◄ What Does 1 Peter 2:23 Mean? ►

Jesus came to earth as the best example of how man should live. He was the perfect pattern, the matchless measure, and exact representation of ideal humanity, and Jesus lived His life the way that God had intended all men to live. He was God's ideal standard Who came to earth to illustrate the way that God had determined man should behave towards Himself and His creation from the very beginning.

Jesus demonstrated throughout His earthly walk, a life that was well-pleasing to the Father, for He walked in spirit and truth depending on the guidance of the Spirit and entrusting His life into God's keeping, moment by moment. He had to do this in a fallen world with a race of men whose nature was corrupted by sin, who were at enmity with God, and had the kiss of death on their soul.

The goodness and purity that was inherent in Christ, exposed the ugliness and evil that is inherent in man, and so He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows Who suffered and died at their hands. But while being reviled Jesus did not retaliate, and while suffering He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to the One Who judges the heart.

Jesus suffered wrongfully at the hand of sinners as an example to us. He endured the grief and pain with patience by entrusting Himself to God Who judges all things righteously. And we are to follow His example. We too are called to suffer for righteousness sake and we are to patiently endure the unjust treatment that we receive at the hands of sinful men in this fallen world, for this is acceptable to God and well-pleasing in His sight.

But we cannot do this in our own strength, for our nature is fallen and incapable of carrying out Christ-like righteousness in our own strength. For the righteousness of Christ to be manifest in our lives, we are to die to self and keep that old fallen nature nailed to the Cross. For the life of Christ to be shown in our lives when beset by difficulties, the old sin nature must remain inoperative as we submit to the inner workings of the Holy Spirit and trust God to deal righteously in our lives, no matter who or what we are facing.

The reaction of unsaved men or the carnal Christians to unjust treatment in this fallen world, is to demand immediate vindication here and now, but God works from an eternal perspective in the lives of His children so that when we truly entrust our lives into His hands, we know that the judge of all the earth will do right. But it will only happen at His appointed time and in His appointed way.

Let us die to self and live to Christ, knowing that when He suffered, He committed Himself to Him that judges righteously.

Heavenly Father, I pray that in the trials and difficulties of life, however great or small they may be, I may give them into Your hands. Help me to abide in Christ, to keep self nailed to the Cross, to submit to Your will, and entrust my life into Your hands. Help me not to try to justify myself, but to patiently endure all that I am called upon to face in this life so that Christ’s life may be manifest in me. May I do this for Your praise and glory. In Jesus' name, AMEN.