1 PETER PART FOUR

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

In this series so far we have learned that Peter wrote this letter to followers of Christ who were scattered in the area of Asia Minor, what is now modern-day Turkey. His main emphasis in this letter was to remind Christians of the hope they have in God because of the gracious salvation provided for them in Jesus Christ as well as how the gift of the Holy Spirit within them works to lead them in sanctification. We continue now to learn even more about this wonderful salvation that God blesses His children with and how we are to live as Christ and love one another.

 

1 Peter 1:20-21

“He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

 

Our lives as Christians must focus on Jesus Christ for He is our Savior, Lord, Master and King. Here Peter shares a most amazing mystery that is difficult for us to comprehend, Christ was chosen before the creation of the world to come to earth, live a life dedicated to His Father’s will, die for our sins and rise from the grave. Just as followers of Christ were chosen before the creation, so was their Savior. This clearly indicates that God planned to send His Son Jesus as the Redeemer of mankind before the world was even created. Jesus would be incarnated as a babe and live among men (Galatians 4:4-5, Philippians 2:6-8, John 1:14) eventually to die for the sins of men and women (Acts 2:24,32; 3:15; 4:10; 13:33; 17:31; 26:23; Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26).

 

The Father was not caught off guard when Adam and Eve rebelled in the Garden of Eden. He did not have to figure out how to save mankind after they sinned. He already had a plan in place. This does not mean that God determined that mankind would fall; only that He knew they would. Scripture has ample evidence that the Father predetermined to send His Son as the Savior (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28; 2 Timothy 1:9; Revelation 13:8; Isaiah 42:1; Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:5-11). We also know that when Christ ascended to Heaven the He was glorified (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11) and now sits at the right hand of the Father and remains as an advocate on our behalf just as the Holy Spirit is also who lives within each follower of Christ.

 

After this marvelous description of the Father’s predetermined plans and Jesus’ fulfilling them, Peter shares that our wonderful established hope and our strong powerful faith, rest in the God we serve, worship and praise.

 

Looking back over the verses we have covered so far in 1 Peter 1, there are four general orders from our Heavenly Father.

 

First, we are to pay close attention to what we look at (1 Peter 1:13). Our eyes are the gates to our mind. We should be cautious what we gaze at and how long we linger with our gaze. Our minds are data banks that store information and this information is processed by our entire being; body, soul and spirit. The flesh that we battle often grabs what we see and uses it against us and our desire to be like Christ.

 

Secondly, we are to give greater thought to the consequences than to the immediate pleasures of life. If we seek the counsel of the Spirit, consider the life of Christ and meditate on the precepts of God written in His Holy Word before we act, we will avoid a plethora of sins. When we respond too quickly to sinful opportunities we fail to count the cost of our decisions. A momentary pleasure or a rash decision can bring a lifetime of turmoil and trauma.

 

Thirdly, we need to start each day by renewing our reverence for God.  When we revere God, we respect Him and His Word. We consider Christ died for our sins and we need to show our commitment to Him by how we live. We consider the gift of the Holy Spirit who lives within us as we seek never to quench or hinder His work in us.

 

Fourthly, we need to refocus on Christ throughout our day. This can be done as often as we wish and the more frequent the better. Hebrews 12:1-2 is a good verse to contemplate in regards to this discipline;

 

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

    

Now Peter continues with his admonition to holy living, ministry to love one another and the godly perspective of how God’s Word influences our life in Christ.

 

1 Peter 1:22-25

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.”

 

Peter here expresses what some people might think is a perplexing thought in verse 22. He states, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth.” Does this mean we save ourselves? Does this mean we can keep ourselves from sin all by our own willpower? The answer lies in understanding the process by which we are saved and how that saving work continues in our lives as followers of Christ. God does not save us unless we believe and obey the truth of the gospel. This belief and obedience rests in the ministry of the Holy Spirit upon our lives. The Spirit will not force us respond and obey, He simply illuminates scripture to us and convicts us of our sin. When we respond in obedience we set in motion the process of purification that comes from being saved. So you see in a sense, we purify ourselves by responding to the Living Word and cooperating with the Spirit of God. The great Bible commentator Albert Barnes puts it this way, “No one is made pure without personal intention or effort-any more than one becomes accomplished or learned without personal exertion.” In other words unless you choose to respond to the Gospel you won’t be saved. Unless you respond to Christ as your Lord and Master you won’t be obedient. Unless you allow the Spirit to guide you, you won’t live like Christ. Unless you die to self, a choice, you won’t live by faith and not by sight. So while our salvation depends completely on God’s grace and mercy, we have the responsibility to decide to accept the gift of faith He grants us so that we can respond to and live by the gospel. The Greek word for purify is “‎hagnizo” pronounced (hag-nid’-zo) and means to make clean or sanctify. It describes a past action (our initial commitment to accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins) and the continuing results from that action (living pure and holy as Jesus did and as God is). God gives us the capacity to “purify” ourselves by responding to the Holy Spirit who convicts us to seek repentance of our sins and also through obedience to the Word as we allow ourselves to be guided in this obedience by the Holy Spirit. Another way to say it would be that God provides the opportunity to respond and obey which is influenced by the Holy Spirit and empowered by His presence. We make a choice and God provides the faith and power to accomplish it.

 

The result of this ongoing purification and obedience is that we will have a deep love for other followers of Christ. Two different Greek words are used here in this passage for love. First “philio” “sincere love for your brothers” is used. This is a friendship type of love. Then “agape” is mentioned “love one another deeply.” Agape love is unconditional love, love that is given expecting nothing in return. We can often love in a “philio” manner in our own efforts and with our own desires, but “agape” love can only be accomplished as we are filled with the Spirit and are letting Him lead in our lives. Christ set the example for us to follow when it comes to loving God and others. Philippians gives us an excellent description of how Jesus Christ loved and lived His life.

 

Philippians 2:1-7

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

 

Such love is often difficult to demonstrate when we are going through trials and hardships. But God can give us the power to love in this manner when we rely upon His Holy Spirit. Peter was writing to Christians who had been, scattered, distressed, tested and tempted, but he still called them to love in an “agape” manner. When we let the Word of God transform our mind and heart as well as rely upon the Holy Spirit’s power, we can let the love of God flow through us. Then we love in the power of the Spirit, beyond what we could ever express in the power of our weak flesh. When we love in the way, we reap the benefits of knowing what its like to love without expecting in return. This is liberating and a great blessing.

 

Peter then gives another command in the first verse of chapter two.

 

1 Peter 2:1

“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”

 

The Greek word for “rid” in this verse is “apotithemi” pronounced (ap-ot-eeth’-ay-mee), and can also mean put away, strip off, cast off or lay aside. Peter is basically saying, just like you would strip off dirty clothes. You should discard sinful and fleshly emotions such as malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. Malice is pure wickedness. Deceit is two-faced trickery and deception or guile. Hypocrisy is fakery or trickery, saying one thing and doing another. Envy is hidden resentment. Slander is speaking evil of others or spreading disparaging gossip. All of these erode relationships and do harm to others. They are not Christ-like qualities and do not reflect a life dedicated to the Lord. Such sinful behavior against others would quench the Spirit living within a follower of Christ.

 

In our next segment of this series we will see the instruction Peter gives for Christians to follow so that they might grow in faith, increase in knowledge of God’s Word and continue to enjoy the presence of God in their lives.