"with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." - Ephesians 4:2-3 (NKJV)

What is the opposite of love? Most people say hatred. They are wrong. The opposite of love is not hatred. It is indifference. Apathy. Hatred, as wrong and destructive as it is, at least acknowledges the other person exists and matters enough to provoke a strong emotion. Indifference says, I do not even think about you. Your pain does not register with me. Your needs do not concern me. Imagine a church completely indifferent to the hurts and struggles of its own people. That is no church at all.

Bearing with one another in love means bearing with each other's individual preferences. There are doctrinal gray areas where the Bible isn't clear, and where good, Bible-believing Christians can disagree.

Some doctrines are non-negotiable. The full authority of Scripture. The deity of Jesus Christ (fully God and fully man). The virgin birth of Christ. His atoning death and bodily resurrection. Salvation by grace through faith alone. These are essentials. But underneath the essentials, there are secondary issues where Christians have disagreed throughout church history. Spiritual gifts. Charismatic practices. Church government systems. How and when to baptize.

There's a funny story about a Methodist and a Baptist having a discussion about water baptism. Methodists will often pour water on the head as their baptism, while Baptists will immerse fully in water. The Methodist asked, "Could you be baptized waist-high?" "Absolutely not," said the Baptist. "Chest-high?" "No." "Shoulder-high?" "No." "So it is the full dunking of the head that matters?" "Yes." And the Methodist said, "So it is really the water on the head that is the important thing?" The Baptist didn't know how to respond.

Now, that's a silly story, but those disagreements are meaningful. However, Christians should be able to disagree without being disagreeable. Good, sincere, Bible-loving people have landed on different sides of that question for centuries. We will all worship around the throne in heaven one day, but Christians usually have a difficult time worshipping together in the same church when they disagree over secondary issues.

In a local church, there will be issues that are not even secondary. We may believe strongly about them, but we should be able to still worship together in the same church. Worship styles. What translation of the Bible to use. Dress code. Dietary convictions. End-time convictions.

Paul gave an overarching principle for a local church disagreement (not doctrinal heresy or orthodoxy). He said in Romans 14:4, "Who are you to judge another man's servant? To his own master he stands or falls." A few verses later, it states, "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind."

This verse is specifically highlighting that Christians disagreed with how to observe the Sabbath Old Testament laws. Some Christians came from a Jewish background and felt they still wanted to honor those laws by not working on Saturday (the Sabbath). Some Christians did not come from a Jewish background and felt that wasn't necessary. Shouldn't every day be holy? Paul's statement was that each person should simply be convinced for themselves because both groups were trying to honor the Lord. A healthy church is one that can bear with one another in those individual convictions.

Notice what Paul says in verse three. We are to endeavor to "keep" the unity of the Spirit, not to create it. The unity is already there. The Spirit has placed us into one body together. Our job is to protect it.

A father once gave his son a bundle of sticks wound tightly together and told him to break it. The boy tried everything and could not do it. Then the father untied the bundle and broke each stick one at a time. Easily. He said, "That is you and your brothers and sisters. Separately, the enemy has no problem with any one of you. Together, you are unbreakable."

The same applies to a local church. Believers need to feel our strength in our unity. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, "Two are better than one." We were made for community in the local church. We may have individual convictions and preferences, but we are stronger together. Satan wants to divide us, but when we stay unified as a church, on mission for Jesus Christ, we can do everything God has called us to do.

Reflection Question: Where are you allowing a difference of opinion to divide you from someone who shares the essentials of the faith with you?

Dear Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I have let minor disagreements divide me from other Christians who love You just as much as I do. Help me hold firmly to what is essential. Help me be understanding when there are minor differences between my brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me do my part to keep the unity in my local church. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Check out: "What Makes a Great Church" (Ephesians 4:1-3): https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/hkkjzjx/13-what-makes-a-great-church-eph-4-1-3

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up." - 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NKJV)

We almost always share 1 Corinthians 13 at weddings. While it fits there, it is far more applicable to the local church and to each of us as believers living out our faith in community with each other.

Paul makes it clear in that chapter that without love, no matter what else we bring to the table, we are absolutely nothing. We can know everything there is to know theologically. We can speak prophetically, have the gift of faith, and even give sacrificially of ourselves. However, without love, we are a zero. Nothing. Then he begins to describe what this love actually looks like in the real world. I have always enjoyed reading this out of the Amplified Bible:

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 (AMP)
4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]...

Romans 5:5 tells us this love, God's love, has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. This love already exists in your heart as a believer. It is not something you have to manufacture. It is something the Spirit has already placed there, and now it needs to be expressed.

Love suffers long and is kind. Love has a long fuse. It can bear up under a load. It has endurance as it moves forward. God's love in our hearts allows us not to be on edge all the time, and not to get offended over everything that is said or done. When difficulties and crises come, God's love allows us to turn the other cheek, to give people the benefit of the doubt, to stay in the fight instead of walking away the first time things get hard.

Is that evident in your life? Is it evident in your church?

Here is why this matters. In Churchless, George Barna and David Kinnaman report that about 33% of American adults are what researchers call 'de-churched'. They once said "yes" to Jesus but are now on the sidelines. A lot of them did not leave over doctrine. They left because they got hurt. Someone may have been unkind to them. Someone may not have shown the love of Christ to them. Barna and Kinnaman total the de-churched believers in America at around 18 million.

Many of them would come back to church if they knew they would be welcomed and loved. A church with members who are loving the way Christ loves is one where people can give each other room to be human, room to fail, and room to grow. That kind of church is attractive to a hurting world.  

We will be that kind of loving church collectively when we, ourselves, are individually loving -  looking more and more like Jesus. God's Word says that love is already there. God put it in you by His Holy Spirit. The question is whether you are going to let it show.

One idea: If you struggle to exhibit the characteristics of God's love, read aloud 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (Amplified) every morning or night. Afterward, thank the Lord that He has placed this love inside of you, according to Romans 5:5. Ask Him to help you express His love in greater ways.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me. I know how patient You have had to be with my shortcomings. Help me extend that same love to the people around me. Let the love You have already placed in me flow freely. I want to be someone who gives people room to be human, room to fail, and room to grow. Help me make my church more loving and more attractive for others to come to. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Check out: "What Makes a Great Church" (Ephesians 4:1-3): https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/hkkjzjx/13-what-makes-a-great-church-eph-4-1-3

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle (KJV says 'meek') and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." - Matthew 11:29 (NKJV)

We tend to look at meekness as weakness. But meekness is not weakness. Meekness is strength under control.

I want you to picture a powerful stallion who has never been raised domestically. Wild and free, running wherever he wants. That looks like beauty and strength. But it is not productive. You cannot use him. You cannot get anywhere with him. Now put a saddle on him. He has not lost one ounce of his strength, but now that strength is under control. Now he is usable. Now he can go somewhere. This "strength under control" is the Bible's picture of meekness.

Jesus described Himself as "meek" (KJV), "gentle and lowly" (NKJV) in Matthew 11:28-30. This is the same Jesus who drove the money changers out of the temple with a whip and spoke with an authority that left crowds speechless. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. Meek does not mean weak.

Moses is another example. Numbers 12:3 describes him as the most meek man on the face of the whole earth. And yet Moses walked into Pharaoh's court and said, "Let my people go." He led two million Israelites out of Egyptian bondage and oversaw a nation for forty years in the wilderness. Strength under control. That is meekness.

Matthew 5:5 says, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Blessed are the teachable. Blessed are those who yield their strength to God's control.

When Jesus says, "Take My yoke and learn from Me," He is saying, "Yoke up with Me." A yoke pairs two animals together, often a stronger one with a weaker one, a faster one with a slower one. Jesus says, "Put My yoke on you. I will set the pace." Now, we might say that sounds restrictive or sounds like bondage. But Jesus says His yoke is easy and His burden is light. When you are yoked up with Jesus and letting Him set the pace, that is not bondage. That is freedom. You stop trying to do everything in your own strength. You stop running wild in every direction without anything productive happening.

Proverbs 29:18 says, "Without a vision the people perish." The word "perish" in the Hebrew actually means they "throw off restraints." Without a revelation from God about where to go and what to do, people cast off the saddle and run wild. There is a lot of activity, but nothing productive is happening. The most productive Christians are those who submit to Jesus' plans for their individual lives. The most effective churches are those that submit to what Jesus wants in His church.

What has He called you to do? That's His saddle. That's His yoke. Get back under that saddle. Put back on the yoke. Let Jesus set the pace in your life. Stop trying to do everything. Do the one thing He has gifted you to do and let Him use you in that special, unique way. "And you will find rest for your souls" is the promise! We want to experience His rest, don't we? Well, let's let Jesus set the pace in our lives.

Reflection Question: Where are you running in your own strength instead of letting Jesus set the pace?

Dear Heavenly Father, I confess I have sometimes run in every direction without checking with You first. Teach me what it means to be meek, to be strong and submitted. Help me take Your yoke and trust that Your pace is the right pace. I do not want a lot of activity that goes nowhere. I want to be useful in Your hands. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Check out: "What Makes a Great Church" (Ephesians 4:1-3): https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/hkkjzjx/13-what-makes-a-great-church-eph-4-1-3

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." - Romans 12:3 (NKJV)

Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less. And it is not talking down about yourself either. It is talking accurately about yourself.

We can have a false humility in the church where someone says, "I cannot do anything. I have nothing to contribute. Nobody wants me around. Nobody needs me." That is not genuine humility. That is still an unhealthy preoccupation with yourself, just in the other direction. Romans 12:3 says not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. The "more highly than you ought" part means believing you can do anything and that everyone should simply follow your lead.

For example, I would love to have played college or professional basketball. I enjoy watching college and NBA today. No matter how hard I tried, I still remained 5'11", and I still could not shoot a jump shot well enough to compete at that level. You can get better at things, absolutely. But you are also working within the design God gave you. So the better question is not "What can I do?" or "What do I want to do?" but "What has God gifted me to do?"

Sometimes in a local church someone will say they think they should teach, but they have no gift for it. Or they think they should lead, but they are actually a gifted servant who works better behind the scenes. There is a gift envy that can creep in. The Bible says not to think more highly of yourself than you ought. That does not mean do not think highly of yourself at all. It means ask the right question. "What contribution am I supposed to make? Am I supposed to teach? Am I supposed to lead? Am I supposed to love on children? Am I supposed to serve in the background where nobody sees?" And then say with complete accuracy, "I can do those things through Christ who gives me strength." (see Phil. 4:13).

D.L. Moody was an evangelist of a previous generation, highly used by God. He made this observation about fruit trees. The ones with no fruit are the ones where the branches are sticking straight up, maybe even the tallest trees in the orchard. But the trees with the most fruit are bowed low under the weight of all that fruit. He said, show me a fruitful Christian, and I will show you a humble Christian bowed low under the weight of what God is doing through them. Show me a fruitless Christian, and I will show you one who is puffed up where everybody can see them.

"Lowliness" does not mean a low view of yourself. It means not thinking more highly of yourself than you ought. The Bible says "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble" (see James 4:6). If you want God as an opponent, keep thinking of yourself more highly than you ought. If you want God as a partner, humble yourself.

Reflection Question: Are you honestly asking, "What has God gifted me to do?" or are you trying to serve in someone else's giftedness?

Dear Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I have thought more highly of myself than I ought, and for the times I have minimized the places you have wanted me to serve. Help me to think soberly and accurately. Help me to find the place where You have gifted me and stay there, trusting that it is exactly what You want me to do and where You want me to serve. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Check out: "What Makes a Great Church" (Ephesians 4:1-3): https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/hkkjzjx/13-what-makes-a-great-church-eph-4-1-3

"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called." - Ephesians 4:1 (NKJV)

When looking at Ephesians from a bird's-eye view, you can see something interesting. The first three chapters focus on a believer's WEALTH in Christ. The last three chapters focus on the believer's WALK in Christ. Ephesians 1-3 is about our RICHES in Christ. Ephesians 4-6 is about our RESPONSIBILITIES in Christ. The first half is about our BELIEFS. The second half is about our BEHAVIOR. What I believe about Christ influences how I live for Christ.

Paul is writing this from a prison cell. And yet this is one of the most hopeful letters in the entire New Testament. You want to know how to be joyful in difficult circumstances? Read Ephesians. Read Philippians. Both written from prison. Both letters are encouraging and hopeful.

He says, "Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called." Ephesians 1-3 told you your position in Christ. You are a victor, not a victim. You are seated in heavenly places, far above all principalities and powers. Now walk like it. Live like it.

"Sanctification" is a biblical word that simply describes the believer who has given their life to Jesus and is now beginning to live up to what Jesus has already called them to be. Someone has accurately defined sanctification as "becoming in practice what God has called you to be in truth."

He has called us saints, so we should live like saints. He has called us children of God, so we are going to live like His children. He has said we, as believers together, are one body in Christ. What would it mean for us to live like that?

One area that we need to live up to who God calls us to be is His church. Collectively, we are called His body. I read recently that 33% of American adults are what researchers call "de-churched". They once were in church. They said "yes" to Jesus at some point. But they are now on the sidelines. Within that group, about one out of every six claim to be born-again Christians. They currently say they have a personal relationship with Jesus but are not part of a local church. That represents around 18 million Americans who have said "yes" to Jesus but "no" to the church. How can we justify that?

