1 Peter
23 Jan 2019
On Sunday mornings over the first few months of 2019 we are hearing from the letter of 1 Peter. As I have been preparing, I have been very struck by how similar the situation the Christians Peter was originally writing to is to the one we find ourselves in.
Every book in the Bible is the word of the Lord to us, but some take a bit more work in applying than others. For example - we are not the nation of Israel under a king in the promised land.
However, as we read 1 Peter we discover Christians scattered around the known world, beginning to struggle with the fact that life appears to be getting harder. They don’t seem to be facing explicit violent persecution yet, but their culture is getting gradually more hostile to them. They are beginning to be perceived as strange. Some are in very difficult personal circumstances - slaves working for masters who are not believers, wives married to husbands who do not trust the Lord yet. In those situations, they may be beginning to doubt. They may be beginning to ask the question “we thought the Lord was gracious. We thought the way of salvation and following Jesus would make life more wonderful - why is life getting harder? Have we made a mistake?”
The big point of the letter Peter writes is to say this is no mistake. The Lord is not out of control! As he says at the very end of the letter “this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it” (5:12). “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial” (4:12). I know this is a lesson I need to be reminded of. The culture of 2019 is a very different culture than 1959 or even 1989. There is a change in attitude to Christianity. As one writer has put it, the church has lost her “home field advantage”. Our beliefs are often seen as odd. Our moral convictions are even seen as dangerous by some. This leads to some very difficult situations for some Christians in the workplace and even in our own families. How should we react? 1 Peter reminds us we shouldn’t react with fear or anger, but trust. The real mystery is why God graciously allowed the church in the West so many years without suffering.
We’ll be going through the letter over 12 sermons, but it might be helpful to have an overview. As Peter addresses Christians beginning to suffer, he seems to make three big points - which of course he expands on.
1. Remember Who You Are
To face suffering in the right way we need to see who the Lord has called us to be. Peter begins his letter with a description of who he is writing to. Don’t ignore this introduction! Peter deliberately describes Christians as “exiles” (away from our homeland), known by the Father, set apart by the Spirit, and in a covenant relationship through what Jesus has done. By definition we are different to the rest of the world.
As the church, we are God’s people (2:9-10), inheriting all of the titles and promises he gave to Israel. We are a new people living amongst other people. These are incredibly privileged titles and responsibilities, but they also point to the fact that things may be hard for us here and now.
2. Remember Who Jesus Is
1 Peter (like the rest of the Bible) is Christ centred. Peter keeps coming back in particular to the cross of our Lord. He is absolutely clear that Jesus has made atonement for us - he writes some of the clearest segments about that (2:24, 3:18). Yet he also makes it clear that Jesus Christ, while being far more than an example, IS an example to us. Because he suffered during his life and death on earth looking forward to the glory that was to come for him, we should expect that this will be our pattern of life too (2:19-23, 3:17).
Remembering Jesus Christ also helps us remember that our Lord is a God who achieves his purposes through suffering. Our Father never stops being in control and fully involved in our lives. Just as the cross was a victory, suffering in our lives is a sig that the Lord is strengthening our faith and will bring us to our inheritance (1:3-9).
3. Remember How We Are To Live
Peter, speaking by the Spirit and as the Lord’s apostle, has no sympathy to an understanding of the Christian life that just sees it as a ticket to heaven that leaves us coasting until we die. No - to be set apart for the Lord means living holy lives. Like the Lord Jesus Christ we say no to sin. We are to turn away from how we used to live, and how those around us may be living (4:1-6).
Doing this may bring difficulties. People will not understand why we are doing things differently. We may awaken their consciences by doing that - and they may respond with hostility. But be assured the Lord may use that in the lives of those who are watching us (2:13-17, 3:1-2). Doing this may open up opportunities to speak of Jesus as we are asked about the hope we have which leads us to live differently (3:15).