¹²Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; ¹³but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

Six times in his two letters, Peter refers to his readers as “beloved.” His affection for those he taught comes through clearly. He is writing as one who is “speaking the utterances of God,” as he taught in the previous verses. Of course, his words carried apostolic weight and have been recognized as Scripture since the earliest records of church history. But he sets the example that his ministry was not just about proclaiming truth in an ivory tower or in a doctrinaire sort of way; he was motivated by genuine, sacrificial love. He himself had gone through a considerable ordeal in his personal life and ministry. He could not have written what he did without having been through the kind of suffering his readers were going through.

So when he writes “beloved,” he is not sitting at his desk preparing a theology lecture for a class of seminarians. No, he is writing as a fellow sufferer to those he loves, to help them apply the truth they know to the things they are experiencing, which Peter describes as “the fiery ordeal.” By the time of his writing, many Christians had been scattered and persecuted, and had suffered greatly. Emperor Nero was just beginning to show his angst against Christians, having them killed by lions in the arena and burned on crosses as torches. Many historians understand that Nero was using the Christians as his scapegoat for allegedly starting a fire that destroyed parts of Rome (most agree he was mentally unstable and politically motivated). However, he targeted those who identified as Christian. Peter may have been referring to such stories that were probably beginning to circulate.

We should not be surprised at our trials, no matter how difficult or extreme they are. History over the last two millennia has proved that converting to Christianity is dangerous to one’s life. That is the cost of faith.

For some, the cost is little, mocking or belittling. For others, it may mean loss of friendships, loss of a job, physical suffering, or untimely death. Ultimately, some experienced martyrdom, that is, direct execution because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Whatever degree of our experience for Christ, to that degree we share in His sufferings when our they are a result of identifying with Him, as His followers, as Christians (that is, as Christ-like ones).

Lord, I gladly and joyfully identify with You, no matter what the cost.