Page 32 - The Christian Life and the Church Life_Government of God

The Christian Life under the Government of God 31

Some of us might be going through some kind of suffering, but 1 Peter
2:21 tells us that we should be able to go through this, because there is One
within us who has already gone through this kind of suffering. This One
is our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our model. As He lived here on earth, He
subjected Himself to the government of God. He subjected everything to the
government of God. Verse 22 and 23 go on to say, “Who committed no sin,
nor was guile found in His mouth; who being reviled did not revile in return;
suffering, He did not threaten but kept committing all to Him who judges
righteously.” These verses are very important. Yes, He was reviled and was
suffering, but He threatened no one. The only thing that He did was that
He kept committing all these insults, injuries, and sufferings to Him who
judges righteously. These verses prove to us that the Lord recognized the
government of God while He was living His human life here on earth. While
He was going through sufferings, He was committing it all to this God who
judges everything righteously. Then verse 24 says, “Who Himself bore up
our sins in His body on the tree, in order that we, having died to sins, might
live to righteousness; by whose bruise you were healed.” He died for us so
that we can die to sin. We can be taken away from sin. First Peter 3:18 says,
“For Christ also has suffered once for sins, the Righteous on behalf of the
unrighteous, that He might bring you to God, on the one hand being put to
death in the flesh, but on the other, made alive in the Spirit.”
In our Christian life, what do we do when we suffer? I believe we would
usually commit ourselves to the Lord whom we think is faithful, merciful,
and kind. Isn’t this true? When we go through certain things, we commit them
to the Lord. We say, “Lord, You are the merciful One.You are the faithful
One. You are the kind One. We want to bring all these matters to You.” But
in 1 Peter 2:23, the Lord did not commit all to the merciful God. Rather He
committed all to Him who judges righteously. When we experience suffering,
to whom should we commit all things? Is it to the merciful God or to the God
who judges? As a model to us, the Lord Jesus Christ committed all things
to the God who judges righteously. When we pray, we may express our self
and do it in a traditional way. But if we see the model that the Lord Jesus has
given us, it is actually contrary to our concept. By being in our tradition, we
are actually kept from applying the thoughts and utterances in the pure word
of God. Today, we must turn to the Lord and ask Him to open our eyes. We