Peter – Page 2 – LOVE | ACCEPT

Lent 2009 – 12 Steps to the Cross

“O remnant of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt. Be sure of this: I warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’ I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you. (Jeremiah 42:19-21)

In one week, our Christian lives will be centered on the events of the Passion leading to the worst and greatest moments in the history of the world. We have followed Peter through the Bible and seen his brief moments of glory and his more frequent times of failure and disappointment. As I reflect on Peter I have discovered a danger, a bad effect of this path; looking at Peter can make me think I’m not so bad after all.

That, of course, is the first step backwards away from the Cross.

Stepping away turns our feet towards a variety of attitudes. One that is especially deadly is hypocrisy. The Christian can say how much he loves God, how much she wants to deny self but the reality shows. What am I doing different when I look at Peter and think, well, I would never do this or that. Baloney! You would and DO do such things and only pretend that you don’t. You and I may be able to convince ourselves that we aren’t so bad in this area but God isn’t fooled. He looks beyond our outer actions and into our hearts, in the dark corners and he knows where our true allegiance lies.

Man, surrender can be hard…

Lent 2009 – 13 Steps to the Cross

If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. (1 Peter 4:14-19)

Peter offers up a warning of sorts in relation to his previous exhortation on the value of suffering. Just as Paul corrected the misconception about grace and sin (Romans 6:1-2), Peter preempts the line of thought that suffering for the wrong reason (murder and robbery) cannot be viewed as divinely ordained. Persecution and struggle must be seen as divinely ordained for each of us as an individual as way purifying us and maturing our faith.

The evangelist in Peter sees a further meaning to suffering as an opportunity to model Christ-like lives for the benefit of the unsaved. He moves his readers to consider how much more difficult persecution and travail must be for those without the hope of Christ. To accept our challenge and continue on with our lives in love and obedience opens the door to see Christ for themselves.

How heavy is your cross today?

Lent 2009 – 14 Steps to the Cross

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you. but rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 5:12-13)

One of the ideas that is found throughout the Bible is the notion of the privilege of suffering. Whether it be persecution or a difficult ministry situation, or even personal disability, the Christian is to rejoice at the idea of being considered worthy of the suffering that we must face.

Frankly, most of us would gladly pass on this privilege.

Suffering for the glory of the gospel runs counter to our survival mechanism. We are wired to avoid pain and difficulty if at all possible and yet Peter, like other authors before him, exhorts us to rejoice at any sudden challenges that appear in our lives. Reading the rest of the verse gives us a clue that helps to change our attitude toward suffering. He reminds us that we are sharing in the suffering of Christ, in however small a way that the Lord deems appropriate for us to do so. Just as our promise awaits us in the distant future, we must also view today’s challenges as having an effect in the future of God’s plans.

Somehow, we still struggle.

Lent 2009 – 15 Steps to the Cross

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” (1 Peter 1:22-25)

How would you rate the love and fellowship in the Church? In your church the fellowship might be genuine and loving, but what about the church at large. There is a fellowship crisis that mirrors the alienation of the larger culture. This runs contrary to Peter’s exhortation to realize the before and after of one’s conversion. Those redeemed by the Savior have a new heart, a heart that is now capable of deeply loving others despite their human faults and struggles.

These last few verses conclude a passage on how holiness is something that we are to pursue and something that we are. The purification that comes of obedience to the Spirit within has as its result a holiness that becomes more Christ-like as we mature. This new nature has as one of its fruits the love of even the unlovable. Whether it be within our church or out in the streets, love must become one of our identifying characteristics.

Have you expressed holy love today?

Lent 2009 – 16 Steps to the Cross

Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:17-21)

Do we live in fear of God today or has His grace become our license to live a less than holy existence. Grace is funny that way. To many, the God of Fear was only existent in the Old Testament. That was a God of wrath, smiting this, flooding that, opening up the earth to swallow sinners and striking others with blindness. The loving Jesus supplanted that God didn’t he?

Fearing God has nothing to do with His immediate judgments and everything to do with his perfect justice. He does not pass judgment capriciously or indiscriminately but with perfect judicial fairness. His judgment is not colored by human discrimination or favoritism and His judgment,

cost the life of our Savior.

Fear is not meant to inspire anxiety or dread, rather, it is intended to drive us to a respectful love for the justice of God and the redemption by His Son. Fear of God makes us aware of our own corruption and, though saved by grace, our personal indebtedness to the Father. As Peter says, Jesus was sacrificed and returned to life for your sake.

How is your fear today?

Lent 2009 – 17 Steps to the Cross

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16)

Anyone who has been involved in the Church for any length of time has heard that aphorism spoken in a number of ways and in many different contexts. The scripture that Peter recalls comes from the clean part of your Bible, in Leviticus chapter 11 where God speaks: “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” (Lev 11:44) Do we still take this idea seriously or has our knowledge of grace made this a mushy requirement for us.

