Suffering for doing good

 

For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. – 1 Peter 3.17

 

Nobody wants to suffer. That’s pretty obvious.

 

But suffering is a part of life and sometimes we are going to suffer because of our actions.

 

Sometimes we suffer for doing good and sometimes we suffer for doing evil. When we suffer for doing evil there is no benefit. We know we are guilty and we deserve it and it is hard to see any good out of it.

 

When we suffer for doing good though we know that we have done something. We suffer and it is bearable because there was a reason for it all. We can bear with it because we know that we suffer like Jesus suffered. We are truly following in His steps. If we suffer for doing good we remember that he suffered for doing perfection.

 

We may need that assurance someday. Let’s strive to do good so that when we do suffer we can do so with joy.

Conscience and conduct

 

having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. – 1 Peter 3.16

 

This follows on to the passage on being able to give an answer of the hope that is in us.

 

When we have a clear conscience, we are free from doubts and fears and concerns about what our opposition can or will do to us. Persecution and attacks are the norm for God’s people.

 

But it also should lead us to the honourable conduct that we read about earlier.  That kind of conduct can’t be answered. That kind of conduct shuts the mouth of the opposition. One of the last Roman emperors wrote of the Christians that no matter what the law did the Nazarenes (Christians) had the cheek to love them. He had no answer for that.

 

We ought to live our lives in such a way that we give no one an excuse to condemn us because of our words or our actions. We ought to live so that people would be ashamed to talk about us.

 

When people talk about us behind our backs in a slanderous or accusatory manner our lives should be so honourable that those who hear it will say ‘no way that is true.’

 

Is that the kind of life we live? Is that what our honourable conduct produces?

Give an answer

 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; -1 Peter 3.15

 

Sanctify God in your hearts. Set them apart for Him. Dedicate our hearts to the Lord that we might always be ready to give people an answer about why we see to have hope.

 

Of course, that means that we need to live like we have hope. We can’t be dragged down by the world. We can’t grovel in misery along with the rest of the world and go along with them in despair.

 

We have respair in Christ and our lives need to reflect. We are certain to come across as a bit peculiar when everyone else is down and hopeless when We have this overabounding hope in our walk.

 

Now, if our lives reflect that hope, people are going to see it and we are going to have the opportunity to share with them that we have hope because no matter what happens here my eternity is secure. At the end, no matter what, it is going to get better. I am going to lay aside the trials and troubles of this world and exchange them for an eternity in heaven. The great part of that is that they too can have that same hope and we can share it with them.

Open to their prayer

 

For

“He who would love life

And see good days,

Let him refrain his tongue from evil,

And his lips from speaking deceit.

Let him turn away from evil and do good;

Let him seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,

And His ears are open to their prayers;

But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” – 1 Peter 3.10-12

 

So doing the things we talked about yesterday will help us enjoy life and see good days. Here we see another benefit. When we are striving for God’s notion of a good life we can trust that God will hear our prayers.

 

We know that God won’t hear our prayers when we have sin that we won’t deal with. We can also God hears the prayers of those who are striving to live in Christ’s righteousness.

 

God’s eyes and His ears are open to the righteous. We can take it that God sees and hears when we live righteously. That’s why part of our prayer must be confession of our sins.

 

God will hear our prayers of confession. He delights to hear the prayers of those who are striving to walk in His righteousness. Let’s keep our conduct right so that we can pray with confidence.

Enjoy life

 

For

“He who would love life

And see good days,

Let him refrain his tongue from evil,

And his lips from speaking deceit.

Let him turn away from evil and do good;

Let him seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,

And His ears are open to their prayers;

But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” – 1 Peter 3.10-12

‘If you would love life,’ James writes, there are some things you need to do.

 

Control your tongue

Hate evil and do good

Seek peace

Don’t answer evil with evil

 

We all want to love out lives, don’t we? We don’t want life to be a hassle. Most of us just want get on with life, be reasonably comfortable, and to leave the world a better place.

 

But life doesn’t always work out that way. The world can be a difficult place to negotiate. Because we live in a broken world sometimes we need to deal with its brokenness.

