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COLLECTIONS
Commentaries, Word
Studies, Devotionals, Sermons, Illustrations
Old and New Testament. |
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Today in the Word
Copyright Moody Bible Institute.
Used by permission. All rights reserved |
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1 Peter 1:1-2
"In the summer of 1969, then-President Richard Nixon engaged
in hyperbole to express his excitement over America's landing
on the moon...The President obviously got a little carried
away by the thrill of man's first steps on the moon. moon.
When the Apollo 11 astronauts returned to earth following the
first-ever moon landing, Nixon called their mission ""the
greatest week in the history of the world since the Creation,
because as a result of what happened in this week, the world
is bigger, infinitely."
The President obviously got a little carried away by the
thrill of man's first steps on the moon. But it was an
historic moment. For the first time ever, human beings left
the familiar confines of earth and traveled to a strange
world, where they ""sojourned"" for a short time before
returning home.
We might say that our Christian pilgrimage on earth reverses
this movement. Almost from the opening word of his first
letter, the apostle Peter lets us know that believers are just
""passing through"" this world. In 1 Peter 2:11, he even
refers to God's people as ""aliens"" on earth.
Why are Christians only temporary travelers on earth? It's
because heaven is our true home, toward which we are moving
every day. Everything we value and hold dear originated in
heaven and is designed to get us to heaven one day.
For example, our salvation was initiated by the electing work
that the Father performed in eternity past. It was secured for
us by the blood of Christ, shed at the cross. And our
salvation is brought to maturity and completion by the
sanctifying work of the Spirit, the process of conforming us
to the image of Jesus Christ.
Peter knew those to whom he was writing, many of whom may have
been strangers where they were living. He was writing to
believers scattered throughout the five areas he lists, each a
Roman province in Asia Minor. Some of these people may have
been driven to their location by persecution (Acts 8:1
describes a similar situation).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY We can't afford to forget that this world
is just a ""rest stop"" for us on the way to our true home. So
how do you know if you're really living in the light of this
truth? One way is by testing your reaction to the loss of any
""creature comforts"" that God might ask you to surrender |
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1 Peter 1:2 According to
Baptist Standard reporter Robert O’Brien, “Desert-dwelling
Bedouins come straight out of biblical history, but they don’t
live in a land flowing with milk and honey. They eke out a
hard existence, either as rootless nomads living in tents
across the Middle East and North Africa or as cultivators who
have gravitated into a more settled life in concrete and stone
structures.” O’Brien goes on to say that, even for Bedouins
who live in houses, “their nomadic past shapes and dominates
their mindset and worldview.”
As Christians living in this world, we’re much like these
modern-day Bedouins. Although most of us live in homes and not
in tents, spiritually speaking we’re nomads and aliens whose
mindset and worldview need to be shaped by this reality.
The apostle Peter knew what it was like to be a traveler with
no permanent earthly home. He spent the last decade of his
life in Rome, where he was eventually martyred around AD 67.
Many of the Christians in Peter’s day were also strangers in a
strange land, scattered throughout the Roman world. Several
years prior to his death, Peter wrote to a group of these
believers living in provinces spread across Asia Minor, in
what is now northern Turkey.
The apostle addressed his readers as “strangers in the world”
(v. 1), a spiritual reality for people whose true citizenship
was in heaven (Phil. 3:20). As such, they were subject to the
misunderstanding, threats, insults, persecution, and other
abuse that a pagan culture often inflicts on followers of
Christ.
Peter wanted his readers to know how to handle persecution
from a hostile world. The goal for people who claim to follow
Christ is to display “the true grace of God” (1 Peter 5:12)
that has transformed their lives.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY - Since we’re travelers and strangers, we
can’t be too settled in our routines or too attached to our
stuff. |
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1 Peter 1:3-6
There
are plenty of ways to lose money, but not many ways to replace
it. However, the government will replace currency that has
been waterlogged, burned, torn, or otherwise marred, provided
certain criteria are met. The Treasury will replace damaged
bills if more than half of the bill is identifiable. If less
than half remains, Treasury officials will replace the money
if they are satisfied it was destroyed. Bills that are so
damaged that their value is unrecognizable must be redeemed by
the Bureau of Engraving.
We can
thank the Lord that no such restoration or reclamation project
will be necessary for our ""heavenly currency,"" the
inheritance God has reserved for us in heaven. Peter says that
this inheritance will not ""perish, spoil or fade"" (v. 4).
This is Peter's version of Jesus' threefold promise that the
treasure we lay up in heaven will not be susceptible to moths,
rust or thieves (Matt. 6:20, see Tuesday's study). It's
important to notice what secured this treasure for us: the
resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3), which demonstrated
that God accepted His payment for our sins on the cross.
In other words, our heavenly inheritance--which includes our
salvation--was purchased at a great price. God the Father is
not about to let such a costly gift be corrupted or spoiled.
As a matter of fact, it is impossible for that to happen.
But the fact that heaven holds a treasure for us is not the
whole story. If even one believer were to lose his or her
salvation and fail to reach heaven, a part of God's
inheritance would go unclaimed.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY - Whenever the biblical writers talk about
believers and their hope of heaven, they are very sure that
all of those who know Christ will reach their eternal home.
These writers have good reason for such certainty. Jesus
Himself said that He had not lost one of those whom the Father
had given Him, except Judas in fulfillment of prophecy (John
17:12). Our Savior also said that no one could snatch His
sheep out of His hand or out of His Father's hand (John
10:28-30). |
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1 Peter
1:3-5
Last spring's bizarre and tragic mass cult
suicide in southern California underscored the dramatic
difference between the Christian's hope and the false hopes of
this world. The ""Heaven's Gate"" cultists' belief that death
would free them to rise to the ""next level"" of existence
became literally a dead hope when they acted on their leader's
teachings and took their own lives.