Jesus clearly taught that the church was His idea in Matthew 16:18 when He said, "I will build My church." He envisioned people entering into the family of God, one at a time. We are not left alone, but we are now part of something that unites us. We are a body. We are a family. Our salvation is personal, but there is a community dimension to this faith we cannot ignore. One area of Christians' "walking worthy of the calling" is to say "yes" to the church just like we said "yes" to Jesus.

Reflection Question: What would it look like for your walk to actually match what God has already called you to be?

Dear Heavenly Father, You called me a saint and a child of God before I ever lived up to either one. Thank You for that. Help me today to walk worthy of the calling, not in my own strength, but by Your Spirit. I want my walk to catch up to what You have already said I am. I have said "yes" to You, now I choose to say "yes" to Your church, too. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Check out: "What Makes a Great Church" (Ephesians 4:1-3): https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/hkkjzjx/13-what-makes-a-great-church-eph-4-1-3

We sing about the blood of Jesus because that is how we are made acceptable to a holy God. We who place our trust in what Jesus did on the cross are not punished for our sin. God no longer sees our sin. He sees the innocent blood of our mighty Savior.
 
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow.
No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
 
A great antidote to that foolish living that you once were living, and perhaps other people around you are pressuring you to continue living that lifestyle is remembering the fact that you are atoned for by a mighty savior. What does that word atonement mean? It is a Bible word that means “punishing Christ for my sin.” We get the idea of atonement from the Old Testament practice of punishing an animal for the sins of the people.
 
All throughout the Old Testament in the sacrificial system, they would punish an animal that was innocent for the sins of the people. Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls. It is the blood that makes atonement for the soul."
 
You see this idea of punishing someone else or punishing an animal for the sins of the people all throughout the Bible. You and I deserve punishment, and in order to protect us or shield us from that punishment, God says, "I'll require the lifeblood of a lamb or the lifeblood of an animal." The story of the Passover is found in Exodus 12. God tells His people that the death angel is going to come to punish the Egyptian households. However, if the children of Israel would take the blood of a lamb and post it on their doorposts, the death angel would pass over those homes, and they will not be punished.
 
Genesis 22 tells the story where Abraham is told to slay his son on an altar before God. However, it was only a test. God stops Abraham from doing this. Genesis 22:12–13 says, “And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’ Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.” So instead of his son, Abraham offers an animal.
 
We see it prophesied about the future Messiah in Isaiah 53, which talks about the Messiah’s blood shed and his body broken for the people’s sins. It was prophesying about Jesus, and verse 6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Verse 7 describes Jesus, “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.” John 1:29 recounts John the Baptist baptizing people, and as Jesus passes by, John declares, “Behold, the Lamb of God, Who pays for the sins of the world.”
 
Finally, Revelation 5 is a picture of a heavenly scene where only Jesus is worthy to break open the seal and read the scroll. Revelation 5:8–9 says, “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: 'You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.'”
 
With all of that as context, Peter states in 1 Peter 1:18-21, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."
 
He planned it. God, in eternity past, knew that you would be paid for, you would be bought, you would be atoned for by this mighty Savior.
 
He purchased it. We pay for things with money, but Peter said it wasn’t paid for with silver and gold. He says, it's worth far more than silver and gold. This redemption, this atonement was paid for by the precious, sinless, spotless blood of Jesus Christ. God sent his own Son to pay for you. You may think, “He paid for me because I'm valuable.” No, you've got it backwards. You're valuable because he paid for you. You may think, “I'm not worth much.” Just look at the cross and recognize that you are infinitely valuable to a holy God who wants you in His family and wants you in His kingdom. However, you are sinful and he's holy. You cannot stand in His presence, so He punished His own Son for your salvation. Now, if you would just accept and receive the gift of salvation that God paid for by sending Jesus to the cross, you can be made free, you can be purchased, you can be atoned for by this mighty Savior.
 
He proved it through the resurrection. Do you know how you can take it to the bank that Jesus Christ did what He said He would do, that He paid for your sins? You couldn't see this when He was on the cross. All you could witness was something physical happening during the crucifixion. How do we know He was paying for our sins? The proof is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He did not stay in that tomb. God raised Him from the dead to put His stamp on what Jesus did on the cross. God raised Him from the dead to prove that He did what He said He was going to do. We’ve been redeemed. We’ve been atoned for by a mighty Savior.
 
Putting together all that we have said about 1 Peter 1:17-21, we must understand and appreciate that we are different from the people of this world. Charles Swindoll said this, “Let me explain what this means. All those who don’t know Christ are merchandise in the slave market of sin. Whether they realize it or not, they are in bondage to desires, impulses, and ignorance—alienated from God, the one source of true freedom. They live in a condition in which they cannot help or change themselves. Spiritually blind and shackled in sin, they are jostled and abused by the uncontrollable flesh, the alluring world, and the seducing demons. They continue to dwell in that futile, frustrating lifestyle passed down to them from previous generations. Their only hope is help from the outside.”[1]
 
A. W. Tozer had a great illustration at this point. He writes,
 
“From this fallen way of life we are set free; we are redeemed. A Christian has been delivered from this way of life and from the moral magnetism of those entanglements.
 
“A man once told about some sheep dying during a midwinter in Niagara River. Some of them had died upstream in Niagara, and they either would fall in or be thrown into Niagara River. It was very cold, but the tempestuous Niagara was not frozen, and it carried these dead sheep over the falls. Before the sheep went over the falls, the bald eagles would gather and dive down and ride these carcasses and tear out their flesh. One great eagle after another would fly upstream, land on one, tear with her talons, pull with her great sharp beak, get herself a mouth full of meat and gulp it. Then when they were about to go over the falls they would leap up gracefully on their broad wings and circle back and repeat the same thing over again.
 
“As it was getting colder, one eagle made a mistake. She rode a little too long the last time, and her talons froze into the wool. When she, confident in her self-assurance, spread her great broad wings to take flight, her talons were frozen into the wool of the sheep and she plunged over to her death along with the carcass she had been feeding on. If somebody could have untangled her talons from the wool, it would have been a kind of redemption, a release.
 
“God has provided a moral release from the tradition of our fathers, the foolish way of life that we see all around us.”[2]
 
We are free from sin’s power. We are free to live for Jesus Christ. We are free to live a holy life. We don’t have to live that same aimless conduct that we once lived before. We can live for Jesus. God is our Father. He is our Judge. He is holy. Jesus Christ is a mighty Savior.
 
“Dear God, I praise You that You laid my sin on Jesus. You paid for my sins on the cross. I rejoice that You raised Jesus from the dead, and now I worship a risen Savior. Thank You for Jesus! Amen.”
 
You can read the first three antidotes of foolish living in the previous three blogposts.
 
[1] Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on James, 1 & 2 Peter, vol. 13, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2014), 169.

[2] A. W. Tozer, Living as a Christian: Teachings from First Peter, ed. James L. Snyder (Ventura, CA: Regal, 2009), 48–49.

1 Peter 1:17 says, “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear.” 
 
This third antidote to foolish living is to have a healthy fear of the Lord. We should conduct our lives with a sense of fear. This word “fear” should not be taken to mean “fright” or “terror.” Certainly those are ideas that we have when we think of the word fear. Someone may say, “I'm afraid of lightning,” or someone else may say, “I'm afraid of the dark.” 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind.” This is the terrorizing kind of fear.

Used in the way Peter intended, this “fear” is really a reverential respect for who God is. He is not just my heavenly Father. He is also holy God. He's not just my Redeemer. He's not just my Savior. He is holy God. He is completely perfect and sinless.

We are not to be afraid that God is going to send us to hell. Jesus Christ saved you from the punishment of hell. Praise the Lord. 1 Peter 1 describes how our eternity is secured. He's preserved you for your inheritance. Then what is this fear that he's talking about?

When my boys were younger, Lydia and I endeavored to teach them to have a healthy respect for cars. Sometimes we took a walk as a family, and there were no sidewalks. So, we needed them to get into the grass when a car approached. It’s not that we wanted them to be terrorized by the car.

We just wanted them to have a healthy fear and respect, so they will get out of the way. They needed to know that those cars are very large and can hurt them badly if they do not watch out.

When they were younger, we warned them of the danger around a hot stove. Lydia would be cooking, and the boys would be excited about it. They might want to grab or hold something that was dangerously hot. We taught them to beware of the heat because we don’t want them to be burned. They needed to have a healthy respect for fire.
Notice these verses on the fear of the Lord:

• Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge."
  
• Proverbs 9:10, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
  
• Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.”
  
• Psalm 147:11, "The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him."

Peter once had an encounter with Jesus in Luke 5. Peter, along with other fishermen, were out all night trying to fish, and they didn't catch anything. They were exhausted. It's early in the morning and Jesus calls out to them and says, "You didn't catch anything?” They say, “We didn't catch anything.” Jesus tells them, “Throw your nets over on the other side." Peter, of course, speaks up and says, "We've been doing this all night…” What he means is, “We're the professional fishermen. You are not. We've been doing this all night. We didn't catch anything." But Peter then says, "But at Your word, we'll cast out the nets." They cast out the nets, and the fish come swarming into the nets. The nets are breaking, because there are so many fish.

Now, Peter has been doing this all night. He's been doing this his whole life, and yet there's this carpenter who comes along and says, "Just throw your net over the side." Peter recognizes he is standing before someone who is not just a person, not just a man. He is standing before somebody who is otherworldly because he knows no fisherman can do this.

Luke 5:8 says, “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’” Isn't that interesting? He's no longer the braggadocious Peter. He's no longer the loquacious Peter, who can just talk it up with anybody. No, he kneels down and humbly says, "Depart from me. I'm a sinful man." He recognizes there's something otherworldly about this man. This was before he followed Jesus. This same Peter tells Christ-followers living in exile in Asia Minor, "Conduct your lives with fear." It doesn't mean that we're scared of God as a child of God. But, if you've never given your life to Jesus Christ, you ought to have a healthy dose of fear. The same God who created you is the same God who has warned you that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to avoid.

Some people say, "I don't want to hear about hell. I don't want to hear about the flames and the torture of hell. That's just not palatable for me. I just don't want to hear about it." Then you're going to have to silence Jesus Himself, because Jesus is the One Who taught us about hell.

Luke 16:19–31 (NKJV)
19“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 
20But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 
21desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 
22So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 
23And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 
24“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 
25But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 
26And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 
27“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 
28for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 
29Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 
30And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 
31But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

You may say, “Pastor, I don’t think you should scare people into heaven.” Let me share two examples of individuals who certainly were scared into heaven. Martin Luther, the great reformer, came to Christ as he was riding a horse. He found himself in the middle of an incredible thunderstorm that scares him to death. He was frightened for his life. He believed that it was the judgment of God on his soul, and he repented and said, “God, get me out of this. Save me, and I will be a worker for you." This began his journey of faith, which led him to become a monk in a monastery. He ardently studied the Scriptures, which led him to place His faith in Christ. He was saved by faith, according to Romans 1:17, which says, “The just shall live by faith.” However, his testimony began with being frightened by what he believed to be the judgment of God.

John Newton, the pastor and hymnwriter of “Amazing Grace,” came to Christ as a 40 year old. He was a sailor on a slave-trading ship, when he was tossed overboard in the middle of a storm. While the storm was raging, he was scared of the judgment of God. He said, "Oh God, if you will just save me from this incredible storm, I'll give my life to you." Ultimately, he was rescued from the storm and gave his life to Christ. He served God the rest of his life, but his testimony is that it began in part because he was afraid of eternal judgment from a holy God. Now, as a child of God, you should not live in torment, but there should be this healthy sense of fear, of respect, knowing that God is holy and righteous. We ought to live our lives in such a way that we respect and reverence who God is. It's a great antidote to a frivolous, foolish life.

Donald Grey Barnhouse shared a great story about the relationship between love, fear, and obedience:

Several years ago, I married a young couple… I saw them in church [a few weeks after their honeymoon] the next Sunday, greeted them with a little pleasantry. I asked the groom if his bride had burned the roast for the first dinner she prepared. They laughed. And she said, "Oh, I was afraid I was going to. I read so much about the bride being unable to cook that I decided John was going to have the very best meal a bride could prepare for her husband. So I began about three o'clock. I got everything out and started to work. When I finally put things on to cook I wanted everything to turn out well, and I was afraid they wouldn't. And of course, he had to be a little late, and I was so afraid things would be spoiled."
 
[Dr. Barnhouse says] I interrupted her and said, "You've said three times that you were afraid. Did you think he was going to beat [hurt] you?" She pouted and said, "Of course not." And she looked at him with all the love of her heart in her eyes. But I persisted. "You said that you were afraid." She broke in, "You know what I mean." And of course I knew what she meant. Her fear was not fright. Her fear was a great desire to serve the one to whom she had given herself entirely. And in this case the fear of John was the beginning of good cooking."[1]

Does God want us to cringe and cower before Him? No. Remember, Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly into the throne of grace to find help and grace in our time of need." God wants us to come boldly as a child. However, we should never forget that He is holy God. The same God Who created the universe, Who spun galaxies into orbit, also created each one of us. He wants to have a relationship with His children. He wants us in His family. However, He is still holy God, Who should be revered and respected. Peter says we should conduct ourselves while we are here in this world with fear and respect.

