Introduction

The Situation

Imagine, if you can, the ancient civilization of Northern Turkey. Greek culture and the Roman Empire, from their positions just across the Aegean Sea, in Europe, have begun to heavily influence your community. Roman roads, taxation, and military are ever-present. And so is Greek thought. Everyone has gone along with it — and times seem to be improving. The age is heading in a specific direction, and you are caught up in its wave.

Then, one day, with no announcement, a messenger arrives in your small town. He is not there to trade like nearly all other travelers. Instead, he has news to proclaim. It isn’t a decree from Caesar but about a man named Jesus. There is a God, Jesus is him, and he became one of us, the preacher declares. Then he died as a substitute for us, rising on the third day. And as the glorious gospel is declared to you, you find yourself agreeing and believing and wanting this Jesus. His Spirit fills you, and now, your life is changed.

You find yourself as part of a new community within your community. You and the other Christians gather as one on Sundays and in smaller settings throughout the week. As you all study the Scriptures and worship the God who wrote them, you relearn everything. Soon, you realize your new views and lifestyle are incongruent with the Roman and Greek way you’d previously adopted.

And you aren’t the only one to recognize you’re different. Soon, your town begins to see it too. They suspect you don’t think like them, and they certainly can see you don’t live like them. People in your community have always represented all sides of thought, but you and the other Christians have embraced something different than everyone else in town. Jesus is your King. He is worthy of your worship. And he asks you to both love others and tell them about him.

But the fact you’re different soon leads the majority to turn against you. Their rejection isn’t catastrophic, but subtly they are turning their backs on you. You worry that you might be physically harmed for your Christianity one day, mainly because they are willing to say such angry and hateful words about you and your Lord. You can’t tell where all this venom is coming from — you’ve tried hard to love and contribute to your community — but the animosity is growing. You feel confused as to what to do. The Roman Senate and Emporer seem unconcerned with your small minority, and the concern they do show indicates they might begin blaming you for their failures.

You and others in the community begin to worry. Will we lose our sources of income? Will we be roundly rejected from public discourse? Will this ridicule turn into laws that call for our persecution? Will we be harmed? And, if any of this happens to us, how should we live?

Just as your questions and the pressure hit a fever pitch, a new messenger arrives. He is a Christian, and his name is Silvanus, and he has come from Rome (1 Peter 5:12-13). You know there are Christians there, so you wonder how they are dealing with the rising opposition to the faith in the mother of all cities. How are they handling increasing hostility and blame from culture? Are they fighting back? Are they retreating to the countryside? Are they conforming to the demands of the citizenry?

Silvanus proceeds to tell you he has a letter from no less than Peter, a letter designed to show you how to live when society rejects you. You can’t believe it — Peter!

You, of course, know the name. He was Jesus’ top apostle, the leader of the twelve, the first preacher the day the church was born, and the one with the keys to unlock the gospel to the Gentile world. And he did. Ten years after Jesus died and lived again, Peter died to his preferences and spoke the words of life to a small group of Gentiles on Israel’s northern coast. And, when they believed, the Spirit fell. Everyone saw it, and soon it was confirmed — the good news is for the Gentile world. That’s how the gospel eventually got to you. And now, Peter has written to you and other Christians along the trade route of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1:1).

The next morning, Sunday, you gather with all the other Christians in your church. After some prayer and singing to God, Silvanus stands up before you with a papyrus scroll in his hand. He unfurls it, prays, and begins to read:

1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

1. The Author: Peter

The first thing I want you to notice is the author of our letter. As I’ve said, Peter was the first apostle, but in this letter, he is the first exile. By this time, he had abandoned the comforts and confines of Jerusalem for Rome. Jerusalem was familiar; Rome was unknown. Jerusalem was filled with people from the same cultural background; Rome was filled with every nation, tribe, and tongue. Jerusalem’s morals were similar to Christianity’s; Rome’s morals were upside down and non-existent. In Jerusalem, Peter had influence — so many had come to Jesus there — but in Rome, Peter was without power or status of any kind.

And Peter felt the strangeness of his new town. At the close of this letter, he calls Rome “Babylon” (5:13). This is his way of referencing time in Israel’s history when they were carried away as exiles to Babylon. Life was so different there, and godlessness abounded. How in the world could they live there?

To help those ancient Old Testament exiles, God had sent the Prophet Jeremiah. He told them to submit to the life of exile by building houses, planting gardens, marrying, and establishing families, right there in Babylon. He even said:

Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:7)

Jeremiah then went on to warn God’s people about false prophets who would tell them to escape their exile. These liars would convince God’s people that God didn’t want his kids living in such conditions. But, Jeremiah told them, God wanted them to submit to exile until God rescued them.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

And Peter seems to have styled his letter after Jeremiah’s ministry. All through his correspondence, Peter will encourage the church to endure periods of exile well in Christ’s name.

• First, he will tell us of the joy of the exile calling (1:1-2:10). We belong to Jesus and have a great salvation, so we rejoice in even suffering for his name.
• Second, Peter will tell us of the life of exile, describing how we must live (2:11-3:7). He will urge us to abstain from sin, submit to authority, and do work and family for God’s glory.
• Third, Peter will talk to us about the pain of the exile (3:8-4:19). Everyone suffers, but believers might suffer for righteousness. If we hear the ridicule or feel the fists of those hostile to Christ, we must endure.
• And fourth, Peter will describe the community the exile must build (5:1-14). The church is our new home, and we must press into it all the more as rejection increases. The idea of doing the Christian life alone becomes even more impossible for exiled believers.

The Resurrection Changed Everything

But Peter was game for this exilic brand of Christianity because Jesus had risen from the dead. It changed everything for Peter. His failures and shortcomings were turned into channels for God’s grace, and he’d been restored for a purpose. Because Jesus rose, Peter had to reach him, so after over ten years of ministry in Jerusalem, he packed up his family and ministered in various Roman provinces. Jesus had foretold that Peter would die a martyr’s death, so Peter had a decision. He could run and hide, or he could run right into the danger. He chose the latter because if Christ had risen, Peter knew he also would rise. Death would only hasten his ultimate victory.

So Peter went out and made good on the new name Jesus had given him. His birth name was “Simon,” but Jesus did what God had done to any saints of old and renamed his man. “Peter” means “rock” because Peter confessed foundational truths and became a foundational man who did foundational things for the church.

An Apostle

Peter referred to himself in this letter as an “Apostle of Jesus Christ.” When Paul said it at the beginning of his letters, it often indicated he would have to defend his position or correct his audience. But when Peter said it, no one argued. If Peter wasn’t an apostle, no one was an apostle. He held the special position Jesus reserved for his initial and authoritative witnesses and authors of the truth. Like the Old Testament prophets, these men would speak words that shaped civilizations.

But, as an apostle, Peter was Exile #1. He knew what it was to be an outcast from society because of Jesus. You could say he learned about being rejected from both the right and left because of his belief in Christ. The right, fashioned by Judaism, did not like the grace and forgiveness for all nations Peter preached. And the left, formed by much of Roman society, did not like the restrictive morality Peter taught. And neither liked to think of Jesus as Lord. For that, Pete is Exile #1 in this letter.

2. The Recipients: Elect Exiles of the Dispersion

Why Call Them Exiles?

The second thing I want you to see in these introductory verses is the recipients. Peter called them “elect exiles of the Dispersion” in an area we know as Northern Turkey. The title is Jewish because the Assyrians and Babylonians dispersed and made exiles of ancient Israel. Scattered Jews began to be known as The Diaspora.

But Peter takes that title and lays it firmly on the Jewish and Gentile church of that region and era. We know he is writing to a predominantly Gentile church because of the way he describes their lives before Christ. They had lived sensuously, following their passions, in their old life. They had partied hard, intoxicating themselves and engaging in the kinds of acts alcohol emboldens. Peter said these Christians had been ransomed from “futile ways” previous generations had taught them, and now they’d become God’s people (1:18, 2:10).

This helps us know what made them into exiles. It’s what makes us exiles today. First, they believed things that made them exiles. Second, they lived in a way that made them exiles. Both their beliefs and lifestyles were looked down upon by their larger society, so they became exiles.

What Kind of Marginalization Did They Experience?

You might wonder about the marginalization they received with a suspicion that we cannot relate. It is common for Western churches to reflect on the lack of persecution we have historically received. For many centuries, many Western nations have had a policy of giving the church favored status. Sometimes this meant the church had political influence, sometimes it meant it ruled over monarchs, but, usually, it meant a nominal Christianity was encouraged to spread. Many people were Christian in name only.

But, though the church had influence in these Western societies, secularism has now taken the lead. Still, since so many identify as Christian in name, Christianity grips onto a semi-favored status. I think the evidence demonstrates that many who say they are Christian are not. Many who say they are Christians also say they don’t believe in the gospel of God and also don’t even attend, let alone belong to, a local church of any kind. The number of people who believe the gospel, hold the cardinal doctrines of Christianity, and live out their faith by being part of a church and following Scripture’s teachings in their private lives is small.

But, in places like these, because of the historical relationship with the church, the persecution is not yet physical. Christians in many nations are beaten and economically disadvantaged because of their faith, but this hasn’t happened broadly yet in the Western world. So we might be tempted to tune out 1 Peter because they certainly had a level of persecution worse than ours.

Not so fast. The hostility described in this letter is verbal slander and malicious accusations.

1 Peter 2:12 (ESV) — 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

1 Peter 2:15 (ESV) — 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

1 Peter 3:9 (ESV) — 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

1 Peter 3:16 (ESV) — 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

Hearing those descriptions should make us realize we are entering into the kind of territory Peter thought his readers were in. I heard of a Christian man recently who was on a company softball team. They always had a great time together, and everyone knew he was a believer. But one night, he hopped on Facebook and was horrified to watch most of his teammates berating Christians and ridiculing the Christian faith as little more than belief in fairies and goblins. You could go online and find a thousand examples of similar behavior.

This brand of ridicule has always been around. And, though it’s difficult to know precisely what people were saying about the first century Christians Peter wrote to, we do have a piece of Roman graffiti scratched into plaster on a building in Rome during the second century. It is a picture of a man with a donkey’s head being crucified. Another man is raising his hand in worship toward the figure on the cross. Then a caption reads, “Alexamenos worships his god.” I think it even had a hashtag.

They Were God’s Special People

But Peter wanted to comfort his audience, an audience I hope you now realize includes you and me, with something special. All through the letter, he will encourage us with the truth about who we are. And he alludes to our identity in this brief introduction.

Elect

The overarching encouragement Peter gives comes from his description of these exiles in the very first verse — elect (1:1). To be elect means we are recipients of God’s grace, those God has called to his love. He has prompted us to trust him, and we have received his call.

This is not a theme meant to spin you out or shake your faith. It is not meant to be taken out of context and placed into a sterile or unfeeling theological system. No way. It is meant as a cause of celebration! God chose Adam. God chose Noah. God chose Abraham. God chose Israel. And, if you are in Christ, God chose you.

On God’s Team

And Peter wanted his readers to celebrate how the entire Triune God had chosen them. He did this by alluding to the Father, the Spirit, and the Son in our second verse.

What did the Father do? He elected us according to the foreknowledge of God the Father (2). I doubt this means God knew we would choose him, so he chose us. I suspect this means he knows us, knows his plans, and we are part of those plans. These suffering believers would’ve celebrated that the Father knew them and his plans for them.

In God’s Sights

But what did the Spirit do? Peter tells us the Spirit sets us apart for sanctification (2). This word often refers to the process of spiritual growth during the Christian life, but it is used here to describe the act of setting us apart to God at the point of salvation. When these beleaguered Christians trusted Christ, the Spirit set them apart for God. Like a special dish used for a special purpose — I’m thinking of my daily coffee mug — God has set us aside for a special purpose. And this comforts us during times of persecution.

For God’s Gospel

But what did the Son do? He chose us for obedience to him and for the sprinkling of his blood (2). This means we are chosen by God to receive the gospel of Christ, obey the King who is Christ, and declare the gospel of his blood to the world. These early believers would have been encouraged to know that their trials were not in vain. God had a mission for them to engage in that was based on all they’d believed about Jesus.

God’s Grace in Trials

All this talk from Peter about our identity in God is meant to encourage us. If we feel alien to our world, at least we know God accepts us. If we feel we have fewer opportunities to root down in the culture, at least we know we have roots in God. And if we feel like we aren’t given a place or purpose by society, at least we know God has given us his gospel and a mission to proclaim it.

These original hearers would have been greatly encouraged to know that, despite all their trials and rejection and the difficulty of being a Christian in their world at that time, they belonged to God.

I don’t know if you remember your first upside-down roller coaster ride. I remember mine, “The Demon” at Santa Clara’s Great America. I was afraid, and the ride was tumultuous, but I was greatly comforted by the security the shoulder harness provided. I was firmly attached to the car, and the car was firmly attached to the track. I knew I would make it. In a similar way, if believers, we should know we are firmly attached to God when the persecution hits. The ride might be rough, but we are secure in him.

3. The Theme: The Grace of Exile

I want to conclude today by focusing on the theme I have chosen for our study of 1 Peter. I am calling this series “The Grace of Exile.” I have taken this from the very end of this letter.

“I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.” (1 Peter 5:12).

So Peter saw his letter as an exhortation and declaration of the true grace of God. If you take the time to read it — and I would encourage you to do so this week — you’ll discover it’s a description of the life of exile. Hardships abound. Ridicule exists. Decisions to live unlike everyone else are present. And, through it all, though it’s a life on the fringes, life as a religious minority, Peter said it’s a life of God’s true grace.

Grace means favor. And when living on the margins of society, rather than at the center of it, it’s hard to feel favored by God. But Peter wants us to get excited about the possibilities that come with being in the vast minority. The scales of dead religion and nominal Christianity fall off because there’s no good reason for people to pretend to be Christians. What’s left is a purer, holier, more vibrant church. It might be smaller, but at least it’s not dead.

And alive is grace. Alive is fun. Alive is a blessing.

We Cannot Rely on Business As Usual

And I think this is a shift this book will help us make. It’s been a long time since the true church was the majority in the West, though we often don’t believe it. But we’ve got to shift from maintenance to mission, from settling to sojourning, from accepted to alien. It’s the only way forward, and for me, it feels exciting.

But the shift is hard. It is tempting to try to dominate the culture as a Christian majority, but it is exciting to learn to live and engage culture as a Christian minority. I believe we are where the exiles who received this letter were at — this is California. We are now exiles.

Goals

All that said, let me conclude by stating some goals for our study of 1 Peter. Lord willing, I plan to take my time going through this book. It is a very dense book, so it will be easy to take it slowly. And here’s what I hope will happen as we meditate upon God’s word.

1. That we would learn to rejoice so much in what we have in Christ that we would never compromise to get what we can of the world. One of the greatest protections against theological or lifestyle error is being fully and completely satisfied in and with Christ.
2. That we would learn better how to bless our community with the gospel. The days of people coming to church gatherings when searching are largely over. People with a church background might wander into our public gatherings, but this group is getting statistically smaller every year. We have to think more about how to go out to the “highways and hedges” with the gospel (Luke 14:23).
3. That we would discover fresh biblical ways to build up our gospel community so that we can lean into each other during the difficult strain of social rejection. One antidote to rejection from the community is the acceptance of Jesus’ community. I think we are moving well past the days of attending church twice a month as the total pushback to society’s pressures on us. We need more, so I hope this book reminds us of biblical strategies to cultivate a healthy community.
4. That those in our church family who feel the strongest sense of social exclusion would be comforted by the life Peter describes. I think of those of you serving and studying on university campuses. There is a strong intolerance of the Christian faith on many campuses and classrooms, so I pray this book will give you the encouragement you need, all while giving you the wisdom and discernment required to navigate your setting. And there are many similar environments, some physical, some corporate, and some digital, that I hope this book helps you learn to navigate as a Christian.

May God bless us as we study his word.

Introduction

Many years ago, a young man from Denmark began attending our church. Staying for a year or two with relatives who were members at Calvary, he began attending our church with them. Growing up, he had not thought hard about the claims of the gospel, but while here, he submitted his life to Christ. He began devouring solid Christian teaching, and within a short period of time, he became a solidly developed Christian man.

While he was here, he and I developed a friendship. Eventually, it was time for him to return to his homeland, but we remained in contact. I was the youth and college pastor at the time, and Christina and I briefly flirted with moving to Denmark to start a church with him.

After a few years in Denmark, he reached out to me to ask if I’d fly out to speak to a small conference of believers from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. He didn’t have to ask twice, and over the next ten years, I took frequent trips to Denmark and Sweden to serve God’s people. I thought I was teaching them, but I have discovered over time that they were teaching me.

What I discovered there was a small contingent of committed Christians who were a religious minority in their communities. Their love for Jesus was sincere, and they all realized their need for one another. They had no expectation that their Christianity would have a heavy influence on their societies. They didn’t expect laws, curriculums, morals, or priorities around them to reflect biblical standards. Instead, they expected to stand out from the crowd.

I mention this beautiful group because they are like the exiles Peter wrote to in his first letter. And I learned so much from them. Some Christians live where Christianity is socially accepted, but Christianity in Northern California is trending towards looking like Christianity in secularized Europe. We can still vote, litigate, teach, and contribute to society according to our biblical convictions, but those Scandinavian believers gave me a glimpse into the future. Many parts of the United States are heading in the direction of Europe. Perhaps it’s time for us to learn more from the church’s experience there.

Fight, Flee, Or Conform?

And the believers Peter wrote to also found themselves as the religious minority. Slanderous accusations were cast against them. They believed and behaved differently than their society, and they were beginning to feel the pressure.

They likely wondered, “What should we do? Should we angrily fight and ridicule our society? Should we flee town for more welcoming communities? Should we conform our views and behaviors to look just like the culture around us?”

As I pointed out last week, Peter will show them all through his letter that the answer is not to fight, flee, or conform.

• Fighting, in the wrong sense of the word, with unrighteous anger, feelings of superiority, or an expectation that an unconverted world should somehow act like the converted, is what institutional Christianity does. Institutional Christianity thinks there are Christian nations that should reflect Christian teachings. Another word for it is Christendom. But Christendom was a mistake because Christ goes after individuals who make up nations, not nations made up of individuals.
• Fleeing is what escapist Christianity does. Escapist Christianity thinks we just need to hold on until Jesus takes us outta here. But escapist Christianity neglects Christ’s mission.
• And conforming is what Progressive Christianity does. Progressive (or Liberal) Christianity bends doctrines and warps the Scriptures to become more palatable to society. But society isn’t interested in watered-down Christianity. Progressive Christianity is not Christianity.

Instead of fighting, fleeing, or conforming, Peter will show us how to stand firm. He said:

1 Peter 5:12 (ESV) — 12 …I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.

After everything I’ve said up to this point, you might think I am a despairing pastor and depressed Christian. Not at all. I have great hope in God. I am excited about what he is doing on the earth today. I never expected to be in the majority. I’ve always known that if Christianity was ever the majority, it would not be the norm. Some say they are shocked at the rapid rejection of Christianity. Me too — that it’s not worse. The normal Christian experience is one on the margins. One day, when Christ returns, we will be done with margin-life because our Lord will be at the center of all things, but right now, we get to live the exciting and hope-filled life of Jesus-followers.

But where do we get this hope? I am calling it “Exile Hope.” Where does it come from?

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1. Exile Hope Starts With Praise (1:3a)

Pivotal Praise

The first thing I want you to see is that Exile Hope starts with praise. Peter, writing to dispersed and exiled Christians, many of whom had experienced economic persecution, verbal assaults, and social rejection for their beliefs, pivots his letter here. He shifts from his introduction, which we studied last week, to praise.

Peter was praising God when he said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (3). To bless God is to praise God. This is worship.

A Song For The Homeless

The thing about being a dispersed and exilic Christian is that you often feel homeless. Though our American society gravitates towards stark, simple, polarized views, believers often take to their Bibles and feel out of place. We feel without a home; “homeless,” if you will.

I can’t tell you how many times I have felt “homeless” as a Christian man.

I’ve felt homeless while watching the sexual revolution play out in modern times. I’ve felt homeless watching people resist that sexual revolution with vitriol (instead of resisting with love and reason).

I’ve felt homeless whenever I’ve watched a parent refuse to say “no” or correct their child or when a hard religious parent rules with an iron fist.

I’ve felt homeless while trying to find something that won’t degrade me on Netflix or when told I should never watch TV at all.

I’ve felt homeless when the left does its most leftiest things and when the right does its rightiest.

I’ve felt homeless when trying to find decent music to work out to or when someone suggests I should pump iron to worship music.

I’ve felt homeless when surveying the political options. I’ve felt homeless watching what people spend their money on. I’ve felt homeless when refusing Sunday sports for my kids. I’ve felt homeless tithing, being faithful to my wife, or spending so much time studying a book that is thousands of years old.

And that’s just me. I’m sure you have thousands of experiences as a believer that might cause you to feel without a home.

It All Starts With God

The believers Peter wrote to had similar experiences. They were exiled. They felt homeless. Yet Peter did not do what so many preachers do today. He did not stoke their anger and tell them to condescendingly fight, play on their fear and tell them to flee, or question their wavering convictions and tell them to conform. Instead, he directed them to God. He wanted them to praise God.

And when we are feeling without a home, we must pause to praise God. He, as Peter said, is a majestic being, both Father and Son. And he came to die for us.

And setting your eyes on him in worship can help you with anger, fear, and wavering. Worshipping him can bring you home. In worship, you confront a God who is angry with sin but also angry without sin. In worship, you confront a God who fears nothing. And in worship, you confront a God who is unchangeable and will not bend to popular opinion.

I encourage you to pursue God when you feel alone and without a home because of your Christianity. The nature of your beliefs and lifestyle will put you on the fringe of society in many ways. And on the fringe, you might feel lonely. But your Father in heaven is there for you. He wants you to engage with him. He wants to befriend and guide you. He wants to satisfy your heart. He wants to give you hope. And Exile Hope praises God.

2. Exile Hope Is Alive (1:3b)

The Impact Of The New Birth

Secondly, I want you to see that Exile Hope is alive. Peter told us to praise God. Then he said, “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (3b).

This is astounding news for the exiled Christians Peter wrote to: God caused them to be born again (3). In the introduction, we saw how they were the elect of God (1). Here, we see another reason for their new birth: the compassionate mercy of God. Peter said they’d been birthed again according to God’s great mercy (3). And this new birth is secured by nothing other than the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! (3). Since he is alive, believers are alive! We have been born again.

But why did Peter feel it necessary to tell these beleaguered and rejected Christians that they were born again? Think of it this way: our birth story says a lot about us. I was born to a church-planting father and mother. I was born at CHOMP. I was born into a home that provided the basic necessities and not much more. I was born into a gospel-loving home. All these realities impacted me in one way or another because people receive things like ethnic identity, national citizenship, and socioeconomic class from their parents. But Christians have a new birth that gives them a new identity and citizenship that redefines everything for them. And when society rejects you, as it had these early Christians Peter wrote to, it is strengthening to know you have a new identity, citizenship, and future because of your new birth.

The New Birth Produces Living Hope

And this new birth produces, according to Peter, “a living hope” (3). What does this mean?

Living Hope is not like dead hope. I can say that I hope to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers one day, but I have become increasingly sure that isn’t going to happen. It is a dead hope. I can “hope against hope,” but dead hope is always an illusion.

Living Hope is not like natural hope. In Peter’s mind, our new birth is connected to Jesus’ resurrection. That’s unnatural. Natural hope is limited by time and space and norms that govern our lives. But living hope has resurrected power attached to it.

Living hope is the opposite of hopeless. Many people are toiling in hopelessness. Many of the philosophies and theories that explain human existence give no hope but merely declare we are a bucket of cells that will cease to exist one day. Experience pleasure while you can because one day, you will die. This has led many to deep despair.

But the new birth gives the Christian a hope that is alive. This means our hope is growing and progressing over time. It lives and breaths and develops. And it’s alive because it’s based on reality. We know what the universe is about. We know who made us. We know what our ultimate future holds with him.

Believers Are Hopeful

It is interesting to me that Peter started his letter to exiled and dispersed and suffering Christians with hope. As I said, he did not pander to their experiences but spoke to them like a dad — Praise God. You are born again. You have a hope that is alive.

Some of his readers might have lost their jobs or social standing or even their families because of Jesus, similar to the way some today will disinherit a family member who converts to Christ. But amid all that loss, Peter directed his readers to hope.

In one sense, believers ought to be the most hopeful people on earth. I do not mean we are oblivious to the pains of this world, nor do I mean we are eternally optimistic that everything will get better. We believe sobering doctrines. We believe in human depravity (that humanity is broken and lost without Christ). We believe in eternal judgment. We believe sin has permeated everything. These are weighty truths.

So when I say we are hopeful, I do not mean we have our heads in the clouds. What I mean is that we know our destiny. As dark as it might get, we have a living hope, a solid conviction, a firm expectation of Christ’s return for us. We know where we are going.

Every once in a while, in my house, someone else’s socks get in my sock drawer. I am by far the largest member of my family, so when this happens, it becomes obvious in two seconds once I try to get the sock on my foot that they are not my socks. Women’s size seven just can do men’s thirteens. They don’t fit.

Peter seems to be saying that despair does not fit the true Christian. Living hope is more like it because Exile Hope is alive!

3. Exile Hope Enjoys God’s Inheritance (1:4-5)

Expelled People Without An Inheritance

But we have not only been born again to a living hope, but “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (4). When the Bible talks about an inheritance for God’s people, there is an Old Testament connection because God had often promised his people an inheritance. And when he delivered them from four centuries of Egyptian slavery and took them to the land he’d reserved for them, he began to make them promises. They were his people, and he had specific things in mind for them.

The interesting thing is that many of God’s promises to ancient Israel were physical in nature. He gave them land. He gave them health. He gave them crops. And if they walked with him, they would continue to receive God’s prosperous blessings in those ways.

When Jesus came along, he brought a New Covenant filled with different promises. Those watching his life might’ve guessed that his promises would be less physical in nature, at least at first. When he came, he was poor, lived in obscurity, and often leaned on the care and provision of others. “Foxes have holes, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head,” Jesus said (Matthew 8:20, Luke 9:58). This was all suggestive that his kingdom would be made of more than the physical realm.

And now Peter gets on the Jesus Bus by proclaiming that we have an inheritance from God by our new birth. It is kept in heaven for us (4). Clearly, this is in line with the idea that the New Covenant did not promise us wealth and health in this life. And the most model Christians, including Jesus, suffered much for the faith.

But, in the midst of society’s rejection, believers might wish God had a different plan. Wouldn’t it be nice if walking with God secured our prosperity? Now, I do think abiding by God’s dictates leads to a wise life, and wisdom often leads to human flourishing, so it would be wrong to suspect every Christian will be impoverished. My point is that we might be disappointed that God doesn’t value a physical inheritance as much as we do.

But I believe God, in one sense, values physical blessings more than we do. This is why he has reserved them for the eternal state. Everything here has a temporary tinge to it, but his forever kingdom will be packed with spiritual and physical blessings. Health and prosperity will couple with spiritual fervor and joy. The internal and external you will be perpetually delighted.

We Have A Better Inheritance

God knows a physical inheritance would be nice right now, but he’s working hard to secure people for an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading (4). What do these descriptions mean?

Our eternal inheritance is imperishable because it is free from death and decay. Everything in our physical realm is subject to decay. The new car turns into a beater. The first iPhone turns into a relic. The new wardrobe becomes a laughingstock. And don’t get me started on our bodies — perishable. But God’s inheritance is forever.

Our eternal inheritance is undefiled because it is free from uncleanness and evil. It is unstained by evil. It feels like I can’t even buy a T-shirt these days that isn’t stained by evil somehow. But the eternal inheritance will be untouched by death and evil.

And our eternal inheritance is unfading because it cannot be impaired by time. Beauty fades, and newness evaporates, but not in the eternal kingdom of God. There, the natural ravages of time reverse and beauty transcends as we go forever from glory to glory.

As Peter said, this inheritance will be kept in heaven for us (4). God is guarding it, reserving it for our forever life with him.

The Answer To A Crucial Question

But the knowledge of this future inheritance might raise a question: Though God is keeping it reserved for me, what if I fail? Persecution is hard. What if I am not kept for that inheritance?

Peter answers the question here: We are those who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (5). What this means is that while God is guarding our inheritance, he is also guarding us. He takes our little mustard seed of faith in his gospel and uses it as the pipeline for his power to keep us future salvation.

And God’s power is now unleashed to guard his elect, his children, those who’ve trusted in Christ and his gospel, until their salvation is revealed (5). The Bible teaches God’s children are saved, are being saved, and will be saved. In the future, we will be delivered from all the brokenness of our time. Jesus will return. His kingdom will reign forever.

Be Conscious Of Your Better Inheritance

Peter knew it would be easy for his readers to fixate on what they could see, what they felt, their daily experience. So he tried, from the outset of his letter, to get them focused on their heavenly inheritance.

This is important. And it is not escapist. It is easy in our 24-hour news cycles to think often about our physical country and what’s happening in it. It is easy to think often about our finances, our situation, our future, our struggle here on earth. And it is so much harder to see heaven. But, when we do, we become better for life today.

Last week, I told you Peter had adopted the attitude of the prophet Jeremiah. He wrote to Israelite exiles way before the time of Christ. He said:

Jeremiah 29:4–7 (ESV) — 4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Daniel was one man Jeremiah targeted with his prophecies. Only a teenager when carried off to Babylon, Daniel did not fight, try to flee, or conform. Instead, he stood firm in the true grace of God. Though he couldn’t get the whole Babylonian society to live as he did, he insisted on keeping God’s law. He refused to defile himself by consuming things God had forbidden of his people. He would not refrain from praying when God told him to. And he also served various kings who came and went throughout his seventy years of exile. He had taken Jeremiah’s words to heart — the Babylonians (and Daniel) were blessed as a result.

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Introduction

Christian

Imagine a young man, sixteen years old. Let’s name him “Christian.” He grew up in a home that didn’t push any particular religion upon him and instead encouraged him to find his truth. One day during his sophomore year, a classmate invited him to something called “youth group.” He gathered it had something to do with church. He went and found himself intrigued. Everything was different. He didn’t understand much, but he liked the people and the joy they had, so he kept going.

That summer, he ended up joining the youth group at their camp. Again, he had no idea what he was in for, but, detached from his regular life, he found himself inspired and, one night during a chapel service, he surrendered his life to Jesus. It was a true conversion, he was born again, and he loved the living hope God had given him. Forgiven, clean, loved by God, Christian quickly began to change and grow. He knew he could not live the way he had before.

Though Christian was excited about his newfound life, he soon discovered others weren’t. His girlfriend didn’t like his new thoughts about something called “purity,” and his friends didn’t like that he stopped drinking with them. He tried to comfort himself with the fact he had many new church friends, but it still saddened him that many of his social connections were being cut off.

And, since he was a studious believer, he started accurately seeing the worldview of his teachers. He’d taken an apologetics and worldview class at his church, and his newfound beliefs began entering his papers. A few of his teachers expressed their disappointment. Some gave him the cold shoulder. Others gave him bad grades.

Christian pressed on through his high school years, only to discover college wasn’t any easier. There, many of the professors were openly hostile to the Christian faith. He found himself blamed for the ills of modern society. One campus group even labeled the campus ministry he attended a “hate” group. But Christian loved his fellow students and did everything he could to share Jesus’ love with them. Some listened, a few believed, but most wouldn’t give him the time of day.

After college, Christian decided to enter seminary. He loved the Lord and wanted to preach the word. Though he attended a great seminary, orthodox and biblically faithful, he was saddened to watch many of his classmates change their views to accommodate the new morality of the world today. They ditched the historic and biblical view of sex and gender. They ditched a belief in eternal judgment. They ditched their convictions about Scripture. Some of them returned, but many of them eventually stopped believing in God altogether.

Once in local church work, Christian became a good minister of the gospel. The community he served was predominantly unchurched, and he wanted to make a difference. But it seemed that no matter how hard he tried, people’s preconceived notions about Christianity and the Bible got in the way. More than once, he was told it would be better for the community if he left town.

One day, laws were passed that made it illegal to publicly teach a biblical sexual ethic. It was labeled hate speech. His wife even wrote a letter to their local politicians, alerting them to the fact they were putting her husband in danger of arrest for being a Bible believer and preacher. But, since Christian was a Bible believer and preacher, he bolstered himself in prayer with his wife and elders and readied himself for the next Bible passage that could get him in trouble with the authorities. Humbly, lovingly, he reasoned with the congregation about the merits of God’s design for sexuality. But, since his words were on the internet, someone got ahold of them, and Christian was arrested.

As he tried to sleep that first night in jail, he wondered if he’d done something wrong. He thought back to the joy he had when he was born again at age sixteen. He had felt so light, free, and loved. But now, he was suffering. He was in pain. It felt like the bars of the prison cell were closing in on him.

At that moment, in what seemed like an inaudible whisper within, Christian heard a voice say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have testified of me, and you will continue to do so. I love you. And I am with you. And one day, we will be together forever.” Christian was comforted. He knew Jesus was right there in the cell with him.

Peter’s Point

I tell this story because, at this point in Peter’s letter, we have already celebrated the living hope that is ours because God caused us to be born again. People who belong to Jesus rejoice because of the eternal inheritance God is guarding for them and guarding them for. One day, we will enter glory with God, and for this, we rejoice.

But Peter knows that the new birth, like our original birth, will inevitably lead to trials of various kinds. And, for the church to be what it needs to be, Peter saw how important it would be for us to suffer well. Just as a baby cannot grow and mature without some strain and struggle, so God’s people cannot accomplish their mission without entering into difficulty. The nature of the church is that we are a collection of people designed by God as the vehicle which confronts the world with the gospel. We are designed to bring the hope of Christ to a world God loves.

This sounds good to us, but it’s a mission that cannot possibly be completed without hardship. The very nature of gospel preaching — declaring sin, righteousness, and judgment to humanity bound and blinded by brokenness — means many will reject the news we declare. And this rejection will not always be peaceable. Hostility will arise. The way, the truth, and the life of Christ are at odds with the world system. Passions and perspectives will war against the truth of the gospel.

Willing To Suffer

Peter knew this — and he saw how his audience was already in it. They’d been born into a world of hostility. He needed to show them (and us) how to live. But he had no chance at instructing them if they somehow thought the Christian life would be free of conflict. So, at this beginning point in his letter, he started preparing them for a life of suffering. To complete their mission, they had to be willing to suffer.

This is the heart of the whole letter. Peter wants us to endure the pain well. As I’ve been saying so far, he does not want us to angrily fight back because no one comes to Christ that way. He does not want us to flee and sequester ourselves away from the world because no one comes to Christ that way. And he does not want us to conform to the thoughts and perspectives around us because no one comes to Christ that way. And Peter wants people to come to Christ. So he wants us to “stand firm” with our Lord who, “for the joy set before Him, endured the cross and despised the shame” (Hebrews 12:2).

Exile Trials

Because this is his heart, Peter quickly got to the subject of trials. I want to call these Exile Trials. Exile Trials are pains attached to the Christian life, trials we experience because of our mission as ambassadors for Christ.

Today, we are going to consider these Exile Trials. In the passage, we are going to consider three things about them.

• First, they are our present reality. We are in them today and will likely increasingly experience them in the future.
• Second, they can generate beauty. Though difficult, they can produce some powerful results among God’s people.
• And third, they are endured by love. When Jesus captures your heart, when Jesus is Famous to you, when he is glorious, wonderful, beautiful, personal, transcendent, helpful, gracious, merciful, kind, and compassionate to you, you will endure trials well.

1. Exile Trials Are Our Present Reality (6)

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,

Various Trials

What are these various trials Peter thought the church he wrote to would experience? (6) No one knows. Not even Peter. There is no indication they were under official state-sponsored persecution at this point (that would come later). But we do know that all through the letter, the pressure they experienced was verbal and social, rather than physical and official. So when Peter writes of various trials, he is using a term indicating Exile Trials could take many different forms.

His words remind us of the words of Jesus to his disciples:

John 16:33 (ESV) — 33 “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

They Are Caused By Our Salvation

Though this verse can justifiably be useful to us when in any kind of trial, I think it is directly applicable when we are suffering for the sake of Christ. Make no mistake, all trials are difficult, and Christians will walk in all kinds of trials. We will suffer loss, endure sickness, and experience limitations. James even used the same terminology Peter did, telling us we should rejoice at what “various trials” can do to our character, our inner person (James 1:2-4).

But Peter wanted to highlight Exile Trials, the kinds of difficulties that are attached to being a Christian. He did this by telling us that though we might rejoice over being born again, we will also be grieved by various trials (6). This means that though we celebrate our future in heaven, sometimes our belief in Jesus will cause pain on earth. And throughout his letter, Peter is going to talk to us about “suffering for righteousness sake” and “for doing good” (3:14, 17). He will tell us not to be surprised by these events, but to instead have the mind of Christ and rejoice to share in his sufferings (4:1, 12-13).

So, keep this in mind with this first verse: Peter is talking about opposition because someone is a Christian.

They Are Momentary

But Peter comforts us by telling us these Exile Trials are momentary. He said they are now for a little while (6). This reminds us of Paul’s words to the Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV) — 17 This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison…

How could these men call our affliction in this life, especially the kind attached to our allegiance to Jesus, light or momentary? How could Peter, a man who was eventually crucified upside down, say our Exile Trials are for a little while?

He could only say this in light of eternity. When compared to our forever with Christ, this life is incredibly short. Even our dear brothers and sisters in parts of the world where Christianity is against the law, some of them jailed and mistreated for life, can say their suffering is for a little while compared to eternity. That’s what Peter has in mind. He will clarify this at the end of his letter:

1 Peter 5:10 (ESV) — 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

They Are Sometimes Needed

But Peter also shocks us by saying that these various trials are sometimes needed. If necessary, he said (6). If necessary. What did he mean?

Think of it this way: Jesus did not needlessly suffer — neither will we. His suffering produced. And our suffering also produces. In a moment, we will consider how. But this little line from Peter was meant to encourage the church. The various trials they were in for Jesus did not escape the sight of God. If needed, he would allow them to pass through them.

As the psalmist said:

Psalm 119:75 (ESV) — 75 I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

They Hurt

But Peter also acknowledged that these Exile Trials hurt. He said we would be grieved by them (6). This should not be a surprise, but I’m glad he said it. Some might mistakenly think the Christian life is one of walking on water, a spirituality that transcends suffering, a nirvana that inoculates someone from pain. But that is not the way of the Christian life. When the trials come, they hurt.

Psalm 69:20 (ESV) — 20 Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.

All this to say, Exile Trials are our present reality. For some of us, they are looming. For others, being in pain for Jesus is already our experience. Some of you are worried about hostility; others of you have already tasted it. Peter will keep us straight in this letter. He won’t let us get away with bemoaning suffering that is caused by our sin or folly. He is talking about suffering for Jesus’ sake.

And, as we increasingly walk in an age that is post-Christian, or post-post-Christian, I pray we can grow in the understanding that these Exile Trials are our current reality. But God can use them. How so?

2. Exile Trials Generate Beauty (7)

7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Beauty Comes Today From This Fiery Trial

Here, Peter tells us that these Exile Trials will test and prove the genuineness of our faith (7). In the same way gold is purified by fire, so our faith is purified by the fires of various trials. But our faith, according to God’s word through Peter, is more precious than gold that perishes (7).

But how do trials for Jesus test and prove the genuineness of our faith in Jesus? In one sense, that’s what the rest of First Peter is about. He is going to describe the grace of exile, the life that is purified of worldly attachments by the fires of Exile Trials. But rather than overview the entire letter right now, let’s consider Peter’s assertion. He’s saying trials do something good to our faith. They test and purify and prove it. So trials generate something beautiful. How so?

Think of it this way. What is the opposite of tested and genuine? Untested and fake. Exile Trials have a way of driving out both. This is good because both are major problems today.

With an untested faith, a believer can remain weak and uninformed. Trite platitudes, a lack of commitment to grow in biblical knowledge, and nonexistent prayer lives can survive a lack of testing.

But when the fires of Exile Trials heat up, that same believer is forced to grow. Their faith is tested. So the person who got by with their own opinions or pithy sayings before must now drill down into the deeper truths Scripture gives them about reality. The person who skated by with only a cursory knowledge of God’s word must now wrestle with what they believe and why they believe it. And the person who barely prayed for revival, the expansion of the kingdom, their pastoral team, or the salvation of their community, must now press into actual times of sitting down and praying to God.

But Peter also said trials help prove the genuineness of our faith. With a false or fake faith, someone can claim Christianity without true belief. This works when there is some type of advantage offered by being identified as a Christian. Maybe it makes the family happy. Maybe it provides friendships in the community. Maybe it’s what the bulk of society is doing. Maybe it is the honorable thing. Maybe it is expected — call it a “presidential” Christianity.

But when Exile Trials hit, only genuine Christians will persist in biblical, orthodox, true Christianity. It costs too much to fake it.

So Exile Trials are good because they generate more beautiful believers who make up a more beautiful church. Counterfeit Christianity is a huge problem, and trials for following Jesus are helpful in purging us of it. And, according to Peter, they are part of God’s plan to purify his people. And, according to Peter, this purified faith would be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (7). In other words, when Jesus returns at the end of the age, a purified and tested faith will be cause for massive celebration.

But this purification of our faith through trials is God’s way:

Proverbs 17:3 (ESV) — 3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.

Hebrews 12:11 (ESV) — 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Isaiah 48:10 (ESV) — 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

An Admission

At this point, I want to admit a fear I have in talking like this about Exile Trials. As I share with you about days of social pressure that will come because of your Christianity, I worry that some of you are hearing a political speech. I worry that some of you think I’m talking about vaccinations and masks and a Democrat President. But I’m not. I am referring to the real persecution of Christians for biblical beliefs and convictions and practices and doctrines, not political pressure from the left on the right or the right on the left. I am referring to actual persecution — soft or hard — on believers for their beliefs. This might feel political at times, but that’s not the way Peter (or me) tried to frame it.

I share this worry here because Peter wanted them to see the opportunity these trials presented. They could become a more beautiful church. They could have a purified faith. They could become deeper Christians.

What an opportunity we have when Exile Trials come our way! We can become more genuine, true, and real in our faith. And we can become true representatives of Christianity. I’m sure you’ve had plenty of moments where someone somewhere is talking about what Christians somewhere are doing — and you’re horrified because they don’t seem like Christian things! Exile Trials purge a lot of that strange and unbiblical stuff from our midst. So good.

3. Exile Trials Are Endured By Love (8-9)

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

We Love The One We Can’t See

So we’ve seen how Exile Trials are our present reality and that they can generate beauty in us. But, lastly, I want you to see how Exile Trials are endured by love. Peter said, “Though you have not seen Jesus, you love Jesus” (8). And “though you do not now see him, you believe in him with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (8).

I think this floored Peter. He had seen Jesus. When he was jailed or beaten for Christ, he could recall walking and talking with the Lord. He’d looked Jesus in the eyes and had felt what it was like for Jesus to look him in the eyes. He had touched and talked and walked with Christ. And he knew how valuable those experiences had been. When life was a nightmare, he could dream of Jesus.

But he knew his readers didn’t have the same experience of Jesus. They had not known Jesus while he walked the earth. They’d not seen Jesus, but they loved Jesus. They could not see him now, but they trusted him. Perhaps it made Peter think of Jesus’ words to Thomas:

John 20:29 (ESV) — 29 “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Peter knew how odd this was. All the religions of his day, including the Judaism he had left behind, had powerful and external symbols to inspire them. They had temples. They had idols. They had priests. Even the Roman Empire had eagles and colors and rituals and coinage that reminded the world of its power. But these humble Christians had an unseen Jesus who they intensely loved and trusted with their lives.

But this is the way forward, brothers and sisters. When Exile Trials come, you will get through with a love for and trust in Jesus. You cannot survive in a climate of Exile Trials without a real, personal, daily, living relationship with the invisible Jesus.

In Christendom, where Christianity blends nicely with the culture around it, believers can get by with a very nominal Christianity. They aren’t thriving, but because they don’t experience much hostility to their faith, they can get by with a few prayers while driving around town, a church activity or two each month, and a distant relationship with Jesus’ mission. But when Exile Trials hit, the only way to survive is by pressing into Jesus. Prayer. Community. Service. Spiritual formation. Fasting. Discipleship. Learning. It all increases because it all has to increase. There is no other option.

They Engage Salvation Now

And when you love and trust Jesus, he gets you through these Exile Trials. Peter said so: obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls (9). In Peter’s mind, people who love and trust Jesus while suffering for him get to experience their salvation today. Right now, people like this taste God’s goodness. They experience Jesus.

Remember Daniel’s friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego)? They felt some strong Exile Trials. When the music played, signifying it was time to bow down to a gold image King Nebuchadnezzar set up, they refused. They were thrown into the fiery furnace. Destined to die, they didn’t and instead walked around inside the furnace. Nebuchadnezzar said:

Daniel 3:24–25 (NLT) — 24 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied. 25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!”

Who walked with them in the midst of the fire? I think it was our Lord. They went through the fire, they endured the brunt of the Exile Trial, but they got Jesus. They had not seen him, but they loved and trusted him.

And when the music of our society plays, and when it feels nearly everyone — right and left — is casting themselves down at the feet of an idol, a love for and trust in Jesus will get us through. And he will stand with us in the fire.

Conclusion

So, again, Peter is not calling us to fight with anger, flee like Pharisees, or conform like cowards. Instead, he has called us to stand firm and endure the various trials set before us. These days are our current reality, but they can do something beautiful in us and are ensured by a love for Christ.

Remember the beginning of this teaching? I told the fictional story of a young pastor named Christian. He was jailed for preaching the Bible. But there is one element of the story inspired by a true event. This last week, I was texting with a pastor friend of mine in Alberta, Canada. His city has passed ordinances that could get Bible preachers in trouble. And his wife has written to the authorities, pleading with them to reconsider. She told them, “You’ve created laws that make three ways my husband could go to jail for doing his job.”

Exile Trials, man. Let’s allow Jesus, whom we haven’t seen, to make us strong for the days to come.

Moses

As a passageway into this next text, allow your mind to travel back to the life of Moses. He was born during a time of adversity for God’s people. After centuries of peace in Egypt, the Hebrew people lost favor with the powers of their day and soon found themselves toiling in the bitterest slavery. But as the pressures increased, so did their numbers, so the Egyptian royals legislated the death of all male Hebrew newborns.

This put fetal Moses in danger, but after his birth, his parents behaved nobly by hiding and protecting their baby boy. As Moses aged, his parents, knowing he’d be discovered by the authorities, made a bold (and I think Spirit-led) decision. They strategically placed their beloved child in a floatable basket in the Nile River, upstream from Pharaoh’s daughter. When she heard the cries of this adorable baby, her heart melted, and soon Moses was adopted into the most powerful family on earth.

Raised in the palaces of Egypt, Moses avoided the pain and suffering of his fellow Hebrews. But, in young adulthood, Moses became conscious of his Hebrew parentage and the suffering of his people. He began to assume he would be an instrument of God to deliver God’s people. He was correct, of course — God would use him as his instrument — but he was incorrect about why God would use him. He was sure God would use him in his position of power and influence — from inside the palace, Moses thought God would use him to deliver his people!

But this was not God’s plan. Instead, God wanted to empty Moses of self-trust. He allowed his man to be driven to the wilderness for forty years of anonymity and, of all things, shepherding. There, outcast and exiled, God trained Moses for the future he had for him. Stripped of all other privileges, Moses had to learn the joy of his salvation. He had to know God was his greatest treasure.

And, one day, God appeared to him in a bush that burned but was not consumed. From that day forward, God’s man rejoiced that he had God. He rejoiced in knowing the Lord. And from that position, he brought salvation to God’s people, becoming the instrument God could use.

When Moses returned to Pharaoh’s great land and wealth and palaces and temples, he returned as a man of higher status than Pharaoh. Pharaoh was treated as a god, but Moses actually knew God. Though he’d lived an advantaged life in his earlier years, now he had the highest position a human can attain. He was God’s friend.

Our Readers

I share the story of Moses because it is like the story of Peter’s original audience — and because it is like ours today. They were losing their position in society. And when believers feel their standing in society slipping, it can lead to depression and anger. But these early believers needed to celebrate that even though they didn’t have the privileges of the palace, they had the blessing of the burning bush. And even though modern believers might feel their influence on society slipping (or already lost), we must rejoice in what we have in God. We must rejoice in our salvation.

This is why Peter wrote our next paragraph. When you are feeling exiled, outcast, or marginalized, it can be difficult. It can make you angry. It can make you retreat. It can make you afraid. The temptation, as we’ve mentioned, is to angrily fight back against society, retreat and isolate from society, or conform to society’s viewpoints.

So far, Peter has tried to help chose instead to stand firm by drawing our attention to our living hope — we will enjoy an eternal inheritance with our God (1:3-5). He has also bolstered us for the reality that Christians will face trials for their faith (1:6-9). But here, in this next paragraph, Peter wants us to know that we are the target of God’s affections, which makes us the most privileged people on earth. And this love and status demand a response.

Let’s read.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

Meaning

The meaning of this brief paragraph is straightforward. In our last study, we learned that we must cling to Jesus during Exile Trials. As we do, Peter said, we

“obtain the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls” (1 Peter 1:9).

This means our daily love for and trust in Jesus leads to an experience of our salvation right now. Today, we can enjoy and partake of our salvation.

So Peter said, in our paragraph today, “Concerning this salvation…” (10). He wanted to focus us on the subject of salvation — and what he says about it is astounding.

First, he tells us the Old Testament prophets tried to figure out their own prophecies and came to a radical conclusion. He said the prophets inquired carefully of their own prophecies (10). They saw how they prophesied of Jesus’ future glory, but also his suffering. They wanted to know (1) how this would work out, (2) who would do the suffering and saving and reigning in glory, (3) and when it would all play out (11). They were trying to figure out our salvation, which Peter calls the grace that was to be ours (10). So Peter taught that the Old Testament prophets studied their utterances in an attempt to understand the salvation Jesus would bring.

Second, Peter tells us those prophets came to a realization. Peter says it was revealed to them that they weren’t serving themselves with their prophecies, but us (12). Their prophetic ministry delighted and encouraged and ministered to their own generation in many ways, but the hope and promise and fulfillment of their words are known by our church age. And when the apostles and other messengers preached the good news of the gospel to us, we heard the message those prophets of old had predicted. So Peter taught that the salvation Jesus would bring was reserved, in a special sense, for people living on this side of Jesus’ cross.

Third, Peter said even the angels long to look into this message (12). The angelic realm peers into the gospel message, our story of redemption, with a longing to look into it. Just as the cherubim engraved on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant looked down into that ark, so the angels today lean over and peer into God’s mysterious work of salvation. God’s angels are sinless beings but also intelligent beings, so they want to learn about the gospel and are mesmerized by what it says about God and us. It says God is holy, just, and righteous, but also gracious, merciful, and loving. And it says that humanity is the target of his affections.

But why is Peter raising this incredible truth at this point of his letter? Because he wants to lift the spirits of a marginalized people. They felt like they were on the outside of everything in society at that point, but Peter wanted them to know they were inside God’s kingdom. They had the best position. They had something better than Pharaoh’s palaces. They had the living God. They were God’s friends. They had Exile Salvation.

And, if we are in Christ, so do we, so how do we apply this passage?

1 Exile Salvation Means You Are The Target Of God’s Affections

The first reality I want you to see is that Exile Salvation means you are the target of God’s affections. It’s not that God didn’t care or wasn’t working in all the generations before the cross. Their salvation was contingent upon the future finished work of Christ. God most certainly worked in their midst. But we are the ones who get to know about and apply that salvation directly to our lives today. It is a special moment in God’s redemptive (and progressive) program.

God’s Messengers

Think about all the messengers Peter says were involved in communicating and delivering salvation to us. It all started, he said, with the Spirit of Christ many thousands of years ago (11). Some think this is the Holy Spirit. Others think it is the preincarnate influence of Jesus upon the prophets. Either way, the Spirit birthed this message.

Then the prophets took the hope and promises given to them and spoke them to their generation but recorded them for future generations (10).

Then some of their prophecies came to pass — Peter calls them the sufferings of Christ (11). The predictions of the prophets did carry many specific details of how Jesus would suffer — and many have been bolstered in their faith by the minute accuracy of those prophecies.

But after Jesus suffered, he rose, which is the beginning of what Peter calls subsequent glories (11).

And after his resurrection, people began to, according to Peter, preach the good news (12). This started with the apostles but extended to many others in the early church. And some of these early evangelists had gone to the region of Peter’s readers to preach the gospel.

Peter said they did the by the power of the Holy Spirit (12). They had gifts and abilities and effectiveness only the Spirit could produce. They were able to break through the hard-heartedness of man with their preaching because of his help.

But Peter said the Spirit was sent from heaven, which of course, leads us back to God as the originator of this great message.

And, finally, Peter said the angels wanted to study the masterpiece of the gospel and how it worked out in the church (12).

Let’s recap everyone involved in getting the church the message of salvation. The Spirit of Christ. The prophets. The suffering and risen Jesus. The apostles and other evangelists. The Holy Spirit. The Father in heaven. Even angels. Peter said it this way: “It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you” (12).

Peter wants us to know we are the target of God’s affections. He has engineered seemingly everything to generate the delivery system of his love — to us. This is an incredible truth, one that should humble us greatly.

Imagine being at a sporting event where the star athlete breaks a long-held record in their sport. The team management, knowing the record would be broken at some point that year, readied themselves for the moment they could honor and celebrate the athlete’s achievement. The game is paused. The announcer announces the record. The scoreboard displays a tribute. The crowd goes wild. The athlete stops, cries, raises his hands in triumph, and waves to the fans. Years of hard work have paid off. Now it’s time to celebrate. All eyes are on him. This is his moment. He earned it.

But this is nothing like what God has done for us. We achieved nothing. We have no accolades, nothing to offer him. We were dead in sin. Our righteousness was as filthy rags to him. We could not climb the mountain to God. Yet God orchestrated everything for us, to rejoice over us, to bring us into his family. He came down the mountain (and up to Mount Calvary) to make the way of salvation for us. We are like a random dude in the upper deck enjoying hot dogs, watching the game, when suddenly everyone turns their attention on our undeserving self. Surprisingly, we are the guest of honor, the one for whom all this was staged. It makes little sense.

But that is the way of God. He organized prophets and priests and Israel and his only begotten Son and apostles and evangelists and his word and successive generations of his church to reach you. So when you feel like an outsider, perhaps you must remember that, if you have Jesus, you are an insider. You are loved by God. You are the target of his affections. You are his friend.

2 Exile Salvation Redefines Privilege

The Subject Of Privilege

But this leads us to another truth. If Exile Salvation shows us we are the target of God’s affections, it also redefines privilege.

I am being intentionally provocative with the word. There is much talk of “privilege” in our modern world. I do think it is good for people to count their blessings. One looks at the headlines coming out of India today. They, and many other developing nations, have been hit much harder by Covid than we have. We read and hear all this and, hopefully, recognize the great privilege of living in the United States. Our prosperity, the advancements of our society, our democracy — all of it might be labeled as “privilege.”

Unfortunately, however, this term is often used to categorize, classify, and divide people. Our modern world loves division, and this is one more way to divide. But what Peter is showing us is that the greatest privilege of all is to possess the salvation God supplies through Jesus. His words, in effect, are a redefinition of the very term. To be saved is the truest privilege.

Historically

Peter shows this in many ways, the first being the historical angle. As I said, God was working in the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was working in King David’s time. He was working during the era of the prophets and priests of the Old Testament. And his presence was with them in a special way. I have even felt the special nature of their relationship with God in recent weeks as I’ve taught Exodus for our Tuesday Night study. Though I know the tabernacle and sacrifices and priesthood all pointed forward to the better thing we have in Christ, I still admire what they had.

But, again, Peter said those prophets discovered they were not serving themselves but us (the church). On the timeline of human history, we are a most privileged group. We are alive after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. We are living after the completion of the Bible. We are around to enjoy the full benefits of the salvation God had promised.

Apostolically

Peter also wants us to see our privilege from the apostolic angle. He spoke of those who announced the good news to us by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven (12). The earliest generations of God’s people had Moses. Later generations got David and the Psalms. And later generations got the prophets. But we get all of them — and the apostles. We get the full blast of God’s revelation.

When I was a youngster, I lived in a golden age of video games. I started with “joysticks” and made it one or two iterations into “controllers” before I had to retire. I can’t even try nowadays — too many buttons. My old man brain can’t keep up. But I do remember cheat codes. Sometimes, when a game was too difficult, we would subscribe to a magazine (because what was “Google”?) to get a cheat code. And once the game was unlocked, we could figure out how to beat it.

The apostles and their teaching, in the form of the New Testament, is the ultimate cheat code on the whole of God’s revelation. Genesis through Malachi meant many true things to the original recipients, but they carry greater power and clarity and truth for us today because we live on this side of the apostles. Their work gave us a foundation upon which Jesus wants us to stand.

Cosmically

But Peter also wants us to see our privilege from the cosmic angle. Angels wish they could comprehend the gospel. Peter said they want to look into this glorious good news. Back in the day, the prophets inquired into their own words. But right now, the angels are peering into God’s redemptive plan.

Jesus said the angels in heaven party hard when one sinner repents (Luke 15:10). They just love this whole thing — fallen and broken people restored by the death and resurrection of the God they have known since their inception. He first became a man. They saw it occur. And then he was killed by the people he went to save. But he rose, and that was the means by which he would save them! Amazing.

Having never been defiled by anything, the angels don’t need to be cleansed, so it amazes them that God made a way for us to be made clean. Paul said it like this:

1 Corinthians 2:9–10 (ESV) — 9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

Even though these angels know God well and are perpetually mesmerized by his holiness, they still wish they could comprehend the gospel. But it’s a message for us. And the Spirit, Paul just showed us, has revealed even these depths of God to his church.

Eschatologically

Finally, Peter wants us to see our privilege from the eschatological angle. He said the prophets foretold Jesus’ suffering, but also his subsequent glories (11). Glories that come after. Subsequent.

This is the way of God for his church. He is taking us from glory to glory. Israel’s prophets dried up. Their best kings had fatal flaws — their dynasties crumbled. Even the tabernacle and temple and priesthood were fulfilled and faded away.

But we have glory coming. What an encouraging word to a suffering church. Peter tells us that Jesus came to suffer. Then, subsequent glories. Glories that come after the suffering.

Brothers and sisters, we are in those “subsequent glories” today. We are in the age where the blessings of the kingdom are ours. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3).

Exile Does Not Negate This Privilege

Peter seems to be telling us that exile cannot cancel out our privileged position. The prophets suffered, but they were on God’s team. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all sojourners and pilgrims, men without a home but still chosen and loved by God. And so we also are loved by God. Their exile, Israel’s time in Egypt or Babylon, Moses’ time in the wilderness, David’s time running from Saul — nothing could separate them from the privilege of being God’s children.

And this is true for us in an even stronger sense today.

Romans 8:38–39 (ESV) — 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 Exile Salvation Demands A Response

1. Rejoice

We should consider one last thing — that Exile Salvation demands a response. If Peter were here today, talking to this congregation, how do you think he might encourage us to apply the glorious truth we’ve studied today. How should we respond to Exile Salvation?

First, we should rejoice. I mean, angels are amazed by what we possess. The prophets wanted to know who would possess it. And we are the possessors. So we must celebrate and never allow the joy of our salvation to dissipate. No matter how rejected we become by society, we are chosen by God!

2. Unity

Second, we should embrace our unity with others who are also recipients of this salvation. I have been thinking a lot about Romans 14 lately. Paul wrote it to a very diverse church in Rome. Many backgrounds and perspectives about secondary issues abounded among them. Paul wanted them to be unified around the gospel, even if they were diverse in things Scripture was silent about.

So he told them that if someone is convinced they should or shouldn’t eat meat, should or shouldn’t drink wine, or should or shouldn’t worship on a specific day of the week, each one should be convinced in their own minds. Some of those views were weak in the faith, but Paul didn’t care. Instead, he wanted them to tolerate a wide variety of perspectives in areas of personal conviction. He said:

Romans 14:13 (ESV) — 13 Let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

This is my hope for our fellowship as we enter the summer. I think we have done well as a church, navigating this past year. I’ve hoped we could have a church that is unified over the essentials, even if our strong, personal convictions vary wildly. I think that’s the case.

So, as we head into a summer of loosened restrictions, increased vaccinations, and endless mask debates, let’s have unity around the gospel. Carry a tone about things that are secondary as if they are secondary — at all times. It will help you fellowship well with someone whose convictions are opposite yours.

Remember: the church is a special people with a great salvation!

3. Learn

Third, we should set our minds and hearts upon learning more about this great salvation. The text nudges us in this direction. The prophets studied their prophecies. The angels desire to look into the gospel. But we are the recipients. We have the cheat code.

In a world of bad news, it is the good news for which our souls long. I have been studying the ramifications and implications and background promises and truth of the gospel for twenty-five years now. I feel I barely know anything. It is like a vein of gold in a mineshaft that never runs out. It splays and runs deep, and I have been chasing out various currents of its glory. And I hope for as much time as possible to learn of its goodness.

Let’s do this together. Let’s dig and study and learn more of this great and glorious gift from God.

Conclusion

We have a great salvation. Peter wants us to fixate upon it. No matter how outcast we become, no matter how many trials we must endure for the faith, we are God’s chosen people. We are special in his sight.

As someone said:

The petty dreams of earth’s little tyrants shrivel before the majesty of the kingdom of God, ministered by prophets and apostles, but now realized for those who know Jesus Christ. – Edmund Clowney, The Message of 1 Peter

Just as Moses — banished from Egypt, a humble shepherd for forty years in the backside of the wilderness, with only a staff in his hand — had more than Pharaoh could ever dream, so we have more than anyone. We have God’s salvation.

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Endurance Trail Races

In my thirties, I enjoyed the sport of endurance trail running. Though I was never fast, I had fun entering small local races as a way to challenge myself and meet personal goals.

One race, in particular, stands out. It was around the perimeter of the Folsom Dam in Northern California in late winter. Wet and winding, it was a miserable and muddy day. But the finish was epic. After 31 miles of trails, the race ended at a picnic area. Because these races are small, racers often finish all alone. Sometimes you cross the line, and barely anyone notices. This race was different. They spotted my race bib number from afar and, as I neared the line, they got on the sound system and announced my city and name — “From Monterey, California, Nate Holdridge!” And the crowd — mostly comprised of fellow racers who were now eating barbeque — went wild! I’ll admit, it was a pretty good feeling.

In our passage today, Peter will tell us more of the mentality the exile Christian life requires — let’s call it the Exile Mentality. I find it compares nicely to the mindset needed for endurance sports. First, it requires a well-placed hope on the finish line. You won’t train right, execute a nutrition plan, or run the actual race well if you don’t have a vision for the end. And you won’t live an exilic Christianity without placing your hope fully on the grace to be revealed when Jesus returns.

Second, it requires living differently. Endurance athletes are a different breed, often misunderstood by the general population. Why would you want to run twenty miles on Saturday mornings? Why is that enjoyable? Why do you like to suffer? I’m not here to justify those decisions but to point out it takes a different lifestyle. Nutrition, sleep, and free time are all affected by the commitment to run the race. And you won’t make it far in the exilic Christian life without being different. Peter calls it “holiness” in our passage.

So today, from our text, let’s consider the Exile Mentality. It makes two statements:

• 1. I will hope well (13).
• 2. I will pursue holiness (14-16).

1. I Will Hope Well (13)

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Biblical Hope

The first statement the Exile Mentality makes is “I will hope well.” I take this from verse 13: Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ“ (13).

This is a transitional statement from Peter. After writing much about our glorious salvation in the first twelve verses, he is about to deliver a truckload of exhortations to the church. The rest of 1 Peter is one of the most exhortative passages in all of Scripture.

But Peter knows we have to set our hopes firmly on Jesus and the grace he’ll bring with him when he returns. If we don’t think, dream, look forward to, and anticipate the marvelous grace of his forever kingdom, we will flail when the pressures of exilic Christianity press upon us. We need to place our hope fully on Jesus’ coming.

Therefore

Notice how Peter begins this exhortation to set our hope on the grace coming with Jesus — Therefore (13). After everything Peter has told us so far our living hope, there is an appropriate response. There’s something we must do.

And what we must do is set our hope fully on the grace that is coming with Jesus (13).

I should pause here to let this sink in. The Exile Mentality is able to say, “I am involved. I must get my hope in the right place. I am being asked to set my vision correctly. I am not just a passive passenger on the ride of life. I must actively engage myself in putting my hope where it belongs — on the grace that is coming when Jesus returns.”

Much of life works together to get you off this eternal perspective. We get distracted. We get discouraged. We get tempted. We get sinful. Or, to put it in the terms we’ve framed this letter, we want to angrily fight, retreat in fear, or give in and conform. But we must repeatedly come back to the strong acknowledgment that there’s more to life and set our hope fully on the coming grace of the kingdom of Jesus.

Fully On The Grace That Will Be Brought To You

And Peter describes that future state in beautiful terms: the grace that will be brought to you (13).

It’s an interesting description because the Bible often speaks of Jesus’ future kingdom as glory, not grace. But, here, Peter sings of it as grace — favor, privilege, a gift. It will be both, of course. Jesus’ forever kingdom will be filled with his glory. No unrighteousness. No injustice. No pain. No suffering. Human flourishing. Beautiful community. Innate joy.

But through it all, forever and ever, we will be conscious that it is all of grace. We will always be impressed that God decided to give us such an elaborate, timeless, never-ending, always-unfolding gift.

And I like that Peter says it will be brought to you (13). It’s on its way. Like the light of a distant star, taking years to travel to earth, so the grace coming with Jesus is on its way! It might seem like it’s taking a long time, but it will most certainly arrive.

How To Pursue Hope

But Peter was not content to tell us we should set our hope fully on the grace coming with Jesus. Instead, knowing how pivotal this attitude is, Peter took the time to show us how to set our hope on Christ. This is why he started this new section by saying, “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded” (13). Let’s consider both.

By Preparing Your Mind For Actions

If you want to hope well — to set your hope on the grace coming with Jesus — you will have to prepare your mind for action.

The image Peter uses in this phrase comes from his society. He literally said, “gird up the loins on your mind.” In those days, when a person needed to run or work or exert themselves in some way, they would take their long robes and tie them up into their belt. They would gird up their robes so they could move more swiftly.

Peter knows we cannot expect our minds to naturally drift towards the grace coming with Jesus. We need to reverse-engineer our lives from eternity’s viewpoint. What is important forever is what we should be about today.

But there are too many distractions for this mentality or hope to occur naturally. Instead, we must prepare our minds for action. We must continually plot and plan and pursue this eternal hope. We must conceive of ways to refocus our minds on the all-important grace coming with Jesus.

Do not have a lazy mind. Jesus said we are to love God with our minds (Mark 12:30). We are to put on the right mentality. Peter knows that if we don’t, we won’t live the true exilic Christian life.

Imagine a CrossFit box (that’s what they call their “gyms”). At the designated hour, people park their cars, walk up to the building, and the class begins. What are you imagining? I’m sure you are thinking of men and women dressed appropriately for the physical suffering they are about to endure. You aren’t imagining people in business suits. You aren’t imagining flip-flops and Hawaiian shirts. No, they all have workout gear on. Spandex. Tank tops. Shorts. Sneakers. They are ready to roll.

But many of us approach the Christian life without any shift of mentality. We hope it will just happen. But discipleship and growth require a mentality, a plan. We read, we think, we study, we pray, we fast, we exercise our gifts, we train for godliness — this all takes an engaged mentality.

Have you ever been in a gym when someone walks in who clearly has no plan? They are sporadic in their efforts. They try every machine. They use some of them incorrectly. They get to talking for a while. They drift about without any discipline. Peter doesn’t want us to be this way. Instead, he tells us we must ready our minds to live in the light of eternity.

By Being Sober-Minded

But he also tells us we must be sober-minded (13). This definitely includes sobriety — Christians should not allow their minds to be recreationally clouded by any substance.

But Peter was thinking of more than physical sobriety. He’s addressing a sober mind because he knows physical intoxication is a danger, but so is mental intoxication.

How do we become intoxicated in the mind? With a lack of moderation. When we consume too much of something, we lose our sobriety in that area of the mind.

Consider your own life and heart. There are areas and even pleasures of life that are good in their proper place, but when enjoyed beyond moderation, they can deaden your senses towards the grace coming with Jesus. Too much entertainment. Too much news. Too much fashion. Too much exercise. Too much work. Too much home improvement. Too much wealth accumulation. Too much family time. Good things that should never turn into God-things. And, without moderation, they can cloud our vision of Jesus, replacing our hope in his coming grace with distraction, discouragement, or disappointment.

So the exile Christian is determined to place their hope in the right place. We say, “I will place my hope well.” And with discipline, we reorient our lives around this great hope.

But this passage shows us something else the Exile Mentality says.

2. I Will Pursue Holiness (14-16)

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

God Shows Me What Holiness Is

The holy life is a beautiful life. Unfortunately for many of us, the word “beauty” is not the word we’d usually connect with “holy.”

But don’t buy the lie. Satan has whispered into the ears of the sons and daughters of Eve for thousands of years now, telling us God is keeping good from us. If we eat the forbidden fruit, he says, we will find life. Our eyes will be opened.

But the holy life is beautiful because it’s the life God designed us to live. The distinction that God is our designer, and therefore the one we should follow, is an important shift modern believers must make.

I say shift because it is clear we are in the age of the dominance of the inner person. What we feel, our impulses and inner drives, have become the most important identifiers of who we are in our society. It is the age of the psychological man, where desires define us.

But the exilic Christian life turns from within to God above. He is the standard.

That’s what Peter shows us in this brief passage. He said that we should be holy in all our conduct because God is holy. He even quotes Leviticus. There, God said, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (16). So God is the new standard we are to submit to — not our inner person or desires or drives. Contrary to popular opinion, we aren’t a bucket of desires society has oppressed. Our mission isn’t to buck societal norms in an attempt to be our true selves (which is a mission that makes us like the rest of society). Instead, God’s holiness is our pursuit.

And this pursuit of holiness will make us different. You just can’t live the exilic Christian life without this understanding. You will be different.

I recently officiated a beautiful wedding on Carmel beach. It was a small gathering, and it was made beautiful by the couple who married that day. The man was a student at the DLI — a serious Jesus-follower who was part of Calvary while here in Monterey. The woman had been a student of mine during a brief block class I’d taught at my old bible college. They met online, and when he moved to Monterey, she encouraged him to look our church up.

It was an honor to officiate their wedding because they had clearly adopted a different ethic than the world system they live in. Society would tell them, “You have desires. You are attracted to one another. We’ve created ways to enjoy those pleasures without the responsibility of having a family. Go for it. Be your true self.”

But they instead committed themselves to a holy God, regarding him as their designer. He created the gift of sex as a glue that would help bind them together after they’d made a lifelong commitment to one another. They saw it as a holy act designed by a holy God. And they looked to him to define when they could enjoy each other physically.

I use this example to highlight the beautiful shift that occurred in them. They let God define holiness — what is right and wrong — for them.

Not My Old Passions

Part of this pursuit of holiness is the rejection of our passions (14). Peter said, “Do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance” (14).

The fact Peter gave such a command means he knew those desires still rage within us. The passions exist. But we are not to be conformed to those passions.

This is sometimes a slow and painful process. We need God’s grace and mercy every day while on this journey. Fortunately, his mercies and compassions are new every morning (Lamentation 3:22-23).

But why does Peter exhort his readers to avoid their old life’s passions? On the one hand, it sounds like any standard Christian exhortation. On the other hand, these were exile Christians. And when you are on the fringes of society for your faith, sometimes life gets testy. You might get discouraged. You might feel too different. You might need a break from the hostility. It’s in those moments we might excuse ourselves if we give in to some of our passions. It’s only for a little while, we tell ourselves.