The gloom, despair and death that shrouded this news story as
it unfolded contrast sharply with the joy, praise and life
that accompany salvation in Christ. Peter had special reason
to exult in Christ's resurrection, which sealed the divine
redemption that brought us from spiritual death to eternal
life.
Peter was an eyewitness of the Resurrection, which not only
placed him in special company but also energized his faith and
removed any doubt or reluctance from his heart. Even more, as
we saw earlier, Peter was forgiven and restored to service by
the risen Christ. The former fisherman knew all about God's
""great mercy"" (v. 3).
In relation to the inheritance stored up for us in heaven,
Peter's words in today's passage echo the teaching of Jesus,
which Peter heard during the Sermon on the Mount (Matt.
6:19-21). The apostle proved to be a good pupil, reflecting
his Master's view of a heavenly treasure which no earthly
corruption can touch.
This teaching about their heavenly inheritance must have been
encouraging to Peter's readers. Judging by both 1st and 2nd
Peter, these people were undergoing persecution and suffering
for their faith in Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Need three great reasons to rejoice on this Lord's day?
Consider what God has done for believers in Christ. First, God
has taken care of our past through our new birth (1 Peter
1:3). Although we were dead in our sins (Eph. 2:1), when we
trusted Christ, we were given new life.
Second, God has secured our future by storing up an
inheritance that is kept in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:4).
And in the present, despite the trials that come upon us,
nothing can take us down because we are being ""shielded by
God's power"" (v. 5). We will enjoy that protection until
Christ comes for us! |
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1 Peter 1:6-9: Trials have an
uncanny way of revealing what's inside a person. Consider the
behavior of some passengers aboard the doomed luxury liner
Titanic. As the great ship was sinking and the few lifeboats
were being filled, the command on deck was ""women and
children first."" According to one survivor, most of the men
and older boys obeyed the order. But some men ran back to the
ship's staterooms and changed into women's clothing in an
effort to gain a seat on a lifeboat.
The crisis brought out the worst in these men. What about us?
When God sends trials our way, do we respond in fear or in
faith? God intends trials and testings to produce good fruit
in our lives. This is one of the classic paradoxes of the
Christian faith: great rejoicing in the face of real troubles.
A Christian's joy is not driven by circumstances.
What is its source, then? Peter answers that question
beginning with the first two words in verse 6. ""In this""
refers to the exciting truth that God has secured our past,
present and future (vv. 3-5).
When trials and testings are seen against the backdrop of
God's complete work in us, we realize that His purpose in them
is to strengthen us, not to sink us. Peter makes that truth
explicit in verse 7. God's goal in testing is to produce in us
a pure, priceless faith.
To some, this kind of reasoning sounds like ""pie in the
sky."" But Peter is not talking about grinning and bearing it
or pretending it doesn't hurt. He knew what it meant to be
beaten and imprisoned for his faith (see, for instance, Acts
12).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY - Need three great reasons to rejoice on
this Lord's day? Consider what God has done for believers in
Christ. Peter doesn't deny that trials can bring temporary
grief.
But the apostle also says we can find abundant joy in spite of
our troubles when we lift our eyes to take a larger view.
Although Peter may be referring primarily to persecution, a
Christian's trials can also include physical suffering,
financial setbacks or family disappointments.
Peter reminds us that these troubles can be tools in the
Father's hand to refine and strengthen our faith, as well as
to bring praise and glory to Christ |
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1 Peter 1:10-12 Various cults
believe they have ""revelation"" that is additional to the
Bible. Joseph Smith, for instance, founder of Mormon-ism,
claimed to have discovered and translated divine golden
tablets. ""Christian Science"" is firmly based on the writings
of Mary Baker Eddy. And the Jehovah's Witnesses and others
have actually tried to set dates for Jesus' return.
The beliefs of these and other cults illustrate the strong
spiritual curiosity and hunger in human nature. But their
quest for additional revelation is in vain. God's ""final
word"" has already been spoken in the person of His Son, Jesus
Christ. We in the church know what saints and prophets in the
Old Testament longed to know.
The Bible often speaks of the fact that in Jesus Christ God's
revelation was complete (Heb. 1:2). Jesus was prophesied in
the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament.
It's clear from the Old Testament writings that the prophets
did not have all the pieces of the puzzle. They wrote of the
Messiah's coming and His sufferings, but according to Peter
they strongly desired to know more.
It's a little overwhelming to think that in one sense the
experiences of prophets such as Isaiah and Ezekiel are not
complete without us in the church. Peter says this is so,
however, and that these earlier believers were serving us in
what they wrote. Even angels long to understand about
salvation.
What a privileged position we enjoy, being on this side of
Calvary and having God's complete revelation in our hands.
Peter wrote to his scattered readers as one who was aware of
his privileged position. As an apostle and a biblical writer,
he was one of those to whom God entrusted His final
revelation.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Need three great reasons to rejoice on this Lord's day?
Consider what God has done for believers in Christ. It's
amazing: the prophets of Scripture, and even the angels, are
overcome with curiosity about our salvation.
No matter what setbacks and disappointments we may face in
this life, as believers in Jesus Christ we are incredibly
privileged people. It's good to step back from time to time to
simply delight in the truth that we are children of God |
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1 Peter 1:13-21 A recent
survey of Japanese and American parents revealed much about
the values that people in various cultures hold dear. The
question was submitted to these parents, ""What do you wish
most for your children?"" The leading response among Japanese
parents was that they wanted their children to be
successful--a reflection of the high value Japanese culture
places on marketplace success. The most frequent wish of
American parents for their children was happiness--a
reflection of our ""feel good"" culture.
