Series – 1 Peter  (part 2)

Please read 1 Peter Ch 2 and Ch 3 – v 1-7.  Ask God to speak to you through the passage. See where your attention is pulled and meditate on those words or verses. Memorise them* so that you can think about them without looking at the page. Then ask God to show you how to apply in daily life.

I am not asking you to memorise all – just some verses that really speak to you.

For example: I chose to memorise:

1 Peter 2:23-25 (ESV) 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

• How many key ministry/counselling principles can you spot in these verses?
• What Old Testament prophecy is being referred to here?

Further questions 

Do you notice how Peter addresses the major domains of life and gives tips for each

• Citizens?
• Employees?
• Brethren?
• Wives and Husbands?

Is there another letter which follows the same pattern?

Peter mentions Sarah as an example to all wives of how they should trust God.

• In what ways was Abraham a good husband and in what ways did he really mess up?

If you have time read about the biggest trial that Sarah faced in her marriage.

Gen 10: 12-23 & Gen 20

Was Abraham setting a good example here? Was he trustworthy?
How many times did Abraham lie that Sarah was his sister not his wife? What danger did Sarah face because of that? How did God intervene?

What is the connection between our prayers – spiritual life – and our marriage life?

Review – what we discovered last week

Reminder: We study the Bible to obtain instruction for our lives, for church and to know the character of God. Knowing his character allows us to discern the voices that we hear and separate the voice of God, the voice of the flesh, the voice of the enemy. 

(ESV) 1 Peter 1 v2:

(ESV) in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

When our conscience is sprinkled clean – Clean is our compass. In the world, conscience is corrupt by habitual sin. If we are born again and our conscience clean and we can know what is right and wrong.

 …. According to the foreknowledge of God the Father

* We are chosen. God had a plan.

1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV) According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

* Inheritance > An inheritance is the effortless consequence of being born into the right family. You can’t try and be born. You can’t try to be a the son who inherits.

BTW: Jacob used trickery to obtaining the blessing of his Father. But that was the Father’s blessing – not his legal inheritance.

– So that means there is nothing that we can do to earn the legal inheritance that God has prepared for us. Inheritance is the effortless consequence of being born again.

* v6 unfortunately there will trials along way. Religion makes us think we have to suffer to please God (self-mortification). But here we are seeing that what pleases God is if we always reflect his nature even during persecution. i.e. Suffering/trials are not something we look for in order to persuade God to give us something. The inheritance is determined by Him in advance.

* Trial test our faith to see if real. Wifi: faith is the thing that connects us with God. Can I stay connected to God through thick and thin. Can I consistently receive from him. I don’t have to try and get healed. I have to stay connected.

* v12, Generations of believers went through suffering for us!

Holiness 

* Fire purifies gold. If you look at gold mine, it’s full of dirt! Needs trained eye to spot gold. In the fire, the bad stuff comes to the surface. Manifests!

* “Be holy as I am holy.” We often think “God is holy” means he doesn’t sin. But it’s more. God is single-minded, and invites us to be single-minded. He’s undivided in his attention. Dedicated. Passionate.

* Holy – GK. hagios, means “separated”. Monk in mountains? Also “pure”. -> Gold. Pure = 100%, not mixed. Pure thought life = 100%, enables passion, dedication. God’s passion inspires the angels, that’s why they sing holy holy holy.
* So “be holy as I am holy” can = be passionate for me like I’m passionate for you.

* Do not be conformed to passions of world, due to ignorance.
* Be like newborn babies, naive, hungry for milk of Word.
* He’s building a house of living stones. He lives in the house.