But we mustn’t give ourselves permission to sin! We cannot look back to the old life. We must not be like Lot’s wife in Genesis, a woman who looked back fondly on the old life in Sodom, a life God had judged (Genesis 19:26). Instead, we must keep our gaze forward and on the new life God has designed for us in Christ.

But My New Nature

Now, you might hear these exhortations to holiness from Peter as an impossible mission. How can I be holy like God? How can I pursue holiness?

Well, all through the text, Peter gives us a hint. He reminds us that God has changed us. If you are a believer, you are born again, and God’s Spirit lives in you. This is why Peter said we should be holy “like obedient children” (14). We are God’s kids. He has made us new. He has given us a new nature — his nature. He has called us (15). A new way of living fits us because it is our new spiritual DNA.

Ephesians 5:1 (ESV) — 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

The point is that we are God’s kids. If you believe in Jesus, you have his holiness deposited to your account. Positionally before God, you are holy. Now we are to live out the holiness he has placed inside us.

And he will help us on this journey. This is why I said the Exile Mentality says I will pursue holiness. In one sense, it’s already ours. In another sense, we are called to make it our aim. With God, we are to learn to live holy lives because it’s who we already are.

If I were to introduce you to a child with some outrageous name — let’s go with “Snowfall Ocean Panda Love” — you would think something about their parents, right? Wouldn’t you be drawing a mental image in your mind of what their parents are like? I can picture Snowfall’s parents driving up right now in their 1966 Volkswagen Bus, some strange smoke emanating from the passenger’s seat window, with The Grateful Dead playing on the sound system.

Well, if you are in Christ, you are God’s child. Born again, you are invited by God into a life of holiness. He wants to help you look more like him. And this is the best life.

God Invites Us Into This New Holy Community

But I want to show you one more thing about this life of holiness. It’s not only an individual invitation but an invitation to a community. You see, in the last verse of our text, Peter said, “Since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy'” (16).

I love this quotation for many reasons, one of which is that it comes from Leviticus! I am rounding the corner on Exodus in our through-the-Bible-Tuesday-night-study, and I am looking forward to teaching through Leviticus. And, here, I love how Peter applied the principle of Leviticus to the new Christian age. We don’t offer animal sacrifices as they did in that era, but the timeless truth Peter mined from Leviticus is that we are to live holy lives. So I love Peter’s apostolic ability to apply the entire Bible to today’s church.

But what was Leviticus? It wasn’t only for individuals; it was for a nation. God was inviting an entire group of people to live holy lives before the nations.

That’s precisely what God is inviting us into today. We are exiles. We are different. We have set our hope on the grace that will be ours when Jesus comes again. And we are going to live holy lives — lives on display for the world to see.

As Jesus said,

Matthew 5:16 (ESV) — 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

We cannot be the community we are meant to be without a commitment to holy living. And holy living cannot be pursued alone; we need the encouragement of the community. So, together, let’s accept God’s invitation to live this holy life.

Conclusion

Remember, this is a different kind of life we are called to live. On Saturday mornings, when everyone else is sleeping in, the endurance athletes are out there logging mile after mile, making disciplined life decisions, all with the finish line of the next race in mind. Let us be the same, a people willing to be holy, different, because of the grace that will be ours when Jesus arrives.

Exile Motivation

17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile…

Fear

The passage before us feels, at first, odd. Peter was a man well acquainted with persecution. He had felt what it was like to become an outcast from his society — and he had felt the pains of fists and lashes for his allegiance to Jesus. He knew what it was like to live on the fringes for his faith.

And Peter knew the natural feelings of fear his audience — people who were enduring suffering of their own for Jesus — would have felt. They were exiled from the mainstream. They were sidelined, pushed aside because of their gospel belief and convictions. And it is likely many of them struggled with feelings of fear and apprehension and worry. Should we fight? Should we flee? Should we conform?

So it might shock us that Peter comes along and tells them to conduct themselves with fear throughout the time of their exile (17). For their fears, Peter prescribes more fear. And this shocks us.

Part of our shock comes from what we know of God and his word. John said:

1 John 4:18 (ESV) — 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.

And Paul said:

Romans 8:15 (ESV) — 15 You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear…

But John and Paul are not at odds with Peter. They spoke of a fear that is paranoia, fright, and apprehension. This is the kind of fear God’s love and salvation are meant to drive out. Questions like Am I saved? Am I accepted by God? Am I doing enough for God? are all silenced by God’s presence, grace, and gospel.

Peter speaks of a different aspect of fear: respect, reverence, and awe. This type of fear is an appreciation of God, and it is alert to the ravaging effects of sin. A person with the kind of fear Peter mentions will say things like: I want to be holy like my Father in heaven. I don’t want anything unclean in my life. I am careful with temptation because I know sin could destroy me. This person, to quote Paul, wants to work out their salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

The story of David and Goliath could illustrate these two contrary versions of fear. The soldiers of Israel feared Goliath. He was an impossible foe, so none of them lifted a finger to his challenge of representative warfare. “Give me a man!” he cried. Everyone acted like they didn’t hear him. Fear.

But David had a higher fear. Though he was conscious of the magnitude of the man before him, he was also in tune with God’s holiness and reputation. This man was ridiculing God and God’s people. So David set his fears higher and broader than the other men of Israel. He respected God and was concerned by what it would say about God’s people if they were defeated by this God-mocker. He had an appropriate fear.

What Fear Looks Like

There is an incident in Peter’s life that illustrates the importance of this godly version of fear –Peter’s assertion that he would never deny Jesus. He swore that even if everyone else left the Lord, he never would. And we know what happened. Before the rooster crowed twice, just as Jesus had said, Peter denied him three times.

Peter had no fear of himself or his limitations that night. He was self-confident, assertive, and sure that he was incapable of failing Christ. This — as you might remember — made him prayerless in the Garden of Gethsemane. There was no desperation, no crying out to God for strength, no dependence. Jesus said to him, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Mark 12:38). But Peter didn’t pray, and when the temptation to deny Jesus presented itself, he was not as strong as he thought. He had not respected Jesus (or Jesus’ exhortations to pray). And he had not feared his own weaknesses and limitations. It cost him dearly.

So Peter wants us to be a people who conduct ourselves with fear throughout the time of our exile (17). We should have a deep respect and admiration for our Holy God. We should cultivate a reverence for him.

Beautiful results unfold when we fear him. The early church in Ephesus provides us with a great example of what the fear of the Lord can do to a collection of believers. When “the fear of the Lord fell upon them all,” many of these new believers came together and confessed their sinful practices. Many of them had been embroiled in “magic arts,” and they had valuable books which taught them spells and incantations. They took those books and burned them. Someone calculated their total value — well over a million dollars (Acts 19:19). The result?

Acts 19:20 (ESV) — 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

So the fear of the Lord has the potential to create beautiful dependence, intense worship, and a revived community.

But if we are to be a people driven by the fear of the Lord, if the fear of the Lord (as the Proverbs state) is the beginning of wisdom, how can we attain this fear? Why should it bubble up from our lives? What is the source of a biblical version of the fear of the Lord? Not paranoia or fright, but awe and respect. How can this be cultivated?

In our text, Peter gives us three answers.

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17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile…

1. See God As the Father-Judge (17)

Our Father in Heaven

The first way we can cultivate a healthy fear is to see God as our Father-Judge. Peter referred to his readers as those who call on God as Father (17). Then he described the Father God as the one who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds (17).

Last week, in the previous paragraph of 1 Peter, Peter told us to be holy as God is holy. He hinted that we God’s children, called by God (1:14-16). So it makes sense that we would call on God as our Father. But Peter wants us to consider him a righteous and fair father who judges without partiality.

Many of us are thrown at this point. Fatherhood is a complete mess these days, and many of us have to work hard to reorient ourselves to the concept of a child-father relationship with God. But now Peter comes along and tells us not to forget that our Father is also the Judge. How in the world is this helpful, Peter?

Remember, though, this is part of healthy reverence and respect for God. This is part of healthy fear. We must not be so preoccupied with God as Father that we forget he is God the judge.

Jesus hinted at this when he taught us to pray:

Matthew 6:9 (ESV) — 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

We approach God as Father. But our first request and desire is that he would be hallowed — respected, feared, honored, esteemed, adored, considered awesome.

Part of considering God as your Father-Judge is merely the desire to live pleasing to God. You will want to live a holy life because you love God and want to bless the Father’s heart.

Perhaps the analogy of marriage will help convey this sentiment. I love and appreciate my bride so much. And in my love for her, there is a fear. I do not want to do anything that would hurt her heart. I want to bless her heart. I want to please her.

So the child of God has a similar heart. God is our Father, but he has made the holy life abundantly clear to us in his word, so we want to live in a way that is pleasing to him. He has done so much for us. He has first loved us. We want to love him in return.

But there is more to it. Our earthly relationships — spouses or parents or friends — are never our ultimate judges. But God is the ultimate judge.

For the Christian, covered by the blood of Christ, he is not the judge of our eternal destiny. Our works cannot get us into heaven. But God does judge our lives in two significant ways. First, each of us is responsible for how we lived our lives after we received the gospel.

Paul said:

2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV) — 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

And this knowledge that we will all stand before God to give an account for our lives should stir up respect and reverence for him. I know some people say, “I won’t care. As long as I get in, I’m good.” But how can you say you love God with such an attitude? He wants more for your life!

And this leads us to the second form of God’s judgment. Right now, in life today, God will discipline us. When we need it, God disciplines us for our good. He will not let his children skate through life without his corrective hand. He is a good Father, and good fathers know how to lovingly yet consistently discipline their children. He is not angry. He is not sinning. He corrects his children because he loves his children.

So we should be people who know we will stand responsible before God for the way we’ve lived, but also receive his discipline in the here and now. This should cause us to respect our Father-Judge.

Handkerchief Man

Jesus told the story of three men. They shared a master who went away on a long journey. He gave each of them a sum of money to invest. The first two doubled the master’s investment, but the last didn’t. He wrapped up the money in a handkerchief and buried it in the ground. When the master returned, all he got from this man was the return of the exact same amount he had given the servant before he left. The master was displeased, took the money from the unfaithful servant, and gave it to the others (Luke 19:11-27).

Jesus seems to be saying that he has given each of us a life to live. We are meant to invest these lives the best we can. He is looking for a return on his investment. He wants us to impact our world with his kingdom. So let’s not be handkerchief man; let’s instead see God as the Father-Judge whom we want to please.

But another way to cultivate a healthy fear is found in our next verse:

18 …knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers…

2. Understand the Futility of Other Options (18a)

Forefathers’ Ways

The second way Peter tells us to cultivate healthy fear is to understand the futility of other options. He told us we were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from our forefathers (18).

This ransom language was well understood by Peter’s first readers. Many people throughout the Roman empire were enslaved. Every church in their region was filled with slaves (people currently working for a master), freemen (people who’d never been enslaved), and freedmen (people who’d been enslaved but were now free). People became slaves through war or bankruptcy or the sale of themselves, sale by their parents, or by birth. The reason there were freedmen is that it was common for someone to buy their way out of slavery or to have their slavery expire after their debts were paid.

And after the terms of their slavery had ended, they would often go to the temple of a local god or goddess and pay money into the treasury. The slave was now free from their human master — and they were free people from that point on — but they were technically considered the slaves of that deity.

So Peter tells us we used to be slaves who were set free. Before he tells us what the price of our freedom was, he tells us what we were set free from — the futile ways inherited from your forefathers (18).

When Jesus comes into your life, he rescues you from whatever practices and philosophies you had embraced beforehand. It is always encouraging to hear the stories of someone who left a radical idealogy handed down from their “forefathers” when Jesus grabbed ahold of them.

And Peter knows these old ways are inherited — passed down from generation to generation (18). They might be bad habits or customs you received from your parents. Or they might be philosophies that an entire society has absorbed so completely that you don’t even know you’ve embraced them. For instance, most people don’t read Freud or Darwin or Marx or Nietzsche but are swimming in the views they advanced.

But Jesus set us free from the futile ways we inherited from our forefathers. Now we can present ourselves to him that he might rewire our minds (Romans 12:1-2).

Futile Ways

We should fear that old life. It is not worth going back to, and its ways, according to Peter, are futile (18). Its ideas are not original. And it leads nowhere.

If the gas tank in your car is near empty, you go to the gas station to fill it up. You would never unroll your garden hose, turn on the faucet, and fill up your gas tank with water! The results would be catastrophic!

But humanity has been trying to run on the wrong fuel since the beginning of time. We try to fuel our lives with materialism, passions, or power.

Solomon is a case study in this brand of life. He had unlimited wealth. He had unrestricted passions. And he had unfettered power. But all that cost him his relationship with God, and he was miserable. His conclusion?

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (ESV) — 13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Like Solomon, we often believe that if we have enough or feel enough or become enough, we will be satisfied (1 John 2:17). But the satisfaction never comes. Instead, God’s kids must recognize the futility of other options.

But our text gives us one last way to cultivate healthy fear…

18 …not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

3. Appreciate the Blood of Christ (18b-21)

The Cost of You

If you want to cultivate a healthy fear, you must appreciate the blood of Christ. It was the blood Peter wrote about here. He went off by describing the blood Jesus shed for us while he was on the cross.

But why was Peter so enamored with Jesus’ blood? Because it was the price he paid for you and me. He said we were not redeemed with perishable things such as silver or gold (18). Even the most valuable materials on earth cannot compare with Jesus’ blood.

Peter’s talk of Jesus’ blood reminds us of his incarnation. He became one of us; flesh and bones and blood. He fulfilled the law we could not fulfill and sacrificed himself in our place.

Peter’s talk of Jesus’ blood reminds us that he died. His blood was spilled when he suffered and died for us.

Peter’s talk of Jesus’ blood being like that of a lamb without blemish reminds us Jesus never sinned throughout his life (19).

Peter’s talk of Jesus’ blood being like that of a lamb without spot reminds us Jesus was not born in sin like you and me (19).

Peter’s statement that Jesus and his death was foreknown before the foundation of the world is Peter’s way of celebrating that the cross was the plan of God from eternity past (20).

And Peter’s conviction that it’s through Jesus that we become believers in God, so that our faith and hope are in God is Peter’s way of reminding us that we could not make our way to the Father without the blood of the Son (21).

Peter is about the blood of Jesus! In his mind, it is valuable, perfect, and substitutionary. It was shed for you according to the plan of God and is the substance that makes it possible for people to know God. It is all about the blood.

The Cost of You

And if you appreciate the blood of Christ like Peter did, you won’t mess around. You’ll have a healthy fear of the Lord and a fear of sin. You will want to live a holy life because the price God paid to obtain you is so high.

Brothers and sisters, we are worth so much more than our favorite sins. God looks at you and sees someone he values enough to die for — bloodshed. Let us not “profane the blood of the covenant” (Hebrews 10:29).

In a few weeks, we will read Peter tell us we are a “holy” and “royal priesthood” that belongs to God (2:5, 9). In the Old Testament, the priests began their service with various sacrifices. The blood was taken and applied to their ears, hands, and feet (Exodus 29). It was God’s way of saying, “I have purchased you. You belong to me. I have paid the price of blood. Your ears, your hands, and your feet belong to me. What you hear, what you do, and where you go dedicated to me.”

What about us? We are now God’s priesthood. Every Christian has a right to God’s presence. But do we recognize that what we consume, what we do, and where we go must be governed by the blood? Jesus’ blood bought us. We were redeemed, not for self-freedom and expression, but to Jesus.

God does not set free for freedom’s sake. He sets free so that we can belong to him. You see this when you read Exodus. God did not liberate them just so they’d be liberated. He set them free from Pharaoh’s clutches so they could serve God instead. He bought them with the blood of the Passover lamb. Compared to Pharaoh — or any of the futile ways handed down from our forefathers — service to God is a dream.

So do we fight? Do we flee? Do we conform? No. We fear.

Hope, Holiness, Fear, Love

Peter started this letter by saying:

1 Peter 1:1 (ESV) — “To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion…”

Peter closed this letter by saying:

1 Peter 5:12 (ESV) — “This is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.”

These opening and concluding remarks tell us how Peter viewed his entire letter. It was for Christians in exile — people marginalized by their society because of their allegiance to the gospel.

And his letter described the true grace of God. Peter did not think the exilic Christian should lash out in anger, retreat in fear, or conform to society. Instead, he wanted us to stand firm in the life he described, a life he thought of as the true grace of God.

So far, in making his case, Peter has taken us through a range of attitudes we must possess to live the exilic Christian life.

• First, he told us we must operate in hope, setting our gaze firmly on the grace coming when Jesus returns (1:13).
• Second, he told us we must pursue holiness because our Father in heaven is holy (1:14-16).
• And third, he told us we must operate with the fear of the Lord — reverence and respect for God along with an honest assessment of the damage our sinful inclinations could do to us and our community (1:17-21).

Please stop to consider these three exhortations: hope, holiness, and reverence. The person who angrily fights neglects all three. The person who retreats neglects all three. The person who conforms neglects all three. But when you hope in his coming, pursue holiness, and revere God, you become strong to stand firm in the kind of life God has designed: exilic Christianity. Normal Christianity.

At this point in the letter, Peter has one more attitudinal shift we must make. To hope, holiness, and fear, we must add love. I will call it Exile Love; it’s the brand of love in action and emotion that we must display in our exiled Christian community to live the way Peter tells us to in the rest of this letter. We must love well, or else we don’t stand a chance.

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, 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 abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Love Your New Community

22b love one another earnestly from a pure heart…

Biblical Definition of Love

The main exhortation of this entire paragraph is straightforward: love one another earnestly from a pure heart (22). This action is built, according to Peter, on the foundation of a change that took place in us. This change enabled us to have sincere brotherly love (22). In other words, love is built upon love. Reciprocal, brotherly love is meant to develop into sacrificial, even non-reciprocal love.

We will think in a moment about what love looks like, but first, we should consider the shift Peter is making here. He is taking us from the personal to the communal. You can hope, be holy, and fear God alone, but loving one another takes…well…another.

This is a major application for Peter. The exiled Christians he wrote to were outcasts from society, so Peter pushed them towards a new society — the church. He wanted this to become the Christian’s primary social context, and he will spend the rest of his letter explaining the importance of Christian relationships.

Shift Your Community

For some of you, this is a significant shift that needs to occur in your life. If you’ve grown up in a Christendom culture, one where Christianity was a sort of baseline grid society used to view the world, you might not feel an intense need to push into the church. One reason for that might be that you have built a good network of relationships where your values are generally shared with Christian and non-Christian alike. But this will likely shift as even older generations begin massaging their views to the new value systems being promoted by today’s society.

But many of you have never lived in a Christendom culture. For you, Christianity has always been on the margin, and now you are watching it get pushed further in that direction. So you especially need to press into the church. You must love the body of Christ, the family of God, God’s flock.

There was a time in our society when the vast majority of people were not true Christians, but Christianity was still well regarded and respected. During that time, many people saw the Bible and the faith as untrue, but with some good teachings and morals that were helpful to society. To them, Christianity was like Aesop’s Fables — untrue but (perhaps) helpful.

Then society shifted, and many began to see Christianity as a silly belief system. At that point, the Bible and its doctrines were seen as nothing more than fairy tales. To people in this camp, Christianity is like a belief in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny — harmless, but not helpful, and certainly only received by immature and undeveloped minds.

But we are in a new day where society has shifted once again. No longer do people think of Christianity as untrue but helpful or untrue but silly. Now many think of Christianity as untrue and harmful, a major oppressive force in historical and contemporary society. It holds up things like the traditional family and biblical sexual morality. And many today cannot comprehend human happiness if those fixtures are in place. For people with this view, Christianity is not like Aesop’s Fables or a belief in Santa Claus, but Mein Kampf, the dangerous and damaging ideologies and plans of Adolf Hitler.

I don’t mean to be provocative or extreme by saying so. I am merely trying to demonstrate how many are thinking about Christianity today. Not everyone thinks this way, but many are being taught this way, and it poses many challenges to Christians. One of them is the challenge of community — Where do we find it? Who do we turn to for it?

Part of Peter’s answer is that we must turn to the church community. We must grow to love the church. For all its flaws and imperfections, it is loved by God and created by his gospel. We must embrace it.

But many modern narratives abound about the modern church, stories that turn us off to it as our option for community. But don’t give in to the world’s way of viewing the church. Trust me, like any family, you will get hurt, confused, and treated awkwardly in church relationships. It happens. But as we center ourselves around the gospel and the Bible that gives us the gospel and the God who gave us both, we will have the very best community humanity can build on this side of eternity. Press into it. Love it.

That’s Peter’s exhortation: Love one another earnestly from a pure heart (22). Give your church everything you got. Love other believers. Be earnest about it (22).

I told you recently about a Danish friend of mine. On one visit to Denmark, he could not wait to take us to a soccer match. He had been baffled by American sports. He couldn’t believe how chill we all are during sporting events. Too much sitting and talking for his taste. So he delighted to bring us to a minor match between the Danish national team and Luxembourg. He was right. I couldn’t believe it. From the national anthem onwards, the whole stadium was on its feet. When the players were announced, there was no need for fireworks or a highfalutin announcer because the crowd chanted the names of each player. And all through the match, they stood and cheered and booed and sang — even at the most mundane moments. They were earnest.

It makes me think of this exhortation from Peter — love one another earnestly from a pure heart. Get after it. Don’t be half-hearted and lazy in your relationship with the body of Christ. You need the church. During times of exilic Christianity, you cannot go without it.

With this main exhortation in mind, let’s look at the rest of the passage to discover why Peter thought love for the church community is essential for exiled Christians.

1 Because of Holiness (22)

What Does “Having Purified Your Souls” Mean?

The first reason Peter gives for Exile Love is holiness. He said, ” having purified our souls by obedience to the truth (22). What does this mean? There are two options. Peter could be referring to our conversion — when you became a Christian, you were purified. Or he could be referring to continued growth in the Christian life — becoming holy in practice like God is holy.

The second option makes sense because Peter has just recently exhorted us to be holy like God and to walk in reverence towards God. What happens when we make holiness and the fear of the Lord our pursuit? We experience the purification of our souls.

As James said:

James 4:8 (ESV) — 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Or John:

1 John 3:3 (ESV) — 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Love Is Holiness-Induced

So Peter exhorted us to love because we have purified our souls. The word “love” is a word almost beyond rescue. Our society has hijacked it to mean things like acceptance at the neglect of truth or approval that flies in the face of wisdom. What is true and what is wise don’t matter anymore. All that matters is that someone feels completely and totally affirmed no matter what to live however they are compelled to live. But this is not biblical love.

And Peter’s statement helps us understand that our love for one another is rooted in our pursuit of holiness. To live in the Christian community, as in any community, there is a code of conduct the citizens strive for. We are not perfect in our pursuit, but we at least want to live holy lives.

I want to encourage you to grow to this point. Many versions of love in our modern time are rooted in feelings and emotions, sympathy or empathy, but have no foundation in God’s holiness or truth or wisdom. You must make this shift.

Moses

For this, consider one of the people in the Bible who experienced the holiness of God firsthand: Moses. Moses interacted with God’s holiness at places like the burning bush, Mount Sinai, and the tent of meeting. And how did he respond to God’s holiness? With love for God’s people.

Moses fought hard to see God’s people set free from their captivity in Egypt. He worked to get them the law of God. He confronted them about their worship of a golden calf. And he rebuked them for their unbelief. There was even a moment he requested to be cut off from God instead of the nation. He wanted their success so badly. And all of Moses’ loving activity towards Israel was driven by his understanding of God. And this was driven by what he knew of God.

We are called to be a holy community, and our love for one another begins there. It is immature or false believers who affirm unholy desires and tell people to build their lives on them. But mature believers who have purified their souls — as Peter said — will lovingly lead people back to the waters of holy living, the life of goodness and joy God has designed.

2 Because of the New Birth (23)

A Repeated Theme

The second reason Peter gives for Exile Love is the new birth. He said, “Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (23).

This is not a new statement from Peter; he had already rejoiced in the opening paragraphs of his letter about our new birth and great salvation (1:3-12). He said we have a living hope, an inheritance, and the salvation of our souls (1:3-9). He said our salvation is great, foretold by the prophets, and studied by angels (1:10-12). If we’ve trusted Christ, we are born again.

And Peter says it was not perishable seed that gave us a second chance on life (23). It was the imperishable seed of God, the living and abiding word of God (23). Peter had great respect for the word of the gospel and the Bible itself, and he knew both were involved in bringing us salvation. Through belief in the word, we were given new life!

The Bible uses many different images to describe itself. It is likened to a lamp that illuminates our path (Psalm 119). It is like a hammer that breaks our hard-heartedness (Jeremiah 23). It is like water that cleanses us from sin (Ephesians 5). It is like a sword that attacks invading thoughts (Ephesians 6). It is like a mirror that reveals our shame, so we’ll run to God (James 1). But, here, Peter likens the word of God to an incorruptible seed.

Jesus had done the same. In his famous parable of the sower, for instance, he talked about the power of the seed to produce incredible fruit when it finds the right soil (Matthew 13:1-23).

• Some seeds fell on the hardened path, so the birds came and ate them — and Jesus said that hardened path represents those who cannot give even a moment of thought to the gospel.
• Some seeds fell on stony ground, so there was brief growth before the shallow roots killed that crop — and Jesus said that stony ground represents those who have joy for the gospel until trials come for the faith.
• Some seeds fell on thorny ground, so it grew up with the thorns and weeds and was eventually choked out by the competition — and Jesus said that thorny ground represents those who get caught up in the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches.
• But some seeds fell on good soil, so it bore massive fruit — and Jesus said that good ground represents those who consider, understand, and receive the word. It is not snatched away. It has a depth of root. It lacks competition. And they bear fruit.

Peter has this seed in mind. He saw his audience as people who had been rocked by the true and real word of God. And with this new birth which had been caused by God’s incorruptible seed growing in them, they were bound to bear fruit.

Fruit of the Spirit

And the best fruit you can grow is the fruit of the Spirit. Paul said:

Galatians 5:22 (ESV) — 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love…

Brothers and sisters, if you are a true believer, you are born again. The incorruptible seed of God’s word is in you. So fruit is absolutely, totally, and completely possible. Love can flow through you to your fellow believer because of who you are — God has changed you, so live out the love he has designed you for!

3 Because It Lasts Forever (24-25)

Isaiah Quotation

We have seen that Exile Love is made possible by the pursuit of holiness and the new birth. But the third reason Peter gives for Exile Love is that it lasts forever.

To demonstrate this, Peter quotes from Isaiah 40: “For ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.’ And this word is the good news that was preached to you” (24-25).

When Isaiah originally spoke those words, he said them to a generation of Israelites who were about to be carried off to Babylonian captivity. After centuries of neglecting God’s commands, it was time for them to endure God’s chastening hand.

But, as much as Babylon would come in power and authority, God assured them they would not last forever. Even in all their glory, they were like the grass. The grass always withers. The flower always falls. But God’s promises to them that they would return, God’s word, remains forever.

You see, though the kingdoms and philosophies of the world might seem strong, they are like the grass and flower which eventually wither. Even the invincible Roman Empire Peter’s audience toiled under, a machine of eventual persecution, would not last forever. But God’s word — and all the promises in it about his kingdom — will endure forever.

Babylon Won’t Last

Why should we love the people of God’s church? Holiness demands it. The new birth makes it possible. But we should also love the church community because it will last forever.

I am sad for the false Christians of the first three soils. At some point, society pressed in on them. Maybe they were ridiculed for believing an invisible God designed all we see and know and decided to abandon the Lord. Maybe they felt temptations and desires that contradicted God’s word and decided to justify their actions by declaring they would live “their truth.” Maybe they saw the wealth and ease and luxury of our day and decided to set their heart in that direction.

But the saddest part is that they’ve invested in a system that will not last. Babylon will break. Babylon won’t last.

But Our Word-Community Lasts Forever

But the shocking truth is that our little holiness-pursuing, born-again, word-community will last forever.

This is the truth God hints at all throughout his word.

• In the age of Noah, while everyone did what was right in their own eyes, Noah’s little family made it through.
• When God looked to establish a new people for himself, he chose an old barren couple named Abraham and Sarah.
• He chose a small group of slaves in Egypt to be his nation.
• He chose the eighth and last and forgotten son of Jesse to slay Goliath and rule Israel.
• He chose to come to overshadowed and outshined places like Bethlehem and Nazareth and the Galilee to do his glorious work.
• And he chose a ragtag group of fishermen and tax collectors and political zealots to form his team of disciples.

This is always God’s way. He elects the small and humble and powerless. He chooses the weak.

1 Corinthians 1:27–29 (ESV) — 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

This little team, our small community, our tribe-on-the-margins, is going to endure into the grandest and most glorious kingdom of kingdoms. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church, Jesus said, meaning our community will one day bust through into prominence and permanence. One day, our Aslan will return to our Narnia, and winter will be over. Forever.

Concluding Applications

1. Stop looking (forever) for a church.
2. Get involved with your church.
3. Be in a small group in your church (Life Group, Discipleship Group, or both).
4. Serve your church.
5. Deal with the warts.

1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1. Do I Want To Grow Up Into Salvation?

In his first letter to a pastor named Timothy, the Apostle Paul told the younger man to train himself for godliness (1 Timothy 4:7). One reason this is a helpful word is that it shows us the acquisition of spiritual growth occurs in much the same way many other skills are acquired. When he told Timothy to train himself for godliness, Paul acknowledged spiritual development is similar to athletic training. Day after day, with a plan, the athlete trains. And part of their training is their nutrition plan.

It is this spiritual nutrition we are going to talk about today. But before seeing what we should consume, I want you to embrace the reason for consuming it. Peter said, “like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (2). As I said, in a moment, we will ask about this pure spiritual milk, but first, we must see its result. If we both crave and then consume this milk — whatever it is — we will grow up into salvation.

But what does it mean to grow up into salvation? Let me say three things in answer to that question.

• First, it does not mean there are things we can do to attain salvation. Salvation is deposited, given, a gift from God for those who trust the blood of Christ to save them for the perniciousness of sin.
• Second, to grow up into salvation means salvation is coming in the future, and we want to keep growing until it appears. As Peter said earlier, we are to set our hope fully on the grace coming when Jesus returns (1:13). And one way we do this by growing until the very end of our lives.
• Third, it also points to growing into what we are. When you trust Christ to save you from sin and God’s judgment, you are born again. You are saved. You are in Christ and considered holy by God. But every believer immediately realizes they are still beset with temptations and weaknesses. We might be righteous in God’s sight, but we would also like to be righteous for the people around us. This is part of what it means to grow up into salvation — we want to experience who God has made us to be.

When I was a young man, I went through rapid growth spurts. I think there was one summer I went from my mom calling me “husky” to getting all stretched out and awkward. And during those times, my feet grew faster than I could wear out my shoes. So the strategy my mother employed was to purchase shoes a couple of sizes larger than my feet were at the time. She knew I would grow into them.

That’s the idea of growing up into salvation. We have been saved by Jesus, but now we are meant to grow up into the salvation he’s given us.

Peter’s Mentality

With this exhortation, Peter lets us in on a secret: spiritual growth does not happen accidentally. There are decisions we must make, desires we must have, and actions we must take to help us grow up into salvation (2).

Before moving forward, we must ask ourselves if we have the desire to grow up into our salvation. Do we want to make spiritual progress? Do we want to grow in Christlikeness? Do we want to be spiritually healthy, strong before the Lord?

These are especially important questions during times where biblical Christianity is pushed to the margins. Peter used words to describe how he thinks of us — exiles, aliens, sojourners, strangers. And as exiles or aliens or sojourners or strangers, we do not stand a chance when trying to live out a faithful, biblical, historical, and true Christianity if we do not care to grow up into our salvation.

So it is an important question: do I want to grow up into my salvation?

Peter Has A Verse

Peter thinks the answer is yes! He even has a verse for it. He had read it in Psalm 34: “if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (3).

Of course, we want to grow! We have tasted the Lord! You know this one — many of you have experienced God’s personal goodness to you. Maybe you ran from him, but he pursued you. Maybe you returned to him, and he accepted you. Maybe you suffered, and he cared for you. Maybe you were alone, and he came alongside you. But you have tasted that the Lord is good.

In Psalm 23, the Lord is presented as our Shepherd. And he walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4). As a good shepherd would, he carries us over obstacles and through danger to get us to the green tablelands he’s prepared for us. I remember this whenever I feel the darkness clouding over me — Jesus is walking with me through this valley. He is taking me to his destination, the places he has prepared for my life. Tasting that, tasting him, partaking of his goodness, makes us want more of him.

By the way, like Peter, I think our answer is yes as well. I am blessed by the attitude so many of you hold — you want to grow in Christ. You want to go on this journey. This is such an important desire to have, especially when the world is changing. Far too many Christians sit back and watch a changing world with disdain. Their attitude is, at least I’m not like those people! But, though we could fall to that temptation, it seems we are a church that knows we are weak, but he is strong. If it weren’t for grace, we’d go right along with the world’s flow. And because we know this, we realize there’s no alternative — we must grow up into our salvation! It’s either grow or die!

2. Some Attitudes To Put Away

Pauline Peter

At this point, Peter has given us four foundational actions which are required for genuine, real, normal, and exilic Christianity. We must set our hopes fully on the grace that is coming with Jesus (1:13). We must pursue a life of holiness (1:14-16). We must live the time of our exile in fear — reverence for the Lord’s awesomeness and respect for sin’s danger (1:17-21). And we must love one another with pure hearts (1:22-25) — hope, holiness, fear, and love.

But now Peter tells us there are some attitudes we must put away. To grow up into this salvation, Peter tells us we must put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander (1).

When Peter tells us to put away these attitudes, he isn’t telling us to try harder to be something we’re not. Quite the opposite. He’s telling us to engage with God in the process of becoming what we are. Part of growing up into salvation is to put off all that isn’t the redeemed, new, true-in-the-sight-of-God, us. And, to God, we are new creatures, so we don’t have to be negative people who swim in the waters of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, or slander.

And to put these things away is a concept Paul wrote about often in the Bible. In one of my favorite passages on the subject, he said:

Romans 6:11 (ESV) — 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

As a believer, even when I feel alive to sin and dead to God, even when I feel sin is readily accessible, that it’s something I crave and easy to enter into, I must know I am dead to it. And even when I feel God is distant, hard to access, and a mystery I cannot grasp, I must know I am alive to God. That’s Jesus’ reality — he’s dead to sin and alive to God — so it’s my reality as well.

So with this reality in mind, Peter tells us to put away these different attitudes. The idea is that of taking off a garment. And I would add, taking it to the Second Chance thrift shop never to see it again. Say goodbye to these attributes.

The List

The list Peter mentions has a special emphasis — he chose these attributes for a reason. In the previous paragraph, he told us to love one another from a pure heart (1:22). He wants us to press into the church, to be all about the new community Jesus created by his blood. And malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander all ruin the awesome community we’re meant to cultivate.

Malice is a simmering and festering and angry dislike of someone else. It is not righteous anger but a slow-boiling feeling of ill-will towards others. We live in a time quick to demonize and label, but we are to put away all malice.

Deceit means catching with bait. Just as the fisherman baits a hook or a hunter sets a trap, the deceitful person operates in illusion. Saying one thing, but meaning another, this person cannot be trusted because their words are often meant as bait to control you.

Hypocrisy means to wear a mask (not that kind) — as an actor. The hypocrite pretends to be one thing while actually being another.

Envy is the resentful longing for another’s possessions, experiences, lifestyle, or position in life.

And slander is driven by a critical spirit that speaks out of turn, trying to tear down the life of another. It says untrue things. But it also says partially true things. Or it says true things in the wrong way or the wrong venue.

All five of these sins destroy the Christian community and must be put away. Christ has delivered us from these poisonous evils, so we must work to put them off from our lives. We must speak and live like we’re already in Jesus’ forever kingdom. We must crave holiness. We must live in the fear of the Lord. And we must love one another. Love does not engage in these sins.

Social Media Alert

I would be remiss not to point out the obvious about these sins. Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander are particularly easy to slip into in our social media environment.

