Author: Aaron Hufty

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 5:7-14 (day two) But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. vs. 9

Have you ever broken a bone? Had a knee replacement, or rotator cuff surgery? If you’ve ever had a traumatic experience and find someone else who has gone through something similar, you are automatically connected. You sway stories of scars and rehab. You talk about the process of healing. The same should be true for what you are experiencing in the faith. Mind you, this isn’t an opportunity to ‘one up’ each other in terms of suffering, but rather this is a chance to recognize that you are not alone. Peter has assured us that suffering is something that actually connects us. We can gain confidence as we endure trials, and perhaps, pray for others whose faces we may never see who are enduring in the same way.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 5:1-6 (day two) and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another…vs. 5

“With malice toward none with charity for all with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan ~ to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” Abraham Lincoln – Second Inaugural Address – March 4, 1865

President Lincoln had an uphill battle for which he would pay the ultimate price. His words resonate now as much as they did at the end of the Civil War. We are divided and fractious as a nation and even among believers we cling to what separates us rather than what unites us. The Apostle Peter has spent his entire letter clearly outlining how we are to treat other people as we all share in the sufferings of Christ Jesus. May we be a people marked by our charity and compassion rather than by our divisiveness.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 4:12-19 (day two) …but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. vs 13

Outside the love of Jesus Christ that verse makes no sense whatsoever. Peter can only make this bold of a statement with full assurance of the truth. He knows Jesus, and walked the path of a disciple that would ultimately lead to his own martyrdom. If Peter can make such claim we are wise to listen. Our present sufferings for the savior are an assurance of his promise. To be sure these sufferings are ones faced in opposition to the world and for the cause of Christ. As you put on the full armor of God there is a full expectation of resistance, but anyone who keeps the faith and fixes their eyes on Jesus will be reminded these obstacles are not the end. Faithfulness to Jesus will have its final reward in eternity.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 4:1-11 (day one)  Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. vs. 8

There are so many things that are out of your control on a daily basis. Situations arise that you are unprepared to handle. There may be financial crises that seem to never allow you to get ahead. Many things will happen to you, but what matters is your ability to manage what you can control. You are in control of your response, particularly to other people. No matter what comes your way, allow no one to say that you lacked charity or grace. Make people marvel at the way you handle difficult people, adversity, or stress. Focus on what the Lord has blessed you with, and start there. Sometimes all you have is all you need.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 3:18-22 (day two)

Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, vs. 21

Make sure to read the full passage when you encounter this verse. It is easy to get hung up on the first phrase and think that the act of baptism has some salvific property. Galatians 2:19-21 serves as a reminder that keeping a command or work is not the act of salvation. Continue reading Peter’s thoughts that our appeal to Christ through the power of his resurrection is the action that leads to salvation. Baptism is a wonderful reminder of the cleansing of our hearts from our own sinful pursuit and desires to a life redeemed and made worthy by Jesus.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 3:8-17 (day two) …but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; vs. 15

I’m thinking a lot about Christmas these days. Let’s be honest, I think a lot about Christmas most days. Our theme this year is ‘Go and Tell’ which is a combination of the Great Commission, and the eagerness of the shepherds after their encounter with the angels and the baby Jesus. The shepherds are an incredible model for us as witnessing believers. There is no way they could understand the significance of all the events to which they were a witness. That fact, however, did not stop them from telling everyone they encountered about what they saw. Our responsibility is not to have a Master’s of Divinity in Exegetical Preaching. Ours is to simply, clearly, lovingly tell others who we know Jesus to be in our own lives, in our own words. To be clear, we should always pursue a greater understanding of God and his great work, but our qualification to share is our relationship with him. To preach Christ crucified and alive. This is truth. This is worth sharing.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 3:1-7 (day two) 

In the same way…vs 1a

There are few New Testament passages that cause more angst than this one, and a similar discourse found in Ephesians. There are many ways that this letter can be abused, but it is not an outdated text. What strikes me is Peter’s constant use of the phrase ‘in the same way.’ When you hear this misused, I think that part of the scripture is not dealt with sufficiently. As Pastor Chris pointed out in the Re:Vlog yesterday the continuity of the letter flows from citizenship, to slaves, to wives, to husbands, and the connecting clause is the phrase ‘in the same way.’ Believers in anyone of those classifications should take the admonishment uttered to the others as if Peter were speaking to them….because he is. Now re-read chapters 1-3 and change the audience to you. Apply the directives he gives for submission, gentleness, and integrity to your life. This was his intent.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 2:18-25 (day two) …and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously…vs. 23

For most of us our sense of justice has a ring of the old covenant to it. We feel that if someone wrongs us, there should be some retribution. Mentally, we feel there needs to be accountability, and often payback. That rings of ‘an eye for an eye’, doesn’t it? Let’s be clear there are offenses that require that kind of justice, but how often do those things occur? What is more likely to happen is that our pride is hurt and rather than deal with it we demand justice. Sometimes the offense is intentional, and we think the only way forward is that they get what’s coming to them. We operate like there is a cosmic scale of justice. We know Christ’s words on this subject, and they rarely call us to that kind of equality. Jesus’ words and example were that of extreme forbearance. Our prayer should be to take our eyes off the offender and focus them on Jesus.