II and III John are certainly the shortest of the Apostle John’s writings, often called letters, but perhaps more accurately referred to as postcards. Though they are short, they each pack a lot of applicable teaching, even for us today. John doesn’t name anyone in particular in II John, referring to himself as the elder, and to his recipients as the chosen lady and her children. Some have thought this may be because of ongoing persecution at the time, and not wanting to put a target on anyone’s back. On the other hand, he does address III John specifically to his dear friend Gaius.
John uses the word truth around 55 times in the five writings attributed to him, depending on the version you use. That would suggest God wanted John to give a great deal of emphasis to truth! Jesus also had placed a great deal of emphasis on truth. I’m convinced that we should value truth as did Jesus and the Apostle John. In II John verse 2 he refers to “the truth which lives in us and will be with us forever.” Our methods and ways have certainly changed over the ages, but the truth will never change. We must never allow the truth to be watered down or perverted in any way. There will always be varying opinions and ideas as to what the Bible says here or there, but the good news of the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus is the glue that holds the Church of God together. That is the gospel we preach.
Walk this way! John reminds us in II John of three essential ways that we are to walk. He had great joy in V. 4 because he had heard of those who were walking in truth. Then in V. 6 he expects that we would walk in obedience to the Father’s commands. Later in V. 6 he reminds us of the command to walk in love. As we age, our gait sometimes changes. As believers we would do well to check our spiritual gait. Am I walking in truth? Am I walking in obedience? Am I walking in love?
John emphasizes the truth of the humanity of Jesus, calling those who deny his humanity deceivers.
He further cautions us in V. 10, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching (the teaching of Christ), do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work!” We should be careful to never endorse, support, or otherwise participate in spiritual teaching that’s inconsistent with the teachings of Christ! Discernment is a must.
III John continues with John’s emphasis on truth. He encourages hospitality and support for those who continue in the teachings of Jesus, He calls out an arrogant man by the name of Diotrephes who had a major problem with his walk. He neither walked in truth, in obedience to the commands, nor in love. John promised to confront him if he was able to be with them in person. In the same paragraph he commended Demetrius for his walk, his reputation, spoken well of by everyone. John had much more to say, but saved it for when he would see them in person. I kind of wish he had written more for our sake, but it is what it is. These are the words God knew we would need today.
Reflection Questions
What value do you place on the truths of God as handed down to us in the 66 books of the Bible? What would John say about watered down truth in your life or in your church?
How is your walk doing? In Truth? In Obedience? In Love? Is one limping along more than the others? What could be an effective spiritual fix for this limp?
If the apostle John knew you and were able to come and see you in person, what do you think he would tell you to work on in your own life?
I John is a really interesting book to read and study. The author is the Apostle John, who authored the gospel of John, I, II, and III John, and the book of Revelation. Each of his books/letters were likely written late in the first century. I John is addressed to believers, perhaps in general, not any particularly named believer. I John 2:12-14 help us see the broad target for these teachings.
12 I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.[f] 13 I am writing to you who are mature in the faith[g] because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one. 14 I have written to you who are God’s children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one.
Some highlights about the Apostle John – He was all in when Jesus called him to follow and to be a fisher of men. He was one of the three mentioned most often as being close to Jesus. He’s described as the disciple whom Jesus loved. He was often distinguished from the other disciples. He’s one who was closer to Jesus when they were asked to watch and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was asked by Jesus to look after his mother Mary as Jesus suffered on the cross. He ran to and looked into the tomb when it was reported that Jesus had been raised. He had great vision and revelation of the future as his writings reveal in the book of Revelation.
John had explained his purpose for writing the gospel of John in 20:30,31, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples which are not recorded in this book, but these (seven miracles) are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name!” The emphasis there is some of the truth that must be believed. It’s interesting that then in I John 5:13 he says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” He apparently wants those who believe to have a level of confidence, to know that they have eternal life. We shouldn’t be over confident, of course, especially if we’re not living the faith, if we’re not walking in truth, which John also addresses in I John.
John does emphasize knowing numerous things in this letter. In fact, you’ll find the word know at least thirty times in this letter, depending on the version you use. An interesting exercise would be to read through the book and underline the word know each time you find it. It really wouldn’t take that long to do this. Contemplate then those teachings John is wanting his readers to know, and I think, to understand.
I’ll just name a few of my favorite passages in I John. I John 1:9; I John 2:3-6; I John 2:15; I John 2:22.23; I John 3:11,12; I John 4:1-3; I John 4:19-21; I John 5:13; I John 5:18. What are yours?