I don’t want to be the church curmudgeon on this subject; I know many people find social media helpful to real-world connections. And many of you have already heard my thoughts on how to cultivate a healthy relationship with it if you feel you must have it. I agree with author Cal Newport (Digital Minimalism); he advocates for setting a time (and maybe a place) each week that you do all your social media activity and leave it at that. For instance, go get coffee on Saturday morning, spend an hour with your accounts, and then leave them for another week. That’s my advice.

But my old-man-fuddy-duddy-social-media-kids-these-days-advice aside, we must be aware of the temptations social media can awaken in us. The problem is in us. And often, we are tempted to hypocritically present ourselves in a specific way in that environment. Or we are tempted to slander another. Or we spread and say untrue things. Or we become envious of what we see others have or do. We must be cautious.

Having finished my little tirade, let’s turn our attention to what we must do if we want to grow up into salvation. We’ve seen what we must put off (or away). What must we put on? What must we do?

3. Desire The Pure Spiritual Milk

Defined

The answer to that question is the thrust of this whole passage. Peter urged us to like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk (2).

First things first: what is the pure spiritual milk? Many of you might quickly answer, “The Word of God!” Some Bible translations even say “the spiritual milk of the word.”

But the definition of “pure spiritual milk” is not that simple. Part of the difficulty comes from the word “spiritual.” Peter wrote his letter in Greek, and the word he used is logikos. I’m told it is a terribly difficult word to translate. Depending on the situation, it can mean spiritual, metaphorical, or logical. So is this the spiritual milk? Metaphorical milk? Or logical milk?

There are two ways we can get help to understand what Peter means by “the pure spiritual milk.” First, we have to look backward in the text. In 1 Peter 1:23, Peter said:

1 Peter 1:23 (ESV) — 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God…

The living and abiding word of God: given this reference, it makes sense that the Bible is the spiritual milk we are after.

But we also need to look forward in the text. We’ve already read it today. Peter said we should crave the pure spiritual milk “if indeed we have tasted that the Lord is good” (3). So what have we tasted? The Lord (not just the word).

For these reasons, the pure spiritual milk must include the Bible, but it is more than Bible study. It is the Lord we discover in the Bible. This verse isn’t telling us to make sure we just study and study and study the Bible forever without any action or engaging with God himself. No! We are to go to the word to find him and all the resources he has for us to live as we’re meant to live.

I would define the pure spiritual milk this way:

The pure spiritual milk is everything God provides, all of which extend from him and can be found in the Bible, to help his people grow up into salvation.

Or, to put it another way, the pure spiritual milk is the word of the Lord, but also the Lord of the word.

We are meant to crave the Bible, but because we crave the Lord of the Bible, the one we’ve already tasted and learned is good. We want to know what he is like, what he says to us today, and how we can live to please him right now.

We love the Bible here. We like to read it and think about it. To me, the word of the Lord is like a fire at the center of this community. It warms us. It brings us together. It feeds us. It illuminates everything. We need the word.

But we must remember that knowing the word is not the sum total of the mission. We should approach the word to know him. And then to know ourselves. And then to be who he’s told us to be.

When I give my children a responsibility, I am not satisfied if they merely study the words I said to them. He said, “You need to wash the car by dinnertime tonight.” What do you think he meant by “wash”? How did it make you feel when he said “tonight”? What does “dinnertime” mean in the Greek?

No! I want them to know who I am — their dad. I want them to know who they are — my kids. And what these positions require of them — obedience to go wash the car.

So we are to be a people who crave the Lord of the word and the word of the Lord. We are to center ourselves upon it — and seek to live it out.

It Is A Hunger That Must Be Cultivated

But Peter said we should long for it like newborn infants want their mother’s milk. We can easily understand his meaning. Newborn babies instinctively know they are hungry — and they know how to communicate that desire. Loudly.

But the interesting thing Peter shows us is that we need to cultivate this hunger. Newborn babies crave the milk. But we are told by Peter that we need to crave the milk. It’s an exhortation. This means we must be involved in cultivating our desire for the word of the Lord and the Lord of the word.

And hunger for him and his word can be cultivated. You can acquire the taste and grow in your hunger for him.

I did not drink coffee until I was in my early thirties. With three little ones running around the house, I’m glad I discovered the gracious love of God in the form of the coffee bean right around that time. I remember how it happened. It was Christmastime. Christina’s brothers were all visiting. And during those dark, winter nights, with the Christmas lights and music pumping, they drank their hot coffee together with gladness. And I wanted in. So I started to drink coffee and haven’t stopped since then. And now I love the taste.

So how can we cultivate our hunger for the pure spiritual milk? How can we acquire the taste? Four ways:

1. Don’t spoil your appetite. This is why Peter tells us to put away certain attitudes. Remember, Peter told us to hope in the kingdom, be holy like God, fear the Lord, and love one another. But when we feast on things that communicate hopelessness and despair, we spoil our appetite. When we feast on things that are unholy, we spoil our appetite. When we feast on things that couldn’t care less about God’s opinion, we spoil our appetite. And when we feast on things that put self above the community, we spoil our appetite. Don’t spoil your appetite.
2. Appreciate how it was made. In our day, we have an appreciation for how our produce was grown or how our meat was raised or what our dairy was exposed to. When you appreciate what it took for the Lord to come to us, to make a way for us to know him, and then to get us his word, you will begin to long for the pure spiritual milk. When you appreciate how prophets and priests and scribes and apostles and church fathers and the entire history of the church worked together to get the word of the Lord to you, you will appreciate it more. Appreciate how it was made.
3. Consume it every day. The Lord is there for you if you want a sporadic relationship with him. But he and his word are used best with consistency. As you engage with him every day, you will acquire the taste for the Lord and his word. I’m one of these people who eats the same breakfast and lunch nearly every single day. I have enough decisions to make, so I like the monotony of eating the same things throughout the week. But the funny thing is that my body has come to crave those same things. And this is more true with the Lord and his word: I need him every day.
4. Watch the results. We began this teaching thinking about Paul’s statement to train for godliness (1 Timothy 4:7). Part of an athlete’s training is their nutrition plan. They eat with a goal in mind. They need to be stronger or quicker or more enduring, so they eat in a way that gets them the results they are looking for. And as you feast on the pure spiritual milk, the word of the Lord and the Lord of the word, you will like what you see. God will shape you in beautiful ways. And you’ll find yourself craving more of that pure spiritual milk!

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Introduction

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” Genesis tells us (Genesis 1:1). He made and made and made. His final touch was to create mankind in his own special image. Designed to reflect and represent him, God blessed the man and woman and gave them dominion over all things. Their home was a garden paradise, and their duty was to cultivate the raw materials God had given them, all while enjoying God and the good gifts he’d given.

But sin marred the original splendor of God’s created order. Fellowship with God was broken. Conflict arose between men and women. The man was banished from the garden, and the ground rebelled against him. The hospitable home God had made was replaced by a planet that is hard to subdue.

And humanity has been trying to go home, to go back to the garden, ever since. Some theologians wonder if all the structures and spaces we design, if all the gardens and parks and stadiums and cathedrals and Magnolia Market-inspired living rooms are an attempt to go back to Eden. God made us to live in his home, but sin banished us from it, and now we struggle to recapture its essence.

Years after Eden’s catastrophe, God rescued a small contingent of slaves from Egpyt. He called their leader, a man named Moses, up to a mountaintop where he received God’s laws for the new nation God had redeemed. And God gave Moses directions on a new structure called a tabernacle. It would become the new Eden, a place where God and man could meet. It was not nearly as free and lush as the original — sin had created too huge a barrier between them and the holy God — but at least Israel and her priests would have a way to seek God.

That tabernacle eventually developed into a temple, and God routinely displayed his glory and presence in that place. Unfortunately, however, it did not become the place of prayer for all nations God had desired. Israel, like Adam before them, sinned repeatedly, and God’s eventual judgment came upon that temple. It was destroyed. And even though they eventually rebuilt the temple, God’s presence never returned to it.

Until Jesus came, that is. On the day baby Jesus was dedicated to God in the temple precincts, an old prophet named Simeon took Jesus up into his arms, blessed God, and thanked God that he had finally seen God’s salvation (Luke 2:29-32).

The glory of God had come. He was dwelling right there in their midst. John said God:

John 1:14 (ESV) — 14 …became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

That Jesus dwelt among us means he “tabernacled” among us. God came and became one of us. The glory of God was on him because he was God.

But — and Peter alludes to this in our passage today — this God who became flesh was not accepted by mankind. Peter said Jesus came as a living stone rejected by men (4). Jew and Gentile alike conspired to kill him. Peter quotes from Isaiah 28:16 to drive home the point: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious” (6). Zion is Jerusalem, the place Jesus was killed, which was the event that made him into a living cornerstone (4, 6). His rejection made him our cornerstone.

What Peter means is that Jesus’ death led to his resurrection — he is living! And his resurrection led him to start a new temple. And he is the cornerstone of that new structure. And every believer in Jesus is like a living stone in that new spiritual house (5). And we also get to serve as priests in that house, people who offer spiritual sacrifices to God (5).

In other words, because of Jesus, believers are brought home. Humanity was banished from Eden and has been looking for something ever since. In Christ, believers have found what humanity is looking for — we have been brought home to God. We are his spiritual house! He dwells among us and in us and through us. We are his home.

This is the new identity Peter wants us to understand. He wants us to know we are God’s people, God’s house, and God’s priesthood. Knowing and operating in this identity had huge implications for Peter’s audience, distressed believers marginalized for their faith. While feeling the effects of societal rejection, they needed to see their status and privilege before God.

And so do we. Let’s think about who we are:

1. We Are God’s People

He Lives, We Live

This passage teaches us we are God’s people. Peter’s whole letter has had this emphasis. He has told us we are exiles, elect, born again, preserved by God, saved, redeemed people who have tasted that the Lord is good.

But now he tells us we are living stones in God’s house (5). And Jesus is the first living stone (4). This means we live because he lives. Our identity is thoroughly wrapped up in Jesus. His experience is ours. He died, and by faith, we also died. He was buried, and so were we. He rose, and we live in his resurrection power. And one day, we will experience the final resurrection he provides. In short, Jesus’ status is our status.

Chosen And Precious

And what is Jesus’ status? Peter says Jesus was rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious (4). He got the idea from the Bible, from Isaiah 28, where Jesus is described as a cornerstone chosen and precious (6).

Remember the setting. The believers Peter wrote to were feeling outcast and rejected. Peter tells them Jesus was rejected by men (4). People had decided Jesus should go to the cross. The most innocent and loving and hospitable and true and good man who ever walked the earth was rejected. All his beautiful teachings and miracles were rejected in favor of the status quo. Mankind could not be disrupted, and to accept Jesus and his claims would have disturbed too much in the Jewish and Gentile way of life.

But Jesus’ rejection turned into the greatest blessing of all, the greatest gift and contribution he could make. The cross made the way for Jew and Gentile alike to find God.

This is why Peter describes Jesus as, yes, rejected first by men, but in the sight of God chosen and precious (4) — in the sight of God.

It is so clear that the Father loved (loves) the Son. From eternity past, the Triune Godhead danced in joy and love. One. Three. Together. Love. And when Jesus came to earth, the Father could not hide his affections. He would break through at baptisms and mountaintops and before the cross to announce that Jesus was his Son in whom he was pleased. He affirmed Jesus’ words and claims with the power of the miraculous. He raised him back to life after the necessary tragedy of the cross. And he accepted his Son back into his presence at the ascension. The Father loved the Son. In the sight of God, Jesus is chosen and precious.

Peter needed his audience to see their connection to Christ. He needs us to see it as well. Not only is Jesus’ status our status, if we are faithfully following him, our experiences will mirror his. He was rejected by people. If we walk with him, so will we. He had to suffer and die. If we walk with him, there will be times we suffer for his name. But he was chosen and precious in God’s sight. And so are we.

We are alive with him. He is the living stone, and now we are living stones (5). And Peter says, “Whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” (6).

Peter wants us to feel this acceptance from the Father. He wants us secure in our position before God. He wants us to know that we are also chosen and precious to God because we are in Christ. And no matter how rejected an alien and exiled and foreign and homeless you feel while you walk this earth, you are accepted by God.

You could have all the likes and followers and hearts and attaboys the world can offer, but it is nothing compared to God’s love. Even if there was somehow a way to gain a 100% approval rating from all of human civilization, it pales in comparison to God’s opinion. And if he calls you chosen and precious, you will not, ultimately, be put to shame (6).

This truth is important because it protects Exile Christians from error.

• When you see Jesus was rejected, you will not respond with unrighteous anger when the world rejects you.
• When you see how Jesus died in the midst of a hostile humanity, but for hostile humanity, you will not flee to isolate yourself from a Christ-rejecting society.
• And when you are convinced it is God’s approval that matters more than anyone else’s, you won’t conform to the fleeting and ever-changing attitudes and opinions of your culture.

Instead, you will stand firm in your relationship with God. He has made and now re-made you in his image. You are designed to work and play and live and love before him. He is available to you and has given you everything you need.

We are his people.

2. We Are God’s House

Living Stones Connected To The Living Cornerstone

This passage also teaches us we are God’s house. Peter shows us this by saying we are like living stones being built up as a spiritual house (5). We’ve already noted that we are alive because Jesus is alive. He is the first living stone (4).

So Jesus is our first stone, but he’s also our cornerstone (6). The cornerstone was often a massive rock that had been chiseled to perfection. It would serve as a foundation and guide for the rest of the structure. That’s what Jesus is: our foundation and our guide. Without him, there would be no church. And without his life and teaching, we wouldn’t know what to do. We are living stones connected to the living cornerstone.

One way to see Jesus’ importance is to notice what Peter didn’t say. Remember, Jesus had said to Peter, “On this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). If Peter had understood that to mean that Peter was the rock (the Pope) on which the church would be built, this would’ve been a great time to mention it. Instead, Peter described Jesus as the key rock, the living stone, the cornerstone the church needs.

And as stones together, we form a spiritual house for God to dwell in. He makes his home in us.

Paul said we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Paul also said this is the mystery of the Old Testament times that has now been revealed:

Colossians 1:27 (ESV) — 27 …Christ in you, the hope of glory.

So all throughout biblical history, God had a house (or temple or tabernacle) among his people. It was the place they could go to engage with him, something humanity lost in Eden. But now, individual believers comprise God’s house, and each of us is like a living stone in his house.

Implication 1. We Are Home

What are some of the implications of this amazing truth? One of the first we must mention is what this does to Exile Christians: it tells us we are home. When ostracized for the faith, it is good to know you are part of God’s home. You don’t need to compromise or change or fear. You can certainly question what you believe and why you believe it (every mature Christian does this). But you don’t need to deconstruct Christianity in an attempt to reconstruct something that suits modern sensibilities. You don’t have to try to find a camp or home to fit into. Instead, you can rest secure that you are home and that God is home in you.

Implication 2. The Church Has A Position Of Honor

A second implication of the truth that we are God’s house is that the church has a position of honor. The churches Peter wrote to were not all that different from churches today. They struggled with sin, battled discouragement, and had to learn to grow up into their salvation. They needed all the same exhortations we need today because they battled all the same temptations we battle today. But, by the blood of Christ, Peter shows us that the church is a place on earth where God dwells. So the church has an intensely high position and calling in God’s sight.

This is important, especially since there are bound to be times the church (or a representative of the church somewhere) does or says embarrassing things. But we should not be so quick to criticize or critique God’s church as if we are a shining example of flawless Christianity. It is not because of our mastery of the way of Jesus that God labels us as his house; it is only by the gracious blood of Christ.

Implication 3. We Should Pursue Holiness

A third implication of the truth that we are God’s house is that we should pursue holiness. This comes from thinking about the Old Testament tabernacle and temple. They were places where the holiness of God was on full display. It took sacrifices to approach God. Everything and everyone there went through ordination ceremonies to be consecrated for the work. God was not approached flippantly or irreverently there. This is helpful to see because Peter has already called us to lives of holiness (1 Peter 1:14-16). And knowing we are God’s dwelling place should help motivate us to holy living. We should want to keep his house clean.

Implication 4. We Belong Together

A fourth implication of the truth that we are God’s house is that we belong together. This comes from seeing that we are living stones together in God’s house. You are an individual dwelling place of God, but Peter highlights the fact that we are God’s dwelling place together. We are being built up into one massive spiritual house. One day, the scaffolding of human history will be removed, and God’s glorious and singular house will be revealed. This helps us know that each one of us has a part to play and that we cannot hope to do the Christian life alone. Exile Christians must especially cling to this truth because when society is inconducive to faithfully walking with God, you need other believers to back you up. And we are meant for this. We aren’t stones in the rock yard lying all over the place. We are fitted and joined together by God. We need to be with one another.

We are his house.

3. We Are God’s Priesthood

Define

But this passage also shows us that we are God’s priesthood. Peter said we are like living stones being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (5). What Peter does here is fascinating, and some people have trouble with it. He goes from telling us we are God’s house, the living stones of God’s temple, to telling us that we are God’s priests, the ones serving in God’s temple. So what are we, the stones or the servants?

Peter is telling us we are both. It’s like he doesn’t even care that the analogy breaks down. How can people be both the stones and the servants, the rocks and the priests? It would take a miracle. And that’s what we got. I think Peter wants us to know how powerful and amazing and glorious Jesus’ transformative work is in our lives. He makes us stones. He makes us servants. Jesus is strong enough to do both.

But what does it mean that we are a holy priesthood? For this question, the Old Testament is helpful. In the original temple, the priests were there to serve God and people. They offered sacrifices of different kinds on behalf of the people to God, and they stood as the people’s representatives before God.

Love God And Man

And the church is called to this glorious work today. We are meant to serve and love and worship God, and part of this work is serving and loving people. The Old Testament priests were geared to look up to God but also out to their fellow man.

Peter said that our priesthood is designed to offer spiritual sacrifices to God (5). What are these spiritual sacrifices? No one is quite certain, as it seems hard to put a fine edge on it.

One way to think about it is to find all the other places in the New Testament where the word “sacrifice” is used to describe something we give to God. By looking at it that way, we can learn that our words of praise, our prayers, our money, and our bodies can all be given to God as a spiritual sacrifice (see Hebrews 13:15, Mark 11:17, Philippians 4:18, Romans 12:1).

Another way to think about it is to consider the Old Testament priesthood. They offered literal sacrifices, usually of costly animals. In that case, the New Testament corollary would be our bodies, signaling our total dedication to God (Romans 12:1).

Or Peter might be saying something as simple as: anything I do as a gift to God.

However we look at it, it’s clear we are meant to lay down our lives and give to him.

I think this perspective rejuvenates everyday life for the Exile Christian. For instance, I think understanding our priesthood before God makes our work all the more important. It’s unfortunate that we often think of our careers or workplaces as benign places that God has little concern about. But they are places where he wants his image expressed, and I’m not just talking about personal evangelism or a bible study on your lunch break. What I mean is that we are still called to subdue the earth and bring it into subjection. And now, we are meant to worship God and represent him as his priests in our daily lives. So our work can become a primary means we worship him and serve others. I’m not saying you need to change your title from whatever it is to “priest,” but what if you saw every interaction and decision as an opportunity to represent God and serve your fellow man?

It also rejuvenates fatherhood, by the way. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! And the priesthood of the believer strengthens us for our role. We are meant to represent God to our kids and to intercede for them before God. We are to teach our children who God is and what he says. This requires that we learn the word well enough to communicate its central truths in simple ways. It also means we need to learn how to apply the Scripture to our lives as best we can so that we can show our kids why we do what we do and that our actions are grounded in the book.

But this idea that we are God’s priesthood is incredibly helpful to Exile Christians. When we respond to the marginalization of our Christianity with unrighteous anger, cowardly retreat, or unorthodox assimilation, we do nothing for our world, and we fail our God. To serve him and humanity well, we must be his representatives on earth. So when the pressure rises for our faith, knowing we are here to represent God helps us patiently keep our cool.

We are his priesthood.

Come To Him

Our passage today started with the phrase, “As you come to him…” (4).

And this is what God has always wanted. He has always wanted people to come to him, to enjoy him. When he established Israel, he said:

Exodus 19:5–6 (NIV) — 5 “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

Since the garden of Eden, when sin marred our relationship with God, God has been working to make a way for us to come home and enjoy him again. Jesus is that way. And, because of him, Exile Christians are home.

I am one of the younger members of Generation X — apologies. We are the generation that brought you bands like Pearl Jam, Sonic Youth, Green Day, and Nirvana. We are often called the Slacker Generation. Ours was a cynical and skeptical generation — divorce and drugs and disease and kidnappers were everywhere. We didn’t have a whole lot of hope.

It is said, however, that when the Twin Towers fell in 2001, many in our generation woke up. We were all young adults by that time, and the crisis of that moment propelled many into action. Many of the heroes of that day were from Gen X, but our response went beyond the day. Many joined the military. Many others regained a sense of purpose. Many developed a love for country. Many even decided to finally commit to marriage. It was a significant moment that jolted many into a greater understanding of their identity. Slackers no more!

In our previous study of 1 Peter, we learned we are God’s people, house, and priesthood. In our passage today, Peter wants us to drill down deep into our identity as God’s people. The significant event that shapes us is the greatest event in all of history, the cross of Jesus Christ, the gospel. But there are smaller events that can help us snap back to an understanding of who we are as God’s people. Peter’s readers were in the middle of such an event; they were enduring light persecution, the beginnings of growing hostility against Christianity. I believe we are living in such a time. When in times of relative peace, we might not ask the crucial questions, but in chaotic times, we are forced to confront the truth.

We need to ask:

• How do we become God’s people?
• What are God’s people?
• Why does God make us his people?

Wrong answers abound. But Peter gives us the right answers. He shows us what God’s people are.

I am praying that the tumult of our age will help us regain a biblical sense of identity. We are not a group of good people who only want to do good deeds during our lifetimes. We are not a group trying to solve social ills with philosophies or politics. We are not a social club warmly inviting people to join us for fun times. We are not our building. We are not a political party.

Instead, we are a group of people who needed (and still need) God to redeem us through his merciful kindness only found in the cross of Christ. We have been reborn and remade into his special people, his representatives who are meant to declare him to our world during our lifetimes through our words and works!

And this passage helps us reconnect to this vision.

How Are We God’s People? (2:7-8)

7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

More Stone Scriptures

In these two verses, we have two quotations from the Old Testament — Psalm 118:22 and Isaiah 8:14. Both passages continue the theme Peter started in our last study together. Jesus is the living stone (2:4). He is the cornerstone of the new spiritual house God is making with us and all other believers (2:5-6). And these two extra verses carry on this theme that Jesus is the cornerstone, a special rock in human history.

The first reference (from Psalm 118) tells us that Jesus is the rejected cornerstone. The image is of a cornerstone being considered but then totally overlooked and rejected by the builders. Israel’s religious leaders should have helped everyone realize Jesus was the Messiah-Christ the Old Testament had promised, but instead, they rejected him.

The second reference (from Isaiah 8) tells us that Jesus is the stumbling stone. The image is of people who trip over a stone on the ground. And Jesus — his person, his claims, his death, and his resurrection — stumbles and offends many. He is exclusive, claiming that no one gets to God without him. He is truthful, claiming our sin has damaged us to the point that we cannot know God without his substitutional death. He is confrontational, telling us we must repent and believe the gospel. All this stumbles and offends humanity. Our pride gets in the way. We struggle to lower ourselves to receive this message.

This is the truth: many will stumble at the message of Jesus. Many will be offended by him, his claims, and his demands. When the true gospel is preached, some will always scoff and reject Jesus. It is the nature of him and his message.

Peter highlights this by saying, “They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do” (8).

To disobey the word is to reject the gospel, to reject Jesus. There is great debate about Peter’s words. It all centers around the word “destined.” What were the people Peter thought of destined to do? Were they destined to reject Jesus? Or were they destined to stumble as a result of rejecting Jesus? What is destined, unbelief or the result of unbelief? Various answers abound, but they are usually connected to whatever theological framework the answerer has already adopted. If you know me, you know I would lean towards it meaning not that unbelief is destined, but that the consequences of unbelief are destined, set in stone by God.

But even if human disobedience is part of God’s plan, it does not mean that humans aren’t worthy of blame. Judas and his actions were foreknown, but he was still accountable for his actions. And human disobedience is never presented in Scripture as final or irreversible while someone lives. Anyone can turn and repent and receive the gospel.

Many of us know this from experience. We did stumble at the cross. We were offended. We did not want to receive it. But, at some point, we turned. God persisted with us. And now, the message that used to offend us has brought us into God’s family.

By Faith

But remember our first question: how are we God’s people? The passage tells us how people are not God’s people. But it also shows us we are God’s people by faith. Peter said, “the honor is for you who believe” (7).

This is a basic truth of the gospel but easily forgotten. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). Jesus died in place of broken humanity. He rose. And God gives his righteousness to those who trust Jesus and his work on the cross to save them (Romans 3:21-22).

But this truth is all-important for Exile Christians, Exile People. We become God’s people by faith. Your voting record does not get you in. Your social compassion does not get you in. Your attendance at Christian events does not get you in. Your acts of service do not get you in. It is the reception of the gospel that brings you into God’s family.

This is important to Exile People because we live in a day of labels. Many live and think as if there are two buckets for humanity these days. So if you identify with Jesus, some might attach many other labels to you. But gospel belief does not mean you have to feel one way or another about guns, vaccines, masks, politics, race, government, big tech, etc. There will be nuance and discussion in such areas, and Exile Christians will likely find themselves unable to be labeled or put into the extreme buckets that exist. As I said in a previous sermon, we will often feel homeless. But our home is the gospel. It is the thing that makes us into God’s people.

We Are Honored

And it is truly an honor to receive Jesus (7). That’s what Peter said: so the honor is for you who believe (7). Peter’s readers received all kinds of threats for their Christianity. In that first-century Roman society, belief in another god was no big deal; they had many gods floating around the empire. But it was a major concern that these Christians acted as if they had a new king to who they had to give supreme allegiance. Their morals and their social commitments were radically different than the rest of society. All this meant belief in Jesus lowered their social standing in that era.

So Peter wants us to know that even when society dishonors or cancels us, we are honored by God. The honor is for those who believe in Jesus! We have true honor.

Major League Baseball made a decision recently that I think was long overdue. They took the statistics and records of the Negro Leagues and made them count as official Major League Baseball statistics. Though it in no way remedies the atrocities that generated such a league, it was the right thing to do. Finally, long-forgotten players are receiving a bit of the attention and honor they rightly and always deserved.

In a more significant way, generations of Christians who have been beaten, bloodied, and killed for their belief in Jesus will one day receive the greatest honor. For all time, exile Christians will be home, honored with the presence of God.

What Are God’s People? (2:9a)

This leads us to our second question: what are God’s people? We become part of God’s people by faith, and this leads to honor, but once we become God’s people, what are we meant to be? What do we do? Who are we? Peter answers:

9a But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession…

Old Testament Allusions

Every one of these statements is lifted from the pages of the Old Testament (Exodus 19:4-6, Isaiah 43:20-21, Hosea 2:23). Peter knew the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were a chosen race. He knew God had called the nation to act as a royal priesthood to the nations. He knew they were meant to be a holy nation. And he knew God thought of them as his own possession.

But now Peter comes along and applies those timeless truths to the current iteration of God’s people. This does not necessarily mean the church has replaced Israel — we haven’t. And God still has plans in the millennial reign of Christ for his original holy nation. But this does not discourage Peter from bringing the church — Jew and Gentile alike — into the high calling of God. So, again, what are God’s people?

1. A Chosen Race

First, Peter says we are a chosen race (9). We all have blood relatives, but when we are born again, we receive new blood. This new blood is not literally flowing through our bodies, but the blood of Christ unites God’s people. We become part of a chosen race God has created by the gospel.

This is important to Peter. He has a goal to motivate us to form internal bonds within our Christian community. And the fact we are “blood-relatives” (connected by Jesus’ blood) should motivate us to do so.

I have a Costco card. I am proud of it. I like holding up my little card and walking into this massive warehouse of American glory. Each year, Costco members have a decision to make: will I still be part of this shopping club?

But our membership in the church is nothing like a Costco membership. Some years we do, some years we don’t. We are a chosen race, Peter says, bound by the blood of Christ. Church fellowship is not an optional facet to life, something to choose or ignore. Instead, it is our calling and identity.

2. A Royal Priesthood

Second, Peter says we are a royal priesthood (9). This idea trips up many because ancient Israel had kings and priests, and they were always separate. So how can we be both royal and a priesthood?

The answer is that the analogy likely isn’t from Israel’s monarchy or priesthood. It comes from God’s view of Israel itself. Listen to this major passage regarding God’s will for Israel in Exodus:

Exodus 19:6 (ESV) — 6 You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

With a royal calling from their God-King, Israel was meant to serve as God’s representatives to the nations. Remember when Jesus came to the temple before his death? He cleaned out the place while saying, “My house shall be a house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17, Isaiah 56:7). God meant for Israel to take up their royal calling, lead the world, and tell the world about God. They were to be an illuminating presence in the midst of darkness. They were meant to show the world who God is and what it looks like to center yourself completely upon him.

And that is still our calling. Jesus said we are to let our light shine before humanity, that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16). We are meant to broadcast — in our work and play and words and actions — who God is and what a life centered upon him looks like.

3. A Holy Nation

Third, Peter said we are a holy nation (9). This was important to Peter’s readers because they lived in a time of great pride in the Roman Empire. But the true context of these Christians was not their position in Rome but their position in Christ.

This was an essential lesson for them to learn because they would soon face waves of persecution because their Christianity threatened the status quo of the empire. They weren’t really persecuted for worshipping Jesus — what’s one more god in a polytheistic world? No, they were persecuted because they were more loyal to Jesus than Rome. Don’t get me wrong; they were great citizens because the best citizens don’t worship government but serve it in its proper context. But they were perceived as a threat to Roman dominance, and this brought persecution into their lives.

But we are this holy nation as well. This doesn’t preclude us from loving or serving our nation well. It makes us better at both. But we must always remember that believers are a nation inside of the nations, meant to demonstrate God’s laws and jurisdiction and kingdom to our world.

4. A People For His Own Possession

Fourth, Peter said we are a people for his own possession (9). What made ancient Israel special? The fact that God had chosen them and lived among them. They were his own special possession, and modern believers are special in a similar way. We belong to God.

If you visit the hall of fame for various sports, you will see shoes, jerseys, and equipment previously used by star athletes. They are valuable and important to fans because of who owned and used them. You will never find, for instance, a pair of my old high school baseball cleats in the baseball hall of fame. Everyone would be confused by such a display.

The reason we are special is not because of who we are but who owns us. We are a people for his own possession. You are special because you belong to God. And, together, exile Christians should know of their great value because God has set his mark upon them. We belong to him.

C.S. Lewis said something beautiful about the great truth that we are God’s people:

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. — C.S. Lewis

Imagine what he alludes to: that if you saw your fellow believer in their glorified state, they would appear so majestic to you that you might be tempted to worship them if you didn’t know better.

And Peter has the same idea. What are God’s people? We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s precious possession.

Why Does God Make Us His People? (2:9b-10)

This leads us to our third and final question: why does God make us his people? What is our purpose? And what does God get out of this arrangement? Why did he do all this for us? What motivated him?

9b that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

To Proclaim His Excellencies

The reason why God makes us his people, our mission once we become his people, is really clear to Peter: we are meant to proclaim the excellencies of God (9).

What does it mean to proclaim the excellencies of God? Well, this proclamation is meant to travel in two directions. We praise God for his excellencies, and we also tell everyone else about his excellencies.

And we have so much to praise and proclaim about God. Peter says here that God called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light (9). Though we might’ve been stumbled and offended at Jesus for a time, God kept calling, drawing us out of darkness and into the light of the gospel. We are blind, but now through Jesus, we see.

And Peter also says that once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (10). Peter draws upon the prophet Hosea when he says this (Hosea 2:23). God told a rebellious Israel, through Hosea and Hosea’s life, that though he had to withhold mercy and discipline them for a time, his mercy and grace would breakthrough. A people who were not his people, without mercy, would become God’s people again, a people draped in God’s mercy.

That’s us! We have been brought from darkness to light. We are now clothed with God’s mercy. And this gives us a reason to proclaim God’s excellencies to everyone around us.

So what is our mission? Why did God make us into his people? He was driven by his own mercy to rescue us from darkness. And now our mission is to declare God and his goodness for the rest of our lives!

At the heart of all good evangelism, you will find praise. The good evangelist loves God and is grateful for all he’s experienced from God. He can’t wait to tell others how good God has been to him.

As creatures, we often love to tell others about experiences that we’ve enjoyed. Go to a good movie? You want to tell someone. Enjoy a great restaurant? You want to tell someone. But God is the delight of all delights — and our mission is to tell others of his excellencies.

Let me say two things about this mission:

First, it is not a highly complicated mission. It is more natural than it is formulaic. There is certainly a place for study, research, and preparation when sharing the gospel or talking about Scripture. But Peter is suggesting something simple: declaring that God has been excellent to you.

Second, it is a fulfilling mission. We are made, born again, to declare his excellencies. Self-preservation or even our own eternal well-being will never be a satisfying goal for life. Ultimate meaning is found in declaring God’s goodness through our lives.

Conclusion

I hope you feel called up by the word today.

I have told you that Exile Christians do not angrily fight back, do not create a holy huddle separate from everyone else, and do not conform all their views to society. But when the marginalization of our faith happens, we might be tempted to all three. So Peter’s words today are helpful. How so?

Well, this high calling from God — the fact we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession meant to declare his greatness — should help us resist each temptation.

Want to angrily fight? Remember, you are God’s representative on earth, meant to declare his excellencies. The people who anger you are stumbling over the rock of Christ. We hope and pray that one day they won’t be offended by him any longer, so we must faithfully represent him.

Want to flee and create Christian communities that are completely separate from society? That will never work because your life calling is to declare his excellencies and be a light to all nations. Detachment renders declaration impossible. So a detached Christian community is actually a disobedient Christian community. How can we become a house of prayer for all nations if we don’t interact with our nations?

Want to conform your convictions and biblical standards to back up whatever society approves of today? You are honored to have Jesus. You are a holy nation. You have been brought out of darkness and into the light — the word gives you the truth. You belong to God, so it doesn’t matter if society won’t have you.

Peter is calling us up. God is using his word to lift our heads. Don’t hang your head. You are important to this city. You are honored by God. You are meant to declare his excellencies to this town. You are God’s Exile People.

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Peter’s Shift

Peter pivots the conversation with these sentences. Up to this point in his letter, he has focused on who we are. Before the church can stand firm in God’s grace, before we can endure hostility for the faith, we must have an accurate understanding of our identity. We have been saved. We are being saved. We will be saved. We have the precious gospel message. We are meant to hope, pursue holiness, and love one another. We have received the cornerstone, Jesus, the one who stumbles many. We are God’s chosen race, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. We are his special people — draped in his mercy, we are meant to declare his excellencies to our world. This is who Peter says we are. We must hear the apostolic word.

But now Peter is ready to exhort us. Make no mistake. He has not been buttering us up, telling us good things about ourselves so that he can finally tell us what to do. He has drilled down deep into our identity so that his exhortations will make sense to us. Everything he is going to ask us to do from this point forward makes sense because of who Christ has made us become. Every exhortation Peter writes is consistent with our new reality.

The two sentences we are going to think about today serve as a mission statement over the rest of the letter. It is a general exhortation that encapsulates all the specific exhortations that will follow. In this generalized opening instruction, Peter is going to give us a mindset to adopt (that of sojourners and exiles), tell us there is something we should avoid (the passions of the flesh), and something we must do (keep our conduct honorable to the unbelieving world).

But before contemplating each, we must see the goal. Why should we do what Peter tells us? What will happen if we do?

The Goal

12b so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

As Many Conversions As Possible

The goal, according to Peter, is that the unbelieving world will glorify God on the day of visitation (12). This is Peter’s way of saying that he wants unbelievers to come to faith in Christ so that when he returns, it will be a day they praise and rejoice over God. When the day of visitation comes, Peter wants as many people as possible to be in the kingdom.

This goal and perspective can often become clouded in the church. It’s not that we don’t want as many as possible to know Jesus, but often this main goal is taken over by other goals. Soon, evangelism becomes a program in the church rather than the simple and everyday mission of the church. But this is who we are. This is why we are meant to live the way we do: so that more people can know Jesus.

