I'll be Home for Christmas

Lynda, Levi, and I are leaving for Oklahoma and eventually, Texas this afternoon – please pray for us as we take Levi on his first extended road trip since he became mobile. Sleep, baby, sleep!

As we move toward Christmas and the New Year, I’ve been thinking about 2010. Specifically, what my devotional time will look like. Since Levi was born, my time with God has been sporadic at best. He wakes up so early that I can’t do a morning quiet time, and by the time the evening comes around, I’m too tired or have forgotten about it completely.

My most consistent quiet times come when I am on a set program. So I have decided on the program I will use next year – would anyone like to join me? It’s a read the bible in a year program that I have done a few times. Here’s a link to it:

http://www.navpress.com/uploadedFiles/BRP2.pdf

My favorite thing about this program is you get Sunday off every week. It’s a built in catch-up day and for me, really takes some of the pressure off. You read a few chapters and a psalm or proverb most every day – it is excellent!

So if you don’t have something lined out for next year, why not work through this program with me – it is challenging (which is a good thing), I think you will really enjoy it – and I know God will bless it! So jump on board on January 1, or begin now to get a head start. No need to let me know one way or the other, unless you would like some accountability.

Lynda and I are so thankful for the privilege of serving with you and are humbled to walk alongside you for a few months every year. Blessings on you and your family!

Have a very Merry Christmas!

1 Peter 2:12 - Do Right

“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

Do what is right…at all times…in every situation.

People are watching you.

If they know you are a Christian, they are judging Christ based upon your life.

I’m afraid Christians, you and I, don’t always represent Christ very well.

"I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ." - Gandhi

Saying you live one way, and then living differently, is called hypocrisy.

I Googled “Christian Hypocrisy” and discovered 1,090,000 sites (in .27 seconds); most asking the same question: “Why don’t Christians live like Jesus?”

Do you ever ask that question?

Does your life ever cause others to ask that question?

Our lives should be the positive response to, not the reason for, that question.

God expects us to do right. He has given us His very Spirit to empower us to do so.

But He will not do it for us; we must choose to please God instead of our human nature.

Who are you pleasing?

Are you doing things you know are less than God’s best: getting drunk, cheating, sleeping around, lying, disobeying your parents, gossiping, anything?

You are harming yourself and grieving the Holy Spirit who resides within you.

Your actions give unbelievers an easy excuse not to follow Christ.

They are responsible for their decisions, but we are responsible for our witness.

What type of witness are you providing?

This Christmas give yourself the best gift possible: a clear conscious before God.

Confess your sins, turn your back on them, and follow God.

He will forgive and restore.

Only then will you enjoy peace on earth, good will toward men.

Merry Christmas!

PS – There is much more to “doing good” than not “doing bad” – loving your neighbor, going the extra mile, caring for others…very important things…things that will cause nonbelievers to take note that we have been with Jesus – but I felt a need to focus on not “doing bad” today.

1 Peter 2:11 - Home

“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.”

When I lived in Houston, I would occasionally go to estate sales. Not the most thrilling way to spend a Saturday morning I admit, but I had a brand new house with almost no furniture, and you can get good deals at estate sales. One Saturday I was wandering through a sale at a private residence. As I entered the kitchen, I discovered several collections: plates, figurines, and trinkets from around the world.

The previous owner of the house had obviously spent years, time, and tons of money collecting these treasures. But now they were piled on the kitchen table stamped with pitifully low prices on little round stickers. As I meandered through the rest of the house, I began thinking about the temporary nature of life. A couple of weeks prior, the lady of the house was walking the same path I was walking, but now she was gone forever and her prized possessions were picked over by strangers. It was a sad thought.

When the lady died, she left this temporary life and moved into her eternal home. That’s the way it is for humanity, we are aliens; we live in a land that is not our home. As Christians, our home is with God in heaven, not here on earth. (If you have not accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, your eternal home is elsewhere…) The house where you grew up, your hometown, your apartment, your dream house – they are not your home. They are temporary living quarters, every bit as transitory as a bus stop.

Likewise, the things that are important on this earth should not be terribly important to Christians. You and I were made for eternity and EVERYTHING of the world – power, popularity, possessions – is temporary. Either they will go away, or we will pass away and leave them behind. Until we can turn our back on worldly desires, we will be double-minded and of little use in God’s Kingdom. Matthew 6:24 comes to mind, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other…you cannot serve both God and Money”.

We must abstain from sinful, or fleshly, desires because they war against our soul. The soul is the residence of our spirit which is also the residence of the Holy Spirit. When we give in to sinful desires (Check out Galatians 5:16-21 to see what kind of sinful desires are on the table), we hurt our spirit and we hinder the Spirit of God from working in our lives and through our lives.

This is a hard teaching, but if obeyed, it will open the door to unbelievable peace and freedom. A couple of things to consider: are you spending time, money, and energy collecting earthly trinkets at the expense of eternal matters? Do you care what the world says more than you care what God says? Is the track of your life based on worldly expectations or God’s expectations? These are important questions…

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” – Matthew 6:20

1 Peter 2:10 - Thanksgiving Part II

“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

As we discussed last week, discontent is a major challenge in today’s world. I believe thankfulness is the cure for discontent. If you are grateful for the things you have, you won’t spend so much time looking at the things you don’t have and are more likely to be happy and at peace with your life. Now that we’re all caught up, on with the topic at hand:

“Contentment is not attained, it is accepted.”

God gave me that quote many years ago. I was working on a bible study and it simply popped into my mind – my initial thought was, “Wow – that’s good! I need to write that down.” I have quoted and taught that sentence many times, but I don’t know if I have ever internalized it for my life. (A side note, teaching the Word of God without internalizing it yourself is a constant challenge as a teacher. When you gain a new understanding of a passage – the tendency is to think, “I cannot wait to share this with my group!” instead of meditating on it for yourself. Just a friendly word of caution…)

“Contentment is not attained, it is accepted.” Contentment doesn’t come when you graduate, or get that perfect job (no job is perfect), or when you reach a certain salary (you always need/want a little bit more), or find that perfect someone (relationships do not erase personal struggles, they highlight them). Contentment will not be found by striving or attaining a certain standard (there is always another standard to reach); it will only come through acceptance: acceptance of who God is, who you are in relation to God, and acceptance of the circumstances God has placed you in.

In His strength we are able to take any situation in our lives – no matter how difficult, painful, or challenging – and say, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Anything that happens in this life is temporary, God is eternal – by focusing on the eternal instead of the temporary – we are able to rise above our circumstances. (That is what is Peter is trying to teach his readers through this whole book – focus on God, not the persecution.)

Honestly, I’m not there yet, but I long for the day when I get there. To be joyful in midst of hard times…to be peaceful amidst persecution…to smile when the day brings bad news – I would love to live like that. Relationship with God doesn’t remove difficulties; it gives us the strength to overcome difficulties and hope that the difficulties won’t last forever.

And I believe the first step down that road is to take your eyes off the things you don’t have and be thankful for all the things you do have. When you do that, you will begin to be in content in the all-sufficient Christ and you won’t care so much about your circumstances. (Check out 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 to see what that look like.)

So what does this lengthy discussion on thankfulness and contentment have to do with this verse? In case you have forgotten, the verse is: “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

We should be eternally thankful that we are the people of God and that we have received mercy. If those were the only two gifts that God gave us, we would have reason to be thankful every moment of our lives. Those are the only two things that matter – and they have been given to us!

Our eternal destination and our present relationship with the Creator of the Universe have been secured by Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross. Don’t take that for granted, thank God for His amazing gift of grace every day!

“We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is “good”, because it is good, if “bad” because it works in us patience, humility and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.” – CS Lewis

1 Peter 2:10 - Thanksgiving

“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

As we move toward Thanksgiving, we think of what we are thankful for. At the moment, I am thankful that I can end a sentence with a preposition without repercussions.

At the typical Thanksgiving I am extremely thankful for turkey, corn casserole, football, and all the yummy desserts. There is nothing wrong with that, but I wish I gave more thought to more significant matters, like being thankful that I have food to eat, family and friends to eat it with, and a warm home to hold us all. I should be thankful for those gifts because not everyone in this world has such blessings. But I seldom thank God for such gifts – my sense of entitlement is one of my least favorite things about myself.

Seriously, as I look at my life, I should be on my knees every moment thanking God for His wonderful gifts.

