The Everyday Prayer

Re: Verse reading–1 Peter 1:13-25; 2:1-10 (day seven)
“The stone that the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone.”  (2:7)  There is animosity at work in the world.  Unavoidable tension between God and the human race.  The people of every age reject what God is building.  People want “something else” and choose it with their lives and attention.  Believers have a hard time remembering this ever-present truth.  Peter struggled at this point.  At times he fought the world.  (Sword and rage in the garden).  At times he lost his courage in the face of the world’s animosity.  (Denial of Christ).  Now, year later, Peter is wiser,  more resolved to the inevitability.  The world is on a collision course with God and all of us must decide our loyalty to one or the other.  What God is building, the world has no interest in.  And vice versa.  “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.” (1 Corinthians 1:27)

Re: Verse reading–1 Peter 1:13-25; 2:1-10 (day six)
“Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  (v 13)  It is a tough sentence to interpret.  What, exactly, did Peter mean?  Literally, the words in Greek read “hope to the end.”  The end of what?  Some scholars think that Peter means the end of time and we are to hope until Jesus returns.  Others believe that he means the fullest measure of what hope can be.  Mature hope.  Complete hope.  Either way (whether hope is long or large) the idea is the same.  Hope in the heart is a powerful influence for good.  An absolutely necessary  part of the Christian life!  What do you hope, friend?  Are the eyes of your expectation set on eternity?  Can you say, as Paul did, “In the future there is laid up for me a crown.” (2 Timothy 4:8)  Hope to the end, friend.  Hope to the end!

Re: Verse reading–1 Peter 1:13-25; 2:1-10 (day four)
V. 14 – “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,”  Our ignorance was the period of our life when we were not under the purifying tutelage of the Holy Spirit.  Even after we have been called into a relationship of grace and obedience, we may still revert back to our conformity with the world and its philosophies.  How many of us have repeated thoughts or ideas as truth, when, in fact, they run contrary to scripture.  We heard the pithy thought from someone we deemed reliable or smart, and adopted it as our ‘wisdom’.  A good question to ask of any truth or statement would be, “where is this found in scripture?”  God is holy…a huge descriptive word of His character.  We are to be holy, just as He is holy.  Ask God to search your heart for any deceptive thought that may reside there and to cleanse it with the blood of Christ.

Re: Verse reading–1 Peter 1:13-2:10 (Day Three)
“You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house.”  Jesus gave Simon the nickname “Rock”—Peter.  For a time, it seemed as though Peter attempted to live up to what he thought the name signified: Tough, hard, unwavering, unshakable.  He was none of those things, no matter how hard he tried.  It took years of training with Jesus—not trying, but training—to teach him that God was not building a monument out of Peter’s life, but a community.  In this community, the raw materials are the lives of all of us—all “rocks” that Jesus will use when as we leave behind our aspirations to “monument-hood”, and instead accept the weathered beauty that comes as the Lord leads us through difficulty and joy in friendship with him and with one another.

Re: Verse reading–1 Peter 1:13-25; 2:1-10 (day two)
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a Holy Nation a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” In the very true nature of the God’s wonderfully complex story this is another example of how His ways are not ours.  It is so easy to look at the the descriptors in that sentence  (chosen, royal, holy) and get an elevated sense of worth.  We see fame as a lofty exalted thing to which many aspire, and all admire.  However by the end of the sentence it is clear that is not how we are to use God’s favor.  We have been made this wonderful things for a purpose; to proclaim the greatness of our God.  If we are given a chosen position it should only serve to elevate the one who placed us there.  Give Him the glory for your life today, and take whatever opportunity is presented and proclaim His excellencies so that others may come from darkness to light.

Re: Verse reading–1 Peter 1:13-25; 2:1-10 (day one)
“The grass withers, the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord abides forever. . .Therefore. . .coming to Him as to a living stone. . .you also as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house.”  (1:24-15; 2:4-5)  Unfamiliar talk for most moderns.  Easy place to “get lost”.  Peter is talking about things that perish.  Our responsibility in this world of constant change?  To build our lives on Christ as the new foundation!  Come to him is a “living stone”  Powerful/confusing paradox. “Stone” symbolizes something solid and unchanging.  “Living” suggests change and growth, flexibility.  Jesus is both!  Alive but never dying.  Soft and strong– at the same time.  Makes me wonder how much of this thinking came to Cephas when Jesus named him Peter (=rock).  See Matthew 18.  Only Christ can be both alive and eternal.  Only Christ can build our lives into something eternally, permanently good.  In Him we become “living stones”, too.

Re: Verse reading–1 Peter 1:1-12 (day seven)
Thanks everyone for being a part of RE Verse.  One of my favorite parts of FBC!  “Us. . .who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  (v 5)  It is a confidence that came to Peter after years of knowing Christ.  He was protected.  We all are.  He didn’t have to rely on his own strength.  No swords drawn in futile attempt to keep himself or his loved ones safe.  God protects His own people.  From what?  Not from suffering.  Not from temptation or sorrow or difficult assignments or even failure.  Peter’s discovery comes close to the words of Paul.  “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”  (Romans 8)  Through faith, God employs His power to guard, forgive, restore, encourage and discipline us toward the future.  Great comfort!  We do not rely on ourselves.  God is protecting us.

Re: Verse reading–1 Peter 1:1-12 (day six)
“obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”  (v 9)  What is the outcome of faith?  The result?  It a question that needs to be clear for every believer.  Peter says the promised outcome of faith is salvation.  Not success. . .for some will experience criticism and public shame for the sake of Christ.  Not comfort. . .for all will be called to bear a cross of pain or grief.  The only promise (and the only one that ultimately matters) is salvation.  “I give eternal life to them and they shall never perish”  (John 10:28)  In a materialistic age, we must carefully consider.  Am I willing to follow Christ with eternal life as the promised outcome?   If life is hard and the road narrow, am I still glad to follow the Lord under these gracious terms?  “What shall it profit a man, if he gains the world and forfeits his soul?”   (Matthew 16:26)

Re: Verse reading–1 Peter 1:1-12 (day five)
I Peter 1:1-2 “To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces …, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood”
Because of my ministry with teenagers, I know the answer to this question is HUGE. Identity formation is the major task of adolescence. Getting this right is crucial to SO many aspects of our lives. Mark Driscoll writes, “How you answer that question has far-reaching, belief-revealing, life-shaping, and identity-forming implications.” I believe we wrestle with this question and answer it everyday, even as adults. It seems fitting that Peter starts this letter by addressing the question. The answer (that ultimately and completely brings power and joy to the human heart) to “Who am I?” is found in the One who says He is the “I Am”.

Re: Verse reading–1 Peter 1:1-12 (day four)
Peter writes of a living hope…through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  One of the greatest promises we have in scripture is also found in our passage this week.  Verse 4 says that our inheritance in heaven is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away.  The last phrase of verse 4 says, it is reserved in heaven for you…reserved…reserved and protected by the power of God through faith!  Our salvation is reserved, sealed, protected, and promised by the power of God.  In Baptist circles, we call this doctrine ‘once saved always saved.’  What a freeing promise!  We do not have to earn our salvation…our living hope…every day.  We cannot lose our salvation.  We receive it through the work of Jesus by faith and it is protected by the power of God.  Romans 8:39 says, “nothing can separate us from the love of God.”  Thank you God for this enduring promise!