In our last study, Peter called us up to a radical new identity. A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation — God’s own special people. I remind you that each concept came from God’s calling on ancient Israel. They were meant to live and operate in such a way that the nations would be drawn to God. They were to make the house of God a house of prayer for all nations. They were to be a light to the world. God had gathered them to Mount Sinai after they left Egypt. He had given them his law. He had invited them to live as his special people.

But ancient Israel struggled to fulfill this mission. Often, their sinful tendencies spoiled their witness. Peter, though, picks up God’s original call for Israel and applies it to us. He urges us to live in a way that, even when they speak against us as evildoers, they can see our good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation (12).

Peter envisioned a threatened, marginalized, and small Christian community responding to hostility with good lives. Like Israel before us, we are small but chosen. God wants us to live out our ordinary lives for his glory.

In the modern church, we often think of attracting people to Christ through our events or church services. Everything — the preaching, the music, the atmosphere — must get better! But Peter isn’t calling us to attractional services, programs, or activities. He is calling us to attractional lives — attractional individuals, but more so attractional communities.

And Peter isn’t making up this strategy. Jesus was the one who championed it to him.

Matthew 5:16 (ESV) — 16 Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Designed Life

Now, I hope we all know that good works are not sufficient by themselves to draw someone to Jesus. The gospel is a message, and messages must be spoken. Words must be used. Peter just told us last week that we are meant to declare God’s excellencies (1 Peter 2:9). Later in his letter, he will tell us to make a defense to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15).

But we mustn’t rush to speak the message without understanding that our lives also communicate the message. Our little church community, our gospel friendships, and our small groups are all meant to radiate God’s goodness. We want to live a certain way because of Peter’s goal (God’s goal): as many conversions as possible. That as many people as possible would glorify God on the day of visitation.

So it seems worth asking the question: How would we live if we wanted people to come to Christ? Peter answers with three strategies. And I hope we can learn from each. I want people to know Jesus. Though I am not a natural evangelist, and I don’t see myself gifted in that way, I know I must do the work of an evangelist. And I know Jesus is good. I want everyone to know him.

But I also know that only a small percentage of the people in our towns will ever attend a church gathering. Only a small segment of the population will become willing to go to a church’s building. But a much larger percentage of people will know a believer. We might not be able to bring many people to church buildings, but we can bring the church to many people because believers are the church. Our lives can go. So how can this be done?

1. Adopt An Exile Mentality

11a Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles

Sojourners and Pilgrims

First, Peter tells us to adopt an exile mentality. He said, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles” (11). Sojourners live in tents. They borrow the land. They are transient. They have no home. Exiles are far from their true home. They know they are foreigners in a new place. They are strangers. They are borrowing home.

We shouldn’t think Peter has abandoned our connection to the Old Testament saints at this point. Both of these titles were first used by Abraham. When his wife Sarah died, he needed to purchase a burial site for his family. He told the locals in Canaan at that time that he was merely a sojourner and an exile among them (Genesis 23:4).

So, connected to the saints of old, we also are sojourners, aliens, temporary residents, visiting strangers, foreigners who are far from home.

We’ve spent some time talking about this perspective already in our study of 1 Peter. We have called this whole series “The Grace of Exile.” But an exile mentality is important for our witness. If we want to see as many conversions as possible, as many people as possible glorify God on the day of visitation, we must adopt an exile mentality. But what does this mean?

First, it means we know we are living in a place with different values and practices. Some of these values will be aligned with Scripture. Some won’t. But the exile knows their value system is going to be at odds with the host culture at times. An exile mentality means we know we won’t always be full participants in the customs of our host societies.

Second, it means we will work to build a good reputation for God’s people. We will adopt a visitor mindset. We will try not to unnecessarily offend the host culture.

Third, it means we will always long for home. Believers know God is building a forever kingdom with a forever city. And though we are meant to bless the kingdoms and cities we occupy today, we must also keep an eye on the coming kingdom.

You see, this exile mentality will not last forever. The prophecies of Jeremiah illustrate this well for us. Israel had disobeyed God for a really long time, and Jeremiah told them God would send them to Babylon to live as exiles for seventy years. He told them God would bring them back from exile at the end of those seventy years.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) — 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

The plans God had for them? Snap them out of exile after the seventy years were up. Bring them back to his house. Restore them into full fellowship with him. End the exile.

And one day, our God will snatch us out of this exile, but right now, we are in it. We are meant to embrace it, just as God told those exiles to embrace it.

Jeremiah 29:7 (ESV) — 7 Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

2. Abstain From the Passions of the Flesh

11b abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

Assaulted Always

After adopting an exile mindset, Peter tells us we must abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against our souls (11).

This statement from Peter might be alarming. Whether we like it or not, every believer is in a war, and this means every believer is meant to be a warrior. The war you are in is internal and continual: the passions of the flesh versus your soul.

The Greek word Paul used for “war” is a word that sounds similar to our English word “strategy.” There is a long and strategic war being waged against our souls. The passions of my flesh, the remnant of my old nature within, are working hard to erode my inner person, my soul, the part of me that wants to walk with God.

We think about soul care as a good book, a long hike, or a warm bath. But Peter thinks we should see soul care as a war. When the good bodily appetites God has given to us are turned into sinful passions that go beyond all boundaries, our souls are impaired. When our broken bodies, influenced by the fall, desire things God never authored, and when we give in to those desires, our souls are impaired. And with a damaged soul, we will never proclaim God’s excellencies or have an attractional witness to our world. We’ll be so wrapped up in pursuits and perspectives and priorities that God has nothing to do with that Christ’s influence on our lives will be unrecognizable. We must maintain our souls. Lives depend on it.

Think of it this way — an elite warrior must maintain a baseline of physical fitness. He could be called upon at any moment, so his conditioning, strength, and perishable skills must be maintained. Without them, he is disadvantaged in the fight. Our souls must also be maintained. If we let ourselves get overrun by bodily passions, we will lose the fight.

I was talking with a woman recently who knew she did not have the spiritual or emotional maturity required to navigate modern social media. She saw it as (for her) as something waging war against her soul, so she protected herself against that weapon. For many, covetousness (things you never knew you needed), lust (images), gossip/slander (reading things which aren’t true), bitterness (at your husband because he isn’t like the guy on the screen), discontentment (with your own life), or lack of self-control (purchases), are fostered in online environments. Many of us know we must be more cautious than others in that area.

But what about you? How do the passions of the flesh bombard your soul? What spaces, digital or physical, do you feel the strongest temptation? What hours of the day are you weakest? When do you find yourself succumbing? These are questions we should ask to help us form the attractional community we are meant to be in Christ. It is attractive to find people willing to admit they don’t have it all together, that they are weak, that they want to follow Jesus and his way, and that they need the help of others to resist temptation.

Abstain

The weapon Peter offers us against the passions of the flesh is abstinence: Abstain, he said, from the passions of the flesh (11). We live in an age where desires define us, an age of personal fulfillment, but Peter’s counsel is good.

Jesus said his way is one that requires denial:

Matthew 16:24 (ESV) — 24 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

The reason abstinence is the answer is that our sinful desires are never fully satisfied. We cannot partake just enough to be satisfied. Instead, once we taste the forbidden fruit, we will want more. Again and again, we will damage our souls. Each moment we do not abstain adds fuel to the fire of our passions. Soon, the flame will rage out of control!

Jesus advocated for radical abstinence at times. He said if your eye or hand or foot causes you to sin, it should be removed (Matthew 5:27-30). He spoke in hyperbole, of course, not to mention, our bodies never cause sin. Sin comes from the heart. But what he meant is that radical decisions have to be made sometimes in order to preserve our souls.

Sometimes the boyfriend or girlfriend has to be totally cut off. Sometimes the app store has to be disabled. Sometimes the internet connection has to be removed. Sometimes you must attend a support group. Sometimes a 1 a.m. phone call to ask for help from another believer is necessary. Sometimes you have to walk away from a conversation. Sometimes you have to be very honest in an embarrassing way with someone you love. But this is war. And war requires drastic measures.

And the drastic measure Peter proposes is that we would abstain from fleshly lusts that war against our souls.

You’ll be fine, by the way. This is one of the concerns many have regarding abstaining from the passions of the flesh. They worry they will somehow miss out on life; that plugged-up desire will cause them to explode!

But remember Daniel. When he was taken as an exile to Babylon, he knew he could not defile himself with the Babylonian way of life. He refused to eat and drink anything that contradicted God’s law for the Hebrew people. And after a period of time, though he didn’t eat and drink like everyone else, the Bible says Daniel and his friends were “better in appearance and fatter in the flesh” than everyone else (Daniel 1:15). He was fine. No, he thrived. And if you resist the passions of the flesh in favor of the health of your soul, so will you.

3. Conduct Yourself With Honor

12a Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable

Among the Gentiles?

But along with an exile mindset and abstaining from the passions of the flesh, Peter said we should conduct ourselves with honor. He said: “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable” (12).

When Peter said this, he isn’t making a statement about race. He wasn’t telling Jews to behave a certain way to Gentiles. Instead, he was adopting the Jew-Gentile paradigm and applying it metaphorically to church people. Ancient Israel was meant to illuminate the Gentile nations with the light of God. Now church people are meant to illuminate the unbelieving world with the light of God.

And this concept that we should conduct ourselves with honor before the unbelieving world is a constant New Testament theme.

1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 (ESV) — 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

1 Corinthians 10:32 (ESV) — 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God…

Colossians 4:5 (ESV) — 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

Timothy 3:7 (ESV) — 7 (A pastor) must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Peter’s Strategy: Good Works

And this is Peter’s strategy for the hostility and marginalization the church will experience. He wants us to respond with a life of good works.

And, once again, Peter built this strategy on the teachings of Jesus. He said:

Matthew 10:16 (ESV) — 16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

This is a strategy that puts us in a vulnerable position. In a society of wolves, we aren’t to respond in like manner. We must be different. We will need wisdom to navigate the waters ahead, which is why Jesus said we need to be wise as serpents. We will need clean lives so people cannot discredit us, which is why Jesus said we need to be innocent as doves. But we must go out as sheep (or lambs) among wolves.

And sheep exist for others. Their coats are for others. And Christians think of Jesus’ cross and the whole Old Testament sacrificial system. Many lambs died as sacrifices that pointed to the ultimate Lamb of God that takes away the world’s sin. Now we come along in his image, sheep and lambs ready to lay down our lives for others — sheep among wolves.

And one way to do this is by designing our lives around engaging in good works. You might not have all the answers (who does?). But you can do good. We all, in some way, can design our lives to strategically, purposefully, intentionally shares Jesus by living honorable lives filled with good works.

Good Where?

When Peter says this — Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation — he is not giving specifics. In the next section of his letter, he is going to teach us how to live honorably in society, in the workplace, and in the home. None of what he has in mind is exclusive to the church building. Peter envisions an everyday life of good-doing, an attractional community of God’s people.

And the early Christians were known in this way. They were accused of many odd things, but over time they became regarded as moral people. They had a different ethic than the norm. This is why early Christianity became such a refuge for women, children, and the marginalized. The Roman society was brutal for women and children, but the early Christians honored women, rescued babies (mostly unwanted baby girls), and served the poor. Their lives were a testimony to the excellencies of God.

Make no mistake: Peter does not want his audience to live such good lives that they would earn the right to invite someone to an evangelistic event. Peter thinks their lives, at all times, are evangelistic events.

Some Design Thoughts

Let me try to make this practical for our purposes.

First, don’t make this programmatic. We don’t need to isolate our good works to group campaigns with signups and days of service and group t-shirts. Those things are fine, but they should be the overflow of lives that are geared to do good.

Second, don’t make this too grand. We should not paralyze ourselves by thinking we must singlehandedly rescue every disadvantaged child in our community. If we think too big, we will never do the small things that people actually see.

Third, examine your life routines. I like the advice to think through your daily, weekly, and monthly rhythms. Where might good deeds be added? Where might we bless others?

Perhaps another Christian would benefit from being with you for dinner or grocery shopping or yard work or a hike? Perhaps the normal course of life could be turned into opportunities for mentoring or friendship or human connection or pastoral care?

Perhaps there is room for an unbelieving friend? Ask questions about their family and pursuits and interests and see where the conversation goes. Ask the Spirit to aid you. But always serve them.

Perhaps you simply need to volunteer to help a local group. Perhaps you need a hobby where you can mix it up with others. Perhaps you need to get out of the house more — too many of us live a shelter-in-place lifestyle, and ministry to others doesn’t happen like that.

But ask the Lord to inspect your life and show you ways to design it to be full of good works and honorable living for our community to see.

At this point in Peter’s letter, his recipients are well prepared to hear his specific exhortations. Until now, his primary focus has been on who we are in Christ. Peter knew his audience was beginning to feel marginalized for their belief in Jesus, but before he told them what to do, he needed them to see how important they were to their community. As God’s chosen race, holy priesthood, and holy nation, they were meant to declare God and his excellencies to their world.

And so are we, which is why God has preserved Peter’s exhortations for these past two thousand years. The exhortations stand. The church is still God’s special community. Peter’s original hearers needed to learn how to live on the edge of society. So do we. Especially here in California, we must learn how to live an exilic Christian life, for we are exiles. This world is not our home. And this attitude formed the backbone of Peter’s instructions. He said:

1 Peter 2:11–12 (ESV) — 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

It was a general exhortation, but now Peter will get into some specifics. And today, he will give some instruction on abstaining from the flesh’s passions and keeping our conduct honorable as citizens. How do we interact with our nations? What kind of citizens will exile Christians need to become?

In reading Peter’s answer, please activate your imagination. Think about those early believers. Threats were aimed at them. Rumors were swirling about them. And anger was growing against them. They felt the pressure, and they needed a word from their leadership to direct their next steps. What did they need to do? How did they need to behave?

Did they need to angrily fight? Did they need to flee for safer territories? Did they need to conform themselves to society so it would all blow over? No. Peter wanted them to stand firm, and here he will give them direction on how to treat the governing authorities. These are Peter’s words — not mine — and they were just the authoritative message these early Christians needed from their apostolic leadership. And they are authoritative for us today.

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

1. Exile Citizens Are Subject (13-14)

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.

Not an Easy Answer

Peter’s answer was not an easy one. His first exhortation is that Exile Citizens are subject. He said, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good” (13-14).

These are challenging words — and not necessarily the ones these early Christians would’ve wanted to hear. We often love the concept of Jesus as the Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah, but Peter’s answer is more lamb-like in orientation. He doesn’t tell his followers to war against the governmental institutions or the emperor or his governors, but to be subject to them.

“Subjection” is not a popular word. But it is the framework Peter uses for his next few exhortations. Here, he tells citizens to be subject to unbelieving governments. Next, he’ll tell servants to be subject to unbelieving masters. Finally, he’ll tell wives to be subject to unbelieving husbands. Clearly, Peter thought he was writing to people who weren’t in that society’s classic positions of power. And he believed the way forward was not class warfare but submission.

We Are a Holy Nation

This plea to be subject might surprise us, given what Peter just said we are — a holy nation (2:9). And we might imagine that God’s church, this holy nation, should assert its rights and take the lead. Peter’s exhortation might even sound weak to us. But he seems to see us as a holy nation meant to live in subjection to — I don’t know how else to say this — unholy nations. So the fact that we are a holy nation, in Peter’s mind, doesn’t give us the right to rebel against ungodly authorities.

I’m sure you’re wondering if there are exceptions to this rule — and I will talk about that in a moment — but don’t rush there. Please allow Peter’s directions to sink in. Remember, on the night Jesus was arrested, Peter produced a sword and began to fight. But then he heard Jesus’ rebuke, put away his sword, and watched Jesus heal the man he’d injured. In the most extreme way, Peter watched Jesus subject himself to the unholy governmental and religious institutions of his day. As Jesus said to Pontius Pilate:

John 18:36 (ESV) — 36 “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

This way of Jesus contradicts the fighting and angry spirit of our age. But Jesus is our way — and we must prayerfully discern how to imitate Christ as citizens of his holy nation, all while also being citizens in unholy nations.

And this challenge is hard. There is much that concerns us as believers. For instance, I am grieved at what is happening to public education. What they are telling children, younger and younger, about their gender and sexuality is alarming, inappropriate, unscientific, and harmful. How do we adhere to Peter’s exhortations while also navigating (and hopefully even changing) the course our world has chosen? It is hard to know. It is messy.

The Purpose of Government

In the passage, if there is an exception clause to the rule Peter lays down, it is found in his description of the government’s purpose. He said it punishes evil and praises good (14). So the government has a two-fold purpose to Peter. First, it puts down evil. Second, it promotes good.

Doesn’t this attitude from Peter strike you as highly optimistic? His words challenge me. He wasn’t living in some governmental utopia, either. It was not the warmest political environment. The rule of Rome was not like the rule of Jesus. Nero hadn’t yet lost his mind on the Roman populace, but he was still Nero. And Peter saw him and his governors as appointed by God for the maintenance of moral values.

The assumption is that Peter is speaking in general terms. The Roman Empire was guilty of much that contradicted Scripture, and its leaders promoted some truly terrible practices, but it generally put down evil and exalted good. And Peter also likely has the alternative in mind. To him, an unrighteous government is better than no government. Anarchy is not the answer.

But still, it is all too easy to see governments, even our own, engage in practices that are evil. They might even call these evil practices good practices. One might think of how abortion rights are considered a deeply held moral good in many quarters. It is a classic example of Romans 1:28-32 playing out — calling evil good and championing it in the public sphere.

Exception Clause?

So perhaps there’s an exception clause here: when a governing authority promotes evil, they cease to do what God made them for, so we are no longer meant to be subject.

I mention it because (clearly) there are times we must obey God rather than men. The early Christians behaved this way when it came time to offer a pinch of incense while saying, “Caesar is Lord.” They wouldn’t say it, and it got them into a heap of trouble, but they could not give the emperor worship that belongs to Jesus.

All this is delicate because our governmental situation seems far better than what the early Christians had. And, if we are honest about church history, governmental support and endorsement haven’t been all that helpful to the mission of Christ. Once Constantine got behind the church in the third century, a malaise caused by ease infected the church. Soon, we had more of a mission to build cathedrals than we did to reach souls.

Remember, two of the most sweeping and radical movements in church history have happened under the threat of government hostility. The early church exploded during an age of persecution; that’s our first example. And our second example comes from the church in China. Against a backdrop of governmental hostility, the church was forced underground, but while there, it connected to its radical gospel roots and began spreading at a rapid pace. When the hostility began a couple of generations ago, there were around 2 million believers in China. Today there are around 120 million — in such a short time!

All this should help us understand that the church does not need governmental favor to get the job done. In fact, we seem to do better without it. And it seems clear that even if we changed the government, we would still have a nation of people to deal with. We’ve got to build up reservoirs of strength and truth to handle the age to come. Even if the government and the church were friends, the world is our mission field and is at odds with the gospel.

Because of the Lord

Before moving on in the passage, I want to point out a reason Peter gave for behaving this way: for the Lord’s sake (13). What does this mean?

First, as I already mentioned, this is what the Lord did. He submitted, so subjection to the governing authorities is a way to imitate Jesus.

Second, the Lord is the one who established these governmental authorities, so subjection to them is a way to be subject to Christ.

Third, this is a way we witness to our world. No one else reacts like this. Everyone else is deeply divided and hostile to the “other side.” So, for the sake of our Lord’s mission, we must consider our response to the governing authorities.

So, prayerfully and with much consideration, let’s try to do what Peter says and be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution (13).

2. Exile Citizens Do Good (15-16)

15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

We Must Pursue Goodness

But Peter also said Exile Citizens do good. He said, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants for God” (15-16).

I keep dragging out the prophet Jeremiah for this study, but his exhortations to Israel back when they were pulled into exile in Babylon are so perfect for us. Remember, most Israelites didn’t want to listen to Jeremiah. They wanted to fight or flee, and eventually, many conformed, but Jeremiah wanted them to stand firm as good citizens in their new host culture. He said:

Jeremiah 29:7 (ESV) — 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Peter wanted the same. We are to be a holy nation inside unholy nations. We are to do good as a strategy to silence those who oppose the cross. As I said in a previous study, our good works won’t be the sum total of our gospel preaching (we must speak), but good works are a major part of our messaging.

At times, a life of doing good will mean we are decent, law-abiding citizens who also go out of our way to find good things to do for our community. We are always meant to have a higher bar than simply keeping the law. At other times, a life of doing good will mean we have to confront the evil powers of the day and rescue people from the lies they are living under. Sometimes we have to, as Jude said, rescue people from the fire (Jude 23). But at all times, Peter wants more than private acts of piety, but a life of good works.

Peter seems to suggest living as if people are watching our lives. And they should. We are heralds of the gospel. We say God is amazing. We believe Jesus Christ changed our lives. It makes sense that people would watch our lives for evidence of those claims.

However, I don’t mean to suggest that a life of good works is somehow a hassle that we have to put on because people are watching. Jesus doesn’t like hypocrisy, and that would be hypocritical. But when you are a true child of God, when the Holy Spirit lives inside you, you are being conformed into Jesus’ image. So when you pursue good works, the deepest and innermost, you will be pleased because it’s what God is trying to do in you. He sets you free from so many besetting sins when you pursue good works. Flaws like self-centeredness, greed, discontentment, laziness, and lust all weaken and fade when we engage in good works because the good works displace the bad ones.

Many western believers have experienced this in major (and often temporary) ways when going to developing nations on a mission. While in the new place, they tell themselves, “I am never going to be discontent again. I have so much.” Or, “I am so happy filling my time serving and helping. I am never going to watch as much television as I used to.” Or, “It feels incredible to tell people about Jesus. I am going to do this at home.” What has happened in these cases is our serving has brought out Christ’s nature in us.

But the thing is that we need this stimulation constantly. We must feed the Spirit, not the flesh, and a life devoted to good works continually feeds the Spirit. So keep praying about ways you can help our community with good works, then sign up, volunteer, and go get it!

You Are Free To Serve

All this is why Peter makes sure to tell us we have been set free so that we can serve God (16). This pattern is always God’s way. Remember the book of Exodus? God set Israel free from Egypt, not so they could be liberated, but so they could serve him. Over and over again, God said (through Moses), “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”

And we are very much set free. We are sons and daughters of the King of Kings. We belong to a new kingdom. We are a holy nation. The powers of the day do not have ultimate jurisdiction over us. But, still, we use our freedom to do good. We don’t use our freedom as a cover-up for evil. Instead, we serve God by doing good works for our community.

I hope these passages serve as a great motivation for you who are working in our governmental system in some way. You can execute your work as a service to God. He instituted the governmental authorities. They ultimately stem from him. And, now, you are free in Christ to serve God by serving your nation.

3. Exile Citizens Treat Everyone Well (17)

17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

A Nod to Tensions

Peter closes this section on Exile Citizens by telling us that Exile Citizens treat everyone well. He said, “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (17).

This cluster of quick exhortations contains a nod to the tensions we will feel as Exile Citizens.

• First, there is the tension between the community of our society (the one everyone lives in and the emperor rules over) and our new believing society (the one the brotherhood and God are in).
• Second, there is the tension between God and the emperor. Though the governmental authorities (kings, presidents, governors, and emperors) should be honored, God should be feared (respected).
• Third, there is the tension between kingdoms. We are meant to care about everyone, about benefiting our earthly kingdoms, but we are also meant to care about the invisible kingdom, about benefitting our brotherhood.

So as believers, we live in this place of tension. But each of these closing exhortations helps us navigate the tension well and even make good decisions when one group must be prioritized over another. Let’s think for a second about each category.

Honor for Everyone

First, Peter said we should honor everyone. Exile Citizens, believers, know that every person is made in God’s image. No matter how radical their ideology has departed from God’s ways, every human on earth today has the echoes of God’s design reverberating within them. This means they will do some good things, make some cool stuff, and are worthy of honor. This is why, for instance, you will hear Christians champion religious rights for people of other faiths. It isn’t that we agree with their religion. It isn’t even that we think if they aren’t protected, neither will we. It’s that we believe everyone should be honored.

Love for God’s People

Second, Peter said we should love the brotherhood. Exile Citizens love God’s family. We have a new, special family that we are called to embrace.

Fear for God

Third, Peter said we should fear God. We’ve thought about this in a previous study (1 Peter 1:17). Peter isn’t saying we should live in terror of God, but respect for God.

Honor for Government

Fourth, Peter said we should honor the emperor. We should be people who give honor to the governing authorities. It isn’t so much that they are people worthy of honor or that they make honorable decisions at all times, but that they also are made in God’s image, and their position is one God has ordained. Exile Citizens might disagree, but we are good and respectful in our disagreement.

Conclusion

These are hard words from Peter. They challenge us and should make us think cautiously about what we say or think about governmental authorities. Exile Christians should not respond impulsively but thoughtfully, strategically, and respectfully — all while maintaining good works.

One last exhortation: don’t fixate too much on the government. Jesus didn’t. He was in the thick of Roman oppression — and had a few comments about it — but was focused on his mission. Fixation on the government or politics is often a sign that a society’s churches and families have devolved. What we should get from relationships and the community of faith, we often start looking for from the government. But what the government does or doesn’t do can lead to disappointment, and when we devote too much of our time observing its behavior, our spirit generally erodes along with our character.

Introduction

In my mid-twenties, while serving at my home church as a young pastor leading various ministries, we installed a new senior pastor. I did not immediately “click” with him or his leadership style, and Christina and I began praying about and investigating possible open doors for ministry in other towns. One morning, as I prayed over the situation, I came in my reading to Proverbs 27. I read:

Proverbs 27:18 (ESV) — 18 Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored.

The verse jolted me, and I instantly discerned I was supposed to treat this man as my master. I was to guard and care for him like a farmer tending a fig tree. If I did, the Spirit assured me, I would be honored, just as someone who cares for the crop will eat its fruit. In short, I learned that I needed to work hard for him, and that in return, good stuff would unfold for me. And that’s what happened: two years later, he led the charge in appointing me the new lead pastor of our church.

I tell this story because the way we work matters; this is different from saying our work matters. And our work does matter. We are still living under the first commission to fill the earth and subdue it, so when we make widgets, teach language, or decode weather patterns in our workplaces, we are fulfilling part of God’s important mission for our lives. Our work matters.

But it is also the way we work that matters. And all of us work. It might be a job, it might be a career, it might be school, it might be at home, but we all work. Even when the work itself feels insignificant, how we accomplish that work is significant, especially to God. And the passage in front of us should fill us with inspiration regarding how we work, but it will also challenge us. As exile Christians, believers who are being pushed to the margins of our society, how we work is of great importance. It’s an opportunity for our own transformation, but it is also an opportunity to testify of God’s grace in our lives. Our work is one of the best ways for us to emulate Jesus, and this passage will spur us in that direction. Let’s read:

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.

Servants

The first word of the passage should catch our attention: servants (18). Peter was writing during to first-century believers found in the Roman Empire. Many of them were household servants. Some of our modern English translations call them “slaves.” It’s a tricky word because when we think of servants in our modern context, we might think of a Downton Abbey-styled English estate with a large proliferation of serving staff. And when we think of slaves, we inevitably think of the horrors of the 19th century in American society.

But the first-century slaves in the Roman Empire were not akin to either. They were like modern employees in that they were managers, overseers, and often trained in various fields. Doctors, nurses, teachers, musicians, and artists were all part of that slave class. Many of them had sold themselves into slavery — better thought of in those cases as indentured servitude — for a number of years. And nearly all of them had a hope or expectation of future release or redemption. Additionally, they did not comprise one race of people but came from various cultures throughout the known world.

All that said, it was unlike modern employment in many ways. Masters most certainly owned their servants. And many of them did not volunteer themselves in any way but were captured in war with Rome. Their legal, social, and economic status was clearly lower than those who were free in Roman society. So it was not a good or holy situation. It was not ideal but not as debased and wretched as the trans-Atlantic slave trade of our nation’s history.

Because much of the Roman Empire was enslaved — some estimate up to sixty percent — and because the gospel appeals to those without hope, much of the early church was enslaved. So, not only were these enslaved Christians beginning to feel outcast for their faith, but they had to deal with the workplace drama that went along with being a believer. What would Peter tell them to do?

1. Do Good Work (18)

Be Subject

The first thing Peter told them was to do good work. He said they should be subject to their masters with all respect (18). My assumption is that if Peter told a group of first-century Christian servants to be subject to their masters, he would tell twenty-first-century Christian employees to be subject to their employers as well.

Proverbs 12:27 tells us that diligence is a person’s possession (NKJV). Believers should be excellent employees. God has grabbed ahold of our lives, and now we live in the fear of the Lord. His authority and presence and holiness are meant to inform our every action. Even when no one else is around, we know God is involved in our lives. And we want to please him. So we should work with diligence.

Because Jesus went above and beyond for us, believers should never be those who do the bare minimum. Because Jesus always lived to please his Father, believers should never work well only when the boss is watching. Because Jesus willingly volunteered himself for us, believers should never be hard to approach about new responsibilities. Because Jesus stepped off his rightful throne to serve us, believers should never feel entitled to positions and raises in their workplaces. And because Jesus worked so hard for us, believers should never be lazy.

So Peter told the church to be subject to the workplace authority in their lives.

Leaders: Be Good and Gentle

Before moving forward in the text, there are a couple of things worth noting. First, notice how Peter told those servants to be subject to their masters, not only the good and gentle, but also the unjust (18). What I want to point out is the ideal: good and gentle. Many of us are in positions of authority in the workplace. Without directly communicating to the first-century masters who might’ve been part of the church, Peter did show them the way they should be. Good and gentle.

If it is a bad witness for a Christian worker to do bad work, it is also a bad witness for a Christian employer to provide a bad work environment. I don’t like hearing about Christian employers or business owners who treat their employees poorly or pay them low wages. It is a challenge, I know, and leaders certainly cannot let their Christianity make it easy for people to take advantage of them, but it should be a good experience working for a Christian because they are both good and gentle.

2. Believe in the Power of a Transformed Life (18-19)

Injustice

So, as exile-workers, we must be subject to our workplace leadership. But, secondly, we must also believe in the power of a transformed life.

Peter didn’t think all masters would be good and gentle. He thought some would be unjust (18). Everyone knew about unjust masters in the Roman Empire, just as everyone knows about them today. But when Peter said the poor treatment of slaves was unjust, he gave unprecedented status to the slave. Many in that era, including no less than Aristotle, thought of slaves as sub-human tools to whom no true injustice could be done. But the apostle corrected that thinking; many masters were unjust.

But the apostolic call, both here and in Paul’s writings, was never for revolution. What they proposed was more effective. They confronted unjust social structures by telling Christians to submit to God by submitting themselves to injustice. This is shocking to us because one Christian ideal is the righting of wrongs, replacing injustice with righteousness. But as the early apostles stared into the face of the first-century way of life, they didn’t hold out much hope for changing the ways of the world. Peter and Paul weren’t very optimistic about reforming the world.

What these men saw instead was a gospel revolution led by spiritual people who were so different from natural people. And when the servants Peter wrote to began living the way Peter told them, their way of living would most certainly have sparked questions. Masters and other servants who didn’t know Jesus would’ve wondered why these Christians behaved like they did.

This is why I say we must believe in the power of transformed life. As people under the influence of the Spirit, our reaction to the injustices done to us should be far different from the shouting, vengeful, and hostile way of the world. I am certainly not saying we shouldn’t be working to combat injustice done to others. But the way we struggle against it will be different. And when injustice happens directly to us, our reaction should show the effects of Jesus on our lives. And we should not underestimate the impact and impression this can make on others. Ultimately, it was through the power of transformed lives that the entire Roman system eventually came down. Peter’s counsel was more effective than any short-term revolution.

But let’s read on in our passage:

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20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

3. Know God Is Involved (19-21)

So far, we’ve learned that we must be subject in our workplaces. We’ve also seen that we must believe in the power of a transformed life. And, now, the third thing I want you to see in our text is that we must know God is involved.

Mindful of God (19)

Peter shows us God’s involvement in three ways. First, he tells us that when unjust suffering comes our way, we should endure those sorrows while being mindful of God (19). To be mindful of God in your workplace, especially one where you are treated unfairly, is to be conscious of God’s presence and remaining loyal to him. I think Peter knew that enduring a rough workplace is impossible unless we know God is with us in the pain. But God’s presence helps us endure.

In many instances, the workplace is a world of temptation, and it can be difficult for the believer to know how to act. But we must remember God is with us. We must be mindful of God when the jokes are inappropriate. We must be mindful of God when the after-work gatherings get out of hand. We must be mindful of God when a coworker pulls up sinful images on their phone. We must be mindful of God when we’re asked to rejoice in something we cannot rejoice in. I remember one coworker (not in church-work) celebrating an extra-marital affair he was having. Awkward. We must be mindful of God.

Gracious Thing in God’s Sight (20)

But it’s not just that we are to be mindful of God. Peter tells us God is mindful of us! He said, “when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God” (20).

There will be many times we suffer because of our own sin. Peter isn’t talking about that, but it bears repeating. Many believers will act foolishly, obnoxiously, disrespectfully, or lazily and wonder why they get hostility in return.

But Peter thinks it’s admirable when someone does good and suffers for it with endurance (20). God sees it. It is a gracious thing to him.

In Genesis, Joseph was sold into slavery by his older brothers. He was eventually purchased by a man named Potiphar. Rather than sulk, he served Potiphar’s household well. After some false accusations, he was thrown into an Egyptian prison. But rather than sulk, he served the other prisoners. And, one day, this led to his exaltation as Pharaoh’s right-hand man.

Daniel is another Bible character who did good and sometimes received suffering in return. He was constantly threatened, challenged, and doubted. And one time, he was even thrown into a lion’s den by his boss (a guy who said, “I wish I could do something, but it’s our policy”). When God protected Daniel in all these instances, he never lit up his adversaries or bosses but continued to endure with good works. And to think of how easily we light up someone for poor customer service.

And Peter’s thought is that God sees all this. Later, Peter will say, “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:14). God’s Spirit rests on you when you endure hostility for God.

Our Calling (21)

But not only are we to be mindful of God while God is mindful of us. Peter also said God is involved with our suffering because he has called us into it! He said, “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you” (21).

Could it be? Is it really possible that believers are called to suffer? Yes. This is an astounding statement from Peter. The world, of course, is filled with suffering as a result of sin’s entrance into our species. But Peter is not telling us suffering is inevitable because we are world citizens. He is instead saying suffering is our calling because we are citizens of God’s kingdom.

This teaching is a far cry from the spirit of many believers who claim the peace of Christ while expecting a tribulation-free life. Many believers would rather reject this teaching from Peter and replace it with Peter’s advice to Jesus that he avoid the suffering of the cross (Matthew 16:22). But, to that spirit, we must say what Jesus said to Peter at that time: “get behind me, Satan,” for the desire to avoid all suffering is satanic in origin.

So, while we suffer, especially in our workplaces, we are to remember that God is involved. He is present. We are to be mindful of him. He is mindful of us. And he has called us to a bit of suffering.

To be frank, part of Christian maturity is to, like Jesus, choose suffering at times. The great commission to make disciples of all nations is no joke, but it is difficult, and sometimes we have to choose hard paths to get the mission accomplished. So, perhaps, as we suffer unjustly in our workplaces, we are being trained for the mission Jesus has for us. Maybe he is strengthening us through suffering so that we will more easily choose suffering when needed for his kingdom.

4. Follow Christ’s Example (21-24)

Peter’s Usage of Isaiah 53

When Peter said Jesus is our example, so that we might follow in his steps, he used a word the Greeks used to describe a student-artist copying a masterpiece (21). Like using trace paper to copy the original, so Christians are meant to follow Jesus’ life, his steps.

But what example does Peter have in mind, especially when it comes to our workplaces? To answer, he quotes portions of Isaiah 53, a prophecy explicitly and obviously about Jesus. Let’s read:

22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

What of Jesus are we to follow? How is he our example, especially in workplace suffering?