- I have a beautiful wife, a fun little boy with another child on the way, wonderful family and friends, and meaningful work to do.
- I’m strong and healthy, relatively intelligent, and able to do most things I attempt without much difficulty.
- My brain works like it should, my lungs breath oxygen, my heart pumps blood, and all my senses are fully functioning.
- I was born in a free country, to a family that had the resources to provide an excellent education, and have lived most of my years in times of peace.

I could go on and on…and on…and on and on. I should be the most thankful person in the world!

But I’m not. Why is that? I’ve been thinking about it and I believe my main problem is I simply don’t think about the good things I have been given. I take them for granted – I feel like I deserve the things I have…so I believe that I deserve the things the things I want… so I ignore the things I have in favor of the things I don’t have. That, my friends, is called discontent, and I believe lack of content is an epidemic among Christians. Our culture only makes it worse – our economy is built upon breeding discontent so we will buy more and more things. Do you struggle with this, or am I the only one?

So what is the solution? I believe that thankfulness is the cure for discontent. If you are grateful for the things you have, you are more likely to be happy and at peace with your life. If you are thankful for the gifts you have been given, you won’t spend so much time looking at the things you don’t have. Focus on what you have – trust me, you have more than 99% of the people in the world – and you won’t have time to look for things you don’t have.

I’ll continue this thought next week, but as you head into your break, I hope that you make the time to think about all of God’s blessings. Put a notebook beside your bed and write down everything you have to be thankful for before you go to sleep each night. As you look over your list, remember where those gifts originate – not from your parents or your cleverness – they are gifts straight from the hand of God.

We are God’s people – we have received God’s mercy – those two things are enough to make every moment of every day a sort of thanksgiving!

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17

1 Peter 2:9 - Chosen

1 Peter 2:9

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Peter turns cheerleader in this wonderful verse. I can almost hear him preaching these words; getting more excited as he goes along. You are a CHOSEN people, a royal PRIESTHOOD, a HOLY NATION, a PEOPLE…BELONGING…TO GOD! Can I get an amen!? Look at all the amazing things that you are:

- You are chosen.
- You are royalty.
- You are a priest.
- You are holy.
- You are part of a nation and a people.
- You belong to God.

Notice how inclusive these phrases are. Peter is writing to people who feel separate and scattered because of persecution. These words must have hit them like a blast of fresh air. Despite their persecution, they were royalty. Despite being separate and scattered, they were part of a holy nation. Despite their loneliness, they were chosen and belonged to God. What comfort these words must have brought to Peter’s early audience.

What about Peter’s audience today? Do these words bring you comfort? Peace? Joy? Perhaps you feel lonely, or scattered, or persecuted. Allow these words to wash over you like a cool shower on the hottest day of the year. They are eternal truths that will sustain you despite your circumstances. I love this verse!

On a different note, I wonder if the early Christians struggled with their purpose as much as we do today. Perhaps they did because Peter brings it up all the time. He reminds us in this passage that our job is to declare the praises of God – the God who has called us out of the darkness and into the light. How are you doing with that? Do you declare God’s praises through your words and deeds? Do your friends know that you belong to Christ by the way you talk, the things you do, the things you don’t do, and the way you love them?

If not, then maybe you are still fumbling around in the dark. Just because you are a Christian doesn’t mean that you are walking in God’s light – you may have accepted Christ, but you have to continually choose to follow, and obey, Him. It’s hard to sing the praises of God’s wonderful light when you’re in the darkness.

Would you say that you are walking in God’s light, or have you wandered off in the dark? It’s a question worth asking…

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness.” – 1 John 1:5

1 Peter 2:7-8 - Stumbling

1 Peter 2:7-8

“Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

The stone the builders rejected
Has become the capstone,

(8)And,

‘A stone that causes men to stumble
And a rock that makes them fall.’

They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for.”

We’ve talked about the good news of Christ for those who believe. Those who believe receive forgiveness and restoration because of God’s mercy and grace. We receive relationship and guidance, joy and peace, and countless other benefits because of the actions of Jesus Christ. But just as some choose Christ and receive the wonderful benefits of relationship with Christ, some choose not to follow Christ. What happens to them?

Simply stated, those who deny Christ will stumble and fall. The stone that is precious to believers, the stone that provides life and love and joy, becomes a stone in the path of the unbelieving that causes them to stumble. Have you ever been walking along and clipped your toe on a crack or something and stumble…and then try to cover it with a few steps of jogging (“hey, I didn’t trip…I just decided to jog right there”)? To those who don’t believe or obey, Christ is that thing that causes them to stumble – over and over and over – for the rest of their lives.

Don’t be surprised when your friends or professors who don’t believe in Christ cannot understand why you believe (check out 1 Corinthians 3:10-15). What seems so important to us is nonsense to them. What seems so simple to us is convoluted to them. It’s almost like knowing a foreign language – when we read God’s word, we understand it, but to those who don’t know Jesus – they may understand the words, but they don’t connect with the meaning.

That is why it is so important for us to live in such a way that those who don’t know Christ can see Christ in us. We have the Holy Spirit who teaches us God’s truth, the unbeliever doesn’t have the Spirit…they only have you and me. They may not understand the love of Jesus when they read the bible (though the Spirit can always reveal the truth to them), but they will recognize the truth when you live it out in front of them.

It’s an old phrase, but still pertinent: “You may be the only Jesus your friends will ever see.” What type of Jesus do exemplify? Are you living your life with love, compassion, and truth? Do your friends have reason to wonder why your life is different from theirs? We have the very Spirit of God living within us; does He ever show through in our lives? How does the Spirit of God show through your life? By living a life of obedience.

Allow me a moment to expound on that thought. How you live your life matters. It matters to God, who has called you to be His hands and feet in the world. It matters to your friends and family who believe; they need to be encouraged and challenged by your life. It matters to your friends and family who don’t believe; they need to see Christ in you so the Holy Spirit can draw them Christ. And it matters in your life; love, joy, peace, hope, and all good things are given in abundance to those who are obedient.

How you live your matters. How are you living your life?

“If you love me, keep my commandments.” – John 14:15

1 Peter 2:6 - Cornerstone

1 Peter 2:6 - Cornerstone

“For in Scripture it says:

See, I lay a stone in Zion,
A chosen and precious cornerstone,
And the one who trusts in him
Will never be put to shame.”

I remember two things about my early years in church: graham crackers and building blocks. When I walk in the doors of my home church I crave graham crackers – I’m not kidding. As a matter of fact, I could go for some graham crackers right now…

The childcare rooms in our church had a set of cardboard building blocks that were about the size of bricks. They were painted red and to a 2nd grader, looked pretty real. I cannot imagine how many hours I spent building with those bricks – I absolutely loved it. I built houses, forts, sky-scrapers, towers…anything I could imagine. It’s shocking that I’m not an architect today – not so shocking when you consider my SAT math scores.

My building skills progressed over the years. In the beginning, I built in the middle of the room, but the shag carpet (it was the 70’s) made for a shaky foundation. So I moved over to the linoleum floor in front of the sink and got much better results. A firm foundation is critical for a strong and stable building.

As Christians, our foundation is the most secure thing in the universe: Jesus Christ. Anything built on Him will stand forever. Anything not built upon that foundation may last a lifetime, but it will be burned away at the transition to eternity. It’s the same idea that Jesus talked about in Matthew 7, the wise man builds upon a rock where the wind and rain won’t destroy. The foolish man builds on the sand – where is your building site?

Early in my construction career, I would begin my structures with any old brick, but I realized that when I started with a sturdy, square brick, my buildings were much stronger. So I began to choose the brick that had been stepped on the least, set it in the corner where the trim of the carpet gave it a little extra support, and began construction. It worked great – if your cornerstone is secure, your building will be strong.

Just as Jesus is our foundation, He is also our cornerstone. He provides the base and He also begins the building. I hope you see the point – as our strong foundation and cornerstone – Jesus is everything we need! Throw in the fact that we, the living stones, are guided, strengthened, perfected, and held together by Christ – what is left for us to worry about?

It reminds me of Romans 11:36, talking about Jesus, Paul says, “For from him and through him and to him are all things.” All things were created by Christ, they are sustained by His power, and their purpose is to bring Him glory. Christ is all! And that will be the final word for today…and hopefully every day.

1 Peter 2:4-5 - Living Stones Part II

1 Peter 2:4-5 – Part II

“As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Last time we talked about the first part of this passage – Christianity is a religion of community; we must come to Christ to be grafted into His spiritual building, members of a body have no use when they are severed from the body, etc. We’ll finish up with the rest today.

