Like Precious Faith

2 Peter 1:1

2 Peter is a letter written to remind believers of the truth of the gospel and the danger of false teachers. Peter wrote this letter near the end of his life. In 2 Peter 1:13-14, Peter mentions that our Lord Jesus showed him that he would die soon.

2 Peter 1:13–14 (NKJV) ¹³Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, ¹⁴knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.

Knowing that shortly he must put off his tent, Peter desired to stir us up. He does not want to unnerve or upset us; his purpose is to wake us up and cause us to be alert. He is aware that he has one last chance to do this before he moves on. 

Peter knew that he must soon depart, and he also knew that persecution was increasing. So, not only did he write because it was his last chance, but he was also moved to write because he knew that the truth would be attacked. The attacks were coming and would continue to come from more than one direction. Waking us up was necessary because of the ferocity and number of attacks that were coming.

An example and foretaste of what was coming was the persecution of the Church by Nero. Historical tradition says that Peter was crucified sometime between AD 64 and 68 by the emperor Nero. (The Apostle Paul was also martyred around the same time.) We think Peter wrote his first letter around AD 62 and this second letter around AD 64.

This letter then represents a final communication from the great apostle, who knew that he would die very soon. Therefore, in explanation of why he wrote these two letters, Peter says:

2 Peter 3:1–3 (NKJV) ¹Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), ²that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, ³knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts.

Peter was not the only one moved by the Holy Spirit to warn of false teachers and scoffers. Around the same time that Peter wrote 2 Peter, Jude wrote his brief letter. The two letters are very similar, which causes some to think that Peter borrowed from Jude or Jude borrowed from Peter. (A third possibility is that Peter and Jude both used sayings common among believers of their time.) Whatever the reason for the similarity, the fact that the Holy Spirit says much the same thing through two sources at approximately the same time adds to the weightiness of the message. 

The message of 2 Peter is crucial because of the attacks on the truth that come from both inside and outside the Church.

Peter begins his letter by identifying himself. This was the common practice in letters of the day, but it was also necessary to establish the authority of the letter. In defining who he is, Peter gives us reasons why we should listen to him.

Peter starts by saying:

2 Peter 1:1 (NKJV) Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ…

In saying this, Peter establishes his close relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship with Jesus is the foundation of his right to address the Church. In both 1 Peter and 2 Peter, knowledge is stressed. In 1 Peter, he stresses truth, as stated in 1 Peter 1:22 and 1 Peter 5:12. Now, in 2 Peter, he emphasizes “knowledge,” starting with verse 2.

2 Peter 1:2 (NKJV) Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

We must understand what Peter means by “knowledge” in this sentence. The word he uses means specific knowledge, knowledge gained through first-hand relationship. Another way to describe it would be to say it is “contact-knowledge.”

This “contact-knowledge” of Jesus our Lord defines a Christian. A person without this knowledge cannot be considered a “Christian” in the true sense of the word. By stating that he is a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, Peter establishes that he has this “contact-knowledge.”

An apostle was one who was with Jesus from the beginning of His ministry and who was also specifically chosen by Jesus for that office. (The only exception being the Apostle Paul, who, although he was specifically chosen by Jesus and recognized by the other apostles, was not with Jesus during his ministry.) Peter’s “contact-knowledge” of Jesus was matched only by John and James, who were, along with Peter, the three disciples closest to Jesus.

Along with his apostleship, Pete states that he is a “bondservant” of Jesus. 

Remember, Peter was writing in Greek, which is different than English, and he was writing 2,000 years ago in a culture different from ours. The word translated “servant” or “bondservant” in our modern Bibles was used for a slave in Peter’s culture. However, because of the different time and language, Peter had a different picture of slavery.

Slavery was common in Peter’s day, with about 40% of Italy’s population being slaves and about 15% of the total population of the Roman Empire being slaves. Slavery at that time had nothing to do with race as it did in early American slavery. The thing that ancient slavery had in common with early American slavery was that the slave was not his own person. He was another person’s property. 

A person could become a slave through a number of different means. Financial hardship or even bankruptcy could cause a person to be sold as a slave. Military conquest was a source of many slaves for the Romans as conquered people were often made slaves. Many people were born slaves and were slaves simply because their parents were slaves.

