March 7 - 1 Peter 1:22-2:3

1 Peter 1:22-2:3 – Love Sincerely

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, 

         “All people 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 endures forever.”  

And this is the word that was preached to you. 

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Peter has declared that we should be holy and then that we should fear God. Before the first chapter is complete, he exhorts his readers to do one more thing … love each other sincerely. Being a Christian is more than just being in relationship with God, it also requires us to be in a relationship with other Christians. To do that, we must love each other … sincerely and deeply.

Why are we to love each other? He gives two reasons. The first is that we have been purified by obedience to the truth. This is the process of sanctification, being made holy. The second reason is that we have been born again. We have set aside our old lives and come into a relationship with God. God is love … love is God's essence and by living in His will, we will reflect His love.

The eternal relationship that we have with God is the same relationship with have with each other, because each of us is born again. Our salvation is not ours alone, but ours in community with other Christians.

From Isaiah 40:6-8, Peter reiterates that the word of God endures forever. This word is the Good News of Jesus Christ … the salvation that comes from knowing Him personally. It was promised to Israel by Isaiah when they were in exile in Babylon and it has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

God is love. Our salvation comes from him and cannot die for God's word endures forever. Thus, we are to love.

Therefore, since God is love and his word endures forever, we are commanded to put away all evil that would separate us from each other and from God. Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander are things that destroy love. Our responsibility … the command we received from Jesus Christ is to love God and to love others (Matthew 22).

The translation of 1 Peter 2:2 into English is weak. "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk..." His words actually contain much more passion than we read. Imagine an infant who is impatient for milk and has arrived at the end of its wait.  We are to be voracious and hungry … to crave with passion, pure spiritual milk so we can grow into maturity as loving members of the Kingdom of God.

Peter encourages his readers to grow up. We are to be holy, we are to fear God and we are to love.

March 6 - 1 Peter 1:17-21

1 Peter 1:17-21 – Redemption

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 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 ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 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 taught us to call God 'Father.' (Luke 11:2) In fact, Paul, in Romans 8:15, says that we can cry out to 'Abba, Father,' which is even more personal.  But, Peter says here in 1 Peter 1:17, that if we are going to call out to Father, we need to be sure that we are living in reverent fear.

Proverbs 1:7 says that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." We read in Proverbs 14:27 that "the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death."

From the time of Moses, the people of Israel were taught the importance of this reverent fear. In Deuteronomy 10:22, Moses says "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." 

The Psalmist tells us that "the friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant" (Psalm 25:14) and from Psalm 112:1, "Praise the Lord!  Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!" 

We are to fear nothing on this earth, not even death. Perfect love casts out all fear. But, we are to have a reverent fear for the one who created us, who calls us to live with him in eternity.

1 Peter 1:18-19 reiterates the basis for the Gospels.  We were bought with a price, something worth much more than silver or gold. Our redemption came at the cost of Christ's life.

It was Peter who said to the crippled beggar in Acts 3:6, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."  He brings those words back to remind us that what we see as worthwhile pales in comparison to the price of redemption.

Christ was selected before the world was created, but the revelation of his purpose did not come until much later. Peter knows that there is a bigger plan than each of us see individually. God's plan was to bring the entirety of humanity into a relationship with him and it would only occur through Christ's work on the cross.

The plan worked. In 1 Peter 1:21 we see that through Jesus, we believe in God. Our faith and our hope are in God. And this is because of the Jesus' resurrection and ascension into glory. God has made it possible for us to believe in and have faith in the One who is able to accomplish the resurrection of the dead.

No matter what persecution the early Christians faced, no matter what we may face, we can be confident in the fact that God will be able to do for us what He did for Jesus Christ.

This is the hope of the redemption story.

March 5 - 1 Peter 1:13-16

1 Peter 1:13-16 – Be Holy

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 

These four verses begin Peter's teaching on holiness, the goal of this letter.

The verb that opens this passage literally means, girding the loins of the mind. In other words, gather up anything around you (in the case of first century readers – long robes which might impede their quick action). Preparation comes before hope.  And hope is found in the grace which will be revealed at the coming of Jesus Christ.

Peter writes this letter to the children of God. We are not simply God's children, we are also believers in Him. This new birth that comes from salvation offered by Jesus implies that we are different than we were before. Obedience comes as part of sanctification … being made holy. Passivity is not something that defines a Christian. We can't simply believe and then continue to live as we always have. Christianity is active. We are God's children and obedience to His will is part of that relationship.

When Peter calls his readers to holiness, he doesn't set the bar low, he sets a standard before us. We are to be holy in everything in our lives, just as he who called us is holy. God is the pattern for holiness that we are to follow. It isn't the Law or humanity's rules. It isn't defined by our fears or our limitations. Holiness is defined by God.

