Life can be tough. We need a resilient faith.
How would you describe your faith?
Faith may come easy to you, or you may be like so many who struggle with trust. For all of us, when difficulties knock on our door, that faith is tested. And for some of us, our faith is shaken. How can we maintain a faith in God that is resilient, a faith that – no matter what happens – withstands the ups and downs of life?
In this study, we will look at the Book of 1 Peter, a short letter that shows us what resilient faith looks like. Mark Twain once said, “Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.” This study will show, however, that Twain’s idea of faith “just ain’t so.” In fact, a resilient faith grounded in Christ is quite the opposite.
We will discover that resilient faith:
- Provides an actual foundation for a sure hope for mankind
- Frees you to do what is good and right
- Helps you find joy in a world of pain and suffering
- Is yours because of the sure resurrection of Jesus Christ
It’s good to know that, because of Jesus, a strong faith – a resilient faith – can be ours. We can stand strong regardless of what comes at us.
Our second lesson in this series is:
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What are some things the average person considers holy or sacred?
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You're in a crowded room and suddenly everyone turns to look at you. Under the weight of those stares, your heart starts racing. Maybe a bead of sweat breaks out on your brow, and you take a half step back, looking for a way to hide within the wallpaper.
If you've ever felt that way, you're not alone. Most Americans - 61 percent - would rather blend into the crowd than stand out. This tendency is so strong that fashion designers and advertising moguls bank millions on our desire to look and be like everybody else.
For followers of Jesus, the problem with our habit of blending in is that the Bible calls us to be set apart. In fact, the Scriptures command us to think and behave differently than the word around us. This has nothing to do with fashion or branding; it has everything to do with lifestyle and character. We are called to be holy - to be set apart - because Jesus is holy.
As we'll see in this session, the Book of 1 Peter helps us discover the joy of living a life that is set apart for God.
I. HOLY BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY – 1 PETER 1:14-16
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.
What is your reaction to the commands in verses 15-16?
It seems a little odd to me that in a letter written to a group of persecuted Christians, Peter threw in a reminder to be holy. Pain and suffering can have a way of leading us to God, but they also can steer us away from God. It all depends on our individual response. Some people will try to do what is right, no matter what it costs. Others will do whatever is easiest to handle a difficult situation.
We need the reminder to live holy lives. There have been many times where I handled a situation in a way that reflects my selfishness rather than Christ's holiness. My background is that of a do-it-yourselfer, an overachiever, and a naturalist. So when faced with a huge problem, I want to revert back to my old ways:
- I don't see the spiritual side of things; I just see the problem. (That's the naturalist side in me.)
- I obsess over the right way to handle the issue. (That's the overachiever in me.)
- I try to fix whatever I can on my own without getting help, since getting help will take too long and involve possibly messy relationships. (That's the do-it-yourselfer in me.)
On the other hand, the rebellious children I've seen over the years are the ones who scream and throw fits to get their way. Sadly, Christians can be exactly like those rebellious children when we handle situations with out-of-control feeling and self-centered goals. Instead, we are called to face problems with an intention of striving toward holiness - because the one we profess as Lord of our lives is holy.
Final Thoughts:
1. Obedient children of God look to Him for the standard by which their manner of life is and will be measured.
2. To be holy is to be separated from the way of life dominated by personal cravings and to be set aside to a manner of life that reflects the character of the holy Lord God.
Commentary: Obedience is the hallmark and cardinal virtue of the Christian. God’s children, having been born again and the recipients of His inheritance (vv. 3-4), are to take on the nature of their heavenly Father, separated from evil in all that they do. It begins by not conforming to the desires of the former life. Conformed indicates a pattern or lifestyle that is ever-changing; it is casual and fleeting. This would be like clothing fashions that constantly change from year to year and even season to season. Peter’s readers were not to conform to desires or natural appetites that do not satisfy or bring fulfillment. These desires were the bad habits that were practiced when they were unbelievers. Ignorance – either lack of clear thinking or knowledge of God’s law – characterized these unholy pursuits. Ignorance of truth always leads to indulgence, propelling a person down a path to degradation and ultimately destruction.
Instead of pursuing unholy natural desires, God’s children are to strive for holiness. This pursuit begins at conversion. Called is a reference to conversion. God calls or invites people to salvation. With that summons comes the call for His people to live a distinct life of holiness, set apart from sin and striving for moral purity. Believers are to pursue this distinctive life because God, the One who called us, is holy – like Father, like child. God calls His people from sinful life to a new pattern of life found by walking with Him. God is the Source of all holiness. Holiness is an essential part of His nature. God is distinct, unique from all of creation. He is in a class all by Himself. He wants His people to follow His lead and His example.
