This week we will continue in our 1 Peter series, Firm in the Faith, looking at 1 Peter 2:11-25. Now this is an interesting passage to consider on a weekend where we celebrate our freedom. Peter is going to call us in our new found freedom in Christ to submit ourselves to Jesus and every human institution, because all authority in this world comes from God. Furthermore he will call us to be ok with suffering injustice, knowing that when we suffer for doing good, we are actually identifying with Jesus and the very core of the Gospel. When you suffer for doing good, you are walking in the very footsteps of Jesus as he went to the cross and suffered and died for our sins, though he himself was sinless. And yet it was Christ suffering of injustice that led to our salvation in God’s plan. In a similar fashion, God is bearing witness to the Gospel through us when we as followers of Jesus suffer injustice for doing good. Peter’s message to us again is that we can only suffer well and persevere when we have set our hope on the grace that is to be revealed at the return of Christ. If we are firm in what God has done and is doing through Christ to save us, we can persevere through any suffering with hope.
Life can be difficult and it is easy to focus more on the obstacles that confront us everyday over Jesus. 1 Peter is a book of hope that reminds us of what Jesus has done for us as believers to make our salvation sure. Peter wants to tilt our head up from the day to day problems of life to remember the hope of our salvation in Christ. He encourages us to have a forward lean to our faith that is looking forward to the completion of our salvation when Christ returns. His message to us is that if you can keep your eyes focused on what Jesus has accomplished and our salvation to come, you can face any obstacle in life-Firm in the Faith. Join us as we hear what God has to say to us as we explore this short and punchy book over the summer!
