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/

1 Peter 2:18–20 (NKJV)
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.
 
The word “servants” is also translated as “slaves” or as “bondservants”. Multiple places in the Bible will reference this topic. Note the following:
 
Ephesians 6:5–8 (NKJV)
5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;
6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
 
1 Timothy 6:1–2 (NKJV)
1 Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed.
2 And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.
 
Colossians 3:22–23 (NKJV)
22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
 
In these verses, some will use the word “slave”. James refers to himself as a “bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1). The word "slave" in James (and in many instances of the New Testament) is "doulos" in the Greek, and it does mean servant or bondservant. It means someone who has placed their will under the will of another. When James is using the word, he is referring to the fact that he lives to fulfill God’s will, not his own.
 
You may have difficulty with the Bible’s use of the word “slave” because of how the evil industry of slavery was practiced and experienced in America’s history (and in other nations as well). You may read these verses and think the Bible is commending slavery, but you have to understand what the term meant back in the first century. We are reading a text from the first century with our 21st-century mind. This can cause confusion if you are not careful. One practice of good Biblical interpretation is to not confuse a modern word’s usage for how that word was used in Biblical times. You want to know what the word meant when it was written, not what the term means now.
 
The same word can have different meanings even in the same century. I remember watching a baking competition on TV with my family. This competition took place in England. The British speak with an accent, but they also use a few words differently than Americans. They talked about being in their “garden”, but Americans would call it their “yard”. We may wrongly interpret what they are trying to say if we don’t take the time to understand what they mean when they use this word. They talked about making a “biscuit”, but Americans would call it a “cookie”.
 
Because of streaming platforms, our family has been able to show some children’s British shows as our kids were young. I was surprised to hear one of my sons get upset one day and say he was “cross” (a British word meaning “upset”). Another time, one of my other sons said he was going to go on a “holiday” (a British word meaning “vacation”). I only use these examples to illustrate that words can mean different things, and good hermeneutics (the study of Bible interpretation) requires you to understand what a word meant to the original audience.
 
For instance, Acts 1:8 says, "But you shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you'll be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, Judea, in Samaria, and even to the uttermost parts of the earth." The word “power” is the Greek word dunamis. I have heard preachers mistakenly say, “This word power in Acts 1:8 means dynamite.” The Holy Spirit does want to give “power”, but the word “dynamite” was coined by Alfred Nobel in 1867 to describe a stick of explosive material. You shouldn’t read an image from 1867 into a first-century word. The better approach is to let the Bible speak as it was written in the first-century and then apply it to today.
 
Another example is the word “wine”. I have written a book on this subject entitled “Don’t Drink Responsibly”, where I seek to bring clarity to what the Bible means when it uses words like “wine” or “strong drink”. I've heard people argue, "If the Bible were against wine and wanted us to drink grape juice instead, it would have specifically mentioned grape juice rather than using the word wine." Sometimes “wine” in the Bible referred to grape juice that was not fermented (or intoxicating) and sometimes it would refer to wine that was fermented. All of it would be referenced using the same word “wine”. The Bible student has to discover through the context what is intended.
 
I’ve heard people argue, "Well, Jesus turned water into wine (see John 2:1-11)," but really they're not seeing it through a first-century lens. They're imagining what is sold in stores today, referring back to what Jesus did, and then stating, "Well, the Bible must not condemn it." Take time to consider Proverbs 20:1, which says, "Wine is a mocker; strong drink is a brawler. Anyone who's seduced by it is not wise." Proverbs 23:29-35 explains when to avoid wine.  
 
Proverbs 23:29–35 (NKJV)
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly;
32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things.
34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:
35 “They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”
 
Verses 30 and 31 are describing wine that is fermented or intoxicating. Therefore, note this Biblical line of reasoning:
 
1)     Jesus is the living Word, and He would not contradict the written Word.
2)     The Bible says to avoid fermented wine, which is intoxicating.
3)     Yes, Jesus turned water into wine, but it could not have been intoxicating.
 
The Bible would use the word “wine” the same way we today use the word “drink”. If an adult is attending a party where they are serving alcohol and asks for a “drink” the context would assume they are referencing something intoxicating. But if a child comes in on a hot summer day and asks for a “drink” the context would assume they are referencing something that is not intoxicating. Context helps you understand how the word is to be used. The same is true with the word “slaves”, “servants” or “bond-servants”.
 
Is the Bible promoting slavery?
 
1 Peter 2:18-19 says, “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable…” Definitions matter when reading the Bible. This is true with the word “slave” (“oiketai” – household slave) in 1 Peter 2:18. If we simply read the Bible with our modern concepts, we truly will misread the Scriptures.
 
Scott Bartchy, graduate of Harvard and professor of history at UCLA, has researched first-century slavery.[1] He states, ''Central features that distinguish 1st century slavery from that later practiced in the New World are the following: racial factors played no role; education was greatly encouraged (some slaves were better educated than their owners); many slaves carried out sensitive and highly responsible social functions; slaves could own property; their religious and cultural traditions were the same as those of freeborn and (perhaps above all) the majority of urban and domestic slaves could legitimately anticipate being emancipated by the age of 30.''[2]
 
Bartchy also writes, “In stark contrast to New World slavery in the 17th–19th centuries, Greco-Roman slavery functioned as a process rather than a permanent condition, as a temporary phase of life by means of which an outsider obtained ‘a place within a society …’” [3] He also explains how one would become a slave in the Roman Empire:
 
Kidnap or capture: Before the death of Caesar Augustus in ad 14 and during the time of Rome’s foreign expansion, many slaves were either captured in war or kidnapped by pirates and then sold at auction. Paul listed this kind of enslavement among other detestable practices, such as sexual immorality, homosexuality, and perjury, earlier in this letter to Timothy (1:10, where “kidnapper” translates andrapodistēs [405], or “man-stealer”; cf. Exod. 21:16).
 
Birth: By the time of Paul, birth had become the primary source of new slaves. According to Roman law, if you were born to a woman who was a slave, you were bound to her master as well.
 
Self-sale: An extremely common means of escaping the hardscrabble life of freeborn poverty was to sell oneself into slavery. Many non-Romans chose voluntary indenture as a way to gain work skills, climb socially, earn citizenship after release (known as manumission)—a reasonable expectation, according to Roman law—and even serve in public office. Many believe this had been the path chosen by Erastus (Rom. 16:23), the city manager of Corinth.
 
Abandonment or sale of children: A common method of dealing with an unwanted pregnancy was to bear the infant and then abandon him or her to the elements, a practice called “exposure.” Infants found alive were often raised as slaves. Extremely poor parents might elect to sell their child into slavery instead—not for the money, necessarily, but as a crude form of adoption.[4]
 
Charles Swindoll adds,
 
Roman law considered slaves to be property. A slave could be owned, traded, or sold like a beast of burden. A slave could not legally marry, bring a suit against someone in court, inherit property or money, or do anything without his or her master’s consent. While slaves received more severe punishment for crimes than their freed counterparts, they did enjoy some legal protection from excessive abuse, not unlike our laws against animal cruelty. Enforcement, however, was inconsistent.
 
On the bright side, slaves could own property, which they legally controlled without interference from their masters. Some even acquired their own slaves, whom they sold for a profit. Slaves also could accumulate wealth and then use it to purchase their freedom, a common method of wiping out debt and reentering free life with advanced social status. Legally, slaves occupied a decidedly subordinate status in Roman society; but socially, they often rose to relatively high ranks. In fact, few could distinguish slaves from freeborn workers-for-hire, who carried out the same kinds of duties.
 