 

There are things we can do to make it better. We will still live in a broken world but we can bear up through it. If we try to apply some principles

 

We need to learn to control our mouths. We need to avoid evil. We need to refrain from lies and deceit.

 

We need to learn to hate evil and avoid it. We need to do good.

 

We need to chase peace and not conflict. Our goal should be peace with holiness.

 

We need to avoid reprisal and retribution and revenge.

 

That doesn’t sound too hard, but the broken world gets in the way of all those things. The world tempts us to speak evil. It tempts us to do evil. Conflict is easier than peace. And its never easy to be attacked and not respond.

 

We can’t let the world manipulate us. If we do we are hardly going to enjoy life and see good days.

Tenderness and courtesy

 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. – 1 Peter 3.8-9

 

Finally, loves shows itself in tenderness and courtesy.

 

As a Christian man after salvation I was mostly in churches that stressed how men are to be rugged and tough and reach to fight. There wasn’t much room for being tender.

 

Somehow the term ‘act like men’ became ‘be the tough guy,’ even though the context is ‘do everything in love.’

 

Of course, we do need to be tough. We are told to fight the good fight of faith. We are called soldiers of the faith. But we are seldom taught about the importance of tenderness and courtesy.

 

Tenderness literally means tender-hearted. It means that we are aware of others and view them with kindness and tenderness. It means we show compassion. It means ‘full of pity.’ In fact, some translations translate this as ‘be pitiful.’

 

Be courteous literally means to be friendly. Instead of God’s people should always be friendly people. We are not to be friends with the world, but we must be friends with others. People we meet on regular basis ought to think of us as friends.

 

James is specifically speaking to the church here, but the character traits he invokes should speak to how we treat everyone. We develop this tender and friendly spirit so that we can encourage the brethren and show others the love of Christ. 

Having compassion

 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. – 1 Peter 3.8-9

 

The whole purpose of this letter it to encourage believers how to be examples while going through tough times.

 

Jesus told the disciples that the way the world would know we follow Him is if we had love for each other. Love is an inward thing, but it must manifest itself in outward action. One of the clearest ways to prove love is to show compassion for others. Compassion means that we have the ability to feel for others. Literally it means to ‘share in suffering.’

 

For most of us that does not come naturally because we only have minds for ourselves. The love of God working in my life thought will give me the ability to take the concerns of other on me. It means that instead of judging we have compassion and concern.

 

A couple of years ago I was taking the lads to a rugby match. We stopped for fuel and a lady pulled up. She was furious at everything. She pulled her car to the wrong side of the pump and was screaming about how the hoses should be longer. I looked up to see if I could help and she screamed at me ‘what are you looking at you stupid paddy?’

 

Ouch, I started to get riled but controlled it. When I paid and got back in the care Hudson, who was about 7 at the time, said ‘I wonder why that lady is so sad, Grampy.’

 

Now that’s compassion. He was able to sense her pain instead of seeing her behaviour. That’s the heart that true love produces.

 

It’s certainly something that needs work in my life. 

Of one mind

 

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. – 1 Peter 3.8-9

 

In yesterday’s message we saw that couples are to be one team, of one mind and one mouth, as joint heirs of heaven. Peter expands that here as he speaks about the church in general.

 

The church also is a family working together for a common goal in this life. Paul and Peter were tow totally different men. Believe it or not they had their differences and even their squabble, but the they both knew and wrote of the importance of having one mind in serving the Lord. They both wrote ‘be of one mind.’

 

That doesn’t that we are robots of clones of each other. It means that we have a unified goal and purpose in our lives. We don’t let those differences destroy our one mindedness.

 

Sadly though what the world mostly sees is is a divided church who just can’t seem to get along.

 

The key though that we too often ignore is that Philippians gives us the pattern for that one mind. We are to have the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is a mind of humility and servanthood. He is the mind that led Christ to clothe Himself in flesh and come to earth for us.

 

Imagine if that were our mindset. What if we all had that one mind? Why would there be conflict if we were all willing to humble ourselves and serve each other.

