Hope In Exile | The Security of The Gospel – 1 Peter 4:1-11
We return to the Gospel daily, knowing that we were once dead in our sins but have come alive in Jesus Christ.
The church in Asia Minor had some grasp on the Gospel by the time they had been sent into exile. Peter does not give them a novel message of Jesus Christ rather reiterates an already known message. In the face of exile and persecution, the people would be highly tempted to abandon the faith and abandon the Gospel they once did and return to their previous way of life. For much of the first part of the letter, Peter has exhorted the Christians of Asia Minor to seek to be a part of the culture as a peaceful witness to the goodness and glory of God. Peter, though, does not advocate a view of appeasing the culture. There comes in point in the life of the Christian that their life will naturally stand out as different from the societal norms. When this occurs, the people do not accept the culture as the standard by which they should live but the Gospel to which their life has been created anew.
The Gospel is for everyone, especially Christians. Believers do not graduate from the Gospel to more complex thinking. Instead, all complex thinking returns a person to the beauty of a complex yet beautifully simple Gospel. As representatives of Christ to the world, the Christian proclaims the Gospel through their witness to the world. In our lives, we return to the Gospel daily, knowing that we were once dead in our sins but have come alive in Jesus Christ. A world separated from God, however, will attempt to allure the Christian to return to their old self. God’s grace is sufficient though and our inheritance can only be obtained through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Therefore we follow Him all the more.
The Judgment of the Dead
Peter confronts the church with the person of their previous self. As they reside in exile, the people are tempted to return, not to new sins, but to the things they did as they were formerly gentiles. Previously, they had engaged in all the behaviors of society that the world encouraged. Society encouraged giving in to the passions and the desires running the life unchecked. They gave in to their passions regardless of how depraved and how destructive those passions might be. By the mighty saving grace of Jesus Christ, the people had been snatched from the hands of death and set on the foundation of God’s love. The old life only led to death but the new life in Jesus Christ leads to a transformed and new life, free to pursue God.
Similarly, we too began in rebellion against God, committing heinous sins against a holy and perfect God. Now, we have been given an inheritance through the work of Jesus Christ. We have been given the ability to see clearly the effect that sin had on our lives. Sin destroys, always. It wraps up and ensnares people in rebellion against God in a spiraling cascade of destruction. Previously, in our sin, we had been unable to approach or pursue God. Now, we are free to leave the old dead life behind us and pursue the greater life that comes in Jesus Christ alone. We have been freed from the grasp of sin and can run to the father with utter abandonment and in the face of any persecution.
The world still dead in sin, though, will not understand this new way of life. For the churches in Asia Minor, the Christian’s unwillingness to participate in the debauchery of the day meant a rejections of the gods of that culture. Drunkenness, sexual immorality, and various other indulgences centered around idol worship. As the people of the One, True God rejected these, they rejected the values and gods of the culture. Though dead, the people entrenched in that culture would judge them harshly and ostracize them for their witness against their gods. Similarly, we too will look different from the world that is dead to sin and the world will not understand or appreciate that difference. Even though the temptation will be to give in to the old person, we can stand strong in our faith knowing that the greater gift comes from Jesus Christ. We do not worship the dead idols of sin and self-indulgence but we worship God who bore flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and saves people from the death of their lives. The world may judge the Christian faithfully following Christ. Good. Our witness will be proclaimed in our unwillingness to pursue the things that run contrary to the goodness of God.
- What does Peter specifically mention the culture surrounding the church offers and why would rejecting this lead to persecution?
The Coming of the End
There is hope, though, in the assured second coming of Jesus Christ. Peter directs the readers of the letter to the fact that the end is coming as we live in the end days. While Peter never downplays the harshness of the environment the church finds themselves, he exhorts the believers to act as those who are elect despite their exile. Rather than succumb to the pressure of temptation and pain, the believer should respond in a Godly manner. Their thoughts, speech, and action should all reflect the gift of grace that has been given to them, even though their situation may be harsh. Instead of simply not doing bad, Peter encourages the believers to overcome and respond with grace. As they set themselves apart form the culture, the should demonstrate the better way that is offered in Jesus Christ.
The focus on the end times as an apocalyptic event is relatively new in the life of the church. Furthermore, this focus has not necessarily been a healthy looking forward. The emphasis has been on the scary events that are to come with the various bowls, trumpets, and seals given in the book of Revelation. The spectacle of the end times and looking to connect the events of the apocalypse have overshadowed the main event; Christ’s assured return. We live in the end times in the same way that that this is the final chapter of life before the return of Christ. These finals days are the opportunity for people to respond to the call of God in this world.
Everything we need, we have been given by the steady hand of God to endure whatever events may occurs in these end times. Nothing we face can surpass the foundation that Christ laid down on our behalf. Therefore, in the face of persecution, we do everything to proclaim the glory of God, not to our own selfish end. We love one another, staying earnest in our support for one another, expressing the grace and truth of the Gospel. We do not fear the finals days but stand steadfast on the completed work of Jesus Christ. Persecution and difficulties do not destroy our Christian witness but rather provide an opportunity for it to shine brightest. Whatever we do, we do for the glory of God knowing that our eternity and our inheritance is safe and secure by the will and strength of Jesus Christ who died for our sins. All for the glory of God.
Discussion Questions
- Peter compares two types of behaviors in this section. Describe the difference of the old person and the new person?
- How does the work of Jesus Christ pave a way for us to not return to our gentile self in the past?
- Why should people be willing to follow the example of Jesus Christ? How does this compare with the old gentile self?
- What are some of the reasons that it can be difficult to pursue Christ in the face of persecution?
- What does Peter tell us should be the foundation of our life and behavior? What is the difference between doing good for our sake and doing good for the glory of God?
About The Author
Daniel Burton is the founder of The Gospel Outpost. He is passionate about discipleship and seeing people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. To find out more about him, check out his Author Page.
