ACTION STEPS FOR DIFFICULT TIMES
1 Peter 1:21-25 NKJV
21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because
"All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever."
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
The books of First and Second Peter were written to Jewish believers who were undergoing persecution and a number of trying circumstances. Peter was writing to these believers by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and the instructions are interesting. Peter acknowledges the fact that these believers are suffering from various trials. But there is a big difference between acknowledgment and pity. Peter does not offer pity but rather reminders as to what they received in Christ and how to act in the middle of the difficult times.
In verse eight, Peter encourages a faith that rejoices without seeing. In verse 13, he charges the believers to "gird up the loins of your mind." I love that phrase, 'gird up.' It makes me think of 'cowboy up' and carries a similar tone and meaning. One translation says to prepare your minds for action, and the implication is get a hold of your thoughts; no loose thoughts here.
Peter makes no allowances for undisciplined living during the difficult times. He instructs the believers in verse 15 to be holy in all their conduct. Peter understood and relayed by the Holy Spirit that allowing slippage back into fleshly habits is more pronounced during times of stress and pressure. This is such a great chapter!
In our verses for today, Peter is exalting the risen Savior Jesus, who has bought freedom by His own precious blood as a holy spotless lamb of God. The lamb reference was one the Jewish believers could understand, coming out of Jewish law with its animal sacrifices. But God raised Jesus from the dead and gave Him glory, so now their faith and hope were to be in God.
And because these believers had purified their souls by responding to the gospel, they were to continue to walk in love toward fellow believers with a deep, fervent love. Even though they were going through difficult times. And there is a reason for this type of love. These individuals had been born again from incorruptible seed. Their spirits had been made new by believing God's Word, that lives and endures forever. Their bodies were born from their parents, and that is corruptible seed. Human bodies are like flowering grass, temporary and with a luster that fades. But God's Word by the Holy Spirit has done a work in the spirits of those who believe the gospel that will never fade or pass away. This is why Paul wrote that the outward man, our bodies, perish, but the inward man, our spirit, is renewed day by day. So, in the middle of discouraging times, these believers had much to rejoice about!
APPLICATION
I hope you'll take the time to read the first chapter of Peter again. It contains a spiritual treasure chest of what we have and what we can do. This chapter is a marvelous reminder of why we don't have to be dismayed in the middle of difficult circumstances. Our faith and hope are in God. We are on earth for a temporary time, and we have been born again to a living hope because Jesus has been raised from the dead.
PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for the truth in Your word. My faith and hope are in You!