It is pretty clear by day three in 1Peter that Peter is all about encouraging his people to live a life worthy of the grace and salvation they have received from God through faith in Jesus Christ. For the second time (see 2:11) Peter enjoins the people to live rightly even if they are punished for it. In verse 17 Peter writes, For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. Even when we live according to God’s way, people may still persecute us. Living according to God’s way is not an exemption from problems or persecution. In fact as the world turns it back on the Lord, living as God would have us live might invite persecution.
This is not a fact I have to face living in my country, but things could change. But for people I know around the world, and many more I only read and hear about, this is true. Persecution for one’s faith in Jesus is real throughout our world.
Despite that possibility or maybe more appropriately in the face of persecution as a possibility we are to live for Jesus. And this means adopting Jesus’ manner of living. For example, following the way of Jesus affects how we treat our spouse (1-7) as well as our personal character. Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing (8-9).
These attributes take on even more significance if I overlay them with the idea of being persecuted for the faith…
Be sympathetic… how might that be lived out during persecution? Be sympathetic toward my persecutors, be sympathetic toward people who are suffering persecution… a ‘persecution’ overlay deepens the lifestyle Jesus is calling us to live
Likewise love one another, be compassionate and humble… have more drastic application when I think of times of persecution.
And then there is Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult… this seems to be directly aimed at how I (we) are to interact with and treat our persecutors. I am not to retaliate, taking on the persona of my persecutors, but rather maintain a Christ-like attitude.
Oh, my… God is calling me (us) to a much higher way of living.
I need to pray that I am up to God’s calling…
Oh, Holy Spirit, come and fill me. I cannot do this on my own or in my own human strength. I am not up to this calling on my own. I need You and Your constant filling to live above the fray of human fragility and live as Jesus, my Lord, would have me live. Come and fill me to live for Jesus today and every day, I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment