1 Peter 3:13 KJV
[13] “And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?”
The Apostle Peter was no stranger to persecution. He had faced persecution for serving the Lord Jesus and would face more in the future. He is encouraging the Saints to be faithful to the very end and face persecution with the assurance that God has their best interest in mind. Is the Lord concerned about our safety? Does He care about what happens to His children? Of course, the Lord cares about our safety. He takes no pleasure in watching people suffer, especially those who are committed to Him and desire to serve Him.
Peter understood that persecution would come because of our dedication and bold love for Christ. The world hates Christ and His followers. The world crucified the Lord Jesus, and if given the opportunity, they would crucify all believers regardless of the cost. The world takes every opportunity to slander and deride those who live for Jesus.
However, there is a great consolation in this verse concerning persecution. Peter reminds us that no man can harm us if we are followers of that which is good. Peter can make this statement because he is not looking at this world but toward another world. He wanted believers to get their eyes off the temporary and fasten their eyes on the eternal. Child of God, we must do the same today. We must look beyond this world and think about eternity. You see, man may persecute us or harm our physical body, but he cannot touch our soul. Our future is secure and safe in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have hope beyond the grave, believing God always keeps His promises. We must never forget that nothing happens to us without it first passing through His hands, and no man can do anything to the child of God without the Lord allowing it to happen.
If you study church history, you will see the persecution that believers went through, and you will note the purpose as to why God allowed them to happen. He allowed believers to go through persecution for the glory of God and the spreading of the Gospel. We see these same two principles in the Book of Acts. Every time you read about the persecution of the early church in the Book of Acts, you will note that the Word of God grew and multiplied. That is why God allowed persecution to come. But through everything they faced, God was with them, protected them, and kept them safe, and He will do the same for you and me.