Do you ever wonder, “Who am I? What am I here to do?” Peter gives the follower of Christ the answer: you are God’s spiritual house. You are a holy priesthood. You offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. That is who you are and what you do. Whenever you question your worth, or ability to be used in God’s Kingdom, remember these word. As a follower of Christ, they are the truest things about you.

What is our spiritual sacrifice? Why is it acceptable to God? Our sacrifices are prayers and praises, righteousness and mercy, love and beneficence (your word for the day – it means “being charitable”…I had to look it up too), and obedience. Such sacrifices are acceptable because they are offered to God together with the supreme self-sacrifice of Christ.

Nothing of “us” is acceptable to God without the sacrifice of Christ. The other side of that is that everything of “us” is acceptable because of the sacrifice of Christ. (You may want to read those two sentences again – they are critical to living the Christian life.)

A religious building (a church, ministry, or life) constructed on anything other than the foundation of Jesus Christ will become a Tower of Babel, perhaps impressive for a while, but ultimately a pile of rubble. What are you building your life upon…the rock of Christ or something less stable? It’s worth thinking about.

1 Peter 2:4-5 - Living Stones

1 Peter 2:4-5, Part I

“As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Most of today’s thoughts come from my commentary, The Interpreters Bible. A commentary is a wonderful tool as you study scripture (just make sure it is written by a reputable author). They come in particularly handy when you have difficulty figuring out how to teach or write about a passage…like this one for me. So enjoy!

Christianity comes to us through the Christian community, and without relation to the Christian community our individual Christianity becomes either impossible or tenuous and incomplete. Jesus Christ has a body, which is the church. There is no disembodied Christianity. Those who are related to Christ as Lord and Savior relate themselves to the church. Christianity is a social faith, for it embodies itself in a unique and organic community of fellow believers.

However “living” the stones in the house of Christ may be, they must come to the Cornerstone if they would find a place in the pattern of God’s design; by themselves they lack the larger context. No individual Christian makes a church. Paul thinks of Christians as members of the body of Christ; members mean absolutely nothing when severed from the body. So Peter declares that Christians must come to the building… again and again and with increasing surrender, so that the Cornerstone and stones may be cemented and fused together into a glorious edifice which reveals the glory of God in Christ.

The ranch staff is a good picture of God’s spiritual house: different types of people working together to accomplish one goal by doing many different things. The wranglers work with the horses, the housekeepers clean the cabins, kid’s club takes care of children, the kitchen provides the meals, etc. Everyone’s job is different, yet we are all called to the same place for the same purpose – to glorify Christ by serving the guests. It is a spiritual house.

Chew on that for a while and I’ll finish up next time…

1 Peter 2:2-3 - Milk

1 Peter 2:2-3

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

At the Luttrull house, milk is a common topic of discussion. Between my lactose intolerance and tendency to purchase rice milk in bulk, Lynda’s need for whole milk now that she’s pregnant again, and Levi’s breast feeding – the topic is well covered at our house.

The picture that Peter draws is a newborn crying for her mother’s milk. He is not talking about a big glass of whole, 2% homogenized, or skim milk – he is talking about breast milk, straight from Mama. And why not? Breast milk is an amazing substance; here are some interesting facts (we’re going to say ‘breast milk’ a lot today):

* The act of breast feeding bonds mother and baby – it also reduces the baby’s stress.
** Breast milk is perfectly balanced nutritionally. It has everything that the baby needs and nothing the baby doesn’t need.
*** Breast milk helps the baby’s digestive system develop properly and prevents many allergies and food sensitivities.
**** Antibodies and other aspects of the mother’s immune system are transferred through the milk to the baby. This makes for a stronger, healthier baby.

Trust me; I could have gone on… Peter tells us that we should crave pure, spiritual milk so we may grow up in our salvation. Like breast milk, spiritual milk has many benefits for us:

* The act of taking in the truth of God’s word bonds us with God. We know Him better as we eat His word. Knowing God better reduces our stress because we know that God loves us, that He is in control, and that He has a good plan for us.
** God’s word is perfect. It has everything we need and teaches us to stay away from everything that we don’t need.
*** Ingesting God’s pure, spiritual milk fills us with God’s truth which protects us from many harmful things in life (if we choose to obey).
**** Most amazingly, the act of reading and obeying God’s word allows God’s Spirit to change us – to infuse us with His character. By eating God’s word, we become like God.

We are so thankful that Levi has taken breast milk from the very beginning. In our case, there was an unforeseen side effect. The little man would only drink milk from Lynda; he would accept no substitute. While that was very tiresome for us (and by us, I mean Lynda), it is a beautiful picture of how we should crave God’s spiritual milk and not settle for anything else.

God’s milk is everything we need, why chase after anything else?

Rid Yourself

1 Peter 2:1, Part II

“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”

The “therefore” of this passage points to Peter’s previous discussion of the amazing grace that God has offered us. In this verse, Peter tells us how we should respond to that grace. I’m going to lean on one of my commentaries for this next bit – it is on the money.

In light of the grace we have been given, repentance is the natural response. “Peter listed five sins of attitude and speech, which if harbored would drive wedges between believers. Malice is wicked ill-will; deceit is deliberate dishonesty; hypocrisy is pretended piety and love; envy is resentful discontent; and slander is backbiting lies. None of these should have any place in those who are born again. Rather, in obedience to the Word, believers are to make decisive breaks with the past.”

The bible teaches that we are saved by grace alone; only faith in Jesus Christ can bring salvation. Only the work of the Holy Spirit will transform us into the image of Christ. These are things that only God can do in our lives. But there is one thing that God will not do for us – He will not change our actions. God leaves the pesky chore of “putting off our old self” as Paul calls it, to us.

Not that God doesn’t help us…He gives us strength to overcome our bad habits. But we must overcome them. He gives us His Holy Spirit to convict us when we sin. But we must listen and obey the Spirit. He changes our heart and renews our mind so we want to be obedient to His Word. But we must choose to be obedient. When it comes to our actions, we must suck it up and do right – and that is a hard thing to do.

So, what sins are dragging you down? What actions do you need to rid yourself of? Gossip? Lying? Over-indulging in drink? Looking at porn on the internet? Is your choice of music or movies less than edifying? Are you disobedient to you parents? Are you ashamed of being a Christian around your non-Christian friends? If you are like me, you have several things you need to jettison from your life.

Peter says that we are to rid ourselves of these things – they interfere with our relationship with Christ and keep us from being who God intends us to be. The time we spend doing bad things is time we could spend doing good things. So…get busy – with the strength given you by the Holy Spirit who resides within you, rid yourself of these things!

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” – Hebrews 10:24

1 Peter 2:1 - Proof-texting

1 Peter 2:1

“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”

As I’m sure you recall from our discussion in the spring, “therefore” is a word that connects what has been discussed with what is about to be discussed. When you see “therefore” it will help your understanding to go back and read the previous paragraph to fully understand what is coming up next.

Which brings up an important hermeneutical concept (“hermeneutics” is the $10 word for the study and interpretation of the Bible). You should always read the bible in context of the surrounding verses, chapters, book, and the bible as a whole. If you simply read a verse by itself, it is easy to misunderstand or misinterpret its meaning. It is often an innocent mistake, but it can cause serious problems in your biblical understanding.

On the not so innocent side, people will use out-of-context verses to support their particular argument. This is called proof-texting, which is a common and insidious practice. If you are not familiar with the passage of scripture being used, it is a simple thing to be fooled by this kind of argument. The proof-texter is using scripture, so it sounds right, but just because scripture is attached to an argument doesn’t make the argument scriptural.

The way to combat this type of false teaching is to take responsibility for what you hear. Don’t just swallow everything you are taught. Test the teaching of others – your pastor, your favorite author, your ministry leader – go to the scripture and check it out for yourself. No one, no matter how educated or Godly, is perfect – all teachers make mistakes. Be discerning as you listen and read, you are responsible for what you believe. As 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, “Test everything. Hold on to the good.”

I think that is enough for today – I’ll get to the actual verse next time. But this topic is important for your general bible study knowledge. Until next time…

1 Peter 1:24-25 - Fading Away

1 Peter 1:24-25

“For,

‘All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord stands forever.’

And this is the word that was preached to you.”

Lynda loves flowers – tulips to be specific. From time to time I bring home some tulips to surprise her. A word of advice: guys – buy flowers for the women in your life – your girlfriend, mom or even your sister. As much as they will enjoy the flowers, they will love that you thought of them and wanted to get them something pretty.

