Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
This new year of 2023 is now 5 days old. I wonder what newsworthy events have happened in your city or your part of the world in these first few days of this new year? Do those events suggest to you that this year of ’23 will be more peaceful than ’22 or more economically stable or more prosperous than ’22? Will politics be more civilized, more helpful to their society than in ’22? Let’s boil it all down to one question: will people where you live raise their standards of morality or ethics or integrity this year? If so, WHY? If not, why not?
Join me again today with the famous apostle Peter as he is writing his first letter to Christians all across the Roman empire in the first century. Life was very, very difficult for both Jewish and Gentile Christians in those days. Caesar Nero hated this Christian movement and persecution, even torture and death for Christians, was widespread. Peter may have been in prison in Rome or at least under house arrest as he wrote this first letter. Peter had traveled around the empire seeking to encourage and strengthen the Jesus movement, and the near despair he had seen in so many places needed to be addressed.
The Holy Spirit had stirred a passion in Peter to encourage his fellow Christians who were suffering terribly. As Peter rolled out the parchment and picked up his stylus, I wonder if he had just completed a time of prayer and reflection as Peter considered the wonder of Almighty God’s great love for a humanity which was so brutal, so angry, so wicked? Of course, Peter had experienced that outrageous love of God firsthand in his friendship with Jesus during their few years together!
Peter speaks the words as he writes them: “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desire you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, be holy in all you do, for it is written ‘Be holy because I am holy.’ (1 Peter 1:14,15) Peter put down his stylus. The noise coming through the small window in his cell brought in angry voices, shouts and curses from the street outside. That’s real life in any city, isn’t it, my friends? The word “HOLY” just doesn’t seem to fit in the reality of most every place in every society. “Holy” doesn’t fit in the classroom or the playground or athletic locker room of a school, does it? “Holy” doesn’t fit in the courtrooms or police cars or government offices of those expected to make and uphold the law. “Holy” doesn’t fit on the work site, no matter if it’s a construction site, a factory or manufacturing floor, a retail store, or a fancy high rise office building, do you agree? So where does the word ‘holy’ fit in normal, everyday life in the town or city where you live my friends?
Peter was NOT living in a monastery nor was Peter imagining some type of mystical utopia. Peter was challenging himself and calling all of us who claim a relationship with God, to first INTERNALIZE into our own character, our attitudes, our hearts, our minds, the Holy Spirit of God and invite the Holy Spirit to unleash His mighty, Holy power in us, accomplishing a deep life changing work internally in us, so that our words, our attitudes, our choices, our relationships, our behavior are NOT what we see and hear all around us in our angry, wicked world. But rather what flows out of us… attitudes, words, choices, behavior all reflect the truth that God is cleansing us and changing us His people as He clears away the clutter of who we were before we met Jesus. And if you are an authentic follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit really is bringing His holiness to take root in your life!
Now ponder that my friends, can you grasp the power and significance of what I just said? Do you see any evidence that this is happening in you, if you claim to be a Christian? You see my friends, I think Peter spent a great deal of time reflecting on what he saw and heard as he spent those few years with Jesus, day and night.
Peter saw consistency! Constantly, consistently, no matter what confronted Jesus, Jesus responded in a way which honored His Father, Holy God. When Moses met with God up on Mount Sinai several times, God was continually instructing Moses about how He wanted His people to live in dramatic contrast to what they had known as slaves in Egypt. God had used these amazing phrases in describing His people: “God’s treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex. 19:6) But how could this be possible? These were hardened, brutalized slaves? All they knew was the whip and angry voice of the slave masters. By rescuing them out of slavery and bringing them to meet with God at Mount Sinai, God was separating His people from the horrificness and brutality of their slave existence. By giving them the 10 Commandments and a long list of other divine laws, God was defining how an entirely new, God honoring society, can function.
Have you ever seen it? By having the visible evidence of His presence, the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, God was calling His people to celebrate God’s presence with them, His love for them and both His provision and protection for them. It was very much the same when Jesus was with Peter and the other disciples and the many people who followed Him. But now, with Jesus returned to heaven, Peter wanted his readers to understand that the Holy Spirit of God would bring God’s Presence to every follower of Jesus in such a powerful way that His Holiness would actually affect every aspect of their lives!
Peter understood how preposterous “holy living” sounded, he too struggled trying to make it his daily reality. His temper flared up way too often. Look, Peter is picking up his stylus again: “Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live your lives here as foreigners in reverent fear.” At the beginning of this letter Peter had used the phrase “exiles” or “aliens” to describe how Christians should feel as they try to live God honoring lives in our broken, sin filled world. Here Peter calls us to live in awe of God and His Holy Majesty. Live in reverence as we contemplate the relationship Holy God desires to have with you and me.
Peter continues “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed [rescued] from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 1:17-19) Then and now everyone knows the value of silver and gold. Then and now, almost everywhere in the world, people understand the power of the word ‘redeemed’ or rescued! A firefighter rescues a child from a burning building. A swat team rescues a hostage from kidnappers. A generous and wise benefactor rescues someone from financial bankruptcy. A miracle drug or surgery rescues someone from a terminal diagnosis. A drug or alcohol addict is rescued by the power of God as their addiction is broken! Pause a moment… what have you been rescued from in your life? What power was unleashed or what price was paid for your rescue?If we were in that cell with Peter right now, do you suppose he’d put down his stylus, look you and me right in the eye and say: ‘Jesus delivered me from the strongholds of pride and anger in my life. What about you? Are you living free because Jesus has delivered you? Are you living in reverent awe and gratitude to God? Are you living overwhelmed with the Presence of God with you today? Are you celebrating the cleansing, transforming, life changing work the Holy Spirit is accomplishing in you?’
Let’s praise Jesus today with this song which helps us ponder Peter’s remarkable statements and his questions, as you and I look around our troubled world on this the fifth day of this new year:
Today’s Scripture is 1 Peter 1:14-19.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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