Without Retaliation

The first thing Peter highlight is that Jesus responded without retaliation of any kind. He did not sin in response to the religious or Roman authorities. And he did not lash out with deceitful or reviling words. Peter seems to have wanted to highlight the words (or lack of words) from Jesus. I can only imagine that, as a guy who often said whatever he was thinking, Peter was especially impressed that Jesus didn’t say anything in the garden, during his trials, or on the cross that was sinful. He didn’t return insults. He didn’t threaten. He didn’t warn. Instead, he pleaded with God for the forgiveness of his oppressors, saying, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

In the Old Testament, there came a time when King David was betrayed by his own son. In David’s younger years, before he was king, he had fled to the wilderness because King Saul wanted to kill him. Years later, after he’d become king, his own son betrayed him. Again he was driven to the wilderness. On his way there, a man named Shimei came out and cursed David, suggesting he deserved all this because of how he’d treated Saul in the past. It was the very definition of a false accusation. One of David’s warrior-nephews asked if he could eliminate the accuser. But David responded:

2 Samuel 16:11–12 (ESV) — 11 “Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.”

Like Christ, David would not revile or threaten in return. And Jesus is our example today.

With Sacrifice for Others

But Peter tells us Jesus also responded with sacrifice for others. He said, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree (another way of saying “the cross”), that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (24).

So not only did Jesus respond to hostility without any hostility, but he responded with the sacrifice of himself for our sins. Peter says bluntly that Jesus bore our sins when he died on the cross. He says it took Jesus’ wounds to heal us of our wounds, the ones caused by sin.

And, like Christ, sometimes we are called to suffer as a sacrifice to bring life to others.

His Help

When I was young, Michael Jordan was the dominant force in basketball. It was a thrill to watch someone so great play the game. And he was marketed like crazy. I remember one commercial, Gatorade’s “Be Like Mike” campaign. It flashed back and forth from Michael Jordan playing basketball to regular people trying to imitate him. And the idea was that, since Michael Jordan drank Gatorade, we should also drink Gatorade and Be Like Mike. I don’t think anyone mistook the commercial as saying that we could actually be like Michael Jordan on the basketball court. All we could really do is drink “Citrus Cooler” flavored Gatorade like Mike did.

But you and I can actually be like Jesus. His Spirit resides within us. He wants to help us live as he did. He wants to strengthen us to refrain from retaliation and instead sacrifice for others, especially in our workplaces.

The Just Judge

There is another help to all this, by the way. Peter mentioned that Jesus himself used this help: “He continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (23). This means Jesus repeatedly, amid all the accusations and slander and mistreatment, prayerfully committed his life to his Father. And he knew the Father would handle it. He knew the Father would justly judge all the sins committed against him.

This is a good strategy to follow because our best self-defense is never as good as God’s defense. So, when mistreated, entrust yourself to God.

So what happens if I do good work, respectfully, for an unjust master? What happens if I respond like Jesus? Won’t they take advantage of me? Won’t I be abused?

Peter isn’t concerned with answering those questions, and the people he wrote to didn’t have the freedoms we have in our society. We can look for a new job, but, in the meantime, we must entrust ourselves to God as they did.

Let’s read our final verse today:

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25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

5. Aim for Lost To Be Found (25)

Today we have learned that exile work should be good work. We’ve seen we must believe in the power of a transformed life and that God is involved with us in the workplace. We’ve also been exhorted to follow Christ’s example. But in this last little verse, we are encouraged to, in our workplaces, aim for the lost to be found.

Why do I say this? Well, Peter draws our attention to how we were lost and straying sheep, but that now we have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls (25). We used to be lost, but Jesus came and found us. The Good Shepherd left the ninety-nine to find the one (Luke 15).

But, today, we are surrounded by other lost sheep. The Shepherd is looking for them. And he might use us to search them out. So it stands to reason that we would work in a way that aims for the lost to be found.

Remember, brothers and sisters, we are exiles. We belong to another kingdom. Let’s work as if King Jesus were directing our lives today.

1 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

(7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.)

What the Gospel Does to Marriage

The history of marriage is fraught with ugliness and despair. In many cultures and societies, women have been treated as property or objects, often without any recourse, but the gospel gives hope. Jesus envisioned marriage as going back to the Garden of Eden, where husband and wife were one flesh, helping and serving one another in a sacrificial, covenantal, two-person community. So, as believers, we know the gospel does beautiful things to marriage. It takes it from the world of contract (if you make me happy with your actions, I will try to make you happy) — and brings it to the world of covenant (I am here for you no matter what). It takes marriage from the realm of risk (I hope this doesn’t crush me) to the realm of safety (I am completely known and still safe with this person). It takes marriage from a competition between the sexes (I am better than you) to a longing to complement the other (how can I help you flourish?). It takes marriage from law to grace. The gospel is good for marriage.

It is with this knowledge that passages like ours might be initially shocking. It is filled with words like subjection, submission, lord, and weaker. Some of the phrases make the modern person cringe. This is ironic for two reasons. First, the original hearers of this whole passage, including the slave passage from our last study, would have felt these words were affirming and empowering. Slaves and wives in that society were not given the dignity of sorting out their own response to God. Society had an expectation of them, and they were not consulted in the process. Here, however, the apostle addresses them as they are: humans made in God’s image, people who could make decisions that glorified God. And the second reason our modern repulsion to some of these phrases is ironic is that we would never have had that repulsion unless the gospel had come. In societies where Jesus’ message has never taken root, the rights of women, the poor, or children are not taken seriously. It is only because of Jesus’ influence that we have these emotions in the first place.

All that said, we have a great opportunity in front of us. God has a vision for how his people should live. We are a holy nation inside unholy nations. We are an alternate society inside mainstream societies, which means our marriages will often operate differently than the world around us. So how does God want us to live? What does exilic Christianity (and exilic marriage) look like?

Our Plan

And over the next three weeks, including today, we are going to try to answer that question. This week we will focus on Exile Wives. Next week, Exile Husbands. And then, I would like to take an additional week to glean principles for dating from this passage — Exile Dating. I think the timing is perfect because this Saturday morning, the pastors (and our wives) are hosting a brief marriage conference for you. Please register by clicking “events” on the bottom of calvary.com.

But I would like to try one additional thing over the next few weeks. I would like to talk to you about marriage with my wife, Christina. So, during the next three Sundays, if you have questions about marriage and dating, please text your questions to our church number (831-277-7999) or DM our Calvary Monterey account on Instagram or Facebook. After this three-week series, Christina and I will sit down in the studio and answer some of the questions the team gives us. If everything goes according to plan, we will release those to you in the week after recording. So please send in your questions if you have them. Let’s grow in our marriages and perspectives!

Delicate Issues

I also wanted to mention that this entire subject (and passage) can be delicate. Many in the church would like to be married but are not. So talk about marriage could be painful. And many marriages are filled with pain. Some Christian marriages are only half-Christian because one spouse is not in Christ and does not want to pursue him. And some marriages are downright dangerous. Nothing Peter says here is meant to put a woman in danger of any kind. If a man is abusive or threatening, Peter’s exhortation that wives be subject (or submissive) to their husbands was never meant to excuse an abusive environment.

But we must push through because the health of our church’s marriages has a major impact on our community. We all — single and married — need a vision for marriage.

So for today, we are looking at Exile Wives. How does the apostle see them? What are Christian wives to be like?

1 Exile Wives Have Jesus As Their Model (1).

1 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands…

Like All Believers

Over the past three weeks, we have noted a theme of submission. Citizens were meant to be subject to the governing authorities. Servants were to be subject to their masters. And, today, wives were to be subject to their husbands.

Peter began this exhortation to wives with a word: likewise (1). It was his way of drawing the wives back to the same motivation the servants tapped into. Peter had just told them all about Jesus, how he did not return hostility for hostility. He did not verbally respond to their threats. He sacrificed himself for those who sinned against him. And he entrusted himself to the Father, who would justly judge everyone for their actions (see 1 Peter 2:21-25).

And Jesus is every believer’s model — it’s clear Peter thinks this way. He doesn’t think these aspects of Jesus’ nature are for only servants and wives, but every Christian.

Submission Defined

But, beyond drawing their attention back to Jesus, Peter wanted the wives to — just as Jesus was subject to the authorities while committing himself to God — submit themselves to their husbands while committing themselves to God (1, 5-6).

To me, once a Christian marriage has devolved into a discussion on submission, it is in serious trouble. It will never be the central issue in a thriving marriage. In fact, in a healthy marriage, there will be much mutual submission. Before Paul told Christian wives to submit to their own husbands as to the Lord, he to believers to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21-22). Just as a single-lane bridge will have a yield sign on both sides, so a good Christian marriage will have two people who are ready to yield. And the second the husband starts telling his wife she needs to submit, the dude has lost.

That said, I do not want to diminish the significance of Peter’s (or Paul’s) words. Some have tried to dilute the word “subjection” or “submission” to mean something like being lovingly thoughtful or considerate. But this is not a legitimate way to see this word, partly because every time this word is used in the New Testament, it speaks of submitting to the authority of another. As a child, Jesus submitted to his parents. Demons were subject to Jesus’ disciples. The Bible says citizens are subject to the government, the universe and unseen spiritual powers are subject to Christ, Jesus is submissive to the Father, church members are subject to church leaders and to Christ, and that we are also subject to God. None of those roles are ever reversed.

All this to say, it’s clear that even though a healthy marriage will display mutual submission, the idea of submission flows in a specific direction. In the home, the husband ought to take the lead. I pray — and I will hash this out next week — that it is loving, servant-leadership like Christ for his bride, but he is to take the lead.

None of this should be taken as a pathway to chauvinism; this is not Peter’s way of saying the men are better. When Paul built this case, he appealed to the creation. Adam and Eve were made equal in God’s sight, but God gave each of them a role to play before him and each other. But this is often hard for us to understand because we usually think of leadership as a position to be earned, not bestowed, so the person with the most schooling, talent, or success should take the lead. But the apostles didn’t see the leadership of the husband as a result of his quality, but his calling. To take the lead in the home is not a position to be earned, but one bestowed from Father God through the Son to Christian husbands.

So what is submission, then? In biblical submission, the wife makes a choice to place herself, as an equal, under her husband. She comes under his lead, as Jesus does to the Father and like the church should for Christ, for the effectiveness of the marriage and family. Just as the church works best when Jesus is the functional leader, so the marriage and family work best when the man is lovingly leading and serving his wife and children.

Unfortunately, however, this beautiful ideal is often not the reality. Peter knew that many wives in the church were married to unbelieving or disobedient men. And when the ideal is not happening, there is sometimes a question about how far submission should go. To that, we should answer: it should never go into ungodliness. This is clear because Peter said submission would include reverence for God and pure conduct (2). If submitting to her husband requires a wife to disobey God, she must not submit. Just as Christian citizens will do all they can to obey the governing authorities without crossing into sin, so the Christian wife will do all she can to follow her husband, yet without sin.

2 Exile Wives Want to Persuade Towards Jesus (1-2).

1b …So that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct.

The Goal

This is a fascinating statement from Peter. When Paul wrote about marital submission, he used theological reasoning. God created man first and gave him that role. Just as the Son follows the Father, even though they are equal, so the wife should follow the husband. But Peter is not making a theological case for submission, but an apologetic one. He wants people to know Jesus! So he wanted the church to behave in ways he thought would lead to as many people as possible knowing him. And he thought unbelieving husbands might be won to Christ without a word by the conduct of their wives (1).

The Method

It is important to note the method Peter thought would persuade many husbands to turn to Christ. First, he thought they would be more prone to receive a wordless message. This is a counterintuitive approach because when someone doesn’t know their need for God and his gospel, we want to explain their need for God and his gospel. But Peter wanted wives to show their unbelieving husbands the power of the gospel through the way they lived. Just as Christian citizens are to put to silence their opponents by devoting themselves to good works (2:15), and Christian servants should shock their workplace by enduring even when treated unfairly (2:20), so Christian wives should jolt their unbelieving husbands with their actions and not their words.

But Peter also said these wives would be respectful and have pure conduct (2). It would be natural to think he’s talking about the way the wives are to treat their husbands, but his letter is full of exhortations telling Christians to walk respectfully towards God. And that fear of the Lord is what Peter is talking about here. He wants Christians — including wives — to live in a way that communicates God’s authority over their lives. And pure conduct will result. Not because a husband or master or politician told us to do something, but because we fear God.

This is usually the most effective approach. Imagine a pizza restaurant employing a guy to stand on the street with a big sign, spinning it, and he busily tries to recruit people to come on in a buy some pizza. That’s one way to do it. Or, as my favorite pizza place does, they can make really great pizza and pump the smell of it out into the neighborhood. Pretty soon, plenty of people will want pizza. Wordless. But effective.

The ancient and important theologian, Augustine, watched his own father come to Christ this way. For years, his mother served her unbelieving husband, but, finally, when he was about to die, he submitted himself to Christ. Augustine wrote in his prayer journal to God: “She gained him for you.”

3 Exile Wives Understand True Beauty (3-4).

3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

Adorning Defined

This is another sentence ripe for misunderstanding. We live in a time where we are, in many ways rightfully, sensitive to anyone telling women how to look or dress. For far too long, men have looked however they want, and not many voices rise up to police their behavior, but women all over the world in various cultures are told what they must or must not wear.

Even in our recent Olympic games, there were minor uproars on both sides. In some of the sports, organizers were confronted about skimpy outfits for women, while the men performed more fully clothed. On the other hand, at least one female track athlete rebuked an official for saying her shorts were too small. She made it clear: “I can wear what I want.”

However, Peter is not following a long line of religions that seek to regulate the clothing of its female adherents. Peter meant that Christian women must know that their main source of beauty comes from within, in the heart, and is imperishable. This is consistent with the rest of Scripture, much of which praises women for their unique beauty in the sight of God and man. Even in the context of Peter’s statement, he will praise many of the Old Testament women for their character, women who were often also praised for their beautiful appearance. But Peter wants godly women to know that their internal beauty is much more precious in God’s sight (and therefore in the sight of anyone who is godly).

This makes sense when looking at the actual words Peter used. He did not say, “don’t let your beauty be external,” but “don’t let your adorning be external.” Some translations try to add clarity to Peter’s statement about clothing by adding a description: fine clothing. But Peter only wrote the Greek word for clothing — he didn’t say what kind. But it would be nonsense to understand him as saying, “Don’t braid your hair. Don’t wear gold jewelry. And don’t wear clothes.” No! What Peter means is that a godly woman should not find her primary beauty in anything external.

It is important for Exile Wives, and all Christian women for that matter, to resist society’s message that your appearance is where your true beauty lies. And that’s the world we live in. Even when it prioritizes gender equality or claims goodness, much of culture pushes a self-assertive, sex-obsessed, materially prosperous, and physically perfect outward image as the ideal. But this runs counter to the word of God. There, we learn that God is interested in the heart and that a woman’s beauty does not have to peak in her younger years.

Proverbs 31:30 (NKJV)—30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

As believers, we must watch out for entanglement or enslavement to the world’s value system. Our fitness level, our look, or our clothing can all entrap us and give us the confidence and security that we should get from God. And when you live by that sword, you die by it too, so if you get your value from looking good, what happens on the days (or decades) when you don’t?

I, for one, believe fashion and beauty must be put in their proper place. To me, I think they can be an expression of the gospel and lordship of Christ. Our fitness (taking care of our bodies) can be a way the Spirit evidences the fruit of self-control and discipline. Our beauty can serve as a testimony of God’s ability to create beauty from ashes. Even our clothing can serve as a way to demonstrate that Jesus is Lord of our lives if we dress in a way that would honor him, the one who clothes us with righteousness. To me, these attitudes are better than looking for a line not to cross. Instead, believers can redeem fashion and beauty by living them out for God’s glory, all the while acknowledging that they are nothing compared to the beauty of the inward person.

Another thing I should say here is that Peter is not rebuking Christian women who have big personalities. When he said there is an imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, very precious in God’s sight, he did not mean that a funny or quick-witted or leadership-oriented woman is out of line. But, within the context of following in marriage and their walk with God, it is good to be gentle and quiet in spirit (4). In spirit. Internally. We should long for our inner person to be beautiful and submissive to God. God sees this and is pleased.

So, though I know people are trying to look good for as long as they can, believers should not fall into the trap of chasing external beauty harder than we chase godliness. We are all getting older. Paul said:

2 Corinthians 4:16 (NIV)—16 Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

But too many are spending thoughts, prayers, money, and time pursuing outward appearance that they should be spending on their internal appearance. It can be a bottomless pit. Many of us spend lots of time looking in the mirror but don’t often hold up the mirror of God’s word to more accurately see our inner person. But the inner person is who matters more, and our inner character can become more and more beautiful as the years tick by. I, for one, want to have as much hair (on my head) as I can, as much strength as I can, and as little fat as I can, for as long as I can, but not at the expense of godliness. I plan to die one ugly old dude who is attractive for his love and grace and wisdom.

4 Exile Wives Are Secure When Marriage Is Hard (5-6).

5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

Look to Sarah’s Example

Here, Peter holds out the holy women of the Old Testament, especially Sarah, as godly wives who were secure in God even when marriage was hard (5-6). If you aren’t familiar with Sarah and Abraham, you can read their story in Genesis. God chose Abraham for great blessing, and because Abraham was justified when he believed God, he became the father of the faith. But being Abraham’s wife was not always easy.

For one, there were some crucial times Abraham listened to Sarah when he shouldn’t have. Her counsel to him about how to produce an heir through their female servant was catastrophic. But then there were times Abraham operated in fear, and in those cases, Sarah was especially vulnerable. On two occasions, Abraham told Sarah to pretend to be his sister when in hostile territory. He was nervous that the kings of the regions he and Sarah visited would kill Abraham because Sarah was so beautiful — if he was her husband. But as her “brother,” he felt he had a better chance. But this endangered Sarah!

Yet Peter rejoices that Sarah obeyed/followed Abraham into his folly (6). How did she do it? She hoped in God, Peter says (5). She did good, and didn’t fear anything that was frightening (6). Though it was a terrifying experience to follow Abraham in those moments, her fears were calmed by hoping and trusting in God.

Secure in God

You see, even when marriage is hard, especially for the wife, the believing wife is secure in God. If your husband won’t work, God can provide for you. If your husband wants to be a pro-gamer, God can give your life meaning. If your husband is foolish, God can preserve you. If your husband won’t obey God, God can watch over you. If your husband puts your finances or future in jeopardy, God has a secure future for you. You are secure in God.

Conclusion

Christian marriages should look different. Today we have thought mostly about wives, and next week we will consider the husband’s role.

7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Husbands Must Submit To God

The theme of the passage we have been studying for the past three weeks is submission. First, Peter taught Christian citizens to submit to the governing authorities. Then he told Christian servants to submit to their masters. Finally, he instructed Christian wives to submit to their own husbands. Each passage was (and is) challenging, but each also represents the heart and mind and example of Christ who laid down his life without returning hostility for hostility.

Today, though Peter doesn’t tell Christian husbands to submit, he begins his instruction to them with the word “likewise” (7). This connective word helps us remember that every Christian is meant to submit. Every believer is meant to be submissive to someone. Even though these believing husbands are not told to submit to their wives, they are told to submit to God. Exile Husbands must be men who follow God no matter what.

And part of a husband’s submission to God is submission to the role God has designed for him. This means Christian husbands should look different from society’s husbands. So today, we will ask: What does God want for husbands? If wives should submit to their husband’s lead, what should his leadership look like? How can an Exile Husband lead well?

1. Live With Her In An Understanding Way

7a Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way,

Understanding

I think the church has often dabbled in stereotypes when it comes to the differences between men and women. Not every man is a belching, sports-loving, Homer Simpson. Nor is every woman into needlepoint and potpourri. Men can be poets and musicians, kind and sensitive, or good conversationalists. Women can be athletic and active, handy and hardworking, or decisive and strong.

Still, it should be obvious there are some major, general differences between the sexes. Because of this, many men have become intimidated by Peter’s instruction. Married Christian men must live with their wives in an understanding way (7). Immediately, many men wonder, how will I ever understand her? Some translations even pick up on this apprehension by instead saying husbands should be considerate of their wives (NIV). But the idea of the word Peter used concerns gaining knowledge. This means marriage is a place of learning. Time to go to school, gentlemen.

Let me give you two words of solace before giving you some instruction. First, Peter didn’t say you have to understand all women, just that you have to try to understand one woman, your bride. The rest of them can be a complete and total mystery. Second, as I heard one wise woman advise, even if you don’t understand your wife, you can still be understanding toward your wife. With gentleness, patience, and kindness, you can make space for her to safely become known and understood. If you are a Christ-following husband who wants to submit to God’s leadership of your life, you will seek to understand your wife’s feelings, perspectives, priorities, needs, dreams, fears, and hopes. You will work hard to understand your bride.

7 Ways To Understand Your Wife

So let’s think about some ways a husband can live with his wife in an understanding way:

1. Devote time and energy to the task. One of the myths of our modern time is that a good marriage shouldn’t take any work. No one says this directly, but this is implied when people look around for a compatible spouse who will not seek to change them. Good luck. We are too different, too broken, and too sinful not to require change after getting married. Marriage takes work. And work takes time. One of the best decisions Christina and I made early in our marriage was to have a weekly date night. It is during those times together I can ask questions and (perpetually) get to know my wife. A man cannot possibly understand his wife without devoting time and energy to the task.

2. Study Scripture, especially about biblical marriage. At a recent family movie night, my girls elected to watch Napoleon Dynamite, one of my all-time favorites, so I jumped at the chance. In one of its most iconic scenes, the protagonist is discouraged because he doesn’t have any good skills, and “girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.” When asked what he means, he replies, “nunchuk skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills…”

The Christian husband should want to get some marriage skills! And we can grow in these skills by looking into the word of God. You are meant to understand your bride. The Bible says a lot about her design, your design, and his will for the both of you together. And there are so many great books and Bible studies that can help the Christian man grow in his marital skills. Just yesterday, at our marriage conference, many books were suggested by our pastoral team. Read them.

3. Ask lots of open-ended questions. Some women are naturally expressive and don’t need much prompting. Others must be drawn out. Either way, a husband can learn a lot about his wife by asking her questions. These questions must be sincere, not mechanical; you must be all-in while you ask the question. Wait for her response. Listen. Do what you can to get her talking.

4. Learn about her personality. Many modern personality profile systems offer free tests online. Getting your wife to take one or two of those tests (and doing them yourself) can be a great way to spark dialogue about who she is and what drives her.

5. Tell her what you think you’re hearing. By repeating what you think she just said or meant, you can find out if you are growing in your understanding. I have been amazed at how many times I have thought I understood what Christina meant, only to find we were worlds apart. Digesting her words out loud can help correct those mistakes.

6. Take a humble posture. If a husband approaches his wife with pride, he will inevitably think his thoughts and ways are superior to hers. And as long as a guy thinks his wife’s thoughts and ways are inferior to his, he will never understand her well. One wise husband told me, “I try to believe my wife is right until she’s proven wrong.” Since we are designed to complement each other, a wife’s perspective often won’t make immediate sense to the husband. It will seemingly have nothing to do with the issue at hand. But, through careful listening and question asking, you will grow in wisdom once you understand her perspective. All this takes a humble posture.

7. Be safe and approachable. Revealing yourself to someone else can be intimidating. Husbands can encourage their wives to vulnerably share who they are with them by providing a safe and approachable environment. If he responds to his wife with hostility, anger, or argument, it will become harder for her to open up to him.

Live With Your Wife In An Understanding Way

We could list many more ways a husband can grow in his understanding of his wife, but we must move on. Before we do, I should point out something obvious: the knowledge must be applied. It is one thing to learn about your wife, but Peter wants us to live with her according to that knowledge. Apply what you learn.

2. Honor Her As The Weaker Vessel

7b showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel,

Weaker Vessel?

The Exile Husband should dwell with his wife in an understanding way, but he should also honor her as the weaker vessel (7). Before thinking about what it means to honor the woman, we have to define what Peter meant by “weaker vessel” (7).

The second word is easier to define than the first. A vessel is a household utensil used for containing liquids or foods. The idea of human beings as vessels is not alien to Scripture. Every believer is in an instrument in God’s house, a vessel for his use. Men are vessels. Women are vessels.

But Peter says that the wife is a weaker vessel than her husband. He doesn’t say how so many have speculated about his meaning. As you might expect, many interpreters have run off into wild or inappropriate directions, portraying women as hysterical people without any control of their emotions, people who aren’t capable of the real rigors of life. Please.

Some of these more outlandish interpretations have caused some to think Peter only had physical strength in mind. And, generally, especially in societies where men regularly engaged in physical labor and chores from a young age, they are stronger than women. It is a fact of biology.

But I don’t think Peter is telling husbands to honor their wives because they are physically stronger than their wives. Within the context of this section, the weakness Peter is thinking of consists of two elements. First, Peter has just finished talking to citizens who are subjects of the government, slaves who are subject to their masters, and wives whom he told to submit to their husbands. These wives, in other words, were in a position of weakness, not power, and the husbands needed to understand this without abusing it. Secondly, brutish husbands might use their position and their physical strength against their wives. Peter thinks this should never be so in the Christian home.

So it seems safe to say the weaker vessel is the person who is most vulnerable in the relationship, the one who must follow the lead of the other. Christian husbands should realize their responsibility toward their wives — and the absolute havoc and pain they could cause them. Your leadership should build up, defend, and provide a place of safety for your bride. I’m not saying you need to become an alpha male, get a gun, and start your MMA training. But your leadership should acknowledge that it is hard to be a wife, hard to follow someone else, and hard to trust where they are going. Be the kind of man that is easy and safe to follow.

Two More Thoughts

Let me say two more things about the emphasis behind weaker vessel. First, Peter didn’t say that the woman was a weak vessel, but the weaker vessel. Weaker than what? Than whom? Something is only weaker when compared to something else. Two really strong men could be lifting weights together, but one will be weaker than the other. Not necessarily weak, but weaker. Conversely, two really weak preteen boys could lift weights together, and one will be stronger than the other. Not necessarily strong, but stronger.

This makes me want to be as strong of a man as I possibly can for my bride. She is the weaker vessel but not necessarily weak. I want to lead her and set a tone of gracious strength, courage, faith, and boldness — the kind God can supply to us both.

Second, especially for those of you still struggling with the concept, remember Peter’s analogy. The wife is the weaker vessel. There are different vessels in a household, and each has a different usage and durability. Tupperware is more durable than fine plate ware. Wine glasses and weaker vessels than Yeti water bottles — each serves its purpose. In the household analogy, neither vessel is better than the other, but each serves its purpose. In a similar way, the husband and wife have a different design from God but have each been made to serve their purpose. In our home, there’s a reason Christina was the primary potty trainer, and I am the primary driving instructor. We are trying to complement one another (and spread out the stresses of parenting).

Honor Your Wife

It’s clear Peter didn’t think of the wives in a derogatory way when he said they were weaker vessels because he said the husband should honor her in response to that truth. In societies and religions where women are truly seen as second-class citizens, the last thing men do is honor them. If a man thinks of his wife as less-than himself, he will never honor her. But when the knowledge she’s a weaker vessel merely means that she is different from him and in the most vulnerable position in their relationship, he will honor her for who she is and the position she holds.

In our marriage, Christina and I have joined together to fulfill the mission God has given us. And much of that mission involves the work of the church, work I am very much involved with, but Christina caught a vision early on about its importance. She became convinced that I couldn’t do what I do without her support. And I realize fully that, in a sense, she has adopted the second position. In a very real way, you are all recipients of her faithful ministry, support, and love towards me. She, and every bride who follows their husband’s lead in life, is worthy of honor.

A believing husband should work hard to honor his bride. One way to do this is to avoid a tyrannical method of leadership. Be kind. Be compassionate. Be soft (or softer). Be less brutally direct, but say things with tenderness and care. And listen. Move slowly. Communicate. Move through life together. Get her insight and wisdom. Let her speak into your life; she has great insights into who you are, what you’re called to, and how to take life to the next level. And, of course, honor her by keeping appropriate boundaries with other women (or images of other women).

Also, apologize a lot.

3. Live As Coheirs With Her Of The Grace Of Life

7c since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Your Sister In Christ

This statement only backs up the idea that Peter does not think of the wives in a derogatory way. Unlike some religions, female Jesus-followers are coheirs of the grace of life.

Sometimes we speak of the church as a family — it’s one of the analogies the New Testament uses to describe the church (along with flock, building, body, and bride). This is why in some old-timey churches, everyone refers to everyone as brother-this or sister-so-and-so. Well, what Peter is highlighting for the husbands is that your wife is your sister in Christ.

Lead Like A Middle Man

So though the wives are the weaker vessel, and though the husbands have greater authority in the marriage, Peter makes it clear that wife and husband are equals before God. Eternally, they are coheirs before God. Both needed the atoning and cleansing blood of Christ. Both had to place their faith in his death, burial, and resurrection. And both will receive the inheritance reserved for Christ one day.

I think this presents an implied challenge to all husbands. What do I mean? Well, Peter makes it clear that one day your wife, if she is a Christian, will inherit, experience, everlasting life with you. She will be in heaven, in glory. On that day, you will no longer be in a position of authority in her life. She will report directly to God.

So the challenge is simple: lead your wife now in a way that leads to as little change as possible when she’s in glory. The Son follows the Father. You follow the Son. She is to follow you. When you — the middle man — are one day removed, I pray she is not at all shocked when reporting directly to God.

If you refuse to lead, your wife will be tempted to disobey God and do her own thing without you. If you lead abusively, she will be tempted to hate your leadership. In either case, the transition to glory will be a shock. But if you lead well, she might love your leadership because it will feel like God’s leadership — God leading through you. And when she gets to glory, it won’t feel all that different, except now the middle-man will be gone.

The Canary In The Coalmine

Peter concludes by saying there is a reason Christian husbands should understand and honor their wives, a reason they should treat them as coheirs before Christ. If they don’t, their prayers will be hindered (7).

It is unfortunate that some husbands won’t care about their prayers being blocked or ineffective or dysfunctional. Peter is assuming Christian men would care when their prayer lives aren’t working, and I agree with him. Born again, Christian, gospel-men, want to be close with God. The last thing we would want is hindered prayers.

I suspect there is a supernatural and natural reason behind the hindrance Peter warns us about. First, the supernatural reason: God is involved. When a man is walking in sin, in darkness, he is not where God is. Though the blood of Christ brings us from darkness into light, we have a choice where we walk. John said:

1 John 1:6 (ESV)—6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

So God will hinder the prayers if husbands walk in darkness by dishonoring their wives.

But there is a natural reason as well. Many think Peter is alluding to the prayers a husband and wife pray together. And two people cannot pray together effectively when they aren’t in agreement. I know I have been to prayer meetings where I could not agree with the requests and aims of the people in attendance. Our prayers were hindered because we weren’t at all on the same page.

So when a husband doesn’t understand or honor his wife, it will show up if he tries to pray with her. He won’t know how to pray for her because he hasn’t understood her. He won’t know how to pray with her because they aren’t aiming for the same things in life. And she won’t feel safe praying with him because he hasn’t honored her as the weaker vessel.

In a sense, when a Christian husband and wife cannot easily fellowship about God or pray together to God, it is an early indicator of problems throughout the marriage. It’s like the canary in the coalmine. If it stopped singing, miners knew they were running out of oxygen. And when a married couple’s spiritual life before God starts drying up, when the prayers are hindered, it’s an early warning sign that something needs fixing. The couple that prays together stays together, they say. Peter says the couple that cannot pray together has some issues that must be fixed.

Think about it. Prayer with your spouse should be a microcosm of your whole life together. When Christina and I pray together, we ask God for similar things for our lives, marriage, children, friendships, and church. We have regularly communicated about all these things, so nothing shocks us when we get into prayer. I don’t sit there racking my brain — What is going on with her? What in the world should I pray for her about? What are her hopes or fears? What does she want out of life? How are her friendships and family relationships doing? How does she feel the kids are doing right now? Who is she discipling? Nope. I know the answers to those questions. She knows the same about me. So we can pray.

Pray!

By the way, I would urge married couples to pray together. Christina and I prefer protecting one small slot each week where we can together lift up our concerns to God. But, whether you have a prayer meeting each week like we do, or pray each night before bed, or whatever, pray together. Marriage is meant to lead to intimacy, and there is a sense in which praying together is the closest you can be to another person. Pray together.

Conclusion

In closing, let me say this: husbands are leading no matter what. It might be haphazard or neglectful leadership. It might be good and holy leadership. But men are important in this world and in their marriages. It is important for us to lead as God would have us. Let’s receive his grace and, if called to marriage, be the husbands he has redeemed us to become.

Exile Dating — 1 Peter 3:1-7 — The Grace of Exile #16

1 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Introduction

For many, the dating world can feel like the movie 1917, a story about two young British soldiers in World War One who carried an urgent message through enemy territory. They were given a few basic supplies, directions, and a pat on the back before heading out into bullets, bombs, and boobytraps. Danger lurked at every turn. It was a constant game of survival. Many believers feel the dating world is the same.

The need for good, biblical counsel becomes more acute when we consider the terrible advice circulating among the masses. People are told to follow their hearts, date for fun, try recreational romance, live together before marriage, and look out for themselves, all while learning strategies to manipulate, deceive, and play at the dating “game.” But dating is not meant to be a fun stage of life — it is more akin to a job interview to discover if you should get married. Marriage is where the fun is!

So the stakes are high. You do not want to marry a bad person. You do not want your fellow church member to marry a bad person. You do not want the pain and destruction that marrying a bad person causes — sometimes for generations. You don’t want this to happen to you, to someone you love, or anyone in the body of Christ.

This is why I want the whole church to hear this message today. Even if we aren’t single, I hope we can all become more competent to counsel, advise, and support our unmarried brothers and sisters in Christ.

I should also point out that dating is not the only alternative to marriage. Just because someone is unmarried doesn’t mean they ought to actively pursue marriage. The Bible is clear in that it constantly upholds and honors the single life. Jesus, the center point of Scripture, was unmarried, and so were many of the greatest believers who ever lived.

Some will choose a single life as a way to glorify God. Some are divorced and have concluded remarriage — for them — would be unbiblical. Some have a romantic or sexual desire that is out of step with God’s design and Scripture — same-sex attraction, for instance — so they choose singleness instead of disobedience to God. Some, as was the case with Paul the Apostle, became convinced they could make the greatest impact on God’s kingdom by remaining unmarried. Still, many others are open to the idea of marriage should the right person come along.

Since the stakes are high, popular “wisdom” is so bad, and many would like to one day marry, I thought it would be wise to pause on our 1 Peter 3:1-7 text for a week to mine it for principles that apply to the dating world. Peter has said much to wives and husbands in this passage, but there is a lot that would help a single believer navigate the battlefield of dating in this text. Let’s observe three major exhortations: (1) Date someone you can follow/lead. (2) Look for lasting attractiveness. (3) Find a Jesus-person.

1. Date Someone You Can Follow/Lead

Peter’s Vision

The first major point I’d like to draw from our 1 Peter 3:1-7 text is that believers should date someone they can follow or lead. All through the passage, Peter tells the wives in the church to be subject to, submit to, and even obey their husbands. These are stringent words, and we’ve wrestled with them over the past few weeks.

Now, the wives and husbands Peter wrote to were already married, so they were obliged to heed the apostle’s words. But if you are unmarried, you have a decision to make. First, ask yourself if you really want to be married with directions such as these. Then, if you are a woman, ask yourself if you are willing to follow a man’s lead. And, if you are a man, ask yourself if you are ready for leadership.

If you are open to fulfilling the role God’s word lays out for you, then carry this perspective into the dating world. The second you (if you are a woman) realize you would not want to follow the guy you’re dating, end the relationship. And the second you (if you are a man) realize you could not lead the woman you’re dating, end the relationship. Women should only date men they could eventually follow in marriage. Men should only date women they could eventually lead in marriage.

How Can You Tell?

If you are a woman, there are some great questions you can ask that are all based on our 1 Peter 3:1-7 passage. These questions can help you determine if you could follow a particular man. If wives are called to follow, then if you married the guy you’re dating, you will be called to follow him. He would need to lead you. So how does he lead his life right now? Is he a man who demonstrates self-control? Does he work hard? Full-time? How does he spend money? Can he save? Does he budget? Does he earn? And, this is a big one, but does he submit to the authority in his life? Does he have any accountability? Is he mentored? If he is not following someone else’s lead, it is likely because he has systematically removed all outside influences so he can be the lord of his own life. Run away.

