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1 Peter 5:1 - Dead Weight

“To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed.” As Peter begins to wind down his letter, he challenges specific people within the body of Christ. He begins with the elders – the spiritual leaders of the church. Before I go into Peter’s specific instructions, I want to mention a couple of things from his introduction. First, I find it interesting that he simply calls himself a fellow elder. While Peter was an elder, more accurately, he was the head elder…and the leader of the church. Interesting indeed… Second, he further identifies himself (as if he needed to) by saying that he was one who witnessed Christ’s suffering. In other words, Peter is saying that he is an apostle without saying that he is an apostle. Apostles were those who were personal witnesses of Christ’s live and death on earth. He doesn’t even mention that he was one of the twelve. Third, Peter says that he will also share in the glory to be revealed. Back in chapter 4, Peter taught that those who share in the suffering of Christ will also share in His glory. So Peter is stating that he has suffered for Christ without saying that he has suffered for Christ. In all three instances, Peter is identifying himself without boasting of his credentials or experiences. He is leading with humility which is a big change from the brash Peter we read about in the gospels. From the gospels to this book, God did an amazing work in Peter’s life – taking his boldness and transforming it from a fault into a strength. Peter was still a bold leader, but it had been tempered and reshaped by humility. Of course, Peter had to allow God to do that work in his life. He had to be submissive and obedient and permit God access to his life. We don’t like to do any of those things do we? We don’t like to be submissive or obedient, we don’t like to permit God access to our lives, and we definitely don’t like to be told we are doing things wrong. But if you want God to transform you that is exactly what you must do. Is God doing a work in your life? Lynda and I feel like we are experiencing a season of pruning in our life. He is challenging us to step out in faith in various ways and calling us to leave behind some things that perhaps we don’t necessarily need in our lives. It’s not an easy thing because these are things that we like and aren’t really wrong in any way. We are trying to respond by saying, “Yes, Lord,” instead of, “Why, Lord?” Not always the easiest thing to do… Are there parts of your life that God needs to prune? Things you watch? Things you listen to? People you hang out with? Places you go? Things you do? Do those things glorify God? Do they edify your spirit? Do they help bring others into relationship with God? If not, perhaps they are dead weight that simply holds you back from the things God has for you. I challenge you to think and pray about those things… “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:11

1 Peter 4:19 - Trust

“So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

The final verse of Chapter 4 gives us the final commandment of Peter’s 10 Commandments: Trust yourself to God. A good word to end on… here are Peter’s Commandments:

I. "Thou shalt be of sound judgment"
II. "Thou shalt be of sober spirit for the purpose of prayer"
III. "Thou shalt keep fervent in your love toward one another"
IV. "Thou shalt be hospitable"
V. “Thou shalt be good stewards of God's gifts"
VI. "Thou shalt speak the words of God"
VII. "Thou shalt not be surprised at fiery ordeals"
VIII. "Thou shalt not be ashamed to suffer as a Christian"
IX. "Thou shalt glorify God in the name Christian"
X. "Thou shalt entrust thy soul unto God"

There is a scene in Band of Brothers where a chaplain is walking through the city streets comforting and administering last rites to wounded soldiers. Not out of the ordinary for a chaplain, except that he is right in the middle of a huge battle; snipers are picking off people left and right, exploding shells are showering everyone with debris, and the chaplain walks from person to person calmly doing his ministry. How could he do such a thing? Because he trusted himself to God and continued to do good.

That may be an extreme example, but it illustrates this text perfectly. In the midst of a world that is often hostile to Christians, we have two choices: we can hide behind the church walls and become completely irrelevant in our communities, or we can be bold, trust ourselves to God and continue to do the good God has called us to do.

Persecution is coming – trust yourself to God. People will ridicule you – trust yourself to God. You are being judged – trust yourself to God. An opportunity to be hospitable has been thrust upon you – trust yourself to God. Do you want to make an impact on God’s Kingdom? Trust yourself to God.

As I get a little older (just a little mind you), I am more interested in spending my time working for things that have eternal significance. The only way we can do anything of eternal significance is through the direction and power of the Holy Spirit. We must, must, must trust ourselves to God for this day and every day that God gives us afterwards.

Where is your trust today? Are you placing your trust in your family, friends, or finances? Do you trust your own intelligence or creativity? Do you simply trust that everything will magically work out for you? Or are you actively putting your trust in the God who created the heavens and the earth in the confident expectation that He will keep His promise and fulfill His good plans for you?

I would go with that last one if I were you…

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.” – Matthew 19:29

1 Peter 4:17-18 - Everyone's Favorite Subject: Judgment

“For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,

If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

Well, this is an interesting passage. Why is God judging His people? Didn’t Jesus die on the cross so that those who believed in Him would escape God’s judgment?

I have written a solid page of discussion on this passage that made perfect sense in my head, but made no sense once it hit the paper. So allow me to showcase my computer skills by cutting and pasting part of the explanation of this passage from the excellent resource, “Hard Sayings of the Bible”.

