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Devotional For The Week – 27 October 2008 Sermon Title: Under Construction When we study a book of the Bible to draw lesson from, it is good practice to understand the writings in context. One helpful way is know who was the Author(writer), the Readers (to whom it was written) and the Context (the situation and circumstance it was written). The acronym “ARC” is a helpful reminder for us. The Author In 1 Peter, the writer is the Apostle Peter who is fondly known as the “apostle of hope in God”. 1 Peter 1:3, 13, and 21. and 3:15. Jesus asked His disciples “who do men say that I am?” And then He directed His question to His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” to which the Apostle Peter was quick to reveal Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. It was Jesus who had given the Apostle Peter the commission, “you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” In the two epistles, Peter continues to fulfill Christ’s command to feed His sheep and His lambs. John 21:15-17. The Reader The letter was written to the Jewish Christians (1 Peter 2:11-12) who were scattered in Asia Minor. He encouraged and reminded his Jewish brethren that they are aliens and strangers there and their conducts are to be honorable among the Gentiles. They are to live in this world but not to be of the world. The Context Apostle Peter was writing to the Jewish Christians in the New Testament Church which were under tremendous persecutions under Emperor Nero’s reign. It was during this period that the persecution of Christians reached beyond the confines of Judah. In our study of 1st Peter 1and 2, the key word is “suffering” which appeared 16 times (6 times it spoke of Christ’s suffering and 10 times that of the believers. The other key word is “grace” which appeared 8 times. Today, in Singapore, we may not be facing persecutions. But for some, this might mean we have become one with the world. For many others, we experience suffering of a different kind; suffering from heartache (trying very hard to overcome habitual sins), headache ( tossing ambivalently between biblical standards and worldly thinking), and backache (unwilling to bend low in obedience to Christ so that we could be built up). Does the Bible provide answers for these forms of suffering? Yes, it is the three “Ls” – Love, Long for, and Laid up. 1. Love. Love one another fervently from the heart. The three characteristics of this form of love are sincerity, fervency and imperishable. 1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Sincere love involves selfless, sacrificial and forgiving love. This does not mean overlooking or condoning sins but a genuine effort on our part to understand the one who is suffering and to provide support for that person. Fervent love is to love each other deeply in our heart and transcend the “hi” and “bye” in our interaction. While, Imperishable love is an undying love marked with the continuity of loving even to those who offended us (Hebrews 13:1 and 1 Corinthians 13: 4 – 8a). 2. Long For. To long for is termed as having a strong and intense desire for pure milk like newborn babies. This is to allow our mind to be transformed by regular intake of God’s word as a remedy for headache; being tossed about by worldly thinking and biblical standard. 3. Laid Up. We are being built-up as a spiritual house for the Lord. Our salvation is certain but we need to grow into a full experience of salvation. The battle for obedience is continuous because we are under construction. (1 Peter 2:4) and are being transformed into the image of the Lord from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18) This process of building up requires us to be doers of the word, and not merely hearers. (James 1:22-25) The two key words in 1 Peter 1:22 – 2:10, are “suffering” and “grace”. With every challenges and sufferings we face, the Lord will provide the grace for us to overcome them. It is always balanced and not lop-sided. The New Testament Church prevailed over the persecution in their time, and our body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit likewise will prevail by the grace of God. Prayer Response. Lord, we thank You for the assurance of your word that Your grace is more than sufficient for us to face our daily struggles and sufferings. We do not lose hope of the promises and will continue in the spirit of loving You and one another. We will desire taking in Your word to strengthen us daily, and will invest in building our spiritual foundation while we are under construction. Amen. Devotional based on a sermon by Dr Ho Boon Tiong
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