Tulips are beautiful flowers…for a few days. Then their stems get really long and droopy, the petals fade and fall off, and after a week or so the once lovely bouquet that held a place of honor on the mantel or kitchen table is now a crumbled mess in the trash can with last night’s leftovers. It’s the nature of flowers – they are stunning for a short time, and then they wither and fall.

It is the nature of humanity as well. Our bodies are temporary shelters – they will wear down and eventually wear out. Now that I’ve crossed into the 40’s, I’m beginning to feel the years. My eyesight – which has always been eagle-like – is beginning to get fuzzy in dimly lit rooms. I have aches and pains in my hip and knees, my ankles pop like popcorn when I walk, my arm goes to sleep when I put it around Lynda’s shoulders. I’m falling apart! And one day, hopefully far from now, my body will stop for good. One day, I will die. Say that out loud, “One day, I will die.”

It’s something we all know, but to actually say the words and acknowledge the truth of the statement is…really odd. But it is true – death is just as much a part of life as birth. There is a beginning and there is an end. That’s the way it is – to think otherwise is simply foolish.

While we are allotted a certain number of years, God’s word is forever. Remember that Peter is writing to people who are being persecuted – and Peter knows their persecution will only get worse. For Peter’s audience, today may have been miserable with little hope for a better tomorrow, but this day, and this life, will pass as quickly as spring flowers. An eternity with God awaits those who are faithful.

Peter is not blowing sunshine at them. He reminds them of the most important thing – relationship with Christ. No matter how terrible today is, we are promised eternity with God and relationship with Him now. In the midst of a bad day, week, month, or year – that is a promise with great big handles to hold on to. We are promised God’s presence in the struggle and victory in the end.

Thankfully, most of us are not in the midst of persecution, but we still need Peter’s dose of perspective. Are you chasing after things of the world – money, possessions, accomplishments, pleasure? If so, you are wasting your time… they will all fade like flowers. Stop chasing the temporary! Focus your life on the permanent – the word of God and the eternal life found only in Christ.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
– Romans 8:37

1 Peter 1:23 - Seeds

1 Peter 1:23

“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”

The bible talks a lot about seeds. In the Parable of the Sower, the word of God is described as a seed. Jesus said that if one has faith the size of a mustard seed, a mulberry tree can be uprooted or a mountain thrown into the sea. And in John 12:24, Jesus says:

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

This verse is very important to me. It is a constant reminder that my job is to live like Jesus, which means that I must live to please God not myself, or die to myself. If we die to ourselves, our little seeds will produce many more seeds because of God’s work in our lives. Of course, our little crop will eventually pass away because one day we will pass away.

Not so with Jesus. He who was equal to God chose to become an obedient servant – serving all the way to His death on the cross (Check out Philippians 2). His kernel of wheat fell to the ground and died. And that death produced many more seeds – including yours and mine. As the perfect Son of God, His seed is eternal and the seeds of faith growing in His believers will never perish. Every follower of Christ is born into a new and imperishable life through the enduring word of God.

Not only is God’s word enduring, it is also living. Hebrews 4:12 says it like this:

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Because God’s word is living and active, you hear stories of people who read the bible, were convicted of their sins, repented, and entered into a relationship with Jesus. No preachers, no counselors – just the living and active word of God. You also sense the activity of God through His word when you read a verse and the meaning or an application to your life pops instantly to mind – that is the Holy Spirit teaching you.

Thank God for his eternal written word that is so active in our lives. And thank God for His eternal living word, His son Jesus Christ, through whom we live and breathe and experience second birth. It is only through God’s grace that we are saved – thank Him for the grace He has given to you!

“There is nothing but God’s grace. We walk upon it; breathe it; we live and die by it; it makes the nails and axles of the universe…” – Robert Lewis Stevenson

1 Peter 1:20 - The Plan

Sorry about posting three verses in one day, but for some reason I couldn't cut and paste the last two entries, until today - go figure. So be sure to check out 1 Peter 1:20, 21 and 22. They're all here!

1 Peter 1:20

“Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. (V18) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, (V19) but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.(V20) He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.(V21) Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

I used to think that sin caught God off-guard. I imagined God sitting down in the garden after confronting Adam and Eve and saying, “Wow. I didn’t see that coming. What am I going to do now?” And then hundreds of years later having an epiphany, “Hey – I’ll send my Son to die for everyone’s sin. That’ll work!” The bible tells a different story.

Before God hovered over the infinite void, before He spoke a word of creation, God chose His son to die for humanity. He knew that the as-yet created man would choose sin and need the blood of His only Son to redeem them. Yet God created man anyway, knowing what His Son would have to suffer on their, our, account…that astounds me. One of my commentaries says this:

“What God had in mind from all eternity came to birth in Bethlehem, to fulfillment on Calvary, to victory at the Resurrection, to exaltation on the mount of Ascension, and is even now coming to consummation. This grand sweep of God’s glorious gospel staggers the mind, humbles the heart, and subdues the whole being in silent adoration.”

And it has all been revealed in these last times… for your sake. God works on a universal and eternal scale, but His magnificent work finds its home in simple lives. God, the impartial judge, knew that we would be unable to bridge the chasm of sin that separates us from Him. So He sent His Son to live and to die so that our relationship with Him might be restored. This act of loving sacrifice was not an afterthought, a patch job, or a last ditch idea – it was the plan all along.

As I mentioned before – that astounds me. We serve a marvelous God!

1 Peter 1:21

1 Peter 1:21

“Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. (V18) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, (V19) but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.(V20) He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.(V21) Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”(John 14:6) Peter echoes that statement in this verse. He tells us that it is through Jesus that we believe in God. Jesus is not only the agent of our redemption, but also the vehicle through whom we are able to believe in God.

And who is this God that we believe in? The God who raised Jesus from the dead and glorified Him. We believe that as God raised Jesus from the dead that God will raise us from death in sin to live righteous lives in relationship with Him. We believe that as God glorified Christ, that we too will be caught up in glory with Christ one day. Our faith and hope are in God because of Jesus.

Peter, perhaps more than anyone else, understood this redemptive work. Peter, the brash leader of the disciples, failed Jesus spectacularly…just hours after promising that he would follow Jesus, even to death. Peter was devastated and I imagine wracked with guilt. But Jesus sought out Peter and restored his ministry along with their relationship. Jesus came to seek and save the lost – those who don’t know Him and those who do know Him but have wandered away.

These five verses provide a neat summary of the redemption process. Verse 17 tells of our need for a savior – we will be impartially judged. Verse 18 and 19 tell us the remedy for our hopeless state, our purchase from sin by the precious blood of Jesus. Verse 20 tells us that this was God’s plan all along. Verse 21 sums it all up by telling us that it is through Jesus that we may know God, in whom all our faith and hope reside.

Christianity is often maligned as an exclusive religion because we believe Jesus Christ is the only way to relationship with God. While it is true that the bible teaches Jesus is the only way, Christianity is not exclusive because God’s free gift of salvation is available to all who believe. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Acts 2:21). That sounds pretty inclusive to me… Do your friends and family know that salvation is offered to them?

1 Peter 1:22 - Deeply

1 Peter 1:22

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.”

Another translation says it like this: “Your obedient acceptance of the truth has cleansed your souls and made them ready for true love of the brethren; so let your love for one another be spontaneous and fervent.”

If you remember back in verse 7, Peter told us that trials refine our faith. In this verse, he tells us that obedience refines our character. The cure for the sin that you can’t seem to shake? Obeying God’s word. Can’t escape the character flaws that plague you? Obey God’s word. Tired of lying, loathing, and lusting? Obey God’s word and you will be purified. There is hope for our sinful actions, and it is obedience to God’s truth.

Why does God want us to be pure? One, because He is pure. Two, because we must be pure to love others deeply. The Greek word for love that Peter uses is a form of agape, or unconditional, love. You cannot love unconditionally unless your life has been transformed and your heart purified. We must have the love of Christ within us for agape love to come out of us.

There is another interesting Greek word I would like to mention; allow me to illustrate it with a story. I ran track in high school; usually the distance events: the 3200, 1600, 800, and the occasional 400 in the 1600 relay. On one such relay, I handed the baton to our anchor leg a couple of steps behind two other teams. He quickly caught the two other racers and then ran stride for stride with them around the first turn, down the backstretch, and around the final turn.

When they hit the straightaway, the three runners opened up in an all out sprint. Each racer’s face was contorted with strain, arms and legs pounded like pistons, all three anchors were running at top speed. As they reached the line, they lunged in unison toward the line. The tape snapped and the competitors collapsed to the ground in a three person heap. The 25 or 30 fans went crazy! (Not many spectators at the ole track meet.)