A bondservant in Jewish tradition differed from a slave in that a bondservant was a person who willingly subjected himself to another to work without wages. This happened for different reasons. For example, a person could subject himself to his neighbor to pay off a debt. Sometimes it was the case that a person was better off being a bondservant and would choose to stay in service to the master because of love for the master. In Israel, an Israelite could not enslave a fellow Israelite. In addition, in Israel, all Israelite bondservants (slaves) were released from servitude every seventh year. The only exception was that the servant could choose to remain in servitude, and this was to be carefully monitored so that the decision was truly that of the servant and not forced but freely made.

This rule of the bondservant is why our translators prefer to use the word bondservant or servant instead of slave. God invites us to come to Him through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is our choice, freely made. However, the consequences of rejecting God’s call are horrible.

Paul gives us some insight into our slavery to Christ when he says:

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NKJV) ¹⁹Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Look at these verses carefully. “You are not your own.” “Your body and your spirit are God’s.” “You were bought at a price.” We know what love is because God first loved us and gave His Son to die in our place and take the punishment for our sins. Anyone who has experienced this love willingly submits to becoming a bondservant. In fact, we want to be his servants and never be separated from Him, which makes us bondservants in the true sense of the word. But, since we are purchased, are we bondservants or slaves? Romans 6:19-20 says:

Romans 6:19–20 (NKJV) ¹⁹For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. ²⁰For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

We present ourselves to God to be His slaves. If there is one thing I want to leave with you today, it would be this admonition, “so now present your members as slaves of righteousness.” As Paul says in Romans 6:16:

Romans 6:16 (NKJV) Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 

In 2 Peter 1, Peter says he is a slave of Jesus Christ. He uses the word “doulos.” “Doulos” can be translated as bondservant, but its normal (common) meaning is “slave.” It is characteristic of both Paul and Peter that they considered themselves slaves of Christ.

With this in mind, look at who Peter addresses.

2 Peter 1:1 (NKJV) To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Look at the word “obtained.” When we think of “obtaining” something, we think of achieving that thing. But let me show you another place in the New Testament where the word that Peter uses for “obtained” is used.

John 19:24 (NKJV) They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be.”

That was the soldiers at the cross of Christ deciding who would own Jesus’ cloak. The word for “cast lots” is the word that 2 Peter 1:1 uses that is translated as “obtained.” 

I stress this meaning because we must understand that our salvation and our faith are not something we achieve. Salvation is a gift. Even our faith is not from ourselves. It is a gift from God. There is nothing we can boast of since we were slaves to sin. Ephesians 2 says:

Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

Our faith is a gift from God. I would compare the “obtaining” that Peter speaks of to winning the lottery, but it is far from that. First of all, there is no “chance,” and there are no “odds.” Lotteries are, for the most part, evil because they prey on greed and take advantage of lust, stirring them up. Salvation is not a lottery. Peter says we obtained it by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. We know that our sins are washed away, and we are made the righteousness of God in Him, but there is so much more. Ephesians 1 speaks of this precious, most valuable treasure when it says:

Ephesians 1:3–6 (NKJV) ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, ⁵having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, heavenly blessings. We received (obtained) this because He chose us before the foundation of the world. He has made us holy and without blame. Peter calls this “precious” (meaning valuable).

Because of what God has done for us, I am happy to be His slave.

If you are not a slave of Jesus Christ, you are a slave to sin. The wages of sin are death. The end of sin is an eternity of suffering away from the presence of God and everything good. This is another reason our faith is so precious. Not only are we no longer slaves to sin, but we are set free from the cost or wages of sin. Our future is in heaven in the presence of God, where there will be no more suffering.

If you do not have that “contact-knowledge” of Jesus Christ that Peter speaks of, I would like to introduce you to Him. Do not let this day pass without being sure you know Him. 

Pete speaks of “like precious faith.” Like means of the same kind. 

Like Peter, we all know for sure that we will face the day of our death. And even if you are young, believe me when I tell you it will be sooner than you think. If you want to be ready for that day, you must have the same precious faith that Peter had, that all true Christians have. This comes only through “contact-knowledge” of Jesus Christ. If you ask Him, Jesus will free you from slavery to sin. 

