Peter’s first epistle focuses on suffering as a Christian. He addresses this topic in the context of the foundation of Christian salvation, the future of Christian hope, and how that all plays out in the Christian life. The purpose of the epistle is to encourage his readers, who were experiencing dire suffering for being Christians, and to stimulate the growth of their trust in God and their obedience to him despite their circumstances. Peter points to what God has done for them in Christ and applies that to their lives in their present situation. Thus, the three main themes of the epistle are: (1) Suffering as a Christian; (2) Trusting God; and (3) Doing good.

The basis for being able to sustain unjust suffering as a Christian is our salvation. Thus, the cross is central to this epistle. Even in suffering, Christians can and should praise God because of our salvation in Christ – (1) a salvation that grants us the reality of a living hope, (2) a salvation that guarantees us the reward of an eternal inheritance, (3) a salvation that generates in us the results of genuine faith.

Our subject in this passage (1 Peter 1:3-12) is “Praise to God for our Salvation” and the overriding lesson in our passage is that because of our salvation, we can rejoice and praise God even in the midst of deep trials.

So what can we and should we praise God for?

I. We Praise God For Our Salvation That Grants Us The Reality Of A Living Hope (1:3)

This passage is in fact one long sentence from v. 3 to v. 9 in the form of a doxology for our salvation: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

All our blessings are rooted in our present salvation…

1. The source of our salvation is “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:3a). We do not and cannot save ourselves. Our salvation is all of God, a salvation which Peter calls new birth. God alone has “caused us to be born again.” Our salvation is a spiritual rebirth, a rebirth which is rooted in the redemptive plan of God, which he planned in a past eternity and which he brought into effect in time, so that our salvation is a present possession.

God alone designed and initiated the plan of salvation. That’s the basis of our new birth, which God fulfilled in his Son, Jesus Christ, at the cross. That’s how we are “born again” and because we are born again we can call God our Father. “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” is our Father because the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is our Saviour. Thus, only Christians can call God our Father and only Christians can confess “Jesus Christ” as “Lord,” by which address we are also confessing that Jesus is God, and because Jesus is God he alone is our Saviour. No one else other than God himself could have effected our salvation for only Jesus Christ could offer to God an acceptable sacrifice for our sins.

So, our salvation has as its source the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And…

2. The basis of our salvation is God’s “great mercy” (1:3b). At the heart of God’s saving act in Christ is “his great mercy.” As the apostle Paul puts it: “⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:4-5). What Paul makes clear is that God’s rich mercy is rooted in his great love. For the God who is love is the One who loved the world to such a degree and in such a manner that “he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16).

So, our salvation has as its source the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our salvation has as its basis God’s great mercy. And…

3. The object of our salvation is “a living hope” (1:3c). When we receive new life in Christ we also receive a new reason for living – what Peter calls “a living hope.” The Christian hope is not abstract, wishful thinking but an absolute certainty, a firmly-rooted anticipation of what will certainly come to pass at the return of Christ – namely, the completion of our salvation (see v. 9).

For the Christian, hope is the present anticipation of future glory and blessing. It is therefore both a future certainty and a present reality. That’s why it is called a “living” hope. It’s a living hope because it is alive in us. It is a living hope precisely because God has rebirthed us, given us new spiritual life in Christ by which we have this living, active, abiding hope. That’s our assurance, our confidence, our hope both now and to the end. That’s why we are encouraged to be “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13). It’s a living hope because it is grounded on “the living and abiding Word of God” (1 Pet. 1:23). It’s a living hope because it is rooted in our salvation - we trust a living Savior who rose from the dead.

Ours is a living hope - not a dead hope that can never be realized. It’s a living hope - therefore it is active not passive, not just something to be believed but something to be lived out. It’s a living hope - therefore it endures beyond this life: “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor. 15:19). It’s a living hope – therefore, it is permanent and eternal. It is the “hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began” (Tit. 1:2). As Hebrews 6:19 says, “…this hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast.” Because it is sure and steadfast we need to cling to it, to persevere in it - “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven” (Col. 1:23).

4. The security of our salvation is “the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1:3d). His resurrection is the guarantee of our living hope. If Christ had not risen from the dead we would have no hope because we could not be born again. And if we are not born again our hope would be useless, empty. As surely as He rose from the dead, so shall we. That’s the reality of our living hope. As Simon Kistemaker puts it: “Without the resurrection of Christ, our rebirth would be impossible and our hope would be meaningless” (1 Peter, 41). Because our Saviour rose from the dead and ascended back to heaven, we have a living hope. Because our Saviour is alive, we have a living hope.

