Christ in 2 Peter -- The Morning Star

Peter wrote this letter from Rome, probably about 66 A.D., shortly before his death.  The purpose of this short letter was to both encourage and warn his fellow believers.

Peter began to encourage his brothers and sisters in Christ (and that includes us!) in the very first verse of the first chapter.  Peter had been one of Jesus Christ’s closest disciples.  He had walked and talked with Jesus all during His ministry.  He was on the Mount of Transfiguration when Jesus was glorified, and Peter heard the voice of God saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him (Matthew 17:5)!”  And here, as we begin to study this letter of encouragement, we see that he told his friends, his brothers and sisters in Christ, and he tells us that the faith we have is the same as his!  Now, if that doesn’t encourage you when you feel like your faith is weak, I don’t know what will!  This is how Peter began his letter:

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord (2 Peter 1:1-2).

First of all, he said that our faith comes because of God’s righteousness, not ours.  He also said that our faith is precious, and that we can have faith that is abundant.  He wrote that “abundant faith” comes through knowing more and more of God and Jesus.  The first chapter of his letter tells us how our faith can grow.  He repeated that even the growth of our faith is an act of God, that He gives us everything we need in order to know Him better, and that it was He who called us to Himself:

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness (2 Peter 1:3).

Secondly, Peter taught that we need to live Godly, morally excellent lives.  We are able to do that, even though we live in a sinful world, by faith which grows by growing our knowledge of God:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8).

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:10-11).

Peter warned his friends, and he warns us today, about false teachers and false doctrine.  He warned that their teachings would be destructive and that they would deny Jesus who gave his life for them.  They would promote depraved conduct and dishonor the truth that is taught in the Word of God:

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute (2 Peter 2:1-2).

That is why Peter made the point of reminding us that we cannot interpret God’s Word to suit our own whims or our own desires.  God’s word does not change, anymore than God Himself who never changes:

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).

“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty (Malachi 3:6-7).

Peter knew that his friends would face many, many temptations and would be confronted with many false teachers.  He knew there would be a time of darkness, a time that we would have to wait before Christ would return.  He knew without a doubt that Jesus would return, but he had no way of knowing how long that darkness, that night would last.  That’s why he referred to Jesus as the Morning Star:

We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2 Peter 1:19).

When Peter referred to Christ as The Morning Star, it created a mental picture of the bright star that is seen in the sky just before dawn.  The dark place, or the night, represents the time between Christ’s ascension into Heaven and His return.  During this dark time is when we live in opposition to the world’s order, the time when false teachers and false doctrines will arise. We wait for Him in the darkness, in anticipation of the time when He will eliminate all darkness. The dawn represents the time when God’s light will fill all of creation, when Christ will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, when every knee will bow to Him, and His enemies will be His footstool.  Just like the morning star that we see in the dark sky just before the sun comes up, Jesus will come for His people just before He comes to rule in eternity:

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning (Psalm 130:5-6).

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty (Malachi 4:1-3).

To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations . . . just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star (Revelation 2:26, 27b-28).

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16).”

One thing that Peter specifically warned about has even more relevance to us today.  The believers in his day were impatient for Christ’s return.  They thought it would happen in their lifetime.  And here we are, almost 2000 years later, and we are still waiting.  God knew we would be impatient.  Mankind has always been impatient and always will be.  But Peter explained that God is sovereign, that He is not being slow to fulfill His promises, but He is patient with His creation, not wishing destruction on anyone:

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” . . . But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:3-4, 8-9).

Every day we live, we are one day closer to His return.  And when He returns, He will come in judgment:

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. 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 (2 Peter 3:10).

Will you be ready when He comes?

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him (2 Peter 3:14).

That is my prayer for you and for me this week, along with the last verse in Peter’s second letter, 2 Peter 3:18:

Heavenly Father,
(Help us to) grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

All scripture references are from the New International Version.

Christ in 1 Peter -- The Stone The Builders Rejected

The book we know as 1 Peter began its life as a letter, written by Peter, the Apostle of Christ, to the churches in northern Asia Minor, what is now Turkey.  It was written from Rome in around 63 A.D. The letter was written in Greek, the most widely spoken language of the day, and it would have been copied by the leaders of each of the churches and spread throughout the region.  The purpose of the book was to encourage the Christians, in the face of persecution, to live holy lives, obedient to God, submissive to earthly authorities, with honor, and showing respect to all people.