In Greco-Roman households slaves served not only as cooks, cleaners, and personal attendants, but also as tutors of persons of all ages, physicians, nurses, close companions, and managers of the household. In the business world, slaves were not only janitors and delivery boys; they were managers of estates, shops, and ships, as well as salesmen and contracting agents. In the civil service slaves were not only used in street-paving and sewer-cleaning gangs, but also as administrators of funds and personnel and as executives with decision-making powers. Most slaves could expect to be freed by the age of thirty, or even sooner, as many owners set all their slaves free as a part of their final testaments.[5]
 
In Jesus Skeptic, John Dickerson writes, “Because of my American-centric education, I once had the impression that slavery was created and perpetrated only in the United States, from the 1600s until the Civil War. I have since learned how ignorant I was about the evils of slavery and its history in most major civilizations. While slavery is an ugly and heinous part of America’s history, the unpleasant reality is that it was a global norm among many civilizations, dating back thousands of years before the United States existed.”[6] “In her cross-cultural and historical research on comparative captivity, Catherine Cameron found that bondspeople composed 10 percent to 70 percent of the population of most societies, lending credence to Seymour Drescher’s assertion that ‘freedom, not slavery, was the peculiar institution.’”[7]
 
The Bible does not condone or commend slavery. Consider Deuteronomy 24:7, which says, "If a man is found kidnapping any of his brethren of the children of Israel and mistreats him or sells him, then that kidnapper shall die; you shall put away the evil from among you." This verse says capital punishment will be the penalty for taking a person against their will and selling them into slavery. In 1 Timothy 1:9-11, Paul lists commandments that help people know what is right and what is wrong. In the list, he says “men-stealers” or “kidnappers” is against God’s law. This is describing the practice of stealing and selling a person as a slave.
 
These comments may seem too detailed, but it is necessary to explain the context in which 1 Peter 2:18 (as well as other Biblical passages that express slavery imagery) is written. When Biblical and historical background is revealed, any honest assessment must conclude that there are similarities but there are also many differences. The Bible does not condone or condemn slavery.
 
Dickerson writes about the impact of William Wilberforce to abolish slavery. He states,
 
William Wilberforce was not a humanitarian. He was not a good person. He did not care about slaves. Then he became a Christian. As a Christian, he started to read the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament.
 
Wilberforce then wrote a book titled Real Christianity in which he wrote that God opened his eyes to realize the evil of slavery. He gave the rest of his life to end slavery in Britain. When Britain outlawed slavery, it controlled a sprawling empire around the world. Wilberforce’s work thus spread to the British territories. Wilberforce remains credited, more than any other individual, with ending the slave trade in the vast British Empire, including India—which had an estimated eight to nine million indigenous slaves in the Hindu caste system.[8]
 
Wilberforce’s argument in “Real Christianity” was if you are a Christian, you should be against slavery. He worked so hard to see it abolished, but thought he might be wasting his time. He considered doing something else. John Newton, the great writer of "Amazing Grace" said, “Stay where you are. God has placed you there. Don't give up what God has put on your heart to do.” Ultimately, Wilberforce did see the abolition of the slave trade in Great Britain.
 
The transformed heart of a Christian man helped to bring about transformation in society. God changes hearts and lives, and then it begins to influence society. Wayne Grudem, in Politics and the Bible, references the positive influence of Christianity on society. He writes,
 
“Historian Alvin Schmidt points out how the spread of Christianity and Christian influence on government was primarily responsible for outlawing infanticide, child abandonment, and abortion in the Roman Empire (in AD 374); outlawing the brutal battles-to-the-death in which thousands of gladiators had died (in 404); outlawing the cruel punishment of branding the faces of criminals (in 315); instituting prison reforms such as the segregating of male and female prisoners (by 361); stopping the practice of human sacrifice among the Irish, the Prussians, and the Lithuanians as well as among other nations; outlawing pedophilia; granting of property rights and other protections to women; banning polygamy (which is still practiced in some Muslim nations today); prohibiting the burning alive of widows in India (in 1829); outlawing the painful and crippling practice of binding young women’s feet in China (in 1912); persuading government officials to begin a system of public schools in Germany (in the sixteenth century); and advancing the idea of compulsory education of all children in a number of European countries.[9]
 
Our society continues to feel the effects of the Christians who have gone before us, and our Christian influence should draw people to Christ and influence society for the good. Peter says in 1 Peter 2:13–3:7 that our winsome witness should draw people to Christ in society, at work and in the home. God's people can transform society from the inside out, one heart at a time.
 
I remember walking on a long sidewalk as a child, and I saw different parts of the sidewalk bowed up right where a tree was. The cement was crooked, unleveled from block to block. I wondered as a child why anyone would lay cement down in such a way. Then I realized what occurred. They had originally laid the cement level and straight. But the little tree that was planted in the ground beside the sidewalk grew. As it grew bigger, so did its roots. Then the roots pushed the cement higher and higher until it looked like it did. No one really observes the roots until the cement begins to move. But the root-work under the surface is happening.
 
Society is like the cement sidewalk, and Christians are like those roots, ever growing under the surface. No one will notice the impact until the sidewalk begins to shift. Just patiently be the witness God wants you to be, and He will use you to transform society in a positive way. God can transform society, one heart at a time.
 
“Lord, thank You for Your Word that helps me see that every person is infinitely valuable to You. I do praise You that Your followers have been used throughout the history of the world to transform society for the better. I ask You to help me do my part today. I pray that I see people through Your eyes. I pray that I will appreciate the contribution of Christianity upon society. Lord, help me stand up for righteousness, even when it is unpopular. You are my King. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

*Picture credit: By Dennis G. Jarvis - Flickr: Tunisia-4718 - A Banquet, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22436409
[1] S. Scott Bartchy, “First Century Slavery and the Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 7:21,” (Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series, No. 11), Scholars’ Press, University of Montana, 1973. (Reprinted by Scholars’ Press, 1985, and by Wipf & Stock 2003).
[2] As quoted by Jeff Lynn, “Honoring God at Work”, sermon manuscript from 1 Peter 2:17-20, www.sermonsearch.com.
[3] S. Scott Bartchy, “Slavery: II. In the NT” in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, rev. ed., ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1988), 4:544; quotation from T. Wiedemann, Greek and Roman Slavery (London: Routledge, 1981), 2.
[4] S. Scott Bartchy, “Slavery: II. In the NT” as quoted by Charles R. Swindoll, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, vol. 11, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2014), 127–128.
[5] Charles R. Swindoll, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus,  127–128.
[6] John Dickerson, Jesus Skeptic: A Journalist Explores the Credibility and Impact of Christianity (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing, 2019), 132.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid., 145-146.
[9] Alvin Schmidt, How Christianity Changed the World (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004; formerly published as Under the Influence, 2001), 51, 53, 59. And Wayne A. Grudem, Politics according to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 49–50.

For contextual background, read the previous blogpost: “Does the Bible Endorse Slavery?”
 
1 Peter 2:18–20 (NKJV)
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 
 
The best way Christians today can apply 1 Peter 2:18 is in the employee and employer relationship. These verses can be applied to grace and respect in the workplace. There are gentle employers, and there are harsh employers. There are fair employers and unfair employers. God wants employees to honor, respect and work hard for both. The main point is that Christians, no matter where they are, should be known for their submissiveness. God's people are not to be known as a rebellious people who are constantly opposing the structure of authority that exists. 1 Peter 3:1-7 describes submissiveness in the home. 1 Peter 2:13-17 describes submissiveness in society. In this passage, a few principles can be applied to submissiveness in the workplace.

