The Distinctive Marks of a Christian - (I Peter 1:13-25) - Background and Context

Introduction Notes:
When I was in seminary I wrote a paper for a class on I Peter 1:13-25 titled, "The Distinctive Marks of a Christian".  For the next several blog posts I will be using that paper, broken down into sections.  The first one is:


Background and Context


First Peter was written during a time of great persecution throughout the Roman empire under Emperor Nero.  The church in Jerusalem was scattered throughout the Mediterranean world, and Christians were facing torture and death on account of their faith.  Peter himself, the author of this epistle, was probably a victim of this persecution, being executed in Rome.  However, Peter had been persecuted many times since his proclamation on the day of Pentecost.  It was to encourage the suffering Christians that Peter penned this letter sometime around A.D. 63, no doubt from Rome, to the believers, but particularly to the Jewish Christians that had been drive out of Jerusalem and scattered throughout Asia Minor.  


In the midst of persecution and suffering it is easy to lose hope.  Once hope is gone, despair sets in, and it becomes easier to surrender one's faith and give in to the pressures of the surrounding forces of evil.  The followers of Christ were being abused for their belief in and obedience to Jesus.  But Peter had an unshakable faith in his risen Lord, and he wrote to his fellow Christians to urge them to continue to be loyal to Jesus.  He had a message of comfort and hope that they needed to hear as a lifeline to hold on to their faith.  God had called them to live lives distinctively set apart from the pagan world, for which He would reward them at the return of Christ.


Peter starts his letter with thanksgiving to God for salvation (1:2-6). He then explains how faith is refined through various trials (1:7-9).  He urged the Christians to look beyond their present circumstances and recall what Christ had done for them, bringing to them the salvation that the prophets had wrote about (1:10-12).  In response to what Christ had done for them, Peter exhorts the believers about their distinctive call and the marks they should bear as baptized Christians.  These marks are:

1. Holiness (1:13-16)
2. Godly Fear (1:17-21)
3. Brotherly Love (1:22-25)

It is this message of Peter that we need to hear again today.  Perhaps we are not currently suffering persecution or trials such as the early Christians faced, but there is a subtle world view that seems to be overtaking the church world in vast numbers.  Soldiers, weary from the battle and waiting, are surrendering to the enemy, willing to trade eternal life for immediate gratification and momentary pleasures.  We will not survive in this battle for the Kingdom if we are not fully committed to God's call on our life to be holy.  Let's take a closer look at the message from Peter.

(to be continued in the next blog)

Purified by Trials - I Peter 1:7

I Peter 1:7 – Purified by Trials

These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold -- and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (NLT)

These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (NIV)

In order for our faith to grow, we must face trials. Only as we trust God to see us through our tribulations is our faith made stronger. Through fiery trials we are purified, becoming more and more like the Son of God, Jesus Christ. (CDC)

There are three reasons we go through trials: 1) to keep us humble; 2) to help our faith grow; and 3) to teach us compassion. We are being refined as we go through the firey trials of life, for God is in the business of purifying us. The purpose of purification is so we begin to have a glowing likeness to Jesus Christ.

Sometimes in our times of troubles we feel like we are being pulled downstream by a rapid current. However, God knows exactly where we are. When He delivers us out of the raging waters, in His timing, we are turned back around to face the river. As we see others going through their distresses and disappointments, God gives us compassion to reach out to them. When we do, we bring glory and honor to Him.  Somehow He uses these experiences to make us stronger...to make us more in the image of His Son.

Other New Testament authors have written letters that reinforce what Peter has written:

• Paul writes in Romans 5:3: We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. (NIV)

• James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (NLT)

Our faith is much more precious to God than gold. Gold is purified by fire, but our faith is refined and made pure by going through fiery trials and tests. When we come through those times in our our lives, we are made stronger in our faith, and our character is shaped more into the character of Christ. God loves us so much He wants to make us in the image of His Son...He wants to perfect us.

I don't know about you, but I am one who needs perfecting. God is the only One I can trust with that process. I don't need to fear, because He is going through this process of life with me. Meanwhile, He is preparing a place for me in heaven where there will be no more testing, no more trials, no tears, no heartaches, no sorrow. All will be peace forever more! (John 14:1-3).

Where Our Joy Comes From - I Peter 1:6

I Peter 1:6 – Where Our Joy Comes From

So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. (NLT)

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. (NIV)

This life will have many obstacles to overcome, but because God has promised to be with us, we can look beyond our current circumstance and keep our focus on the prize before us...the Hope of Heaven. That hope is where our joy comes from. (CDC)

I am sure that believers in Christ realize what a privilege we have, knowing that God is watching over us. Also, we truly believe that we have an eternal home in heaven someday. We experience hope in God's provisions and protection here and now, plus we have the assurance that our future is going to be a blessed event, beyond our comprehension. Still, because we are human, there are times that we get discouraged and feel the burden of our pain and sorrow in the trials we go through. God created our emotions...He totally understands our grief. That's why He wants us to read His word, His love letter to us, on a regular basis. His Holy Spirit inspired the authors of each of the 66 books of the Bible to write so that we might gain insight and encouragement from the Word of God.