Additionally, Peter told husbands to live with their wives in an understanding way (1 Peter 3:7). So does this man understand you? And when he doesn’t (and he inevitably won’t at times), is he good at asking questions, listening, and talking as a way to learn where you are coming from? Many young couples get starry-eyed about their relationship and don’t realize until it’s too late that they are incapable of working through conflict.

Peter also told the husbands to honor their wives (1 Peter 3:7). So right away, ask, “Does he honor me now? Does he honor women now?” Does he pressure you to compromise your walk with God? Does he consume pornography? Does he treat women with respect and dignity? Does he have healthy female friendships?

If you are the man, there are some great questions you can ask as well. Since Peter said that believing wives need to follow the leadership of their husbands, find out if she submits to authority in her life right now. Does she constantly rail against her employer or professors? Does she live within her means? Does she have a mentor? Does she have any accountability? Does she serve in her church?

Peter also told the wives to adorn themselves with internal beauty (3-4). Find out if she is a person of character and godliness right now. Does she fear God today? Is she primarily concerned with external beauty? What does she do to cultivate inner grace, strength, and obedience to Christ? How is she pursuing spiritual growth? Does she care more about Jesus than she cares about you or anyone or anything else?

Use Your Community

In asking these questions, I recognize many people become so drunk with infatuation that they cannot intelligently answer. When you “fall in like,” you can easily tell yourself your the person you’re dating is so godly, so inwardly gorgeous, so perfect. I’ve heard women talk about jobless dudes who go to church three times a year like they were the second coming of Christ.

Because of this, you must use your community to answer many of the questions I’ve suggested. If you have believing friends, a network of Christian fellowship, young and old saints in your life, you are well set up for this process. With wisdom and grace, they can help you see reality more clearly. Listen to their advice and counsel. Use your community.

A Note on Your Mentality

All this said, I must point out a danger. In our modern time, marriage is often thought of as a capstone to life. What this means is that many think of marriage as something you do after you have accomplished a billion other things. After you get all your degrees, start and build your career, are earning six figures, buy your first house, and get out of all debt, then you get married.

But marriage used to be thought of as a cornerstone in life. And in societies where sex outside marriage and cohabitation are not popularized, marriage is often seen this way. People get married younger, and they build a life together.

I point this out here for two reasons. First, we should not be too demanding while investigating whether or not we want to marry someone. Second, I am trying to highlight character and godliness because people of high character and growing godliness will turn out well as the years tick by. Character is an early indicator of how life and marriage would go. You can build a life with someone submitted to God.

2. Look for Lasting Attractiveness

Marriage Is More Than Appearance

The second major point I’d like to draw out from our passage (1 Peter 3:1-7) is that you should look for lasting attractiveness. Peter told the wives to adorn themselves with an inner beauty that will never fade away. As Proverbs 31:30 says, “Charm is deceitful. Beauty is passing. But a woman who fears the Lord should be praised” (Proverbs 31:30).

Physical attraction often gets a new relationship started, but we should not give in to the lie that outward appearance is as important as our society would have us believe. Marriage is so much more than physical attraction.

When Christina and I began dating, I was attracted to her appearance. And I am attracted to her appearance today. And our marriage has been great. But there are many reasons it’s been great, and most of them have nothing to do with how she looks. For instance, when we have a disagreement, it’s her character and wisdom and humility that help us solve the conflict. It’s her self-discipline and contentment that help us stay on our financial budget. It’s her grace and willingness to learn and serve that make her an incredible mother. It’s her godliness and love for the gospel that gives her the grace to put up with me. It’s her humor and love of life that makes spending time with her so enjoyable. As I said, marriage is so much more than physical attraction.

But this is what our world would have us believe — beauty is everything! This pitfall leads to such heartache as people leave and hurt and reject one another in the pursuit of external appearance.

Believing men and women should work hard to embrace a different value system. Become attracted to character, to godliness, to internal beauty. And if someone godly (and single) is interested in you, maybe you should give them a chance?

A Word on Dating Apps

This is probably as good a place as any to talk about online dating apps and services. Most people I know who have used them have felt they were a necessary evil, a means to an end, but not the ideal. But, though many of us would prefer to meet someone in person and get to know them as friends first, many people will have happy stories of meeting their spouse online.

First, please recognize they aren’t all created equal. I am trying to tell you to look for lasting attractiveness, but many apps are designed to exclusively judge outward appearances. But people are so much more than how they look, so don’t fall into the trap of apps like these.

Second, be wise and cautious. People can say anything they want to online. Not everyone who marks “Christian” as their religion is a Jesus-loving, gospel-believing, Spirit-filled Christian. They might’ve just attended Catholic elementary school.

Third, you must involve your community. It’s easier to fool one person than a group of people. Get your friends and family involved if you meet someone online. Let them help you discern what you’re really dealing with.

Delicate Exhortation

This exhortation to look for lasting attractiveness is a delicate one. Nobody wants to feel they aren’t also outwardly attractive. And in our society, one that puts so much emphasis on style over substance, we can easily become offended at the idea of prioritizing internal beauty. Am I supposed to date someone that has no external appeal to me? If I do not find them outwardly attractive, am I supposed to ignore that and simply wonder if they have a good devotional life?

Don’t misunderstand me. I don’t expect to overturn thousands of years of human behavior. Physical attraction exists and isn’t going away anytime soon. God is about it. He made us this way. My point is that you should not overvalue or emphasize it when dating. Try your best to value the internal person, as Peter said, “the hidden person of the heart, the imperishable beauty” (1 Peter 3:4).

3. Find a Jesus-Person

The Passage

Throughout the entire passage, Peter hints at our third point. When dating, you should find a Jesus-person. Peter expected everyone in the church to be submissive like Jesus. He valued respect, the fear of God, and pure conduct. He emphasized the hidden person of the heart and holy living. He thought believers should be praying, loving, serving people.

All this helps us know that we should look for a Jesus-person. I speak from experience. Being married to a passionate Jesus-follower makes life manageable, purposeful, and exciting. It makes romance last and deepen over time. It preserves passion and desire. It creates solid ground from which to operate a relationship and family. And with Jesus as the love and Lord of our lives, marriage gets better and better with age.

Better Than Your List

I wanted to highlight this point because I know many people make a wish list when dating. You might write the list, or it might be unspoken. You might tell your friends and family, or you might keep it private. You might think hard about it, or you might subconsciously have one. But everyone has one.

But your list should be shredded in favor of this one beautiful, all-important characteristic. If you find someone who has Jesus as their King, if they love and fear and serve him, they are an amazing person. And many other things on your list might need to bow in subservience to their allegiance to Christ. They might not be tall, but if Christ is their King, they are a baller.

When a person has Jesus as their Lord, the deal-breakers of addiction, anger, and infidelity won’t be present. When Jesus is their prime pursuit, they will continually grow and transform to become more like him. And when Jesus is their passion, love and grace and patience and kindness will increasingly flow from their lives.

Better Than “Compatibility”

Looking for a Jesus-person is so much better than looking for someone with whom you’d be compatible. You might be from the same financial background, have similar perspectives about family, and have the same goals in life, but if they don’t love Jesus more than they love you, run away.

Better Than “Christian”

Don’t mishear me. I’m not saying you should find someone who identifies as a Christian. For far too many people, this title has nothing to do with pursuing and following Jesus. They might simply mean they are a political conservative, have a church they go to occasionally, or that they were raised by religious parents. You aren’t looking for a nominal Christian, but someone who has been so lit on fire by the fame of Christ that they are willing to bow in surrender to him in every area of their lives. They won’t follow him perfectly, but submitting to Christ will be the driving focus of who they are.

This or Nothing

And, in my opinion, it’s this or nothing. Don’t compromise here. Believers are only allowed to marry other believers (1 Corinthians 7:39, the entire Old Testament). The Bible says we are to yoke ourselves with other Christ-followers, and there is no greater human connection than marriage (2 Corinthians 6:14). If someone like this doesn’t come along, do not compromise. It isn’t worth it. Stay allegiant to Jesus. Let him be your constant companion. Trust him and wait.

So, when you date someone, listen to who they are. As they talk about their life and values, is there any intersection with God’s kingdom? Are they only about the natural realm, the temporal, about money and career and success and play and hobbies and interests? Or are they about Jesus?

Questions To Ask

Though time will tell, here are some questions to help you learn more quickly if this person has Christ as King.

1 – How did you come to know Christ?

Does this seem too personal a question to you? Well, for a believer, it’s not. It’s one of the most exciting questions in the world. It might be personal, but we rejoice to speak of the day when Jesus Christ came into our lives and saved us from our sin. If the person cannot articulate their salvation story, though they might become a believer one day, they probably don’t know the Lord yet.

2 – What church do you belong to?

By hearing about the church they go to, you can do a little research. Look their church up online. Read their belief statement or listen to a recent sermon. See if it seems healthy and doctrinally strong. If they mention a church that isn’t a Christian church, you should walk away. If they say they are still looking for a church, but have lived in the area for more than six months, walk away. Chances are, they don’t go to church at all. As I said already, you aren’t looking for someone who casually identifies as “Christian,” but someone who lives it out.

3 – What is the name of your pastor and what is he teaching through?

These questions will help you determine the level of engagement they have with their local church. If they cannot quickly recall the name of their pastor or even what the pastor is currently teaching, they might be putting you on. It is such a basic element of Christianity to have a local church and to get into his word, so if they struggle to know who their pastor is or what the recent sermon series is about, they likely aren’t very engaged with their church community. For a married couple, one of their best friends is the Sunday gathering because sitting under the authority of the word together is helpful for married life. God speaks and leads and corrects and shapes. If a prospective mate isn’t already allowing this into their lives, how do you know they ever will?

4 – Who are some of your favorite authors and books?

In response to questions like these, if they never mention a solid Christian author or book, you should be cautious. A lack of any interaction with solid Christian writing is a clue to their level of seriousness about their Christianity. On the other hand, if they mention different authors and books, look them up. Are they books about prosperity doctrine? Are they about a Christianity that is all positivity, focusing too much on the quality of your faith? Are they into scholarly authors and works? Are you doctrinally close to each other?

5 – What is God teaching you right now?

The gospel paves the way for a personal relationship with God. He becomes our Father. He resides within us by his Holy Spirit. The separating veil was torn in two; we now have total access to the throne of God. As we walk with God, he teaches, corrects, shapes, and encourages us. Perhaps this question will help you catch a glimpse of the vitality of your prospect’s walk with God.

6 – Can we go to your church next Sunday?

Go on a date to church! By sitting through a church service at their home church, you can learn a ton. Does anyone recognize them? Are they engaged in the worship and teaching? Do they seem to be prayerful? Are they welcoming to others? Is their church fluffy or serious, man-centered or God-centered?

Other questions:

What kind of shows or movies or podcasts do you like? Do you have a small group? Do you have a mentor? Do you serve at your church? How so? What is one of your favorite books of the Bible? What is a favorite verse? What is your morning routine? Can I meet your friends? What do you think a disciple of Christ looks like? Would you ever want to serve on a church-planting team?

Pressured for Sex

By the way, one quick way to know a person isn’t a Jesus-person is if they pressure you for sex. It is one thing to battle temptation together — and unmarried people should make sure they aren’t in places where it would be easy to compromise — but it is another thing if the person you’re dating thinks it’s just fine to engage each other physically. This attitude is so contrary to obvious Scripture that it makes it immediately obvious Jesus isn’t the Lord of their lives.

Some Advice

In the Interim

I want to end our time today with some practical advice, some next steps. I recognize this has been a long teaching. This has been intentional because there is so much that must be said. But let me close with some exhortations.

If you would like to be married one day, start by trusting God with your future. God brought Eve to Adam, and he can take care of you if that’s his plan.

Also, work on yourself. Become a person who can follow or lead. Develop your inner character, the hidden person of the heart. Become more of a Jesus-person than ever before. Use your singleness for God’s kingdom.

And please know that this life is not the one with the fairytale ending. One day Jesus will return to earth and drive out all evil and brokenness. Tears will be no more. But, in this life, we will pass through trials. This means that a believer’s desire to be married is not a guarantee it will happen. Again, trust him with this unfulfilled desire.

On Breaking Up

Then, if you are dating someone and you realize you cannot or will not marry them, break up and stop dating them. Be truthful and clear about the reasons why, and own it as your decision. Do not ghost them because that’s what cowardly, unconverted, carnal people do. Be brave, meet them in person, and kindly and gently, but clearly and honestly, end the relationship. If you have wronged them in any way, seek their forgiveness.

On How You Will Know

But if you’re dating someone, you might also come to the opposite conclusion. You might realize you want to marry them. How will you know?

First, there will be the witness of Scripture. They will be a Jesus-person with whom you are equally yoked. There will be nothing disqualifying in their lives, things like violent anger, and undealt with addiction, or ongoing sexual sin.

Second , there will be an internal witness. You will want to move forward in life with them!

Third, your people will also agree with you. You must bring them into the process, and consider their objections, especially if they are also Jesus-people.

Fourth, your spiritual leaders will agree that marriage is a good idea. Mentors and pastors and life group leaders will all convey their excitement for you. And when you honestly ask them what they think, they will tell you they can support you if you marry.

Fifth, a pre-marriage counseling program or class can help you uncover any issues that might prohibit marriage. A course like this will help you see if you are on the same page regarding subjects like beliefs, finances, family expectations, goals, sex, conflict resolution, divorce, and parenting. Don’t set a wedding date until after you’ve completed such a course and gotten the blessing of whoever led you through it. Try not to take it alone, without a mentor or pastor leading you. See if they think it’s still a good idea to get married. Then set a date.

On Actually Dating

One thing I haven’t talked about today is how to go about the process of actually dating. My hope today is that I’ve taken some of the mystery out of it.

I am a man. Men are meant to lead in marriage. So here is my advice to the brothers: Become as godly as you can. Serve and love Jesus. Deal with major sins. And, if you are a man, ask the godliest single woman you can find out on a date. You don’t need a limo. Grab coffee if you need to keep it low profile. It’s an investigation. If she says no, rejoice that you are still alive! After some time to recover, try again with the next godliest single woman you can find. And if you go out and it goes OK, go out again if she is willing. Break things off clearly once you realize you aren’t interested any longer. If not, keep going out as much as you and your trust advisors need to determine if you’d like to marry her. Then ask her. Maybe she will say yes.

Introduction

Peter’s Belief

How do you respond when society ridicules or rejects you because of your Christianity? What do you do when a facet of biblical belief is scrutinized, critiqued, and mocked? What feelings and impulses take over in moments like these?

Peter was a man who’d experienced more than his fair share of rejection for his identification with Jesus and Jesus’ Scriptures. As he traveled his home country and the world telling people about Jesus, it had become clear to Peter that the gospel would offend and stumble wherever it was proclaimed. So Peter began strengthening himself for this reality. He pressed into his new church family. He learned how to respond (and how not to respond) to the hostility he would experience for being a Christ-follower. And he prayed for those who were hostile and agitated at his preaching. In doing all this, Peter discovered the truth of Jesus’ promise that those who lose their lives for Jesus and his gospel will find their lives (Mark 8:35).

Peter’s Text

But Peter was not content to have his own internal playbook for dealing with society’s rejection. He knew that hostility for the faith would follow the church until the end of time. So Peter did something beautiful for us, for the church: he searched the Bible for a Scripture that would lay out the steps required when responding to hostility for our faith. And he found the perfect passage — Psalm 34:12-16. He quoted it in the letter we are reading right now. It is in the second half of our passage today (10-12). It contains all the steps Peter had learned through the Spirit’s leading in those early years. In it, Peter could see (1) the need for developing an alternate society (the church) and what that society should look and feel like. (2) He could see an alternate response to the hostility — how not to respond, followed by the way to respond. (3) And he could see an alternate source of blessing in the passage, a promise that God takes care of his people when they respond to persecution the right way. Let’s read the whole passage together.

8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

10 For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; 11 let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Normal Reactions To Hostility From Society

Everything Peter just wrote and quoted from Psalm 34 is not our natural pattern. As I’ve said during our study of 1 Peter, the church often responds to being marginalized by society with anger, fear, or cowardice. When responding in self-obsessed anger, the church aggressively fights in a way that’s reminiscent of what the world has done to them. When it responds in fear, the church often flees from society and barely interacts with it any longer. When it responds in cowardice, the church cares so much about the opinions of the unbelieving world that it changes its own convictions and doctrines until they become inoffensive and unrecognizable.

It is easy to see all three responses in our modern time. And, though I hate to generalize, it does seem each response is most typical in particular age groups. Many older Christians can remember a time when Christianity was not widely ridiculed or seen as an evil that must be eradicated, so, in their grief, they fight for what was. Many middle-aged Christians are in the throes of raising children and establishing themselves, so they become tempted to run from the society and culture to start their own, thinking that isolation will lead to faithfulness. And many younger Christians believe modern convictions are better because they are newer and, since they want to be accepted, they struggle to envision a Christian life on the fringes of society. Their lack of experience or study can make them susceptible to basic arguments like “love is love” or “Christianity did bad things in the past,” so they sometimes buckle and conform to society. These are generalizations, of course, but it is good for each generation to be conscious of the temptations they might more acutely experience.

Peter, though, isn’t interested in any of these natural forms of response. He proposes a new way, all with the help of Psalm 34. Let’s consider them today:

Help #1: Form An Alternate Society (8, 10)

The first help Peter shows us in this passage is that we must form an alternate society. Even though we cannot (and should not) entirely withdraw from our culture and community, we can prioritize a society within the larger society. Peter thought of this by looking at Psalm 34:12, which he quoted in verse 10:

10 “For ‘Whoever desires to love life and see good days…'”

In the midst of hostility, Peter wanted to love life and see good days (10). But how can this happen while being rejected? Don’t you have to fight or flee or conform? How can you love your life and see good days while simultaneously being rejected by your society? Peter’s answer to that is in our first verse:

8 “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”

To Peter, one of the best ways to deal with a hostile world is to prioritize an alternate society, to pour yourself into the new community of the church. And the church Peter envisioned was beautiful, one that had unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, tender hearts, and humble minds. This kind of community is refreshing when living in a chaotic, angry, tumultuous, canceling, sensitive, polarized, violent, confused, upside-down world.

When I used to run ultra-marathons, the aid stations were some of the best parts of the race. As you ran and ran through the wilderness, often separated from everyone else and beaten down by fatigue and the elements, an aid station would come along every five or six miles. It was filled with nice people, refreshing drinks, and good food. Sometimes a particularly beat-up racer would spend a few minutes sitting down and getting restored. You could massage out a cramp, bandage up a blister, or bring down your body temperature before going back out to the race.

It seems Peter saw the church this way. He didn’t want church members to come out of a harsh society just to find another harsh society in the church. Instead of a society preaching a thousand contradictory meanings of life, Peter saw the church pursuing God together with a unified mind. Instead of a society that chews you up and spits you out, quickly assessing and ridiculing and rejecting you without any dialogue or nuance or conversation, Peter saw the church operating with compassionate sympathy for one another. Instead of a society that advances the cause of one at the expense of another, Peter envisioned the church living out brotherly love. Instead of a society that is caustic and cruel and demanding, Peter envisioned the church loving and living with tender hearts. And instead of a society filled with boasting and self-exaltation, hustling for attention in an attention economy, Peter envisioned the church as living with a humble mind.

To Peter, the church could be that place of refreshment. It could help a rejected people love life and see good days — but only if it looked like this. All these attributes make the church a safe space for believers to endure the hardships of society. At times, it is rough out there, and we need the comforting presence of other believers.

Familial Tone

I might not be stating all this strongly enough. Many of the words Peter used have familial overtones. He told us to love like siblings. The sympathy he mentioned is the kind of compassion Roman society displayed within their families. In other words, to Peter and Jesus and the rest of the New Testament, the church is a spiritual family. And in times of distress, family members need each other even more than normal. I believe we are in a time of distress because the church has lost favor with and in the larger society. We need our church society more than ever these days, but only if it is as Peter described.

So let’s pursue these attitudes and attributes together. Let’s have unity of mind. Let’s each pursue God and encourage each other to do the same. Let’s “live in harmony with one another” (Romans 12:16). Let’s “stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).

Let’s also have sympathy. Let’s “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Because “if one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

Let’s also have brotherly love. Jesus said, “By this, all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Let’s do the action of love with the trust that feelings might follow. Let’s love like brothers should: unconditionally and with loyalty. Let’s love each other because we are blood relatives, brought together by the blood of Christ.

Let’s also have tender hearts. Our Master was always full of compassion for the crowds, for the sick, and for prodigals. He told us to have compassion like the good Samaritan who stopped to serve the beaten up and bloodied on the roadside.

And let’s come at this with humble minds. To be humble was not popular in Roman society, and I don’t think it’s popular in ours. At the very least, braggarts can also get ahead in our time. But let’s have the “mind of Christ” who humbled himself by becoming “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5, 8).

A church family with these five elements can withstand the pressures of our time. Even when things are bad, people in a community like this will feel life is good. They will, as the psalmist said, love life and see good days.

Help #2: An Alternate Response (9-11)

The Negative Command

Beyond cultivating and prioritizing an alternate society, we can also find help for society’s rejection by responding to it in a completely different way. Peter describes this alternate response with a negative and positive command. Something we should not do, followed by something we should do.

For what we should not do, Peter said:

9 “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling…”

He got this from Psalm 34:13-14, which he quoted in verse 10. The psalmist thought the person who wanted to love life and have good days should:

10 “…let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; 11 let him turn away from evil and do good…”

The Natural Man vs. The Spiritual Man

To return evil with more evil or insults with more insults is only natural. If we are honest, it feels impossible not to go there. Even when we swear to ourselves that “if we can’t say anything nice, we won’t say anything at all,” we find our impulse to self-defend and lash out in response is strong. James said, “No man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). We know it to be true. And, in our modern times, we’ve discovered it extends to our keyboards. So. Hard. To. Not. Respond.

But while it is natural to respond to evil and insults with more evil and insults, it is not the way of Christ. Fortunately, faith in Jesus and his gospel causes someone to be born again. The old passes away. We become new creatures with new natures (1 Corinthians 5:17). And, though we still battle the old impulses, if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill those old desires (Galatians 5:16). If we feed our spiritual person, we will become strong to respond without hostility.

Governmental Authorities

Before I move on to the positive command, I want to point some nuance to this interpretation. Peter’s words obviously flowed from Jesus’ teaching to turn the other cheek and refuse to resist the one who is evil (Matthew 5:38-42). Sometimes words like these cause consternation for Christians who are in government positions. But Jesus and Peter’s admonitions do not cancel out the responsibility of the government to punish evildoers. This is not returning evil for evil, but just for evil. It is personal retaliation Peter and Jesus warned against. Like Jesus, we are not here to defend ourselves. But, also like Jesus, we might be used to defend others.

The Positive Command

So the negative command is that we should not return evil and insults with more evil and insults. What should we do instead? Peter said:

9b but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called,

This exhortation to bless came from Psalm 34:14, which he quoted in verse 11:

11b let him seek peace and pursue it.

What Does It Mean To Bless?

But what does it mean to seek peace by returning evil and insults with blessings? Peter said, “On the contrary, bless, for to this you were called” (9). What does it mean to bless? And why is this our calling?

The word “bless” can be used in two ways. The literal meaning of this word is to speak well of someone. Here, it would mean speaking well of an enemy. The spiritual meaning of the word is to invoke or pray for God to bless your enemy.

Peter defined blessing as seeking peace and pursuing it with your adversaries. Jesus defined blessing this way:

Luke 6:27–28 (ESV) — 27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

So it seems Peter means we should respond to hostility for the gospel with loving intercession for those who are hostile toward us. Like Jesus, we should say, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

This is a genius exhortation because it makes practical sense. Believers want as many people as possible to know Jesus. Peter said this already in his letter. He wanted people to see the church’s good deeds, become open to the gospel, receive Jesus, and glorify God when Christ returns (1 Peter 2:12). One of the chief marks that a person needs Jesus is hostility because of Jesus. So when we are marginalized by someone because of our faith, it should be their desperate need for the gospel that stands out to us. Then, quietly, we should pray for them. We should ask God to bless them, primarily by opening their hearts to Christ.

This is such a massive development in Scripture. In the Old Testament era, many imprecatory prayers were uttered by God’s people. An imprecatory prayer wants God’s wrath, judgment, and discipline to fall upon the offender. But the gospel flips the script, and now God’s people don’t respond in an imprecatory manner — but with blessing.

In the book of Acts, when Stephen was being killed by the religious leaders in Jerusalem because he confronted them with the gospel, he prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 9:60). We should be thankful he responded as he did. Young Paul was there. Not yet a Christian, he consented to Stephen’s death, and it’s not hard to imagine he was haunted by Stephen’s gracious response. It would not be long until Paul surrendered to Jesus. Many of us here today are likely Christians because of the force Paul became for the gospel in those early years. So we should be thankful for Stephen’s response. He didn’t self-preserve or self-defend. Had he responded that way, there would have been little impact. But he played the long game, and his response, because of Paul’s eventual conversion, shaped the nations.

Help #3: An Alternate Source Of Blessing (9c, 12)

Let’s conclude with one final help when living in an age where Christianity is pushed to the margins of society. Our first help is the alternative society of a healthy church. Our second help is an alternative response of loving intercession for those who hate the gospel. Our third help is an alternate source of blessing. Let me explain what I mean.

As I’ve been saying, Peter had Psalm 34 in mind. He thought the advice in it to pursue peace by blessing those who reject Jesus would lead to something. He said:

9 “…that you may obtain a blessing.”

Peter thinks God will bless you if you respond to hostility with blessing. Why? Back to Psalm 34:15-16, which he quoted in verse 12:

12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

God Sees And Hears

Who here would like to be blessed? Who would like their prayers heard? All of us, of course. But when society rejects you, it is hard to feel as if you are blessed.

Peter, though, thinks God will bless the Christian who responds to persecution in the same way Jesus responded to his persecution. When you respond to evil and insults by blessing those who mistreat you and insult you, God will take care of you. Peter says God sees and hears people like that and that he blesses them.

But the blessing God provides is far different from the way the blessed life is often pictured by our society. Peter’s whole letter hints at this. It is filled with hints that we will suffer for the faith. Still, in the pain, there is a blessing from God.

An Alternate Source Of Blessing

For this God-authored blessing, Paul the Apostle’s life serves as a great example. When Paul the apostle first believed in Jesus, it was a radical change. Formerly a man who hated Jesus, Jesus’ message, and Jesus’ people, Paul had to embrace a completely new manner of life. At first, he seems to have believed his life would not change all that much. He was internally convinced that he could convince his fellow countrymen, including other Pharisees, that Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah. He envisioned them accepting Jesus, and therefore accepting him. But when they did not, and when they began persecuting him just as he had persecuted other Christians, he had to change a few things.

First, Paul had to embrace his new Christian community. The church became an alternate society within which he would live. The relationships he would experience there became his most significant relationships.

Second, Paul had to learn a new way of reacting (and not reacting) to hostility and persecution. He adopted a completely different method of response to persecution. Wherever he went, the people who persecuted him became his mission field. He did not hate them but prayed for them to know Jesus. His main persecutors became his main target.

Third, Paul had to redefine his vision of the blessed life. He would no longer be widely received in his host culture. He would be rejected and ridiculed for Jesus, but he learned that God has his ways of blessing his people when they faithfully endure persecution.

This entire three-step process can often be found in the biography of Paul’s life. For example, when he went to the Roman colony of Philippi to preach Jesus, he observed every step. First, after some initial preaching there, Paul and all the other Christians with him went to the house of the newest believer in town. There, they refreshed themselves in Christian fellowship and conversation. Second, when some of the locals brought erroneous charges against him and threw him into the local dungeon, Paul refused to respond in anger, but in the middle of the night, chained for his gospel preaching, he and his friend Silas began singing songs of blessing and worship to God. And, third, God responded by shaking the earth, breaking their chains, and setting them free. God’s blessing came.

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, there are many other coping mechanisms for the ill-treatment of society. They are often the exact opposite of our passage today. When the church responds to evil and insults in a way opposite to this passage, they will not form a beautiful alternate society, but one that mimics the shouting, divisive, and angry culture around them. When the church responds to evil and insults in a way opposite to this passage, they will not prayerfully and lovingly intercede for their enemies but angrily engage them. And when the church responds to evil and insults in a way opposite to this passage, it will not live in God’s blessing, because, as Peter said, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12).

Introduction

13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

One thing I love about sports is the shift from practice to performance. At every level, gameday or game time has a special air about it. You can see it in seasoned professionals — they are serious when they step out onto the playing surface. You can see it in teenage athletes. And you can see it in the littlest athletes as well. I remember coaching a first-time introductory girls’ softball team. We had so much fun practicing, trying to learn what way to run, when and how to swing the bat, and how to throw or catch the ball. But it was always fascinating to watch these little five-year-old girls show up to their first gameday. They could feel the intensity. Their parents were different. I was different. The other team was there. It wasn’t practice time anymore. Something shifted. The season, on the first game day, took a turn.

The Turn

Here, Peter’s letter takes a definite turn. Up to this point, Peter has only hinted that times of trouble for being a Christian could come. He predicted some fiery trials might be needed (1:6). He urged us to prepare our minds for action (2:1). He warned us about internal passions that would wage war against our souls (2:11). He even hinted that we would be rejected by highlighting Jesus’ rejection — he’s the stone of stumbling and rock of offense (2:4-8). He told servants they might be beaten even though they were good towards their masters (2:20). He reminded us of Jesus’ example — he did not return insults or threats for the suffering he endured (2:23). And, in our last study, Peter told us to copy Jesus when he said, “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling by reviling” (2:9).

But Peter has finished talking to us about the practice of the Christian life. Our passage today is a sober one, and it takes us into the hardest portions of Peter’s letter. He knew many of the believers he originally wrote to were beginning to suffer for the faith but that many more would suffer in the years after this letter arrived. They didn’t know it yet, but Rome was about to unleash one of the most brutal and bloody seasons of persecution upon them. I don’t know how much insight the Spirit gave him, but since Peter wrote these words, millions, if not billions, of believers have been marginalized for the gospel. Family members, employers, governments, cultures, and civilizations have all taken turns aiming their hostility at waves of Christians.

I’m not predicting the same will happen to you. But I don’t see Christianity becoming more popular in our society. I do see true Christianity growing in the coming decades, partly because hostility against the church purifies the church — this makes our testimony better and brighter and, therefore, more attractive. So I have hope and confidence that many will come to Christ in the age to come. But, in the larger culture and society, I don’t see the trend towards seeing Christianity and the Bible it clings to as cancerous and dangerous as passing away anytime soon. So we should allow Peter’s words over the next few studies to resonate with our hearts. Let’s be ready.

1. Exile Suffering Highlights God’s Blessing (3:13-14)

The first thing I want you to see is that suffering for Christ’s name, what I will call Exile Suffering, highlights God’s blessing upon our lives. For this, we look at the first two verses of our passage. It starts with a question:

13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed.

A Loaded Expectation

The question Peter asked was a hopeful one. Stemming off Peter’s reading of Psalm 34, which he’d just quoted, a believer who doesn’t say evil or untruthful words and instead fills their life with good works might expect a peaceful life in return. Why would anyone want to harm you if you are zealous for good works? (13).

Peter hopes there will be plenty of instances where believers learn to live at peace with their host cultures. To borrow from Paul, there will be times believers “aspire to live quietly, to mind their own affairs, and work with their own hands, so that they may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).

An Inevitable Exception

But as much as Peter thought this would happen, he also knew hostility would happen and was happening. Many governments and masters and spouses would appreciate the humble submission and godly character of the Christians they associated with. Many others would not. And Peter was aware of this. He’d heard all of Jesus’ warnings about persecution and trouble (Matthew 5:10-12). He’d watched the life of Paul and others who suffered intensely for Christ. He himself had been thrown into prison and beaten for his faith. He witnessed the fulfillment of a message he heard Jesus deliver to him one day before he died:

John 16:2 — “Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.”

So as much as Peter wanted host cultures to treat believers well because believers were a net gain for those host cultures, he knew hostility would often occur. So he gave instruction: But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. The believers Peter wrote to were beginning to suffer for their faith. They were already spoken of as evildoers, the subject of ignorant talk, the targets of threatening words, and the victims of slander (2:12, 25, 3:14, 16). Peter knew this. So he promised them: you will be blessed. When he did, he echoed the words of Jesus:

Matthew 5:11 (ESV) — “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

How Are We Blessed Even if We Suffer for Christ?

Don’t Peter and Jesus’ promises of blessing for suffering sound odd? The words “suffering” and “blessing” don’t often go together. How can the apostle claim that suffering for Jesus means we will be blessed?

To understand this, we might be helped by thinking about what Peter must not have meant. In the Old Testament, when God blessed the nation of Israel for their obedience, he prospered them with health and wealth. Christ’s coming suspended that version of blessing, but there is a sense in which suffering for Christ does indicate health and wealth.

People who legitimately suffer for their genuine, true, uncompromising, loving, gentle, and humble Christianity must be spiritually healthy and wealthy. In a sense, they experience heaven’s rewards right now, tapping into their Heavenly Father’s kingdom. They feel the keeping power of the Father, just like Jesus asked (John 17:15). It isn’t so much that marginalization for the faith leads to blessing, though it can, but here Peter means it demonstrates you are the kind of person who is already spiritually blessed. Because you have a real relationship with God, because you have the truth, because you have the gospel, you are blessed. It’s just that you might also be marginalized or hated for the gospel’s sake.

A Question

The question remains, however: Can you see yourself as blessed even if you suffer for Christ? Can you see yourself favored and accepted by God? Will you cherish his feelings towards you even when the world is hostile to you? You must. Too many have felt the fires of hostility warming and have abandoned the gospel. They’ve valued what they get from man more than what they get from God. But what you get out there isn’t worth it. Jesus is the greatest treasure.

2. Exile Suffering Requires Fearlessness (3:14-15)

But beyond this perspective that suffering highlights God’s blessing, Peter also wants us to know that Exile Suffering requires fearlessness. He said:

14 Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy…

The Isaiah Exhortation

The Bible is a great source of inspiration to help you deal with fear. In it, God constantly exhorts us to trust him and operate without the fear of man. It will tell you “not to be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). It will remind you not to fear those who can kill the body, but cannot affect the soul (Matthew 10:28). It will declare to you that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

It will ask, “If God is for me, who can be against me?” (Romans 8:31). It will ask, “If the Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ” (Psalm 27:1). And it will remind you that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). But no man is worth fearing.

It will regale you with stories of courage, times when God’s people launched out despite reasons to fear and trusted God. Noah built the boat and didn’t fear everyone’s laughter. Joshua led Israel despite inevitable comparisons to Moses. David ran into battle with Goliath even though human logic would never have encouraged him to do so. Elijah prophesied to Ahab even though the king was a murderous lunatic. Time and time again, the word will encourage you to live without fear. Be in the word. Let it bolster you for the times we are in.

One such encouraging passage is found in Isaiah 8, and Peter quoted it here. There, Isaiah was tempted to fear the invading Assyrian armies just like everyone else feared the invading Assyrian armies. But he was not to be afraid. God was with his people. He would defend and stand with them. Isaiah did not need to act in fear like everyone else. He could be bold.

How: Sanctify Christ in Your Hearts

It should be clear that Exile Suffering requires this kind of fearlessness? As Peter said, we should have no fear of our accusers, those who threaten the church. We should not be shaken up, disturbed, or emotionally troubled by the events of our days (14). God is with us even when we are marginalized.

But how can we adopt this fearless mindset? Peter tells us to, in our hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy (15). What does this statement mean? To “sanctify” means to set something apart. We are to set Christ apart in our hearts as the Holy Lord of our lives. We are to have such reverence towards Jesus that we are inwardly confident that, no matter what goes on around us, Jesus is King. Angels and authorities and powers are subject to him, and even when it feels like this isn’t so, we know it is. Christ is Lord. He is supreme. This is the secret to fearlessness — getting our focus on God.

One author said it this way:

To break the throttling grip of fear we must confess God’s lordship with more than mental assent. We must confess it with our heart’s devotion. Setting him apart as Lord means bowing before him in the adoration of praise. A praising heart is immune to the fear of other people. Fear of another sort takes possession of our hearts and minds: a fear that does not flee in terror, but draws near in awe and worship. — Edmund Clowney

With an exalted view of Christ in our hearts, we can endure the age to come just fine. So keep pressing into Jesus. When you sin, run to Jesus for cleansing. When you feel weak, run to Jesus for strength. When you are tempted, run to Jesus for escape. When you are spiritually fatigued, run to Jesus for spiritual strength. When you want the acceptance of others, run to Jesus for acceptance. When you are marginalized, run to Jesus for his embrace.

Receive communion to remember Jesus. Read the word to discover Jesus. Talk with other believers all about Jesus. Meditate on the life and message of Jesus. Let him become famous to you, and you will be bolstered for the inevitable difficulties attached to the Christian life.

3. Exile Suffering Leads to Gospel Opportunities (3:15-16)

But let’s consider one last passage today. It tells us that Exile Suffering leads to gospel opportunities. Our suffering, if we suffer well, can be a key in the door of someone’s heart. Here’s how: d

15 …always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

Our Response Opens Doors

This statement from Peter makes it clear that he is not going to promote withdrawal from society. When suffering comes, he will not propose that we retreat. Instead, Peter wants us to suffer well. He wants us to operate with hope towards Christ and his kingdom, gentleness and respect towards others (even those who mistreat us), and a good conscience toward ourselves.

And Peter thinks this kind of response will open doors because it is such a counter-intuitive, counter-cultural, unnatural approach. When someone watches you suffer in the way Peter describes, when they see your reasonableness, gentleness, respect, and humility, they might wonder about the hope that is in you (15).

Be Ready to Explain Yourself

In the book of Daniel, three young Hebrew men were thrown into a fiery furnace as a punishment for their refusal to bow down to a statue made by a king named Nebuchadnezzar. But they didn’t die in the furnace and instead walked around inside with an angel of the Lord. This stunned the king, so he called them out and began to question them. Who are you? How did you do that? Why didn’t that fire kill you?

In a similar way, when we respond as Peter describes to hostility and marginalization, it so defies the natural way of man that many men will want to know how we did it. And Peter tells us we better be prepared to make a defense when those questions come our way (15).

I am the first to want to apply this in systematic ways. But, though this verse could serve as a great motivation for studying apologetics (the reasoned and intellectual defense of the Christian faith) or might be an exhortation for Christians who are brought into the legal system to defend themselves, Peter has more in mind. When suffering for Jesus with gentleness and respect, with a good conscience, without fear and a troubled heart, and with Jesus on the throne within, we must be ready to give a reason to those who ask about our hope.

I suspect many of us would know what to say if the Philippian jailer presented himself to us. He asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). We know that one, and if anyone ever randomly approaches us with this question, we will be ready with our full gospel presentation.

The problem is that most people aren’t walking around asking that question. And it seems many of our approaches to sharing the good news of Jesus assume a fairly high level of interest. One author put peoples’ interest in the gospel on a scale of one to ten. Many of our programs and spiritual laws and outreaches and plans for sharing Christ begin with the idea that people are at an eight or nine when it comes to their level of interest. These methods might work in a children’s church setting, where their interest likely is at an eight or nine — until snack time — but most people in our society aren’t quite there. So we should pray for opportunities to carry people along the process, to, say, go from a two to a four when it comes to their interest. This is a more practical and realistic approach, especially in a post-Christian culture, than waiting for people to walk up and ask us what they must do to be saved.

Truths to Consider

And I don’t think Peter expects us to sit back and wait for people, either. I think he wants us to be gently and creatively opportunistic. For those who are looking, the Spirit will give them chances to share about how the Lord filled their emptiness, cured their loneliness, released them from guilt, and empowered them for change.

Consider these truths we believe. First, we believe God is in control. This flows from the greatness and supreme nature of God. So when people around you are panicked because they can’t find their phone or their most hated politician did something they don’t like, be a calming presence that displays God’s sovereignty. And look for an opportunity to share about why you aren’t worked up.

Second, we believe God is good. This means we believe his ways and his word provide us with the best course of action. It means we turn to God for satisfaction and joy. So when people around you fill up their schedules and finances beyond capacity, show them an alternative life that does not have to scamper around for satisfaction. When they chase relationship after relationship, display the joy that comes from being in a relationship with God. And look for an opportunity to share why you are so content.

Third, we believe God is full of love and grace. This means we believe God is approachable and accepts those who are covered by the blood of his Son. We don’t have to prove ourselves. So when people around you are trying to prove themselves by the quality or intensity of their work, their outward appearance, or their influence on earth, show them how you aren’t thirsting to prove yourself. Let the acceptance of God change how you act. And look for an opportunity to share why you feel so accepted.

Questions to Ask

In addition to these doctrines, there might be good questions to ask people in your life. Again, these questions might not lead to a full gospel presentation today, but they might nudge them further towards being interested in what you have to say. Ultimately, you have the gospel to say, but perhaps you need to work towards it.

Each of these questions can help get the conversation moving. Feel free to ask, “Have you allowed Jesus to become the Lord of your life?” or “Can I tell you some good news?” But, more often than not, at least in our society (for many reasons), questions like these will not be well received. Instead, try some of these:

Try family-based questions. People are generally open to talking about where they are from and what their family is like. You can reciprocate, and even at this level, there might be an opportunity to lightly share how Christ has helped you through family wounds or redeemed broken relationships in some way.

Try career or education-based questions. People often express their purpose and goals for life in what they do. And as they talk about dreams and pursuits and background, you might find moments to share. Perhaps you’ll be able to encourage them with a Bible verse that encouraged you in your work. Perhaps you’ll be able to dig into where you find your meaning and sense of fulfillment. Perhaps you’ll be able to provide biblical counsel or guidance as they search for their next steps.

Try questions that follow up on obvious cares they carry. People get excited or angry or enthusiastic about all sorts of things. Follow up with humility and gentleness and find out why they are so excited or angry or enthusiastic about a particular thing. Ask them what they want out of an experience. Ask them why it matters so much to them. Ask them what they are interested in. Perhaps you’ll have a chance to share why you aren’t as excited or angry or enthusiastic about those things, but other things — namely, the Lord and what he means to you. Or maybe you’ll agree with them and have a chance to demonstrate a biblical overlap with their passions.

Try trial and hardship-based questions. These can be delicate, but if someone is willing to talk about a hurt with you, it is often an open door. Listen, pray while you are listening, and speak slowly.

But be sure to ask all these questions as Peter said you should, with gentleness and respect. Don’t worry too hard about “sealing the deal.” God is sovereign. Trust that he is working on their hearts. He can bring them to ten when he wants to, and if your role is to take them a little closer, great. Some plant, some water, but God gives the increase. Trust the Spirit to finish the work he has begun.

Conclusion: A Perspective for Christian Suffering

So today, we have seen a particular perspective that’s required for Exile Suffering. There are some statements we can make that encapsulate Peter’s message.

First, we can say, “I am blessed.” Even when troubling times come because of your love for Jesus, know that you are favored by God. It might even be because of his work in your life that you are marginalized in the first place.

Second, we can say, “I am not afraid.” Though threats and insults might come our way, we can boldly stand with Christ.

Third, we can say, “I have a King.” Jesus must be sanctified in our hearts as Lord. We must get our eyes on him, especially when ridiculed or marginalized for him.

And lastly, we can say, “I have a mission. I want to tell people about the hope I have in Christ. So I will respond well to trials and suffering and look for a chance to explain why I have the hope I do.”

17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,

20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.

21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Narrative Arc

I know it was released in 1979, but I just got around to watching the science fiction classic Alien. Brilliant. If the number of times I jumped in shock is any indication, that flick has stood the test of time. In it, a group of human space travelers in the distant future are hunted by an alien species one by one on their spaceship. It is tense, man.

I tend to comfort myself when viewing such intensity by reminding myself there is a narrative arc the directors and writers are taking me through. And even though it sure looked like Sigourney Weaver was about to get liquified by the unbeatable alien, I saw her name and face had top billing on the cover art, so I was pretty sure she would survive. And she did (sorry if that spoiled it for you, but you’ve also had since 1979 to figure it out for yourself).

In our last study, Peter’s letter took a definite turn. He had hinted at the possibility of suffering for Christ all letter long, but he finally came out and said it was coming. He called it “suffering for righteousness’ sake” (14). And he sensed a need to prepare us for the possibility that we might be harmed even if we are zealous for good (13). He told us if we are harmed that we are also blessed because we have God and his gospel. He told us not to fear man but Christ instead (14-15). And he told us to be ready to give an explanation for the hope inside us, a hope that allows us to suffer well (15-16).

And when Peter warns of possible suffering, each one of us feels a certain way in response. And though some of us might be excited about the future, even one filled with possible hostility towards Christ and his church, all of us have some degree of reticence about suffering for Jesus. We don’t prefer pain. We don’t want to suffer. And many of us are afraid of and concerned about being marginalized for Christ’s sake.

Peter knew about this very human and normal response, so he wrote to us about the full narrative arc of the Christian life. It is one attached to Jesus, and Jesus is totally and completely victorious over every power that exists. He will reign forever, and though he suffered and died, he rose and conquered as well. So though we might currently be living in the time where danger lurks, the ultimate victory will arrive one day with Jesus. As God said through Malachi, against a backdrop of difficulty and judgment, “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” (Malachi 4:2, ESV)

This is why Peter wrote our section today. He wanted us to observe Jesus’ arc and then Noah’s arc so that we might consider our own narrative arc. Our story isn’t done. Even if we are marginalized or (God forbid) persecuted today, we will be seated in victorious glory with Christ tomorrow.

Keep The Bible Weird

Before thinking about Jesus, Noah, and ourselves, we must acknowledge and address an element of Peter’s words. Admittedly, it is one of the most difficult passages to understand. The overall emphasis — that we will be ultimately victorious with Christ and are like Noah — is not hard to grasp. But Peter makes some statements that have baffled interpreters for centuries.

He talked about Jesus being “made alive in the spirit” after he died on the cross. He said Jesus, potentially in that “in the spirit” state, “went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison.” And he said those spirits “formerly, in the days of Noah, did not obey” (18-20).

So who are these spirits in prison? Are they unbelievers who died before the cross? Are they Old Testament believers who needed to hear that Jesus had died for them? Or are they sinful, fallen angels that are destined to the fires of hell?

And what did Christ proclaim? He certainly wasn’t proclaiming a second chance for repentance, but some have thought so. Was he celebrating the completion of his work on the cross, even before his resurrection? Was he preaching final condemnation to demons or humans? What did Christ proclaim?

And when did Christ proclaim? The Apostles’ Creed, written four centuries after the apostles were all dead, says that Jesus “descended into hell” after his death on the cross during the days before his resurrection. Is that true? Did he proclaim something to someone after his death but before his resurrection? Or is this proclamation — whatever it is — something Jesus said after he rose? Or did he, as some believe, preach through Noah to Noah’s generation, a generation who are eternally imprisoned for God’s judgment? When did Christ proclaim?

Scholars have done great work on this passage but are still generally baffled. Most of them recognize Peter’s words here are some of the most complex and difficult to decipher in the entire New Testament. Even the great reformer, Martin Luther, a man unafraid to share a dogmatic opinion, said, “This is a strange text and certainly a more obscure passage than any other passage in the New Testament. I still do not know for sure what the apostle meant” (Pelikan 1967: 113).

There are three main possibilities and lines of interpretation.

First, some think Jesus went to the realm of the dead in between the cross and resurrection, proclaiming the victory of the cross to Noah’s generation. Some in this camp think Jesus offered salvation to them, others think Jesus announced condemnation to them, and others think Jesus only announced the good news to those who were saved by faith in that generation.

Second, there are those who think Jesus, who has always been, preached through Noah to Noah’s generation. All Peter is trying to highlight, according to this camp, is Noah’s experience and Christ’s faithfulness to declare God’s judgment and the way of salvation — to and in every generation — through his people.

Third, there are those who think Jesus proclaimed to fallen angels (or demons) about his victory on the cross during the three days in between death and resurrection. Perhaps this involved a literal visit to hell, to the place containing these demons, or perhaps it happened sometime after the resurrection.

As you can see, each view is incompatible with the others. As for me, though I’m generally willing to take a position on debated texts, I understand the confusion. And if even some of the greatest minds of the church have not come to a resolution on this passage, I don’t mind having an open hand on it. I can see the merits and reasons for each of these views. But I cannot tell you I know which one is correct, if any.

Passages (and little chats) like these might frustrate you. And perhaps it makes you doubt the Bible’s inerrancy. One doctrine Christians hold to is the perspicuity (or clarity) of Scripture — though it will require study and debate and scholarship and the Spirit, the Bible can be understood. And we should rejoice that the Bible is generally clear and understood. For an ancient book from across cultures and times, it is remarkably knowable. But passages like these might tempt you to doubt the clarity of Scripture.

To that, I would say that I believe we should allow the Bible to be a holy book that is sometimes confounding to us. They say Keep Santa Cruz Weird (or, nowadays, they say Keep Austin Weird). But I say Keep The Bible Weird. Don’t soften its more bizarre passages. It is a book from the infinite to the finite — we should expect times when we must grapple with what it means. I mean, if I cannot yet understand the timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there should be some mysteries in Scripture I am still unsure about.

But I would also remind you, the point of this passage is clear. Peter said, “It is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (17). And this section backs him up. When you suffer for doing good, according to this passage, it is “evidence that you are on the right side of the eschatological divide” (Jobes 2005: 235). When you suffer for Jesus, you are on the right side of history. That’s the point of these verses. So let’s consider the three narrative arcs Peter points out in this section.

1. Jesus’ Arc

Suffered On The Cross

First, we must consider Jesus’ arc. Peter said:

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.

Overall, what Peter means in describing Jesus’ story is that Jesus suffered. In the context of all he’s been saying, he means that we should expect to suffer like Jesus. Why wouldn’t we? Jesus suffered — the righteous for (and at the hands of) the unrighteous — so that he might bring (people) to God. Shouldn’t we expect to suffer in a similar way, perhaps even as a method to see more people brought to God through Christ’s work? Why would our Lord and champion suffer, but not us? Vicarious atonement does not mean vicarious suffering. One day, we won’t suffer anymore, but right now, we will.

But Peter broke down Jesus’ suffering into some theologically profound and succinct stages. He said Jesus suffered once (18). This is in contrast to the sacrifices of the Old Testament era, sacrifices that happened over and over again. Every year, a Day of Atonement. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was different. One and done because it was all-sufficient.

Peter said Jesus suffered for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous (18). If suffering once highlights the sufficiency of Christ’s death, suffering for the unrighteous highlights the substitutionary nature of Christ’s death. He did not only die as a good example of loving sacrifice but in our place, our substitute for the justice we deserved.

Peter also said that Jesus did all this so that he might bring us to God (18). This describes Jesus’ mission — he wanted to reconnect lost and broken mankind with its Creator and God. Only Jesus could pave the way for people groping in darkness and far from God to be rejoined to God. You can only know God through Jesus’ gospel — through his death, burial, and resurrection. He is the way to the Father.

But Peter also said that Jesus experienced resurrection (18, 21). After Jesus died — after he was put to death in the flesh — he was made alive in the Spirit (18). He was raised. His resurrection secured his victory. After he rose, Peter said Jesus:

22 “has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him”

This means Jesus ascended and is currently at the right hand of God (22). And Peter is sure to let us know that Jesus lives now in total and complete victory over even angels, authorities, and powers (22). Words cannot express how comforting Jesus’ sovereignty and authority would’ve been to the church Peter wrote to: they lived under the threat of Rome and its dictator, Nero. Knowing Christ was in control and had, as he said, all authority in heaven and on earth would have comforted them immensely (Matthew 28:18). And it should comfort us today.

But that is the arc of Jesus — from suffering to sovereignty, from the cross to the throne, from pain to paradise. And since believers are wrapped up in Christ, since our identity is inseparably tied to Jesus, since our “life is hidden with Christ in God,” we will have the same experience (Colossians 3:3). One day, we will be with him in his kingdom, experiencing his supreme power over all things.

2. Noah’s Ark

But Peter highlighted a second arc in this passage, Noah’s arc (see what I did there?). Noah’s story should encourage every believer who has experienced ostracization for their faith in Christ. Peter said:

19 “Christ went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.”

I’ve already tried to deal with some of the difficulties of this passage, but the reference to Noah is clear, and the comparisons to exiled Christians are obvious. Let’s consider some of them.

Times Of Rampant Disobedience

First, Noah lived during a time of rampant disobedience. The Genesis account tells us that “the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Perhaps you hold the opinion that morality has never been worse than it is today. I hope the conditions before the flood change your mind. Humanity’s rebellion against God today has not quite reached Noahic proportions.

That said, we can relate. Paul said that when a society suppresses the truth about God (Romans 1:18), their hearts become generally darkened (Romans 1:20). Claiming wisdom, Paul said, they become fools, especially in matters pertaining to morality (Romans 1:22). So, God, Paul said, gives up societies like these to “the lust of their hearts to impurity,” to “dishonorable passions,” and to “a debased mind to do what ought not be done” (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). In societies like these, Paul said, people not only do evil things but “give approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:32). So, though Noah’s age was further along, we might be experiencing a little taste of it in our time.

Noah, by the way, was the minority in his time. Only his family came through the flood — eight persons. His society was swept up in rebellion against God before they were swept up in God’s judgment. But if Noah could endure as such an extreme minority, so can we, for at least we have each other.

Endured God’s Patience

But Noah also endured God’s patience. It took many years to build the ark and many years before Noah for God’s judgment to build. God patiently waited. We live in a similar time today.

I would like to highlight this aspect of Noah’s story today: Peter said that in the days of Noah, God’s patience waited (20). Though times were bad, though human depravity was on full display, God was merciful and patiently waited to deliver his judgment. Perhaps this should help us in the times we are in today. I believe Christians should look forward to Christ’s return, and I think it could happen anytime. But, admittedly, I get concerned when tumultuous times cause believers to act as if the end is nigh. Jesus said that even in the midst of wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, and pestilences, “Do not be alarmed, the end is not yet” (Mark 13:7, Luke 21:11). For many Christians in other parts of the world, the tumult and discord we’ve seen in America over the past few years is their everyday experience. God waited a long time in Noah’s days, and he might wait a long time more in ours.

Obeyed and Preached

Though Noah lived in times of darkness, he obeyed God and preached to his generation. Peter said Noah prepared the ark (20). He did what God told him to do, and in the process, he became a preacher to his generation. That boat was a pulpit communicating the future judgment of God. We also are meant to put our heads down, obey God, and plead with our generation to be saved from sin and receive the gospel.

Ultimate Salvation

And, finally, Noah experienced ultimate salvation. He and his family were brought safely through water, Peter said (20). They went through all the darkness and found light. God saved them in that boat. Though the water came, they were delivered.

Noah’s arc (or story) should be a massive encouragement to us. We are tied to Jesus’ story and will one-day experience glorification with him, but Noah reminds us to stay faithful in our generation. Even if we become a small minority of people in a society hostile to the gospel, we can endure like Noah and, ultimately, experience salvation from the judgment to come.

3. Our Arc

Faith In Christ

So we’ve thought about Jesus’ arc and Noah’s arc, but now we should consider ours. Our story is in the text as well. Our current reality is found in our first verse today — that it is better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil — but the rest of our story is told in 3:21-22. Peter said:

21 “Baptism, which corresponds to (Noah being brought safely through water), now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Peter means that our faith in Christ and his gospel led to our water baptism.

Water Baptism = Lordship Of Christ

Peter is very careful in how he lays this out. Noah’s flood reminds Peter of our water baptism — something Christians do at the beginning of their relationship with Jesus. But Peter doesn’t want us to think water baptism gives us the salvation of justification, so he clarifies that salvation comes through an internal work of Christ to cleanse our conscience from sin. And this is made effective, he says, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (21).

But this is the arc Peter wants us to recall: after receiving Christ, we were water baptized. Just as the flood washed away the old sinful world, so water baptism pictures our break with the old life. Jesus, after salvation, becomes our Lord, and he keeps saving us from the practical power and pull of sin. So Peter is exhorting us to continue to the same course of action that our baptism symbolized. In the water, a Christian being baptized is saying, “I will obey Jesus!” Peter wants that to be our arc, our story, that we would continue to say, “I will obey Jesus!”

Suffering For Good Is Possible

After that commitment, Peter wants us to know it is entirely possible that we would suffer for doing good (17). Jesus’ life and death should encourage us here because he suffered so that he could bring people to God. We should allow our suffering to do the same.

I know the idea that God would allow us to suffer is a shock to some of us. Peter said sometimes it might be God’s will (17). This is difficult for some of us to digest.

But shouldn’t we confess that suffering is sometimes the best thing for us? Aren’t there times our character is lacking or shallow and in need of refinement? Can’t suffering help shape our inner person better than times of ease?

And what about times suffering protects us from sin? We aren’t all-knowing. We don’t know what sins we might commit tomorrow. How many times have we been rescued from tomorrow’s errors because we were brought into today’s suffering and not allowed to live in ease?

And doesn’t suffering make us more effective in ministry to others? When they suffer, do they need to hear from people who cannot relate? Isn’t Jesus attractive because he was tempted and tested like us, became poor and suffered like us, and understands our hardest experiences? Couldn’t our suffering help us better serve others?

And can’t our suffering bring us into deeper relationship with Jesus? Paul said he wanted to experience the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings (Philippians 3:10). Isn’t there a facet of Jesus we cannot know without pain?

And, as Peter pointed out, wasn’t Jesus’ suffering designed to bring people to God? Could it be that our suffering is meant to point people to God as well?

One Day With Jesus (And Noah, Too)

So our arc in this passage is (1) justification by faith, (2) water baptism, which indicates Jesus is now our Lord, and (3) suffering for his name. But that is not the end of the story. The end of our story is Christ’s story. As Peter said, “Jesus has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him” (22).

This truth about Jesus is meant to comfort us about our future. One day, our arc with take a turn toward a similar victory. Our resurrection is guaranteed because he rose. One day we will also rise and rule with him.

But this truth about Jesus is also meant to comfort us about our present. Right now, we might, as Peter said, suffer for good. But Jesus is in heaven, in charge of everything, ruler over all. So if we suffer today, it does not escape his vision or planning. He sees it. Peter dares to say he, in a sense, wills it. He is in control of our lives. And this means that, from heaven, he can supply all the grace and strength and power and might and victory and resources we need to endure well.

When I was a boy, my father and I would sometimes fly kites together. And on a foggy Pacific Grove day, you could easily fly your kite so high that you could no longer see it. But you would hold onto the string and feel the tug on the other end. Though you could not see the kite in the sky, you could feel its pull.

Christ is in the heaven of heavens today, with all power and authority, and you are tethered to him. Feel his pull. He is graciously interceding for you and standing with you in the trials and pains of life. And one day, you will be with him (and Noah, too). So, today, endure because you know the narrative arc your life will take, trusting Jesus all the way there. Just as Sigourney Weaver did not die in Alien, and you will make it to the fulness of Christ’s kingdom.

1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.

4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;

5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

The life of David was one filled with hardship. His later years were littered with pains caused by his own sins and failures, but his younger years were hard because he was righteous.

God had secretly chosen him to replace Saul, the reigning king, because God was looking for a God-fearer to sit on Israel’s throne. And David was such a God-hearted man. He believed God, and because he did, he was thrust into battle against Goliath. After his miraculous victory, the nation knew his name, but his newfound fame enraged Saul.

For years, Saul persecuted young David. First in the palace, then in the Israelite wilderness, David had to remain constantly alert and vigilant in order to preserve his life. Still, he held to his integrity, writing psalms and praying prayers to God. Disillusioned and disaffected men came out to him, and he became their leader, but he would not lift a finger against Saul.

Eventually, however, David cracked. He suffered for righteousness’ sake and it broke him down. One day, David told himself he’d be safer living with the Philistines of the surrounding territory. Rather than live among God’s people, the people he was called to lead and serve, David thought it would be better to assimilate into a society far from God. He thought it would be better to live like the world. He said, “I shall escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will leave me alone. I will no longer suffer for righteousness’ sake” (1 Samuel 27:1 paraphrase).

But this decision led David into one of the darkest times of his life. Because he lost his distinction, because compromise had come into his life, he ended up suffering great loss. Fortunately, after a period of tragedy, David “strengthened himself in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:26). He began living like a man of God once again.

In recent weeks, we have been thinking about what it means to be like Jesus. He suffered for righteousness’ sake, and so will we (1 Peter 3:14, 18). But this can be tiring, and sometimes we will be tempted to ditch our distinctions and melt into the society around us. To say it plainly: sometimes it’s hard to suffer for righteousness.

God knows this, so he gave us 1 Peter and this section in 1 Peter. In it, we will be encouraged to embrace a mentality that leads to a specific lifestyle. This lifestyle requires a specific mindset, one I will express with three confessions today.

Confession #1: I Will Suffer For Jesus (4:1)

The first confession we must make is this: I will suffer for Jesus. Peter said:

1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking…

Jesus’ Way Of Thinking

Remember our last study in 1 Peter? Peter pointed us to Jesus’ story (narrative arc) along with Noah’s story and our story. Jesus suffered and died (3:18, 21). But then he rose and ascended to the Father’s right hand (3:22). Now, all things are forever in subjection to him (3:22). This same trajectory of suffering followed by deliverance and ultimate glory also belongs to Noah, and it will be our story as well. So Peter has been trying to help us understand that suffering for and in Jesus is not defeat.

And now, as Peter said, we must have the same way of thinking (1). We must embrace a similar mentality to Christ, who suffered in the flesh (1).

Arm Yourselves

And Peter said the way we embrace this mentality is to arm ourselves with the same way of thinking (1). To arm oneself is wartime language. It causes us to think of a soldier putting on his armor. Carefully, with attention to detail, and will sobriety at the prospect of war, a good soldier prepares by properly suiting up for battle.

God wants us to prepare to be attacked by embracing Christ’s mentality. He suffered. So will we. So we must think like Jesus. This next statement is counterintuitive — but a willingness to suffer for Christ is one of our greatest weapons.

With this weapon, we can accomplish much, but without it, we will constantly make the error of fighting in fleshly anger, fleeing in unwise self-preservation, or conforming in cowardly fear. But confessing I will suffer for Jesus helps us stand. It keeps our focus on the right things. No one can maintain a focus on going into the world to make disciples unless they confess I will suffer for Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20). To put it another way, once suffering for Jesus becomes abhorrent to a Christian community, they will respond to hostility in aberrant ways.

One of my favorite figures in church history is a man named William Tyndale. An Englishman who lived during the tumultuous times of the reformation, he had a strong conviction to get the Bible distributed in English. First, he became a master of languages (Latin, Greek, and Hebrew). Then he painstakingly created his own English translations of the Old and New Testaments. Then he found underground printing presses that would be willing to make copies. And since his activity was illegal at that time, he pressed on in secret. He was arrested and tortured for the work. There were even times a decade of work would be destroyed by the authorities. But, every time, Tyndale got back to work. I don’t think he’d have ever done this if he’d not been able to confess, I will suffer for Jesus. He’d armed himself with this mentality and got much done as a result.

For Righteousness’ Sake

Let me remind you, however, that Peter has qualified our suffering in his letter. He is the one who said:

1 Peter 3:14 (ESV) — 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed.

So Peter isn’t addressing suffering in general. He certainly isn’t addressing suffering for foolishness’ sake, but for righteousness. He isn’t addressing being inconvenienced, but true suffering. And he isn’t addressing suffering for personal convictions’ sake, but for the sake of biblical doctrine or the lifestyle that flows from it.

But the first confession Peter wants us to make is that we must confess that we will suffer for Jesus!

Confession #2: I Am Moving On From Sin (4:1-3)

The second confession Peter wants us to make is this: I am moving on from sin. Let’s read:

1b …for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.

Ceased From Sin?

OK, first things first. What does Peter mean when he says that whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin? I mean, we could feel all kinds of bad feelings about this, knowing that we still struggle with sin long after we’ve come to Christ. So how should we understand Peter’s words?

Does he mean that suffering causes sinlessness? If someone goes through hardship, are they guaranteed to grow in character or personal righteousness? Not at all. One can easily grow more bitter or angry or a myriad of other sins because of suffering.

Does he mean that suffering evidences sinlessness? If someone suffers, is that evidence that they are doing something right? Not necessarily. Much suffering is caused by folly.

What Peter means is that when someone suffers for Jesus, it signifies that they have made a decision to break from a sinful lifestyle. They will still battle and give in to temptation, but suffering for Christ means they are committed. They believe it is better to do right and suffer for it than to continue in sin. The person who says “I will suffer for Jesus” has made a determination to make a break with sin. So they determine to spend the rest of their lives doing God’s will instead of following human passions or the will of society (2-3).

That’s what Peter highlights — because of Jesus, Christians have been set free from sin. This means we have a new relationship with it. We don’t have to give into human passions because we are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We don’t have to follow the way of society because Jesus has brought us into a new society (Ephesians 2:1-3).

Humility

These are declarations that are best made with humility, and Peter was sure to frame it this way. First, notice all the time markers he used. To say we have ceased from sin means that we used to go to sin (1). To say we should spend the rest of our time for the will of God means that we used to spend our time on human passions (2). He said we should no longer live that old way (2) and that the time that is past was enough for that old life (3). So the Christian who says I am moving on from sin understands he isn’t above a soul. He spent much of his time and energy embroiled in sin.

The presence of these exhortations should also cultivate humility in a believer. Why did Peter have to urge them (and us) to resist sin, human passions, and doing what the Gentiles want to do? Because they still have a pull on our lives. If living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry didn’t have some kind of appeal to us, we wouldn’t need these exhortations.

If a research paper came out tomorrow that said kale is really terrible for us and that we shouldn’t eat it, I would never eat kale ever again. I would never be tempted. But it is common knowledge that cheeseburgers and milkshakes aren’t great for you, but I keep eating them. I am pulled in that direction. That’s why I need exhortations to eat well. Peter gives us these exhortations because we need them.

The fact of these exhortations shows us we are susceptible — we are tempted — and this should drive us to humble dependence upon God, not Pharisaical pride that we are not like “sinners.” Peter isn’t saying we need to apply hand sanitizer because the people around us have germs. He’s saying, “Take a shower to take care of your own B.O.”

The Gentiles

Peter’s word choice is also fascinating. He said the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do (3). But Peter was writing to Christians who were ethnically Gentile. By this time in his life, Peter had taken the Jew-Gentile paradigm he’d grown up seeing the world through and applied it to the church. The church was God’s kingdom of priests, a holy nation, and chosen people. And the unbelieving world was Gentile — including Jews who didn’t yet believe in Jesus.

This language is useful because it makes the Old Testament come alive. There, Israel often struggled to want to be like the nations around them. But God said:

Deuteronomy 12:30 (ESV) — 30 take care that you be not ensnared to follow the nations…and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’

Now, today, the church is to have the same perspective. We are different. We are to be holy because God is holy. We are different. We must get used to it.

Mindset

Now, as much as each of these sins might tempt us all in various ways, they are terrible for us. Sensuality is living without personal self-restraint. Passions are desires and lusts and impulses that pull us toward immorality. Drunkenness is another sin that can feel exciting, empowering, or liberating in the moment, but has also led to many terrible consequences. Orgies and drinking parties are wild parties and debaucherous festivals filled with all kinds of exciting sins. And this all leads to lawless idolatry, taking someone into the worship of people or experiences or nature at the expense of God. All of these sins can feel great in the moment, but the price you pay later can be pretty high. The Bible calls them “the fleeting pleasures of sin” for a reason (Hebrews 11:25). They are pleasurable, but only for a moment. They all hurt the next day.

What is your mindset towards sin? Do you see it as something that is bad because it’s forbidden? You shouldn’t. Instead, you should see it as forbidden because it’s bad. In other words, your loving Heavenly Father knows what will hurt you, so he forbids it — this is how we should see sin. And we should confess, “I am moving on from sin.”

Confession #3: I Might Be Vilified (4:4-6)

Finally, let’s consider our third confession. We’ve said:

• I will suffer for Jesus.
• I am moving on from sin.

But we should also say, I might be vilified. Let’s read:

4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;

Maligned

So Peter expected that our refusal to live like the rest of society does will surprise people. And since we aren’t carried along in the same flood of debauchery, Peter said they will malign us. The Christians Peter wrote to were thought of as strange because they didn’t partake of many aspects of Roman society. They received what they could from the Roman world. They redeemed what they could from the Roman world. But some parts of Roman society had to be rejected outright, and this surprised many nonbelievers, so they maligned the church for being different.

When the church first began, it was embedded in a Jewish context. Since many morals of the church overlapped with Judaism, Jewish society did not hassle the church much for its morals. It did, however, lash out against the church because of its beliefs. There, they were maligned for their doctrines.

As the church spread into the Gentile world, it was their morals (or lifestyle) that most often got them into trouble with society. Among the nations, they were maligned for their lifestyle.

But we live in a time where we will be maligned for both our biblical doctrines and our biblical lifestyles. One scholar said: “It is a problem that will recur whenever Christians are forced by their faith to oppose cultural values widely held in the secular world within which they live” (Achtemeier, 1996).

Why would people malign us for the way we live? Partly because it is an implied indictment of their way of life. We don’t mean it that way, of course. We don’t believe people are made right with God by the way they live. We think people are made right with God by faith in the gospel. Jesus Christ died for all of humanity, was buried, and rose from the dead. The only way for our guilt and shame to be settled before God is to believe in what his Son did to erase and consume our sin. He died in our place. He rose. And he will return. Belief in this message is what saves you, not your lifestyle.

But since submission to the gospel highlights our need for forgiveness, and since we become new people (born again) after placing our faith in Christ, it is inevitable that we would begin living in a different way. Unfortunately, many people see this different way of life and take offense, thinking we mean to communicate they are somehow less than us. Not so.

Another reason for this maligning word is that our lifestyles disrupt the accepted flow of society. The Christians Peter wrote to were seen as haters of the Roman way of life, and people wanted to build that Roman society together. Christians, in their minds, weren’t helping. And all these Christians were first-generation Christians, meaning they weren’t raised in Christian families with Christian values and traditions. So when these new believers began following the way of Jesus, they broke with many ancestral traditions and practices handed down from their families and societies. All this caused quite a stir.

In our closing verses, Peter gave two statements that help us face being maligned for Jesus. The first is a reality to know; the second is a prayer to pray. Let’s read:

5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

Reality: Everyone Judged

When maligned, the reality to know is that everyone will be judged (5). Every human soul must give an account to God for their lives. He is the judge of the living and the dead, meaning no one escapes accountability to him.

Jesus spoke of the day of judgment when we will give account for even every careless word we speak (Matthew 12:36). Paul said we would all give an account of ourselves to God (Romans 14:12) and that God has fixed a day when he will judge the world by Jesus (Acts 17:31). Jude said the Lord is coming with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment on all (Jude 14-15). James said the judge is standing at the door (James 5:9). The psalms say the way of the wicked will perish (Psalm 1:6). Solomon wrote that God will bring every deed into judgment (Ecclesiastes 12:14). And, back to Jesus, he promised he would come in glory with his angels and sit on his throne of judgment (Matthew 25:31).

For Christians, giving an account for our lives is a day of grace and mercy. We plead the blood of Christ! His righteousness will save us.

But Peter is encouraging us that those who malign us will give an account of themselves before God.

Prayer: Everyone Saved

But when maligned, the prayer to pray is that all people would be saved, even (and especially) those who malign us. Peter said the gospel has to be preached to spiritually dead people with the hopes that when they die (are judged in the flesh the way people are), they will live before God the way God does (6).

But this final confession — I might be vilified — is often hard for us to stomach. I think many have watered down the Bible or Christianity in an attempt to become compatible with society. But, though we shouldn’t be any weirder than the Bible says we have to be — we should retain and pursue our biblical distinctions. And we must know we might be vilified for following Christ above culture.

Let us say:

• We will suffer for Jesus.
• We are moving on from sin.
• We might be vilified.