Ask.

Grace Means…Truth

1 Peter 5:12-14

The early Church had conflicts!

I know you are shocked, but they were human, just like us.

As the Church was starting, one of the first conflicts was over the subject or issue of circumcision. 

Circumcision is essential to the Jews. From the time of Abraham, Judaism emphasized circumcision as the sign of God’s covenant with the people and nation of Israel. 

The birth of the Church came from the Jews. God gave the Old Testament scriptures through the Jews, and Jesus was born a Jew according to the flesh, a descendent of David of the tribe of Judah. The first believers were all Jews. Then in Acts chapter 10, the Holy Spirit opened the door to the Gentiles. From that time until the present, the gospel has been preached to the non-Jewish, Gentile world. 

Preaching to the Gentiles bordered on the unthinkable for the Jews. And, in Judaism, any convert had to be circumcised, obey the law of Moses, and become a Jew in practice. So, going to the non-Jew with the gospel was a huge step.

The Church sent Paul and Barnabas out as the first missionaries to the Gentiles. And in a very un-Jewish way, they preached salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and did not require circumcision or the practice of the traditions of Judaism. Many Gentiles came to faith in Jesus through Paul and Barnabas’s ministry. Their success drew other would-be teachers to their ministry. Among these were certain Jews from Judaea who began teaching that the new believers had to be circumcised according to the traditions of Moses. Paul and Barnabas opposed this vehemently. 

Paul and Barnabas took this issue to the apostles and the elders of the Church in Jerusalem. This was a significant undertaking, requiring many months of travel and work. I point this out to emphasize how crucial this issue was. Acts 15 gives the account of what we call the Jerusalem Council. There the question of Christian circumcision was discussed.  The council decided that the only requirement for salvation was faith in Jesus Christ. They could not and would not add any other requirements to the Gospel.

Having made this decision, the Apostles and Elders sent Paul and Barnabas back to the Gentiles with the message that salvation was through faith in Jesus and nothing else is required, including circumcision. 

Since the conflict started between Jews from Judea and Paul and Barnabas, the council of Jerusalem sent Silas and Timothy with Paul and Barnabas as affirmation and validation of their message. That way, those who disagreed with Paul did not have to just take Paul’s word for it. Silas and Timothy were chosen for this role because they were respected leaders in the Church, and they were also Jews. So, the hope was that the Jews from Judea and the Church among the Gentiles would accept the decision. 

Thus, Silas is introduced to us in the role of confirming the message of Paul and Barnabas.

We next see Silas ministering with Paul and Timothy in Thessalonica, Berea, and Corinth. Silas suffered persecution alongside Paul and Timothy, and Paul mentions Silas in his letters to Thessalonica and Corinth.

The question of the true gospel continues to be an issue. I recently read an article that argued that Paul twisted the message of Jesus and taught a different gospel. I have also spoken with Muslims, Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormons, who all teach a different gospel.

When Peter sent his letter to the Church scattered throughout Asia Minor, he did not use the Roman postal service. He had Silas carry the letter. This is why 1 Peter 5:12 says:

1 Peter 5:12 (NKJV)  By Silvanus [Silas], our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. 

“By Silvanus…I have written to you briefly” does not mean that Silas wrote the letter. “By Silvanus” means that Silas carried the letter. Please notice that Peter considers Silas a “faithful brother.” By using the word faithful, Peter says that Silas is trustworthy and that he is “full of faith.” In other words, Silas was a true believer. His status as a true believer is also confirmed by Peter calling him a “brother.”

Peter says he wrote briefly “exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.”

Peter was writing to give his testimony to the truth of the gospel as it was being preached. By including Silas, he tied his teaching to the teaching ministry of the Apostle Paul. In this action, He gives his support and affirmation to what Paul and Silas were teaching. He shows that he and Paul are in agreement. In case there is any question, Peter says, “our faithful brother as I consider him.”

However, Peter’s concern went beyond his agreement with Paul. He wrote a second letter, and in that letter, he speaks of one way the devil devours people. In this, he reveals his overriding concern.

2 Peter 2:1–3 (NKJV) ¹But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. ²And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. ³By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

Please look at these verses carefully! “There will be” means “there are” now since we are living in the future Peter was pointing to. Verse 2 says, “And many will follow their destructive ways.” 

