. . . to encourage you and to
testify that this is the true grace of God.
This Sunday we finish our study of 1st
Peter, and it has been a rich and rewarding journey. When we started 1st Peter in
January I hoped our study would inform us on how we should live in a culture
which has become increasing hostile to our faith. I believe this inspired little letter has not
only given insight regarding our response to an unbelieving society, but it has
also encouraged, instructed, and rebuked us.
As we draw our study to a close and examine the final three verses I
noticed that these verses helpfully summarize the teaching of the entire
book. Expanding off of these three
verses I have outlined several themes we consistently saw throughout our study. This outline is not exhaustive, but merely
represents several of the important themes I hope have shaped our congregation
over the last sixth months.
1.
It
is important to keep reality in perspective. In other words, we should live in light of
eternity. Throughout this letter the
Lord consistently reminds us that there is more to life than the here and
now. The letter begins by reminding us
we are pilgrims (1:1, 17; 2:11), and this world is not our home. Therefore, our “best life” is ahead of us. Our
home, our hope, our reward, our inheritance is in the near future.
And Lord haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be roll’d back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
2.
We should
endure innocent suffering. The Lord Jesus is more than our example, but he is not less than
our example. His sacrificial suffering
and death is not only our salvation, but it is our pattern for life. 1st Peter 2: 21 reminds us, “For
you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an
example, so that you should follow in His steps. He did not commit sin and no deceit was found
in his mouth. . .” 1st Peter
3.17 states, “For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s
will, than for doing evil. For Christ
also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous . . .”
Much to often we want to retaliate against those who persecute us rather than “turn
the other cheek.”
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my
sake will find it.”[ii]
3.
We
should live soberly and alert
(1:13;4:7; 5:8). It is very easy to lose
focus of what is important in life, or even what is dangerous. We are bombarded with messages clambering for
our attention. These messages
(advertising, pop culture, etc.) call our attention away from reality, and
urges us to focus on the petty and insignificant. Therefore, we get excited over the new iPhone
or latest fashion trend. With so many
distractions begging for our attention it is no wonder the American church is
confused and frustrated when we feel “light” persecution.
“. . . give him a grand general idea that he knows it all and that
everything he happens to have picked up in causal talk and reading is ‘the results
of modern investigation.’ Do remember you are there to fuddle him.”[iii]
4.
We are called to a holy life (1:14;
2:11). Since our Father is holy we are
called to live a holy life, but many people view holiness like they view work-
not fun. The Bible gives us a different definition
of holiness, which includes freedom from the slavery of sin, and the presences
of righteousness, completeness, maturity, and satisfaction. Since we were created to be holy, a
perversion of this (sin) leaves us feeling discouraged, hopeless, devastated,
and dark. Since we have been given new
life in Christ, through his sacrificial death on our behalf, we can leave
behind sin, and pursue the life we were meant to live (in Christ), righteous
and holy.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he
had for us, made us alive with the Messiah, even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! [iv]
5.
We
should love one another. At least four times in this letter we are instructed
to love the brothers. This seems fairly
straightforward, but this command is in included in this letter for a
reason. The church often struggles with
this basic principle, and therefore the hostility is sometimes more severe
inside the church than against it. If we
love Jesus, then we will love his Bride, the church, and if we are children of God,
then our lives will be marked with love.
Dear friends,
let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has
been born of God and knows God.[v]
There is much more to glean from
this brief encouraging letter, and we are unable to exhaust its riches even if
we spent a year studying it. However, I
hope our six month journey has encouraged, edified, and shaped your faith, and
it is my prayer that this book will continue to inform your walk with King
Jesus till the day he returns. May the
Lord feed your souls.
