• For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. (21) For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: (22) ”Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; (23) who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; (24) who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed. (25) For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Our verses today from this first letter of Peter addresses Christians under the authority of others – and specifically Christian slaves. In that society there were no moral demands on slaves but Christians considered them as full and equal persons with no distinction; all were brothers and sisters in Christ. These verses were not applicable just to slaves – all the godly are called by the Lord to bear wrongs and indeed are appointed to do so. Christians are to suffer wrongs, not to avenge them. God is our defender; He is the righteous judge and we are to live a holy(separate) life.
We are all victims of unfair treatment at one time or another and the overriding principal of our response is that we endure with our eyes on the prize – I always think of Bob, the wonder dog, who never ever took his eyes off the tennis ball in my hand. Our verses are not teaching us to be a Christian doormat but to ask what authority we are under. Are we reacting properly? Are we witnesses to the truth? What is our responsibility for an adversarial situation?
The holiness and justice of God demanded a penalty to be paid for man’s sin; we were bought by Christ at a price. The fact that God sent Jesus Christ to bear the penalty for sin means God is not shrugging off sin; people misjudge God’s justice. We have been like the straying sheep. We were lost and didn’t know it. The shepherd has to take the initiative to look for the lost and salvation never comes from man but is only by the election of God. Christians still sin but in Christ, in faith, we are reborn. The key to understanding the death of our old nature is that sin is not eradicated as long as we are in this world. The power of sin has been broken by the cross but still we must work on our darling sins and turn from self to Christ Jesus.
The power of sin requires ongoing care of our shepherd but through faith in Christ Jesus we are delivered from the penalty for sin. God took the initiative with the faithful but we are still responsible to turn from sin to God.