This is true. It is a present reality in the world. Throughout the earth, wherever you look, false teaching abounds. This is why the admonishment of 1 Peter 5:8 is so crucial.

1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

We must be sober and vigilant concerning the teaching we listen to and believe. Look again at 1 Peter 5:12.

1 Peter 5:12 (NKJV)  By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. 

Concerning the true grace of God, Peter exhorts us. “Exhort” can be translated “beg,” Peter begs (exhorts) us three times in 1 Peter.

First, in 1 Peter 2:11, he begs us to abstain from fleshly lusts because they war against our souls. Second, he begs elders to shepherd the flock in 1 Peter 5:1-4. And now, he urges us to continue standing in the true grace he has written about.

Along with his appeal, Peter testifies to the truth. His purpose in writing was to testify to the truth. Peter was an eyewitness to the events of Jesus’ life. He was with Jesus from the beginning of His public meeting, starting with the days following Jesus’ baptism by John. In 2 Peter 1:16, he says this about his experience:

2 Peter 1:16 (NKJV) For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

However, Peter did not trust his eyes alone. He also says:

2 Peter 1:19–21 (NKJV) ¹⁹And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; ²⁰knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, ²¹for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

The prophetic word confirmed by what Peter saw with his eyes is the Old Testament.

We have the testimony of eyewitnesses in the New Testament. The Bible was compiled over the years as Moses, Samuel, and the prophets wrote. Then as Jesus fulfilled the prophecies given through Moses and the writers of the Old Testament, the witnesses of those events wrote them down. These things are all a matter of history. They are not fiction because the historical record exists. In the present, we are seeing prophecy being fulfilled in the Middle East. Thus, we know that we are not following cleverly devised fables.

The Bible is the word of God, and it is the authority upon which our faith is built. Because of this, the Bible is the most published and most attacked book on the planet. But it is okay, as God’s word, the Bible will not fall. And, there is an important truth stated in Isaiah:

Isaiah 8:20 (NKJV) To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Look again at 2 Peter 1:19 -21.

2 Peter 1:19–21 (NKJV) ¹⁹And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; ²⁰knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, ²¹for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

We are not free to attach any meaning we want to the words of the Bible. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we are to work to discern what God is telling us. Many times I have heard it said that a person can make the Bible say anything they want it to. And this is true. And this is exactly why we must read and know the Bible for ourselves. Please remember the admonition of 1 John 2:26-27.

1 John 2:26–27 (NKJV) ²⁶These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. ²⁷But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

Would you please notice that John is speaking about those who try to deceive us? Just like Peter, John knew there are false teachers, and we must know and understand the truth, which is why Peter writes. He says:

1 Peter 5:12 (NKJV)  By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul tells us:

Ephesians 6:13–14 (NKJV) …and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.

It is urgent and essential that we stand firm in the truth. The evil one, the roaring lion of 1 Peter 5:8, is making a three-pronged attack on us. The first is through the deceitfulness of false teaching, the second is through temptation (fleshly lusts that wage war against the soul), and the third is through persecution.

 At the time Peter wrote 1 Peter, Rome was persecuting the Church. Persecution was responsible, in part, for the dispersion that Peter talks about in the opening verses of his letter.  As Peter closes the letter, we see evidence of persecution. He says:

1 Peter 5:13-14 (NKJV) ¹³She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son. ¹⁴Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen. 

“She who is in Babylon” is a reference to the Church in Rome. Tradition has it that Peter died in Rome under Nero. It was not safe or wise to alert the government in Rome to a large number of believers living in the city. So, the early Church began to call Rome “Babylon” because Babylon represented the kingdom of Satan and the values of the world.

This is true even in the present. The whole world lies in the power of the evil one and thus is opposed to the true grace of God.

We need the truth to stand in the face of the temptations we experience, the persecution we endure, and the lies we confront. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We meet Him and know Him through the pages of the Bible. The Old Testament told of His coming, and the New Testament speaks of His life. Whether you are a believer or a skeptic, you must read the Bible to know the truth.

Grace Means…Building

 

Grace Means…Building

1 Peter 5:8-11

In our study of 1 Peter, we have considered twelve things that “grace means.”

