Who is Peter? What does he say
in his letter to the saints, exiles scattered around the world? Why does he say
so? He is one of the Twelve and spent time in his young age with the Lord Jesus
Christ and faithfully obeyed and followed the Lord till he gave his life on a
cross. He was a fisherman in Galilee and called to be a fisher of man. He is
known as one of top disciples along with John and James. He is the one who
walked on the water and protested against the Lord when he said that he would
suffer and die by the Pharisees and elders of the people. Most of all, he
denied the Lord three times on the night when the Lord was arrested and tried
by the Sanhedrin and rushed going outside and wept bitterly and loudly. Though
he failed miserably, not keeping his words, Jesus still loved him, helping to
catch a large number of fish and cooking a breakfast on the shore, and
entrusting Peter as a shepherd for his sheep. Jesus raised Peter as a pillar of
his church in the first century and beyond, enabling him to follow the Lord
Master in the midst of fierce persecutions against the saints scattered in
Judea, Samaria, Asia minor, and other places. He faithfully taught and preached
the gospel of Christ as entrusted by the Lord. His letter to the saints has
been empowering and strengthening the readers who understand and practice his
revelations and exhortations throughout the centuries. In a way, we’re all like
Peter, making mistakes and blunders often though wanting not to. Here is Peter
and behind him there is always Jesus. He could remain as a faithful servant
because Jesus the Lord embraced, walked and accompanied with him from the
beginning to the end. This Peter is saying that we may rejoice in the Lord
while enduring all kinds of trials and sufferings because we’ve been given a
living hope which is shielded by God’s power until it is to be revealed in the
last days and also inheritance kept in heaven which never perish, spoil, or
fade. Apostle Peter says that’s what we are in Christ. We have confidence and
even boldness to stand before throne of grace whenever and wherever because
we’ve been made so in Christ.
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus
Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to
be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be
yours in abundance.” (1 Peter 1:1-2)
Peter introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ, nothing
more, nothing less. He could have added much more things about himself. But he
doesn’t because it is more than enough credentials as an apostle called by the
Lord Jesus. There is no need of more explanations because God called Peter to
make him so. “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that
you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask
in my name the Father will give you.” (John 15:16) That’s his identity before
the Lord, so are we. We’re called and sent out by the Lord to bear his name in
the midst of all trials and sufferings. God’s calling is irrevocable, so he
will keep his servants with his mighty hands from all troubles and difficulties
and from evils and dark powers of the wicked one till the hope of salvation
arrives. That’s the confidence and power of all believers.
Peter is writing to God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout
the world, every corner of the land where people live. God put his beloved and
redeemed saints according to his infinite wisdom and grace wherever he wants to.
Christians are all over the places, all levels of lives, all professions and
careers. It never be true that Christians are geographically supposed to gather
together in one place wherever it is, being separated and secluded from the
world. No, Jesus sent out his disciples among the wolves, meaning that the
believers live among people in the world (Matthew 10:16). Abraham did so as
well, living among the Amorites. As a matter of fact, he was called to leave
his home country and live in a foreign land as a stranger and exile throughout
his lifetime. The gospel of Christ was reaching out to all kinds of people in
many parts of regions and countries through the testimony of Christ believers,
especially through their changed and transformed lives. Peter is writing to
these Christians who received the Lord Jesus. They are called God’s elect whom
God foreknew even before the time began. The people are called God’s elect who have
acted to accept the heavenly invitation when they heard of the good news of
Jesus Christ according to the foreknowledge of God. Those who have responded to
accept the Lord Jesus are sanctified by the Holy Spirit. All believers in
Christ have received the gift of the Holy Spirit as promised. We’ve been made
as the holy temple of God, the resident of the Holy God. Jesus says, “Anyone
who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come
to them and make our home with them.” (John 14:23) We’ve been so loved and
delivered from the bondage and slavery of evil one in order to be obedient to Jesus
Christ and sprinkled by the blood of Christ. God called us to obey his
commandments, loving one another. What truly makes Christians different from
the world is not the outward fit like sanctimonious and religious languages and
gestures, but the inner change from loving self to loving others. To love our
neighbor as ourselves is to obey God. This obedience is demonstrated by our
Lord Jesus Christ who obeyed the Father even to the point of death. The way of
obedience for the Son Jesus was to take up the cross and shed his blood for the
sin of the world, which was the will of the Father. So did we die with Christ
and was raised from the dead with him. No cross, no crown. No death, no resurrection.
Obedience to God means our death of old self with Christ because it is the way
to love others. Then, with the resurrection power given by God, we can love
others.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In
his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can
never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who
through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation
that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Who are the exiles and strangers scattered in all corners of societies
and communities? What’s happened in Christ? In God’s great mercy, we’ve been
born again through the cleansing blood of Christ. We’ve been changed and
redeemed in Christ, which is called a new birth. The new birth has brought us a
living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Man is made
as eternal being from the beginning, so we do not die. There is the second
death after the judgment of God. We will be living forever with God and the Son
Jesus Christ in heaven as demonstrated that our Lord rose again on the third
day from the dead by the power of God. The new birth is only the beginning and
much more to come, sealed and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit. The thing seen and
taken is not our hope at all but the unseen is. “For in this hope we were
saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already
have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
(Romans 8:24-25) We had long been going after something that never be the true
hope in this world out of ignorance and unbelief. In those days we were
hopeless and in darkness and fantasy. Only through the new birth in Christ, our
eyes are open to see the true hope in heaven, knowing that we were fallen and
lost in Adam and have now been rescued and reconciled with God through the
sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and the cleansing blood of Christ. Though
we still live in this world as God scatter and put, we live in hope, the
genuine and real one. This is not a fantasy but the reality and future for
humanity, because this life is not all but much more to come, a glorious and
eternal life.