Have you seen a race like that? Can you picture those three runners sprinting down the track and lunging at the line with their last ounce of strength? Got it? That picture illustrates the effort with which we should love one another. The Greek word for “deeply”, as in “love one another deeply,” is defined: “at full stretch; in an all out manner; with intense strain”. Yikes – I think I need to rethink how I love others.

How about you? Do you put much effort into loving others? Do you pour your life into those who require extra attention, or do you avoid them? When someone is in pain, do you seek to soothe them or get away as fast as possible? Do you love others simply because God loves them, or do you love others for what you get out of it? It is a hard thing to love unconditionally – as a matter of fact, it can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

What is the purpose of obedience? Purity. What is the purpose for purity? Love. Not just any kind of love; God calls us to a supernatural, Spirit-driven love. A selfless love without hypocrisy – a call to love others deeply, fervently, eagerly, and with perseverance. Its funny how most things in life come down to love.

Who do you need to show that kind of love to today? (The answer is: everyone.)

“They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” – Lyrics from “They’ll Know We are Christians by our Love”

PS – We didn’t win the race.

1 Peter 1:18-19 - Silver and Gold

1 Peter 1:18-19

“Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. (V18) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, (V19) but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.(V20) He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.(V21) Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

Gold and silver. Or “silver and gold, silver and gold, everyone wishes for silver and gold,” if you enjoy singing along with Sam the Snowman (aka, Burl Ives) on Rudolph. Gold and silver have been the two most valuable metals throughout history. Yet Peter calls them “perishable” – which in the Greek means “decayed” and “corruptible” – or in other words, worthless.

Let’s look at these worthless metals for a moment. The oldest coin in the world is over 2700 years old and made from a natural alloy of gold and silver. Do you know what was going on 2700 years ago, or in 700 BC? Hezekiah was king of Israel, Rome was a newly founded collection of shacks, and some Greek people did some stuff; that’s about it. If you think that is a long time ago, people have been separating silver from lead since 3000 BC. Gold and silver have been around for a really long time.

Gold will keep its shape forever as long as no external forces are applied and it won’t melt until it reaches 1947.52 degrees Fahrenheit. As a point of comparison, Lead melts at 621.43 degrees Fahrenheit. That is hardy. And a final point, as I’m writing this, gold sells for $941 per ounce – or $15,056 per pound. That is pretty valuable.

Looking at the facts, how can Peter call these durable, valuable, and ancient metals decayed and corruptible? Gold and silver are worthless only when compared to something of immensely greater value and longevity, something like the blood of Christ, the eternal lamb without blemish or defect. God did not redeem us with money or earthly commodities, but with the life of His only Son.

Now that I have a son, this truth becomes more real. On my best day, I might give my life for someone else – but I would never, and I mean never, give my son’s life for anyone. Sorry, but the life of my son is more valuable than any other life in the world. And I’ve only had my son for about 5 months – imagine God’s feelings for the Son that He has enjoyed for eternity.

The value of a thing is not determined by its inherent worth, but the price someone is willing to pay for it. God purchased you and me at the highest, most precious price possible, the life of His Son. We have no inherent value in and of ourselves – we are sinful creatures and deserve only to pay the penalty for sin – death. Yet in God’s amazing grace, we are infinitely valuable because God spent the blood of His Son to redeem us. The price of our redemption means that we are infinitely valuable.

Contemplate this love of God that chose to redeem you with the blood of Jesus. I don’t know if we are able to truly comprehend the sacrifice He made for us, but we can accept it and thank Him for it. Spend a few moments today and thank God for loving you – don’t ask for anything – just thank Him for His amazing love!

“Human things must be known to be loved, but Divine things must be loved to be known.” – Blaise Pascal

1 Peter 1:17-21; Verse 17 - Strangers

1 Peter 1:17-21

**These five verses discuss such a critical Christian truth that I didn’t want to separate them and possibly miss the big picture. I still plan to hit one verse at a time, but I want each verse to be taken in the context of the whole.

“Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. (V18) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, (V19) but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.(V20) He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.(V21) Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

Business accounting was the class that convinced me to change my major from finance to business management. I was TERRIBLE at accounting – the only thing I could do well was reconcile. I was a reconciling fool, but unfortunately, the rest of accounting was beyond my grasp. I had to work incredibly hard just to keep up. When finals rolled around, the teacher announced that if you were happy with your grade, you didn’t need to take the final. My grade was: 79.46, or a C – 80 was a B.

I went to the teacher and pleaded my case. “I have not missed a class, I have been to every study session, and turned in every extra credit assignment. If you will round up the six – that will turn the 4 to a 5 – which will round the 79 to an 80. So you’re not giving me anything, you’re just rounding up one decimal place further than normal.” She replied, “I’m sorry, I don’t round up. Your grade is your grade.” Stupid accounting.

That is an example of being judged impartially. She ignored all my arguments and reasoning (persuasive and valid reasoning in my opinion) and focused on the only thing that mattered – the grade. I am much more philosophical about it now than I was then – I was ticked!

Peter begins this passage with the sobering reality that God is utterly impartial, even to those who call him Father. He does not grade on a curve, nor does He compare our actions with others; He judges us based upon the talents and opportunities He has given us (think of the Parable of Talents). As Acts 10:34 says, “God is no respecter of persons.”

This verse provides a powerful explanation of why we should live our lives in reverent fear. We are totally at the mercy of God. We have no hope – not one chance to escape the penalty of sin. Because of sin, we are doomed to live apart from God in this life and for all eternity – that is beyond frightening. We fear God because He is our completely righteous (and we are far from righteous) and impartial judge (and we know that we deserve to be judged). But we revere Him because He loves us and cares for us like a Father. Thank God for His love today!

One other interesting point, the Greek word for “strangers” is most often used to describe people living in a foreign land. Imagine a community of faithful Israelites living in Rome, or Assyria – even though they were no longer in Israel, they lived their lives as if they were.

When one becomes a follower of Jesus, their residency is transferred to the Kingdom of God. They become a member of a community of people living in a foreign land; strangers who live obediently to Jesus Christ – instead of living like those around them. As Peter instructs, we are called to live according to the customs and expectations of our new homeland, even as we live our lives on earth.

The obvious question in light of this verse is: does your life reflect the culture around you or the Kingdom of God?

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 3:20

1 Peter 1:15-16 - Holy

1 Peter 1:15-16

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy.”

I’ve always had trouble understanding verses like this. If God is holy, how in the world can I be holy? In other places the bible tells us to be perfect – I can’t be perfect; I’ve tried – perfection is beyond my grasp. Why does the bible exhort us to do the impossible?

This may surprise you, but I have two thoughts on that question. First, my definition of “holy” and “perfect” are not necessarily the bible’s definitions. “Holy” means set apart or separated for a special or unique purpose. God is holy because there is no one like Him – He is a one of a kind – so He is holy, or separate by nature.

You and I on the other hand, are not holy by nature. We, like all people, are stuck in the tar pit of sin. But because of God’s grace and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God can pull us out of the pit, wash us off, and set us apart for His work. We become holy because God makes us holy.

“Perfect” is often translated as “mature”; the idea is “grown up”, not necessarily without sin. While I cannot be without sin, I can be mature and grown up. The process of sanctification is how we become mature in Christ. We obey Christ which opens the door to allow the Holy Spirit to change us – in other words, we put ourselves in position to be changed and God is faithful to change us.

Second, putting translation and semantics aside, God can do absolutely anything. He created this world with a word – He can do anything He wants to – even make sinners holy and perfect. That is the unbelievable power of the God we serve. He is not some small, powerless vending machine that we approach when we want something, insert some good works or church attendance, and demand the God give us our heart’s desires. He is majestic and wild and worthy of awe, fear, and total submission. We can be thankful that He is loving and treats us as beloved children – He is complete power and complete love.

Over and over Peter reminds us of the graciousness of God. Isn’t it amazing that you and I can be used by God? Isn’t it astonishing that God loves us so much that He takes the effort to change us from our stubborn and sinful ways? And isn’t it just flat out ridiculous that God would choose to call us friends while we were sinners? The miraculous is commonplace for our God – how else could he dare to call us holy?

1 Peter 1:14 - Ignorance

1 Peter 1:14

“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”

Can you imagine if there were no Christians in the world? How long would it take for goodness to fade away? How long till evil reigned supreme? Imagine everyone in the world seeking to slake the thirst of their own desires? When I picture “evil desires”, that is what comes to mind. People taking what the want, when they want it, without regard to anyone or anything.

