The opening story attempts to challenge students to consider some common difficulties endured by many who left the worship of idolatrous gods to make Jesus Christ their Lord. (This transition was essential if God was to be sovereign in the person's life.) Not every first century man converted to Jesus Christ faced these situations, but many did. It takes little understanding to realize the conversion of a married man to Jesus Christ could create severe difficulties for his family. Alec is not a historical figure. However, his challenges were typical of many in the first century who converted from idolatry to Jesus Christ.
Please accept the challenge to consider Alec's conversion. Alec lived during the first century in the Mediterranean world of the Roman empire. His childhood was spent in a home where his father devoutly worshipped Jupiter and his mother was a devotee of Artemis. His parents also worshipped other gods and goddesses.
Note Alec's family worshipped idolatrous gods when Alec was a child. That was his childhood environment and his family's history.
As a young man he was an avid worshipper of the gods. He frequently attended temple gatherings that worshipped the community's patron god in the temple's banquet rooms. As a young adult he carefully honored his trade guild's patron god. He frequently marched in the processions that honored the god of the hour. He even made pilgrimages to the prominent temples of the gods he worshipped.
Note Alec matured to be a religious person. His first concept of being religious was fashioned by idolatrous gods.
As he grew older he became disillusioned with the gods. His past life was founded on making the gods happy. Yet, too often terrible things happened to him. When he asked the temple priests why, he was told he made one of the gods unhappy, or he offended a god he did not worship. For a while he earnestly searched for a god who could provide physical security, but he always became disillusioned. The gods seemed so fickle.
Note Alec, as did many first century people, became disillusioned with the gods.
One day a man visited his city talking about someone called Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ was not one of the gods. Jesus Christ was sent by the living God Who created everything. Jesus Christ lived as a human, died as a human, but was resurrected by the living God. The Creator God who sent him raised him from the dead to make him our Savior. Now Jesus Christ sits in God's presence as Lord representing people who believe in him. He lived and died to teach people they never had to fear death again. The resurrected Jesus Christ promised believers resurrection.
Note that Jesus Christ was not presented as one of the gods. Two things made Jesus quite unusual in the first century: (1) his relationship with the Creator God, and (2) his resurrection.
The more the man declared Jesus Christ to the community, the more the community resented him. Many local Jews despised him. They declared he deceived and his message was a lie. They said the living, Creator God did not send Jesus, and Jesus was not resurrected. The local priests serving in temples dedicated to various gods resented the man and his message because he declared there was only one God. The local political authorities did not like him or his message because they feared that their patron god would be upset with their city. They also feared the Roman authorities would be upset with the city for offending the official Roman gods. The people directing the trade guilds were angry with him and his message. The gods would be angry, and upsetting the gods would make their business bad.
Note that many reacted against information concerning Jesus Christ because of fears.
To make matters worse, Jesus Christ's teachings destroyed social structure. The man's teachings produced believers who assembled together for worship in a home (not a temple!). In their assemblies basic distinctions separating social classes disappeared. A slave could speak in their worship as a master quietly listened! The master could yield to the slave! Every believer shared an incredible commonalty because all believers were equally indebted to Jesus Christ!
Note that faith in Jesus often produced social consequences.
At first Alec found Jesus Christ a curiosity. Then he found Jesus Christ interesting. Then he found Jesus Christ relevant to life--in fact, he realized why he should let Jesus Christ define life. He became a believer who was baptized into Christ.
Note Alec's progression from curiosity to believer.
Quickly, Alec's world turned upside down. Alec's wife could not believe she was married to a man who believed there was only one God. Jewish friends immediately considered Alec to be an ignorant traitor. His trade guild said his new faith was bad for business, so he was officially banned from practicing his trade. His means for earning his livelihood immediately ceased. The priests at the gods' temples declared Alec's decision would bring the gods' wrath on the city. The politically prominent shunned him as a disaster waiting to happen. Life was tough! It was difficult for only one reason--he believed that Jesus Christ was the son of God.
Note Alec's conversion to Jesus Christ quickly produced turmoil in his life.
The first century world was as varied a world as is ours. To conclude all Christians suffered persecutions or that all Christians had hardships imposed on them in the first century is to exaggerate our conclusions. All regions did not oppose conversion to Jesus Christ. Some Christians endured no persecution, had no hardships imposed on them. Some Christians did. While not every believer had Alec's experiences, many did. His conversion experiences happened, but not to all believers.
Help your students understand that the conversion of every Christian did not produce personal turmoil. The social effects of one's conversion depended on where the person lived and when the person lived.
Peter wrote to Christians who endured suffering because they believed Jesus Christ was God's son. Even though they suffered, God's power protected their eternal inheritance and salvation (1:5). Distressing trials verified the genuiness of their faith (1:6,7). Their unique relationship with God would eventually cause shame to those who slandered them (2:1-12). These foundation principles were to govern Christian attitude when faith in Christ caused suffering: [1] The most likely way to avoid harm is to zealously do good (3:13). [2] Suffering for righteousness' sake produces blessings (3:14). [3] Christians' good behavior shames those who abuse them (3:16). [4] It is better to suffer for right doing than for doing wrong (3:17). [5] Jesus did what he asked Christians to do (3:18). [6] Accepting suffering results in rejecting sin (4:1). [7] Suffering for Jesus produces blessings (4:12-16).
Make your students aware of the fact that 1 Peter was written to Christians who endured physical suffering. The suffering they endured was produced by their faith in Jesus Christ.
In theory that is well and good. However, Christian existence does not make pain enjoyable. How could Peter expect Christians to remember those things? How can Jesus Christ expect us to remember those things?
Having a godly attitude toward suffering and those who cause the suffering is an enormous challenge. This challenge is not removed just because a man or woman is a Christian. Remembering foundation concepts is difficult while enduring pain!
Consider 1 Peter 3:15: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
The key to remembering and relying on the concepts is this: setting aside Jesus Christ as the Lord who rules and controls you as a person. The difference between finding the strength to love enemies and yielding to hatred of enemies is found in allowing Jesus Christ to function as one's Lord.
Consider the statement, "sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts." Before suffering occurred, decide what controlled life. Life has only one Lord. Who or what is my Lord? What controls all I am and all that I do?
The decision to allow Jesus Christ to be the Lord who is in control should be made before conflict and confrontation occurs.
To say Christ is my Lord is meaningless unless I allow him to be my Lord. Calling him Lord is meaningless if I allow someone or something else to control who I am and what I do. If he is Lord, he must be Lord of all of me--including my heart. If he is Lord, he alone must be Lord. I must set him aside as my only Lord and allow him to control who I am and what I do.
Declaring Jesus is my Lord is insufficient. He is Lord when he controls me.
In my life, the beginning of honoring God's sovereignty is allowing Jesus to function as my Lord.
For God to be sovereign, a person must allow Jesus to be Lord.
Thought Question: in practical terms, how does a person "sanctify Christ as Lord in the heart?"
In practical considerations, allowing Jesus to be Lord involves:
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 11