Faithful on Fridays Blog

As we enter Chapter Three we notice that Peter isn’t finished with the topic of subjection just yet. He speaks directly to wives and then to husbands being sure to include everyone in the call to be in alignment with each other: that’s true unity.

Let’s concentrate on the word ‘good’ for a moment. Peter used this word in Chapter Two six times when he suggested that if we’ve really experienced the Lord’s goodness (vs. 3) we’ll mature in faith by turning from evil and toward good (12, 14, 15, 18, 20). Peter knew what it was like to follow Jesus and watch Him do good deeds for everyone:

And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Acts 10:38

This goodness Peter wrote about was Jesus’ kind-hearted, considerate, helpful, and benevolent life; He showed His disciples what a ‘good person’ and a ‘good life’ looks like. Once Peter observed a rich, young ruler who called Jesus good and asked what ‘good deed’ he needed to do in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus jumped on the ‘good’ part and told him God alone is good and continued to put emphasis on the commandments that point toward the way we treat people: doing good deeds. 

Peter may have been thinking back to that encounter when he used this word good so many times again in Chapter Three (another six times!). He encourages us to show goodness toward people; his phrases include doing good, having good behavior, seeing good days, and having a good conscience. What about you? Where in your life are you doing good and helping others?

Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 1 Peter 3:13

Peter continued to encourage his readers in verses 14-17 that when you honor Christ with your words of faith and hope in your heart, respectfully defending what you believe, if you suffer it will be with goodness, benefitting you and the listener. Check out those verses.

Lastly, Peter reminds us of the power of Jesus’ descent into hell overcoming the devil after His own suffering and death securing life for us. The lower story of Noah and the ark points us to the upper story of baptism as we also rise from the waters of spiritual death into new life in Christ. 

Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of God with complete authority over the spiritual powers who are now subject to Him and that completes His circle of subjection: He is the final authority. 

Let Peter encourage you:

Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.
1 Peter 3:10

Stay Close

Since today’s message is from the archive (written several years ago), I was writing during a trip to Germany. My partner and I were on a prayer assignment driving and praying throughout this wonderful nation. This is a peek at what the Lord was speaking to us from my prayer journal.

For the last three days I have been walking the streets of Berlin reflecting on the history of this city. The rise of Hitler and the Nazi’s from about 1933-1944 is difficult to imagine as you look at the city sites but it happened nonetheless. It’s also hard to believe that so many people could have been deceived by one man, but they were. I am constantly comparing Germany to America. Could it happen in our country? When people rely on the government to solve their problems in life and not on God there will be eventual consequences, even in America.

God is the only One Who can intervene in your life and bring the wisdom you need to make the right decisions at the right time. He desires to be that One. The nation of Germany took their eyes off that reality, Jesus Christ, and put their trust in a man. He said the right words to reassure them but his words were only a cover up for a hidden agenda. How can you tell the difference? How can you know the truth? Prayer and spiritual discernment. 

Our Lord will give direction to America if we ask for it. Unfortunately for Germany, not enough people were asking. They were trusting in themselves and in this one man who promised them everything but gave them nothing. 

There was a group of true Christ-following pastors in Germany who stayed close to God during this time of Hitler’s reign. They called themselves the Confessing Church. Their confession was that Jesus is Lord and no one else. They preached repentance and total reliance on the Savior to help their nation. They confessed the truth of the Bible and preached to the people to follow His ways but they were not well-received. Few people followed them, undoubtedly due to fear, and these confessing pastors suffered the consequences of the angry dictator. Many were punished with loss of their churches, homes, or suffered imprisonment and some were even exiled to the death camps. Diedrich Bonhoeffer is one example; he was executed, martyred, by the Nazi’s.

What’s the answer? What is the lesson in the history of Germany that cries out to the United States? I think it’s this: stay close to God, walk in the truth of His Word, and be courageous in your confession. As the Confessing Church of our own time, trust Him to give us wisdom and discernment as the scriptures promise.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5, 6 NLT

As we continue reading this letter (2:13) we find the first stone for building a spiritual house is subjection and it’ll be a place where all believers will experience unity, respect, and love.