The first principle is to respect the position the employer holds at your work. 1 Peter 2:18 says, “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.” The word “harsh” is the Greek word “scolios” which means “crooked”. The medical condition “scoliosis” is when there is a bend in the spine. Peter says you may have a boss that is gracious and gentle, but you may have one who is crooked and harsh. Either way, God’s people are to treat their boss with respect because of the position. You say, “Well, I’ll do that for the good ones, but not for the bad ones.”

I hope you have had the fortunate experience of working for a kind boss. I remember my first boss as a sixteen-year-old working at a bookstore. She was so kind, and I worked for her for six months before she told us that she was moving to another state. I told her, “You can’t leave,” as I wept because she was such a good manager. I would gladly submit to someone like that. However, what happens when you are working for a person who rubs you the wrong way? Peter says to respect the position of authority.

The second principle is to respond with patience. 1 Peter 2:19-20 continues, “19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God."

The New Living Translation of verse 20 reads, “Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong.” Imagine you've shown up late for work several times in the last month. You've been reprimanded several times because you keep talking back to your employer. However, he knows that you're a Christian. You can’t say, “Well, I’m being persecuted because I got fired from that job.” No, you got fired from that job because you were late every day and because you disrespected him over and over again. You got fired because of laziness and rebelliousness.

Our Christian testimony should be exemplified in a strong work ethic. Christians ought to be the ones who show up to work on time and work with excellence. Christians should be known for a respectful and submissive disposition. Our diligence at work ought to make Christ attractive to others. Verse 20 concludes, “But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you” (NLT).

When you are suffering wrongfully at work, and you endure it patiently, just remember that God showed patience toward us in drawing us to Christ. Jesus Christ suffered wrongfully on the Cross. Patience is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Therefore, Christians are empowered to show patient endurance even in challenging work environments.

Watchman Nee, a prolific Christian author, described how he went on the mission field as a young man and was serving a woman named Margaret Barber who oversaw the entire work. She placed Nee under the authority of a manager, whom Nee thought was ignorant. Nee was young and gifted, but he was very frustrated working underneath this manager. He felt he was smarter than his boss. The boss would tell him something to do, and instead of doing it, Nee would go to the woman over the entire work to complain. She would respond by telling Nee to do what the manager told him to do, and if he had a problem, to talk with his boss about it. She put him back under the authority of that manager. This occurred multiple times while Nee was serving in this ministry.

Margaret Barber later told Nee that she intentionally didn’t put him underneath one of the more skilled managers. She knew he needed to learn how to respect authority. Nee states that the lessons he learned during that time were crucial to his development. God can use both gracious and harsh bosses in our lives to develop us and prepare us for future opportunities and assignments. In whatever work environment we find ourselves, we need to respond with grace to those who are in authority over us.

The third principle is to rejoice in God’s pleasure. When you experience something at work that is unjust and unfair, but you respond with patience and endurance, Peter twice states, “This is commendable to God.” You are responding with the same grace that God showed you on the cross.

It is important to clarify that God’s Word is not saying that you have to submit to treatment that is illegal or immoral from a boss. Once Peter was told he could not preach in the name of Jesus, and his response was, “I’m going to obey God rather than man.” (see Acts 5:29). Peter is not saying to submit if your employer asks you to lie, steal or do something immoral.

Peter is saying that when you patiently endure unfairness as a hard-working Christian, God is pleased with you. Perhaps your employer knows you have all of the experience, education and credentials, but you are blacklisted because you are known to be a Christian. Instead of complaining, you respond with grace and class. God says that is commendable. Imagine God seeing from heaven and saying, “Thank you for doing what you know to be the right thing to do. I commend you.” That response from God should cause His followers to rejoice.
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Peter illustrates this response by using Jesus as our chief Example. In verse 23, Peter says, “[W]ho, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.”  Jesus submitted Himself to God, committing His mistreatment into the hands of a righteous God. God has saved you from eternal damnation in hell through the blood of Jesus Christ, which means He can justly handle your workplace environment. He knows what you're going through. He sees everything.

We must consider how we present ourselves to others. Is it through our words? Primarily, it's through our actions—specifically, how we manage relationships with difficult bosses and interact with our coworkers. Are we constantly gossiping and undermining one another? Are we trying to outdo each other, engaging in the same behaviors as everyone else? Or do we behave differently as people of faith, to the extent that it attracts others to our Christian faith? They might ask, "What makes them different? They don't operate the same way that everyone else does." When we live this way, our words can carry more weight.

This is the core of Peter's argument: We can have a winsome witness in our work while God uses a transformed life to transform society. 

“Lord, thank You my work. I praise You that I have an opportunity to show my Christian witness at work. Please use me today to share Your love and show Your kindness to others. Help me respect those that supervise my work. Help me respond with patience when I feel I have been mistreated. Help me work to please You above all others. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Just the word “submission” likely makes some of you reading this bristle. “I don’t want to hear about that,” may be a thought that is running through your mind. Don’t resist or reject what the Bible commands. 1 Peter 2:13 clearly commands “submit yourself to every ordinance of man, for the Lord’s sake.”

The word "submission" simply means "being under," or being willing to cooperate with another. It's a military term. Joel 2:7, in describing the people of God, says, "They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, and they do not break ranks." How do they maintain such order? Through submission to authority.

Our submission gets God’s attention. Luke 7:1-10 describes an instance where a Roman centurion’s understanding of submission and authority made Jesus marvel. The centurion asked Jesus to heal his dying servant. As Jesus approached, the centurion said, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed." He then explains, "For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes." The Bible says Jesus marveled at this man's faith, saying, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."
 
This Gentile demonstrated remarkable faith because he understood God's structure of authority. He knew that Jesus' word carried power. Jesus was surprised, amazed, astonished by this man's faith, and this man’s faith was developed, in part, because he understood submission to authority.

Adrian Rogers once stated it this way: "We will never be over that which God has placed under us until we first are under that which God has placed over us." God has given us His Word, but He has also established institutions in our world for our good, for His glory, and to maintain order in society.

1 Peter 2:17 provides four ways to show submission in our lives. It reads, “Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”
 
"Honor all people" reflects humanity’s equality of worth before God, and it applies to everyone. This command isn't limited to Christians. In society, every single person on Earth is made in the image of God. Genesis 1:26 states, "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" Every single person bears God's image and is precious to Him. We are not to honor just some people; we are to honor all people.

It means recognizing the inherent value of every individual in God's eyes. This means they are more valuable than animals. Sometimes, in our society, we see the life of an animal valued more than the life of a child, a baby, or someone nearing the end of life. This is contrary to God's Word. Even if society trends this way, as Christians, we must affirm that humans, not animals, are made in God's image. Because of this, every person is worthy of honor.

Sometimes we hear, "The rich are valuable; the poor are not." James 2:1-9 directly addresses how believers are not to show favoritism and illustrates this with the example of showing preferential treatment to a rich person while disregarding a poor person. He calls this favoritism sin. Rich and poor alike are equally valuable to God. We are to honor all people. It doesn't matter about their background, status, or anything else.

"Love the brotherhood" refers to the church. Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." How we treat one another matters. There should be an aura of respect, certainly, but also an aura of love—a familial love within the family of God. We are part of the same family, destined to spend eternity together, so we should embrace one another and show love to one another.

