WORD From The Woods
1 Peter 5
“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”
This is the final passage in our study through Peter’s letter of exhortation to a group of persecuted Christians. Peter doesn’t spend a lot of time trying to make these folks feel better about the tribulation and persecution that they were facing, he encourages them, tells them to stand firm in the faith, and compares their real but temporary troubles to the eternal glory and dominion of the Kingdom of Christ, that they were partakers of. This is great reminder to us as we face various trials in our lives today, we are also fellow partakers in this glorious reality if we are indeed followers of Christ! After all the great things we’ve learned from this letter, Peter’s final charge to the readers is to clothe themselves in humility. I love that picture! When we get dressed in the morning, we put on the appropriate clothing for the task we’re heading out to do. That’s the idea behind clothing ourselves in humility. This charge is certainly important for all believers, but he specifically directs it here to the elders, the spiritual leaders. One of the most important qualities of any Godly leader is true Christ-like humility, and to lead others well, we must put on humility to be rightly equipped for the task. He also gives us the important warning to remember that the enemy is prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking to destroy the work of the Kingdom. I loaded a round of trucks early this morning, and a couple of the drivers saw a mountain lion on the way in. They we’re terrified to turn their back to the darkness, knowing that a lion was prowling around out there and kept on guard as they were throwing their wrappers. It was as great reminder to me that we must always be on guard, watching out so we don’t fall prey to the enemy’s schemes to trap us in sin! I hope this study of 1 Peter has been a good exhortation to you! Peace and grace to you as you go about your life this week, stand firm, declaring the grace of the Lord Christ Jesus to the world around you!
God bless and have a great week! -Terry-
1 Peter 5
“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”
This is the final passage in our study through Peter’s letter of exhortation to a group of persecuted Christians. Peter doesn’t spend a lot of time trying to make these folks feel better about the tribulation and persecution that they were facing, he encourages them, tells them to stand firm in the faith, and compares their real but temporary troubles to the eternal glory and dominion of the Kingdom of Christ, that they were partakers of. This is great reminder to us as we face various trials in our lives today, we are also fellow partakers in this glorious reality if we are indeed followers of Christ! After all the great things we’ve learned from this letter, Peter’s final charge to the readers is to clothe themselves in humility. I love that picture! When we get dressed in the morning, we put on the appropriate clothing for the task we’re heading out to do. That’s the idea behind clothing ourselves in humility. This charge is certainly important for all believers, but he specifically directs it here to the elders, the spiritual leaders. One of the most important qualities of any Godly leader is true Christ-like humility, and to lead others well, we must put on humility to be rightly equipped for the task. He also gives us the important warning to remember that the enemy is prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking to destroy the work of the Kingdom. I loaded a round of trucks early this morning, and a couple of the drivers saw a mountain lion on the way in. They we’re terrified to turn their back to the darkness, knowing that a lion was prowling around out there and kept on guard as they were throwing their wrappers. It was as great reminder to me that we must always be on guard, watching out so we don’t fall prey to the enemy’s schemes to trap us in sin! I hope this study of 1 Peter has been a good exhortation to you! Peace and grace to you as you go about your life this week, stand firm, declaring the grace of the Lord Christ Jesus to the world around you!
God bless and have a great week! -Terry-