Also, the new birth has brought us into inheritance kept in
heaven and never perish, spoil, or fade. The inheritance through faith are
shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is to be
revealed in the last time. Our inheritance will be fully revealed when we are
clothed with the resurrection body. Since the new birth in Christ, we are heirs
of God and co-heirs with Christ. “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs
of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order
that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:117) We cannot touch or see the
inheritance except through faith. Abraham did so in his days and stayed in the
land where he lived as a stranger and foreigner among the natives. “If they had
been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to
return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city
for them.” (Hebrews 11:15-16) Our inheritance in Christ is shielded by God’s
power, so it is truly safe and secure and nothing can touch a bit. “For I am
convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the
present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is
in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) The inheritance is surely a future
commodity which we will be holding up in all eternity. At the same time, it is
available now for those who believe and take it through faith. Our Lord gave
the promise to his disciples, saying “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes
in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things
than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in
my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for
anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:12-14) Through faith, we may
even experience and take our inheritance that our Father is willing to give
whenever needed and wanted. Do we take an action to take it through faith?
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little
while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come
so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which
perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when
Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even
though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an
inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your
faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets,
who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the
greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the
Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the
Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they
were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have
now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy
Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.” (1 Peter
1:6-12)
So, we rejoice, greatly rejoice always. In the meantime, we
have to go through all kinds of trials like financial pressure, health issues,
relationship difficulties, social injustices, and so on. But only for a little
while. There is an end of trials, which I believe indicates the end of our
earthly days. There is no exception. All man is under pressure and stress till
the last breath of air. That’s the way it is and how it is. But it will not go
on forever. There is an end. So, our trials are numbered for sure. Why are then
trails for all man, especially the believers in Christ and God? It is a test of
the proven genuineness of our faith. If not tried and tested, how can it be
proved? Suppose everything is going well, who wants to live by faith? The truth
is that no one can claim that they are able to run their lives. If so, he is
lying and blinded in darkness. In fact, the trials are out of God’s infinite
wisdom and love. Why so? Because through trials and difficulties in the midst,
man may learn that they are in need of help, God’s loving kindness and
blessings. So, God disciplines his children, allowing all kinds of trials and
challenges to happen, because he is love. “And have you completely forgotten
this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It
says, ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose
heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and
he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ Endure hardship as discipline; God
is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their
father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you
are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.” (Hebrews 12:5-8)
How much worth is the proven genuineness of our faith? It is
greater worth than gold which perishes. Gold is known as an unchanging material,
long lasting, so it has long been considered as a precious commodity and symbol
of wealth. But Peter says that gold perishes. It means there is nothing in the
world will last forever, even gold, but the faith in Christ Jesus the Lord. It
produces and multiplies praise, glory, and honor when Christ appears. Knowing
the fact that it will produce fruits, how to endure hardships until Christ is
revealed? Trials and sufferings are not easy to bear but difficult and easy to
give up. Many a people fall behind in following Jesus Christ because it is tough
and hard. It’s possible only through the faith in Christ Jesus. Through faith,
though we haven’t seen him, we love him, obeying his commandments. Through
faith, though we do not see him now, we believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible
and glorious joy. Are we truly believing it? Are we truly rejoicing greatly,
even always? Why do we love him and believe in him? Because we are receiving
the end result of our faith, the salvation of our souls. Praise, glory, and
honor are waiting for us as reward for those who endured the trials through
faith. Our Lord Jesus will give us the crown of life. “And when the Chief
Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade
away.” (1 Peter 5:4) The trials and sufferings are not unfortunately given but
purposefully working together in molding and equipping us to be fit for his
kingdom. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary
troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So
we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen
is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) So, we
live and face all kinds of trials, holding on to this hope of the great
salvation. Praise be to God who is able to keep his promises.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets spoke and prophesied
about the coming of the Messiah and his sufferings and the following glory, the
resurrection from the dead. They searched intently and with the greatest care
to try to find out the time and circumstances, not for themselves but for us. The
gospel preached to us by the Holy Spirit from heaven has brought the salvation,
which angles long to look into these things. The patriarchs and prophets
foresaw and predicted the suffering servant revealed by the Spirit of Christ,
but did not see his coming. The Promised Messiah came and fulfilled the
promises of God. He bled and died on the cross of Calvary according to the
Scriptures. He rose from the dead by the power of God and ascended into heaven
and seated at God’s right hand. The death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus
Christ has brought us a living hope shielded by God’s power and inheritance kept
in heaven, which never perish, spoil, or fade. God will keep his promises for his
name’s sake for he is holy. He will not fail us in any case for his holy name’s
sake. Since it is true and will be fulfilled, why not greatly rejoice in the midst
of trials and challenges, holding on to the living hope and inheritance in
Christ. Hang tight until Christ is reveled. Faith counts. Faith matters. Through
faith, love one another as Jesus loved us first.
“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present
you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only
God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our
Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25)
February 27, 2018
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