It’s the reality of this living hope that distinguishes Christianity from all other religions and distinguishes Christians from non-Christians, who have “no hope” for they are “without God and in the world” (Eph. 2:12). Instead of turning to God they turn to the occult, drugs, mysticism, and cults, all of which are merely vain attempts to escape their inner emptiness. Is there any hope at all for such a generation? Yes, indeed – there is hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. When we know him, life has meaning and purpose, a firm foundation for eternal hope.

So the means of our rock-solid hope is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. That’s why we praise God for our salvation that grants us the reality of a living hope. And…

II. We Praise God For Our Salvation That Guarantees Us The Reward Of Our Future Inheritance (4-5)

God has caused us not only to be born again to a living hope but also “born again…to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1:4).

1. Our future inheritance is guaranteed (1:4). Our rebirth into God’s family brings us into an eternal “inheritance.” This is the completion of our salvation, the redemption of our bodies, when we are translated to heaven at Jesus’ return.

An inheritance is a future benefit which you acquire when someone dies and names you in their will. We have this eternal inheritance not only because Christ died but more importantly because he rose again. This is an inheritance like no other because it’s an inheritance based on Christ’s death and his resurrection. It is eternally secure and we have the present possession of it in the one who died and rose again.

Notice these four unique characteristics of our future heavenly inheritance, which is unlike any earthly inheritance…

First, our heavenly inheritance is “imperishable.” Unlike earthly possessions that rust, fade, and decay, our heavenly inheritance will never decay and is not subject to death or destruction. Therefore it is permanent, eternal, imperishable, nothing can destroy it.

Second, our heavenly inheritance is “undefiled.” It cannot be stained or cheapened. It is totally unspoiled, unpolluted by sin, with no blemish or impurity but absolutely pure.

Third, our heavenly inheritance is “unfading.” It never loses its luster or beauty or freshness. It never fades away or grows old. It doesn’t wear out and it will never disappoint us.

Fourth, our heavenly inheritance is “kept (reserved) in heaven for you.” Though we cannot see it, our inheritance is eternally secure – it is “reserved in heaven.” A reservation is a guarantee - it has your name on it! No one else can take your inheritance from you because it is “reserved in heaven for you.” As Ephesians 1:14 says, “The promised Holy Spirit… is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” In other words, there is a period of time between being named an heir and the time when we come into the possession of that inheritance. During that in-between time, the Holy Spirit guarantees that this inheritance is ours. Nothing can take it away because it is “kept / reserved in heaven for you.”

Our future inheritance is guaranteed. And…

2. We, the beneficiaries, are eternally secure (1:5). Our eternal inheritance is “kept / reserved in heaven for you” and, at the same time, we “by God’s power are being guarded / kept through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Our inheritance is kept for us in heaven and while we wait for it we are being guarded by God’s power so that we will never lose it! This is our assurance of eternal life. We are constantly guarded by God’s power, assuring us that we will arrive safely in heaven to enter into our inheritance. Thank God we are not kept by our own efforts or power, but “by God’s power.” We are thoroughly united with Christ such that his power now guards and guides us until that day when we enter into our eternal inheritance.

Everything about the Christian’s future is based on faith in Christ and his death and resurrection by which our future inheritance is eternally secure in heaven for us. And we “by God’s power are being guarded through faith for salvation.” This is double security – our salvation is secure and so are we.

To be “guarded / shielded by God’s power” has the sense that our present salvation and our future inheritance are protected so that no opposing force of evil can ever touch, mar, or take them from us. God, for his part, sovereignly guards us “by his power” and we, for our part, are responsible to exercise “faith” in his word, faith “for (in view of the coming) salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1:5). This looks forward to the completion of our salvation when we enter into the reward of our eternal inheritance when Jesus comes again and translates us to heaven, “a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

We are living in “the last time.” The return of our Lord Jesus Christ can happen at any moment. It’s imminent! At that moment, we will be translated to heaven “in a twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:52). Our bodies will be transformed into bodies of glory like his body of glory. Our salvation will be complete and we will enter into our eternal inheritance through faith in the atoning death of our Lord Jesus Christ and his resurrection. There is nothing more that needs to happen in order for him to come back again. This emboldens our faith and enlivens our hope, especially in the face of suffering.