Our Father God's greatest desire for His children is neither
success nor happiness, but instead that we be like Him, ""holy
in all [we] do"" (v. 15). This is a command, written into the
Mosaic Law and never altered.
How do we fulfill our Father's desire--and His command--for
us? Peter gives us several ways.
For example, he tells us to get ready for action as people who
are self-controlled (v. 13). Peter's original readers were
facing hard times, yet the Bible never tells Christians to
hide out until trouble passes by. New Testament metaphors for
the Christian life--a walk, a race, a war, even a boxing
match--all suggest action and the need for self-discipline.
Another way we can achieve the holiness Peter speaks of is by
setting our hope fully on Christ. This should sound familiar
by now, because it is a favorite theme of Peter's. Looking
ahead with hope and joy to the return of Christ is a call to
action, not an invitation to a hammock in the shade.
Peter also calls us to be ""obedient children"" (v. 14) by not
conforming to our old way of life. The original word for
""conform"" is the same one Paul uses in Romans 12:2, where we
are called to be transformed rather than conformed people.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Need three great reasons to rejoice on this Lord's day?
Consider what God has done for believers in Christ. Success
and happiness are not evil in themselves. But they're not
primary on God's ""wish list"" for His children. One problem
with pursuing success or happiness as our main ambition is
that the pursuit itself can lead us into desires that
definitely are evil. It's hard to live in ""reverent fear""
when we are running after temporal things. |
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1 Peter 1:22-25 Perhaps not
even a single one of our readers has read all the way through
the U.S. tax code. This document is about 9군 pages long,
discouraging enough for even the most avid reader. But there's
another challenge awaiting those who attempt to understand
this massive piece of government regulation. The tax code is
undergoing constant revision--and according to one certified
public accountant, the manual for the 1996 tax year alone is
more than 700 pages long!
America's ever-changing tax code provides a stark contrast to
the unchanging, imperishable Word of God. The apostle Peter's
reverence for the Word shines through in many places in his
epistles. He certainly has the Old Testament in mind here,
because it was a completed work in Peter's day and a source of
changeless divine truth.
But Peter was also keenly aware that the gospel which he and
the other apostles were preaching was the revealed Word of God
(v. 25). He refers to the fact that his ""dear brother Paul""
was also writing Scripture at that time (2 Pet. 3:15).
The process by which Peter, Paul and the prophets wrote is
called ""inspiration,"" a term Peter explains in 2 Peter
1:19-21. He makes it clear in those verses that the biblical
authors wrote not from their own impetus, but as they were
""carried along by the Holy Spirit.""
The result of this divine overseeing is a Word that ""stands
firm in the heavens"" (Ps. 119:89). The prophet Isaiah
contrasted God's eternal Word with the short life span of
grass and flowers, which fade and fall rather quickly.
Peter quoted Isaiah to remind us that our new birth rests on
the unchanging guarantees of God's Word. We will be eternally
grateful for that! Imagine what it would be like if the truth
we are commanded to obey kept changing with every new fad of
culture or religion.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Need three great reasons to rejoice on this Lord's day?
Consider what God has done for believers in Christ.Notice
again the last phrase in today's text. Peter reminds his
readers that the preaching of the imperishable Word is God's
method of transmitting His truth (1 Cor. 1:21). |
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1 Peter 2:1 The story is told
that author Edgar Allen Poe died in 1849 in a drunken stupor
while lying in a Baltimore gutter. But a new look at the
medical evidence from Poe's last days shows that the writer
was not drunk, but suffering from rabies. Furthermore, he did
not die on the street, but in a hospital.
So how did the false story get started? It may have been
concocted by Poe's doctor. A strong temperance advocate, he
might have wanted to turn the writer's death into a propaganda
lesson about the evils of alcoholism.
Whatever Edgar Allen Poe's personal shortcomings were, it
appears that his reputation has suffered from more than a
century of slander. It's a classic case. Like most slander,
the story contains a kernel of truth. Poe was seen in a bar
acting strangely shortly before his death, and he did drink
occasionally. But these facts did not contribute to his death.
Nonetheless, the slanderous account endured for more than one
hundred years.
The Bible warns: ""Do not slander one another."" Slander has
no purpose but to tear down the character and reputation of
its target. It is often built on just enough truth to make it
believable, especially to ears receptive to gossip. But
slander inflicts damage that is almost impossible to undo.
That's one reason it has no place in the family of God.
James links slander with a violation of the law of God, saying
that the person who slanders a brother or a sister in Christ
sets himself above the law. There is only one Person who is
higher than the law: God, the Lawgiver and Judge.
In what way is slander the same as judging a fellow Christian?
In many cases, the person spreading slander has made a
judgment about another person's motives, which we learned
earlier this month is a very dangerous step to take (see
February 6).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Slanderous gossip can be passed on only when there are ears
and mouths willing to do the job.
Besides refusing to listen, there is an effective way to
silence slander. Tell the speaker that you won't listen unless
he or she agrees that the two of you will go to the person
named and confirm the facts of the case. If the ""juicy bit""
is merely a second-hand rumor, your offer will likely be
refused. |
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1 Peter 2:1-3: Like many
doting new fathers, President William Howard Taft was
delighted with the birth of his first child, Robert. The elder
Taft, writing in 1890, called his son ""the finest
seven-month-old boy in the country"" and referred to the
nightly ""interviews"" he and Mrs. Taft were obliged to have
with their infant son.
Any parent of a newborn knows that those nightly
""interviews,"" as Taft called them, are really feedings. A
baby doesn't try to hide or deny his hunger. He isn't
hypocritical about it either, pretending he wants milk for any
purpose other than to satisfy his hunger.
This is the way God wants us to approach His Word. If we are
going to experience the full benefit of its nourishment, we
need to rid ourselves of the attitudes that block God's work
in our lives. Today's text contains five sins that can sour
the ""pure spiritual milk"" of the Word within us.
