1 Peter 1:10-16

1 Peter 1:10-16

The marvelous thing we call “Salvation in Christ” was of great interest to the Old Testament prophets. The Holy Spirit moving in them allows them to gain a glimpse, but not a full picture, of what was to happen in Christ. Two things that the Old Testament prophets did see were both the suffering and the glory of the Messiah. Again we see the “both/and” tension in faith. It isn't hard to see the appeal of Glory. But who really wants the suffering? Likely this suffering aspect was confusing and challenging to the Old Testament prophets. It was certainly hard for Peter to comprehend. During Jesus’ ministry, Peter didn't want to hear about His suffering. So much so that when Jesus brought it up, Peter rebuked or scolded Jesus. The “both/and” of suffering and glory is part of God's divine plan for all of us. Those who teach that as Christians we can live life without suffering are teaching a false Christianity. Suffering is an essential part of our spiritual formation. That is why we must understand the “both/and” of faith. The glory to come gives us strength to endure and move beyond the moments of suffering. The suffering gives us the ability to focus on what really matters, and that is a great aid in helping us leave the good behind so that we only keep the best.

What is the best? The best is holiness. As disciples, it is expected that we will live lives of holy behavior. The call to follow Christ to be a disciple must include a challenge in how we live, or we may doubt the genuineness of the call or our responses. Peter makes two contrasting points. First, we must not be shaped with or “conformed” (NASB) to the appetite of our pre-Christian life. Lust is not simply sexual but any craving that takes some degree of control over our lives. Next, Peter commands us to be holy in all our behavior. The word behavior is a compound word made from the combination of “up” plus “turning.” In other words, everything in our life that turns up needs to be holy. The absolute perfection of God, which we are to imitate, is not something we will achieve in this life. It is, however, our goal. Rather than thinking of this holiness in terms of a lifelong achievement, it might help us to think of being holy in one second or in one minute at a time. Like the alcoholic who wants to stay sober, they do it moment-by-moment until it is a lifetime. Holiness is much the same, living it repeatedly even if it feels awkward, until it becomes a habit or pattern. We may never get to complete holiness, but we can make great progress.

“Lord, help me develop the repeated behaviors of holiness until they become the pattern of my life in You. AMEN”