From now on - LIVING TO GOD

Finally Simon Peter is going to nail it for us in 1 Peter 4. This is where ‘rubber hits the road’... and has done for thousands upon thousands of saints faithful unto death.

Peter saw our Saviour suffer for us, so we should have the same mindset: ‘Don’t be surprised guys when you cop persecution; instead be happy to God’s glory’

The time is over for living like the world does – don’t forget, judgment awaits the living and the dead, in fact... 



“judgment must begin at the house of God”!

Scripture* tells us: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” ...so I wonder what Peter meant with:  
“For this cause was the gospel preached ALSO to them that are dead.”  
Maybe you know?

Is our Saviour God so intent on saving as many as possible from a lost eternity that we can scarcely fathom it?

Meanwhile...let’s be sober, watchful, prayerful, hospitable, loving, using the gifts God has given us as good stewards....

INCREDIBLE GRACE?

Are you ready for this one? This will be so amazing it is hard to believe!

“For Christ has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18- )... no problem there, hey... “...being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” – amazing and wonderful!

Now let’s slow down and read this very carefully...           

“By which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison...”

Who went and preached? Christ did.                   

How??  By the Spirit.                                             

(Noah hasn’t even been mentioned yet)

So who did Christ preach to?                                  

Those who... “which sometime were disobedient when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah”

Is this what it is saying?...

Christ, by the Spirit, preached to those in prison who had been disobedient to God’s longsuffering in Noah’s time!

WOW!! This is more grace than us Christians can cope with, let alone appreciate.

Moving on... 

Are we saved by baptism? Of course not – it is only a figure, just like Noah’s ark, of what Christ has done for us: “The like figure whereunto...”

Whatever this amazing Scripture means...                

What have you done with God’s incredible saving grace towards you?

With MEEKNESS and FEAR??

Still in 1 Peter 3: according to apostle Peter we should be:

• All of one mind
• Compassionate
• Loving
• Pitiful
• Courteous
• Blessing not railing against
• Always speaking without guile
• Going out of my way to avoid evil

Why?? Again, that our prayers be heard by our Lord who is always watching.

Of course all Christians behave like this, even on social media!  Don’t they??

No need to be afraid of the terror of persecution, but.... there is a right place for fear...

“Be always ready to give an answer (Gk: apologia) to every man that asks you for the reason for the hope in you – with meekness and fear.”

Who do we really need to have a healthy fear of?    

Almighty God.  

Yes, even when we feel like arguing on Facebook!

THE LEAD BALLOON

SHEESH!!... How to present 1 Peter 3 in today’s culture?? Modern translations have even interfered with the text to make it more acceptable!                                      

Check out what Peter says to wives.....(this will go over like a lead balloon!)...

• Be subject to your husbands
• Chaste behaviour coupled with fear
• No extravagant dressing
• Meek and quiet spirit
• Sarah called her husband ‘lord’ –    even while talking to herself!

Obviously Peter doesn’t expect women to tolerate domestic violence – ‘not afraid with alarm’ (Gk:ptoesis). Phew!

Husbands don’t get let off though... Give honour to the missus, guys.                            

‘Heirs together of the GRACE OF LIFE’                                                                          

Why? That your prayers be not hindered.

Agreed?

STRANGERS and PILGRIMS

Oops!...We nearly missed a beautiful gem that Peter slips in, borrowed from the prophet Hosea:

“...were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy”  2:10

Don’t you just love the way this rough and ready fisherman balances his down-to-earth reality with profound use of Holy Scripture.       
Next he gives us some very practical guidance on what is expected of us – as worldlings?                                          

No, as strangers and pilgrims!                                       

Is this how we are to behave?...enjoying porn, acting as if above the law, insulting other people, attacking fellow-believers, bad-mouthing the president, cheating my boss.... Not at all!                                                           

We are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, so Peter reminds us SIX WAYS of the Man of Isaiah 53:

• He suffered for us
• He did no sin
• He reviled not
• He bore our sins in His own body on the tree
• By whose stripes we are healed
• You were as sheep going astray

Yes, by God’s mercy we are now His people - so we’d better act like it.

WHO is the ROCK of our FAITH?

Simon Peter has just eloquently presented the gospel so now turns the spotlight on his listeners - us.

Being a very ‘hands-on’ practical guy, he insists that some things would be better tossed overboard: malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, evil talk.... but not God’s Word!...pure milk for the mind.

However, before he can encourage us with what a rich heritage is ours, he feels the need to remind us of just who the Rock of our faith is‘...to Him - the Lord - the living stone rejected by men but chosen and precious to God’, on which we as living stones are laid.

Remember everything happens in 3’s with Peter?...

Well, now he cites 3 Scriptures from his Bible:

 - “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious ...”

 - “The stone which the builders have rejected, the same is made the head of the corner...”

 - “A stone of stumbling and rock of offence...”

Not some cold dumb statue!

There’s no doubt in his mind that he is not the Rock (despite what popes like to claim) so next he borrows from his Jewish heritage to encourage us with our noble calling: “chosen generation, royal priesthood, holy nation, special people of God”.

Wow what a change: darkness to light!

1 Peter 2:1-10

By the way, if you’re looking for more confirmation on just who the Rock of our faith is...

“Moreover brethren, I would not have you be ignorant...they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:1-4

MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD - MUCH MORE!

What a surprise to find that everything seemed to happen in 3’s for Peter, whose first name Simon means ‘hearing’ but who sure seemed to be a slow learner (just like me!).                                                                              

However...we open this fisherman’s first letter to discover a profoundly eloquent presentation of the gospel!  Nothing can beat reading it for ourselves and we can find the key to his letter in 5:10... ‘glory after suffering’ – just like our Saviour and Lord.

Notice what gets repeated in his chapter 1 presentation, based on his very personal, very real, privileged experiences:

• Redemption... ‘with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot’ (vv2&19)
• ‘A lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’ (vv3&21)
• ‘the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven’ (vv2&12)

...and what he shares from the Scriptures:

• “Be holy, for I am holy”  (v16)
• “All flesh is as grass, all glory of man as the flower of grass...but the Word of the Lord endures forever.”  (v24-25)

Having been imprisoned 3 times, Peter knows all about trials...and the encouragement needed:

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes though it be tried with fire, might be found to praise, honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

We can sure take it from Peter who sure saw it all - silver and gold don’t even come close! (vv7&18)