These sins of the heart and the lips are for the most part
self-explanatory. Peter borrows from one of them to show how
God's Word is utterly different from anything that is tainted
with sin. He calls the Word ""pure,"" the opposite of the word
used in verse 1 for ""deceit.""
There is nothing deceitful at all in God's Word. ""The words
of the Lord are flawless...purified seven times,"" the
psalmist writes (Ps. 12:6). We don't need to worry that we
will receive anything but pure spiritual nourishment when we
take in the Scriptures.
And the goal of being nourished, of course, is to grow. Good
parents don't feed their babies just to silence their cries.
Feeding on milk is part of the growth process.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Everyone knows how much newborn babies crave the milk they
need to live and grow on. Nothing else can satisfy them.
Wouldn't it be great if we as God's people felt that same kind
of intense hunger for His Word? We can!
One key to developing that kind of hunger is found in verse 3
of today's reading. If you have ""tasted that the Lord is
good,"" you'll want more. In what ways have you tasted the
Lord's goodness over the past few months or weeks |
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1 Peter 2:4-8 Perhaps your
church has a cornerstone inscribed with the date your church
was built and maybe a Scripture verse. You may have been
present when this cornerstone was laid and the building
dedicated.
Although cornerstones today are largely ceremonial--sometimes
even hollowed out for a time capsule--ancient buildings had
massive cornerstones to support their weight. Because
cornerstones were essential, they became a metaphor for a
foundation. Psalm 118 describes the nation Israel as a
cornerstone, but one that had been rejected by other nations
yet chosen by God (v. 22). God’s vindication of the nation
produced great joy (vv. 23–24).
Centuries later Jesus used the Parable of the Wicked Tenants
(Matt. 21; Mark 12; Luke 20) to apply this psalm to Himself,
likening Himself to Israel--rejected by humans but vindicated
and exalted by God.
Perhaps while reflecting on this very parable, Peter also
wrote about Jesus, the Cornerstone. But since a cornerstone is
used in a building, we may wonder what type of building would
have Jesus as its cornerstone? Notice how today’s passage from
Peter begins by calling Jesus the Living Stone (v. 4). What’s
more, all believers are described as living stones who are
precious to God and who are being built into a spiritual house
of worship (v. 5).
In addition to Psalm 118, Peter also quoted Isaiah
28:16--today’s verse. This beautiful passage probably first
had the massive stonework of the temple in mind, alluding to
the abiding, unshakable presence of the Lord. The one who
trusts in this chosen, precious Cornerstone will never be put
to shame (1 Peter 2:6).
Knowing that Jesus is our Cornerstone is a marvelous source of
comfort. He is our stability, our firm foundation, the solid
rock of our strength.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Psalms and hymns are filled with metaphors for Jesus’
foundational nature. For example, in Psalms 18:2 and 31:2, the
Lord is a rock and a fortress. In Psalm 61:3, the Lord is a
strong tower. |
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1 Peter 2:4-9 More than
120 years after General George Custer and his 7th Cavalry were
destroyed at the Little Bighorn River in southern Montana, the
famous battlefield is adding a new memorial stone. A monument
was erected in 1881 to honor Custer and the soldiers and
Indian scouts who fell with him. Now the National Parks
Service has announced plans to add another monument in tribute
to the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors who defeated
Custer on June 25-26, 1876.
Memorial stones are important markers. The Bible speaks of
another important stone--not an historical monument to people
now dead, but a ""living Stone"" and a living Person, Jesus
Christ (v. 4).
In today's Scripture reading Peter shifts his thought from our
desire for the Word of God to our longing for the God of the
Word. The coming to Jesus that Peter has in mind is clearly
not salvation, since the verb form suggests a repeated coming.
What the apostle is talking about is our fellowship with
Christ, the heart of our Christian experience.
Peter's picture of Jesus as a cornerstone, rejected by some
but precious to others, is borrowed from the prophets,
particularly Isaiah. The cornerstone is that stone on which a
building rests, which gives it its visible support.
Jesus the Messiah came as Israel's cornerstone, but the nation
rejected Him. Its leaders stumbled over Jesus because they
disobeyed His message of repentance and faith in Him.
As Jesus' apostle, Peter felt the sting of that rejection. But
he was also privileged to participate in the construction of
God's new building, the church.
Notice the lofty language Peter uses in verse 5 to describe
the church. We are a ""spiritual house"" and a ""holy
priesthood."" Priests offer sacrifices, so we offer ourselves
as living sacrifices to God and give Him a sacrifice of praise
(Rom. 12:1-2; Heb. 13:15). As God's priests must be holy, so
we are called to be holy (1 Peter 1:15-16).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The picture of the church as a group of ""living stones""
formed into a spiritual house tells us that for believers in
Jesus Christ, church is not optional.
Someone has said that if Christ was willing to lay down His
life for the church, it shouldn't be a problem for us to show
up regularly in our churches. |
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1 Peter 2:9 Dr. Joseph
Stowell remembers seeing railroad crossing signs from his
childhood that said, “Look, Listen, and Yield.” Dr. Stowell
says this combination of alertness and submission is not only
a good formula at railroad crossings, but also an excellent
pattern for Christians to follow in their relationship with
God.
The apostle Peter would say amen to this formula. The apostle
was writing to Christians living as aliens in the world, to
encourage them in the face of suffering and to urge them to
respond as Jesus Christ would. To do this successfully, these
believers needed to be alert (see 1 Peter 5:8) and to yield to
God’s will for them. God calls us to follow the same example.
We learned that God’s will for us is our holiness (1 Peter
1:15-16). Holiness is a big concept, so Peter clarified its
meaning. Holiness means living with a reverence for God that
takes into account the high price He paid to save us. It also
involves loving other Christians with a pure love that avoids
hypocrisy.