So, we praise God for our salvation that (1) grants us the reality of a living hope, (2) that guarantees us the reward of a future inheritance, and…

III. We Praise God For Our Salvation That Generates In Us The Results Of Genuine Faith (1:6-12)

We enjoy two results of genuine faith…

1. We are enabled to rejoice even in the midst of trials (1:6-7). “In this you rejoice” (1:6a). What does “this” refer to? “This” refers to all that Peter has been talking about in vv. 3-5, namely, our present salvation (new birth) and our future inheritance, everything we have and are in Christ.

Our salvation should be the cause and object of great rejoicing. If you do not greatly rejoice about your salvation, then, I ask, are you truly saved? Now in the case of Peter’s readers, he exhorts them to rejoice in their salvation, “though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials” (1:6b). To rejoice in the midst of afflictions, trials, and persecutions isn’t easy, is it? This is the practical ramification of our salvation and hope, that we can “rejoice” even in the midst of “trials.”

Only Christians can respond this way. To rejoice in the midst of trials is only possible for those who have a “living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” those “who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for salvation.” Our salvation grants us a living hope, guarantees our future inheritance, and generates in us the ability to rejoice even in the midst of trials and sufferings.

Peter’s readers were enduring enormous affliction for their faith. They had been driven out of their homeland because of their faith and dispersed throughout Asia Minor. They had lost their homes, were separated from their families and friends, and were now living in a foreign country amongst people of different religious backgrounds, languages, and customs. They were suffering from various and grievous trials.

To rejoice in the midst of trials is a distinctly Christian response. But how could they rejoice under such circumstances? The security of their present salvation and the guarantee of their future inheritance made it possible for them to rejoice in the midst of all this mistreatment and displacement and upheaval and sorrow. The basis of their joyful attitude even in the midst of trials was their salvation, and the motivation to joyfully persevere in the midst of their trials was the imminent realization of their inheritance. That’s why Peter assures them that their suffering was only “for a little while.” It’s a little while because life on earth is short in relation to eternity. Any trials or suffering for your faith that you may endure here on earth is only for “a little while” because Jesus is coming, the end of suffering in this world is at hand, our inheritance is about to be realized.

The apostle Paul describes these trials as “this light momentary affliction” which “is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unsee. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18). And again in Romans 8:18 he writes, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

This is our motivation to persevere joyfully even in the midst of trials of the deepest kind. Despite being deeply “grieved by various trials” we can rejoice! How? By keeping our eye of faith firmly fixed on our salvation and on our inheritance. We are born again to a hope that is alive and active in us. Our salvation is the beginning and our inheritance is the end. We need to have the end view, “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). The apostle Paul had the end in view when said, “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). That’s the end we must have in view.

These trials which we experience often grieve us. Peter is not denying reality. These trials certainly do cause us sadness and sorrow and suffering. Adverse circumstances do cause deep distress, depression, and confusion. But remember, they are only for “a little while.” Trials that test our faith are temporary and even then Peter qualifies them with “if necessary.” Strange as it may seem, suffering as a Christian is a divine necessity (cf. James 1:2; Col. 1:24). Based on the Greek grammar used here, this should probably read “since it is necessary” (not “if”) because this is a first class conditional clause - i.e. there is no doubt about it. There is a “needs be” to suffering as a Christian and that necessity was already being played out in Peter’s audience’s lives.

But, you ask, why are such trials necessary? They are necessary because they are part of God’s sovereign purposes for our lives. He is actively involved in them. He is the One who tests our faith when “necessary.” God always has a purpose for our trials. Trials are not arbitrary, random, uncontrolled. There are circumstances and reasons why God passes us through trials, as Peter’s readers were experiencing at that time. To know that there is a purpose in trials helps us endure them. Trials should motivate us to look for the return of our Lord, to live in the daily consciousness that this could be the day when he returns again. Well, it’s one thing to know that God is in control, what is their purpose?

The purpose of trials is to prove the genuineness of our faith (1:7). To “rejoice” is the Christian response to trials and the purpose of trials is to “test” the genuineness of our faith. The testing of our faith is like the testing of gold. Gold is arguably the most precious commodity on earth. It is generally considered the standard of wealth and security. But genuine faith is “more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire” (1:7a). Note that it is genuine faith which is more precious than gold not the testing. In other words, “which is more precious” qualifies “faith” not “testing.” When gold is tested (refined) by fire, its impurities are removed and its value increases. Yet eventually, gold “perishes” – it may be lost, or stolen, or worn away with handling, or in other ways comes to an end. But genuine faith when it is tested is “more precious” than the most refined, 24 karat, purest gold.