“Dear God, I love You and I worship You. Thank You for saving me. Thank You for bringing me into the family of God. I put aside foolish, sinful living. I live for You. You are my Lord and God. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

The first antidote was discussed in “I Carry His Name,” and the second antidote was discussed in “We are Accountable to God.” The next blog post will discuss the fourth and final antidote for foolish living according to 1 Peter 1:17-21.

  [1]  As quoted by Robert Jeffress, The Solomon Secrets (Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook, 2002), 208-209.

1 Peter 1:17 reads, “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work…”
 
Peter tells his readers that God is not only their heavenly Father. He is also an impartial Judge. God sees everything that you do. People often don't mind saying, "God is my Father," and don't mind saying, "Jesus is my savior," but they don't want to think about the idea that God is a judge.

Yet over and over again, the Scriptures talk about how God will one day judge us.

• Romans 14:12 says, "So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”
• In 1 Corinthians 3:15, believers who gain no reward will still be saved because they're believers. However, they will stand before God in judgment “without partiality” means “without face” in the Greek. It means with no concept of who you are or what you look like.

Today, we judge partially, oftentimes we will judge someone's actions based on who they are. God says, "I don't judge anybody based on that." James 2:1 says that the people of God should not show partiality based on someone’s appearance, position, privilege or prominence.

Peter recounts his own journey with regards to impartiality in Acts 10. He tells how God was leading him, a Jew, to minister to Cornelius, though he was a Gentile. Jews weren’t supposed to fellowship with Gentiles. God tells him to go to Cornelius to tell him the gospel. Once he does, the Holy Spirit is poured out on Gentiles, and Peter admits in Acts 10:34, “I recognize that God is not a respecter of persons.” This means He does not show partiality. He wants to save the Jew, and He wants to save the Gentile.

He is an impartial Judge, and He is also a fair Judge. Remember, God doesn't have any grandchildren in the kingdom of God. Only children. You're not going to be able to tell God, "Well, my mother was a godly woman." God’s response will be, “Yeah, but what about you?” You won’t be able to say, "My father was a godly man." That’s great, but what about you? The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

Each one of us will stand before God in judgment in the future, but this reference in First Peter is really reflecting on the fact that God is judging us today. He's judging us now today. This really isn't talking about a future judgment. It's talking about every day He's judging us.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” He judges actions, but He also judges motives. He's a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Remember when Jesus would walk this earth, and a religious leader would try to verbally spar with Him? They would ask Him a question, and Matthew 22:18 says, “Jesus knew their evil thoughts and said, ‘Why are you trying to test me?’” (Contemporary English Version) Jesus knew that they really didn't want to know the answer to their questions. He knew the intent of the heart, and so too, God knows the intent of our heart today.

How does the fact that God is an impartial Judge, judging our actions and motives today, impact how we live our lives? He accepts us as a loving Father (see previous blogpost), and we are in the family of God, praise the Lord! However, we need to realize that He is going to hold us accountable as an impartial Judge. He has a right to judge us because He created us.

“Dear Lord, I pray that I remember today that I am accountable to You. I thank You that You are impartial. You see me and know me better than anyone else. You Alone are in the right position to judge my actions and my motives. I pray that my actions are honoring to You. I pray my motives are pleasing to You as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

In the blogpost entitled “I Carry His Name,” we looked at the first antidote to foolish living from this same passage. In the next blogpost, we will look at the third antidote to foolish living.
 

Did you ever waste time or money when you were younger? I can remember wasting so much time, especially when school was out for the summer. I can remember asking my dad or mom for money to spend on something they thought was frivolous. I can remember asking, “Dad, can I have this?” His response was usually the same each time, which was, "Money doesn't grow on trees." My job was to ask for something that costs a lot of money, and his job was to remind me how much it cost, and that he wasn’t going to buy it.

I would waste time, I would waste money. I didn't have anything. Even when I was dating Lydia, she had more money than me when we got married. I had nothing. I had last week's paycheck. And of course, I say it was because I spent it all on her!

We were married just after we turned 20 years old, and we didn’t have children for a few years. We would spend so much time and so much money on things that were just frivolous. Then something happened in our life that changed us - we had children.

Now we are more responsible with our time and money. We work hard and then we invest more time in our family and community. We pay bills to keep the lights on. We pay for doctors’ appointments and dentists’ visits. We save money for the future instead of spending it all today. Now, one of our sons will ask, "Daddy, can I get this?" And what do I say? "Money doesn't grow on trees.” Or, “Do you know how much that costs?” Or, “Why are you wasting so much time on this frivolous activity?” My dad would be proud.

Do you remember the day when set aside childish activities and mindsets and started thinking and acting like an adult? You pay your bills on time. You show up for work on time. Now, when you talk with others who are frivolous with their time or frivolous with their money, and complain there isn’t enough time or money, you may tell them, “You’ve got to take responsibility for your life. You've got to stop wasting so much time on frivolous pursuits.”

Well, in the same kind of way, Peter is telling the people of God there in these Roman colonies that they need to set aside foolish living. You should live the holy life that God expects you to live. You should no longer live according to the ways of the world or the life that you may have learned from childhood or other people. That old life is no longer yours. You have been transformed by the power of God.

The gospel is that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. He didn't just pay the penalty for your sin so that you wouldn't have to spend eternity in hell separated from God, but he also set you free from the power of sin. He has set you free to live a holy life. With that in mind, we are to set aside foolish living and live for Jesus Christ, living a different life than the world around us. He makes a difference in our lives, and because He is living His life through us, it will attract other people to it as well. In 1 Peter 1:17-21, there are four antidotes to foolish living. This is a way to begin living the holy life that God expects each of us to live.

How can I have the strength to live differently than the lost people around me? There are four antidotes here in 1 Peter 1:17-21.

1 Peter 1:17–21 (NKJV)
17And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 
18knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 
19but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 
20He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 
21who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
 
First, we are accepted by a loving Father.

How can we live a life that is pleasing to God despite the pressures of this world? The first thing to understand is that we are accepted by a loving Father. This should impact the way we live our life. He says, “if you call him Father,” but in the original Greek it says, “since you call him Father.” Peter is talking to Christians living in Asia Minor and he's saying, “Because you call God your Father, it should make a difference in your life.”

Galatians 4:4–7 (NKJV)
4But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 
5to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 
6And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 
7Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

God sent His Son to redeem us so that we might be adopted as His children. As a result, we are no longer slaves but sons and daughters of God. God is not simply our Creator, but because of Jesus, He is our Father.

When we identify as Christians, we are essentially aligning ourselves with Christ and representing God to others. People should see the resemblance between us and our heavenly Father. This should lead us to reflect on whether we are truly representing God as His children.

The word “Christian” means “like Christ.” It identifies us with the people of God. We are now representing God to others, and people should not be surprised when they find out that we are Christians.

How should that impact our everyday life? We should remember that we carry the name Christian wherever we go. Henry Blackaby, author of Experiencing God, shared in a different book entitled Holiness how understanding this truth had kept him living a life of holiness, for the glory of God:
 
One of the great deterrents from going astray when I was a young man was my dear godly father, who was a deacon and a layman. He led more people to Jesus than any other person I have known, including myself. He worked in the business world, but he was one of the most godly men I have ever known. I knew how Dad had paid the price for integrity and righteousness in the business world. One day my dad came to me and my two brothers and said, “Boys, I just want you to know that I spent a lifetime building meaning into my name, and wherever you go, you take my name with you. It has cost me my life to put integrity into my name; now you carry my name with you.” When I was tempted and could have gone astray, I thought of my dear dad, and I said, I couldn’t do that to him. I carry his name, and Dad has a name as a godly Christian businessman. I couldn’t do that to him. For me to sin without regard to the name I carry would be to bring the deepest pain to my father possible, for he sought to honor his Lord by the way he lived. He entrusted his name to me. If that is how I felt concerning my earthly father, how much more serious is it with my heavenly Father?[1]

What difference does it make for you to say, “Jesus is my Lord” and “God is my Father”? Being a part of God's family should have an impact on you. The term “Abba, Father” means “Daddy” or “Dear Daddy” – an intimate term between a child and father. God is your heavenly Father, and this realization should lead us to live in a way that represents God to the world around us. People are watching our lives, and they may not understand who God is by simply reading the Bible or listening to a preacher. However, when they see that you're a Christian, your lifestyle should reflect the name you carry. As a Christian, you are representing the name of God Almighty. Therefore, recognize that this is a remedy for living foolishly and for leaving behind the lifestyle that once held you in bondage. God is my heavenly Father, and I am lovingly accepted by Him.

“Dear God, I pray that I remember that as I live my life as a Christian, I take Your name with me. I pray that people would not be surprised to hear that I am a follower of Christ. I pray that my life reflects You accurately. I praise You that You are my heavenly Father, and I am accepted by You. I love You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

In the next blogpost, we will look at a second antidote to foolish living from this same passage.

[1] Henry Blackaby, Holiness (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 37-38.

1 Peter 1:14–16 – “14as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”

I remember taking my boys to a restaurant, and as I was up walking around getting some food, somebody called me over by name. They said, "Josh," and I looked and recognized some lifelong friends of my parents. I hadn't seen them since I was a kid, but I went up to them and warmly greeted them. These were sisters, and they asked, “Do you remember us?” And I said, "Certainly I remember you." I said, "I am surprised you recognized me." They said, “We knew it was you… You walk just like him." I asked, "What do you mean?" They said, "You walk just like your father." As a grown man, I was looking over some old family photos, when I came across a picture of my dad in a sleep position. I thought, “That’s my natural sleep position.” Now, I haven’t tried to model my dad in how he walked or slept. It’s just natural to me. I share similar traits with my parents.

I spoke with someone years ago who told me about their siblings who didn’t realize either existed. They were separated at birth and adopted into families from different countries. Decades went by, but they were curious about the possibility of having siblings. They found one another by researching online, and they met up with each other in their late thirties. As they talked about themselves to each other, they realized they stood the same way. They had similar tastes in food. They also discovered they responded similarly to different events that had happened in their lives. It was just natural to them. They reflected one another because they came from the same parents.

In the same way, God has planted His Spirit inside of His children. We should naturally reflect Him, no matter what environment we find ourselves in. If you're in a Roman colony, if you're in America, if you're in a workplace or school that is hostile to your Christian faith, you can be holy. Why? Because there's something on the inside of you that is different than what the world has all around them, and His name is Jesus. His Spirit is on the inside of each one of us and “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). We can be holy, because He is holy.

Notice this phrase - “as obedient children.” We know slaves have to obey their masters. We know that employees obey their bosses. However, sons and daughters should WANT TO obey their parents. In the same way, we as children of God, should be able to say from our heart, “I WANT TO please the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul said in Galatians 1:10, “I'm no longer a people pleaser. I only live to please God. If I were still a people pleaser, I would not be the servant of Christ” (see 1996 New Living Translation). You're not going to be able to please this world and please God. You're going to have to make a decision. 1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” In the Greek he is really saying “Stop loving the world.”
 
James 4:4 says, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Your allegiance is to one or the other. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (money).”

When Peter says, “Be holy, for I am holy,” he is quoting Leviticus. Imagine the scene from Isaiah 6:1-8, where Isaiah sees a vision of heaven, with angels surrounding the throne of God. They are saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty.” This word means “pure,” “distinct,” or “separate.” This describes how the Christian can be viewed as well.

Don't be afraid of being the only person you know of that is standing for God’s Word. Don’t be afraid of being the only person you know of that is going a certain direction, as long as you are sure it is following God’s Word. There's coming a day when we'll exit this world, and we'll stand before God. As a Christian, don't you want to hear God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” If I haven't pleased anyone else, I want to please God.

“Dear God, I want to reflect You to a watching world. I want to be holy. Please continue to work inside of my life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may express the character of Jesus Christ. I love You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

1 Peter 4:12–13 (NKJV)
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
 
These verses were written during a time of persecution for the first-century believer. Peter is in Rome and he decides to write a letter. He writes this letter to Christians who are not in Rome, but who have been dispersed abroad in Asia Minor at that time.
 
Peter is in Rome, where Nero, the Caesar, had blamed a fire which he started on the Christians. Christians were a minority and an easy target. Nero wanted to build parts of Rome in a way that he desired, so he started the fire. After everyone was upset over the damage, Nero claimed that the Christians started the fire. Some estimates claim that 6 million Christians over that period of time lost their lives either being burned at the stake or being fed to the lions.
 
Interestingly, years after Peter wrote his letter to persecuted Christians, he and his wife would ultimately lose their lives as martyrs proclaiming Jesus is the Messiah, Whom God raised from the dead.
 
History tells us [1] that before Peter died by crucifixion, he had to watch the crucifixion of his own wife. It is said that as he watched her being led to her death, Peter called to his wife by name and said, “Remember the Lord”! When it was his turn, he pleaded to be crucified upside down because he wasn’t worthy to die as his Lord had died. And so he was nailed to a cross head-downward.
 
Christians living in America today do not experience that level of persecution. Some believers in our world certainly still face grave consequences for being Christians in a hostile country, but America continues to have religious liberty. However, persecution still exists. A believer may not get that promotion because of their faith. They may be looked over for a scholarship. They may face ostracism at work because of their faith. Family members may shun them. Ridicule and slander are aspects of persecution. Fines and prison are threats which can even be pursued by godless forces bent on transforming America in a totally pagan nation. So, Americans should still listen to Peter about how to live in a hostile country.
 