 

We have common opposition. We all fight the world the flesh and the devil. What if we really fought them instead of each other?

Heirs together

 

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 Peter 3.7

 

Back all those years ago now on our wedding day Mary took Romans 15.6 as our family verse – that you might with one mind and one mouth glorify God. I am grateful for that passage because my mind constantly goes back to it when I think about our home.

Here we have the reason why that is so important. Mary and I are ‘heirs together of the grace of life.’

 

God has put us together and created a very special team to serve Him. As we live out our marriage and our lives we do so as joint heirs of the grace of God. As such we do all we can do to serve together to glorify God and to show His grace to the world around us. Our home is the perfect place to do that.

 

People watch our family to see how it deals with hard times. What do they see? Do they see a feuding family, or do they see a couple striving to live for God as joint heirs of eternity?

Inner beauty

 

Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. – 1 Peter 3.3-3.4

 

This is a lovely passage. It speaks to the lives of godly women.

 

I am grateful for the many godly women in my life through the years. I feel a bit funny writing about this, but these are just expanded or adapted versions of my own personal devotions.

 

The world is trying to teach us that there is no difference between men and women. They would tell us that gender is meaningless. The word of God teaches the opposite. God made us unique and special. We made us to be men and women as equal parts of creation.

 

Here there are words for godly women. He tells them how to find real beauty. He takes away the world’s pressure on outward appearances. He tells us that true beauty comes from within.

 

There is no better argument for the grace of God than the inner beauty of a godly woman. Her gentle and quiet spirit is a testimony to the grace of God in a rough and tumble world. When Mary goes with me into one of those rougher places the whole demeanour. She is a picture of gentleness and quietness has an impact in nearly every situation.

 

She is a beautiful woman, more beautiful than the day I met her. Then I only saw her outward beauty, but now I can see the wholeness of her beauty.

Like sheep

 

who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.- 1 Peter 2.23-25

 

The ugly truth is that because of our inbred sin nature we all are born separated from God who were like lost sheep wandering around in sin. All we like sheep have gone astray because of sin. 

 

The picture of sheep going astray describes why the world acts the way it does. The world acts like a lost world because it is. They have no shepherd to guide or protect of care for or lead them.

 

But through we were sheep gone astray the Great Shepherd has gathered us in. He has not let us wander aimlessly. The shepherd came to earth to provide a way for us the come back into the fold. Jesus came as the Lamb of God to lead wandering sheep back to Him.

 

Now that we are in Christ, He takes on the role of Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. Now we can say with David ‘the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.’

 

Praise God that we no longer need to wander.

Live in righteousness

 

who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.- 1 Peter 2.23-25

 

What does it mean for us to live in righteousness?

 

When we got saved all of the righteousness of Christ was imputed to us. We were made righteous with His perfect righteousness.

 

The problem is that we are not perfect people. We can and too often do try to walk in our own form of self-righteousness. All of my righteousness is nothing better than a pile of filthy rags.

 

So to live in righteousness means that I strive to live in Jesus’ righteousness and not my own. His righteousness is perfect and only in Him do I have any hope to live in any kind of right living.

 

My righteousness ends in destruction. Jesus' righteousness leads to godly loving and to eternal life. My life needs to show His righteousness to a world wandering around not even knowing when it stumbles. We preach righteousness and our lives are to reflect it to the world.

Don't revile

 

who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.- 1 Peter 2.23-25

 

The world just seems to get meaner and meaner. Maybe not, but social media has made it a lot more visible and that makes it seem more normal and that makes it more common and so on.

 

Eventually we all get reviled. That means we all get attacked unjustly. When Jesus was reviled he was attacked and beaten and whipped and spat on and had his beard plucked out and was forced to carry His cross and was nailed to a cross in shame

 

What did he do about it? Did He fight back?

 

No, He carried on even though He had the power and authority on heaven and earth to wipe them out and out an end to it.

 

Why is it that we most often cannot even put up with a little name calling or insult or personal attack? Why do we feel like we must respond in kind?