These twelve are: 1) Salvation, 2) Godliness, 3) Mercy, 4) Righteousness, 5) Submission, 6) Blessing, 7) Invitation, 8) Determination, 9) Preparation, 10) Glory, 11) Shepherding, 12) Humility.

When we speak of God’s grace, we mean the goodness, kindness, and love He has shown toward us. God shows His goodness and love in more ways than we can count. We see His hand every day in the vegetables we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. Everything He has created shows His goodness. 

When we think of God’s goodness, we must remember what the Psalmist tells us:

Psalm 14:1–3 (NKJV) ¹The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. ²The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. ³They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.

“The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men…There is none who does good, no, not one.” From this passage, we can deduce that not one of us deserves the goodness of God. The definition of grace is loving and giving good things to those who don’t deserve them.

The extent of God’s involvement in our lives shown by the twelve subjects we covered in our trip through 1 Peter reveals the magnitude of God’s grace. He has poured out more blessings than we could ask or even comprehend.

God’s grace is not without purpose. All twelve subjects are leading to an end. God is working toward a conclusion, and He has a definite work that He desires to complete. Philippians 1:6 assures us:

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

This passage tells us that the work God has begun in us is a “good work.” God begins His labor in us long before we are aware of Him. Now, concerning the exact nature of this work, Romans 8:29 tells us:

Romans 8:29 (NKJV) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 

From this verse, we understand that the work God is doing is conforming us to the image of His Son. This is the goal and the result of the grace of God. The image of His Son, Jesus Christ, is what God is building. Thus, the title of today’s message, “Grace Means…Building.” God’s grace is transforming our lives according to His will and image. The twelve things we listed are all necessary components of God’s work in our lives.

All earthly buildings are temporary and will perish with the earth in the end. However, God is making an eternal building. Peter points out that the results of God’s construction project are eternal. Peter speaks of the completion of God’s work when he says,

1 Peter 5:11 (NKJV) To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The completion of God’s work results in God being glorified. God will be glorified, and that glory will last forever and ever. All creatures, both spiritual beings and fleshly beings, will see the greatness of God and acknowledge His great power and love because of what He has done for us, in us, and through us. 

For a building to stand, it must be well built. This is also true of the spiritual building that God is constructing. Today, we will look at four words that Peter uses to describe how God builds so that the structure will last forever. These four terms are found in 1 Peter 5:10.

1 Peter 5:10 NKJV But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

We will look at the meaning of these four words: 1) perfect, 2) establish, 3) strengthen, and 4) settle.

Please notice that the verse starts with the phrase “the God of all grace.” Grace is what the letter is about. We have already looked at the face that “Grace Means Suffering,” but here, it is brought up in a different context. God is working to perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. Part of this process, an unavoidable part of the construction, is suffering. Just as Hebrews 12 tells us that God disciplines the child He loves, Peter reminds us that we must suffer.

In our suffering and fight, God is perfecting us.

“Perfect” in 1 Peter 5:10 means “well fit together, or properly adjusted.”

When I was in high school, I helped a friend build a chimney with blocks. We were so excited to get going that we forgot to use a plumb-bob when we started. If that chimney is still standing, it is still crooked at the base. It was a small chimney, so it did not fall. But could you imagine if the Sears Tower was crooked at the base? That thing is 110 stories, or 1,450 feet, tall. For a building of that magnitude to stand, it has to be perfect. Since it is asymmetrical in design, the weight on its foundation is uneven, and it leans four inches to the west (Wikipedia). I point this out because it is so straight that in a little over a quarter of a mile, the four-inch tilt is noticeable.

The Sears (now Willis) Tower will not last forever. However, God’s building (us) will last forever. God’s discipline is perfecting us so that we will “stand” forever.

In our suffering and fight, God is establishing us.

“Establish” in 1 Peter 5:10 means “a support that fixes, gives support or sets fast thus eliminating vacillation.”