The command to be holy reveals that God’s people are to live differently. Holy means to be set apart, separated from sin, from the natural appetites of the pagan lifestyle, blameless, and pure. Holy also reveals that believers are not just set apart from sin; they are also set apart to God for His use and His pleasure. The temple is holy because it is different from other buildings; the Sabbath is holy because it is different from other days; the believer is to be different because he or she is set apart from other people. Just as God and the things of God are set apart from all creation and from every act that is considered sinful, He calls His people to be different – to be distinct from the world.
Why are we to be holy? The Bible commands it. Peter quoted from Leviticus (11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26): Be holy, because I am holy. Just as the nation of Israel was called to be holy – distinct, separated from the pagan nations around them – so God’s people are to live in a way that is distinct from the pagan cultures around us today. As God is distinct, let us as His people model our lives after God Himself.
II. HOLY FEAR AND REVERENCE – 1 PETER 1:17-19
17 And if you address as Father the One who judges impartially based on each one’s work, you are to conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your temporary residence. 18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.
I once spoke at a youth conference where we had a question and answer session each night. One student asked about my thoughts on the topic of abortion. I answered, "I think our culture has lost its awe and wonder at the gift of life." This lack of awe at the creation and work of God is reflected in a lack of awe for the Creator Himself.
I grew up in the coastal state of Oregon, and our family took many trips to the beach. Due to our love of wading, exploring, body surfing, and swimming, my parents taught us one important lesson: a healthy fear of the ocean. There were riptides that could drag us out to sea, rogue waves that could knock us down, and even not-so-friendly sea creatures such as stinging jellyfish that could harm us. We were to enjoy the ocean, but we were to always keep an eye out. We were to never lose our reverence for the ocean's power.
Though the ocean doesn't have near the power of the Creator, it seems much harder to give God the respect He's due. Granted, it's not the same kind of fear of the ocean - a worry that God will knock us down and drag us out (or sting us). However, God is the One who created our universe and every aspect of it. A right understanding of His awesome power should lead us to evaluate our attitude toward Him and our relationship with Him.
God is truly worthy of our reverence. Consider just a few reasons why:
- God is the all-powerful Creator whose perfect love saved us from ourselves, and did so with finality.
- God's power can overcome our habits and former ways.
- God can overcome whatever we think we are enslaved to do.
- God can make things new, even in a world full of evil.
When do people take the fear of God too seriously or not seriously enough?
Final Thoughts:
1. God is the tender Father, but He also renders impartial judgment.
2. God’s children are to show reverential awe toward Him.
3. God redeemed His children from the sin that enslaved them by the death of Jesus Christ.
Commentary: Referring to God as Father reflected Jesus’ teaching regarding the model or Lord’s Prayer, where Jesus emphasized the fatherhood of God. Interestingly, Peter mingles the tenderness of God, His love, with the toughness of God, His judgment. Judges here refers to God’s assessment of the believers’ works, not with whether the person has salvation or not. God’s calling to holiness ought to result in holy, or good, works on our part. We are God’s children due to God’s mercy that has given us a new birth (v. 3), but our Father is an impartial judge. Impartially (rather than taking bribes or showing favoritism) was a standard and key characteristic for judges in the Hebrew culture. God’s judgment will be based on each one’s work or “conduct” (v. 15).
Knowing this judgment is coming, Peter urged his readers to conduct themselves in fear or reference. The referential person never loses sight of the fact that he or she is in God’s presence. This reverence or fear (the English phobia comes from the Greek word used here) is not paralyzing terror, but a healthy fear that prevents the believer from giving into unholy living. It would be similar to the fear that confident drivers have when driving an automobile, preventing them from taking imprudent actions that might cause an accident. Another way of communicating this concept in regard to God would be to use the word awe. Believers are to live in reverential awe of s holy God who will judge their deeds.
Believers are to pursue holiness at all costs until that judgment comes – or, during the time of your temporary residence. Life for the believers is lived in light of eternity. Believers think not only of where they are but of where they are going. They are going to God, who will judge every person impartially. In other words, life is too short to waste on the natural appetites that lead to sin and disobedience.
Peter reminded the recipients of a second motivation for living holy: what they were. They were slaves to sin who had been set free or redeemed. In those days, a slave could purchase his own freedom or a friend or relative could pay the price for his freedom, thereby setting him free. Redemption was a precious act that liberated people. In this case, the people were liberated from their empty way of life. The former life was filled with pagan pursuits and natural appetites that failed to satisfy.
The third motivation for living holy is that God had redeemed them by Christ’s blood. Peter not only reminded them of who they were, slaves in need of being set free, he reminded them of what Christ had done – purchased their freedom by dying on the cross. They were not redeemed with perishable things, like silver or gold. The means of redemption was the precious blood of Christ.
III. HOLY LOVE AND OBEDIENCE – 1 PETER 1:22-25
22 By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves for sincere love of the brothers, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again—not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like a flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you.
