Our next books of the Bible will be 1 & 2 Peter. We've studied many of Paul's writings so far, so now we're going to look at Peter. The Rock. Peter is writing to the new Christians who have been and may continue to face many trials under Emperor Nero, who became known for his brutal treatment of Christians, including burning them alive at night as "lighting" for the streets. Naturally, many Christians left Rome and began to scatter throughout the Roman Empire. First Peter is a letter offering encouragement to the suffering Christians at the time, but it also applies to us today, as all scripture does.
" 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you..."
Do you ever feel like a stranger in this world? Like you don't really fit in here? I know I have. The culture tells me that I should dress in a way that my clothes cover as little as possible, but I don't feel comfortable with that because scripture tells me to "dress modestly, with decency and propriety..." so that I am not known by what I look like or wear, but by the kind and good things I do (1 Tim. 2:9). The culture tells me that I should watch the latest reality t.v. shows, and I even gets some "looks" when I tell people that I don't watch certain popular shows, but scripture says that I should "set (my) mind on things above, not on earthly things" (Col. 3:2). That's not to say that enjoying fashion or t.v. shows is all bad, or that I never enjoy some of the latest trends the world has to offer (we do tend to love the extremes of ALL or NEVER don't we?). But sometimes, I do feel like a stranger here...
And I should! This world is not our home. We can't feel completely "at home" here because if we are followers of Christ "our citizenship is in heaven" according to Philippians 3:20. 1 Peter 2 says, "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." So it shouldn't surprise us when Peter says as the beginning of this book, "To God's elect, strangers in the world..." (vs.1). We are strangers, aren't we?
I often find that more times than not, I can compare myself and The Church today to the Israelites in the Bible. I used to give that group of people a scowl when I read about their unfaithfulness to God; yet, regularly I find myself being just as unfaithful. So now, whenever I read about the Israelites, I look for similarities between us...and sadly, I find them quickly!
So it interested me that when I looked for the very first use of the word "stranger" in the Bible, it was found in God's promise to Abraham regarding his descendants (The Israelites) in Genesis 15: “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions." Now, this clearly is talking about the Israelites, but 7 verses previously, God also told Abraham that his descendants would be so many that they'd be unable to be counted. That includes us! We are Abrahams' spiritual descendants. And are we not strangers here? Are we also enslaved here -- by what our culture says we should do and who we should be -- we become enslaved by the desires for things and for fame and prestige? And are we also mistreated by the way our culture views the Christian perspective? God is misunderstood so often, and we are, too, as His representatives!
"But I..." says the Lord. Ahh...here is where we know that He will not allow us to be strangers forever. He says He will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions and inhabit the Promised Land that God gave them! Oh my gosh! I see so many parallels here in the Israelites' lives and our lives. In Revelation chapters 6-8, God explains His judgement of sin and the punishments that will follow as the seven seals are opened. The wicked will not go unpunished because God is a loving and just God!
And the great possessions? Well, perhaps you can even name some now...what bits of knowledge of God do you cherish? Have many of your life lessons come out of your suffering and trials? I know mine have, but we'll talk more about that tomorrow in Part 2.
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