1 Peter 2:9-12 - "Back to Group #1..whoever believes and you who believe"

 


I am so thankful for good friends along the way who have had such an impact upon my life.  I received this great green t-shirt from friends in Ohio that we rode the rail trails with many times while we were there.  It reminded me of another friend many years earlier in Michigan who rode the trails with me as we shared life together.  I ride alone at this point but I am looking for those who I can draw close to here in Wisconsin.  Maybe we won't ride bikes together but we will get on a schedule to have coffee and meaningful conversations about our great God.

We have an identity as the people of God described as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people of His own possession.  Out of our identity we proclaim who He is who brought us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.  Because of this transformation from Group #2, those who do not believe, to Group #1, those who believe, we abstain from practices of our old life and keep a conduct in front of Group #2 as beautiful, excellent and honorable.  We proclaim and we also practice this God honoring life so those in Group #2 observe Group #1 in action.  If it results in a Group #2 participant glorifying God then God has caused them to be born again.  We play a part in this because God has commanded us to be as He says we should be.

I keep coming back to who Peter is writing to when I contemplate what he is instructing them to be and to do.  These 1st century Gentile Christians who were being heavily persecuted were instructed to keep doing good deeds and have good conduct in the midst of being called evildoers.  They are to remember their identity and keep proclaiming about a risen Savior that had changed their lives.  The temptation would be to give in to the passions of the flesh but Peter calls them to passionately love one another earnestly with a pure heart.  These are very challenging words and very counter cultural to what the world would say to do.  Let's keep being counter cultural in our day!

If we see this as hard, and it is, just look ahead and read where Peter goes next with his instruction.  He takes the general of proclaiming God and God-honored conduct to specific areas of our lives.  Peter gets very practical in the upcoming passages and we will probably squirm a bit in the pews.  If we feel the conviction that means that we still have a tender heart to what God has said in His word.  

Adam




A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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