Peter is specifically writing to encourage believers. He is telling us to remember our trials are only for a season. Comedian Mark Lowry's favorite verse is “And it came to pass.” No matter what we are going through, it will pass. Life has a rhythm to it, just like a heartbeat. There are ups and downs in the pattern. We are sometimes on mountain tops and sometimes in the valley. That's the way God designed the mountains...to have valleys in between. If life was the same every day, we would become bored and discontent. If we read a book where there is no mystery, no dilemma to catch our attention, would we keep reading? No...we want to see how the problems are resolved and how the story turns out. That's the way life is. Only...if we keep the faith...we already know the ending is nothing but good...full of unbelievable blessings and rewards. Our trials are the means by which our faith is strengthened, and they cause us to look forward to Christ's return and our eternal hope...a time when there will be no more sorrow, no more pain, no more grief.

Even when we are going through the valleys, the storms of life, we know deep down inside that as a child of God, He is with us. If we are in a right relationship with Him, we have an inner sense of peace and well-being. There is no reason to stay up at night worrying. God wants us to go to sleep and leave the problem with Him. Our joy is not dependent up on our current circumstances, for we know that God will work all things out in His time. When we compare our current circumstances to our new birth, our living hope, and our inheritance in heaven, we find reason to keep our head up, our eyes focused on Jesus, and moving forward, even if only one baby step at a time.

The pain of failure is one reason we grieve. Peter very well remembers the time when he failed Jesus, and the pain it caused him. On the night Jesus was betrayed in the garden by the kiss of Judas, Peter denied even knowing Him three times. Then the rooster crowed and his eyes met the eyes of Jesus. He knew he had utterly failed his Best Friend. How could he have done such a thing? How could Jesus ever forgive him? He had behaved just as Jesus had said he would, and now here he was...at the bottom. But Peter accepted Christ's forgiveness, and refocused, making his life count for God's Kingdom. We, too, have to let go of the pain of our past, and fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).

The pain of loss is another reason we grieve. Jesus himself also experienced deep sorrow. At the tomb of His close friend Lazarus, He wept. Tears, which God collects in bottles, is His way of bringing inner healing. Because Jesus felt the same emotions we feel, He promised to be with us to guide us through the maze of sorrow and grief. Peter tells us later on in this letter to “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7) And the Psalmist reminds us that: "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy." (Psalms 126:5) May it be an encouragement to us that God is indeed watching over us! He knows exactly what we are going through, and what our future holds. He wants us to trust Him.  


"God of the Mountain" by Lynda Randal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V65EPF2S-s0

Salvation: Past, Present, Future - I Peter 1:5

I Peter 1:5

And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. (NLT)

...who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (NIV)

Meanwhile, as we await our eternal destination, our Heavenly Father, who is all powerful, will watch over us and protect us. As we trust Him, He will see us through the storms of life. There is coming a day when the storms will cease and all will be peace forevermore. (CDC)

Is salvation a done deal, or is it something we strive toward throughout our whole life? Well, I suppose the answers for that question is why we have so many denominations and creeds of belief. I don't think God meant for it to be so difficult to understand.

The Beacon Bible Expositions points out three salvations:

1. We are saved when we receive Jesus into our hearts. This is an accomplished fact. Ephesians 2:8 says: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
2. However, salvation is an on-going process. You don't stop growing spiritually once you surrender your life to Jesus. You've really just begun to truly live a life of Godly purpose. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (I Cor 1:18)
3. Salvation is also yet to come into it's grand finale when we are glorified.(Rom 13:11) This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

Another way of stating these three salvations is to say that salvation is:

• past – when a person first believes
• present – through the on-going process of sanctification
• future – when our sanctification is completed through glorification...at the time of the return of Christ.

While we await our glorification, God is protecting us. He has a shield around us...the shield of faith. The power of God is able to keep us until the end if we keep our faith placed in Him. God already knows when His appointed time will be...when all earthly things will end, and His kingdom will reign forever and ever. We do not know, but with our choice to trust Him, not going by feelings, but by faith, we can rest assured there is coming a day when our pain and sorrow will be over. God will wipe away all of our tears, and we will be safe forevermore. Jim Hill penned the such an appropriate song for this passage: “What A Day That Will Be”:

“There is coming a day when no heartaches shall come

No more clouds in the sky, no more tears to dim the eye.

All is peace forevermore on that happy, golden shore,

What a day, glorious day that will be.

There'll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear,

No more sickness, no pain, no more parting over there;

And forever I will be with the One who died for me,

What a day, glorious day that will be.

Chorus:

What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see,

And I look upon His face,

The One who saved me by His grace;

When He takes me by the hand

And leads me through the Promised Land,

What a day, glorious day that will be!