The majority of the book of Job is like a game of tennis - Job on one side of the net and his three 'friends' Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar on the other. The friends take turns hitting the ball to Job, telling him that's it is the wicked and the sinner who suffer in this world under the judgment and hand of God, not the righteous, God fearer. Therefore, because of everything Job is suffering he must be among the wicked and therefore must repent and turn back to God.

Each time Job's hits their 'words of comfort' 'back over the net' saying they are wrong - his own experience and the experience of many others proves that the innocent do suffer and the wicked often do prosper. For the reader knows from Job 1-2 that his suffering is not because of his sin or wickedness, for Job was 'blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil.' (1:1)

While it is generally true that those who are righteous and fear the Lord enjoy peace and blessing (Prob 11:19), Job shows us that the worldview that suffering is a direct result of one's sin is far too simplistic. The reality is, in this fallen world, tainted by sin, the innocent do suffer.

The gospel (the good news of Jesus) shows us that innocent suffering not only exists but God often uses it for his good plans and purposes. For in Jesus, we see the ultimate act of innocent suffering. He was pure and without sin, and yet he suffered the humiliation and injustice of not just suffering ... but dying - being executed by those he made.

Job teaches us that following Jesus doesn't guarantee health, wealth and prosperity (although some preachers teach this). Suffering still comes to those who fear and follow the Lord - either because of the effects of sin in this world, or even as in Job and Jesus' case, to bring about the plans and purposes of God.

The atheist has no answers or hope in the face of suffering. However, the good news of the gospel is that Jesus innocent suffering gives us hope in our own suffering. For Jesus death was followed by his resurrection - meaning he has paid for sin, and has overcome death, and therefore is able to pave the way for a new creation without sin, suffering and death.

The innocent suffering of Jesus gives us sure and certain hope that the righteous will enjoy the peace and blessing of God - not just for a lifetime, but forever. Therefore, our suffering, we ought to reach out to Jesus, and take comfort in the fact that he experienced suffering himself, he knows our suffering and will one day deliver us from our suffering.

Over the past few weeks we’ve begun looking at the letter of 1 Peter. This letter gives Christians a new perspective on life – a new perspective on who we are and on where our lives are headed. This week as we look at chapter 2 of the letter we’ll see what a present privilege it is to be who we are – the community of God’s people, saved by him and precious to him. Wherever there are little communities of God’s chosen exiles around the world, God is there with them, building them together into something worthy of great honour – his dwelling place.

But let me take you back to that first mark of the Christian’s identity – chosen by God to be his exiles in the world. This world is not our home. It’s easy to become comfortable in this world, especially here in Australia. But as we look at the world news of the last week, it should give us more reason to long for our eternal home, and to want to see everyone else longing for it too. As we look at a world where fights over small tracts of land claim the lives of families who live in constant fear… as we see efforts to retrieve the remains of family members from an aircraft shot down in cold blood hampered by ongoing conflict, while those responsible remain unidentified… as we see a child ‘acquired’ under a surrogacy arrangement rejected because of Down syndrome.

The words of 1 Peter are a comfort to Christians that a world like this is not our eternal home. We should need no more convincing of this than to look at our Christian brothers and sisters who have been driven out of the city of Mosul in Iraq for no other reason than that they are Christians. They were given the option to renounce their Christian faith and convert to Islam, but they refused to disown the true God who they know has their eternal future safe and will keep them safe to inherit it. They have stood firm as God’s chosen exiles. They have lost just about everything of earthly value, yet they have lost nothing of eternal value. 

As we stand firm, neither will we. This world is not our home. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on our real home and seek to bring as many people with us as we can.

In Christ’s love,

Paul

One of the first things that strikes you as you begin reading 1 Peter is that it doesn't try to disguise the hardships that come as part and parcel of being a Christian, as if the Christian life should be all ‘beer and skittles’ and we mustn't be doing it right if it isn't. 

Instead Peter writes to encourage us that while we live in this world, suffering, trials and rejection by the world for being a Christian is all part of God’s grace to those he has chosen and called to be his forever. When we suffer grief in all kinds of trials because we are Christians, it isn't because God isn't in control – it’s because he is in control, and is preparing us for the perfect eternal future that we will certainly inherit when this world is no more. 

It’s no wonder that we read that we are strangers to this world – we are in it but not of it. This world – the world that doesn't know the true God – should not feel like home to a Christian. People won’t understand why we won’t fall in with what the world thinks is okay. We’ll feel on the outer – like a stranger. That’s okay! That’s God’s grace to us. This world is not our home. It shouldn't feel like it is. 

Let’s encourage one another as we share our lives to be bold in standing firm in this grace of God, and not caving in to the world so that we fit in.

In Christ’s love,

Paul