If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.
1 Peter 4:14
There is a joy that engulfs the hearts of believers as they are reproached for the name of Christ… To be reproached means to be criticized, scolded or reprimanded; and when this occurs one can actually fine peace and calmness in their lives… This is not to suggest that the individual or endures this in their life likes to deal with opposition and/or adversity, but this means that the heart of a Christian can place the time of this ordeal in the proper context knowing, trusting and believing that this challenge is a sign of their very development in the will of God… To be reproached in Christ you must demonstrate Christ in your life and therefore have someone or something come against you for that very reason… There has to be a beacon light of Christ which shines bright in and through you for someone to come against your faith; this simply means that someone has to be able to draw a clear picture of your stance as far as serving God and this really reflects your present condition like a mirror for you to see how much you have grown or how far you have come… This is why Peter refers to reproach and this says,happy are ye because the sign of struggle is really a sign of maturation and ascension in the designed plan for your life as it relates to the will of God… The bible informs us several different times that as a child of God we will endure persecutions and tribulations… We are guaranteed to encounter people in our lives that what to object to us simply because of the profession of faith that we have in Christ Jesus… Peter reminds us today, that since we have been informed of these things, we should be able to find happiness in times of objection and ridicule… I was once told and believe it to be true that you can tell if you walking the right path just by seeing how much opposition you face… This (in a nutshell) is what Peter is speaking about in this particular passage… “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye…” No that your suffering within the name of the Lord is not in vain, you can be happen when you suffer reproach (criticism, scolding or rebuke) because you know that your endurance displays your faith and stores up the rewards of eternity which no man can take from you nor can any moth or thief corrupt or steal…
Satan isn’t worried about those who are in the world; however, he reproaches those who are of the household of faith… So you can be happy in times of despair because the enemy sees that you are going in the right direction and this should be a testimony to you that you indeed are taking the right steps… This is why Peter goes on to say, “…for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you…” The spirit of glory is the spirit of favor, the spirit of victory and the spirit of peace… To know that it rest upon you should tell you that everything will be okay, everything will workout and you will obtain all that God has in store for you… When someone comes against you because of the faith you have in Christ; Peter points out today that you should be happy for several reasons… Again, understand today that for someone to reproach you for the name of Christ means that you are walking according to His will and your light is shining for all to see… Secondly, we are promised in the scriptures that our work in the Lord will not be in vain and that they that labor in the Lord shall be prosperous and victorious in whatever trials or circumstances that are faced… When the spirit of the Lord rest upon you, you will be secure in His tabernacle, Psalms 91 teaches us that we will be able to overcome storms, that we may see dangers all around us but while in the bosom of the Lord we shall not be harmed… This is a good news for us today, we know that in walking with the Lord it doesn’t matter what people may say or do, it doesn’t matter what conflicts come our way, we can be happy because we know that in serving God trials will come and every obstacle will become a stepping stone… The book of James tells us that we are to “consider it pure joy whenever we face trials and tribulations…” Peter tells us today that we are to be happy when we are reproached for the name of Christ…
To be reproached means we are criticized, blamed accused; and as we examine this passage we see that we are to be happy about being called a child of Christ! Jesus said that anybody who loses his life for My sake shall find it; today let us lose the things of this world so that we may find the eternal happiness and blessings that God has promised us… Let us deny ourselves and take up our cross today! Through your trials and tribulations God is preparing a reward that will outweigh the obstacles that you face! When you walk according to His will and don’t fall into the snares of the enemy, God is molding you and taking you to another level which the human eye cannot see… Joseph (the son of Jacob) was left for dead, sold into slavery by his brothers; eventually he would be imprisoned, but in the end he sat on the throne and his brothers came to him in their time of need… David encountered Goliath, Saul sought to kill him and he spent time in the hands of the enemy before becoming the king and being called “a man after God’s own heart! Job was stripped of all he had, illness plagued his body and his friends turned on him; in the end he received double what he had and was rewarded for his faith in the time of despair… Paul was persecuted, stoned and locked up for his faith in Christ; before he passed he told Timothy “I have ran the good race, I know that there is a crown laid up for me…” Jesus took the form of man, was mocked and spit on, beaten and falsely accused, hung on a cross and died; but He now sits at the right hand of the father with all power in His hands, He is the way, truth and light, no man can come to the father but by Him… Understand that trials are necessary, hardships are apart of growth and God’s name will produced trials, but will also open bountiful windows of blessings… Jesus said keep in mind that they hated Him first, He also said, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…” Matthew 5:10
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
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