I was reading this past week that former Vice President Mike Pence, himself a devoted Christian, once delivered a message to the graduates at Liberty University and said,
 
"You know, throughout most of American history, it's been pretty easy to call yourself a Christian. It didn't even occur to people that you might be shunned or ridiculed for defending the teaching of the Bible. But things are different now. Some of the loudest voices for tolerance today have little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs. So as you go about your daily life, just be ready. Because you're going to be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith; you're going to be asked to endorse them. You're going to be asked to bow down to the idols of the popular culture.”
 
Pence references 1 Peter 1:13 as he continues: "So you need to prepare your minds for action… You need to show that we can love God and love our neighbor at the same time through words and deeds. And you need to be prepared to meet opposition. As the founder of this university often said, 'No one ever achieved greatness without experiencing opposition'. So… as you strive for greatness, know that you'll face challenges, you'll face opposition. But just know this: If, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you end up in the fire, there'll be another in the fire." [2]
 
Persecution exists all over the world for the Christian who will stand up for his or her beliefs. It has looked different over the years, but it exists nonetheless. We should find strength from God’s Word as we live out our Christian faith in a world that is growing increasingly secular with each passing day. God’s Word is our guide. We have the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We have the faithful testimony of God’s people throughout centuries to encourage us. Stand strong for Him, and don’t think it strange when you experience persecution for your faith.
 
Dear Lord, I pray for the believers all over the world today who suffer simply because they are trusting You and standing for You. I pray that you would give me courage to stand for You today in my life, at my work, in my school and among my friends, families and coworkers. May I never be ashamed of You. I love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.


[1] Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3:1, 30.

[2] As quoted in Robert Jeffress, Courageous (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2020), 56,57.

1 Peter 1:13–16 (NKJV) – “13Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”

We don't talk an awful lot about holiness even in the church of Jesus Christ today. We talk about accommodating culture. We talk about "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". Yet Peter would immediately say, it doesn't matter where you are, you are to live your life in a way that reflects the Christian convictions that God has put inside of you. He has not just saved you from an eternal judgment in hell, but He has transformed your life. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, it says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature".

Something brand new has happened inside of you, which is unchangeable but can only develop and grow. This is described in Philippians 1:6, which says, “He who began a good work will bring it to completion.” God has started a good work inside of you, and He will carry it forward till its completion in eternity.

What is that “good work”? Why didn't God just take us to heaven? According to Romans 8:29, God predestined those whom He foreknew to become like His Son. In other words, our primary aim in life should be to gradually conform to the image of Jesus Christ, to become more like Him each day. Our goal should be to resemble Jesus more tomorrow than we do today, and more next year than we do now.

Has the Holy Spirit started to change things in your life since you acknowledged Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Are your tastes, conversations, time, and friends different now? Are the jokes that once made you laugh now uncomfortable because they do not honor or glorify God? If your answer is yes, then you are on the right track. But if not, it's time to reevaluate and make changes. A Christian should want their lifestyles to honor Jesus and glorify God. This is holiness.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to live our lives differently than those who do not know Him. We should not be surprised when the world behaves in a worldly manner. However, when the church begins to behave like the world, it should cause us to pause and re-evaluate our Christian walk.

How can I live a pure life in the midst of a sinful world? Right living begins with right thinking.
Peter says, "Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind. Be sober." Modern versions translate this phrase as “Prepare your minds for action.” Maybe we would say, “Roll up your sleeves,” or “Put on your belt,” or “Put your shoes on.” The imagery is one of mental readiness.

In the book of Exodus, the story of the Passover is recounted. God had planned to send the angel of death to the Egyptians, but the following day all of Israel would leave Egypt with the riches of the land. God tells them to eat the Passover meal and “Gird yourself tonight” because the next day they would leave Egypt. He says they will be free tomorrow so be ready tonight. That’s the same phrase “gird yourselves.”

There's a story in the Old Testament where Elijah is excited about the possibility of rain that he outruns a chariot. Before he begins to run, he “girds his loins.”

In Peter’s day, as in these other instances, people would wear long robes. It was fine to walk that way, but when someone wanted to run, they had to tuck the ends of their robe into their belt, which would allow them more freedom of movement.

What does Peter mean when he says “gird the loins of your mind”? He's trying to help you see that the actions come after the thoughts. What we're doing today is in part a result of how we thought yesterday. Craig Groeschel wrote a book in 2021 entitled “Winning the War in Your Mind.” The whole book uses psychology and the Bible to basically teach us how our attitudes determine our actions, how our outlook determines our outcome, and how our beliefs determine our behavior. We are not just acting out of nowhere - we're acting because of our mind. Right living begins with right thinking.

Solomon would agree in Proverbs 23:7, which says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” We think and then we act. Peter is saying here that before you decide to do something different, you're going to have to think something different. Before you live a holy life, you're going to first have to think it through. Prepare your minds for action. Don’t be mentally lazy. Don’t let just anyone tell you what to think or how to think. Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” Think God’s thoughts.

The world says, “It’s not sin,” but God says it is. Think God’s thoughts. The world says, “I have to live this way,” but God says a Christian is free from sin. Think God’s thoughts. If you don’t take time to listen to God’s Word, you will buy into the deception of this world. Rick Warren once said, “Behind every self-defeating behavior or habit is a lie that I am believing.” Jesus says in John 8:32, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

“Dear Lord, I admit that there have been times when I am mentally lazy. I pray You forgive me. I ask You to help me prepare my mind to think about sin the way You think about sin. I pray that I spend time in Your Word, so I can think Your thoughts. I love You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

"The Sound of Music" is a classic movie, set in Austria, based on a true story about a family of singers, the Von Trapps, and their escape from Nazi occupation during World War II. I grew up watching that movie as a child. In the movie, Rogers and Hammerstein wrote a short lullaby song entitled “Edelweiss,” which is a song about a flower. The word “edelweiss” means “noble white” in German. In the movie, this song would remind Captain Baron Von Trapp of his beloved Austria. Here are the lyrics:

Edelweiss, edelweiss
Every morning you greet me
Small and white, clean and bright
You look happy to meet me
 
Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss, edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever

This flower is native to Austria, but it's also native to Switzerland and different white cap mountains in that area. It's a beautiful white flower that is so pristine, so pure, and so white that it blends in with the snow on top of the mountain, but you've got to go up there to get the flowers. It's so beautiful, so white, that if you pluck that flower and put it into a book to press and hold onto for years and years and years, you'll open it and the whiteness of that flower will remain white and pure.

The Nazi occupation began to take over Austria, and here was this Austrian military leader who was then told, "You're going to have to fight for the Nazis." He had fought for his homeland, but he refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II.

In the movie, the Von Trapp family singers, sing this final song about this flower, and Captain Von Trapp said that he wanted the audience to remember their homeland forever. It was a song that was intentionally designed to say that the whiteness of the flower should remind you of your homeland.

But it also had a double meaning that the whiteness of this flower, which blends into the snow, is so beautiful, so white, so pure, that it can grow in the harshest of winters. It's a year-round flower. No matter what kind of winter you're in, the flower will grow. His intended message in singing this song about a flower was that you can remain Austrian even in the midst of Nazi oppression. His statement in that one song was to say, "Remain loyal to Austria." It was a hidden song intentionally designed to remind them of their real homeland.

As Christians living in this world, we should think of ourselves as that pure, white flower, also able to grow in the harshest of winters. Just as that pure white flower blends in with the white snow above, so too, we blend into the whiteness of God Himself above us. Additionally, if that flower is plucked and brought down to mud, rock and grass – it will stand out. You can press that flower into the pages of a book and even after years pass, its whiteness is still radiant. Just as the pure whiteness of that flower stands in contrast to the darkness surrounding it, so too, our purity and holiness should stand out in contrast to the dark world around us. You're still white, pure, and pristine.

1 Peter 1:15–16 (NKJV) – “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” 

You and I are to be holy as God is holy. You and I should never be surprised when we have different desires, tastes, ideas, and philosophies that go in the opposite direction of the world around us. Remember, your citizenship is in heaven. You are a Christian who lives in America. You're not an American who's also a Christian. You're a Christian first. Your allegiance is to the Lord Jesus Christ, and secondarily to whatever culture you're living in.

Peter was trying to remind those first century believers, "You're in a Roman colony. That Roman colony is in the midst of Asia Minor and it has its values, it has its ideas and its ideals, but yet you are a Christian who's living in that Roman colony. Today, we are the church. We are believers. We are Christ-followers in the midst of a civilization that is growing more and more hostile to our Christian conviction.”

“Dear God, I pray that I would allow Your Holy Spirit to lead me to reflect Jesus in a greater way. I pray that I would live a holy life in this world. I pray that I would remain faithful to You, no matter where I live, work or play. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

1 Peter 1:9-12 reads, “10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.”

No matter what your trial is, it's temporary. Even if you've been dealing with it your whole life, in the grand scheme of eternity, it's just a fleeting moment. I'm not belittling your struggles; they are real. But when you zoom out and see eternity which lies before you, you realize that a thousand years from now, you'll be worshiping around the throne of heaven, and this momentary affliction will be seen as just a blip in the panorama of history. Look at all that God has blessed you with. He has secured your salvation. Realize that no matter what trial you're facing right now, look up and see the eternal salvation that is anchored in Jesus Christ. He's not just meeting your temporary needs; He's securing your eternal destiny.

Peter says we have the promised presence of the Spirit in verse 11. The same Spirit who was active in the prophets, and active in the ministry of Jesus is the same Spirit who will aid the believer in the midst of trials. Notice the activity of the Spirit in these verses:

• Romans 8:9 says, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” 
• Galatians 4:6 says, “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’”
  
• Acts 16:7 says, “After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.”
  
• Philippians 1:19 says, “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”  

Peter says part of our strength comes from knowing we have this same Holy Spirit in us.
Peter also says we have the promised privilege of our salvation in verses 10-12. Notice these verses which speak of a future promised salvation:

• Luke 10:23–24, “23 Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; 24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.’” 
• Matthew 13:16–17, “16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;  17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” 
• Matthew 11:11, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” 

 
Peter makes a powerful statement in verse 8: "Though you have not seen Jesus, you love him." Peter was writing to people who, like us, had never seen Jesus in the flesh. But even though they hadn't seen Him, they loved Him. Jesus said something similar to Thomas in John 20:29 when Thomas doubted His resurrection. Jesus told him, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed." That's us—believers living in the present age. We haven't seen Jesus face to face, but we love Him nonetheless. How is that possible? Because though we can't see Him, we know Him, and we trust Him. We love Him because of who He is and what He has done for us.

The days we're living in now—the days when we don't see Jesus face to face but trust Him—are greater than the days when He walked the earth. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 11:11, "He who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist." We may not see Jesus with our physical eyes, but we see Him with the eyes of faith. Just as a parent loves and longs for their unborn child, we love and long for Jesus, even though we haven't seen Him. And we can rejoice because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our trials. He's using our struggles to develop our character, to demonstrate our faith to a watching world, and ultimately, to bring glory to Himself.

Consider the stories of Joni Erickson Tada, Luther Bridgers, and Fanny Crosby. Notice how each one looked at their suffering from an eternal perspective.

Joni Erickson Tada, a quadriplegic, who is paralyzed from the chest down, writes about suffering from a Christian perspective. She regularly displays joy in the midst of suffering. She looks forward to heaven. She once told Larry King that she would like to tell Jesus in heaven about the wheelchair that she has been bound in. "The weaker I was in [that wheelchair], the harder I leaned on You. The harder I leaned on You, the stronger I discovered You to be. Thank You."

Fanny Crosby, the writer of thousands of hymns including "Blessed Assurance", who understood that a faulty medical practice had blinded her as a baby, made this statement as an adult: "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me." Her perspective allowed her to write so many songs to God in gratitude.

Luther Bridgers composed a hymn soon after hearing of the death of his wife and three children in a fire. It is said that Luther Bridgers had left his children and wife in the care of his father-in-law while he was away ministering the gospel at a conference in Kentucky. It was while he was there that he received a phone call telling him of the demise of his wife and all his three children in a fire that burnt down his father-in-law's house. With tears in his eyes, he expressed his faith in the Lord by penning the words of this hymn:

There’s within my heart a melody,
Jesus whispers sweet and low,
Fear not, I am with thee, peace be still
Through all of life’s ebb and flow.
 Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest Name I know,
Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go.

The Lord kept each one focusing on how He was at work, using the trial for their good and His ultimate glory. So, no matter what you're going through, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Remember that your trial is temporary, but your salvation is eternal.

"Father, I pray when I am experiencing the trials of life that I will remember the testimonies of godly saints who have suffered well. May their stories encourage me. I pray that I remember that I have Your Holy Spirit within me. No matter how difficult today is, I rejoice in a future salvation promised in heaven with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
 
If you have never asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, pray something like this: “Dear God, I know that I’m a sinner, but You love me. You sent Jesus to pay for my sins on the cross so that I could be called one of Your children. I ask You now to come into my heart and life. I call You my Lord and my Savior. May I never be ashamed of You. I love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer, please go to http://www.joshfranklin.org/books.html and freely download the ebook “Starting Strong,” and email josh@doveministries.org to let me know. I want to pray for you and provide resources that will help you in your walk with God. God bless.