"Fear God” means reverence and respect for God. Proverbs 1:7 states, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." We can't truly know anything until we recognize God's rightful authority in our lives. We show reverence and respect for God by respecting His Word and acknowledging His supreme place in our lives. Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." We should affirm that Jesus is the only way to heaven because that is what Jesus Himself declared. To reverence God is to acknowledge that He is in charge. You might ask God, "Why?" And God replies, "Because I said so." And our response should be, "Yes, sir." That is recognizing God's authority in your life.

“Honor the king” includes respect for government leaders. In a democracy where we can vote for our leaders, we should. However, no matter who is in office, we should honor them. We should also pray for our leaders, as instructed in 1 Timothy 2:1-2: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." Our submission includes honoring the king.

When discussing submission, we must also state that there are exceptions. For instance, Acts 5:29 says, "We must obey God rather than man!" We sometimes cling to that phrase to justify all sorts of rebellion in our hearts. However, in this verse, Peter had been told not to preach in the name of Jesus, and he rightly refused to comply.

When something is immoral or sinful, we must obey God. I counseled a wife whose unbelieving husband asked her to do something immoral and sinful. She asked me what she should do. I told her, "Absolutely not. You tell him, 'I obey God, not man,'" because his request was sinful. She rightly refused to comply.

We see this in Exodus 1 when Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill any Hebrew baby boys. The midwives refused. When Pharaoh confronted them about the increasing number of Hebrew boys, the midwives lied and said the Hebrew women were so strong they gave birth before they could arrive! A blatant lie, but they did it because they feared God. And God honored them for protecting those Hebrew babies. They refused to comply.

So, there are times when we must disobey institutional authorities, specifically when we are asked to do something sinful or immoral. But we must not use this principle as a cloak for our own rebelliousness.

1 Peter 2:15 says, "For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people." "Put to silence" means to muzzle. When people criticize or slander you, your actions as a Christian will silence them.

If you demonstrate proper respect for the institutions God has established—whether it's your home, your workplace, the government, or the church—people will notice. They'll observe the order and respect, particularly in contrast to the prevailing rebellion and anarchy. They'll see that Christians are exemplary employees. Recruiters should be eager to hire Christians, recognizing their strong work ethic and commitment to authority. As Christians, we should be the best citizens, employees, employers, husbands, wives, and children, pointing others to Jesus.

“Lord, help me to understand the importance of submission in my life. Teach me to reflect my obedience to You through my attitude towards authority. May my actions be a testament to my faith and demonstrate the transformative power of the Gospel. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

God has established structures of authority in all areas of life. Government is one of His established structures.
 
1 Peter 2:13–14 says, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,  or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.” 

Peter wrote for Christians to submit to the king while Nero was on the throne. He was a madman who persecuted the church relentlessly, yet we're told to submit to the king as supreme. Peter referenced governors who oversaw smaller districts. For example, when Jesus was crucified, He stood before Pilate, the governor, not Caesar. He also stood before Herod the tetrarch. There were smaller governing bodies, and God's Word tells us to submit to them. These are human institutions which govern society.

Romans also describes how Christians are to submit to government. Romans 13:1 says, "Let every soul be subject"—that's the word for submission—"to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."
 
1 Peter 2:14 says that one aspect of government is to punish evildoers. It says, “those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers.” James Madison wisely said that if men were angels, no government would be necessary. Society must have these human institutions because of the sinfulness of our own souls.

A similar statement can be found in Romans 13:3-4 which says, “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.” This passage is saying that those in authority are not there for those who do good, but to correct those who do wrong.

I believe the passage should be applied to modern law enforcement. God says they are His ministers, and that the only ones who should be afraid of them are those who are breaking the law.

The workplace is one of God’s established structures. 1 Peter 2:18-19 say, “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.” We do not have the same social structure of servants and masters today, but the principle applies to the work environment. A parallel verse in Ephesians goes into greater detail.

Ephesians 6:5–9 (NKJV)
5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 
6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 
7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 
8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. 
9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Employers have a responsibility before God, but employees also have a responsibility before God. This isn't contingent on your employer being kind; it applies even to harsh employers. We are called to be submissive at work.

The home is one of God’s established structures. The theme of submission in the home appears repeatedly in the Bible. 1 Peter 3:1 reads, “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands…” 1 Corinthians 11:3 says, "But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband." This doesn't mean every woman in general is to be submissive to every man. This refers to headship in the home. Ephesians 5:22 says, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church."

In general, marriages should have a yieldedness to one another, especially in response to one another’s strengths. When I take couples through premarital counseling, I get them to memorize Ephesians 5:21, which says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." However, when there is a disagreement and a decision must be made, someone has to lead, and someone has to allow the other to lead. God’s design is that men should lead their families, if a husband and wife are present.

In the home, God’s design is that children are to obey their parents.

Ephesians 6:1–3 (NKJV)
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 
2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 
3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

God promises that your life will go smoother and better when you learn to live within God's structures of authority in the home. It will be easier in the workplace; you won't constantly rebel against authority. It will be easier as you live in society, submitting to government. God says if you learn this in the home, it will go well with you, and you will enjoy a long life. It's a command with a promise.

The church is one of God’s established structures. First Timothy 3 describes the qualifications for bishops, pastors, and overseers. One qualification, found in verse four, is that a pastor must be "one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)." This speaks to the principle of headship. It clearly states that leadership begins in the home. There's an established order within the family, and this order is reflected in the church as well.

This is further conveyed in Hebrews 13:7 and 17, which reads, “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct… Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” These verses are describing pastoral authority in the church.

One man described the local church like a football team. The players receive instructions from the coach, but on the field, the quarterback has some flexibility to adjust to what he sees from the defense. The quarterback is given the freedom to make decisions in the moment. The quarterback huddles the team and calls the play, directing the receivers and tight ends. Imagine a tight end refusing to follow the play, deciding to do his own thing. He wouldn't be on the team for long, because the coach gave the quarterback the authority to call the plays. This doesn't mean the quarterback is inherently more valuable than anyone else. The tight end may be more gifted than the quarterback. However, in the game, the quarterback is the one who has been given the authority from the coach to lead.

In the same way, God has established these institutions. We shouldn't reject or rebel against them. We need to recognize that God has ordained them. You might ask, "Why?" And God's answer is simply, "Because I said so." Christians should be known for the submissiveness of their hearts, just as Christ was submissive to the Father. This is the essence of God's established structures of authority.

“Lord, I pray right now that You would help us recognize the places of authority that we have in our world, and that we would honor all people. May we honor those leaders who are in our government positions, honor law enforcement, honor the church pastors and leaders, and honor those in authority in our homes. Father, I pray that we would be examples to others, recognizing that You are in charge of it all.”

1 Peter 2:13a (NKJV) - Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake…

The middle letter of sin is “I”, and our own rebellion and stubbornness is the problem keeping us from biblical submission. Right after prophetically describing how Jesus would be punished for our sins (Isaiah 53:3-5), 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." In other words, we've all done our own thing and what we want to do. We've wandered and strayed, and our waywardness is why we need Jesus.

The Bible continually refers to people as sheep (Psalm 23:1-4 and John 21:15-16), and it’s not a compliment. Sheep wander. If they stayed in line, you wouldn't need a shepherd. A shepherd's always bringing the sheep back together and back to safety. If they stayed where they needed to be, they wouldn’t need a shepherd. Jesus is our Shepherd (1 Peter 5:1-4).  