Peter continually reminds us that the Return of Christ is coming and we need to be ready; learning subjection is a key factor. He stressed in these last thirteen verses of chapter two that we’re subject in many ways; so … what’s true subjection? 

The Greek word means to be ‘arranged under something’ and it’s a military term. Think of the command, “Fall in line!” That’s the word used here; we’re called to fall in line with our government, employment, church, and family. When that happens the world sees us as respectful and humble yet making an impact. Peter doesn’t touch whether or not we agree with our leaders because it doesn’t matter; the way we respond to those in positions of authority shows our submission to God and the world notices. 

If we are to be known as Christ-followers then we’re encouraged by Peter to be a free-servant. That’s an oxymoron but stay with me. People who are free in Christ are also servants of God because servanthood stems from a heart that’s filled with love for God and other people: we honor everyone (vs. 17).

Peter called this grace things. If you don’t respect the person then respect the office: government, employer, pastor, or husband. It’s God’s will (vs. 15) to live honorably in the world by doing good, it brings glory to God, especially when there’s unjust suffering: another grace thing (vs. 19-20).

When we follow Christ Peter said we’re walking in His steps and imitating Him as we copy His behavior in any time of trial (vs. 21-23). He must of had a sense that persecution was coming and wanted these believers to be prepared. Jesus, as our divine example, suffered without cause, never retaliated or threatened, but trusted His Father. When He was crucified, becoming sin in our place (vs. 24) and suffering the punishment we deserved, He empowered us to die to everyday sin and live righteously in total healing: body, soul, and spirit.

I don’t want to be like sheep who wander or stray from the flock; I desire to follow my Shepherd closely through His Word and allow Him to lead and oversee my life. How about you? When we follow His instructions, empowered by His Spirit, we can win any battle, be triumphant in any situation, and live as free-servants: overcomers.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21 

I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 

Check for a Heart Murmur

The story begins like this. “Look what God has done in my life! He turned everything around and now I’m back on top! He performed a miracle for me! God is truly all-powerful and He fought for me.” When the circumstances of our life are going well we give God all the credit, however, what’s our heart-attitude when life circumstances take a turn against us? We may not outrightly blame God but is there a periodic murmur or a grumble in there? 

If you’re breathing then the answer is ‘yes’ but don’t be too hard on yourself, it was true for the people of Israel as well. Ex. 15 gives us the account of their deliverance from bondage in Egypt in a type of song. They were joining their leader Moses in rejoicing that God had come through for them. They sang of His triumph, His strength, and His salvation and even called Him a powerful Man of War since He fought for them and gave them victory. Here’s the kicker, after that incredible worship service with tambourines and dancing they were led directly into the wilderness. 

Victory to wilderness. Do you see the pattern? One difficult situation after another? Really, God? The Israelites progressed from rejoicing right into grumbling or murmuring. Instead of recounting God’s past faithfulness, as they had done previously, they complained incessantly to their Leader. Eeeks!

Are you familiar with a physical condition called a heart murmur? It’s that low, indistinct, continuous sound a heart produces that alerts a doctor. Is there a connection between our physical heart and our heart-attitude? I think there is. When we follow the pattern of rejoicing in God when times are good and slipping into complaining, whining, and being discontented with life our divine Cardiologist hears that heart murmur. 

In Ex. 15 & 16 there are forms of the word ‘grumble’ (also translated complained or murmured) ten times! The Hebrew word is pronounced loon and it not only means to complain but to stop and stay in that condition. When we murmur there’s an undertone of dissatisfaction and discontentment: a mumble under your breath. This Hebrew word is a word play for those of us who speak English. A loon is a dive-bomb bird with a laugh-like cry. We act like a loon when we loon. Is there a time to vent, yes, but be sure your listener doesn’t let you stay there.