Peter began his letter by reassuring the Christians, primarily Gentile, but also the Jewish Christians, that their salvation was achieved because of the mercy of God, by the resurrection of Jesus.  He encouraged them to live in anticipation of eternal life with Him when we all realize the ultimate salvation – salvation from eternal death:

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see (1 Peter 1:3-5).

This encouragement was necessary to the early Christians who were being persecuted on all sides – the established religious system saw the early believers as heretics; the non-religious society saw the believers as strange and judgmental and “holier than thou;” the Roman government saw these people who worshipped a “King” as insurrectionists.  It’s no different for Christians today!  Today, if a Christian truly lives his or her life according to the Word of God, he or she will face persecution, or at the very least ridicule and marginalization.  American Christians have it easy, though, compared to Christians in other parts of the world.  We may be inconvenienced, ridiculed, snubbed, or passed over for a promotion at work, but we are not losing our lives because of our faith – at least not yet.  We really, really need to be in prayer for our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world who are losing everything because of their faith, and we need to pray that the freedoms we enjoy will be preserved.  Every day we hear of Christians being killed in the Middle East, and there is also persecution in China, North Korea, India, Pakistan, and other parts of the world.  This is the kind of persecution Peter was addressing.  So Peter’s letter is as fresh and applicable today as it was almost 2000 years ago.  We need to study this book as though it was written just for us, because in God’s magnificent plan, it was!

Peter reminds us that Jesus had been rejected.  He was the Cornerstone that had been written about by the prophet, Isaiah, and by the psalmist, David:

Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone.  It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken (Isaiah 28:16).

The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone (Psalm 118:22).

Peter teaches us that we are stones, too.  Our lives are to be the living stones that God uses to build His church, building upon the Living Cornerstone that is Jesus Christ:

You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple (1 Peter 2:4-5a).

Jesus Himself told his disciples that they would suffer.  He was trying to prepare them for all the hardship and persecution that they would endure by following Him:

“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues (Matthew 10:16-17).”

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you (John 15:18-20a).”

Jesus said that He chose us to come out of the world.  Peter called us resident aliens in a foreign land. That’s because he knew that our citizenship is in heaven:

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world (1 Peter 2:11-12).

As citizens of the United States of America, we see on the news every day stories about illegal immigration, undocumented aliens, immigration reform, etc.  As Christians, we should identify with these “resident aliens” who live among us, because as Christians, we are “resident aliens” in this world.  We are here only temporarily.  Our citizenship and our eternal homeland is Heaven.  Our King is Jesus, and we must answer to Him.  But He commands us to “live properly” in this, our temporary home.  Part of that “living properly” is to submit to all human authorities – we are not above the laws of this land:

For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right (1 Peter 1:13-14).

Peter gives us a long list of ways we are to live, but it is summarized in a few short words:

As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9b).

Even when we are persecuted, insulted, mistreated, or even just inconvenienced, we are taught that we need to show others the goodness of God.  If we always do the right thing by showing others the love of God, we will be less likely to suffer.  And if we do suffer, He will know it, He will remember it, and He will reward us for it:

Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats (1 Peter 3:13-14).

So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God (1 Peter 4:1-2).

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world (1 Peter 4:12-13).

If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you (1 Peter 4:14).

But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name (1 Peter 4:16)!

My prayer for you, for me, and for all the persecuted Christians all over the world is taken from the last part of chapter five of 1 Peter:

Dear Jesus,
(Help us to) stay alert! (Reminds us to) watch out for (our) great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (May we all) stand firm against him, and be strong in (our) faith. (Cause us to) remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through (even more suffering than we are, more than we can comprehend). All power to (Jesus) forever! Amen.

All scripture references are from the New Living Translation.

