Over the last two weeks we looked at the life of Peter in the Gospels & on the Day of Pentecost
We have a little more to look at in the book of Acts, but we’re going to put that on hold for a couple weeks and use it as the introduction to missions conference
Today we’re going to start in on 1 Peter, a letter written by the Apostle Peter later in life
We’re going to start with the question “Who are you?”
Not “What is your name?” but “What is your core identity that makes you you?” (and what does this say about how you relate to others)
People find their identity in many different places:
Nationality: American, Canadian, Brazilian
Race/Ethnicity/Ancestry: Black, white, Latino, Irish American, PA Dutch
Family: husband/wife, parent, grandparent
Job/Career/Hobbies: Pastor, electrician, soldier, quilter, Detroit Lions fan
Political affiliation: Democrat/Republican, progressive/centrist/conservative
Any of these categories can be important or useful information about yourself…
…but should any of these be where you find your core identity?
…should these things be what you consider most important about yourself?
What happens to your sense of identity if life takes an unexpected direction?
If a family member dies or your family falls apart?
If you lose your job?
If your countrymen begin to regard you with contempt?
“Peter intends his readers to understand who they are before God so that they can be who they are in society.” – Scot McKnight, 1 Peter (The NIV Application Commentary). In other words:
If you are a Christian, your core identity is who you are in Christ
If you understand who you are in Christ, you will (or at least should) live according to that identity regardless of other societal factors
Throughout the letter, there is a strong emphasis on doing so in a society where Christians are regarded with contempt
(1-2 – Greeting) Chosen by God
The greeting to the letter gives us the basic information about sender and recipients, introducing themes that Peter is going to build on through the letter
It’s from the apostle Peter
We’ve talked about his early ministry over the last couple weeks
As an apostle (personal representative) of Jesus Christ, he speaks with Jesus authority (infallibly when writing Scripture – cf. 2 Peter 1:20-21)
The recipients are in 5 provinces of the Roman Empire
These provinces cover most of modern Turkey
Land area is ~129,000 mi2 (just over 2x the landmass of MI)
This is a general letter about Christian living, not something addressing a specific problem in one specific local church
The recipients are described as exiles/foreigners
People who live outside their home area and are regarded by locals as “outsiders”
Some of the original recipients may have been literal exiles & foreigners
Jews living outside of Israel (a common meaning of the word dispersion)
Others kicked out of Rome and forced to resettle here (cf. Aquila & Priscila)
The letter is going to build on the theme of all Christians as exiles & foreigners
We do not (or should not) completely fit in with society at large because nowhere here on earth is our true home country
John 15:18-19 – Jesus told us this would be the case, and ties it to the fact that he chose us out of this world
The recipients of the letter are described as elect/chosen
The language of choosing/election is used throughout the New Testament to describe those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their savior
It is the God’s-eye-view of what is going on in your relationship with him
It is God’s determination before the creation of the universe to bring you into a right relationship with himself and to carry that relationship to final glorification
All three persons of the Trinity are involved!
God the Father foreknew you
Foreknowledge is not just passively knowing what would happen in your life, but determining to actively bring about a relationship in which you know him
cf. Acts 2:23 & 1 Peter 1:20 where foreknowledge describes God’s planning in advance the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ to save us from our sins
The Father actively chose to work in you through…
…the Holy Spirit who sanctifies you (makes you holy)
Sanctification/holiness is being set apart: set apart from sin and to God
There is more than one aspect of this holiness as this sanctification brings about…
…obedience to Jesus Christ & sprinkling with his blood
Jesus’ blood is the sacrifice that washes away our sin
It inaugurates the New Covenant of complete forgiveness, a new heart, and a personal relationship with God (Jeremiah 31:31ff)
Positional sanctification: when we trust in him, we are given the identity of holiness because our sins have been forgiven
Which results in progressive sanctification: daily obedience to Jesus Christ
The HS helps us bring our day-to-day actions in line with our identity
Through the work of all three persons of the Trinity we experience the grace and peace of God
(3-9) Born into a living hope
Peter begins working through some of the implications of being chosen by God
This comes not in the form of a list of rules, but a burst of praise
In the original language, verses 3-12 are one giant sentence, all pointing back to verse 3a
(3-5) We have a glorious future
(3) Unlike those who see death as the end or as a great unknown, we have living hope
Rather than treating us as our sins deserve, God has given us new life
That life cannot be affected by death because it comes through Jesus Christ who has already overcome death (cf. Acts 2:23-24)
(4) In fiction, eternal life is portrayed as a burden, but our new life is not an endless continuation of life in this broken universe, but is a glorious inheritance in heaven
“…the inheritance is untouched by death, unstained by evil, unimpaired by time; it is compounded of immortality, purity, and beauty.” – Francis Wright Beare, The First Epistle of Peter
No loss in this lifetime can take away from what God has planned for us – to live with him in a universe free from sin and everything that comes with it
(5) Not only are the joys of heaven secure, but we are kept secure in our faith by the power of God himself