And it is this same God who calls us to himself. This isn't an invitation, it is an unmistakable call. It is relentless, it is filled with love. This call brings us out of darkness into the light. This call is filled with grace and our response to it is obedience which leads to holiness.

Holiness is defined by one thing - God.  Be holy, because I am holy.

March 4 - 1 Peter 1:8-12

1 Peter 1:8-12 – Receiving the Gospel

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Read this passage carefully today. Peter is expressing some pretty awesome things here.

Remember that Peter was in the room when Jesus spoke to Thomas in John 20:29. While Peter doesn't quote Jesus in his letter, there are at least 25 instances in which he alludes to Jesus' words.  Much like we absorb lines from pop culture – television, movies, books, etc., those words had become such a part of his life that they were a part of his conversations and his letters.

The words of Jesus in Matthew 5:12 are the prequel to Peter's teaching here on the relationship between suffering and joy.  How can suffering produce joy? But, when we come to accept, as Peter will ask us to over and over, that our lives on earth are only temporary and that our greatest joy will come in the last days, we can begin to understand this concept a little better.

Peter goes on in 1 Peter 1:9 to exclaim that salvation is not simply something that happens at the beginning of our relationship Jesus, but is the goal of our faith.

The prophets were heroes of the faith during the days of Peter and his readers. Even though they knew their words wouldn't be fulfilled until far into the future, they continued to proclaim the coming of the Messiah and searched the scriptures deeply to find the revelation so that they could be prepared.  Their goal was to make known the things of the Messiah.

The preachers of Peter's time brought the gospel, the good news of the fulfillment of those prophecies.

Prophets and preachers - bringing the Good News of the fulfillment of ageless prophecy to light.

We have been given the chance to understand the depths of the prophecies regarding the first coming of the Messiah and the second coming that will occur in the future. Even angels long to look into these things.

March 3 - 1 Peter 1:3-7

1 Peter 1:3-7 -Inheritance

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

The Christians that Peter was writing to were just beginning to face the waves of persecution that were to come. As you read these letters, you will notice that Peter calls his readers to submission in the face of trials. They had much to face, these people were scattered among heathens and to stand for faith in Christ meant that they often stood by themselves.

The inheritance we are promised is written of in Romans 8:17-18. We are children of the King.  Our inheritance is found in heaven, where it can't perish or be stolen. It is offered to us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Peter is quite certain of the revelation of salvation that will happen in the last days.  This won't be the last time he speaks of it. His words are written to assure his readers (that includes us) that though we face trials now, it is only for a short time.

Have you ever considered that your faith is worth considerably more than gold?  (1 Peter 1:7)  You see, trial by fire refines our faith.  Refinement by fire can destroy gold ... our faith will be proven to be genuine.

When my mother died, I remember telling a friend that my greatest fear was that I would be shaken from my faith because of the trauma of the loss. I was thankful for her reassurance and her prayers. My faith was going nowhere ... I relied on it to get me through that.

I have spent hours screaming at God, pleading, begging, wondering, crying ... all of that based on the fact that I have a relationship with Him. One that allows me to have feelings. Because of that relationship, my faith has grown.

Praise, glory and honor in the revelation of Jesus Christ. I look forward to that day!

March 2 - 1 Peter 1:1b-2

1 Peter 1:1b-2 – To God's Elect

To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Who was Peter writing to? There's a lot of information in these verses.

God's elect. These are God's chosen people. This is no longer limited to just the Israelites, but now includes everyone on the face of the earth.

Strangers in the world (exiles). This means exactly what it says.  Strong's says it is "one who comes from a foreign country into a city or land to reside there by the side of the natives."  We live beside the natives, but we aren't from this world. Philippians 3:20 tells us that our citizenship is in heaven.

Scattered throughout ... The word 'scattered' is the word 'diaspora' - a term used to describe the Jews living outside of Palestine. John used it in John 7:35 and James in James 1:1.  Many Jews never returned after the Babylonian exile.  Peter is writing to Jews scattered throughout Asia as well as to Christians within those Jewish cultures.

If you read Acts 2:9-10, you will find these same cities listed.  These people had heard Peter speak on the Day of Pentecost.  In Acts 16:6-10, Luke writes that Paul wasn't allowed to evangelize there.  He had established churches in the southern area of Galatia and in the western areas of Asia, but we don't know who was in the north (which is where these communities existed), establishing churches.  Just as the churches in the Revelation of John are listed in the order that a postal messenger would travel, so are these.

1 Peter 1:2. "Chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood."

Not only are the readers of this letter the 'elect' or 'chosen,' but Peter reminds us that we are chosen before we were born.  God knew us before we were born. Jeremiah was told by the Lord that God had set him apart before he was even formed in the womb. No matter what we believe our purpose to be on earth, God has chosen us for His purpose.