Reflection Questions
Do people know you are a follower of Jesus? Would they call you “all in” in the way you live your faith and follow Jesus? What has Jesus entrusted to you?
Find the “know” verses in 1 John. Which ones do you already know and are ready to share? How will you share and to whom? Which ones might take a little more study/seeking to more fully know/understand? How will you seek to know more?
Why do you think John wants God’s children to be confident of their coming eternal life? What are you confident of? What are you not confident of? Is there anything (perhaps in the area of living your faith or walking in truth or knowing more of what John wants you to know) that would boost your confidence? What is the danger of TOO much confidence?
Yesterday we reposted a devotion on 2 Timothy about Guarding the Faith and Fanning it into Flame by Jeff Fletcher. One way Pastor Jeff did this (and his wife Karen continues to), is with their 11 children. Today we will be reposting not one, but two devotions from not one, but two of Jeff and Karen’s sons who are both ministering in Minnesota. Thank you, Fletchers, for sharing lessons from God’s Word with us through SeekGrowLove!
Devotion on 2 Peter 1
by JJ Fletcher – originally posted on October 12, 2022 for SGL
We have great and precious promises that have been made that will enable us to become partakers of the divine nature! As Jesus put on a new nature in his resurrection from the dead, so shall we when through faith, we endure through life’s many challenges and inherit the promise of the coming Kingdom of God.
Hebrews 11:1 says that “…faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” As we have faith that God will restore all things (Acts 3:21), upon our faith we must add virtue: meaning good quality of life or uprightness – not simply believing but living out our lives as something that reflects the nature of God’s goodness, justness, and righteousness. After believing and living a changed life, we are to add knowledge to that; we should always be striving to learn from God’s inspired word and learn from his spirit as it is active in us… And more than that, seek after his spirit that we might become more in line with his will and come to a greater understanding of its importance and how beneficial it is to us to walk in his ways.
Following the call to add knowledge, we encounter again the call to be self-controlled! It really does seem that much of what we read in scripture hinges on self-control and that circles back to our need to not stifle the spirit in our lives. If one of the elements that the fruit of the spirit brings forth in our lives is self-control, then we ought to do whatever it takes to drive away any behaviors that might cause God’s spirit to depart from us (Judges 16, 1 Samuel 16). Self-control allows us to endure – to stay on the course – as Paul might say, “to run the race”. We have to endure through all of the challenges and temptations that life throws at us, and we must allow the motivation of our hope, our uprightness, and the self-control that we are enabled to have through God’s spirit carry us through.
As we endure, we ought to have a reverential feeling or devotion to God, that’s what the Greek work translated godliness indicates. As we experience God’s goodness and see how His spirit works in us, we should feel more and more awe and reverence to our creator… After all, He put the plan into place that leads us into a life that transcends the brokenness that sin imparts on our lives – even though we sin and are affected by sin, God’s directives lead us onto a path that (through Jesus) casts that sin aside and draws us into community with him.
And as all these things are ingrained into our life, the part that affects others the most is the cherry on top… We are to have brotherly affection (love) as a defining characteristic in our lives! Love and care for one another as believers will lead us to speak into one another’s lives and help us when we hit rough patches. Even the most spiritually minded people hit dark periods in their lives (google the dark night of the soul). If we love our brothers and sisters in Christ, we will take the time to come alongside them, to care for them, to call them out, to admonish and encourage – brotherly affection means being intimately involved in the lives of our faith family – not being apathetic or half-hearted. We need to invest in each other as Christ has invested in us through his sacrifice (sometimes we must be self-sacrificial).
These qualities keep us from being ineffective witnesses and fruitless workers. We must be bearing the fruit of the word implanted in us (James 1) and strive to be effective ministers to the lives of those who are hurting and struggling. Peter says that whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind! Yikes… lacking these qualities as I read this means that we cannot see beyond ourselves, and that it a tremendous problem when one of our chief goals is to preach the gospel to all creation.
If we take these qualities to head and practice them diligently it says we confirm our election (or being chosen out) into beneficiaries of the grace of God. Also, it says if we practice these things we will never fall. So, practice these things so that you may have entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (v11).
J.J. Fletcher lives in Minnesota with his wife and four children. He is the pastor at Pine Grove Bible Church.
Reflection:
1. Think about how Jesus exemplified all these characteristics listed in verses 5-7. If he had not exemplified all these things, would he have had the wherewithal to endure through his father’s plan of salvation through him? How can we expect to live exemplary lives if we do not take these characteristics to heart.