As a long-time Christian I’ve heard it many times, “Can you believe that _________ did __________? That is just terrible.” My thought was usually, “Yes, I can believe ___________ acted that way, they don’t know Christ. Of course they are going to act that way.” While we should never condone the sins of those who don’t know Christ, we shouldn’t really be surprised by them. They are ignorant of the truth. Evil desires thrive in ignorance.

My attitude is different when ____________ is a Christian and knows better. (And my name goes in that blank more often that I would like to admit.) When a Christian follows the evil desires he or she had when they lived in ignorance, they are basically saying to the world, “God and His grace are not enough for me – I need ___________ too.”

The disobedient child of God is a butterfly trying to burrow back into the cocoon. The pardoned criminal breaking back into prison. Lazarus wrapping the death clothes around him and walking back into the grave. The disobedient one turns his nose up at the unlimited grace and love of the Holy God to dabble in the temporary pleasures of today. Or as CS Lewis says,

“Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Are you ready to put away your mud pies? Seriously, are you? Do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance…

1 Peter 1:13 - Therefore

1 Peter 1:13

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Whenever you see the word, “therefore”, you need to ask, “What is it there for?” In this case, “therefore” refers to the salvation Peter just discussed and directs our attention to the way we should act in light of that salvation: we should be prepared for action, self-controlled, and set our hope on grace. Salvation is a call to action. I’m afraid we often think once we are saved, heaven is ours – the work is done. Peter tells us that the work is just beginning!

To state it another way: “To whom much has been given, of him will much be required.” – Luke 12:48. We have been given salvation – that is MUCH…

“prepare your minds for action”

I like sports. I like to play them and I like to watch them. During pregame, TV cameras will often find players in the locker room preparing for the game. Some players are seated with their headphones on, staring at the ground. Others bounce up and down/jog in place with their headphones on. Still others walk up and down the locker room nodding their head with their headphones on. Each player prepares his or her mind in their own way – though wearing headphones is apparently universal.

How do you prepare your mind for life as a Christian? How do you prepare for worship when you attend? Do you walk out the door prepared with an answer in case someone asks you about Jesus? How do your prepare for the temptation that you might face during the day? Do you think of ways to love and encourage your friends?

Peter tells us that the Christian life is a life of action. We are to love, forgive, share, teach, pray, make peace, sacrifice, preach, worship, seek, meditate, remember, hope, and glorify our God. That’s a busy life!

“be self-controlled”

Self-control. That has to be one of the least popular hyphenated words in the English language. I don’t want to control myself. I want to eat what I want to eat, I want to do what I want to do, and I want to spend my money the way I want to spend it. Human nature is heavy on self, and light on control.

God calls us to something different – and something better. He calls us to eat in moderation so that others will have food. He calls us to give some of our time to help others who need a hand. He calls us to spend less of our money so we can give to those who are in need. He calls us to consider others every bit as important as ourselves. What did Jesus say was the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.”

By the way, that last sentence gives you God’s general will for your life. You can be busy doing that as you consider God’s specific will for your life. Thankfully God gives us His Spirit to help us live His way – we could not do it on our own.

“set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Peter says that the only thing worthy enough to be the foundational hope of our lives is the grace that will perfect us when Jesus comes again. The promise of becoming perfect like Christ, being glorified by the Father like Christ, and receiving the eternal inheritance with Christ – is where our hope should reside. We should pin our hope on the grace of Christ for two, no, three reasons.

1. The grace of Christ is the only guaranteed thing in this world. Other things may or may not happen, but the grace of Christ IS a sure thing – no doubt about it.

2. The grace of Christ is the only eternal thing to hope in. All those other things may be good, but they will fade away. Grace is forever.

3. The grace of Christ is the only thing we should hope in because that is what the bible says. Questions?

So, where is your hope? Is it in your friends or family? Your degree? Is your hope in a good job? Money? Health? Is your hope built around a relationship? A future relationship? When you shake everything out, where is your hope? If it is in something other than the grace of Christ – your hope will fail. (Sorry to end on such a downer…Jesus loves you! That is a little more hopeful!)

“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” – Colossians 1:27

1 Peter 1:10-12 - Historical Perspective

1 Peter 1:10-12

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, (V11) trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. (V12) It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.”

Umm…yeah. Some verses are pretty easy to write about, and other verses are a little more complicated. These three verses make up one discussion detailing a historical perspective of Christ’s act of redemption. I perused about 10 commentaries to get an idea of what Peter is saying, and the following are the main points:

The first thought is the OT prophets wrote about God’s salvation at the behest and direction of the Holy Spirit; as a matter of fact, the gospel comes from the Holy Spirit (v12 - …preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit…), not man. All scripture, from Genesis to Revelation points to Jesus and his act of redemption.

The prophets were very interested in and often spoke of the coming Messiah. They intently searched the scriptures looking for signs that would point to His coming, and they didn’t understand why the victorious Christ would have to suffer. In other words, they didn’t necessarily understand what God was writing through them. On this side of the cross, we understand that God was after forgiveness of sins, not simply the salvation of Israel from her enemies. On the other side of the cross, that was impossible to imagine.

The Spirit revealed to the prophets that the Christ was coming not in their time, but in a time to come (v12 - it was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you); specifically, the time of Peter’s original audience. What an amazing privilege for Peter’s audience – to live in the time of Christ!

This salvation is so incredible that even the angels are intensely interested… though they are not fallen and have no need for redemption. Does your salvation still amaze you? Or have you become so used to it, that it has become as normal as brushing your teeth?

And one final thought, verse 11 says that Christ suffered, but glories followed. By joining in Christ’s suffering, glories will also follow for the faithful. That is a great source of hope then, just as it is a great hope for you and me today. Hope is a wonderful thing!

1 Peter 1:9 - Salvation

1 Peter 1:9

“for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

What is the goal of our faith and the reason for our joy? Salvation. We are no longer doomed by sin – we are free. We are no longer lost – we have been found. We are no longer guilty – we have been forgiven. We are no longer shamed – we have been restored. We are no longer enemies with God – we are friends. Our death penalty has been replaced with life eternal in the King’s household. That is why angels rejoice when a sinner comes to know Christ! (Luke 15:10)

If you are a grammarian – and honestly, who among us isn’t – you noticed that this verse says that “you are receiving…” – that is present tense. If I accepted Christ years ago, how am I receiving salvation now? Well, there is a past, present, and future aspect in the process of salvation:

1. God HAS saved us – aka, Regeneration. The point in time when you made a decision for Christ. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” – Ephesians 2:8

2. God IS saving us – aka, Sanctification. The continual process whereby we become like Christ – we discussed this in Verse 2. “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16

3. God WILL save us – aka, Glorification. When we become like Christ as we enter eternity in God’s presence. “…who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” – 1 Peter 1:5

Peter reminds his readers that God is faithful to continue His work of salvation in our lives – even in the midst of persecution. God never stops working – He is working in your life this instant! Praise God that He loves us so much that He refuses to leave us like we are…

“After the first few steps in the Christian life we realize the everything which really needs to be done in our souls can be done only by God.” – CS Lewis

1 Peter 1:8 - Believing is Seeing

1 Peter 1:8

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,”

There is an amazing scene in the movie Amistad. If you haven’t seen it, check it out at www.imdb.com . African prisoners await trial to see if they will be slaves or free. There is a bible in the prison and one of the men begins to look through it. He cannot read English, but he pieces the story together through the pictures. He begins to explain the story to his friend – and I’ll not spoil the scene for you. But through the pictures, this prisoner fell in love with Jesus.

How did you come to know Christ? However it happened, I bet you believed on Jesus without seeing Him. I bet you grew to love Him without laying eyes on His physical presence. If that is the case, Peter says you are blessed. As a matter of fact, Jesus says the same thing:

“Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” - John 20:29

Of course, in a different sense, we really have seen Jesus. We see Him in people all around us: in the youth worker who loved us when we were awkward and searching, in our parents who modeled Christ-like behavior every day of our lives, and in our friends who stand by us and encourage us to live the better life. And there have been moments in your life when you extended grace to another and became Christ to them.

Life is filled with these beautiful moments, moments where the Kingdom of Heaven comes to earth. That is the astonishing thing about God – not only does He save us from our horrible sins and bring us into relationship with Him – He gives us the privilege to be the hands and feet of Christ as he works in us!

I’ll let you in on a secret, the reason we do the ranch the way we do is to give you the opportunity to be Christ to the guests. And another secret, our hope is that you will do the same thing when you go home. That is our greatest prayer for you – that you will allow God to use you to bring about His Kingdom every day of your life.