In the midst of this story is this phrase, “… and there He tested them.” Don’t worry about this test from God because if you fail you get to retake it: again and again and again. Also, don’t miss one of God’s names in 15:26. I am the LORD, Your Healer. Was God making a connection between disease, sickness, and murmuring? Hmmmm. Be encouraged this week to stop and stay in God’s presence as Jesus recommends in John 15: Remain in Me. It’s a much healthier and happier place to be. 

Last week we learned that the Word of God is good news, evidently Peter needed to remind his readers that sin is not good news (2:1), therefore, we should be like newborns who are totally dependent on our mother’s nourishment (lower story). Like an infant crying to be fed we long for pure spiritual milk from His Word in order to grow and mature in our salvation (vs. 2): His rescue, deliverance, healing, and protection.

Peter showed His Jewish background again when he called Jesus the Living Stone and quoted the prophet Isaiah three times. Remember, he’s writing to his Jewish brethren who understood the significance of Old Testament references: inheritance, prophets, holiness, ransom, perfect lamb, priesthood, sacrifices, and now the stone. He also wants us, as non-Jews, to understand that the cornerstone, the rejected stone, and the stumbling stone was referring to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. 

When Peter stepped down as head pastor of the Jerusalem Church and James took over, we read something wonderful that he wrote:

Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the Spirit that He has made to dwell in us”? James 4:5 ESV

As we yearn to know God He yearns for relationship with us through the indwelling Spirit and when we come to Him it’s like we’re building an upper story spiritual house of worship, becoming priests ourselves, and offering spiritual sacrifices. It’s no longer Jew and Gentile but we’re all a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and His own possession (vs. 9-11). When we share our story of His forgiveness and grace, deliverance from darkness to light, and proclaiming how excellent He is, we’re now called His people (Hosea 2:21-23).

Peter warned that there will always be a war inside our souls, the world drawing us one way and the Spirit in the opposite way; Paul phrased it like this:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. Galatians 5:16-17 ESV

I think Peter was one of those who earnestly expected the return of Christ in his lifetime: the day of visitation (vs. 12). Even though it didn’t happen then it reminds us to also have that excitement: Jesus is coming back.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.

Chosen

I seem to be on a lot of airplanes lately. Whether it’s off to our condo in AZ or to the nations on prayer journeys; I spend a considerable amount of time flying. At the end of each trip I usually hear the flight attendant giving instructions for our final destination. “Stay seated for a final count, keep your seat belt fastened, etc.” Since we are studying the verses from Eph. 1:3-14, our rightful privileges in Christ, let’s talk about being chosen. Not simply chosen but chosen to be in Him before the foundation of the world. That’s a significant promise to believers.

Being chosen means that God picked or elected you to be in Him. Our destination was decided by God the Father before time began; He ‘predestined’ us. We’ll deal with that later in this series but for now let’s remember that since God is the ultimate authority He can do whatever He pleases, whenever He pleases, to whomever He pleases.

It’s also vital to remember that we are born in sin and unable to to do anything good or right. As a Christian, we know that. It’s the reason Jesus came the to earth. We don’t deserve it, we don’t do anything to earn it, yet He shows us His love and mercy in choosing to rescue us from our deserved punishment. Jesus said,

You did not choose Me, but I chose you … ” John 15:16a 

Luther followed this early Christian teaching dating back to Augustine and here’s what he wrote in the Third Article of his catechism: 

I believe that I cannot, by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel …

God is in the business of choosing people and calling them. If you are in Christ Jesus, you were chosen before time began by God’s divine choice. Jesus taught this in a parable describing His sovereignty: Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to Me? Or do you begrudge My generosity? For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 20:14b, 22:14 

Paul wrote these words in regards to divine election: 

So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. 2 Timothy 2:10 

I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. Titus 1:1b 

Peter also chimed in on the subject: God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and His Spirit has made you holy. You are a chosen people. 1 Peter 1:2a, 9a 

Celebrate your chosenness as assurance of your final destination in Christ Jesus. Stay seated and keep your seatbelt fastened for a great flight through Eph. 1:3-14.