1 Peter 1:8 says, “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”
 
He's not really just talking about persecution. He could have used a different word for that. He's really talking about general trials, general tests, and general struggles. Persecution is certainly a part of that. Peter is writing to believers who have experienced difficulties in life and he says, "Rejoice with joy, inexpressible, full of glory." Why? Toward the end of verse seven, Peter says, "Though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory…” Whose praise, honor, and glory? We might think it is referring to God, but it’s not. He is saying our praise, our glory, and our honor. It's really saying that we've been approved, which is the testing of our faith. We have passed the test. Now we're rejoicing because we have passed the test, knowing that God was allowing us to go through it; there was something going on in our life to develop us.

Consider these five facts about trials[1]:

1.   Trials are determined by God. Here, Peter says, "if need be” (v.6), which shows that there are times when trials are necessary and times when they are not. Peter continues, "for a season" (v.6), which shows that God is in charge.
2.   Trials are diverse. Verse 6 says these trials are “various” which means "multicolored." This is the same Greek word used in 1 Peter 4:10, which talks about various kinds of gifts.
3.   Trials are distressing. Peter says in verse 6 that these trials produce “grief” or “heaviness.”
4.   Trials make us dependent on God. These trials humble us. They turn our attention away from ourselves and back to God.
5.   Trials demonstrate the genuineness of our faith. Someone once said, “A faith that can't be tested can't be trusted.” Sufferings are purposeful. The phrase “in order that” has as its subject “the genuineness of your faith.”

  Psalm 119:71 says, "It was good for me that I have been afflicted that I may learn Your statutes.” Is there something that happens in the life of a believer that develops them to the point where God would say He can bring about this no other way? There are some things that you and I have to go through that lead to the development of our faith or prove the genuineness of our faith.

  Bob Russell described[2] how one of his members was working in the burn unit of a children's hospital and was given the assignment to scrub with a brillow-like brush the badly burned arms of an 18-month-old child who was screaming in pain. This brush would scrub all of the dead tissue away from his arm so the skin would heal properly. She thought, "I cannot inflict that kind of pain on a child that is already hurting." But then the doctor showed her a picture of another burn victim who was now an adult, whose arm was so scarred, and the skin was so stiff, it had shriveled up and the arm had no movement. She learned that no matter how painful that scrubbing process would be, it was essential for the skin to become supple in the end and that the child would have proper movement of her arms. So she was willing to inflict that pain temporarily and even endure the hateful protest of the child so that years later the child would be mobile and thankful. The Great Physician sometimes allows us to endure excruciating pain but only that which is helpful for our spiritual health and eternal benefit.
 
 Russell then made this pointed remark, “How long will we be in the fire? That goldsmith, looking at the gold in the fire, has eyes on the gold. He's got his hand on the thermostat and he's very careful. He'll never put too much fire on you. He'll never put the fire to the point that it will harm your faith but rather that it will purify your faith. You ask, ‘Preacher, how does the goldsmith know when its time to take the gold out of the fire?’ When the goldsmith sees his own reflection in the gold, he knows that it's time to take the gold out of the fire.”[3]

  David Helm writes, “Understanding that God’s purposes for us include various trials is important, for by them we are tempered. The extracts of this world are removed from us, and we are made fit for Heaven. A simple bar of iron ore, pulled from the earth, might be worth $5.00. However, that same bar, when made into horseshoes, would be worth $10.50. If the owner decided to make the bar into needles for sewing, it could be worth as much as $3,285. And if he turned it into springs for watches, its value could jump as high as $250,000. What made the difference? Simply the amount of heat by which the iron bar was tempered and honed.”[4]

Warren Wiersbe once wrote about trials: "When God permits His children to go through the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat." He controls the longevity and the intensity.

I think of Joseph, who struggled for 12 years. He tells his brothers, “I’ve had this dream where you guys are going to bow down to me. I don’t understand it.” The brothers got jealous, threw him into a well, and sold him into slavery. He gets wrongly accused of hurting Potiphar's wife and gets sent to prison. Then the inmates say they're going to remember him when they get out of prison. They don't remember him. He's just stuck there, and the Bible says the Lord was with him. When he finally gets out, he's allowed to go before the Pharaoh and tell the meaning of Pharaoh’s dream. He gets basically positioned as second in command over this food distribution program that not only saves Egypt but also saves his own people. Finally, the moment comes when the brothers, who have been seeking help from Egypt, realize they are standing before Joseph. Joseph has revealed himself. He rescues his brothers’ families, including his own father, Jacob. However, once Jacob dies of old age, the brothers think Joseph will take revenge upon them for what they did years before which led Joseph through years of suffering.

As Joseph recounts the events of his life with his brothers, he says in Genesis 50:20, "What you meant for evil, God meant for good, that he could save his people through me." He says, "God has used me. God has used that suffering that I didn't understand. For 12 years, I suffered in either slavery, mistreatment, or even in prison so that I could secure my own family through this food distribution program. You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good."
These trials are developing something in us or doing something for us. God is using these trials to demonstrate the genuineness of our faith. There is a demonstration that can only be seen in the trials. Anyone can say they trust God in the good times.

The book of Job recounts all of the suffering that Job endured. However, in the first chapter, Satan’s accusation is that Job serves and worships God because God has made him healthy, wealthy, and protected. God had blessed Job beyond measure. He was one of the richest person’s in the known world. Satan told God that if He would take all of those blessings away, Job would curse God to His face. As Job suffered throughout the book, the genuineness of his faith was demonstrated - not in the good times but in the difficult times. Sometimes those trials are allowed in order to develop something in us. Sometimes those trials are allowed to demonstrate something in us. Either way, God is going to use those trials in our lives, if we allow Him.

"Father, when I am in the fire, help me remember that You have Your hand on the thermostat and Your eyes on the clock. I pray that my faith that is being tested will be stronger after this trial is over. In the meantime, I trust You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

  [1] Based upon the observations found in Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on James, 1 & 2 Peter, vol. 13, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2014), 159.
   [2] Bob Russell, “A Reason to Hope,” (Finding Your Way in a “Whatever” World), audio, 8/15/2004.
   [3] Ibid.
   [4] David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 42.

Isaiah 64:8 says, “But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.”
 
Isaiah 45:9 says, “…Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ …”
 
Jeremiah 18:6 says, "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel."
 
A couple that was shopping in an antique shop, when they saw this beautiful little teacup that was so unique, and they just said, "Well, we've just got to have this little teacup. It's so special and unique." And as they were getting ready to grab the teacup, the teacup spoke out and said, "Hey."

They were a little shocked, and they started listening to this teacup talk. The teacup said, "I haven't always been this valuable. I haven't always been this precious." It said, "I remember when I was a lump of clay, and the potter began to mold me and squeeze me and push me and develop me. And I thought, this is uncomfortable, this hurts. I don't like this. You need to stop doing this." The potter said, "Not yet."

Since the teacup was formed, it thought, "Well, okay, now it's over," but no. Then the potter put it in the oven and turned up the heat. The teacup was screaming from the inside, saying, "This is hot! This hurts. I don't like this! Get me out of here!” And the potter looked in and said, "Not yet."

So, finally, the potter took the teacup and set it on a shelf to cool. The teacup thought, "Okay, finally it's over." But then the potter took some glaze and some brushes and began to paint it with this mixture that was suffocating. The teacup told the couple, “I couldn't breathe, and I didn't like it. It was sticky, and I said, ‘Stop it!’ And the potter told me, ‘Not yet.’ Then he put me in another oven twice as hot as the first oven, and I thought, ‘I'm exhausted. I can't handle any more heat.’”

Finally, the potter took the teacup, set it on the shelf, and said, “Now it is finished." The teacup told the couple, "What I thought was hurting me was, in the long run, making me valuable.” This teacup had become so precious and unique that a couple wanted to buy it.[1]

1 Peter 1:7 says, “that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Peter helps us understand the trials of our faith. The trials and tests that come our way are not random or purposeless, but similar to a furnace, heating and refining us like gold. When gold is heated, the impurities are brought to the surface and scraped off until the refiner can see his reflection in the gold. Similarly, God allows us to go through intense times to refine us and mold us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Our purpose in life is not just to endure these trials, but to use them as opportunities to become more like Jesus every day. This is what Paul meant in Romans 8:29 when he said that God predestined us to become conformed to the image of His Son.

"Father, today I yield to You as the Potter. I am the clay. I believe You are working on me, removing impurities from my life. I ask You to help me keep this perspective when I don’t understand why the heat has been turned up in my life. I trust You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
 
[1] From various sources, one of which is http://positivetheresa.blogspot.com/2011/01/just-old-lump-of-clay.html

There are several different philosophies that people have when difficulties come. One philosophy is to deny its existence. At times, you can turn on Christian television and see this promoted. This idea is that if you're a Christian, you're never going to have to go through any down days. You're never going to have to go through any difficulties. The Bible does not teach that.

Paul describes that he had to endure his own “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. We don't know what that thorn was. It could have been a persecutor. After Paul taught the simple gospel message, Judaizers would come along and say, "You can accept Jesus, but you also must abide by Jewish traditions, customs, and laws." That could have been Paul’s thorn in the flesh.  

It could have been a physical malady or problem of some kind. Galatians 4:15 says, “…if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.” Galatians 6:11 says, “See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!” Most scholars see this as describing an eyesight problem. It could have been a demonic attack. He calls it a messenger of satan sent to buffet him. We don't know what the thorn was, but he said that God allowed this thorn in the flesh in my life because he was being puffed up beyond measure (2 Corinthians 12:7).

Paul said, “I had been given revelations and visions of the world to come. I had been given these incredible truths, many of them that we've read through as a body of Christ together. And in order that I would not be elevated or puffed up with pride, I was given this thorn in the flesh.” Three times, Paul would say, "Please remove this thorn, deliver me from this thorn," and three times, God would reply, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness." Paul would respond by saying that in his weakness, the power of God is made more evident.

Christians also face challenges and hardships in life. They go through dark times too. In 1 Peter 1:6, Peter says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.” The “this” he is talking about refers to the previous section that underscores all of the blessings that Christians enjoy.

Peter acknowledges that the trials that Christians go through are real and can cause grief and pain. As Christians, we should not pretend that these trials don't exist or that we will never experience them. However, he reminds us that we have a promised inheritance in glory, which we should greatly rejoice in, even if we are facing various trials at the moment. We need to understand that trials are difficult, and they can be heavy and painful. We should not deny their reality.

There's another philosophy out there that says, "Well, I'm just going to take it on the chin. I'm going to grin and bear it. I'm going to endure this difficult time." There's another that would say, “I'm just going to throw up my hands and resign. It's going to happen anyways.”

However, Peter is trying to promote a unique quality in the life of a Christian in this passage. He reminds us that we are blessed beyond measure, far wealthier than we realize, and we should greatly rejoice. Even if we are experiencing a season of heaviness and distress due to various trials, we should experience joy because we are abundantly blessed. The distinctive Christian quality is that Christians experience joy in the midst of trials.
 
James 1:2-3 says, "Count it all joy, my brethren when you fall into divers temptations, testings, and trials, for we know that it's working endurance in our life,” that is, it's perfecting us. It's doing something for us.

You may ask, “How am I supposed to be happy in the midst of difficulties?”

In The Law of Happiness, psychologist Dr. Henry Cloud (co-author of Boundaries) makes the case that most people are pushing the wrong buttons in their search for happiness. He said we fall prey to thinking things like:

• If I could just make a little more money, then I would be happy.
• If I could just find that special someone…
• If I could get that promotion…
• If I could finally own a home…
• If I could move and live in a different city…
• If I could get that new model (of whatever)…
• If I could get my ______ degree…
• If I could lose twenty pounds…
• If I were beautiful…
• If I could move to that neighborhood…
• If I were rich…
• If I were famous…

He writes this philosophy is a path to unsustainable happiness for three reasons:

• Our external circumstances do not have the inherent power to bring us happiness. His dad told him once, "Son, money can't buy happiness. But it can buy you a big red Cadillac to go look for it in." Studies have shown that the happiness levels between rich people and average income people is not that different.
• Circumstantial happiness does not last.
• When we are pursuing the things that don't have the power to make us happy, we are ignoring the ones that do.

He cites his research that people's happiness is mathematically made up in this way:

• 50% seems to be your temperament or genetics. [Babies in nurseries are constitutionally different from each other]
• 10% is your circumstances. If things are going great, you get a lift of about 10% in your happiness levels, and if things are not great (other than times of great tragedy or trauma, which can bring a season of great pain) you get a little downturn.
• 40% of your happiness is directly under your control—your behavior, thoughts, and intentional practices—the things you do on purpose.

His idea is that if you continue to pursue career advancement or earning more money, if you continue to pursue things of this life, the toys of this world, then you're not pursuing the things that really will bring satisfaction and contentment.

He says happy people spend their time and energy building relationships with the people that they love instead of chasing after things. Well, it's hard to do both, so why are we chasing after things that would make us temporarily happy? That would give us kind of an emotional buzz, but not really secure lasting happiness.