2. Think about the first 6 items listed (faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, and godliness) and the final one: brotherly affection/love. What do the first 6 produce without the 7th? We’re designed (as individuals and as a church body) to be in community, how might we be rendered fruitless and ineffective if we excel at the 6, but lack the 7th?
AND – A Devotion on 2 Peter 2
by Joel Fletcher – originally posted Oct 15, 2023 for SGL.
“For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.” 2 Peter 2:21 (ESV)
An idea stitched through today’s readings is that the God of Heaven prefers human behavior that is good and has an aversion to human behavior that is bad (to put it mildly). The Maker of mankind pays attention to both the wicked and the righteous (Proverbs 15:3). God sees all that happens on earth and, although all bad is wrong from His perspective, there seems to be a certain kind of action that uniquely draws His ire: people, who “speak on behalf of God”, using their influence to persuade others to evil–such people are called false prophets and false teachers (Jeremiah 23:16-17, 2 Peter 2:1). How do we avoid becoming like these people and live in a way that pleases our Maker?
Looking through the whole of scripture, one will discover that nearly all the people God employed for His purposes displayed humility (or were first humbled), while those whom God rejected or stopped using were dragged down by pride. When Jesus ministered in Judea and the surrounding regions, he embraced people who were stereotypically seen as bad (or, unrighteous) and opposed those who were known (and self-described) as good (or, righteous). While it is true that those whom Jesus befriended did bad things and those whom Jesus antagonized did good things, the defining distinction between the two was humility (in the former) and pride (in the latter).
The religious leaders of first-century Jerusalem saw themselves as righteous men who had things figured out–they needed no one to save them. The outcasts, meanwhile, longed for salvation–both from the Roman overlords and their own sinfulness. In other words, the people who embraced Jesus saw him as a doctor and themselves as the sick, while those who rejected him, saw Jesus as an instigator and themselves as the people preserving the peace. If one denies they have a problem, one cannot get the help needed.
There is a conundrum for the Christian: we are called to do good works (Ephesians 2:10) and to represent Christ on God’s behalf (2 Corinthians 5:10), but we are also warned that one who has claimed to be a Christian (maybe even one who has been an effective evangelist) can come to a place where, because of their pride, it would have been better if they had “never known the way of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:21). How do we avoid this state, while being faithful to our calling?
From what I see from scripture, the best antidote to getting on God’s bad side is to live in, with, and by humility. First, by fearing, above all (with reverence, awe, and worship) Yahweh. Second, by recognizing Jesus as the only way to the Father, to life eternal, and to the good life. Third, by recognizing that, while this knowledge radically changes lives, it doesn’t make one superior to anyone else.
You can, with great fervor, study your Bible for countless hours every day, and do all the spiritual practices prescribed or implied by the text, but it won’t make you any better off…unless you are aware and live as though you need a doctor and view Jesus as that doctor. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day didn’t recognize the great physician because they didn’t acknowledge their sickness. If we want to make sure we don’t go down that same dead-end road, if we don’t want to get scolded or labeled as a false teacher, we must take our humble medicine every day.
Joel Fletcher lives in Minnesota with his wife and two small children. He is involved with youth group and worship music at Pine Grove Bible Church.
Reflection Questions
Do you realize your need for a doctor and Savior? How does Jesus provide what you need?
What happens to those who once knew they needed Jesus, but then are puffed up with pride and go their own way?
What steps can you take to stay humble (or first become humble)? In what areas of your life do you most frequently run into the problem of pride? How can knowing this help you in the future?
Devotion by Pastor Jeff Fletcher – originally posted for SGL on Aug 25, 2023. I am so thankful for the many ways Pastor Jeff guarded the good deposit given to him and fanned into flame the gifts he received. As husband to one, father to 11, pastor to many (including the pastors), chaplain to the hurting, editor and writer and listener, Jeff was sincere and devout in his love for God, Jesus, his faith and all people.
Have you ever been asked to guard something? If you’ve ever played a team sport it’s likely that you guarded someone or something. When you play defense in basketball or hockey you guard someone. In basketball and football, there are positions called guards. In baseball, the catcher is responsible for guarding home plate.
We encounter lots of guards in life- prison guards, security guards, the National Guard. Celebrities and politicians and other rich and powerful people often have bodyguards. If you’re out with a friend at a busy place and they go to buy food or use the restroom they might ask you to “guard my seat”.