With Peter addressing the Trinity in this verse, he begins to set the doctrine of the early Christian church into place.

1 Peter 1:2b. Grace and peace be yours in abundance.  The Greek word for 'grace' is 'charis.'  This is very similar to a standard Greek salutation 'chaire' or 'cheers!'  Peter knows what he is doing.  Then, he offers peace and both of these are offered in abundance or better yet in multiplication ... more than just a little ...  abundance.

We have been chosen and made holy … or sanctified for obedience.  We are strangers in an alien world. We live among non believers.  Peter is writing to us. He has a lot to say.

March 1 - 1 Peter 1:1a

1 Peter 1:1a – Peter

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

Who is Peter?  Scripture gives us an amazing amount of information about this man.  We see the loftiest heights and the darkest depths in his relationship with Jesus. He is a man who came from humble beginnings and yet, within 3 years was transformed into a man that would be the rock on which the church was built (Matthew 16:18).

We meet Peter when his brother Andrew brings him to Jesus (John 1:35-42). The first thing that Jesus said to this man was "You are Simon (which means 'reed') son of John.  You will be called Cephas (which is Aramaic for the Greek 'Petros' which is finally translated to Peter)."

Peter was from the town of Bethsaida (John 1:44), but settled in Capernaum with his mother-in-law (Luke 4:31, 38).  He was a fisherman who owned his own fishing boat (Luke 5:1-11, Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:14-20).

Peter experienced the great miracles of Jesus' ministry. He was with Jesus when Jairus' daughter was raised from the dead (Luke 8:51-56). He was one of the three who experienced the Transfiguration of Jesus (Luke 9:28-36). Peter was the one that Jesus called to walk to Him on the water (Matthew 14:25-32) and was sent by Jesus to catch the fish that would have the coin to pay the tax (Matthew 17:24-27).

Peter asked about forgiveness and Jesus responded with "seventy-seven times." (Matthew 18:21-22), Peter was the disciple that in Matthew 15:15 frustrated Jesus to the point of asking, "Are you still so dull?" and went on to explain what He meant by being unclean - that the things that come out of the heart make a man unclean, not the things that are eaten (Matthew 15:16-20).

One of the most powerful confessions of Christ was made by Peter in Matthew 16:13-20. When Jesus asked "Who do you say that I am?" it was Peter who  immediately responded "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  He knew whom He was following. He had no doubt. And that day, Jesus revealed Peter's strength to everyone by offering the keys of the kingdom of heaven and stating that He would build His church on the strength of that faith.

We find Jesus worrying over Peter in Luke 22:31-32 and assuring him that He, Jesus, was praying for him. Within a few verses we find Jesus telling Peter of the upcoming events.  He would deny his Lord.  I think those two verses (Luke 21:31-32) are quite telling. Even though Jesus was praying that Peter's faith would not fail, he was certain that Peter's character would fail.  Notice the last sentence: "And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."  Before Peter failed, Jesus told him what to do when it was over.

Peter struck the high priest's servant, Malchus, in the garden of Gethsemane, cutting off his ear (John 18:10). Jesus healed it in Luke 22:50-51.

These last days of Jesus life were filled with tension and stress for the disciples. Peter showed it by disowning Jesus and we see no sign of him at the crucifixion. I can't imagine the depths of sorrow that washed over him that day.

Peter was with John when they entered the empty tomb and discovered the linen cloths lying there (John 20:1-9). It was Peter who suggested fishing the night that they caught nothing. Jesus showed up on the beach the next morning and when Peter realized who it was, became so excited that he swam to shore without waiting for the boat to get there. He could hardly wait to see his friend, his master ... his Lord.

And it was Peter who received a trilogy of questions regarding his love for Jesus. This was his chance to reaffirm the relationship that he had with his Lord.  He didn't understand it, but He did learn from it.

By the time we get to the book of Acts, Peter is the leader of the disciples. He conducts the meeting in which they replace Judas (Acts 1:12-26). Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41) mobilized the believers and 3000 were added to their number that day.  The first portion of the book of Acts follows the activities of the early disciples, led by Peter. He has a falling out with Paul, but we will see at the end of Peter's second letter, that they have a mutual respect and regard for each other.

He traveled on missionary journeys. Scholars believe that Mark's gospel was given to him by Peter, so it is often called Peter's gospel. Tradition holds that Peter was in Rome during Nero's reign and was martyred there as was Paul. The Catholic Church begins its history with the first pope - Peter. It is in Saint Peter's basilica in the Vatican that his bones are buried and it is there that each new Pope is anointed.

I've long since fallen for this fisherman. Peter's strength of faith and his utter humanity draw him out of the pages of my Bible. He was a common man who was touched by the Savior of the world in such a way that he set about to change the world. It is because of that relationship that Simon Peter - a reed that would become a rock - will never be forgotten.