For over three years Simon Peter watched firsthand how Christ loved people, consequently, he’s well-able to encourage us in our thoughts and behavior toward other believers. When Jesus first displayed His power to Peter there was a reaction:

… Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” Luke 5:8 

Therefore, when Peter wrote in these next verses (13-14) about sanctification, reflecting Jesus in our thinking and actions, he’d already experienced the reality of how different or holy Jesus is. Peter desires us to be sober or to think clearly about this:

But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

As you read First Peter you’ll realize he understood that holiness is not perfection; it’s being set apart and different from the world. The world says ‘be served’; Jesus counters with, ‘Serve’.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45 

Jesus’ declaration didn’t go unnoticed by Peter, he mentioned that ransom aspect of Jesus’ life several times in this letter. The spotless Lamb of God paid the liberty-price for those who believe and trust in Him (vs. 18-21). Now that’s good news we can share!

In the last verses (22-25) Peter reminds us again of the beginning truth of salvation (vs. 2): you must be born again (John 3). This upper story of a new, spiritual life encourages us toward righteous living since Jesus not only paid our ransom but also gave us the right to call on the power of the Spirit in order to live holy or different from the world. Again, good news.

A big part of holiness is loving people; Peter purposely chose two different Greek words for love: philadelphia and agapao, the same ones Jesus chose in John 21:15-19. Our pure heart toward God is seen in sincere kindness toward people. The world is full of fake love, filled with hidden agendas, but philadelphia is true friendship. Agapao is passionately doing what Jesus prefers; we’re directed and empowered by Him to love people the way He did. Agapao is a choice and decision which was Peter’s final mission from Christ.

God’s Word (Logos) is like seed that grows in good soil; it’s alive and remains in our hearts eternally but it also comes out our mouth: the spoken Word (rhema). When we walk in holiness we think like, talk like, and finally act like Jesus; it’s the spiritual law of sowing and reaping. Peter introduced us to holiness in these verses and reminded us that His Word is always good news, it was preached to us and we now speak it to others. 

Chosen and Forgiven

The word chosen, also translated elected, is a common reference in Scripture. It’s that wonderful, Judeo-Christian doctrine that reassures us that we were hand-picked to be children of God. However, we can never forget that alongside the privilege of being chosen are all the responsibilities that go with it. We don’t seem to have trouble remembering the benefits but sometimes forget that God has purpose behind His decision of election.

Some people have trouble understanding this ancient teaching which goes all the way back to Adam and they focus on those who are not chosen. We don’t have the answers to those questions simply because scripture doesn’t comment give them. Instead let’s focus on your standing with God, your gratefulness that He chose you, and how you should respond to Him in appreciation. Why not spend your time studying what you do know from scripture rather than on what you can’t explain? 

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways! Romans 11:33 NLT

How should you respond to a sovereign God who created the universe in His supreme authority, yet while He was working, was thinking about you? Did you know you’re on His mind? 

When I look at the night sky and see the work of Your fingers—

the moon and the stars You set in place—

what are mere mortals that You should think about them,

human beings that You should care for them?

Yet You made them only a little lower than God

and crowned them with glory and honor.

You gave them charge of everything you made,

putting all things under their authority— Psalm 8:3-6 NLT

As I mentioned earlier, there are responsibilities alongside the benefits of being chosen; we are called to live the higher life in Christ.

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:12, 13 NLT

Walking in forgiveness is one way to respond to God in your ‘chosenness’ emulating those qualities that look like Jesus. He lived a life that was worthy of imitating: He is the ultimate Forgiver.

Jesus was chosen by God for a purpose:

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me. John 6:38 ESV

We were also chosen by God for a purpose or a destiny. As we walk through Eph. 1:3-14 let’s keep in the forefront of our thinking those wonderful, rich words of promise. Chosen and forgiven. Let’s rejoice together that He was thinking about us when He created the world and there is purpose to our lives in Christ.