Last night we began our trip through Peter’s letter. Here’s the notes…
1:1-2 Notice Peter says, “obedience and sprinkling” — this is covenant language (see Exodus 24:3-8) So, Peter’s readers are out of place in this world, as disinherited sojourners (foreigners, resident aliens). But in Christ they are chosen people with a purpose.
1:3-12 What being part of this new covenant people means.
Though they are necessarily now strangers, believers are actually highly privileged:
v.3 We have a whole new birth (new identity)
v.4 …giving us an inheritance which can’t be touched
v.5 …which we can’t lose (like we can earthly things) because God keeps us
v.6 This lets us rejoice even in suffering! They had a new identity which led to their dispossession in this world, but the same new identity led to an eternal inheritance in the one coming soon. We are the same. “Suffering does not prevent joy.”
v.7 The best earthly possessions perish, but faith is eternal. Your faith gets you shamed here (they take your gold) but glory later
v.8 The glory comes when Jesus is revealed. You’ll be willing to wait for this if you love Him. Do you feel this way about Him?
v. 10-12 Though your identity is thought worthless here, and you’re shut out of the world’s plans, actually you’re part of something ancient and precious. And you’re in fellowship with the prophets, with the attention of the angels.
1:13-25 How we must live now, in light of this future focus:
v. 13 We put all our hope in that future inheritance. …by preparing our minds for action… exorcize mental resolve to think this way
v.14-16 …and by practicing self control, taking our Holy God as our example for, not our old way of life.
v.17 We remember that our Father is also the Judge.(so we both imitate and fear)
v.18-21 We remember that the price of our inheritance was Jesus’ blood. (see v.8)
v.22 We let this new birth and holiness flow over into real love.
v.23 …because if it was God’s seed in us, we’ll be like God, who is Love.
v.24-5 This Word of God is as eternal as the inheritance. Everything about the Christian’s life is eternal, from its start to its goal. So we can let go of temporary things in order to attain the eternal. We can love and rejoice through trying times because joy is eternal and suffering fades.
2:1-12 How we must live among people, in light of our new identity:
v.1 Picks up exhortation in 1:22…love!
v. 2 Lay aside these anti-love things, they fight desire for Spiritual things.
v.3 let the if you like God’s flavor, let it be yours.
v.4 you have been expelled from belonging in this world, but you are coming to Chris
v.5 new identity and social context: living stones part of a spiritual temple
v.6 shame for Christ is temporary
v.7 Christ was rejected, but is God’s chosen
v.8-10 …and we are the same
v.11-12 Just as we release our status in this world, we release lusts as well…
Peter Challenges Us:
- To contemplate the nature of who God’s word says He is, what He’s done, and Who we are as a result.
- To let what is coming dictate how we live now.
- To let God rule our thoughts as a way of letting Him Change our lives.
- To pursue these two primary things: Holiness & Love.
Holiness: 1:2 “sanctification”; 1:4 “former lusts”; 1:16 “Be holy”; 1:17 “Fear of the Lord”; 1:22 “purified souls”; 2:1 “laying aside”; 2:5 “holy temple & priesthood”; 2:9 “called out of darkness”; 2:11 “abstain from lusts”
Love: 1:8 “love of Christ”; 1:22 “holiness leads to love” & “love fervently”; 2:1 “lay aside lovelessness”