourconfessionofsin, IJohn 1:9-2:2. (5).
By Christ's atonement, we' are 'able to
enjoy walking in God's favor daily, I In.
1:3,7.
Fourth, by His death, Christ brings
usinto intimate Commuruon with God.
He died. to bring us out of a state of
alienation into a state of dose, personal,
never-endingfiiendshipandcommunion
with God. By Christ's atonement, the
believerenjoysdailyfcllowshipwithGod
in Christ. He walks with God. " ... if we
walk In the light as He himselfis in the light,
we havefellowshipwithone another, andthe
blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all
sin,"IJn.l:7. " ... byHiswoundsyouwere
healed. For you were continually strcrying
like sheep, butnow you have returned to the
ShepherdandGuardianofyoursouls, "IPet.
2:24-25. "l do not ask in behalf of these
alone, but for those also who believe in Me
through theirword; that they 1l14)I all be one;
even as Thou, Father, are in Me, and I in
Thee, thattheyalso1l14)l be in Us .... - lin
them, and Thou in Me, that they 1l14)Ibe
peifectedinunily .... - Father, I desire that
they also whom Thou hast given Me be with
Me where I am, in order that they l'1Ury
behold My glory ... ," In. 17:20-24.
"Fellowship" or "Communion"
denotes two ideas: (1). a shared
possessionand(2).amutualintercourse.
Both of these ideas describe the
communion we have with God because
of the suffering of Christ. Being
conformed to the image of God and
obedient to Hisword, we think about the
same things, will the same things, choose
the same things, delight in the same
things, and enjoy the same things. We
10vewhatHeloves, desirewhatHe desires,
and hate what He hates. We experience
an inteochange of thoughts,words and
affections. We share with him our
thoughts and words as we worship Him
in prayer and praise. Wesharealiections
with Him as we worship Him and serve
Him. He shares His thoughts and words
with us in the Bible. And he lavishes our
days with His "kisses," His tokens of
affection by His providence.
In the begirmingrnanenjoyed perfect
fellowship with God,butlostitbyhissin.
Nowhecarmotgetitbackbyhimself. To
re-<>penthat fellowship, Chrtst'ssuRetings
were necessary. By bringing us to
Reconciliation with God and to a
renewed Resemblance to God, the way
is open for Restored Communion with
the Father and Free Access to Him
throughthepersonandworkofClnistin
the power of the Holy Spirit, Eph. 2:18.
Before twO people can walk together as
friends, they have to be agreed, Amos
3:3; II Cor. 6: 14. If two people are atwar
with each other, they cannot enjoy
fellowship with each other. And if two
people have absolutely nothing in
common with each other they cannot
feUowshipwitheachother. Christhadto
reconcile us to God and restore God's
image in us, before we could have
communion with Him by faith.
Now God takes great delight in
communing with His blood-bought
friends; and we cannot but be happy in
ourdailywalkingwithHim. Wemaintain
this communion by private, family and
congregational worship.
CONCLUSION TO PART I
l.We have seen the great purpose of
the penal, vicarious, propitiatotysuliering
and death ofJesus Christ, The Righteous
One: to bring us to God; to bringus from
ignorance to lmowledge, from hostility
to friendship, from dissimilarity to
resemblance, and from alienation to
fellowship. We have also seen how
Christ accomplishes these things.
Now ask yourself these questions:
"Have 1, through faith in Christ's blood,
been brought to God?
Am I being reformed into His image?
'Am I enjoying fellowship with Him?
'Has Christ delivered me &om sin,
Satan and this present evil world?
"Is my mind being conformed to God's
mind, and my will to His will?
'Is this conformity to God in me
increasing?
Can I say, "Truly, my fellowship is with
the Fatherand withHis Son,JesusChrist;
my conversation is in Heaven; my
affections are set on things above"?
2. Western Civilization was built on
this faith in the atoning death of Jesus
Christ; and, therefore, it became known
for its high morality, its enjoyment of
liberty, and its superior productivity.
This happened because faith in Christ
always brings: (1). a desire to obey God
out of gratitude; (2). freedom from the
guilt and tyranny of sin; (3). an ability to
work for God and for the future, because
the squelching guilt of sin has been
removed; and (4). an ability to treat
people with similar compassion.
Twentieth Century America has
almost entirely repudiated its original
foundationandisnowbuiltonaprindple
of revolt against God and on faith in man.
Therefore, we are seeing the collapse of
morality, the disappearance of liberty,
the perversion of compassion and the
emban'a5Sing decline of productivity.
WHY? Without faith in the atoning
death of Jesus Christ, our culture is a
guilt-ridden, guilt- driven and guik-
manipulated sodety, therefore, sado-
masochistic and suicidal.
Therefore, the starting point in
changing the moral, political, social and
economic chaos in America today is to
persuade people of the penal, vicarious,
propitiatory saCrifice we have in Christ,
and to press them to put their faith in
Christ alone for salvation.
3. Donotbesatisfied withanythingin
this life shott of conformity to and
fellowship with God in Christ. "There is
no possibilityofbeingconformed to God
until we are recondled to God; it is at the
cross that the pilgrim loses his burden;
and there is no being recondled to God
without being conformed to Him." -John
Brown, the First Epistle of Peter Q To be
continued next issue.
July/August, 1992 t- TIlE COUNSEL of Chalcedon t- 13