(A) Apostle Peter’s response to the question of suffering in 1 Peter
Suffering is part of the journey of faith for Christians. 1 Peter was written to Christians who were dispersed in Asia Minor; they were suffering for their faith. Peter told them not to be surprised by the fiery trials they were facing; they were to be expected. Not only are they part of the journey of faith for believers; they are also tests of the seriousness of our discipleship (1:7). Suffering for Christ joins us to our fellow-Christians (5:9); we will be vindicated on the day of judgment (4:16-19).
Although believers are ‘aliens’ and ‘strangers’, scattered in the world (1:1), they are part of the pilgrim people of God (who are heading to the heavenly city and final destination – 2:5,9). We look forward to the day when Jesus will return for His own (1:7; 2L12; 5:4).
With these truths, Peter motivated the believers to live for God’s glory. These are the same motivations for Christians today.
Peter encouraged the Christians not just to endure, but to actually rejoice in suffering (1:6-7), for suffering proved the reality of our faith, and we can expect God to work in the suffering to strengthen our faith and to mould us to be like our Master (who also suffered for us on His pathway to glory).
Suffering gives us an opportunity to glorify Christ and to experience deeper the blessing and ministry of the Holy Spirit (1:14); it also gives us an opportunity to commit ourselves to God and prove His faithfulness – God’s people can commit all issues of life in full confidence to Him who gave them true and eternal life!
The exhortations came from one who knew and experienced suffering for his Master; Peter and all the apostles serve their Master faithfully through much testings and sufferings.
All of them, except Apostle John who wrote Revelation, died for their faith and allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. In all likelihood, they went through their sufferings with these same motivations and perspectives – they would be richly rewarded by the Lord God. They laid the foundation for all subsequent believers and set the trail burning for the glory of God and the gospel.
This is the same calling for us in these Last Days; if we respond rightly and faithfully, we can look forward with joy to the Day of the Lord!
(B) A call to spiritual growth to full and final salvation: 2 Peter
In 2 Peter, the Apostle Peter, conscious of the fact that his demise was impending, and that false teachers and false teachings were spreading, and also that believers were undergoing persecution and sufferings, wrote to exhort the Christians to realise that the best answer to false teaching is to understand the faith, and the best response in a context of suffering and persecution is to persevere, and to grow, and to make progress in our Christian life. until we attain full and final salvation.
Believers are to know that they have at their disposal all the resources necessary to enable them to work out the process of sanctification (and growing into the likeness of Christ (1:3-4); these resources are assured to us by the very promises of God, and their outworking is enabled and powered by the Spirit of God.
By virtue of who Christ is, and through faith-union with Him, the Christian enjoys the possibility of battling and overcoming the power of sin, as well as a life of growing more and more like Jesus.
God’s provision to escape the corruption and sins in this world is to take hold of His promises (cf John 15:12-18; John 16), and apply them to our life and outworking – thereby obtaining a share in God’s very own nature.
Although we may ‘struggle’ in our Christian life, we must not be deceived into thinking that it is not possible to work out sanctification in our life, given the many ‘failures’ and ‘defeats’ as well as the intense opposition of the enemy, our flesh, and the world. Remember that God has given all the resources; He has given all the promises; He has given the Holy Spirit to transform us from within and to enable us to fight a good fight, on our way to full and final salvation.
Because the Christian has the resources, the power and the promises, the Apostle Peter urges the importance of the goal (growth to be like Jesus) and he also spells out the steps towards it (1:5-9; cf Col. 3:14).
FAITH must express itself in action (GOODNESS) and this experience deepens our KNOWLEDGE of God. Knowing Him will deepen our knowledge of ourselves and where we need to exercise SELF-CONTROL. This in turn calls for PERSEVERANCE, which is developed by keeping in view the worthwhile goal of GODLINESS (vs4). This attitude to God facilitates a new openness to our fellow-Christians (BROTHERLY KINDNESS),and this in turn blossoms into unreserved and unrestricted LOVE.
Believers face two possibilities:
We can work (in dependence on God) to develop these qualities in increasing measures in our lives, and thus find a deepening experience of the Lord leading to a fruitful Christian life. Notice it requires hard work and diligence and not indifference (looking constantly to God’s resources, promises and power)
OR
We can ignore God’s provision – and such a response, according to Peter, is short-sighted, even blind, as it overlooks the wonder of the fact of our salvation.
Peter probably means that such people are short-sighted because they cannot look back far enough to remember the sins from which they were delivered. They are also being blind to the glorious possibilities of spiritual development that exist in Christ.
Like blind people wondering in the dark, they do not see the light and still complain and grumble in the darkness, blaming God, blaming others and blaming their circumstances in life.
Peter further urged the believers to pursue the first possibility, and that will keep them from failure in this life, and they can look forward to be welcomed enthusiastically into the Lord’s eternal kingdom (cf att. 25:21-23).