Living in this way is possible because we have been given new
life through the gospel (1:12) that Peter and the other
apostles preached to the church. Part of Peter’s
Spirit-inspired preaching urged believers to grow spiritually
the way a baby grows naturally--by taking in solid
nourishment.
Peter changed metaphors in verse 4 and used a word picture
that we might expect from someone whose name means “stone.” As
a student of the Old Testament, Peter knew that the prophets
had likened the coming Redeemer to a stone. The apostle had
seen the Stone, Jesus Christ, with his own eyes and had heard
Jesus refer to Himself as such (compare v. 7 with Matt.
21:42).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today we don’t have to bring an animal sacrifice to a priest,
so that he might offer the animal’s blood as a temporary
covering for sin.
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1 Peter 2:9-12 When the
secular world tries to define what is ""Christian,"" the
result is often a bad case of confusion. Two recent surveys
verify that fact. In one study, people suggested that the most
widely read ""Christian"" magazine is the Reader's Digest! In
another survey, the respondents said the most listened-to
""Christian"" radio programs were a popular newscast and a
well-known conservative political talk show.
We should not be surprised
by such thinking from the secular world. But the sad reality
is that the Christian world often seems to be similarly
confused about what makes believers distinctive.
Anyone who needs a short refresher course on this subject can
find it in today's reading. In a series of rapid strokes,
Peter paints a remarkably clear portrait of who we are in
Christ and what we are supposed to be about as Christians.
That is, we Christians are not different because of the things
we do or do not participate in. Nor are we different because
we go to church. Fundamentally, we are different because God
has called us out of the darkness of sin into the light of His
salvation.
We are chosen because of the electing work of the Father
(1:1-2). We are royal because we are children of the King. We
are holy because God declared us righteous through the
sacrifice of Christ. And we belong to God because He bought us
with the precious blood of Christ (1:19).
That's a profound difference from the world! No wonder that we
are considered ""aliens and strangers"" (2:11) in this world.
But our uniqueness is not designed to make us feel proud or
superior to unbelievers, or to cause us to withdraw and huddle
together until Christ returns.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
There's nothing like a brightly shining light to drive away
the darkness and dispel confusion.
The unsaved people
around you may not have their theology straight, but it's hard
to overlook or deny the witness of your life as it's lived for
Christ. Is there something about your life that cannot be
explained apart from the power of God working in you? |
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1 Peter 2:11-17 When the
Roman Empire fell to barbarian invaders in the fifth century
AD, many people blamed the empire’s collapse on Christianity,
which was considered a cult opposed to the traditional Roman
gods. One of the Chris-tian faith’s greatest defenders against
this slanderous charge was the church father Augustine. This
great theologian and leader wrote The City of God to
demonstrate the superiority of Chris-tianity over any worldly
system.
The accusations against Christians when Rome fell were the
culmination of a stormy relationship between the Roman Empire
and Christians living in it. Christians clashed with the
empire when they refused to worship the emperor or otherwise
conform to its pagan culture. At times, the church was the
target of intense, organized persecution by the authorities.
Such persecution doesn’t seem to be the case in Peter’s day.
He indicated that, in general, Christians could expect the
protection of the government if they did what was right. But
the recipients of 1 Peter were still the target of slanderous
charges by some people who wanted to discredit them and their
faith.
Peter reminded his readers that the best answer of all to
false charges was the true evidence of a Christian’s “good
deeds.” Like the prophet Daniel, we need to live with such
personal integrity and honesty that even our worst accusers
can’t make their charges stick.
One of the good deeds Christians are commanded to do is to
show respect and submission to authority. That’s not always
easy, and there are times when obedience to Christ demands
disobeying human rulers. Peter himself applied this exception
(Acts 4:19-20).
Under most circumstances, however, the rule is obedience to
authority, because God both requires it and blesses it. Notice
the motivation for living holy lives with respect to human
authority. We do so “for the Lord’s sake” because it is “God’s
will” (vv. 13, 15).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Hopefully few of us will have serious problems with the
government or other authority figures. |
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1 Peter 2:13-17 The New York
subway system has been trying what some are calling a ""grand
experiment in efficiency and manners."" In an effort to cut
subway train stops to less than 45 seconds and increase
passenger flow, the New York City Transit Authority has
painted orange arrows and black lines on the subway platform
at Grand Central Station. The idea is for people to play by
the rules by following the lines and making the train stops
more efficient. After one month, officials reported that, to
the surprise of more than one observer, commuters were for the
most part obeying the rules.
Living as ""aliens and strangers in the world"" (v. 11) does
not exempt believers from playing by the rules or the laws of
society. On the contrary, we are also to set the example in
this area.
This section of Peter's letter gives us further indication
that his readers (in the five provinces he listed in opening
the epistle) were undergoing some sort of persecution for
their faith in Christ. It does not seem likely that organized
persecution of Christians by the Roman government had yet
begun. That was still to come, and under those conditions
believers would face torture and death.
In the case of Peter's audience, it seems that the
mistreatment was mostly in the form of slander and accusations
(v. 12)--the ""ignorant talk of foolish men"" (v. 15) that was
best answered by an exemplary life.
Since its earliest days, the church has wrestled with its
relationship to the government. Peter himself gave us the
principle that when obedience to the state and obedience to
God are in conflict, ""we must obey God rather than men!""
(Acts 5:29; see also 4:19-20).
But Peter was also quick to admonish God's people to obey
God-ordained authority. He even went so far as to tell slaves
to bear with unjust treatment by a harsh master.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you ""play by the rules,"" even when no one is looking and
when cutting a corner might save you time and hassle?