I think Dr. Cloud uses the word “happiness” because that is what people are looking for. However, I think the word I would use is “joy” rather than “happiness”. Happiness is really based on what happens to us. It's circumstantial, and the child of God is promised something far greater than happiness. The child of God has been promised joy. Peter says in this passage, "you greatly rejoice." That's the same word. Joy is not based on what happens. It is something internal that doesn't matter what circumstances come our way.

He says that you can experience joy even in the midst of difficult times because you recognize something is going on that maybe you didn't know before. You recognize that this pain is for a season, but there's something on the other end of that pain that you can rejoice about. For instance, Lydia and I have three sons. With each one, there were nine months in the womb and then the labor pains. She could go through the labor pains, understanding that precious baby is going to be delivered. The pain is momentary, but the joy is lasting. So you can get through the difficulties because of what's to come on the other side. You know this is not going to be forever. This is going to be momentary.

"Father, help me long for Your joy, no matter what I’m facing. Help me face today’s challenges remembering that I am abundantly blessed. Help me invest my time in things that promote joy and not just happiness. I pray that my ability to lean on You during difficult times will be a testimony to others and point people to You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Sometimes we may think that we are holding onto God, but in reality, God is holding onto us.

A man and his son were preparing to cross the street. Although there was some traffic, it wasn't too heavy. The father told the son to hold his hand. The little boy wrapped his chubby little fingers around one of his father’s fingers. As they began walking, the traffic started to get more intense. The father noticed this and decided to take extra precautions. Instead of allowing the child to hold his little finger, the father wrapped his big hand around the boy's hand and pulled him across the oncoming traffic to safety. When they reached the other side, the boy looked up and said, "I didn't let go, Daddy." You and I both know it wasn't the boy holding the dad's hand, but rather it was the dad holding the son's hand. God also says to His children, "I am keeping you."
 
Peter writes about God’s keeping care for His children in 1 Peter 1:3-5. He writes,

1 Peter 1:3–5 (NKJV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

He's not only keeping the inheritance for you, he's also keeping you for the inheritance. Verse five says, "who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." He says, "You are kept." This describes the eternal security that each one of us has as a child of God.

Psalm 37:23 says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. He delights in his way, though he may fall. He shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholds him with his righteous hand." This verse reminds us that even if we stumble, God is always there to lift us up.

2 Timothy 1:12 also says, "… I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day." This verse reminds us that we can trust in God to take care of the things we entrust to Him.

This story illustrates how God is holding us:
 
“One day in 1932, 200 sailors were holding onto ropes attached to the dirigible, the USS Akron, as they attempted to moor the giant airship to a steel mast in San Diego. Suddenly, however, the dirigible shot straight up into the air. Some of the men hung onto the lines and were swept up with the ship, soon falling to the ground. Several were killed. After all the rest had fallen, one man kept hanging on. He could be seen as the dirigible soared high in the sky. People were screaming and fainting. They knew this sailor couldn't hold on much longer, and any minute he might fall back to the earth and certain death. But after an hour and forty-five minutes, when they were able to pull the dirigible back to its mooring, the sailor was still dangling from the airship. An ambulance was waiting to take him to the hospital, but he said he was all right. People asked him how he had held on for so long. He told them he had found he had about four feet of rope, so, while holding on with one hand, he tied the rope around his waist with the other, and the rope held him. He had just been swinging free the whole time!”[1]

  Today, you might feel like you are struggling, but it is important to remember that God is always with you. Instead of holding onto the rope, let the rope hold onto you. Imagine how it would feel to be confident and secure in knowing that your reservation is settled in heaven, that you have an inheritance, and that you are a child of the King. You are richer than you realize, and this knowledge can help you find hope in the future and power in the present.
 
 "Lord, when I feel like I am exhausted, and I can’t hold on any longer, please remind me that You are the One Who is holding me. Help me remember that I can rest in Your keeping care. You have me in the palm of Your hands, and You will keep me from falling. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
 
   [1] https://www.facebook.com/180971748595555/posts/swinging-free-kenneth-e-hagin-finally-my-brethren-be-strong-in-the-lord-and-in-t/2992479724111396/

I appreciate restaurants that give you the option of making reservations. It keeps you from waiting for a long time to be seated. I've been to a couple of concerts and a couple of ball games where I had to have a ticket to get a seat. That ticket was a reservation for me. It didn't matter how packed everything was. It didn't matter how many people were thronging into the building. I had a ticket. Not only could I get into the venue, but I also had a specific seat. I could rest with confidence because my reservation was settled. 
 
Peter writes about the child of God’s inheritance being reserved and secure! He writes,

1 Peter 1:3–5 (NKJV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 
5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

He says that you have an inheritance, that you are an heir of the kingdom of God. You are a child of the King. No one could be richer. Think about the wealthiest people in this world. If they do not have Christ, they are vagabonds compared to your wealth as a child of God.

Do you know what the word “reserved” means? In Greek, it conveys the idea that you are not reserving it yourself. God is reserving it FOR you. It is in the past tense, which means this reservation happened in the past. How could it have happened in the past if someone gave their life to Christ years after this verse was written? Because God stands outside of time. He saw when you would give your life to Him. He even saw that before you were born. God sees it all at a glance, and He says, “There was a time in the past when I gave you an inheritance, and I have reserved it since.” This phrase also conveys that it continues on until today and even into tomorrow. God is STILL reserving your inheritance.

What does that do for today? You say, "Look how difficult my life is right now." This does not minimize your current difficulties. We're not talking about mere positive thinking. We are describing the reason for our hope in Jesus Christ. Why can we be hopeful when the days are dark?

No matter how much persecution may exist in your life?
No matter the kind of animosity that you experience at school?
No matter the kind of tension that you experience at work?
No matter the challenge of living for Christ by yourself in front of your family?

You can “take heart” because you have an inheritance reserved in heaven for you, and that reservation will not go away. He says it's “undefiled,” “incorruptible,” and “will not fade away.” Isn’t that reassuring? Doesn’t that give the believer hope?

No matter what may be going on today, Jesus said in John 14:1, "Let not your heart be troubled. If you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there you may be also." The reservation is for you, and God Himself has kept that reservation for you.

"Father, thank You for my inheritance in Christ. You have reserved it for me, and it is mine. Lord, may I be reminded of this when the unexpected happens. I praise You that You know the end from the beginning. Nothing surprises You. I trust You, today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Pulitzer Prize winner, Joseph Hallinan, wrote an article on hope, in which he shared research done in the 1950s by Kurt Richter, professor at Johns Hopkins University. He wrote:

In the 1950s, he conducted a gruesome experiment with domesticated and wild rats. He first took a dozen domesticated rats, put them into jars half-filled with water, and watched them drown. The idea was to measure the amount of time they swam before they gave up and went under. The first rat, Richter noted, swam around excitedly on the surface for a very short time, then dove to the bottom, where it began to swim around, nosing its way along the glass wall. It died two minutes later.
 
Two more of the 12 domesticated rats died in much the same way. But, interestingly, the nine remaining rats did not succumb nearly so readily; they swam for days before they eventually gave up and died.
 
Now came the wild rats, renowned for their swimming ability. The ones Richter used had been recently trapped and were fierce and aggressive. One by one, he dropped them into the water. And one by one, they surprised him: Within minutes of entering the water, all 34 died.
 
“What kills these rats?” he wondered. “Why do all of the fierce, aggressive, wild rats die promptly on immersion and only a small number of the similarly treated, tame, domesticated rats?”
 
The answer, in a word: hope.
 
“The situation of these rats scarcely seems one demanding fight or flight—it is rather one of hopelessness,” he wrote. “[T]he rats are in a situation against which they have no defense … they seem literally to ‘give up.’”
 
Richter then tweaked the experiment: He took other, similar rats and put them in the jar. Just before they were expected to die, however, he picked them up, held them a little while, and then put them back in the water. “In this way,” he wrote, “the rats quickly learn that the situation is not actually hopeless.”
 
This small interlude made a huge difference. The rats that experienced a brief reprieve swam much longer and lasted much longer than the rats that were left alone. They also recovered almost immediately. When the rats learned that they were not doomed, that the situation was not lost, that there might be a helping hand at the ready—in short, when they had a reason to keep swimming—they did. They did not give up, and they did not go under.
 
“After elimination of hopelessness,” wrote Richter, “the rats do not die.”
 
There are obviously many differences between humans and rats. But one similarity stands out: We all need a reason to keep swimming.[1]

  We are looking at First Peter, where the writer is telling his audience to “keep swimming,” or “remain hopeful”. In the previous blog post, we looked at how Peter encouraged Christians to look at how big our God is.

  Peter does not complain but gives them a reason to “keep swimming” and lets them know that they can have hope for tomorrow. He writes,

  1 Peter 1:3–5 (NKJV)
 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

  Peter is writing to them in First Peter because the persecution is getting worse in Rome and will intensify in the colonies where they are living as well. In the first century, it was a dark time politically. Nero was on the throne, continuing the persecution of the Christian body. It was a dark time economically. 50% of the people in that society were enslaved. The Christian Church had both slaves and masters represented in their bodies. Peter is writing to people who are experiencing dark days, but he doesn't start with their problems.

  In this passage, Peter is encouraging Christians to look beyond their current circumstances and find hope in their new life through Jesus Christ. After he expresses praise to God, he describes the reason Christians can be hopeful. 1 Peter 1:3-4 says that God has given us new life and a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The reason for this hope is threefold: firstly, we have been born again and regenerated by the Holy Spirit; secondly, we have been begotten by God; and thirdly, we have the assurance of eternal life through our faith in Jesus Christ.

  Have you ever wondered if you are truly a child of God? Well, let me ask you a question. How can you be sure that you were ever born? You might say that you have pictures of yourself as a baby, but how do you know those pictures aren't fake? You might say that your family members have told you that you were born at a certain time, but what if they were lying? You might even show a birth certificate, but what if that was forged? And even if you have prints of your baby feet, your feet are grown now and don't look the same. But the simple answer is that you are alive today, and that's all the proof you need that there was a time when you were born.

  Someone may ask the question, "how do I know that I'm born again?" In John 3:3, Jesus said that unless you're born again, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. To be “born again” means to receive God's life on the inside, to become a new creature in Christ. The old has passed away, and the new has come (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). But how do you know if you've truly received the life of God on the inside? How can you be sure that you've been born again, begotten by the Holy Spirit?

  Walking down an aisle, raising your hand, getting baptized, or signing a card are all outward signs of your faith, but they do not necessarily prove that you have been born again. You can do all of those things and still not experience the life of God on the inside. So, how do you know you're born again? It is because you have new life on the inside. You have been begotten by God.

  1 John 3:9 says, "Whoever has been born of God does not sin," but this does not mean that you will never sin again. The Greek tense of the word “sin” here expresses a lifestyle of sin. It means that you will not continue a lifestyle of sin. We all stumble and fall, but as believers, we confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, and God is faithful to forgive us. The person who is lost has a lifestyle of sin. However, though a child of God may sin, it can be the exception to the rule. It is not the lifestyle of the believer.

  One young man was struggling with his salvation, questioning whether he was a Christian or not. When his godly father asked him how he felt about sin, the young man replied that he didn't want to sin. His father told him that this desire not to sin was a sign that he had experienced the life of God on the inside, making him a child of God.

  There are three reasons why we can rejoice and be confident in our faith. First, we have experienced new life within ourselves. Second, we have a living hope that gives us confidence and assurance. Third, we have a living Savior in Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead on the third day to prove that He is the Son of God and that He is able to forgive our sins.

  As a child of God, you have experienced a new birth, and nothing can change that. You also have a living hope that gives you confidence and assurance in your faith. And you serve a living Savior in Jesus Christ, who forgives your sins and gives you a destined home in heaven. So, no matter how bad things may get in this life, you can be optimistic about your tomorrow because you have a promised home in heaven.
  
“Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus to give me a living hope. I trust You for salvation, and I have been born again by the Holy Spirit. I pray You remind me of this hope as I go through my day. I pray that I remember the promised future I have in heaven with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
 
   [1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/kidding-ourselves/201405/the-remarkable-power-hope, accessed 3/19/2024.

Jay Wallace Hamilton once said, “When there’s no hope for the future, there’s no power in the present.” When we don't have something that we're longing for, or looking forward to, or seeing something that will change for the better, we don't have the power to make it today. The great need for today is hope.

Robert Morgan once wrote,
In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl tells of his years trapped in the indescribable horrors of Auschwitz and Dachau. He was transported there like a despised animal, given two minutes to strip naked or be whipped, every hair was shaved from his body, and he was condemned to a living death. His father, mother, brother, and wife died in the camps or were sent to the gas ovens. His existence was full of cold, fear, starvation, pain, lice and vermin, dehumanization, exhaustion, and terror.

Frankl wrote that he was able to survive because he never lost the quality of hope. Those prisoners who lost faith in the future were doomed. When a prisoner lost hope, Frankl said, he let himself decline, becoming subject to mental and physical decay. He would die from the inside out.

Frankl said that this usually happened quite suddenly. One morning a prisoner would just refuse to get up. He wouldn’t get dressed or wash or go outside to the parade grounds. No amount of pleading by his fellow prisoners would help. No threatening by the captors would have any effect. Losing all hope, he had simply given up. He would lay there in his own excrement till he died. American soldiers later told Frankl that this behavior pattern existed also among prisoners of war, and was called “give-up-itis.”

