20s & 30s

There'll be another 20s & 30s gathering after the service this Sunday night at Marianne's and Jennifer's. Even if you're not in the age bracket you'd be welcome. Do speak to Andrew or Jess for more info

#8. It Is Not Forever

This is the last post in my series on handling suffering from the letter of 1 Peter.

The final point that God through Peter underlines to believers facing “all kinds of trials” is that these trials are not forever. They are “for a little while” (1:6, re-emphasised in 5:10). God will “lift you up in due time” (5:6).

This is not to dismiss the reality and pain of trials and persecutions. The Bible never does that. Just as Christ’s suffering was real (2:23-24) so is ours. But it’s not forever. There is coming a day when it will all be over.

This is the day when our “living hope” will become reality. When we will enter into the inheritance which is ours – the real “promised land”, which unlike Canaan will never perish, spoil or fade due to our sin, or invading armies. This is certain. We know that because we have a relationship now with Jesus Christ – the living hope, whom we love (1:8), who was raised from the dead (1:3).

God does not turn a blind eye to the sufferings Christians face at the hands of others. They will have to account for what they have done (4:5). He will judge justly (4:15-16). But because we know that will be the case, we don’t have to get bitter when we are denied personal justice now. Like Jesus Christ we entrust ourselves to him who judges justly (2:24).

But in the meantime we all need to meditate on God’s pattern of working. Suffering now, glory later (1:10-12). If we are not suffering right now for being a Christian, then now is the time to prayerfully prepare.

#7. God Is In Control

I've been writing a series of posts on what the letter of 1 Peter can teach us about living in a culture in which life is getting harder for Christians. This is my penultimate point.

The key themes of 1 Peter are not particularly popular in the age we live in (or indeed in any age!). None of us get excited at the thought of suffering or submission. But that just proves how far our mindset is from God’s. And the same is true of Peter’s final theme in his letter – his call to humility in chapter 5.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” 5:6

Tim Keller has often said that the Bible calls us to realise that “there is a God and we are not him”, and that is the essence of humility. It is not pretending to be something we are not (like claiming to bad at football, when in fact we are experts), nor is it claiming that we do not know the truth (the “humility” of the world which does not allow any certainty of belief). It is simply recognising that God is God and we are his creatures, and submitting to his loving, controlling purpose for his world and for our lives.

Humility is crucial when we live in times of suffering. When hardship comes we each have a choice. Will we fight against it, grow bitter, and doubt God? Or will we believe and trust our mighty, loving Father, recognising that all things work together for our good and his glory, and humble ourselves by admitting that although times are tough we still trust him?

It is in that context that Peter writes his familiar verse which we often use when thinking about prayer:
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” 5:7
While this verse is true about every problem we have to deal with – Peter does say “all your anxiety” – the first readers would have immediately thought of their suffering for the gospel described in the letter. Our humility in suffering is shown by our casting our anxiety off of ourselves onto our Father, recognising he is in control even of persecution. Just as a fisherman casts his net out of the boat into the lake, we cast our worry off of ourselves onto him. If we don’t we are showing that we are not humbling ourselves before him – we believe we are in control, that we can change events, or we are showing that we don’t believe anyone is.

This is more than praying about a problem. It is the attitude of mind which believes God is in control.

Tomorrow

This is a bit late but tomorrow morning we'll be looking at Abraham's prayer in Genesis 18 whilst in the evening we'll be back in Mark 14 looking at Jesus before the Sanhedrin.

In the afternoon at 4 we're going to meet for church tea to which everyone is welcome.

#6. Suffering and Submission Opens Doors For The Gospel

An objection to my previous point may go something like this “Iain, that’s just pietism. You are calling on Christians to keep their head down and submit, happy in the fact that they are going to heaven, but not really doing any good to their society or anyone else”. Is that the case?

Look again at 1 Peter. It is striking that Peter is deeply concerned for those who do not know Christ. Although at the moment they may be stumbling over him and this is being shown in the fact they are causing the trials of Christians, he is very optimistic that people will turn to him.

The surprising feature of chapters 2 and 3 is that the submission and suffering of Christians is the very means by which God will open doors for the gospel to draw others to himself. Just feel the weight of these verses together –

“Live such lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” 2:12

“For it is God’s will that by doing good, you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men” 2:15

“Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives” 3:1-2

“But even if you should suffer for doing right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened’. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of your slander” 3:13-16

Godly lives of submission open doors for the gospel. Husbands may be won over by the love and holiness of their wives – tempting as it might be for the newly converted wife to abandon her husband every night to be with fellow believers and to nag him with the gospel, this is counter productive. Opportunities come in the midst of trials to speak about Christ as people notice that we have a greater hope than simply our reputation, financial reward, or political influence.

# 5. Walk The Way Of The Cross

What does 1 Peter teach us about living in a society hostile to Jesus? This post continues the series.
1 Peter is a letter full of Jesus Christ. At every point in his discussion Peter draws our attention back to him – to his glory, to what he has achieved, and particularly to who he is as the suffering servant who submitted to unjust human authority to achieve for us our salvation. The cross of Jesus Christ is more than an example to us – he actually achieved something for us there, having “died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (3:18), but his death is also an example to us of how to bear with suffering for righteousness sake.

The shock of the second half of chapter 2 is that, after Peter has revealed to us the immense privilege of what it means for us to be the church (2:4-10), he calls us to live that out as we are scattered amongst the pagans by “living good lives” (2:12), and he then expands on that from 2:13 onwards to tell us that this means submitting. We do good by submitting to the human authorities God has put in place, whether it be the kings and governments (2:13-17), masters (2:18), or husbands (3:1-6). And notice that he deliberately picks hard examples. The governments were not necessarily that friendly towards Christians at the time Peter was writing. Christian slaves were being beaten by unjust masters. Christian women were married to non Christians. But Peter’s message is the same – do what is good. Submit, that’s God’s way, that’s the way of the cross (2:21). This involves respect and a recognition of God’s order in society and in the family.

Obviously 1 Peter does not answer all the questions we may have over these issues. There is more the Bible has to say on marriage than simply 1 Peter 3:1-7, and if you are dealing with an abusive relationship (for example) this is not the limit of a Christian response. Equally, there is more that should be said about a Christians involvement in politics than simply what is said in chapter 2. However, we should avoid jumping straight into arguing against the life God calls us to in this letter. We following a suffering Saviour who submitted. That should be our pattern of life too. The kingdom of God does not advance through human displays of power, demands for “rights”, or violence (see Mark 14:48).

So, what would Peter say to us about some of the battles Christians are fighting today? To take a recent example, he would probably say don’t worry about whether you are allowed to wear a cross or not as jewellery (the kingdom of God is not about what we wear), and if it’s banned by your employer, submit. But worry about whether you are walking in the way of the cross by the way you work.

Christmas @ IPC

Monday 14 - 6.30pm Carol Service @ The Shaftsbury flats
Tuesday 15 - 1-1.40pm Ealing Lunchtime Talks carol service
Saturday 19 - 6.30 pm Carol Service @ South Ealing Mission, Carlyle Road
Sunday 20 - 10.30am Carol Service @ TVU, 6pm Carol servie @ IPC
Monday 21 - 2pm carol singing at Threen House, Dormers Well Lodge and Downhurst home
Friday 25 - 10am Christmas service