As you love Jesus and believe in Him – though you have never seen Him – I pray that you will be filled with inexpressible and glorious joy!

“Joy is the serious business of heaven.” – CS Lewis

1 Peter 1:7 - Primary

1 Peter 1:7

“These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

“Why do good things happen to bad people?” That is a question I often hear – and ask from time to time. There are several answers to that question, most deal with the concept of a fallen world and the decisions of sinful people. Since sin entered the world, that means that sin impacts everyone – believer and non-believe alike. That is a valid answer in my opinion.

Peter gives us another answer. He says that bad things happen to prove and strengthen our faith. The beauty of this explanation is that it shines God’s hope and purpose on even the worst things that can happen. It doesn’t matter why the bad things occur, whether its by God’s hand, your hand, someone else’s hand, or just bad luck – every negative can be turned into a positive by God’s grace.

For example, I had a friend in Dallas who was an excellent basketball player. One spring break he was on vacation with friends and dove off a pier and directly onto a rock – he was instantly paralyzed from the waist down. A few years later, someone asked how he felt about going from completely healthy to dependent and in a wheelchair. He responded, “It’s the best thing that even happened to me.” When asked why, he replied, “If this hadn’t happened to me, I never would have found Jesus”. And he was serious.

Your relationship with Jesus is the ABSOLUTE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE. More important than your degree, your bank account, your family and friends, and your health. That list is filled with very good things – but only one thing can be the best – and the best thing you can do in this life is cultivate your relationship with Christ because it is the only thing that is eternal.

Trials are going to come. When they come in your life will you allow God to work through those challenges so your faith – of greater worth than gold – will be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor? It is easy to have faith in the good times – how you respond in the hard times will prove the light of Christ to those around you.

1 Peter 1:6 - Rejoice

1 Peter 1:6

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.”

“In this you greatly rejoice…”

In what does Peter say we rejoice? We rejoice in the things discussed in the last couple of verses: our new birth into a living hope, an inheritance kept in heaven for us, and that we are shielded by God’s power. Contemplate those rejoice-worthy gifts from God – do they bring you joy? Each of those promises are real!

Speaking of joy, one of my favorite passages is Luke 10, it speaks of when Jesus sent out his disciples to do God’s work. This is the account of their return, “ The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.’” That is a reason for joy! But look how Jesus responded, “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

That last sentence is the key to joy. I want the foundation of my consciousness to be the joy of knowing that my name is written in heaven. I want my daily mood to be based not upon the weather, how I feel, how I slept, or what I’m doing – but on the unshakable truth that God loves me. How great would life be if we could live in that truth every day?

If you are a follower of Christ, your name is written in heaven. Remind yourself of that when your day is in the tank…and when your day is fantastic. That is a rock to tie your life to!

“though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials…”

The bible never diminishes pain and suffering. It accepts it as part of life and then instructs us how to deal with it. The biblical view of suffering goes something like this: if you follow Christ you will be at odds with the world and will suffer for it, like Jesus did. By being persecuted for Christ, we are honored to be considered worthy to share in His suffering. If we suffer with Christ, we will also be glorified like Christ. Suffering is hard and painful, but it is temporary – our relationship with and reward from God is eternal.

I’ll be honest, that is not my view of suffering. To me, suffering is something to be avoided at all cost. So I will stray away from things that might causes suffering – or even embarrassment: sharing my faith, speaking out for Christ or against sinful actions, or volunteering to share my life with another. By doing this, I am being self-centered instead of Christ-centered. And I wonder why I am less than joyful…

Peter acknowledges the suffering his readers are enduring, but again – he turns their focus off their problems and onto their God. As a good friend of mine says, “Too often we gaze at our problems and glance at God when we should glance at our problems and gaze at God.”

1 Peter 1:5 - Shielded

1 Peter 1:5

“who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

The Greek word that is translated here as “shielded” means literally, “to hem in, protect – as in a garrison”. We are guarded – like living in a castle with a garrison of soldiers – by God’s power and vigilance. We may suffer wounds in battle and the pains of living in this world, but we are personally surrounded and protected by the Divine Power. No matter how bad it gets, God’s faithfulness will see us through to final deliverance from sin and death that will occur at the revelation of Christ.

All this protection and salvation come to us through faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot earn it. We cannot do anything to make it happen. God made relationship with him available; we can only receive it by faith. Receiving by faith means that you believe what God says. If God says you are saved – then you must believe He is right. If God says that His Spirit is transforming you into the image of Christ – then you must believe that is happening…even when it looks like it isn’t. “Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Peter continues to focus on things that are coming. Why? Because for the readers of this letter – right now was pretty bad, and tomorrow looked even worse.

How are things in your “right now”? Are you in pain, scared, or feeling lost? God knows your struggles, and though you may not feel His presence, He is with you and working on your behalf. Do you believe that today?

“And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6

One final thought, a good portion of the Christian reward is in the future. Yes, we get relationship with God now, and the Holy Spirit changing us from the inside out. We also get joy, peace, faith, hope, and love right now. But freedom from sin, perfection, and eternity are still to come – or “to be revealed at the last time” as Peter said.

Thank God for the gifts that we enjoy now and never forget that the best is yet to come!

1 Peter 1:4 - Inheritance

1 Peter 1:4

“…and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you,”

I have received one inheritance in my life. My dad’s parents died about 3 months apart from each other while I was in seminary. They had been in poor health for sometime – my grandmother had a stroke and was bedridden and my grandfather became too senile to care for himself. They had been in a nursing home in their hometown of Bartlesville, OK for about 8 years.

A couple of months after they had both passed, my dad pulled me aside, reached into his wallet and said, “Here is your portion of the inheritance from my folks,” and handed me $35. After paying for medical expenses, years in a nursing home, and funeral expenses – their remaining estate was pretty slim.

It was kind of sad; not because I wanted more money, but because my grandfather worked hard all his life – he came to Oklahoma in a covered wagon with his family when he was a child, labored in the oil fields of Texas and Oklahoma as a teenager, sold cars out of his driveway, and worked for public service as an electrician. He worked and saved for years, but what he put away for his family mostly perished, spoiled, and faded.

To have an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade is an amazing promise. Even if my dad had handed me $100,000 that day – that money and the things purchased with that money, would eventually disappear. But our inheritance from God will last forever because our inheritance IS God. God is eternal, so our inheritance is eternal. God is the giver of good gifts, so our inheritance will be good. God created us, so he knows exactly what inheritance would be best for us – so it will be unbelievably good!

Peter begins his letter to the persecuted church with these promises to remind them that a better reward awaits. We can put up with a lot of pain and discomfort if we know there is something good at the end. Why do we eat bean sprouts, lift weights, and run till we drop – because we know those actions will produce a healthier version of ourselves. Peter is shining a light at the end of the tunnel to give the church something to focus on beyond the persecution. That is often the only way to make it through hard times, reminding yourself that better days are coming.

While that $35 of Bartlesville green is long gone, I’m thankful that I have another inheritance. My grandparents taught me how to ride a horse, shoot a gun, swing an axe, eat large amounts of food, appreciate homemade chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon rolls, and countless other things. I remember laughing and playing and working alongside my grandmother and grandfather – and though they have been gone for many years now – I love them still.

And that inheritance will last forever – I am a grateful heir.

1 Peter 1:3

1 Peter 1:3

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

Lets start at the end of the verse and work toward the beginning. Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead. Peter saw the empty tomb and the risen Christ with his own eyes. (I wonder what that must have been like…) Because Christ was dead, and now lives – those who follow Him have a living hope.

Here’s how: Death is the cause of, and payment for sin. Those who sin are doomed to die separate from the Holy God. But the perfect Christ died for the sins of all – so all now have access to forgiveness and relationship with God through the sacrifice of Jesus. For those who follow Christ – we have a living hope – a hope of life with Christ today and a hope for life eternal with the Father to come.

We die to the world and our old selfish and sinful ways and are reborn into a new life. A life where God is the most important thing in our lives – a life where God lives within us, transforming us into the image of Christ, a life that cares more for others than for ourselves. We cannot live this life on our own, the Spirit of God resides within us, changing us into the type of people who can live this way.

As birth into the world is a fundamental change from life in the womb, birth from the world into Christ is transforming event. At our core, we are no longer what we were: selfish, prideful, lustful, angry, hateful, and spiteful; we are new creations: loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, gentle, and self-controlled.

