The Everyday Prayer

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

… so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit. vs 18

There is only one way to get to God. The New Testament is abundantly clear that there is no other way to the Father except through Jesus Christ. You would think that John 14:6 would be enough to convince people that there is no other way, but still, people find ways to circumvent contextual interpretation to appease their beliefs. The purpose of the Incarnation was to provide a way for humanity to dwell with God for eternity as well as in this world. God wouldn’t have needed Jesus to become flesh if His plan was to save the world universally. God needed Jesus to provide a way for us to die in our flesh now in order for us to know God now. Jesus died in His flesh in order to bring us to God and also to bring God to us. God is with us because Jesus made the way… the only way!

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

¹⁹ So he went and preached to the spirits in prison—²⁰ those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat.

Have you ever wished God would hurry things along? Or wonder why he delays his judgement? I imagine Noah felt the same way. It likely took he and his family around 40 years to build the ark, all the while his neighbors became increasingly volatile and wicked.

What we feel as slowness, is actually a demonstration of God’s patient grace towards unbelievers. Paul wrote, “Don’t you know, God’s kindness (delay of judgment) is intended to lead you to repentance?”

So while we may ache for Jesus’ return, may we also recognize God’s desire for all men and women to come to saving faith. All the more reason to do good in the face of suffering.

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 3:18-22 (day five) One of the concerns of studying the scriptures passage by passage is to study them separately from previous passages. We tend to lose context as well as the writer’s train of thought.  The first word in our text this week helps us to think and look back at Peter’s previous point and theme for his letter to the believers in Asia Minor- suffering and persecution. In particular this text is connected (the word “for” indicates a reason or grounds for what will follow) to Peter’s thoughts on righteous suffering.  Our text is seemingly an answer to a previous statement that produced an implied question, “Why is it better to suffer for doing good, than for doing evil?”
The summarized answer from this week’s text- Because Jesus has previously walked the path of righteous suffering which was God’s path and plan for His vindication and glory. Peter points to Jesus’ example to give believers great hope (in the midst of suffering) for our rescue and resurrection- pictured in baptism.

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

Prior to Christ, the picture we have of redemption is the work of the priests bringing a sacrifice to atone for sin.  The sacrifices had to be repeated over and over, because they could not pay the full price.  At the right time, Christ came…the sinless, spotless lamb of God…to die once for our sin.  Hebrews 9:24-28 tells us that story.  Christ was able to pay the full price for our sin.

When we die…which we all will…we will stand in judgment…which we all will…before God.  If we have received the gift of salvation through Christ, we will stand before God, not in reference to sin, but rather for salvation.

If any message can be learned from Peter, it is ‘trust Christ’.  His sacrifice, given for our redemption from sin, was planned before the beginning of time.  God is an infinite God…He transcends time.  The work of Christ seems to us to have been long ago, when in God’s timetable, it is as fresh as your last breath!  Trust Christ!

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

“…[Christ] went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah…”

Some will interpret this passage as describing Christ’s preaching in the Holy Spirit through Noah to an unbelieving generation, while others will see a description of Christ himself preaching to those who have died. These varying interpretations each lead to further implications about the human person’s relation to God after bodily death, so they are not unimportant. But one thing remains clear. There is not one human being who lives or has ever lived about whom God is unconcerned. God notices when someone is absent from his table. He will spare no effort to seek and to save. And he will teach you to to seek with him.

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 seven)

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

Apologists have adopted this verse as a defense to why we should study apologetics. We should know what we believe and why we believe it, these things are true. However, I think we can become overzealous to the defense and lose track of the very thing we were called to defend, the hope that is in you, as well as how we are supposed to defend it, with gentleness and reverence.

I recently encountered a professional apologist who was so well trained to debate that even his small talk came across as combative. Within five minutes of meeting this person, I began to ask myself this question: If I were an unbeliever, would I be more persuaded by logic or by love? If the people we are sending into the front lines are more concerned with winning an argument than displaying the hope we have in Jesus Christ, then our logic was flawed to begin with. Our society doesn’t need more divisiveness, we need more hope. Defend your hope!

Re:Verse passage – 1 Peter 3:8-17 (day six)

There’s a difference between reacting and responding. Reacting often lacks preparation, awareness, and mindfulness, whereas responding is preceded by anticipation and readiness.

That’s Peter’s aim, readiness. He doesn’t want these churches surprised by suffering, he wants them to expect it, and be ready for it when it comes. Peter wants them to do more than survive, more than grin and bear it, but he really wants them ready to engage others with hopefulness in the midst of suffering.

When suffering comes that’s our cue that God is up to something in the lives of those around us, and he plans to use our readiness so they can see and hear about the hope we have in Jesus.

Are you responding or only reacting to life’s circumstances?