Scoffing at traffic laws, misusing the boss's property or time
at work, or failing to show courtesy and respect for others in
public are areas of Christian discipleship easily overlooked |
|
1 Peter 2:18-25 At the end of
the 1500s, the Japanese church was thriving, with about 300
Christians. But at the beginning of the 1600s, the Japanese
emperor decided that Christianity was a tool Western nations
were using to gain political power. He issued a decree against
the church and a time of severe persecution began.
In one incident, 70 Japan-ese believers were crucified
upside-down on the beach at low tide. As the tide rolled in,
the water rose higher on their bodies, finally covering their
noses and mouths. The 70 Christians died by drowning and
became martyrs for Christ.
The churches under Peter's care were also experiencing
persecution, and the apostle wanted them to understand that
suffering is part of the Christian life. His thoughts on this
topic carry through to the end of chapter 2. Peter points to
the sufferings of Christ as our ultimate example.
First, Peter states an obvious truth: suffering deserved
punishment for doing wrong doesn't get us anywhere with God.
If we are going to suffer, he says, make sure it's because we
are doing right as Christians (see 1 Peter 4:16).
Peter has already told us several times how important it is
for us to do good. Is he asking us to be ""do-gooders"" as the
world uses that term? Hardly. Doing good in Peter's mind is
the response of someone who has experienced salvation; good
deeds are not themselves the path to salvation.
Verse 21 reminds us that for believers, suffering is not an
accidental happening. We have been called to suffer as
witnesses to the world of the character of Christ. We can
imagine the images that must have been in Peter's mind as he
recounted Jesus' sufferings and death, much of which Peter had
witnessed.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Not all of the problems and setbacks we encounter in life are
the result of our commitment to Christ.
But if you can point to a situation where you are making a
sincere effort to do what is right, and yet you are suffering
in some way for it, that's a different case. First, you need
to know that you enjoy God's commendation for your
determination to do right. And second, you need to realize
that this is an opportunity for you to display the character
of Christ to everyone involved. |
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1 Peter 2:19-23 Twelve
Filipino evangelists visited a camp of Muslim rebels last July
to pray for a group of hostages. The extremists decided to
seize the ministers as well, keeping them as additional
hostages. They were held captive for three long months.
Finally, in early October, one of the evangelists escaped and
was picked up by Filipino soldiers. After a brief battle
between the soldiers and the rebels, the rest of the
evangelists were also rescued, although the Muslims escaped
with four other hostages.
Because of the turbulent political situation in the southern
Philippines, these evangelists endured a harrowing ordeal. But
no doubt they viewed themselves as suffering for the Lord.
Jesus never said that following Him would be easy! In fact, to
follow in His footsteps means we can expect the same kind of
treatment He received (cf. John 15:18-21).
Peter taught that when suffering is unjustly received for
doing good, then it is worthy of respect before God, no matter
what people think. He even went so far as to say that
believers are called to suffer. Why? “Because Christ suffered
for you” (v. 21).
Jesus set the example. He did not sin against His persecutors,
nor did He deceive them, threaten them, or retaliate against
them. Instead, He put His trust in God, the ultimate and
perfectly just Judge (v. 23). The word example means that we
are to imitate Christ in everything, in the same sense in
which an art student reproduces a well-known drawing.
In the big picture, because Christ suffered, we are to live
holy lives, submitted to the will of God (1 Peter 2:24;
4:1-2). We can expect to suffer, as He did, and should count
it a privilege to do so (Phil. 1:29). We know that our reward
will be great in heaven (Matt. 5:10-12)!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Here on earth, suffering occupies a key place in the Christian
life. God uses it to shape us into the “likeness of His Son”
(Rom. 8:29). |
|
1 Peter 3:1-7 A magazine for
Christian leaders published a cartoon that showed a pastor
peering out anxiously from inside a World-War-II-style bunker,
which was behind the pulpit. The well-protected pastor
announced, “My text for today is 1 Peter 3:1-7.”
Today, it’s very socially and politically incorrect to suggest
that marriage is built on a wife’s loving submission and
respect and a husband’s loving tenderness and consideration.
We shouldn’t be surprised that the world labels this concept
outmoded, even dangerous. As the magazine cartoon suggests,
Christians often seem just as reluctant to stand by what the
Bible teaches. However, Peter lets us know that couples need
these qualities for the success of their relationship.
Moreover, this issue affects how God relates to us.
Tommy Nelson, whose insights on marriage we shared last week
(see September 17), puts it on the line for married believers.
“If your relationship to God does not show itself in being a
tender husband and a responsive and respectful wife, then it
is not penetrating the most essential area of your life.”
This requires serious reflection. Our reading indicates how
essential the relationship between a wife and husband is. Much
of a woman’s sense of self is tied to the way she presents
herself, both outwardly and inwardly. The Bible has been
accused of trying to shut away women at home in a subservient
role, but that distorts Peter’s message. Accepting her
husband’s leadership is not a statement of a wife’s
inferiority. Both partners are equally valuable before God.
Peter’s caution against a woman investing her wealth and worth
in her physical appearance to the detriment of her spirit
reflects the same principle Jesus taught on several occasions.
That is, believers cannot afford to invest their resources in
things on earth to the neglect of eternal issues (Matt.
6:19-21; Luke 12:21).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
You may recall the blast of media criticism that erupted in
1998 when a major Christian group dared to state that a wife
should “lovingly submit” to her husband”
--------------------------------
A cartoon in a magazine for
those in Christian ministry shows the front platform in a
church, but instead of a pulpit there is a tank-like box with
only a narrow opening at the top. Through the opening we can
see the pastor's fearful eyes, widened in apprehension as he
announces that his text for the morning is 1 Peter 3:1-7.
That cartoon is significant
because it reveals the sense many believers have that when we
venture onto the subject of submission, we are bound to get
bad responses from all sides.
