Life 101 - Part 3

As we continue our journey through the book of 1 Peter, we begin this installment in the middle of Chapter 1, specifically verses 13-16. Here, Peter addresses his readers with a very serious matter: the sovereignty of God and the call that we are to obey.

The previous post for this series touched a little on obedience, but it is imperative to note that obedience is not just about following rules – it has more to do with following God’s will. Once we enter into a relationship with God we are responsible for leaving our old ways behind, the ways we lived when we were ignorant, when we were unaware of our responsibility as God’s children. The last part of this passage says “for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” It doesn’t say “be holy because I command you to” or “be holy because you should.” It says “be holy because I am holy.” This shows us that God really did make us in His image, and He wants us to act as if we know that. Don’t misunderstand this to mean He wants us to act like Him, because that is just sinful. What it means is that God wants us to act in likeness to the characteristics that He gave us that are of Him: lovingly, patiently, servingly, justly, etc.

The next passage (v. 17-21) illustrates just how great God is. The phrases “you call on a Father” and “live out your time…in reverent fear” show us that we are able to call on God for help and He will answer us. We know this because there would be no need to live in fear if He didn’t or wasn’t capable of answering our pleas. This is not talking about fear in the sense of dread or horror, moreso it is referring to fear in the sense of respect. The passage tells us that we should respect God because of what He has done for us, because He redeemed us from the empty life we would experience otherwise and He did not pay a small price to do this. In fact, He redeemed us by sacrificing His only son. Not only was Jesus sacrificed for us to be able to have community with God, but He was also raised from the dead so that we could be confident in God, so that our faith and trust could be solidified in the idea that God loves us so much He would allow that to happen and He is also powerful enough to repair any situation and restore any circumstance, even death itself.

Showing gratitude for this, we are to love each other earnestly, as we are told in verses 22-25. Loving earnestly means loving without motive. Loving someone not because that person deserves your love or because their actions earn it, instead loving them because you have love to give and love has been given to you. Loving others without expecting anything in return.

The second chapter of 1 Peter starts off speaking to those who have been chosen by God, but rejected by man, which is pretty much every Christ-follower. There are many times in life we may feel rejection: by family and friends, in past relationships, or during those awkward middle school years. We may seek approval from these people, and feel beaten down again and again by their very rejection. But if you haven’t yet heard, we have some great news to share: no matter how others treat us, not only are we chosen by God, but we are precious to Him. Precious. We are valued, we mean something to Him.

In this passage we are compared to living stones, with a lower case s, and God is the living Stone, with a capital S. This again speaks to our likeness to God, to us being made in His image. He is the Stone, but we are His little stones. This brings to mind how the word Christian was derived. Jim, Meck’s Senior Pastor, has spoken in many sermons of how the term Christian literally means “little Christs” and it came into existence because people saw how differently those who followed Jesus acted. How different would this world be if all of us who call ourselves Christians were to really act like “little Christs?”

Continuing with verses 6-10, the emphasis on the difference between the way the world treats us and the way God treats us remains present, as well as the way the world – those who are unbelieving – treats and responds to God. We go from not even being recognized in society to being considered chosen in God’s eyes. As chosen by God, we have been selected, and not just picked as the last person left when captains are choosing teammates for a dodge ball game. It means we have been carefully and intentionally selected after weighing all of the options. God selected each one of us that way. With careful consideration, knowing all that would come with His choice for each of us. He knew all the dirt we would do, lies we would tell, evil and discontent we would harbor in our hearts and He chose us anyway. That’s how much He loves us.

And if we believe in Him, we never have to worry about our decision to trust Him. Those who don’t believe, though, are sure to stumble. That’s not saying that believers will be free of difficulties in life. It’s just saying that we have an awesome God who holds us in His hand when those difficulties arise. Because of this, it is our duty to share with others the vast different we experience between our old lives apart from God and our new lives walking with God. It can be something as drastic as lifestyle changes, or as seemingly modest to others as the peace we have in our hearts. Either way, we are to proclaim the praises of God proudly and as thanks to Him for opening the door to a new way of life.

The second installment of our Life 101 series ends with 1 Peter 2:11-12. Our culture is one that puts “getting even” on a pedestal. If someone wrongs you, you pay them back by doing wrong to them. If someone is rude, they deserve to be met with rudeness in return. Evil is met with evil, rather than good being the moral standard to teach people through acts of grace and actions of faith. But according to Peter, we are called not just to turn the other cheek, but to go the extra mile. That means instead of ignoring someone who ignores you, each time they ask for help we should help them and we should do it joyfully. This can be a struggle, and is far from first inclination for most of us. The way we’ve been wired is to respond in ways that meet a person equally, even justly in our eyes, when they treat us unfairly.

When is the last time that you met a grimace in the check-out line with a smile? How often do you leave dirty dishes in the sink because you always wash the dishes and you feel it isn’t your responsibility to clean up your roommate’s mess? Some of this is immaturity. Some of it is inbred evil. All of it is common and none of it is the way of the Lord. If we are to be little stones, little Christs, we have to put away our old man-made systems of justification and find peace in doing what God has called us to do. Only when we stop responding as humans expect us to will people see the difference in a life with Christ and deem that difference worthy enough to explore for themselves.



Reflection Questions
· What does it mean to you to be holy?
· How do you feel about the idea that you were chosen by God?
· Have you ever felt rejected?
· How has that rejection affected your relationship with Christ?
· Is it difficult to live the kind of life that Peter describes when he says “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us”?
· How can we live that kind of life?