 

Our pride makes us think that we have to sort it out.  We can’t trust God to deal with it.  We would rather threaten a relationship or ruin our testimonies than to just keep our mouths shut.

 

This is pretty simple. If we are going to follow Jesus lets be sure that we follow His example of not attacking those who attack us.

I have decided to follow Jesus

 

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

“Who committed no sin,

Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; - 1 Peter 2.21-22

 

Follow Jesus. We sing a song about deciding to follow Jesus. It’s a good song packed with meaning. No matter what, even if I do it alone, I have decided to follow Jesus.

 

The question is whether we really mean what we sing. Following Jesus and walking in His steps mean that we are willing to follow Him on the path of suffering.

 

Now, of course, that is not a path of exclusively suffering, but it is part of what we must be willing to. Obedience led Jesus to the cross. If we follow Him we must be aware that our obedience could lead us to do the same.

 

Nobody likes the idea of suffering, not even suffering for Jesus, but we need to be aware that it may be what we are called to do.

Don't abuse liberty

 

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. – 1 Peter 2.13-17

 

0nd of the great blessings we have in Christ is our liberty. No longer bound hungry law we are now free to serve in liberty. We must live Holy lives and there are several ways we are instructed to do that in the Bible.

 

But other than clear Bible teaching we are free from rules and regulations. If the Bible doesn’t say it or at least imply it we are free to make our own choices. Paul uses the illustration of foods sacrificed to idols. He also mentions certain foods or observing certain days.

 

In these areas and others we have the liberty to choose for ourselves what we are going to do.

 

There is though another factor to consider. We need to consider how our choices are going to affect others. We can’t just think about us. My liberty really is not worth causing my brother to stumble. That doesn’t mean I have to bend to every whim of some persnickety brother who is looking 6o be offended. It means that I need to be aware of what truly offends and then choose not to flaunt by liberty.

 

For example, l like black pudding. Some brethren thank it is a sin to eat it because it is made from blood. I have the liberty to eat it, but if I know it offends him and I am eating breakfast with him I just skip it that morning.

 

It’s no big deal. If my choice is going to cause a brother to sin, I avoid it. It is not worth hurting my brother for a bit of pudding.

Obey the government

 

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. – 1 Peter 2.13-17

 

Here is a tough one. Submit to and obey secular government is not always easy. Governments are led by mostly lost men and women. They are frail human beings and most government get where they are by pure ambition and determination. Government leaders can be hard to follow because they are just like us they make mistakes they get confused and they don’t know what to do.

 

And yet the word of God tells us here and many other places that we are to submit to human authorities. How are we supposed to do that when that pass laws that seem to make no sense? Why should we follow dumb laws? 

 

Because God is a God of authority. We are people who should submit. We cannot be a proper testimony to this around us if we flagrantly violate the law. We cannot be good citizens in the earthly realm when we ignore laws that we are supposed to follow. Its pretty simply. God puts governments in place and we must submit. Full stop.

 

What if obeying a law means that we have to disobey God? Then it’s simple. We must obey God and not man. But, in doing so we must be ready to suffer the consequences of our actions. The state has the right to punish us for breaking their laws. We are living under their rules. Like Daniel and the others the disobeyed the kings and broke they law we may very well be sentenced and punished. They were delivered from their punishment. But Joseph, Paul, and others were cast into prison for lengthy periods. Martyrs through the ages and even now are tortured for their faith and may even pay with their lives.

 

When Peter wrote this Nero was the king - obey him - Peter said. We must obey the law. When we can’t we must obey God and leave the results with God. Like the three Hebrews who refused to worship the idol we must be ready to say ‘God can deliver us, but even if He doesn’t we cannot obey.’

Our pattern is clear - we obey and we trust God with the results. 

Honourable conduct

 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2.11-12

 

As we are sojourners and pilgrims in this world there are things that we ought to do to honour our true home. If we get too much like the world we no longer can make a difference. We must abstain from the lusts of the flesh that the world r8shes after.

 

Then there is a wonderful general description of how we live. We ought to always have a conduct which is honourable.