If you are like me, maybe you have asked, “I look a lot more like that first list than the second list…how am I a new creation?” You have been changed, but you are still human and the Spirit hasn’t completed His work of sanctification. I look at it like this: the war is over; God has triumphed and we are completely His. But the news hasn’t reached everywhere yet, so there are still battles raging.

The Spirit travels from place to place with the news: It is finished – God rules here! Some areas of your life rejoice and fall in line quickly. Others want to keep fighting God’s rule – those take longer. But when you shake out everything and get to each believer’s heart – we are God’s new creation, not the sin-wracked creations we used to be. Even if and when we sin…we are God’s children and He is working on us. He is transforming us into the image of Christ through the work of His Spirit in our lives. Praise be to God for His mercy!

No wonder Peter began his letter with those words…

1 Peter 1:2

1 Peter 1:2

“…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”

Is there anything better than being chosen? Whether it’s a game of kickball in 3rd Grade or the love of your life saying, “I choose you forever”; being selected – another word for elected – is one of life’s great pleasures. This verse begins by stating the unbelievable truth that God the Father has chosen us. Contemplate that for a moment: the perfectly Holy God has chosen you; sinful, prideful, and selfish you.

Why has He chosen us? God has chosen us to be His children, co-heirs with Christ, AND to do His work on earth. We tend to forget that as God’s children, we have a responsibility to obey Him…

A word about “foreknowledge”. That term means that God knows what will happen before it occurs. God lives outside of time. He experiences yesterday, today, and tomorrow just like we experience right now (this is a probability – we don’t really know how God works). So as you are deciding what to do after lunch today, God knows what you will do because He is not bound by time.

This is a way many people explain election and predestination. God doesn’t make someone follow Him, He simply knows who will choose to follow Him – that group becomes the elect. This verse seems to follow this thought. Peter states that because of God’s foreknowledge, we have been chosen.

“through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,”

Sanctification. That is a great spiritual word! What does it mean? Let me start with this: “sanctification” is the same Greek word as holiness, “hagios”, which means separation. In short, sanctification is the process by which we become holy; separated for Christ.

Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit – we cannot sanctify ourselves, no matter how good or obedient we are – it is God’s work within us. I believe the Holy Spirit is kind of overlooked; here are some other things He does: convicts the world of sin (John 16:7-11), reveals truth (John 16:13), gives us Spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12); produces fruit in our lives (Gal. 5:22-23); the Holy Spirit is also our helper, comforter, an guide.

“for obedience to Jesus Christ and the sprinkling of his blood:”

You and I have been chosen by God for the purpose of being obedient to Jesus and to be forgiven by His sacrifice. Christ’s redeeming and forgiving work has been accomplished, but it is our work to obey His teaching, confess our sins and repent so that we might receive forgiveness of our sins. How are you doing with that? Is there sin in your life that needs to be confessed? You will find no peace until you do…

Some great background from my commentary… “The reference to obedience and sprinkling takes us back to the inauguration of the covenant at Sinai, especially Exod. 24:7-8: ‘Then he [Moses] took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, ‘We will do everything the Lord has said, we will obey.’ Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.’”

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”

“Grace and peace” is a little bit like “Aloha” – it can be used as a greeting or a conclusion. Either way, it is an amazing blessing to speak over someone. “Grace” is God’s unmerited love toward men, and the beginning and end of the Gospel – and peace is the culmination of God’s grace. Peter prays abundant grace and peace over the readers of his letter –which includes us! My you feel God’s grace and peace today…

1 Peter 1:1

Wow - we got over a foot of snow this weekend - it is beautiful! I'll try to take some pictures tomorrow to post...

Don't worry, the discussions won't always be as long as today's...or tomorrow's for that matter. These two verses are super meaty.

1 Peter 1:1

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia…”

Our introduction dealt with most of this verse – Peter the apostle of Jesus, Peter the author, and the provinces of Asia Minor. So I’ll touch on the points that we haven’t talked about yet.

“to God’s elect”

Nothing like easing into the discussion with one of the most controversial points of Christianity. Election – does God choose who will follow Him? And if He does choose, does that mean the chosen have no choice…and those who are not chosen have no chance? I’ll give you the two main ways to look at this issue:

1. God chooses, or predestines, who will follow Him. Those who are chosen have no choice – God’s grace is irresistible – and those who are not chosen have no chance to have a relationship with God. This seems harsh to us, but since we are all worthy of death because of sin, isn’t it merciful for God to save some? And as Paul says, who are we to question God’s ways… This is a Calvinistic argument (point of fact – John Calvin did not create this theory – this theory had been around long before Calvin).

2. God’s grace is available to all, but it is up each individual to choose to accept it. “God’s elect” are those who have accepting Christ’s redeeming work on their behalf. Salvation is by grace alone, but God has given us free will to choose. This theory attempts to find a balance between the passages dealing with election and the passages dealing with humanity’s free will. This is part of the Arminian theory – named after the theologian Arminius.

Which is it? Nobody really knows – both sides make good points based upon biblical evidence; strong theologians and lovers of Jesus have different opinions on this topic. Respectful dialogue and discussion is well worth the time, but it should never lead to a break in fellowship. Speaking of which, Romans 14 gives helpful instructions on how to deal with touchy debates with Christian friends.

One final thought; as my pastor in Houston would say, “Do you believe in predestination? Yes. Do you believe in free will? Yes. I don’t understand it, but in God’s economy – I believe they are both true.” God’s ways are much higher than our ways. If we could understand everything about Him, He wouldn’t be much of a god. When in doubt, we leave these questions in the hands of a loving God.

“strangers in the world”

I love this phrase, though it challenges me. Am I a stranger in this world? Do I live in such a way that it is evident that I believe there is more to life…than this life? Would those around me think that there is more to my life than chasing after grades, relationships, and money? Am I a stranger in this world or have I become too cozy here?

How do you spend your time and your money? What do you listen to, watch, and talk about it? What we see and hear affect us more than we will ever know. Is there any evidence that Jesus is the most important part of your life? That is a hard question to ask yourself…its even hard to answer honestly.

A couple of verses for you:

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world.” – 1 John 2:15

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

1 Peter Intro

1 Peter – A Letter of Hope

Introduction

Thank you for taking the time to read this! My prayer is that God will use this exploration of His Word to encourage and challenge us. I promise to work in as many stories and make this discussion as personal as possible. Some days will lend themselves to that, others won’t. I image some days will be “better reads” than others – but every verse is God’s Divine Word to us – so we’ll hit them all. Without further ado, here's an introduction to 1 Peter.

Author and Date: 1 Peter was most likely written by Peter the Apostle during the early 60’s AD. Scholars always debate the authorship of the books of the Bible because, come on, what else do they have to do. But most scholars agree that Peter was the author of 1 Peter with Silvanus, aka Silas, doing the actual writing. (One of the reasons some think Peter isn’t the author is that it is written in high quality Greek. Peter, an uneducated, Jewish fisherman, wouldn’t be able to write in such a manner…but Silas, who Peter tells us assisted in him (1 Peter 5:12) could. So the common belief is Peter dictated the letter and Silas wrote it down it Greek.)

Location: 1 Peter was most likely written in Rome. Peter says “your sister church in Babylon sends you greetings”; Babylon is typically a code name for Rome. The great Christian persecution by Nero – he who fiddled while Rome burned – was only a couple of years away, so Peter was prudent to not mention that he was in Rome.

Readers: The dispersed church – Jews and Gentiles alike. The locations listed: Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia are provinces in Asia Minor. More than likely, this letter was a circular letter; Ephesians was also circular. A circular letter was the email forward of the day. A carrier would deliver the letter to the leaders of one particular church, then take it to another church, and so on. If you look at the map in the back of your Bible, you will notice that the provinces listed by Peter would make a very logical order for delivery – a nice circular route.

Purpose: Allow me to give you the purpose of 1 Peter in a simple outline:

1. Blessings of God’s redeemed: 1 Peter 1:1 – 2:10.
2. Duties as Christians in the world: 1 Peter 2:11 – 4:11
3. The trials of Christians in the world: 1 Peter 4:12 – 5:11

Peter knew that persecution was coming. So he wrote this book to remind the readers that any earthly suffering was temporary while their blessings in Christ were eternal. That is why this has often been called the Epistle of Hope. No matter how bad things get, we have an inheritance that is eternal and secure in Christ.

Do you feel hopeful today? Regardless of how life treats you today – you have hope because the everlasting God sent His Son to die for you so that you might live eternally. The first few verses of 1 Peter will focus on this truth...

Hopefully you feel properly introduced, we’ll tackle verse 1 in a couple of days!