This sinful stubbornness, pride and rebellion has been around since before humanity existed. Isaiah 14:12-15 records an encounter between God and Lucifer, a created angelic being who would become Satan:

Isaiah 14:12–15 (NKJV)
12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
 
God had entrusted Lucifer (who would later be called Satan) with a certain authority and domain. Instead of being content with that status in heaven, Satan overstepped his bounds. He made five bold declarations, essentially saying, “I will rise to the highest heights, I will be just like God, and I will elevate my throne.” But God responded by saying, “No, you will actually fall to the earth.”

Jesus describes what He saw during this moment when He says in Luke 10:18, “…I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Jesus then tells His disciples that He is giving them authority over Satan and the forces of darkness in the next verse: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Submission to God is related to victory over the devil. James 4:7 says, “Submit therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee.” Christians love to talk about the authority that we have over Satan. “Greater is He that's in us than he that's in the world” (see 1 John 4:4). It is true that Satan has no power nor dominion over the life of the child of God. We, as Christians, do not have to fear the devil. We have power and authority over Satan in the name of Jesus and through the power of His blood. We have the angels of heaven who are fighting our battles. We don't have to be afraid of the devil, that's for sure. However, we cannot separate “resist the devil and he will flee” from “submit therefore to God” We must first submit ourselves to God, then we're in a position to resist the devil and he will flee. Submission paves the way to victory.

Even in a society that made it difficult to be a Christian, Peter said to "submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake" (or, because we are Christians). Often, we think we're submitting when we're just in agreement. We say, "I usually submit, but this time I can't go along with what my boss is telling me" or "I can't follow this new speed limit." What we're really saying is that all those other times, we've just been agreeing. But now, when we have a real chance to submit to authority, we're rejecting it. That's the stubbornness of our pride and sinfulness.

There's another example of this with King Saul. God anointed Saul as king through Samuel the prophet. However, even as king, Saul was expected to follow God's commands as delivered by Samuel.

In 1 Samuel 15, God instructed Samuel to tell Saul to attack a group offensive to God and destroy everything, including animals. But Saul disobeyed, deciding to keep some animals, claiming he intended to sacrifice them to God. This disobedience led God to reject Saul as king.

Samuel confronted Saul, saying, "What is this bleating of sheep that I hear?" Saul's partial obedience was unacceptable. Samuel stated, "To obey is better than sacrifice." In 1 Samuel 15:23, Samuel tells Saul, "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you from being king."

We would never touch witchcraft as Christians, and we shouldn’t because it’s satanic. Samuel says that Saul’s rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and his stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. He does not say that Saul rejected Samuel’s directive, but rather God’s. He says, “Because you have rejected the word of the Lord…” The principle here is that God has established human institutions, and we are to submit to them. Samuel was the prophet, and God spoke to Saul through Samuel. Therefore, Saul did not disobey Samuel – he disobeyed God.

This same kind of stubbornness and rebellion prevails in today’s society. Teachers are striving to manage their classrooms while children and parents refuse to submit to them. The kids and parents are telling the teachers how to lead or manage their classes. When a teacher tries to correct an unruly child and sends him or her to the principal’s office, soon parents are demanding their child not be treated that way. Generally speaking, these types of parents have no respect for the authority. They are rebellious parents raising rebellious children.

Another example can be seen when coaches are working with kids and parents in youth sports. A congregant of mine witnessed a coach teaching 8-year-old ballplayers. He said to one of them,

“You understand that even if you perform well, if the team loses, we’ve all lost, right?”
“Yes, coach, I understand.”
The coach continued, "You understand this isn't an individual sport; it's a team sport."
"Yes, coach, I do."
"You understand that sometimes I'll need to pull you out and put someone else in?"
"Yes, coach."
"And you know it's important to support the team and not act like a brat if you're on the bench, right?"
"Yes, coach."
The coach finished by saying, “Now, I need you to explain all that to your grandma, who’s right over there.”

This kind of rebelliousness towards all forms of human authority starts with parents (or maybe grandparents, too), and goes down to the children. God’s Word teaches that believers are to have a spirit of submissiveness toward parents, teachers, coaches, employers, pastors and government. Sinful stubbornness is the problem with society, but God’s children should be different as we "submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake" (1 Peter 2:13). Submission paves the way to victory.

“Dear God, You ordered our world to have structures of authority. I may not always agree with them, but I pray that I will show Jesus to others by how I submit to those who are over me – at home, at work, at school, or in society. I trust You that You know best. Thank You for conforming me into the likeness of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Ephesians 3:17-19 — "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Before we look at Paul's requests, see this. Paul says in verse 16 that God gives "according to the riches of His glory." Not out of His riches. That distinction matters. Say a millionaire walks into a campaign to build a building for the glory of God. He pulls out his checkbook and writes a check for $100. He has given out of his riches. But he has not given according to his riches. $100 dollars to a millionaire is pocket change. God never gives out of His riches. God gives according to His riches. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. When He answers your prayer, He reaches into an inexhaustible supply.

On the basis of those resources, Paul makes three bold requests.

First, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Let me ask you a pointed question. Is your heart a home or a hotel for Jesus? A hotel is temporary. It is on your terms. Check-in and check-out times are set. But a home is where someone lives permanently, with access to every room.

Adrian Rogers told a story about inviting a friend over and saying, "Just make yourself at home." When he came back, he found his guest in his private bedroom, thumbing through a drawer that held his bills, his private papers, and his checkbook. And he said, "What are you doing?" The guest said, "Well, you told me to make yourself at home." The person didn't really mean to make yourself "at home" because that would mean entering every part of the home.

That is exactly what Jesus demands when He wants to make His home in your heart. He wants access to every crevice. Every closet. Every room. For most of us, there is that one closet, that one door we keep locked, where we say, "Jesus, You can have everything else, but this one is mine." But Jesus demands Lordship over all, or He is not Lord at all.

Second, Paul prays we would know the love of Christ which passes knowledge. That word "know" refers to experiential knowledge, not just intellectual. It does not mean your regular Sunday school answers. We can talk in all the right terms about how high and wide and deep and long God's love is, but never actually experience it. Paul says, "I want you to experience it. I want you to feel it." The love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). It is already inside every believer.

My father talked about his own experience of getting saved and giving his life to Jesus in his thirties. About two weeks later, he was driving in his pickup, and the love of God came over him and overwhelmed him. He loved so much he just wanted to get out and hug a tree, because he loved everything he saw. Charles Finney, whom God used during the second Great Awakening in the 1800's, described his own spiritual experience (which I would call "being filled with the Holy Spirit") as "waves of liquid love" pouring over him like honey.

When the love of God comes into your life, you have the strength to forgive. You have the strength to overcome temptation. First comes love, then comes obedience.

Third, and finally, Paul prays you would be filled with all the fullness of God. A newborn baby breathes in as deeply as those little lungs allow, and they are full. A grown man breathes in, and he is full too. Both are filled. But the capacity is different. As you grow in your walk, your capacity grows. He wants you filled, right where you are, to the full. Spiritual newborns can be filled with the fullness of God, and spiritually mature believers can, too. Praise the Lord! Jesus Christ does not want to play some small part in your life. He wants to fill it.

Reflection Question: Is your heart a home or a hotel for Jesus, and what room are you still keeping locked from Him?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, come into every room of my heart and make Your home there. Let me not just know about Your love but feel it, and fill me with Your fullness. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Adapted from "More Love, More Power": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/98862zy/12-more-love-more-power-eph-3-14-21

Ephesians 3:14 - "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ..."