 

Too often we Christians have been an embarrassment to the cause. Hypocrisy, arrogance, haughtiness, false piety, judgmental spirits, worldliness, a lack of real love, materialism, and pragmatism have given people ‘cause to blasphemy.’ Everyone is to blame for their failure to come to Christ, but Christians in many cases must accept part of the blame. These make it hard for people to reconcile our words and our actions.

 

Honourable lives mean that we are the best friends and neighbours and parents and  citizens and workers and club members and whatever else we are. If we remember that we are to do all of these things out of love for God and love for each other and motivated by God’s love and for His glory our lives will be honourable lives.

 

Living for Jesus is not always about the big things. Most of the time it is the little day to day things that matter. Lets make sure that our lives honour God in all that we do. 

Pligrims

 

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2.11-12

 

This world is not my home

I’m just a'passin through.

My treasures are laid out

Somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me through heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

 

James wrote to believers that we are not permanent residents of this world. We are just on an earthly pilgrimage on our way to our home in heaven. We can’t really settle here, because this is not where we belong.

 

That’s why we are a peculiar people. We are always going to be different and seem different to the world.

 

Since we are pilgrims here the world is never going to seem normal to us. We can’t feel at home anymore.

Peculiar people

 

A peculiar people

 

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. – 1 Peter 2.9-10

 

This is one of those places where in really love the good old faithful King James translation. Here we are called God’s peculiar people.

 

To our 21^st ears that sounds kind of, well, peculiar. It sounds off. It sounds different and out of place. It can almost sound negative.

 

But peculiar is a great word. It does mean unique and different and special. It’s a word in this context because we are called God’s peculiar people. We are His social people. We are His prized possessions. It is our special claim because most of the world don’t have it. We are not His peculiar people because of anything we did by accepting His offer of salvation and are become His children. He paid a high price for us. It’s no wonder that He says that we are peculiarly His.

 

So, we are going to seem peculiar to the world around us. There would be something wrong if we did not seem peculiar.

Disobedient to the word

 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,

 

“The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone,”

and

“A stone of stumbling

And a rock of offense.”

 

They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. – 1 Peter 2.7-8

 

The world’s great dilemma, and the reason that it is what is is pretty simple.

 

Jesus came as the chief cornerstone. He is the only foundation that can keep us secure. People have two choices about the Cornerstone. They can build on this sure foundation or they can build their lives on sinking sand.

 

It ought to break our hearts to see a whole world choosing to disobey the word of God and instead choose to obey the world. To them, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit , Jesus is going to be a stumbling block. He is going to get in the way of what they want to do. He may have some good teachings, but really, take up your cross and follow me? Who wants to do that?

 

But to those of us who believe He is precious and following Him is a joy. We see the temporal and eternal joys of following the One who loved us and gave His life for us and who calls us His own special people.

 

Our task is to share with others the joy and the results of following Jesus so that they see the way, the trust, and the life instead of the stumbling block. 

Not ashamed

 

Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” – 1 Peter 2.6

 

Whoever believes in Jesus has no reason to be ashamed, or confounded, or confounded. He who believes does not need to be ashamed of His faith. We can have absolute confidence and assurance because our lives are built on Jesus, the chief cornerstone.

 

It’s a terrible thing that because of the way the world is we can wonder if we have it right, or, are really crazy? Things have changed hugely in my short lifetime. There was a time when most of my part the world and a general agreement about what was right and wrong and moral and decent. Marriage between a man and a woman was a good thing. Sex outside marriage was a bad thing. Boys were boys and girls were girls. The life of the unborn was precious.

 

I could go on, but you get my point. Now the world has been turned on its head. Our views are not only rejected but hated and opposed and may even be illegal.

 

Are we right or are we crazy?

 

We need not ever feel that way. When we believe in God we don’t need to be ashamed of the truth no matter what the world says. We don’t need to be confused or confounded. We have the truth even if it seems like no one else agrees. The majority may pass laws, but they can’t change God and His truth.