Peter didn't suffer from our modern tentativeness. He gave us
the ""straight stuff,"" just as Paul did. In fact, our text
bears at least one important resemblance to the passage in
Ephesians 5. Ephesians 5:22 links a wife's submission to her
husband to her submission to Christ. Similarly, Peter calls
wives to submit to their husbands with the same spirit of
submission Christ showed in going to the cross.
Notice how several of Peter's themes surface in the context of
marriage. The first theme is a Christian's submission to
God-appointed authority, which Peter had just discussed in
relation to government and individual masters.
A second theme is the Christian's calling to live such an
exemplary life that no charge of misconduct can stick. Peter
applies that principle to a truly ""mixed marriage,"" a
Christian married to a non-Christian. Just as believers in
general are to win over unbelievers, or at least silence their
criticism, by the purity of their lives (1 Peter 2:12, 15), so
a believing wife can win over an unsaved husband by the
quality of her life.
The woman who lives by these principles is a true daughter of
Sarah, the classic example of a wife who honored her husband.
A wife who lives this way need not fear what others may say or
do.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
This is a great time for a Christian couple to reaffirm their
love and devotion to Christ.
If you are married, ask
your spouse to read this passage with you and pray together
that God will help you be sensitive and considerate toward
each other. Agree ahead of time that either person will be
free to discuss whatever is on his or her mind. |
|
1 Peter 3:8-12 In a
classic case of knowing versus doing, a recent survey
published in the Journal of Health Education reported that
only eight percent of 100 people polled met the so-called
""Five-A-Day"" goal, the recommendation to eat five servings
of fruits and vegetables each day to maintain good health. The
researchers pointed out that despite the widespread knowledge
that eating fruits and vegetables is important, there is a
great gap between what people know and what they actually do.
Every sincere Christian understands that gap. When it comes to
godly living, most of us know far more than we do. Today's
reading gives us more of the meat-and-potatoes (or we should
say, fruits-and-vegetables) exhortations that form the basics
of the Christian life. But Peter also gives us encouragement
to act on what we know.
Having just dealt with husbands and wives, the apostle now
draws the circle as wide as he can by aiming his words at all
Christians. But one thing that does not change is his theme of
the way believers should respond to ill treatment.
Although Peter does not mention Jesus by name until verse 15,
it's obvious that He is our best example when it comes to
returning good for evil. Peter has already said that Jesus did
not retaliate when He was slandered (1 Peter 2:23).
Jesus is also our example when it comes to love for one
another as brothers and sisters in His body. In verse 9 of
today's reading we can hear echoes of the Beatitude concerning
the blessing of being ill-treated for Christ (Matt. 5:11-12).
This is Peter's encouragement for us to be eager to do good.
Even if our good results in suffering, we receive a blessing
from God. And since life deals out some measure of suffering
to everyone, it is better to suffer for doing good (v. 17)
than for doing wrong.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One way you can be prepared to give an answer for your hope is
by thinking through and organizing your personal testimony.
One simple outline you can use is to think about what your
life was like before you met Christ, what He did for you in
salvation, and how your life has been different since you have
known Him. |
|
1 Peter 3:14 The great
Colonial-era pastor and theo-logian Jonathan Edwards once
wrote, “The truly humble Christian is clothed with lowliness,
mildness, meekness, gentleness of spirit and behavior. These
things are just like garments to him. Christian humility has
no such thing as roughness, or contempt, or fierceness, or
bitterness in its nature.... Yet in searching and awakening
the conscience, [the Christian] should be a son of thunder....
He should be like a lion to guilty consciences, but like a
lamb to men and women.”
The person Edwards was describing fits the profile 1 Peter
presents to us in today’s reading. Christians must be humble
and yet fearless, with a powerful testimony for the Savior
that makes them like lions in the presence of their false
accusers. Both humility and courage are qualities especially
important in situations where believers may have to suffer
because of their faith.
We said that Peter’s purpose for writing his first letter was
to help Christians live godly lives in a hostile world, and
also to know how to handle persecution in a Christ-like way.
In verse 13, this theme of suffering for Christ comes to the
forefront.
In this verse Peter reiterated his counsel for Christians
facing persecution: be sure that if you suffer, it’s for doing
right, not for doing wrong. Continue to do what’s right and
entrust your ultimate vindication to God, because He will give
special blessings to those who stand firm in the faith.
Peter’s reference to Isaiah 8:12-13 is interesting because it
helps to explain his reference to fear. Isaiah was telling
godly Israelites not to fear the coming Assyrian invasion that
would result in captivity and exile for the northern kingdom.
Because these righteous people feared the Lord, He would take
care of them even in frightening times.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
A major part of the “answer” we should be ready to give at any
time involves being able to explain the gospel in clear and
simple terms |
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1 Peter 3:18 We've all seen
cartoons featuring an oddly-dressed crank who carries a sign
reading ""The End Is Near."" We laugh at the image, feeling
superior. Perhaps the man is not quite sane. Perhaps he simply
wants to attract attention. We don't really think he has
""inside information"" about the world's end or that his
message is true.
Unfortunately, that is how the world sees us as followers of
Christ. People without God often view Christians as cranks,
perhaps amusing or annoying, but not as people with a vital
message of life. Jesus warned His disciples it would be this
way. Just as the world misunderstood and persecuted Him, so it
misunderstands and persecutes believers in Him.
That has been true throughout human history, as Noah could
attest. He preached for 120 years, but his neighbors only
thought he was a crazy man. In today's text, Peter referred to
Noah's ministry to illustrate the necessity of keeping a good
testimony in spite of unjust persecution.
We'll get to the difficult verses in this text below, but
first we need to pause at verse 18, a text about which there
can be no argument. One writer has called this verse a rich
summary of the cross. It refers to the substitutionary nature
of Christ's atonement, its finality, and its triumph in the
resurrection.