To guard something means that you have been entrusted to protect someone or something that is valued by another. In today’s reading of 2 Timothy 1, the Apostle Paul has written to Timothy and reminded him about all of the goods that have been entrusted to him in his life. He speaks about the sincere faith that began in both Timothy’s grandmother and mother now in him. He describes this faith as something that has been entrusted to Timothy and must be guarded. I have the image of going to the bank and bringing my paycheck and giving it to the bank officer and asking her to guard my money until I needed it. I am entrusting my deposit with the bank. Here, Paul is entrusting his spiritual deposits to Timothy. Just as Timothy’s grandmother and mother made spiritual deposits in his life, Paul too made spiritual deposits. Now it’s up to Timothy to both guard those deposits and also put them to good use. Paul freely changes metaphors to that of fire. A fire that has started often needs to be fanned, given more air, until it grows enough to really burn. Protect the deposit and fan the flame. This is Paul’s counsel to Timothy.
You’ve undoubtedly had many people make faith deposits in your life. For some, like Timothy, it was a grandparent or parent or other spiritual teacher or mentor. Maybe it was a Sunday School teacher or youth leader, maybe it was a pastor or a counselor at Church camp. For many, it was likely a combination of many people who taught by words or actions what it means to know Jesus Christ and follow him as a disciple. I know in my nearly 60 years of life there have been countless people who have made faith deposits into my life, and who have helped me with my spiritual formation. These people have shared incredible gifts of faith with me. I feel a particular responsibility to not allow those gifts to go by the wayside, to be left unvalued, unused, and unguarded. I take the deposits of faith that have been entrusted to me and put them to work for Jesus Christ and for the Kingdom of God. This is an incredibly important responsibility and one that I do not take lightly. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to those who made faith deposits in my life and so I want to “pay it forward” by making faith deposits into the lives of others. This is why 45 years after I first attended Youth Camp (Now FUEL) I’m still trying to make faith deposits. I hope and pray that you guard what has been entrusted to you and fan into the flame the gifts that have been given to you so that God’s word will continue to spread like wildfire into a world that needs more faith.
Jeff Fletcher
Reflection Questions:
Take a moment to write down the names of people that you can think of who have made faith deposits into your life. Say a prayer of thanks for them, then send one of them a note and say “thank you” for the faith deposits they’ve made in your life.
What are some ways that you can fan into flame the gifts that have been given you? What specific things will you do to help spread the faith in Jesus Christ shared with you?
How can you best guard the precious truths that have been deposited into your spiritual bank account by others? Is guarding the same as hoarding? What does guarding faith look like? How is faith best preserved? What makes faith worthy of guarding and fanning into flame?
It is easy to get discouraged. It happens all the time. As Christians, Christmas is a special time of year. Our hearts turn to the Christ child and the miracle that is the birth of God’s son. While this gives us hope, we live in a fast paced, difficult world. All around us people are hurting. Evil seems to grow every day. Unbelievers ask us “Where is your Jesus”? Before long, we find ourselves depressed and doubting the goodness of God. At least I do.
The writer of Hebrews knew there would be days like this. That is why he spent so much time writing in his letter to the Hebrews that “we can have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus” (we can go before God Himself through our prayers)…so let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings… (Hebrews 10:19-22a). The wise writer knew that the people of God were hurting. He continues by encouraging them to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but ENCOURAGING one another… (10:24).
Sometimes the Christmas season can be lonely. We remember Christmas’ of long ago and the fun we shared with people that we loved. Parents, brothers and sisters, friends…perhaps gone now and only existing within our hearts. As children of God, we can trust in the incredible hope that is found only in Jesus. It is our duty, to help each other and encourage each other to keep on living…and loving. Each of us pushing each other onwards towards good deeds – and new, happy memories.
In this Christmas season, my hope is that you dear reader will remember the love of Christ, the forgiveness and grace of the Father, and the promise of the coming Kingdom of God.
Questions for Discussion:
Who might you “spur on to love and good deeds” this Christmas season? (10:24)
What does it mean to “persevere” in the faith? (Hebrews 10:36)
When I was a kid, I often had to do the dishes. I was not a fan of having to take time to soak the dishes and scrub them, inside and out. One time, I decided to save time and only cleaned the outside of the cups. They looked super clean! I put the cups away and everything looked clean and ready for the next meal. Later, when my Mom pulled a cup from the cabinet, it looked nice and clean. But the inside was a mess. Milk had spoiled in the cup and was caked along the bottom. She was not very happy and found the cup to be completely unusable. I had to pull all the cups out and get the job done the right way!
