1 Peter: Confidence in a Complex WorldSample

6: What We Value

The indigenous peoples of the Arctic value whales and seals. Their fat provides essential vitamin C, their bones are used to make tools, and their skin provides waterproof lining for tents and boats. The Bedouin of Arabia value their cloaks, which protect them from the scorching desert sun and prevent dehydration. The British value the pause button on the remote control. Those two stubby lines have opened up the best of both worlds, allowing the viewer the luxury of a toilet break without missing vital details in the crime thriller they’re engrossed in. We value the things that save us.

For most in the first-century Roman Empire, the gospel was something of a joke. The thought that a man executed in the most degrading of ways could save and satisfy the human race was unthinkable. But Peter reminds these Christian communities who Jesus really is and what he has achieved for them. He is ‘a lamb without blemish or defect’ (1:19). Through him, they have been ‘redeemed from the empty way of life’ that had proved as unsatisfying for them as it had for their forebears. It had been a life of appeasing capricious gods and spirits, obsessing over social status, and being dragged along by destructive desires. No amount of silver or gold could have rescued them from that – only Jesus. There is no-one and no-thing more valuable than him.

God is the righteous judge of all (1:17). He is also the one who gave the world its greatest gift – Jesus – and he raised and glorified him (1:21). This God had become their father. They had sworn their allegiance to him, placing all their eggs in his basket. They had gained so much, yet they suffered. As we’ve already seen, their new life with God had made them targets of ridicule and ostracism. 

So, Peter encourages them to lift their gaze, to consider what’s truly valuable, and what would last, as they live out their ‘time as foreigners’ (1:17). It’s like he’s saying, ‘Yes, this may be uncomfortable, extremely so – but look at everything you’re gaining. Keep living a holy life. Stick with the only one of ultimate value. It’s worth it!’

We may face differing degrees of difficulty in living for Jesus on our frontlines. Maybe there are moments, months even, where we feel like ‘foreigners’. Whatever your circumstances, remember who you belong to: the only one who can truly save. The gain is greater than the pain. 

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Reflect:

What has Jesus has saved you from? How is your day-to-day life different as a result?

Is there a particular time today when it would help to remember Jesus’ sacrificial love for you? Set a reminder on your phone/device or leave yourself a note to remind you. 

Pray:

Thank God for the salvation he has brought you through Christ – that you get to be redeemed from an empty way of life. If you recognise there are ways you are straying back into your old life, humbly confess that to your gracious and loving Father. Pray that he might renew you and help you live for him today.