What are the implications of God tying our obedience to Him to our love for others?
As Christians, we often fail to take seriously the set apartness of our love for one another. We'll bring food to the sick or help build a playground for the kids. But the moment we disagree - whether it's over theology or the color of the new church carpet - we make the opposition a target for hostility.
Many times these negative actions and attitudes stem from selfishness rather than a focus on Christ. Nearsighted Christians sometimes treat people as objects to be used. They try to rally others around their way of thinking or do "good works" with the goal of being affirmed.
In contrast, notice Peter's emphasis on a pure heart:
- A pure heart doesn't love for the purpose of getting something in return.
- A pure heart doesn't love only those who think in the same way.
- A pure heart doesn't serve itself before all others.
How can we support each other in living holy lives?
Final Thoughts:
1. New birth is brought about through the powerful and eternal Word of God.
2. Obedience and love mark the lives of those set apart in Christ.
Commentary: God’s children are to take on God’s nature – holiness – and are to express God’s nature – love. This comes by obedience to the truth. The phrase is a synonym for conversion, a submission to the truth or the gospel. Believers long for God’s Word, seeking to live it out in complete submission to its teaching. This results in a purified life. In the Old Testament, ceremonial washings were common for people to purify themselves for spiritual or moral purposes. When one obeys God’s Word, is moved by the power of the Spirit (some manuscripts add “through the Spirit”), and purifies oneself daily, it leads to the apex of the Christian life – love. Love is the hallmark of the Christian’s conduct.
Peter used two different words for love: love of the brother (Philadelphia) and love one another earnestly (agape). The word love (agape) describes goodwill, working for the greatest good of, valuing at the highest level. The words are used synonymously here. This love expressed in the believers’ community is characterized in three ways.
1. Believer’s love is sincere, meaning genuine or not hypocritical. To love sincerely is to love without false pretense.
2. Believers are to love earnestly. Sometimes this word is translated fervently. It is an athletic term that reflects striving with all available energy. Believers are to love with all one’s strength reminiscent of Jesus’ great commandment (Mark 12:30).
3. Believers are to love from a pure heart. Though we often think of love in romantic or emotional terms, Peter spoke of love in practical or volitional terms. Real love is pure or cleansed.
Loving others sincerely, earnestly, and with a pure heart comes from a radical conversion: since you have been born again. Obedient love is natural for believers since they possess a new nature. Children inherit and learn from their parents. Born again means begetting anew with the focus on God who brought the new life into being. This new life comes not from perishable seed but of imperishable. This new life from God’s imperishable seed stands in sharp contrast to the seed of a human father that is perishable and decaying. The seed is the living and enduring word of God. The word of God means all of Scripture, but especially the gospel, the heart of Scripture. Peter used the word living because the Word brings life. He used the word enduring because the new life will never perish.
Peter personalized his message to his readers, to you. He did not sugarcoat their circumstances or offer empty platitudes. He spoke the truth with sterling clarity. You are to be like Jesus, live holy lives. You are to live in fear and reverence to God with a deep consciousness of His presence daily. You are to evidence a holy life through acts of love and obedience. Such a life is set apart for God and used by God.
Conclusion:
Many people think that to practice Christianity as a religion is to adhere to a set of systematized tenets and religious rituals based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. In that sense a Christian could ne anyone who knows those tenets and regularly observes the rituals. The New Testament, however, describes and defines a Christian in terms of a person’s relationship to God through Jesus Christ. It involves a spiritual birth and an ongoing spiritual transformation wherein a person is set apart by faith unto the Lord to a new lifestyle.
What practical effects did becoming a child of God have on the character and style of your life? What changed? How do your desires differ?
Live it Out
How can our lives point to a powerful, holy God?
1. Strive for obedience. As you read God's Word this week, look for principles and commands you can intentionally obey.
2. Check your motives. Evaluate what motivates you to serve God and others. Do you serve to obey God and glorify Him, or do you serve to be affirmed and appreciated? Repent of any skewed motives and move forward.
3. Remember God’s Word. Memorize 1 Peter 1:22 this week. Recite that verse at the beginning of each day as a reminder to love others with a pure heart.
Holy living may not lesson the impulse to blend in or to be part of the crowd. But when all eyes do turn your way, they'll see Jesus. So go ahead - be set apart for His sake.
Prayer of Commitment
Father, as I stand in awe before You, I affirm my desire to live a life that clearly shows I have been set apart unto You, not by what I have done but through the precious blood of Christ. Amen
Father, as I stand in awe before You, I affirm my desire to live a life that clearly shows I have been set apart unto You, not by what I have done but through the precious blood of Christ. Amen
A big thanks to Paul Marhle for stepping in this week and teaching!
In His Love,
David & Susan
