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