How is refined faith more precious than refined gold? It is more precious than refined gold because God’s ultimate purpose in testing your faith is that “the tested genuineness of your faith…may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:7b). That’s the ultimate purpose of the testing of our faith, (1) that when Christ appears you will be there, having stood the test of your faith and come through victorious; (2) that such victory over trials will result in “praise” for who he is and what he has done in your life through your genuine faith; (3) that when Christ appears, we will enter into His heavenly “glory” having been refined by the testing of our faith; (4) that he will receive all the “honor” due to his name from those whose faith has been proven to be genuine.

So, we praise God for our salvation that generates in us the results of genuine faith. First, we are enabled to rejoice even in the midst of trials. And…

2. We are enabled to love and trust him even though he is invisible (1:8-12). “Though you have not seen him, you love him” (1:8a). Their faith had been tested and proven genuine through the manifestation of their love for Christ, even though they had not seen him. The clause “though you have not seen him” is in the past tense, the implication being that “you have not seen him as I (Peter) have when he lived here on earth.” It’s much easier to love someone you have come to know through personal contact and conversation - you learn so much about them from experience. But your love for Christ whom you have not yet seen is precisely the purpose and evidence of genuine faith. Peter had seen the Lord; his readers had not. This makes their love for Christ all the more powerful and genuine.

Though we have not seen him, nevertheless by faith we love him. To love someone whom you have never seen or met or spoken to demands faith in who they are - their integrity and character. But we have not met the Lord Jesus Christ yet. We know him only through the gospel, which God, by the apostles, inscribed in holy Scripture. That’s how we know him – through a written document which God enabled us by faith to believe and embrace. Undoubtedly that’s why Jesus promised a special blessing for “those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Jn. 20:29). What a wonderful commendation, then, from Jesus and here from Peter, who evidently recognized the superiority of the faith of those who have not seen Jesus and yet love him. This is the evidence of genuine faith – love for Christ.

We have not seen Christ in the past here on earth nor do we see him now in the present. “Though you do not now see him, you believe in him” (1:8b). Not only do we love the One whom we have never seen, but we also “believe in him.” The physical revelation of Jesus Christ is still future, for that reason we cannot see him. But by faith we are enabled to believe in Christ even though we do not now see him. This is the purpose and evidence of genuine faith – belief in Christ even though we have not seen him.

The present result of such genuine faith is that we “rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (1:8c). So the theme of joy in trials continues, now with the emphasis on joy in loving and believing in Him who is invisible. It’s “inexpressible” because such joy can’t put it into words – it is too great to be described. And it is “filled with glory” because such joy is heavenly. Here and now, though we have not seen him and still do not see him, nevertheless we experience a love for him and belief in him which infuses us with this inexpressible and glorious joy. We can’t see him or talk to him but in its place we have this inexpressible joy in the imminent completion of the salvation of our souls. In other words, our salvation is made real in our present experience and results “inexpressible and glorious joy.”

If inexpressible joy is the present result and evidence of genuine faith, then the future and final result of genuine faith is “obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1:9). The present experience of those who suffer from various trials of faith, who in the midst of suffering rejoice in Christ, love him and believe in him, is not only that they have the present possession of eternal life and rejoice in their relationship with Christ here and now, but they also rejoice in and anticipate “obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Here Peter is evidently referring to the completion of our redemption at the return of Christ, when we will receive the transformation of our bodies and our translation from earth to heaven.

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully” (1:10). The basis of our newfound joy, love, and faith is the salvation of our souls, which Peter describes as “The grace that was to be yours,” for our salvation is God’s grace to us in Christ. The entire scope of redemption is summed up in “the grace of God” which “has appeared in Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:11), concerning which the O.T. prophets “searched and inquired carefully.” Indeed, the O.T. prophets “prophesied” about our salvation and Jesus affirmed their prophecies, for example to the two on the Emmaus road: “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Lk. 24:27). Their O.T. predictions have now been fulfilled in Jesus.

The O.T. prophets searched and inquired carefully as to “what person or time, the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories” (1:11). Though the O.T. prophets knew by “the Spirit of Christ” about “the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories,” and though they made diligent and careful inquiry about such matters, they didn’t know the details – they didn’t know by “what person or time” this would come about. What faith those O.T. prophets had to search so diligently for something that they did not see or prove or discover, but they did so because it concerned salvation!

