1 Peter Outline

Because I am lazy and tired tonight, and also because I felt that it was time to post another...post, I am going to put this up here on my blog. *guilty smile*

Maybe it will make you think. *Less guilty, more hopeful smile*

(Some of) What I can glean from 1 Peter:

Chapter One:

• Chapter 1:2 – “According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with His blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” – God is Sovereign, therefore I can trust Him in all things. No matter what the situation or circumstance, God is there, and God is Able. I should not worry whenever any trial or suffering comes. God is at work in us this moment, at work in me this moment. This brings relief, because I know that God remains with me, helping me, so that even when I lost my temper today, it doesn't mean I've lost my salvation. God is working in me, right now, this very moment. God is a Trinity, three Persons equally of worth and magnificence.
• We can be certain of our salvation. We are “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (v3)”, so as long as Christ lives, so does our hope of salvation, and salvation itself. We have an inheritance that is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” – imperishable means it will never die, undefiled means it cannot be corrupted or changed, and unfading means it cannot be weakened or lessened to any extent. Once our salvation is sure, it remains sure forever. It can be these things because it is “kept in heaven” by God’s power, which is itself imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. God is Omnipotent; we have no fear of losing what Christ has won.
  
• God tests our faith, in order that we may be “found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
• God’s perfect plan and will has been revealed to us through time, through “the prophets who prophesied” about the grace that is ours. God's omniscience is clearly seen through the Gospel.
  
• We are to prepare our minds for action; all the while setting our hope fully upon the grace that is given. We are to be obedient children, not turning to “the passions of (our) former ignorance”. We are to be holy, because He Who called us is Holy. We are to remember above all things that Christ died for us; his precious blood was spilled for us; therefore, we should never, ever take sin lightly.
• Our faith and hope are in God, and we believe and trust in Him only through Jesus Christ. Without Christ, there is nothing. This is the defense we have against those who say Christ was only one way to heaven; that Christ was a symbol of ourselves, our humanity; no.
  Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There is no getting around or over this. Without Christ, you have only one thing: eternal damnation.
• We are to love one another with a pure heart, since we have been born again. We are to love our fellow Christians as Christ loved us. And how did Christ love us? To the point of dying for us. Scary, isn't it, when we know we are called to the same?

Chapter Two:

• When in doubt, look to the “pure spiritual milk” – the basics of Christianity – the Word of God – for all matters. Do not trust outside sources unless they meet up with the Word.
  
• We are to be a holy priesthood through Jesus Christ. Through Christ we can now pray to God personally. We can claim Him as our Lord and Saviour – and we can pray for others, too, as the priest would pray for the people.
• Some are destined to disobey the word. This goes to election – God is Sovereign in whom He chooses to redeem.
  
• We are precious to God. We are his “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession” and therefore we ought to proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Should we not be praising Him continually?
  
• A holy nation does not mean a nation here on earth that can be seen; for “once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people”. There are some here on earth who are Christians that I will never meet. But in time I will know them, for we will all be together in our land under God. We are sojourners and exiles in this land.
• We are to practice holiness. (v12) “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honourable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” Actions show what the inward spirit is like.
• We are to submit to those in authority over us, as a service to Christ. We are called to self-sacrifice. Submission may itself be an honourable conduct for people to witness.
• We are to live as people who are free to live as servants of God. We must never use our “freedom in grace” as an excuse or a cover-up for evil. We must be bold enough to stand up for what is right. When we refrain from doing something because "someone might mock me" or "I wouldn't want to offend him/her by talking about Jesus", we are under bondage to Pride. If we are free, we must act like it. Since we are, through Christ, we therefore must proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light!
  
• We are to honour everyone, which means show common respect, for each human being is crafted in the image of God,
• Love the brotherhood, which means go the extra mile in agape love toward fellow Christians,
• Fear God, which means give Him all that He deserves (all),
• And honour the emperor, which in our time means any authority over us. We are to honour him/them, not fear them.
• We are to endure sorrows and sufferings, especially if they are unjust. We are not to take credit from suffering when we deserve it. We tend toward proclaiming to the world when things are done unjustly toward us, but we turn around and act in the same selfish way as everyone else. And perhaps we may say "yes, I was wrong, but even then I don't deserve this," but that's wrong, too.
  
• Christ suffered for us and deserved none of it, and we are to be like Him, who “committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” It also says in the Bible that no rebuke came from Christ's lips.

Chapter Three:

• Holy conduct helps an unsaved spouse as well. They witness what Christ affects, and perhaps they may be won without a word. (Which may mean that it is perhaps better not to speak a word, if your words will be bitter or condescending...)
  