When a prisoner lost hope, said Frankl, “he lost his spiritual hold.”[1]

  Pulitzer Prize winner, Joseph Hallinan, wrote, “Last month, in Nashport, Ohio, a couple who held hands at breakfast every morning, even after 70 years of marriage, died 15 hours apart. The couple's eight children say the two had been inseparable since meeting as teenagers, once sharing the bottom of a bunk bed on a ferry rather than spending even one night apart. "We knew when one went, the other was going to go," their daughter told the local newspaper.”[2] In essence, they died because they had just given up hope.
 
 Is there something to hope? Can hope change your circumstances? Does the hope you have for tomorrow give you power to live in the present?

  Christians can experience hope even in dark circumstances. During the first century, the Christian community in Rome faced persecution. They were misunderstood, mistreated, and maligned for their Christian faith. As a result, these first-century Christians were cast out of Rome, and many found their way to Roman colonies throughout the known world at the time. The Christians had to start over in these new communities due to being displaced. In verse one, Peter calls these believers “pilgrims.” We might call them “refugees”. The Contemporary English Version says, “To God’s people who are scattered like foreigners.”
 
Peter writes this book not to complain, but to give them courage and let them know that they can have hope for tomorrow. He writes,

  1 Peter 1:3–5 (NKJV)
 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

  It's interesting that he doesn't start with their problems. He will talk about their sufferings later on in the book, but he starts with a note of praise. He says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." He wants them to look up and gain a different perspective, one of rejoicing. The word "blessed" in English means “fortunate, favored, and happy.” However, this word in Greek is entirely different. It's where we get the word "eulogy" from, which means to “speak well of someone.”

  Peter starts off by saying, "Let's have a great word for Jesus. Let's sing a song about our blessed God. Let's think and talk about something that God has done in our lives." This changes the perspective from our problems to God's power to solve them. We ought to rejoice no matter our circumstances. It could be dark in your life, but blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; God has done something great in our lives. It's changing our perspective.

  I haven't been to a Harvard football game, but I heard a humorous story about one of their games. The Harvard student section during football season oftentimes loses to state schools like Virginia Tech or Virginia, and when the opposing team scores a touchdown, the student section has come up with a chant that goes something like this: "That's all right, that's okay, you're going to work for us someday."
  
 These Harvard students realized that they may not beat other schools in football, but they may beat them in business. This is a reminder that no matter what you're facing, there's always a way to change your perspective.

  You may be ridiculed at work because you're the only Christian, or you may be married to an unbeliever who mischaracterizes your faith. You may have a target on your back in school because of your Christian convictions. Peter says, “Let’s lift up our eyes to God, Who remains on His throne! Let’s rejoice!” We should take the magnifying glass off of our problems and put it on a God who is big enough to solve them.

  This reminds me of Psalm 34:1-3, which says, "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.”
  
 “Dear God, thank You for all Your blessings. Today, I magnify You. I exalt You. I bless Your name. Help me take the focus off of my problems. Thank You for Your power to help me through today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
 
   [1] Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 449–450.
   [2] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/kidding-ourselves/201405/the-remarkable-power-hope, accessed 3/19/2024.

I remember when Lydia and I were planning on getting married, and friends and family members were going to throw a bridal shower for Lydia. I had not gone to any bridal showers that I was aware of, and I was kind of indignant that I was being left out. I said, "Hey, why am I not invited? I'm getting married too. This shouldn't be a bridal shower. This should be a wedding shower, and it should be both of us there." The ladies who organized it decided to indulge my ignorance and invited me. I remember spending the first 10 minutes in that wedding shower, where I was pretty much the only guy there, and I realized real quick why they call it a bridal shower. With lots of ladies there, talking about different things with the wedding, I thought to myself, "I do not belong here." I felt so out of place. So, let’s just keep calling it a bridal shower.

Has there ever been a time when you didn't feel like you belonged? Has there ever been a place where you didn't feel like you fit in? It can be a challenge. It may cause you to feel ostracized.

First Peter was written by Peter while he was in Rome. He was writing to a group of people, not just one church, but a group of people who were in several different colonies of Rome who were believers. Some had Jewish backgrounds, some had Gentile backgrounds, but all of them were beginning to experience suffering and persecution for their faith. Peter is writing about this intense persecution that he and others were experiencing. According to Church history, that persecution in Rome would ultimately lead Peter and his wife to be martyred for the cause of Christ. They experienced great persecution and were sent to their deaths, proclaiming Jesus as Savior and risen Lord. A couple of years before this ultimate martyrdom of Peter and his wife, persecution began to intensify in Rome. Peter also heard about the persecution that was happening in these Roman colonies.

Why were Christians suffering persecution? First, Nero burned down many parts of Rome so he could rebuild it the way he wanted. When citizens grew upset about it, Nero blamed it on the Christians. They were easy targets because they were a group of people that the Roman citizens really didn’t understand. He would ultimately call Christians “atheists.” Why? Because they wouldn't worship the Roman gods or deities that the other citizens would worship. So, they would point to Christians and say, “Who are these people? They don't even acknowledge our own deities. They must be atheists.”

Second, Roman Christians were accused of being cannibals. The confusion came from the practice of the Lord’s Supper, also known as communion. In John 6:53, Jesus told His followers, “Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you do not have life in you.” This was a symbolic statement, but outsiders viewed it as literal. Jesus instituted Communion, when He said, “Take, eat. This is My body, which is broken for you. Take, drink. This is My blood poured out for you” (see Matthew 26:26-29). Jesus was referring to our identification with His sacrifice on the Cross. However, the Roman citizens would overhear them and think they were cannibals.

Third, they would call the Christians incestuous, believing they were marrying their own siblings. Why? Because, those Christians would greet one another, referring to one another as “brother” or “sister”. Ultimately, they would marry, and so there was the accusation of incestuous marriages. Of course, all of these were misconceptions about first-century Christians. Imagine the context where being a believer meant that you were misunderstood for your convictions. Of course, we don’t have to imagine it, as it is part of our daily lives living in this country. Our faith is misunderstood. We stand for truth and are misunderstood by secular society.

Well, First Peter begins his letter to Christians who are scattered in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) in this way:

1 Peter 1:1-2a (NKJV) – “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God…”

Verse 1, in most English translations, reads, “To the pilgrims…” lists all of the places, and then verse 2 begins, “elect according to the foreknowledge of God.”  However in the Greek text, it actually says, "To the elect pilgrims" or "elect exiles" or "elect sojourners" - however you want to translate the word "pilgrims."

The Greek text reads "elect pilgrims," and then goes on to describe the dispersion in Pontius, Cappadocia, Bithynia, and other places. That means that God is sovereign even over where He has placed you. You may say, “Well, God doesn't know where I am.” God knows exactly where you are. You may say, “Well, I'm in this environment at work or school where I'm the only Christian.” God knows, and in that place, He calls you one of His “elect pilgrims.”
Sometimes, as Christians, we find ourselves in situations where we say, "I don't belong here. I don't fit in. I don't understand why I am experiencing suffering or persecution, or why people will not try to understand my Christian faith.” However, the truth is that you are a citizen of heaven. You are a pilgrim, a sojourner, and a refugee traveling through this world.

Peter reminds the people of God who are dispersed in places like Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia that He knows where they are but they are not citizens of those places. Even though they may be citizens of Rome, their true citizenship is in heaven. Paul expresses the same idea in Philippians 3:20, when he says, "Your citizenship is in heaven." Even though Paul was a proud Roman citizen, he knew that his true citizenship was in heaven.

When traveling internationally, you might feel like you don't belong because you are not in your home country. Similarly, as believers, we are not made for just this place. So, when you feel like you don't belong or fit in, remember that it's because you were made for another world. You are just passing through this earth, and your true home is in heaven.

“Dear God, thank You for helping me see life from Your perspective. I trust You with my life. Thank You for loving me and saving me. May I remain faithful to You as I look forward to heaven. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

1 Peter 1:1-2a (NKJV) – “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God…”

First Peter was written by Peter while he was in Rome. He was writing to a group of people, not just one church, but a group of people who were in several different colonies of Rome who were believers. Some had Jewish backgrounds, some had Gentile backgrounds, but all of them were beginning to experience suffering and persecution for their faith. Peter is writing about this intense persecution that he and others were experiencing. According to Church history, that persecution in Rome would ultimately lead Peter and his wife to be martyred for the cause of Christ. They experienced great persecution and were sent to their deaths, proclaiming Jesus as Savior and risen Lord. A couple of years before this ultimate martyrdom of Peter and his wife, persecution began to intensify in Rome. Peter also heard about the persecution that was happening in these Roman colonies.

Why were Christians suffering persecution? First, Nero burned down many parts of Rome so he could rebuild it the way he wanted. When citizens grew upset about it, Nero blamed it on the Christians. They were easy targets because they were a group of people that the Roman citizens really didn’t understand. He would ultimately call Christians “atheists.” Why? Because they wouldn't worship the Roman gods or deities that the other citizens would worship. So, they would point to Christians and say, “Who are these people? They don't even acknowledge our own deities. They must be atheists.”

Second, Roman Christians were accused of being cannibals. The confusion came from the practice of the Lord’s Supper, also known as communion. In John 6:53, Jesus told His followers, “Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you do not have life in you.” This was a symbolic statement, but outsiders viewed it as literal. Jesus instituted Communion, when He said, “Take, eat. This is My body, which is broken for you. Take, drink. This is My blood poured out for you” (see Matthew 26:26-29). Jesus was referring to our identification with His sacrifice on the Cross. However, the Roman citizens would overhear them and think they were cannibals.

Third, they would call the Christians incestuous, believing they were marrying their own siblings. Why? Because, those Christians would greet one another, referring to one another as “brother” or “sister”. Ultimately, they would marry, and so there was the accusation of incestuous marriages. Of course, all of these were misconceptions about first-century Christians. Imagine the context where being a believer meant that you were misunderstood for your convictions. Of course, we don’t have to imagine it, as it is part of our daily lives living in this country. Our faith is misunderstood. We stand for truth and are misunderstood by secular society.

First Peter is describing that we can be encouraged even in the midst of challenging times. Peter was experiencing suffering in Rome, and he sent this letter to the Christians who were in all of these Roman colonies where persecution was intensifying, suffering was taking place, and his mindset to them was that this should not surprise Christians. You can be courageous. You can be joyful even in the midst of difficulties or suffering. Prepare your minds for the suffering that may take place in your communities.

We can be encouraged when we can see things from God's perspective, not from a human standpoint. Verse 2 begins by expressing how God foreknew us as His children and we are chosen by Him.

We have been chosen by God. Our salvation was never initiated by us. Our salvation was always initiated by God. He called us, and He drew us to Himself. He pursued us into a relationship with Himself, and then we responded to that. Romans 3:20 says, "No one seeks after God, not one." You might say, "I said ‘Yes’ to Jesus." Yeah, but that's because He was first pursuing you. He was reaching out to you with His arms of love. Jesus said in John 15:16, "You didn't choose me, but I chose you."

Sometimes, people get really caught up with this idea of election, and they begin to think, “Well, did God preordain who will say ‘Yes’ to Him and say ‘No’ to Him? Did God preordain who will accept His salvation, and who will reject His salvation?” That’s not what is taught here. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God predestines people to go to hell. However, in the mysterious work of God, He does say that He has called us, chosen us, and pursued us to initiate a relationship with us. We should be encouraged by that thought. D.L. Moody once said, “Election should always encourage the saved, not discourage the lost.” Revelation 22:17 says, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (KJV).”

John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." 1 John 2:2 says that Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world. Jesus died for everyone and anyone who wants to be saved can be saved. However, I like what Charles Spurgeon once said, "When we get to heaven, over the gates it will say ‘whosoever will may come,' and upon entering, we will see inscribed on the backside, 'elect before the foundation of the world'." There is a mystery to our salvation - we have been chosen by God, and then we have said "yes" to Him, but our salvation was initiated by Jesus Christ and God the Father pursuing us into a relationship with Himself. This should bring comfort. You belong in His family. Your salvation is not based on you, it is based on God.
 
“Dear God, thank You for pursuing me with Your love. I praise You for saving me. You are my Lord. I belong to You. Thank You for being brought into Your family. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

1 Peter 2:21–25 (NKJV)
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 

1 Peter 2:21-25 inspired Charles Sheldon in 1896 to write what would become the classic, “In His Steps”. The story begins with a man who is down on his luck. He’s struggling—without a job, without resources. He goes to various people in the community for help, but no one offers him any assistance. Even the pastor, though kind, doesn’t offer the help he truly needs. One Sunday morning, after the sermon, this man steps forward and speaks to the congregation. He asks a bold question: “What does it really mean to follow Jesus?”
 
He was being honest, challenging the congregation to reflect on their faith. Tragically, within the week, the man deteriorates and dies. His question, however, deeply moves the pastor. It leads him to challenge his congregation with a year-long commitment: “Whenever you face a decision, whenever something comes up, ask yourself this question: What would Jesus do if He were right here?”  

The rest of “In His Steps” follows the transformation of a church—and eventually a society—as people begin to live by this question, striving to follow the example of Jesus. Many years later, this idea inspired the popular “What Would Jesus Do?” bracelets, which became a reminder to live according to Christ’s example.