“In this passage, then, Peter has three ways of looking at persecution. First, it is a test of faith, showing if the commitment of the professed Christian is genuine or not (1 Peter 4:12). Second, it is an identification with the sufferings of Christ, which will not only result in glory in the future, but leads to the Spirit of glory resting upon them now (1 Peter 4:13-14). Finally, it is a discipline or judgment, which shows that they are in fact God’s family and purifies them to live more in the character of the family.

The final judgment has begun, but it has begun with the purification of God’s church, God’s people, just as happened in the Old Testament. It will be consummated, however, not in condemnation for his people—they are his family and will be saved after being purified—but in terrible conclusive judgments upon unbelievers, which Jesus described so graphically (for example, Matthew 24-25) and Revelation pictures in visions (Rev. 15-16; Rev. 20).

I still do not like the idea of judgment, but my suffering does not necessarily mean that I am especially sinful. Since I am committed to Christ, the persecution I suffer is a sign that I am part of the household of God. He, as a good father, is purifying his family for our good. It is a sign of belonging. I may not enjoy the experience, but I can rejoice that I am among those facing judgment now, being purified in preparation for heaven, rather than among those who will face the full force of divine judgment later.”

Speaking of divine judgment, Rob Bell (the guy from the Nooma videos and the book Velvet Elvis) has a new book coming out called, “Love Wins: A book about Heaven, Hell and the fate of every person who ever lived.” I have been a Rob Bell fan…up until this book.

Without going into too much detail, this book teaches universalism – the teaching that everyone goes to heaven. While I wish that were true, the bible does not teach it. If you would like to read a review of the book, you can visit the site below:

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/03/14/rob-bell-love-wins-review/

Bell has descended into a liberal theology that distorts the truth of God’s gospel and will damage the faith of many believers. Typically I would say, “Read it and judge for yourself.” In this instance, I don’t believe there is any benefit in even reading it. If you choose to read it, read the review first, and then look up his biblical references and read them in context – which you should do with any Christian book you read anyway.

So yeah, I hope I haven’t piqued your interest so much that you run right out and purchase the book. Universalism sounds good, but the bible does not teach it, and that makes it heresy. And I don’t want you to stumble into heretical teaching because it’s a popular and reputable (at least till now) teacher. Bad theology is very dangerous to even the most knowledgeable and devout Christian…

1 Peter 4:15-16 - Ashamed?

“If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear his name.”

The second verse in this passage gives us the eighth of Peter’s 10 Commandments: do not be ashamed.

There will be many people who think you should be ashamed for being a Christian. They will argue that you are silly for believing in God – why not follow Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy while you’re at it? They will say you are a closed-minded, elitist, intolerant hypocrite. People will tolerate all types of abhorrent behavior, but they will not tolerate a Christian who believes in absolute truth.

But don’t listen to them – we have absolutely no reason to be ashamed. On the contrary, we could make a list of reasons as long as my arm why we should be proud to be called children of God, but I’ll mention just one: He sent His only Son to die for our sins so that we would not have to live in bondage to sin, mired in guilt and shame, and that will can live eternally in His paradise. I agree with Paul who said in Romans 1:16,

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then the Gentile.”

We’ve talked a lot about suffering in this little book; this verse gives us an idea of how we should suffer when persecution comes. Here is a nice 3-point rundown…

1. Don’t suffer like a murderer, thief, criminal, or even a meddler. This means a couple of things: first, we shouldn’t suffer like those mentioned above because they are guilty. First and foremost, don’t be a murderer, thief, or criminal! Second, how do you think criminals suffered? Perhaps they begged for mercy, perhaps they screamed and shouted that they were innocent, perhaps they attempted bribes or threatened others. Peter called the Christians to not retaliate in any way. If you suffer, do so in the quiet confidence that God sees and will act.

2. Do not be ashamed. When Christians were persecuted in the early days, the only charge against them was that they were Christians. Peter says don’t be ashamed of being persecuted for your faith. Also, the term Christian was originally a term of derision. Be proud that you are being persecuted for Christ’s sake. Own your faith regardless of the consequences and wear your persecution like a badge of honor.

3. Praise God. Again, Peter goes the extra mile in this teaching. He exhorts us not only to bear up under persecution with courage and not to be ashamed, but he also calls us to praise God for it. Again, Peter puts more stock in being identified with Christ than his own comfort or safety – and God calls us to do the same.

We have all felt the sting of ridicule, mockery, or persecution at some point in our lives. Nobody will argue that its fun or something to look forward to. But it isn’t something to shy away from or change your lifestyle to avoid. God will repay you for every insult you endure for His name – stand strong and be bold. God is with you!

“God takes a safe course with his children, that they may not be condemned with the world, He permits the world to condemn them, that they many not love the world, the world hates them…” – Richard Sibbes