The Apostle is not saying that our salvation is to be earned by good works; rather he is reminding us that the development of a genuinely Christlike character is the only proof (to ourselves as well as to others) of our Christian status even though at times we sadly fail (cf Matt. 7:16-21; Jas. 3:2; 1 John 1:7-10 – teachings of Jesus) and (Gal. 5:16-25 – teaching of Paul).
Peter is also reminding believers that we have a precious faith and we cannot be guilty of being ineffective and unproductive Christians; he also possibly hints that one can even fall from grace (cf Jude 24).
In the concluding verses of 2 Peter, the Apostle reminded believers that our faith is founded on facts and history; that he and the other Apostles were living witnesses of the Lord Jesus (including the Transfiguration); and that the events of the first coming of Christ and His mission confirm the words of the prophets in the Old Testament.
We must therefore be vigilant against false prophets, false teachers; we are to be steadfast in living for Christ, in serving Him and the brethren, and in enduring and persevering in the face of opposition and suffering (which is transient and passing away when compared with the eternal future and weight of glory).
These were the final words of Apostle Peter to Christians and the church; he knew he would soon be with the Lord and he endeavoured to continue to remind them of these truths as long as he was on earth – we should not neglect his reminders and exhortations!
(C) Apostle Peter on the ‘last days’ and ‘Day of the Lord’ in 2 Peter
Peter, in the closing chapter of 2 Peter, crystallised certain aspects of the last days and the ‘day of the Lord’ – we should do well to pay close attention to what he had to say.
Peter firstly wanted believers to understand that in the last days, there will be scoffers following their own evil desires. These are those who continually mock at believers, and cynically exclaim that there is no such thing as the end time and final judgment – ‘everything has been going on as usual – what is all this nonsense and declaration of the ‘last day’s?’ (3:1-4)
Peter, in response, reminded believers that the earth was once ‘destroyed by water’ and the day will come when “the heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire; and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare” (3:10).
“The present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” (3:7).
In the present context, destruction by fire is no longer theoretical – we see hectares of land destroyed by wild fire; the destruction brought about by war and conflicts is of an enormous proportion, destroying cities and habitation explosions and fire. Earthquakes, of great magnitudes, not only destroyed buildings and habitation, but also shake the very foundations of villages, countries and homes. The heavens and earth kept for the day of destruction and the judgment of the ungodly are no longer just ‘fancy fairy tales’.
Peter rebuffed the mockers by telling them that the ‘Lord is not slow in keeping His promise,…instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance’ (3:9). Just as the book of Revelation reveals -despited many warnings from God in the form of calamities, people generally are not repentant and they would face the final judgment and destruction.
How should we believers respond in the light of all these?
“You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of the Lord and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells”(3:11-13).
So believers must ‘make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him’ (vs14b). Remember that the new heaven and new earth is for the righteous and holy – there is no place for unrighteousness, evil, and sin there.
Do not let God’s promise and truth be distorted in the meantime – but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Finally, let us acknowledge that ultimately, it is to Him be the glory now and forevermore!
(D) Pursuing ‘Holiness’ and ‘Godliness’ as we look forward to the Day of the Lord
In the sharing of 2 Peter on the last days and the Day of the Lord, the Apostle Peter, in the light of the coming upheavals and judgment before this Day, exhorted believers to ensure that they will have a rich and welcoming entrance into the kingdom of God (and the new heaven and new earth).
Hence Peter wrote: “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” (2 Peter 3:11- 12a).
The pursuit of holiness and godliness, in essence, is shaped and patterned by the ‘cross’. The cross must shape our spirituality, attitudes, values and ministry, what we fear, flee from and try to be as Christians and as churches.
Christians should not be mesmerised by displays of ‘spiritual power and gifts’ and pursue a ‘Christ’ without a cross, to feed their preoccupation with status, power, wisdom and influence.
The cross abolishes all pretensions to power and status; all ministers of the gospel will have their labours judged and greatness is to be found in humiliation and service as exemplified by the apostles.
A community that embodies the cross will reflect the character of Godin mutual forgiveness (2 Cor. 2:7,10). In Colossians, forgiveness between Christians is a means to communal peace (Col.3:13).
A community shaped by the cross will overflow with love (1 Cor.13:1-13). Notice that Peter put ‘love’ at the pinnacle when he exhorted the Christians to put on “faith, knowledge…godliness, brotherly kindness, love” in 2 Peter. John in 1 John crystallised what Christian love ought to be – manifested in practical love, care and concern – and love is the ‘proof’ that we have been ‘born again’.
A cross-shaped community follows the pattern of Christ’s example. Believers are to be servants to one another. The greatest test of whether or not we have a servant’s heart is how we act when we are treated like a servant.
Will we ‘take up the cross’ and follow Him?