 

God will not be mocked. Man will reap the natural consequences of what he does. Don’t be dissuaded no matter what the world does. We will reap the fruit of righteousness and the world will reap the consequences of its choices.

A holy priesthood

 

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  – 1 Peter 2.4-5

 

Nearly every religion in society has a priesthood of some sort. Most of them have someone who stands between the people and their sense of deity. Someone must represent their gods to man and someone must intercede with them to their gods.

 

The Old Testament had a priesthood accountable for all the nation’s interaction with God. The priests interfered for the people. They made the sacrifices. They talked to God. The people were reliant on the priests.

 

Even some church organisations try to make people reliant on priesthood to intercede for them on God’s behalf and to forgive their sins. These priests mediate on God’s behalf.

 

But here we are told that as part of God’s family we are all part of the holy priesthood. We need no mediator for we only need one, Jesus Christ. Every believer has equal access to the throne room of God and we can pray with total assurance and confidence that He will hear us. As a loving Father God welcomes us into His presence.

 

God is there for me anytime I need Him. I can go directly to the Lord in prayer and He will hear me. It is up to me to do my part in maintaining a proper relationship with God. I can’t put that off on anyone else.

 

Thank God that there is no need for a priesthood man up of fallible men. Thank God I can confidently approach God because Jesus, my High Priest, has done the work of providing that access.

A spiritual house

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  – 1 Peter 2.4-5

 

I love family. We are family people. It is part of our nature. People are always looking for some sense of family group. We have work families and sports families and national families and societal families and of course we have our physical family units.

 

But there is one most precious family of all. God calls His church a spiritual house, or household. We are, among so many other things, God’s family. Those who know Jesus have moved from the family of this world and the family of Satan to the family of God.

 

God is our Father. Jesus is our Brother. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one in the Spirit. We care for each other. We come from every land and nation and tongue and people and colour and race and despite our vast differences we are one in Him.

 

As a family we love and share and have care for and lift up and edify and meet needs and comfort and challenge and all the things families do. We come together. It is not natural for families never to come together. That’s why we have the Church and that’s why we have church. This current state, when we cannot meet because we cannot travel or because all meetings are banned is not right. It will never be right. Church is essential. I wish I knew what to do about this.

 

Despite all this we can still family. We can pray and share and communicate and love and video call and text and meet together for church online. Our family needs each other now more than ever.

 

We are a spiritual house. Lets be sure that we are there for each other. 

Chosen

 

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  – 1 Peter 2.4-5

 

Jesus came into the world as a living stone to be rejected by men, but chosen by God and precious. We also now are in the world as living stones and though we may be rejected by men we are also chosen by God to do His work.

 

God could have spread His word in any number of ways. He could have sent an angel to each one of us to tell us how to be saved. He could have put a great screen in the sky. He could have appeared in a personal or corporate dream.

 

But He chose us to do it. He sent His Son, we wrote His word out for us, and He told us to take His word into all the world and preach to all the corners of the earth. God picked you and me to carry the most important message there is. He chose to make us a paper of His plan.

 

What a privilege. What an honour.

 

But what do we do with it?  Are we doing our part? Do we do what He picked us to do? We all look for purpose. God gave us a purpose and there is know greater purpose than to share His word, and just as important, back up our words by loving Him and loving others.

 

He picked you. He picked me. What are we doing about it?

Living stones

 

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  – 1 Peter 2.4-5

 

A living stone is quite a picture. Nothing could be deader than a rock. Why then are we called living stones.

 

I’m not sure to be honest, but I think there is a blessed truth here. It is based on the truth that Jesus is called the chief cornerstone of the church and yet He is alive today.

 

Jesus is the Rock who was with the Jews in the wilderness. He is the foundation of the church.

 

Jesus is alive today and because He is alive He is able to help those who are His. He is the living source of stability where we can anchor our souls.

 

Now, we are calling the living stones that make up the church. As stones we are to be a picture of stability in an unstable world. Alive, we can live before the world and show them the stability that we have found in Christ.

 

Living stones is not really that strange after all. We are a living stones of stability in a world teetering on the edge.