Christ in James -- Our Joy, Our Wisdom

James, the half-brother of Jesus, the son of Joseph and Mary, wrote his letter to the Jewish Christians probably before any of the rest of the New Testament was written.  His letter, written only about 10 years after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, was circulated throughout Jerusalem and the surrounding areas.  In the early days of the church, Christians were being persecuted in much the same way as they are today in the middle-east.  The Jewish establishment hated them just as much as the Roman government did.  James, the brother of Peter and John had been beheaded. Another of Christ’s disciples named James, the son of Alphaeus, had been stoned, as had Steven.  Paul had not been converted and was still actively persecuting the Christians.  Many of the believers had left Jerusalem because of the persecution they faced there.  So James wrote his letter to give these persecuted believers some practical advice about how to live out their faith.  Many people criticize the book of James, saying that it contradicts the doctrine of salvation by grace alone, through faith.  However, nothing could be further from the truth.  This letter was written to those who had already received the gift of salvation.  It was not intended to tell them how to receive something they already had, but rather to instruct them about how their lives should demonstrate that gift.  Even though our lives are quite different from theirs, there are still very many similarities.  The instructions James gave are still very relevant to us today.  I will not attempt to summarize the entire book here today.  It is only 5 chapters, and I encourage you to study it for yourself.  Instead, today we will focus on the first instruction that James gave, because if we can apply that first instruction to our lives all the rest will follow.

The very first instruction James gave almost 2000 years ago was that we should not allow our circumstances to overwhelm us, but rather we should find joy in knowing that God will use our circumstances to mature us and to grow our faith:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-4).

Joy in persecution?  Joy in pain?  Joy in unemployment?  Joy in sickness and death?

YES!  James wrote that we are to choose JOY, “whenever you face trials of MANY KINDS!”

I can hear the sighs now, as though my computer is tapped into yours.  “You don’t know what you are talking about!”  “You don’t know what I am going through.”  “You must be crazy!”

I get it.  I HAVE been there, done that, got the scars (not the t-shirt) to prove it.  I won’t re-write my book here, but after you have studied the book of James, you might want to read my book, “I Choose Joy!”  There is a tab at the upper right hand corner of this page where you can order it.  I say that, not to try to sell more books, but to assure you that I know what I am talking about. 

First of all, you need to understand that there is a huge difference between joy and happiness.  Happiness is dependent upon circumstances.  James did not instruct the persecuted Christians of his day to “be happy.”  He knew there was much to be unhappy about.  People were being tortured and killed.  Families were being torn apart.  Fortunes were being lost.  Hard-working, honest people were being oppressed.  In spite of all the unhappiness, James was teaching his friends to “count it all joy.”  That phrase was a business term, one that was used in accounting to keep track of debts.  We can keep track of all the bad circumstances, making a list that might be titled, “Reasons to be Angry,” or “I’ll Get Even Someday,” or “Everyone Should Feel Sorry for Me Because. . .”  Or we can place each circumstance on a list we might entitle, “For Jesus to Handle.”  We can give each circumstance over to Him.  We can ask Him to bear our burdens, we can thank Him for loving us in spite of our failures, we can trust Him with our future, and we can trust Him with our past.  We can know, without a doubt, that He will never leave us or forsake us, no matter what:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).”

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:4-6).

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

Once you learn the habit of living in JOY rather than in worry, regret, pain, sorrow, anger, or bitterness, then the rest of the teachings of James will fall into place much easier.

Secondly, James taught that we should ask God to give us wisdom.  Not the kind of wisdom that the world might offer, but the kind of wisdom that God gives.  Worldly wisdom is based on being puffed up, learning for the sake of learning, or learning so that one can feel superior to others.  Some Christians fall into the trap of a worldly form of wisdom – they go from one Bible study to another, learning more and more about the Word, but never putting what they have learned into action.  Some would say that they “sit and soak and sour.”  Instead, James tells us that if we have true wisdom, along with the joy that Jesus gives, it will be reflected by our attitudes toward others, as well as by our actions.  We will be stable, not wishy-washy in our faith; we will be humble, impartial, and merciful:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you (James 1:5).

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says (James 1:22).

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:27).

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts (James 2:1-4)?

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (James 2:15-17).

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.  But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness (James 3:13-18).

I hope that you will remember what James said about prayer and praise:

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:13-16).

I promise that I will pray for you this week, as I pray for myself, also.  My prayer is that we will choose joy and God’s wisdom and that we will sing songs of praise to Him, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in this week.

All scripture is from the New Living Translation.