Many Christians today take their holiness less than seriously because the notion of grace that has been taught rightfully instills in them the idea of forgiveness for sins past, present, and future. Though not specifically taught, the cultural attitude of many churches today leads to a view of grace as license. We are freed from the necessity to sacrifice by grace.

That freedom came from Christ’s sacrificial giving of His precious life.

The purpose of observing the Lenten season is as a reminder of that sacrifice. As Peter exhorts us not to live any longer in ignorance, the daily meditations of Lent remind us to be ever mindful of the sacrifice that granted us our freedom. With an agile mind and a compliant heart, push away from the evil desires.

Do you consider yourself ignorant?

Lent 2009 – 18 Steps to the Cross

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:13)

The contrast of the two great apostles is no more apparent than right here. Where Paul’s writing is dense and filled with tightly woven units of logic as befits his education, training, and person, Peter is more expressive, given to blunt exhortation of bedrock principles. We find ourselves attracted to both but there are times in which we simply want a short piece of scripture to hang onto. The opening statement in a series of exhortations to holiness provide for just such a need.

At just 18 daily steps weeks from the glory of Easter, we draw closer and closer to reality of the cross. The weight of our sin may have seemed light when we took the first few steps but now, as the cross draws near, the burden starts to become onerous. Peter knew this feeling. His repeated failures and the love of his restoration changed him forever. He cannot help himself from trying to move us to the holiness that he enjoys. In short enthusiastic bursts, Peter begins a series of imperatives to take the life of holiness seriously.

Preparing your minds for action is literally to ‘gird your mind [loins] for action’, an ancient word picture that has lost its bite through the centuries. When men wore an outer shirt that draped down to their ankles, swift movement was not possible. When danger approached and agility was needed, a man would pull his shirt up into his belt so that he had fast freedom of movement. Rolling up the sleeves of our minds means to be prepared, to removed impeding thoughts so that any challenge to a life in Christ or attack on holiness could be quickly rebuffed and the heart protected.

What’s on your mind today?

Lent 2009 – 21 Steps to the Cross

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:21-23)

As we began to explore yesterday, we wonder why Peter would make such a crucial slip of the tongue. This concern comes from the impression within ourselves that we might not have made the same mistake, knowing what we do about Jesus. The answer that may elude us is this; Peter’s statement was not the result of ignorance or a lack of information. Peter’s rebuke was located in his resentment.

In his mind, Peter has sacrificed everything to follow and serve with Jesus but not to the end that Jesus was unfolding before him. Had he known in the beginning that Jesus was headed toward the cross, he more than likely would have stayed in Bethsaida and kept his fishing business. Peter’s rebuke was centered on himself and the good things that he thought should come from an association with Jesus.

Denial of self and carrying one’s own cross was not on his agenda.

The meditation today is in large part for pastors. How many of us are in the same place as Peter? How many of us are tired of suffering for Christ and want to look for the good things that were promised? We are willing to carry our cross but, just so far before we want a reward. Our name should be Peter.

Lent 2009 – 22 Steps to the Cross

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:21-23)

How fragile and tentative our faith!

No sooner has Jesus proclaimed Peter blessed than the capricious fisherman forgets his understanding and acts out of his own heart. Picture this, Peter grabs the Lord by the arm and takes a distance from the rest of the disciples to rebuke Him! Mere seconds after recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, Peter decides that he knows better than Creator of the Universe what needs to be done to put things right.

For Peter’s sake, Jesus does not simply smile and gently remind him that He, Jesus, must die for the restoration of right in the world. No, He gets angry and rises up in that weather worn face and puts him back with all of the others who seek to forestall His calling. Peter has committed the unthinkable in challenging the teacher and Jesus does not hesitate to grade his efforts…in love. Like every good teacher, Jesus clearly seeks to clearly point out the error in Peter’s thinking not to curse him, but to save him.

Who do you say He is? Who would Jesus say you are?

Lent 2009 – 23 Steps to the Cross

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. (Matthew 16:16-20)

“Blessed are you Simon…” for the understanding of the true nature of Christ was revealed by the Father to Him. Unlike the world oriented guesses that ‘the people’ had proffered, Peter was given the spiritual knowledge necessary to understand Jesus as Savior. Peter, whether he knew it or not, was not just the impetuous, gruff fisherman who was following Jesus for all these years. He was a blessed vessel through which God was working by speaking to life a truth that all men would one day understand.

Reading this passage, you must interpret the truth of Jesus’ words about the ‘rock’ on which His Church would be built. Is it Peter as many believe or is it the Savior’s teaching, or the confession that Peter had just uttered? The answer is important theologically to the Universal Church but debating it detracts from a focus on the blessedness that comes from a union with the Father such that spiritual truth is revealed to us. Have you submitted to this relationship?

Would Jesus name you Blessed in your answer?