We’re called Christians. We are the only Bible some people will ever read. The way we interact with others when they find out we are Christians is a testimony to who Jesus is. This is the point Peter emphasizes in this passage: Jesus is our example for how to live in the midst of a world hostile to the Christian life.

Remember, Peter was writing to believers in Roman colonies in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) during a time of growing persecution. As followers of Christ ventured out into these regions, Peter reminded them that their primary citizenship was in heaven. They were Christians first, Romans second. So how were they to interact with a culture that misunderstood them—or worse, intentionally misrepresented their convictions and way of life? Peter provides both the principle and the example, pointing to Jesus.

We can follow Jesus’ example in three ways:
 
1. Don’t Be Surprised When You Suffer.  
Verse 21 says, “To this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” It says, “He committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.” Then, in verse 24, it says, “He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”

It was God’s plan for Him to suffer for us. He was mistreated for us. He was misunderstood for us. He lived with rejection and suffering, and He told His followers, “If they hated Me, they’re going to hate you” (see John 15:18-20).

John 1:11 says, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” Jesus Himself experienced rejection. And He made it clear that a servant is not above his master—if He was rejected, criticized, and persecuted, then as His followers, we should expect the same.
Here’s the principle: Don’t be surprised when you suffer for Christ. Expect it. Anticipate it. Don’t think suffering is a sign that God disapproves of you. In fact, it’s often the opposite. Suffering comes because of your Christian convictions. In your workplace, in your home, or in society at large, persecution may intensify. Peter says this is par for the course. It happened to Jesus, our Savior and Master, and it will happen to us as well.
This passage echoes Isaiah 53, which prophesied about Jesus.

Isaiah 53:4–6 (NKJV)
4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Peter is quoting from this passage when he says that Jesus carried our sorrows, our griefs, our sins. He suffered for us. And just as He suffered, we too will face suffering.
When Jesus came, He was rejected by people. He wasn’t widely accepted by those in power. And Peter makes it clear that Jesus is our example in this as well. If they rejected our Master, they’ll reject us too.

Consider John 12:42–43, which describes people who believed in Jesus but wouldn’t openly confess Him: “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”  

These people believed in Jesus—especially after He raised Lazarus from the dead—but they feared the consequences of confessing Him. The Pharisees had made it clear that anyone who believed Jesus was the Messiah would be cast out of the synagogue. And because they loved human praise more than God’s, they stayed silent.
 
Jesus addressed this issue directly with the religious leaders. In John 5:41, He said, “I do not receive honor from men.” The Living Bible puts it this way: “Your approval or disapproval means nothing to Me.” Can you imagine getting to that place in your own faith?

In John 5:44, Jesus continues: “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” The Phillips paraphrases this verse, “How on earth can you believe while you are forever looking for each other’s approval and not for the glory that comes from the one God?”
 
Jesus makes it clear: if you’re more concerned with the approval of people than the approval of God, you won’t truly believe or follow Him.

The world won’t reject you if you say, do, and believe what it does. But if you live differently—if you follow Jesus—there will be resistance. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” If we go against the direction of this world, we will meet resistance.
 
Jesus suffered when He walked on this earth, and we, as His followers, will suffer too. Prepare yourself. Don’t be surprised when it comes. Instead, let Jesus be your Guide in the midst of your suffering—whether it’s in your home, your workplace, or society at large.

2. Respond the Way Jesus Would Respond.  
The second way that we can follow the example of Jesus is by exemplifying His silence. Look again at 1 Peter 2:22-23: “He committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.”  

Even though Jesus had every justification to respond to those who mistreated Him, He didn’t retaliate. Remember the accusations thrown His way? In John 8:41, the religious leaders said, “We were not born of fornication,” implying that Jesus’ birth came from fornication. The subtext was clear: “We know who our father is—but we don’t know who yours is.” The gossip around town was that Joseph wasn’t His real father. They accused Jesus of being an illegitimate son of immorality.

Now, let’s make this applicable. You’re mistreated at work. You’re mistreated in your home. Someone is accusing you wrongfully. What is Peter trying to say? See Jesus’ silence as your example. Remember how He responded. He entrusted Himself to God, the same God to whom you’ve entrusted your eternal soul. Isn’t that incredible? The God who secures your eternity is the same God who can handle your everyday life.
 
We often say Jesus is our Lord, and yet we feel the need to defend ourselves constantly. Jesus, while on the cross, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46). He entrusted Himself to God, even when falsely accused. He recognized that God is the ultimate Judge. We claim to trust God for our salvation, for our eternal destiny, but when it comes to the day-to-day mistreatment we face, what do we do? We retaliate. We stand up for our rights. We’re quick to fight back.

Peter is urging us to look to the example of Jesus. When He was mistreated, He did not mistreat in return. Think about the scene on the cross when one of the thieves hurled insults at Him. Did Jesus yell back? No. He was silent. In that moment, He entrusted Himself to God. And we, too, can entrust ourselves to God.
 
In 1995, a man named Randy Reed was working on a water tower 110 feet in the air. While trying to reach a difficult spot to tighten something, he unbuckled his safety harness and stretched out just a bit too far. Suddenly, something shifted, and he fell—110 feet! He landed face-first in a pile of dirt. When paramedics arrived, they found him conscious. Amazingly, the only thing he complained about was a sore back.

After falling 110 feet, Doctors discovered that Randy Reed suffered only a bruised lung. That’s all. And as the paramedics carried him to the stretcher, he even kept his sense of humor. He said, “Don’t drop me. Don’t drop me!”[1]

Isn’t it fascinating that someone can survive a 110-foot fall and then worry about being dropped two feet? And yet, isn’t that exactly what we do? We’ve been delivered from the greatest fall of all—our sin and eternal separation from God. We’ve been rescued by the gospel, and we cling to the cross for eternal salvation. But when the everyday trials come, we feel that we need to take care of ourselves.
 
We’ve been eternally rescued, and yet we struggle to trust God with the little things. You and I can live with incredible confidence—even when we face death itself—because we know we’ve entrusted our lives to God for eternity. Peter’s message is clear: Jesus is our example. He entrusted Himself to God, and you and I can do the same.

3. Submit Yourself to the Will of God.  
Matthew 26:39 describes the dark night before the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane, “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’” This great act of submission to the plan of God was the only way humanity could be saved from eternal damnation. It was the only way. And Jesus, though fully aware of the cost, submitted Himself to the will of the Father.

It’s important to remember that submission is not agreement. Jesus didn’t say, “This is a great plan, and I’m glad to do it.” No, He prayed, “If there’s any other way, let this cup pass from Me.” Yet, He willingly submitted, saying, “Nevertheless, not My will, but Your will be done.” In the same way that Jesus submitted to the will of the Father, you and I are called to submit as well.
The question “What would Jesus do?” naturally comes to our minds. It challenges us to think about how Jesus’ life serves as a model for our own. But here’s the real point: we cannot ask “What would Jesus do?” until we first accept what Jesus did.  

John Piper said about this passage, “This is not a rule to follow so much as it is a miracle to experience, a grace to receive.” And that’s the heart of it. How can we live like Jesus if we haven’t experienced the new birth? How can we follow His example if we haven’t received what He accomplished on the cross?
 
Jesus died for us. He paid the penalty for our sins. Through faith in Him and repentance we are made new. 1 Peter 2:25 concludes, “For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” That’s the essence of repentance: turning back to God, turning away from sin. Once we’ve done that, we are “dead to sin and alive to righteousness” (see 1 Peter 2:24).

From that foundation, we can live the life Jesus wants us to live—His life lived through us. He can be our example only because we have first received what He did on the cross. No amount of living like Jesus will replace the need to receive what Jesus accomplished for us.  Salvation comes first. Through faith in Him, we are empowered to follow His example.

“Lord Jesus, thank You for being my perfect Example, showing me how to live with grace, humility, and faithfulness even in the face of suffering. Help me to trust You completely, committing my life into Your hands and responding to trials as You did—with love, patience, and forgiveness. Empower me through Your Spirit to follow in Your steps, living not for my own will but for the glory of the Father. In Your Name, amen.”

[1] Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1 Peter, The Teacher’s Outline & Study Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1994), 109.

1 Peter 2:21-25 immediately follows what Peter has already been writing about. He’s discussing how to respond when facing a government opposed to Christian convictions, as long as it does not require disobedience to God. Peter says, “Respect them, obey them, and honor the king.” This was written when Nero, one of the most godless men in history, was Caesar, or king. Yet, Peter still says, “honor the king.”

How are Christians supposed to do that? How are they supposed to honor a godless government? Surrounding this passage is understanding submission with difficult bosses and submission in the home. In all these contexts, Peter points to Jesus as the ultimate example of submission.

You think submission is a difficult concept? Jesus submitted in the most challenging situations. Much like Paul in Philippians 2:1–8, Peter highlights Jesus' selflessness, encouraging us to imitate Christ. Paul says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 2:5) Who humbled Himself, not thinking of His own needs but ours. Similarly, Peter writes that Jesus is our example of submission, even in suffering.

1 Peter 2:21–25 (NKJV)
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 
22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 
25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Even though Jesus Christ is our example, we cannot put that in the wrong order. The proper order is this: you and I must experience the new birth and only then can we follow His example. Peter mentions this in verse 24, where he says Jesus bore our sins on the cross. Jesus is not just an example of how to live; He is our substitution. He died in our place. 1 John 2:2 says, “Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Without first experiencing the new birth, we cannot live the Christian life that Jesus exemplifies.

Let me be clear: this passage is not saying that following the teachings and morals of Jesus will get you to heaven. It’s saying that Jesus died for your sins, and through faith in Him, you are empowered to follow His example. You won’t get to heaven based on what you do for God; you’ll get to heaven based on your trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross. Then, as a child of God, Jesus becomes your example.

Notice 1 Peter 2:24: “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” Peter emphasizes that the righteous life comes only after a heart transformed by grace. John Piper puts it this way: “This passage is not a rule to follow but a miracle to experience and a grace to receive.”[1] First, you must receive what Jesus did on the cross, and then you can live the life He modeled.

Jesus told His disciples to “Follow me.” Mark 3:14 says, “He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.” Before sending them out, He wanted them to simply be with Him—to observe how He lived, spoke, and interacted. Paul echoes this in 1 Corinthians 11:1: “Imitate me, as I imitate Christ.” Sometimes we hesitate to be examples for younger believers, but Paul never did. He encouraged others by saying, “Follow me as I follow Christ, just as I follow the example of Jesus.”

Peter is saying the same thing: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” The word “example” here conveys the idea of tracing.

We probably first learned about tracing in grade school. How did you learn to write your ABCs? Some teachers might have simply instructed, “Write an A, write a B, write a C,” leaving you confused, wondering, “What does that even mean? I don't understand what you're asking.” However, as a young child, you likely had a sheet of paper with dotted outlines forming the letter A. Your teacher would tell you, “Trace this letter so many times,” and eventually you'd think, “I got it. That's an A. I know how to form a B. I know how to form a C.” Then later, when you were learning cursive, you practiced the strokes by tracing the pen movements for each letter on another sheet of paper.

This idea relates to the concept of tracing the footsteps of Jesus. You might wonder, “How do I submit? How do I do so gracefully and with endurance? How do I honor the king? How do I submit in my home?” The answer is, “Trace His steps; follow the example of Jesus.”

When I was in third grade, I began to discover I was pretty good at drawing. I wasn't exceptional, but in my eyes, I thought I was talented. I created little characters with my best friend. We’d draw our own comic book characters and staple them together—this was my copy, and that was your copy. We had so much fun creating these characters; it was fantastic. I still have a few of those comic books, though I wouldn’t dare show them to anyone today!

Around that same time, I met another great friend. In third or fourth grade, during art class, he showed me one of his creations. At that moment, my world opened up. I grabbed some tracing paper, laid it on top of his drawing, and started tracing his lines. When I pulled the paper away, I thought, “Wow, that looks pretty close to what he did!”

I did this over and over again. I just couldn’t draw like him from scratch, and I still can’t. My friend, who is a professional artist today, would skillfully create some of the most incredible drawings and share them with friends anytime he wanted to.

For me, I needed to trace his work, over and over again, until I could master some of the strokes and come close to capturing his style on my own. This experience came to mind as I read this passage that states Jesus Christ is our example and model. You might ask, “How am I supposed to live like Jesus?” Here’s the principle: Let Him be your example. It's inspiring that He didn't simply shout from Heaven, “Live this way!” Instead, He showed us how to do it.
Jesus told His disciples, “You’re going to be with Me. You’re going to walk with Me.” He didn’t just come to this earth, die on the cross for our sins, and then return to heaven. No, He ministered and gave us an example of what it looks like to live the life He desires for us. He saved us eternally. We have a home destined for us in heaven—praise the Lord! But what are we supposed to do while we live in this world? How are we supposed to exemplify Jesus?

We’re called Christians. We are the only Bible some people will ever read. The way we interact with others when they find out we are Christians is a testimony to who Jesus is. This is the point Peter emphasizes in this passage: Jesus is our example for how to live in the midst of a world hostile to the Christian life.

“Lord, help me to trace Jesus' footsteps in my daily life. Give me the wisdom to study His life and the courage to apply His teachings. May my actions reflect Your love and draw others to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

[1] As quoted by Ray Pritchard, “In His Steps,” https://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/in-his-steps/