In verse 19, Peter states that Christ preached to ""spirits in
prison."" And verse 20 seems to indicate that the Spirit of
the preincarnate Christ was speaking through Noah as he
preached. Peter had earlier said the Spirit of Christ spoke
through the Old Testament prophets (1 Pe. 1:11).
Some believe that Christ went to Hades in His spirit while His
body was in the grave to announce His victory to human beings
or to fallen angels. There is evidence for this
interpretation, but the other explanation better fits the
context.
Verses 21-22 get us into another controversy. Here we reject
any notion that baptism saves us. We are saved by the death
and resurrection of Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Evidently some readers of 1 Peter needed to take a step of
obedience that would please Christ and draw them closer to Him |
|
1 Peter 4:1-11 Earlier this
year, George Bush fulfilled a 52-year-old promise he had made
to himself when he parachuted from an airplane and landed at
the Army's Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The former
President was a World War II bomber pilot who had had to bail
out of his plane over the Pacific Ocean after it was hit by
enemy fire on September 2, 1944. Since that day, Bush had
promised himself that one day he would sky-dive for the fun of
it. And at the age of 72, he did so.
When it comes to fulfilling these sorts of promises, no real
harm is done if there is a long delay between promise and
fulfillment or even if the fulfillment never comes. But when
it comes to the duties God is calling His people to fulfill,
we can't afford to delay our obedience.
This is the spirit with which Peter comes to the final portion
of his first letter. The apostle, like his brother Paul, felt
a sense of urgency regarding the lateness of the hour and
urged his readers to get on with the business of serving
Christ.
Verse 1 brings us back to the theme of suffering. And once
again, Peter draws on the example of Jesus Christ to teach
believers how to respond to life's trials. We need to take the
same attitude toward suffering that Christ took, which was to
accept it as the will of God.
When we do this, it helps us get rid of sinful attitudes that
might cause us to become bitter toward God and others, lash
out at those causing our pain, or give in to sinful desires
that promise to ease our suffering.
Peter's audience had already spent enough time living like
pagans (v. 3). Coming to Christ meant a complete break from
their old way of life, a commitment these believers needed to
make real in their experience.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Critics say one proof the Bible isn't fully true is that its
authors were wrong in expecting Christ's soon return.
But that criticism misses the point. Peter wasn't trying to
set a date for Christ's return. He was urging his readers to
live in light of Christ's sure return, which could be any day |
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1 Peter 4:7-11 Prisoners of
war from the Vietnam War, some of whom endured as much as
seven or more years of captivity, say that the most effective
tool their captors used against them was isolation. Prisoners
who could communicate with each other generally fared better,
even despite physical torture, than those who were completely
cut off from their fellow captives.
People need each other--and the church is no exception. In
fact, Jesus Christ specifically designed His church to
function like a human body, in which each part needs the
support of every other part. Times of persecution have a
special way of teaching us this reality.
That’s what the readers of 1 Peter were learning. The apostle
wanted these believers in Asia Minor to exhibit the “true
grace of God” (1 Peter 5:12) in their circumstances. Part of
that process included learning how to minister to each other.
Both Peter and Paul expected Christ to return at any time (v.
7, see 1 Cor. 7:29). Each generation of God’s people needs to
live with this sense of expectancy, which helps to produce
holy living (as we will see in 2 Peter 3:8-13). Here in
today’s passage, the emphasis is on prayer, which keeps us
clear-headed in the middle of hard times and which helps us to
express the kind of dependence on God that brings Him glory
and praise (v. 11).
God is also glorified when we love each other despite our
faults and failings. We’re facing some tough enemies in the
world, including our old sinful nature and the devil. We need
the ministry of other believers to stay on track, because God
never intended us to go it alone.
God has even given all of us spiritual gifts by which we can
serve Him and each other. Peter divided these gifts into two
categories: speaking gifts and serving gifts. These categories
describe the basic ministries of the church outlined when the
first deacons were chosen (Acts 6:1-7).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God’s grace “in its various forms” (v. 10) is more than enough
to help us thrive spiritually despite “all kinds of trials”
(1:6). |
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1 Peter 4:12-19 Sufferers
from poison ivy and related ailments can now find protection
and relief in a new, non-prescription lotion approved last
year by the Food and Drug Administration. The key ingredient
in the new lotion is a drug that blocks the oil from poison
ivy's leaves and stems, preventing it from producing the
characteristic itchy rash. With as many as seventy percent of
all people sensitive to these toxins, this new drug promises
widespread relief.
It's good to see unnecessary suffering alleviated. But for the
Christian, there is no remedy that will block the trials and
traumas of life from afflicting us. We've gone deep enough
into 1 Peter to know not only that suffering is as inevitable
for believers as for everyone else, but also that it is part
of God's will for us. He wants to refine and mature us, to
draw us closer to Christ.
Peter states this truth very succinctly: ""Do not be
surprised"" when painful trials come your way (v. 12). Some
people would look at that and say, ""Why should I become a
Christian if all it's going to bring me is trouble and
persecution?""
It's true that the Bible does not shrink from telling us the
truth about the problems we will encounter in this world. As
someone has said, clashes are inevitable because believers are
going one way while the world is going in the opposite
direction.
But the implication that only Christians have problems is, of
course, silly. The difference is not that one suffers while
the other goes free. The difference is that as Christians, we
endure trials that are infused with purpose and even blessing
(v. 14), while unbelievers have no such redeeming value in
their troubles.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In verses 17-18, Peter asks a probing question. If
disciplinary trials are necessary for God's children, what
will become of those who don't know Him?
Sadly, unbelievers have nothing to look forward to but fiery
judgment and eternal separation from God. We began the month
by encouraging you to witness to an unsaved friend or loved
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