Some Christians are all talk, they speak about Jesus, they read their bible, but they move to the other side of the road to pass by a stranger or avoid someone in need. Other Christians are all about helping those in need, but have forgotten that their real need is Jesus
Peter has a glorious picture and calling for us. In verse 9 he says: 'But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.' This really is amazing, all these descriptions of us as God's special precious people, belonging to him. But it's not just all for our enjoyment - there is a purpose behind our salvation. Could we even say that our salvation is a means to the end.
And the purpose is that we might declare God's praises! It's interesting that our praising God is not just an internal thing. Sometimes we think that praising God is something I do with Christians and evangelism is something I do with non-Christians. But here the two are the same thing! Praising God before others is evangelism. Sometimes my evangelism is 'human-focused', I might say, 'there is a God-sized hole in your heart' but here we see evangelism that is rightly God-focused. This God-focused evangelism might go something like this: 'God created and sustains you and this whole world - he deserves your praise and he's upset because you don't always give it. Even more-so he has demonstrated his love to us in Jesus, who is King who will return to judge!'
But Peter is aware that speech isn't the only thing that convinces unbelievers to trust and praise God. So in verse 12 he declares what really is the theme verse of 1 Peter in my opinion: 'Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.' Are we living good lives among the pagans? Are you living among the pagans at all? To be honest this second aspect is the greatest challenge to me at this phase of my life. How about you? We need to be creative about actively seeking time with other preschool families and connections we make with neighbours.
Which challenge hits you the hardest? They are both so important to our calling as God's special previous chosen people! They are the purpose for which we're saved - to bring God glory, through our own declaration of praise, and through calling others to praise him too!
Ben Boardman (Assistant Minsiter)
Tomorrows Readings: Micah 5, 1 Peter 3
I wonder whether the pagans who 'glorify God on the day he visits us' are too late? Is this just the 'every knee will bow...' of Phillipians? If so then our good lives aren't just for their salvation but even moreso for God's glory and integrity. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteHey I had a similar thought Ben, not sure if that's what it's getting at? Praise denotes a positive thing and I always pictured the Philippians verse as a kind of forced (not that God forces every knee to bow rather that it cannot be helped with God's glory manifest) bowing and confession? Would be interesting to look into this more.
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