In the Old Testament, God’s people were instructed to offer sacrifices to God. These sacrifices of animals, grain, and oil were expressions of devotion to God, addressed sin, and maintained covenant relationship between God and Israel. Animals were burned on an altar symbolizing total surrender to God. Sometimes, animal blood was applied to the altar. In this case, the offering was a sin offering – usually a lamb.
The writer of Hebrews compares the offerings of the Old Testament with the new offering through the death of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:11-14 tells us that “the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean”. They became sanctified – set apart for God’s special use – because of the spilled blood of an animal. However, people were only ceremonially clean on the outside of their body. They were now clean to worship God and come before Him, but on the inside sin would return. Again and again, people would have to continually offer animals in sacrifice to God to maintain their ceremonial purity before Him.
Jesus, as the sinless, perfect, lamb of God is clean on the inside as well as the outside. In other words, after His resurrection, He was able to ascend to Heaven and sit at the right hand of God because of His perfect, redeeming blood. Since He died and was resurrected in perfection (because He was always perfect), he could now spend eternity with His Father in Heaven! Jesus had no sin, so He did not need to be “saved from sin” like you and me. The very blood of Jesus, shed on the cross for you and for me, is the blood that makes us clean on the inside (Hebrews 9:14). No longer do we have to make sacrifices repeatedly. He died for us, once and for all (1 Peter 3:18, Romans 6:10, 1 John 2:2). Hebrews 9:15 teaches us that Jesus is the perfect mediator of a NEW covenant (not like the Old Testament…). Those who put their faith in Him may “receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant” (Hebrews 9:15). Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. We are now “clean” on the outside and inside. Like one of my cups – finally spotless and useful for the Kingdom of God.
Questions for Discussion:
Why did God want blood as payment for sin? (Hebrews 9:22)
Why does Jesus appear for us in God’s presence? (Hebrews 9:24)
When my son was a little boy, he asked for a pocketknife for Christmas. He was interested with those who could take a piece of wood or a stick and whittle it into a figure or an animal. Watching an experienced woodworker use a little knife to create amazing little figures was fascinating to a young boy.
Of course, I got him his first pocketknife, and we talked about how it was very sharp. We talked about how to hold the knife and how to begin the process of whittling away. I warned him not to put his finger on the blade and to respect it. Of course, the first thing he did was rub his finger across the blade – and cut himself. Just a slight bump against the blade and the cut was deep enough to draw blood – and a few tears.
The writer of the book of Hebrews describes the Word of God as being sharper than any type of edged weapon (4:12). Like a pocketknife, it can cut deep – deep into the mind and heart of the believer. God’s Word judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Like an impartial judge sitting on the judgement seat, the Word of God judges what is within us. The Word of God judges if we are resting in God’s grace or in human works. We can work hard and perform many good deeds for ministry. But those good deeds will not save us. Only the grace of God through faith in Jesus can save us from our sin. We can fool other people, but the Word of God makes it very plain that we cannot fool God. He will judge us rightly and with justice. If our faith is in Christ, we will find a sympathetic savior, who while tempted in every way, did not sin. He is perfect – and wants us to trust in His father as He did. The Word of God makes it very plain – our salvation is through grace by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). We cannot pretend to “earn” our way into God’s Kingdom. His Word testifies to the truth – that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) and trusting in him allows us to receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
Remember to honor and obey God’s Word. While it contains the awesome message of salvation, it also opens our lives up to the all-knowing, all seeing eyes of God. Sharp indeed!
Questions for Discussion:
How could Jesus experience EVERY temptation? (4:15)
One of the great truths of the Bible is the humanity of Jesus Christ. Jesus, our Lord and Our Savior, was born of the virgin Mary through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Our God created Jesus to be His messiah – God’s chosen One to save his people and rule as King in His future kingdom. Jesus always existed in the mind of God. In the beginning was the Word (John 1:1). The Word, or Logos in Greek, is the eternal program of salvation and restoration through Jesus Christ. It is the wonderful plan of God to make a way for believers to enjoy fellowship with Him in the eternal coming Kingdom. As such, at a time of God’s choosing, He created his messiah. He brought his great plan of salvation, the Logos, into reality. Our Lord Jesus was born into the world, a little baby, born of the virgin Mary and celebrated as our Lord and Savior. He was born into the world through God’s power to be fully human, and fully God’s son. He is the begotten one (first among everything).