• We would be far better off if our adorning was the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable (never dying) beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. What is precious to God ought to be our heart’s desire.
• We must not fear anything that is frightening. We worry too much, fickle human sinners that we are. We are to set our hope fully upon the grace of God, and if we do that, setting our hope and therefore our whole lives upon God's altar of grace, there is no space for worry.
• Men and women are heirs together of the grace of life, equal in worth in God’s eyes.
• Once again it is mentioned that we have brotherly love. Too often Christians attack one another in wretched ways, forgetting the command of Christ: “Love one another as I have loved you.” We ought to be humble, and we very rarely are. (This could be read to say, "I ought to be humble, and I am never humble when I should be. Drat!")
  
• “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” For “When he (Christ) was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly (2:23)”
• None can harm us outside of God’s sovereign will. When we suffer, we are to “regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;” – How can we be prepared without a mind that is both humble and prepared for action? How can those outside of the faith see a difference in us unless our conduct is honourable? How can they see the hope that is in us unless we trust Christ the Lord completely? I have experienced harm, both physical and emotional. It is never easy to endure a trial, but God doesn't leave us to it. God helps us through it. (I'm a poet, and I wasn't aware of it. *Cheesy grin*)
  
• We are to defend our faith with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience. We cannot with complete sincerity tell others that something is wrong with their behaviour when we are doing it ourselves. When someone disagrees with us, we are to argue the case with humility, not malice or sarcasm.
  
• Christ needed to suffer only once; there are no multiple crucifixions. Christ is the only way to God – he brings us to God, making us righteous.
• Christ has gone into heaven and “is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” Christ is not a sub-deity. Christ is God, our Redeemer and Lord.

Chapter 4:

• We are to live for the will of God, prepared to suffer in the flesh, for Christ suffered, and we know that God sends fiery trials to test the purity of our faith, whether we are following Him with our full hearts or not. ("Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time." Daniel 11:35, NIV)
  
• We are to no longer live the same way as the Gentiles do. We are to be self-controlled and sober-minded for the "sake of our prayers". How can I pray with sincerity if I am running amok in sin?
  
• “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” The forgiveness love brings about has a wide span; if we truly love one another as we are called to, there is no wrong too great for forgiveness; Christ Himself died for every sin on this earth committed by His people, and I’m sure there were many that we would consider too heinous to forgive; but He forgave them.
  
• We are to use our talents and gifts to serve one another, not ourselves. “In order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” If glorifying God is our heart's desire and purpose, all our talents - no matter how "great" or "small" - will be used for His glory.
  
• To Christ belong glory and dominion forever and ever. He is the sovereign Lord over us, our Ruler and Saviour, eternally. (Imperishable, Undefiled, Unfading…)
• Fiery trials are nothing strange. We ought not to be surprised, but rather rejoice, for we share Christ’s sufferings. But not only that, we will also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”
• Judgment begins at the household of God. We ought to live our lives in fear and trembling, remembering that the time for judgment, the end of all things, is at hand. “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. (v19)”
• God, our Creator, is also our Sustainer and Provider. He did not create all things and leave them to themselves; He is here, with us, keeping us safe. He cares for us.
• God is continuously faithful, even when we’re not faithful to Him. We suffer according to His will, all the while held tight by Him. He will never let us go. God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable: once He has made a decree, it stands for eternity. If God has decreed that my soul is His, than it is.

Chapter 5:

• Elders ought to carefully shepherd the flock of God, remembering that the Chief Shepherd is at hand. “Elders” doesn’t mean only appointed elders in the church, but any who seek to instruct and guide any other believers. They should be serving willingly, so as not to breed resentment. Not for shameful gain, (whatever feeds their greed) but eagerly, doing it to glorify God. Elders must never act as tyrants, but being examples, Christ-like examples. Christ never domineered over His people, and He was the one who had the right! We don’t.
• We are, through Peter and others in the Word of God, witnesses of the sufferings of Christ. We will be personal witnesses of the glory that is to come.
• We who are younger ought to be subject to the elders for the Lord’s sake, for we are called to humility.
• Not only we who are younger, but also all believers must clothe themselves with humility toward one another. This means we must remove our robes of Pride, and give them to Christ our Saviour, who will clothe us with the spotless robes of righteousness, which bear humility in every stitch. It is a slow process, for we do not wish to give up our robes of Pride. But God gives grace to the humble.
• God cares for us. We are His children. God’s mighty hand will not stray from protecting us.
• The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking (and not finding) whom he may devour. A roaring lion cannot chew or bite. However, we can resist him only when we hold the mighty hand of our Father.
• Suffering is not abnormal in the Christian life. “…the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
• We will only suffer a little while, and then the God of all grace, who has called us to eternal glory in Christ, will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. We will no longer be exiles and sojourners, but restored in our Homeland, living under the glory and dominion of our Mighty and Glorious God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
• This is the true grace of God, and we are to stand firm in it, keeping it to heart and mind, remembering continuously Who Christ is and what He has done for us.

1 Peter 4:19: “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”