1 Peter 1

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A close friend and I are going to start walking through books of the Bible together. We decided to start with 1 Peter and I am so glad we did. So, this week we are looking at 1 Peter 1. Here is what I found:

First off, this is a letter from Peter to the churches… and it is filled with hope. The first part is all about enduring through trials and this is where I want to camp out.

1 Peter 1:5-7 (HCSB) “You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials so that the genuineness of your faith – more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

So, why can we rejoice in suffering?
We have a living hope (1 Peter 1:3) because we have a living Savior! As Warren Weirsbe said in his commentary on 1 Peter, “Hope is not a sedative, it is a shot of adrenaline; a blood transfucon. Like an anchor, our hope in Christ stabilizes us in the storms of life, but it also moves us forward. It keeps us going when the burdens are heavy and the battle is hard.” We can rejoice in our sufferings, because we have hope. Not hope as in “I hope this works out.” But hope in the living Savior who has given us His gift of salvation, hope in God who is in control, and hope for the future and what is to come. Trials are not easy, and we shouldn’t pretend that they are. You don’t have to put on a brave face, we should cling to God when the storms rage, because He alone is our anchor.
As I was reading in a commentary by Warren Weirsbe, he was talking about how goldsmiths would put metal in the furnace until they could see their reflection in it. Then he applied that to 1 Peter 1: 7. Our trials should ultimately lead us to reflecting Christ! Too many Christians when faced with a trial tend to blame God or abandon Him as soon as something hard comes along. This is a sad reality for a lot of professing Christians. They didn’t get that job, they can’t have the child they always wanted, their relationship ends badly, a loved one passes away; it could be any number of these things that could push us over the edge. However, one with genuine faith will run to God instead of away. Why? Because His genuine faith is being refined and He realizes that God is in control no matter what the circumstance.

Another thing that stood out to me in this chapter was
1 Peter 1:14-15 (HCSB) “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct.”

So what does that mean?
I think it means when you become a true follower of Christ, you change. The attitudes and desires that you once had will not just disappear and it will be a daily struggle, but you depend on God and His strength to overcome those obstacles. We are to be different than the world. We are to be set apart. What can that look like? It could be refusing to talk back when you are getting in trouble for something you did wrong, but rather sincerely apologizing. It could be refusing to start a rumor about that girl at school you don’t like and instead working to treat her with kindness. It could be making friends with the people that no one really talks to. It could be refusing to participate in activities that go against God even though everyone else is doing it. We are to be different. Now, that doesn’t mean, cut yourself off from the world and only associate with Christians. If you do that, how are you going to spread the gospel? What it does mean is living a life that gives glory and honor to God in all that you say and do. No matter what. And that could cause you to go through trials, but what did we discover earlier? God is there in your trials.

And lastly, 1 Peter 1:24-25 “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like a flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” People come and go. Societies come and go. God’s Word is forever. That means it is applicable in all times, to all generations, forever. It will never become irrelevant. It will never fade away. His word is eternal and powerful and we cand trust Him in any and every situation.