14 If you are insulted and reviled for [bearing] the name of Christ, you are blessed [happy, with life-joy and comfort in God’s salvation regardless of your circumstances], because the Spirit of glory and of God is resting on you [and indwelling you—He whom they curse, you glorify]. 15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or a thief, or any sort of criminal [in response to persecution], or as a troublesome meddler interfering in the affairs of others; 16 but if anyone suffers [ill-treatment] as a [e]Christian [because of his belief], he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God [because he is considered worthy to suffer] in this name.

1 Peter 4:14-16 (AMP) 中文 

Insults as trials

As part of the trials Peter mentions in the past passage, Peter tells us that by bearing the name of Christ, we will suffer persecution. We can expect to be insulted and reviled (experience verbal abuse) for being called Christians, followers of Christ. Those who do the reviling are not so much reviling us but Christ, for whom we stand.

So when we are insulted and reviled for Him, we are experiencing His suffering to a degree. It identifies us as His disciples. For this reason we should rejoice in these trials. If we have doubts about our identity as God’s children, about our faith, we can take confidence in this suffering for the Name of Christ as reassurance.

Wrong suffering

Of course, when we suffer, we don’t want to suffer for doing wrong, for our own sin. Even sticking our nose in other’s business and trying to affect the change we think needs to happen will have consequences. And we know we do suffer consequences for sin. These sufferings have value in motivating us toward righteous living to avoid more suffering. It also reminds us that we are still sinful and in need of sanctification through the Spirit working in us.

Glory in suffering

Peter is mostly repeating the encouragement Jesus gave His disciples…and us. “11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-13)

RЯeflection

• Do we experience persecution for taking on the name of Christ? Are there people who look down on you or even revile you in public / to your face? In Muslim areas and even Jewish households those who profess Christ are persecuted by being cut off from the family. Some are even put to death.
• If we’re not experiencing any persecution, we should ask how we are doing at letting our light shine before men. Are they seeing our good works and glorifying our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16)? Do they even know that we are followers of Christ?