Bible Class Notes on 1 Peter 4:19 | Notes on the Petrine Epistles

There are those who suffer in accordance with God’s will. God intends Christians to suffer. This will weed out those who are genuine Christians and those who are not. This will also allow our faith to grow.

This also implies that some who suffer do not suffer in accordance with God’s will—those who suffer as a result of sin do not suffer in accordance with God’s will.

These Christians should entrust themselves to God. Jesus entrusted himself to God. When he was dying, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I command my spirit” (Lk 23:46). “When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly” (1 Pet 2:23).

Entrusting oneself to God is the attitude which allows glorification possible. When one entrusts his life to God, he allows God to deal with those who wrong him. When one entrusts his life to God, he places God above all else.

God is here called Creator. This is the only New Testament passage which calls God “Creator.” Of course, other passages do teach that God created all things. Calling God Creator stresses that God is over all, including those who persecute Christians.

These Christians are to continue to do good. We are not simply to entrust ourselves to God; we are also to entrust ourselves to doing good.

The persecution we endure cannot prevent us from doing good. Even in the face of persecution, we must do good.

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This Bible class was originally taught by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at the Owingsville church of Christ in Owingsville, Kentucky.