Notice Who Paul is bowing his knee to. He does not just say God, even though He is God. He says to Abba. To Daddy. Do you have that relationship with your Heavenly Father?

Now I know that when I mention the Fatherhood of God, it can produce a very mixed response in people. Some have had troubled relationships with their earthly fathers. Some never have had a father present in their homes. Some have unfortunately experienced abuse from their father. And when I say "God wants to be your Father," it can be a real hurdle to overcome.

But Paul says he bows his knees to the Father, "from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named" (Eph. 3:15). He is saying that our very concept of family, our earthly understanding of what a father is, comes from the idea God Himself first defined. He is our Father. He is the one from Whom fatherhood itself is derived. So it is not that you should understand your heavenly Father through the lens of your earthly father. It is exactly the opposite. You should understand what an earthly father is supposed to be through the lens of the heavenly Father. He is the standard. Not the other way around.

I teach my three sons, "Some people call me pastor, but there are only three boys in the whole world who can call me one particular name, and it is the most special name of all. And that is daddy. Only three people can call me that." And guess what? The God Who created the universe looks at you and me and says, "Do not just call Me God, even though I am." He says, "Call Me Daddy. Call Me Abba. Come to Me as Father."

Now what does this Father do for us? Jesus said, in Matthew 7:7-11, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"

"How much more..."  Now He is not calling me an evil father. He is saying that, in comparison to the goodness of God, the best I can ever be as a father is evil in comparison. And He says, "If you, human and broken as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give to you?"

An earthly father would not take a smooth stone that looks like a loaf of bread and hand it to your hungry child and say, "Try to chew on that." He would not throw a serpent at a child asking for a fish. He is not playing games with us. He is not trying to trick us. He is not going to abuse us. He is not going to disappear when we need Him. That is the Abba relationship we are invited to enter. He comes to us, not as a distant king, but as a Father. He wants to meet our needs, even before we express our needs to Him. He is our heavenly Father. Hallelujah!

Reflection Question: What emotion does it stir in you to know that the God of the universe invites you to call Him Daddy?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are not distant or cruel, but a good Father Who gives good gifts. Heal the personal wounds from my earthly relationship, and teach me to come to You as a child to You, my heavenly Father. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Adapted from "More Love, More Power": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/98862zy/12-more-love-more-power-eph-3-14-21

Ephesians 3:14 — "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,"

Notice Paul's posture in this prayer. Paul is actually in prison when he writes this. He may not have been physically able to kneel. Yet he says that he is going to pray by getting on his knees. It's as if he is making a statement of humility and submission with this posture.

There have been definite times in my life when I have bowed my knee in prayer. Those moments were always intense, when I have been overcome with powerful emotions. It wasn't something I did out of habit or routine. Instead, I found myself overwhelmed by the weight of my feelings. Perhaps you have felt overwhelming loss, leaving you devastated or burdened. Perhaps you have felt exhilarated and joyful, which caused you to lose the ability to stand. I just connect powerful emotions with this posture of prayer.

Sometimes, because we see phrases like this in the Bible, we get the mistaken idea that the only way to pray is on our knees. That is not what you find in the Bible. The Jews prayed standing up (Mark 11:25). The tax collector who cried out for mercy was beating his breast, his head was bowed, but he was standing (Luke 18:13). And Jesus said that man went away forgiven (Luke 18:14). You find Abraham standing and talking to God (Genesis 18:22). You find Solomon standing (1 Kings 8:22) and also kneeling (1 Kings 8:54; 2 Chronicles 6:13). There is no required physical posture. Some walk and pray. Some sit and pray. Some drive and pray.

The posture of the body is not the point. It is the posture of the heart that matters. And yet there is something significant in what Paul is saying. He is approaching the living God, and he says, "I bow my knee." There is humble reverence. There is a holy weightiness. He is not approaching God casually, the way we sometimes do when prayer is just a spiritual formality we check off before a meal.

Adrian Rogers described the moment he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was a senior in high school out on the football field by himself. He was seeking God and prayed, "God, I want You to use me." That did not seem good enough. So he got on his knees and said it again. That still did not seem enough. So he laid prostrate and said it again. That still was not enough. So he dug out a little hole in the ground, stuck his nose down into it, and said, "God, I am as low as I can go. I want You to use me." And he believed that was the moment the Holy Spirit filled his life.

Here is the question for each of us. Has there ever been a moment in your relationship with God where you have humbled yourself completely? Where you have gotten alone, where no one is watching, and you have simply bowed before God? God says that He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).

Reflection Question: Has there ever been a moment where you got alone with God, where no one was watching, and humbled yourself completely before Him?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I bow my heart before You. You are the God of the universe, and I come to You with reverence. Forgive me for the times prayer has become a formality. I humble myself and acknowledge that I need You. Thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit. I want You to use me. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Adapted from "More Love, More Power": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/98862zy/12-more-love-more-power-eph-3-14-21

Ephesians 3:16-19 — "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Now, I am a boxing fan, but I realize some may not be. It goes back to my childhood. I started watching boxing because my dad used to box a little. Dad didn't watch much basketball, baseball, or football, but he did watch boxing. I guess that is what began to attract me to the sport. Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson. Lydia and the boys once gave me a picture of Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston, and I have it hung at my house.

Well, I was also raised to love the Rocky movies. In Rocky II, Rocky's wife, Adrian, does not want him to box Apollo Creed again because of how badly he was injured in the first bout (Rocky I). Rocky is trying to train and prepare, and his trainer, Mickey, is watching him. Rocky is not into his training. He does not have the grit. He does not have the determination. He does not have whatever it takes to push forward and train to beat Apollo. The reason is simple: He knows Adrian does not want him to fight. He knows she is not pleased with his decision. Rocky tells his brother-in-law, Paulie, to talk with her. He tells his sister that he can't train because his mind is all messed up.

Under stress, Adrian goes to the hospital and is in a coma for a few weeks. In a climatic moment in the movie, when she comes out of the coma, Rocky is there. He hasn't been training at all. Ultimately, Adrian looks at Rocky and says, "There's one thing I want you to do for me... Win!"

That statement changes everything. Now, the training music comes up in the background. All of a sudden, Rocky is doing one-arm pushups. He is running up the stairs. He is training the way he was always supposed to train. What happened? Nothing changed physically. Nothing changed circumstantially. What changed was the heart behind the training. He needed to know Adrian was with him. He needed to know her acceptance and her support for what he was doing.

I don't know if this is true about women, but I believe most men would agree with this observation. Many ambitious men, who can accomplish anything they set their minds to, are ready and able to tackle the world... as long as they have a supportive wife and their relationships at home are going well. They want (and need) to know that their wife is proud of them. This is an example of how love and power often go together.

Spiritually, the same principle applies to the Christian life. In Ephesians 3, Paul is not praying for physical strength. He is not praying for outward circumstances to change. He is praying for strength deep in the inner person, where the real battles are fought. The prayer for spiritual strength is connected with knowing the love of Christ experientially!

Sometimes we are asking God for strength. "God, I need more strength. I need more strength to love. I need more strength to forgive. I need more strength to live the Christian life..." However, God's answer for us can be found in the concept from Ephesians 3. When your heart is bathed in the love of Jesus, the power to live the Christian life is unsuppressible. You will have the strength when you need it. Love empowers you to live the Christian life. Love for God and the love of God.

If Christians have the spiritual strength that God offers, they can take on anything this world brings their way. Remember Rocky? Knowing Adrian's love strengthened him. Nothing changed physically. Nothing changed circumstantially. What changed was the love.