He is the one who chose us and drew us to himself, and he is the one who gives us the ability to persevere in our faith until the day when every aspect of our salvation is fully accomplished and all of his promises have been fulfilled
Our salvation and future glory depend on the power of God, not on our own ability to muster up unwavering belief
(6-7) This provides our source of joy, but we may have present sufferings that cause us grief
This shouldn’t come as a shock to us
It is a necessary part of following Jesus who endured suffering – if we are going to live as he lived, to some degree we are going to be treated as he was treated
Throughout the letter Peter specifically mentions Christians facing verbal slander, malicious talk, and false accusation (as well as unspecified “fiery trials”)
These trials give us an opportunity to see the true value of our faith
When the temporary things of this life (health, wealth, human approval) are painfully stripped away, we are thrown back on our living hope in what truly matters for eternity
We are given an opportunity to yield to the sanctifying work of the Spirit in obedience to Jesus Christ even if it makes our life harder because we trust that eternal glory is coming
Unlike gold that can be burned away if subjected to too much, our faith guarded by the power of God will endure and will result in praise, honor, and glory when we finally see Jesus face to face
Praise, honor and glory both to him four our ultimate salvation and from him for faithful service– “Well done good and faithful servant”
(8-9) Our core identity is found in our relationship with Jesus Christ even though, for now, none of us have ever stood in his visible physical presence
We love him because we believe what the Bible (including the eyewitness accounts of apostles like Peter) tells us of his love for us
This brings us joy that can’t fully be put into words because it is tied up in the glory of God and the unimaginable glorious future that he has in store for us
Imagine a single day in which your life is in no way affected by temptation, sinful mistreatment, sickness, pain, grief, or death
A day in which joy, creativity, and the enjoyment of God’s gifts can be exercised and experience without hindrance or shame to his glory and in his presence
That day is coming…an infinite number of those days are coming
We know that through faith our soul/self/life is ultimately safe from all evil and suffering
Salvation can be described with the fancy theological term already-not yet
Already we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
Not yet do we experience that life in all of its fulness in the visible, physical presence of our great Savior
Right now, we experience grief, pain, temptation, and other effects of sin in the world, but it does us no lasting harm because we are kept by his loving power (in fact, he uses it for our good to make us more like Christ – Romans 8:28-29)
One day we will be not only protected and empowered in the midst of sin and suffering, but eternally delivered from the presence of sin and suffering
(10-12) Recipients of Good News
We are privileged to live in this time when God has fully revealed the Good News of salvation through Jesus the Messiah/Christ
The Old Testament prophets knew a lot about him but not all the details of who and when and how
God spoke through them largely for the benefit of people like us who are living in the church age
We live with not just a shadowy “someone is coming who will save you” but with the full Gospel proclaimed by Spirit empowered believers
We possess good news of such staggeringly cosmic impact that even the angels wish that they understood it
Do we live as if it is that important?
Do we live as if we these things are true and vital to our understanding of who we are?
When loss, temptation, mistreatment, the general brokenness of creation and/or sinfulness of society make themselves felt, where does our grief and pain drive us?
Do we panic, scold, or whine that things aren’t as good as “the good old days”?
Do we rehearse to ourselves (and anyone else who will listen) all the different ways we’ve been hurt, indulging feelings of resentment or self-pity?
Do we allow anxiety of the future or fear of man to immobilize us and prevent us from living in obedience to Jesus Christ?
Does it remind us of how precious our faith is?
That even while I’m saddened or hurting I know I have a living hope
That I am saved and kept by the love and power of God
That full deliverance and a glorious inheritance is coming
That I have the good news that this broken world needs to hear
Applications
Be sure you have this living hope through faith in Jesus Christ
Turn away from sin and to him for forgiveness and a new life
Trust that his death and resurrection makes this possible
Remember who you are in Christ:
You are chosen by God to have a relationship with him
You are sanctified (made holy / set apart) by the Holy Spirit to be obedient to Christ (Peter will emphasize this in the next paragraph)
You will face hardship, mistreatment, & grief for a time
…just as he did
4:12 – do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
…it is temporary and ultimately produces praise and glory
God’s power secures your inheritance of immortality, purity, and unfading glory
Saturate your heart & mind with these truths so that when grief and trouble come, your living hope is the anchor for your soul
In the coming weeks we’ll see more of what it looks like to live in light of these truths, so that you can live in praise, confidence, and obedience rather than anger, fear, and despair
Besides spending time studying God’s Word alone and in a group setting, music is a great way to hide these truths in your heart (cf. repeated mentions of praise & rejoicing)
Bonus Playlist (4 about who we are in Christ & 5 about enduring trials & our glorious future) :
Who Am I? by Casting Crowns
Hello, My Name Is by Matthew West
I Belong by Kathryn Scott
God Delights in You by Sovereign Grace Music
Joy of the Lord by Rend Collective
Before the Morning by Josh Wilson (enduring present suffering – Romans 8)
To the Overcomers by Michael Card (rewards described in Revelation 2-3)
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