The book of Hebrews tries to explain why Jesus had to be made perfect and why he had to be a human – like you and me. But why did Jesus have to be just like us? Jesus was created by God to be His only Son. In order to serve both God and mankind, Jesus had to be a special man – the sinless and perfect Son of man. Both divine (Son of God) and human (Son of Mary) – He is the perfect one to exist as the “mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 2:5). Hebrews 2:14-18 teaches us that He had to be made with flesh and blood – he had to be a man. This is so His death on the cross might break the power of the fear of death. His resurrection is proof that a man can be raised up to eternal life. He was created specifically to save Abraham’s descendants of faith (that’s you and me). In being a man, he could be God’s High Priest, serving God and making atonement for the sins of the world (Hebrews 2:17,18).
With Christmas coming very soon, we remember the birth of Christ. That little child, born and placed in a manger, the son of Mary, would become the savior of the world. In God’s great wisdom, He made a way for us to enjoy fellowship with Him forever in His coming Kingdom. Thank Him for the gift of his Son, His human Son, the Christ Child who takes away the sin of the world.
It’s hunting season here in Ohio! All around the countryside, hunters are sneaking though the fields, climbing tree stands, and checking their trail cams. The deer are careful and on alert, listening and sniffing the air for the sign of trouble. Failure to sniff out the enemy can have deadly results for the hunted.
As Christians, we have to be on guard against temptations and situations that can cause us to fall away from the Lord God. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us to “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”. Peter, in his letter to the Christians across Asia Minor (modern Turkey), has tried to encourage the believers to stand firm in the face of persecution. Instead of getting revenge or lashing out against people who have hurt us, Peter encourages us to rejoice in our sufferings and be thankful for the opportunity to do good to those who hurt us (1 Peter 3:8-12).
It is easy to want to strike back, to say something hurtful, or to defend ourselves. But God has a higher purpose in mind behind our suffering. He wants to shape and mold us into mature Christians. Sometimes, we have to endure hard times to allow that change towards maturity to occur. It is tempting to want to respond in kind to those who hurt us. We have to stand firm and resist the urge to take the bait!
Peter reminds the Christians that this is a sneaky trap, set by our enemy, the devil. We have to be on the alert, and watchful to avoid falling into the traps set by the enemy. Like deer trying to avoid the hunter, we avoid the traps of temptation by seeking to do God’s will. Peter asks us to be alert and sober minded. Resisting the temptation to lash out at our enemies or to hurt other people is not easy. But the more we resist, the easier it is to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. God wants us to trust Him. As we obey Him, He will “restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).
One of the strongest building materials is steel. All the great towers and skyscrapers today are built out of steel. It is a very hard metal and very durable. But it does not start that way. It begins as a piece of iron ore. To transform the iron ore into steel, the iron must be heated to extreme temperatures and exposed to blasts of super hot air to blow out the impurities. When it is quickly cooled, the result is steel – a pure form, durable, and able to stand the test of time. It is only tough and useable because of the intense “heat and violent blasts of air” that transforms it.
The apostle Peter wrote his letters to Christians scattered out across Asia Minor (Turkey today). The Christians there were struggling because of hardship and persecution. Living a life of faith in God was very difficult and dangerous. As the Roman empire continued to persecute the Christians across the empire, the apostles, like Peter, worked hard to encourage the children of God.
Peter reminds us in his letter that we have a “living hope” (1 Peter 1:3-4). No matter what kinds of trouble we experience in life, we can be assured that the hope that we have in Jesus is true and eternal. We know this because Jesus has been raised from the dead, proving that every promise that He made is true. No matter what kinds of sorrow we face in this life, we can be assured of an “inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. Kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4). Jesus promised to return to this world to make things right. Then, our promise will be revealed before our very eyes as we enjoy eternity with God the Father and His son Jesus Christ in God’s glorious earthly kingdom.
Despite being persecuted and threatened by the Romans, Peter reminds the Christians that they are to put their faith in God and serve Him. Like the first Christians, God allows us to experience trouble and sorrow because, like heat to iron, He wants to create a tougher, more usable child of God. God desires for each of us to endure troubling times. We are a chosen people (1 Peter 2:9-10). As God’s chosen people, we can be assured that He will use hard times to strengthen us. It is God’s will that we suffer for doing good (1 Peter 3:17). Jesus suffered greatly on the cross. But the result of His suffering has brought us closer to God (3:18). Who knows what incredible things God will bring about because His people are willing to suffer for doing good?
Questions for Discussion:
Are good works the way to earn a blessing? (1 Peter 3:9-12)
Why be gentle and respectful to unbelievers? (1 Peter 3:15)
Seek Grow Love 