When the love was felt, the power came. Where does the strength come from to live the Christian life? It comes from understanding and feeling God's love for us and through us.

Reflection Question: Are you asking God to change your circumstances when what you really need is His strength in your inner man?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I do not just need an easier situation. I need Your strength on the inside. Strengthen me with might by Your Spirit in my inner man, and help me fully appreciate and understand Your great love for me. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Adapted from "More Love, More Power": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/98862zy/12-more-love-more-power-eph-3-14-21

Galatians 5:16 — "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

Is the answer to temptation more guardrails? I once had the chance to teach a group of young men about purity. We were wrestling with how a young man keeps his way pure. One guy stopped me in my tracks. He told me flatly that he could not conquer his addictions. So I began offering practical solutions. He had a problem with the internet, going to places he should not go. I said, "Why not set up some guardrails? Why not put a blocker on certain websites?" He said he tried that, and he could get around it. I suggested an accountability partner, somebody who would know exactly where he was going and what he was doing. He said he tried that too, but he could find a hidden way around it.

We went through five or six different ideas or solutions. And every single time he looked at me and said, "I can get around that." Finally, I simply asked him, "Do you really want to be free? Do you really want victory?"

That conversation stayed with me because we do the same thing in the church. When someone is struggling, we say, "You need this guardrail, you need somebody asking you hard questions." None of that is wrong. But maybe, instead of adding more guardrails, we ought to help that person fall more in love with Jesus.

Galatians 5:16 says, "Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

Galatians 5:16 contains an emphatic double negative in the ancient Greek text, which means you will "by no means" or "certainly not" fulfill the lust of the flesh. The rule in ancient Greek is that stacking negatives amplifies the negation rather than canceling it out.

"You will not, no never, fulfill the lust of the flesh."

The answer is not simply to resist more. The answer is to walk more in the Spirit - that's a positive command. The answer is to love more. When we cool off in our love for the Lord, the world begins to crowd in little by little. It squeezes us into its mold. How do we resist that pressure? By falling more in love with Jesus.

One man described it this way. Suppose I described your favorite meal - maybe a steak, cooked exactly the way you like it. You sit down and eat that entire steak until you are completely full. Then someone rummages through the garbage and finds a two-week-old bologna sandwich, half-eaten, a little mold on it, and holds it out and says, "Would you like this?" You know exactly what your response would be... "No thank you. I am satisfied."

In the same way, when the devil offers the children of God what tempts them, he is offering you that moldy, half-eaten sandwich. No one in their right mind would take it, unless they are starving. So what is the answer? To keep saying no to the old bread? Or to realize you have a juicy, made-to-order steak and fill up on it?

You cannot guardrail your way into holiness. But you can fall in love with Jesus. And when you are full, you can say, "No thank you. I am satisfied."

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.

Reflection Question: Where in your life are you relying on guardrails instead of positively growing in your love for Jesus?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I want to have victory over temptation. Help me see that the answer is not more willpower but more love for You. Fill me with that which will ultimately satisfy - You, Your Holy Spirit, Your Word, the people of God, serving others by Your power. Oh Lord, help me walk in the Spirit, so that the temptations of this world lose their appeal. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Adapted from "More Love, More Power": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/98862zy/12-more-love-more-power-eph-3-14-21

Ephesians 3:4 (NKJV) "By which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ."

Paul describes the mystery of Christ. Jesus came, and He was a mystery to those who saw Him in the first century. He comes to us today from the pages of the written Word, and we still do not quite know what to make of Him, Who He is, what He means to us.

Remember, when Paul uses the word "mystery", he does not mean something unexplainable or something with no real answer. In the New Testament, a mystery is a secret. It is something God knew from the beginning of time. He kept it concealed, and at the right moment, He began to pull back the curtain and reveal it. There is an answer. There always was. God knew it, Paul knew it, and now the Holy Spirit is sharing it with us.

If you were there in the first century, you would be looking for a savior to save you from Roman or political oppression. Even in the Gospel accounts, you see the people trying to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah, but they mean for Him to dethrone Rome and take the throne of David, just as the Old Testament prophesied. And yet Jesus, at that time, was not that kind of Messiah. Those prophecies are yet to be fulfilled. When Jesus came the first time, He was fulfilling many Old Testament prophecies. When Jesus comes again, He will fulfill the rest of those prophecies. This is part of the reason they rejected Jesus. He didn't fit everything they expected from their Messiah.

Jesus was not a Messiah who was seeking to break off Roman political oppression. He would break off oppression, though. He would break off sin's oppression. Jesus was not a Messiah coming to establish a physical kingdom (like He one day will do). He came to set up a spiritual kingdom in the hearts of men and women. This is the mystery Paul alludes to here.

He comes to our hearts today, and the question remains the same. Do you receive Him as He actually is, or do you keep looking for the version you wanted? The version that fixes your problems, removes your difficulties, and makes your life go more smoothly. People have been walking away from the real Jesus for two thousand years because He refuses to be the Messiah they wanted.

But for those of us who receive Jesus as He is - the Savior Who breaks the power of sin, Who takes the punishment we deserved and absorbs it Himself, Who offers us a righteousness we could never earn - for us, the "mystery" becomes the most precious secret we have ever been let in on.

This is where real life begins. The grace of God is not something you add to your life. It is not one more item on the list. When this "mystery" hits you, it reorders everything. Paul's whole life was reshaped. He went from persecuting the church to being imprisoned for it. That is not a small shift. And it will do the same thing to you. Once hidden, now revealed. Concealed for ages, and now brought into the light through the gospel.

So here is the question you need to consider: Have you experienced this gospel? Has it been applied to your own soul through the Person and work of Jesus Christ? Everything else flows from this one question. Has it hit you personally? Has it reordered your life?

Reflection Question: Are you receiving Jesus as He truly is, the Savior from sin, or still waiting on a savior who simply smooths out your circumstances?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for pulling back the curtain on the mystery of Christ, the Savior who breaks the power of sin. Forgive me for the times I have wanted a Jesus who only fixes my problems. I receive Him as He truly is, and I ask that His grace would reorder my entire life. In Jesus' Name, amen.
 
Check out: "Staying Positive in a Negative World": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/d6xvd3t/11-staying-positive-in-a-negative-world-eph-3-1-13

Ephesians 3:1-2 (NKJV) "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles, if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you."

Paul knew he was called and equipped to share the gospel. But notice, it was not a general calling. It was specific. He says in 3:1, "the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles." In 3:2, "given to me for you." In 3:13, "my tribulations for you." Paul knew who he was called to.

 Sometimes we begin to serve out of guilt or out of negative emotions. We think we are such sinners that we just need to serve and get rid of our guilty conscience. But Paul does not say that. He says that first this grace was applied to my own soul, then through me to someone else, and finally to a specific group.

 When I gave my life to Jesus Christ, I was 14-years-old at a summer camp. The next year, at 15, God called me into the ministry. He spoke to my heart in a way so unique that I have not really shared it much. It is too personal. But I'll never forget, with tears streaming down my face, knowing that I know that I know that I know God had called me into ministry. I did not know what it would look like, but I knew God wanted me to serve Him with my gifts and talents.

 Then, from age 18-20, after high school, God was working on my heart. I had no real opportunities, just a little Bible study here and there. Then God, by His grace, spoke to my heart, not an audible voice, but a voice so strong in my heart it was as if it were audible. Not just to preach, not just to be a minister, but to be a minister to a particular group, to be a youth pastor at a particular church. And I said "yes". My gift and calling was to a particular group and place.