Vacillation is a problem in a building. Earthquakes make skyscrapers in Tokyo dangerous because the movement of the earth can make buildings sway, and if they sway too much, they fall. This danger is controlled by making buildings with energy-absorbing shock absorbers at the foundation and every second floor, or a tuned mass dampener is installed toward the top of the building. These buffers absorb the energy of the earthquake and thus keep the building from swaying. The key is not in making the structure more rigid but in constructing the building to absorb or receive the shock.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we must withstand the earthquakes that shake the world around us. Ephesians speaks of those who are tossed about by every wind of doctrine, saying,

Ephesians 4:14 NKJV that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.

In our suffering, God establishes us. (Some translations say “confirm” or “secure.”)

In our suffering and fight, God is also strengthening us.

“Strengthen” in 1 Peter 5:10 means “make strong so as to be mobile – i.e., able to move in a way that achieves something in the most effective way.”

The analogy of a soldier or an athlete is appropriate here. For a soldier or an athlete to survive and prevail, they must be strong. Two types of strength are required. Brute force is needed to out-box, outwrestle, or outrun the opponent. Stamina is required to last to the end. What good is it for a boxer to win the first round if he cannot last through the second round?

In our spiritual battle, physical strength is nothing. We must put on the full armor of God. This is why the Apostle Paul says,

Philippians 4:13 NKJV  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Finally, in our suffering and fight, God is also settling us.

“Settle” in 1 Peter 5:10 means “to lay the foundation.”

The foundation for the Sears Tower is a massive cement structure that is 100 feet deep. In addition, the foundation is surrounded by 200 circular caissons, which are huge cement-filled cylinders bored an additional 100 feet below and set in solid bedrock

It takes being set on bedrock to support the incredible weight of something as large as the Sears Tower.

Jesus is our foundation. He is our bedrock! God works to set us on that foundation and establish us in Christ. Jesus said,

Matthew 7:24 NKJV  “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:”

This is what God’s grace is doing. He is perfecting, establishing, strengthening, and settling us.

Before telling us that God is making this building, Peter says:

I Peter 5:8-9 NKJV  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Four things stand out to me about this passage.

First, we are to be sober. Do not live your life for pleasure. This does not mean we cannot have pleasure. However, it does mean that pleasure, enjoyment, and even happiness are not the goal. The draw the world has on us is our lusts or desires, and to succumb to them is to be “intoxicated.”

Second, we are to be vigilant. That means alert. The primary meaning of the word Peter uses is “awake.” Do not be asleep at your post. You are on guard duty. So, guard your heart.

You see, Paul says we are not unaware of the devil’s schemes. We know how He operates, how he lies, and how he tempts. So that leads us to the third thing we are told to do. We are to resist him. Stand against him. James 4:7-8 tells us:

James 4:7-8 NKJV  “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

James 4:8 tells us how to resist the devil. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

It is okay. You can rebuke the devil. But know that if you are double-minded with one foot in the world and one foot in Christ, you are already defeated, whether you rebuke the devil or not. If you have an impure heart, loving sin more than God, you are already defeated, whether you rebuke the devil or not. If you are cheating your fellow man, if you are hurting your fellow man, then you are already devoured, whether you rebuke the devil or not. 

Resisting the devil means drawing near to God and cleansing our hands and our hearts.

I want to point out one more thing. 1 Peter 5:8-9 does not say that we are to fear the devil. Rather it says that the same sufferings are experienced by all Christians in the world. In other words, we are victorious in Christ. However, we know that we will be attacked. The “same sufferings” of 1 Peter 5:9 is a reference back to the “roaring lion” of verse 8. Even if we are sober and vigilant, we will “suffer” because of the attacks of the evil one.

Consider Job. He suffered greatly because of the evil one. But also notice that Satan could not attack Job until God allowed him. 

Just before Jesus went to the cross, Luke tells us that Jesus warned Peter.

Luke 22:31-32 NKJV And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

We see that God allows attacks in order to sift us, that Jesus prays for us, and that the results strengthen the brethren. We are back to what God is building. He is building a life that will stand, and part of that process is this sifting and refining. We know that as believers, we will experience sifting. This requires that we remain sober and alert, but we have an advocate who prays for us that we may not fail.

Let me end with a warning. The person who has asked Jesus to be their Savior does not need to fear the roaring lion, but the person who has not asked Jesus to be their Savior is lion food. Seriously, you are under the paw of the lion and do not know it. The only hope for anyone is to call out to Jesus.