 God gifts us with certain spiritual gifts, but He also applies them to a particular people. I remember when my wife, Lydia, and I both worked with teenagers. I was asked to preach the Sunday sermon to the congregation during the worship service, so I asked her to fill in for me with the teenagers' Sunday school class. She is certainly gifted to teach. At that point, she had taught children for years, so she said, "Okay." I remember after Sunday School, Lydia came to me and said, "Don't ask me to do that again." I said, "But you're a teacher; this is your spiritual gift." You know what I recognized? You may be gifted as a teacher, but there is also a particular group (for Lydia, it is kids; for me, at the time, it was teenagers). God not only gives us gifts, but He also directs those gifts to a specific people. God had called Paul to a people. He said, "For you."

 So, who has God called you to? You say, "That's just for preachers." No. In Romans 12:3-5 says, "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. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."

God's grace has been given to each of us. We all belong to each other, and all of us have been given a spiritual gift by which we serve other people. The Living Bible of verses 4-5 reads, "Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each needs all the others."

The question isn’t if God has called you - He has. The real questions are: where? to whom? And are you willing to go there?

 Find that niche group, that specific corner of the harvest field with your name on it. And then go further, all the way to where it can be said of you that you are a prisoner of the Lord for someone else.

 Reflection Question: Who is the specific group God has shaped you to reach, and are you willing to go there?

 Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for applying Your grace to my own soul and then calling me to serve. Free me from serving out of guilt, and help me serve out of the joy of being Yours. Show me the specific group You have shaped me to reach. I'm willing to be Your prisoner so someone else can come into the kingdom of God. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Check out: "Staying Positive in a Negative World": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/d6xvd3t/11-staying-positive-in-a-negative-world-eph-3-1-13

Ephesians 3:1, 13 (NKJV) "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles... Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory."

Paul writes Ephesians from prison, not from an ivory tower somewhere. He is in a hard place... I can imagine him being kind of confused in prison, asking, "Why am I still locked up? There is a hunger inside of me to go plant churches and make an impact, and yet God has me isolated, chained to a Roman centurion." Can you see how great a sacrifice it was for him to stay in jail?

It was also a significant sacrifice as he established churches and preached the gospel. Jewish people told him, "Paul, stop claiming you don't need to be a good Jew to be a Christian. Just say people must become Jews first, then they can become Christians." Paul replied, "I will not do that. That is not the gospel. It is either a gospel of grace or a gospel of works - there's no in-between."

Paul accepted the punishment for it, facing constant pressure from Judaizers—those who followed him and added their conditions after his teachings. The core message remains that salvation comes solely through Jesus Christ's grace. God looks at us and asks, "Are we righteous enough?" But none of us can answer yes, because the standard is absolute perfection, which no one meets. Yet, Jesus achieved it. Our confidence doesn't stem from our goodness - no matter how virtuous we think we are, we fall short of perfection. Instead, we rely on the cross of Jesus Christ. He was perfect, the sacrifice for our flaws. He was punished in our place.

Do you know why Paul was locked up? He was in Jerusalem. There was a man named Trophimus, a Gentile, and the crowd assumed Paul had taken him past the barrier into a court where no Gentile should go (Acts 21:27-29). They were in an uproar. Paul turned around and gave them his testimony. "I was on the road to Damascus, persecuting the church. I realized Jesus was the Son of God, and He gave me a mission (see Acts 22:1-21)." But the moment he said, "I was given a mission to preach the gospel among the Gentiles," everybody went into an absolute frenzy (Acts 22:21-22). A riot. They had to take him into custody.

That is how it all connects. He was a Roman citizen who should never have been treated that way, so he appealed to Caesar (Acts 25:11). Little by little, he takes this journey, and he is still in jail. For what? For nothing. But Paul sees the sovereignty of God in all of it. He says, "I am a prisoner of the Lord, not a prisoner of Rome. I am a prisoner of the Lord for you Gentiles. I was placed in this prison by God, for you."

Could you say that? "I am a prisoner of the Lord for someone." Could you fill in that blank? God calls not just to the ministry. God calls to a people. And when that calling is real, you will suffer for it. Paul knew that. He did not run from it.

Reflection Question: Whose name could you write in the blank: "I am willing to suffer as a prisoner of the Lord for _______"?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, teach me to see my hard circumstances the way Paul saw his chains, not as the work of my enemies but as Your sovereign hand. Help me hold to a gospel of grace alone and never water it down to make life easier. Give me the courage to suffer for the people You have called me to reach. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Check out: "Staying Positive in a Negative World": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/d6xvd3t/11-staying-positive-in-a-negative-world-eph-3-1-13

"Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory." (Ephesians 3:13)

Paul finishes this section by telling the Ephesians not to lose heart over his tribulations, difficulties, pressure, and pain. But when he says "for you, Gentiles" in Ephesians 3:1 and again in Ephesians 3:13, he isn't trying to guilt them into feeling sorry for him. He's actually saying something tender. Do you ever wonder if you're worth anything? Do you ever wonder if you're valuable to God? Well, Paul says, "I am suffering because of the message of God's love to you." That's how much God loves you. If you ever wonder about your value, look at the cross. In Romans 5:8, Paul puts it this way: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God sent His Son to die for you while you were still a sinner, still an enemy, still far off. That's how valuable you are to Him.

Being positive doesn't mean you stick your head in the sand and pretend the tribulations aren't there. Paul never denied his suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11, he lays it all out. Beaten with rods three times. Stoned once. Shipwrecked three times, a night and a day in the deep. In perils of waters, robbers, his own countrymen, the Gentiles, the city, the wilderness, the sea, and false brethren. Weariness, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, cold, and nakedness. You want to talk about tribulations? Paul could write the book. And still he tells those Gentiles, "Don't you lose heart."

How? Because he saw God's perspective. He knew whatever pain was in front of him was temporary. This light affliction, set against an eternity of bliss, joy, and God's presence, was lasting only a moment. In Philippians 4:10-13, Paul says he has learned to be content in any circumstance, whether full or hungry, whether he has much or little, because he can do all things through Christ Who strengthens him.

There's a story that gripped me shortly after Israel was attacked on October 7, 2023 and suffered casualties of over 1,300. An article came out titled, "95-Year-Old Israeli Reservist Joins the War Effort." His name is Ezra Yakhin. He was just nineteen when he first went to war during Israel's 1948 War of Independence. Though 95 years old, when asked why he was signing up to defend his country, he said, "I need to be here, because any day I'm not here is one less day I can teach the youth about this land and what we need to do." He could have sat back, but he knew the battle was worth it.

That's not denying reality. That's recognizing the battle is worth it. It's almost like the spirit of Caleb came upon him, who, in his old age, looked at the mountain full of giants and said, "Give me that mountain." Being positive doesn't mean pretending the giants aren't there. It means knowing God's power can match any circumstance, any tribulation, any difficulty in front of you.

So don't lose heart. While other people around you are negative, you can lift them up. You can see what they can't see, and you can point them to the only hope there is, which is Jesus Christ. The pressure is real, but it's temporary. Eternity is right around the corner.

Reflection: What tribulation are you tempted to lose heart over today, and how does eternity change the way you carry it?

Dear Heavenly Father, I don't want to lose heart. Give me Your perspective, so I can see that this pressure is temporary and Your joy is forever. Help me be someone who lifts others up and points them to Jesus. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Adapted from: "Staying Positive in a Negative World": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/d6xvd3t/11-staying-positive-in-a-negative-world-eph-3-1-13