Thus, despite their investigations and despite what the Holy Spirit revealed to them concerning the sufferings of Christ and his subsequent glories, such knowledge was still beyond their comprehension. They knew about it in general terms but they didn’t know the details of who or when this salvation would be fulfilled. What they did know, by revelation of the Holy Spirit, was the purpose of their search and inquiry. “It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you” (1:12a). Their divinely revealed prophecies did not serve themselves but us, future generations of N.T. believers, and they knew by revelation that such was their role. As we think about this, we realize afresh how greatly we have been blessed to be able to look back at the fulfillment of prophecy rather than look forward to its fulfillment.

The “things that have now been announced to you” is the gospel of our salvation (“the grace that was to be yours”), accomplished through the sufferings and glorification of Christ as the O.T. prophets predicted. What they didn’t know back them, we know now for their prophecies have now been fulfilled in Jesus. Their prophecy was directed to and for the benefit of Peter’s readers and the subsequent church at large, which includes us in the 21^st century. Thus, we are the recipients and beneficiaries of their proclamation and search. Just as the Holy Spirit informed the O.T. prophets about the things concerning the future coming and work of Christ, so he enabled the N.T. apostles and their colleagues to announce to Peter’s readers the fulfillment of those prophecies - “those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven (1:12b).

It's remarkable in many respects that the angels, despite their God-given abilities and responsibilities, do not have the full knowledge of these things, “things into which angels long to look” (1:12c). That’s apparently all the angels can do - look into the things pertaining to salvation, for they themselves do not participate in it. They take great pleasure in God’s salvation, for example rejoicing over one sinner brought to repentance (Luke 15:7, 10), but they themselves are not redeemed. They are merely distant observers of such things (cf. Eph. 3:10). We, on the other hand, experience it.

Who, then, were these faithful, godly O.T. prophets? Peter doesn’t say but we know that Isaiah prophesied of Jesus’ birth (7:14; 9:6; 11:1), his life (11:2-5; 35:4-6; 61:1-2) and his death (52:13-53:12). We also know that Micah prophesied of the exact place where Jesus would be born (5:2). All of this they were able to do through “the Spirit of Christ in them.” Thus, long before it came to pass, Christ revealed to these men by his Spirit what would be the nature of his coming – his life, death, resurrection ascension, and glorification.

Final Remarks

This, then, is the first glimpse into the centrality of the cross, the solid foundation of our salvation, in 1 Peter. The work of Christ on the cross is the basis on which we are able to sustain suffering as a Christian and still be able to praise God.

So, let me ask you, is your love for Christ sufficiently deep and your belief in him sufficiently stable that you are able to sustain opposition for your faith while still rejoicing in Christ and anticipating the end result of your faith? Do you implicitly trust him for your salvation? If so, you should know and abide in a joy that no non-Christian can ever know. Yet, I think, so many Christians are not abiding in the love of Christ and as a result they are pretty miserable people.

What we have learned from this text is that, because of our salvation, we can rejoice and praise God even in the midst of deep trials. No matter what you may suffer as a Christian - perhaps it’s bullying at school because you are a Christian; perhaps it’s ridicule for your faith or shunning because you don’t do what others do; or perhaps you are facing awful circumstances that have nothing to do with being a Christian but everything to do with living as a Christian in a fallen world, be it illness or grief or a divided family or a rebellious child - remember that no matter what your circumstances may be Christians should be the most joyful people on earth because we have an absolutely secure salvation (1) that grants us the reality of a living hope; (2) that guarantees us the reward of a future inheritance; and (3) that generates in us the results of genuine faith.

And for that we join Peter in saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” For in and through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ we have the present possession of eternal life; we have the daily reality of hope beyond the grave; we have the guarantee of an eternally secure future, because it is kept for us in heaven (no one can steal it) and because God preserves us here on earth (you cannot lose it). Its that faith that enables us to rejoice even though we may be tested by fiery trials. It’s that faith that enables us to love and believe in Christ whom we have not and cannot now see.

Peter is painting an enormously positive picture of the Christian life, a life of absolute security for time and eternity, a life of absolute confidence in God and his Word. Now that’s something worth living for! That’s something to rejoice about! The world is full of bad news, turmoil, and fear, but we, as Christians, have everything to rejoice in despite the chaos, despite the terror, despite the suffering. Remember our thesis: Because of our salvation, we can rejoice and praise God even in the midst of deep trials.

Fear! That’s an emotion that all of us at certain times experience. Mysophobia is the fear of dirt. Hydrophobia is the fear of water. Nyctophobia is the fear of darkness. Acrophobia is fear of high places. Taphophobia is the fear of being buried alive. Xenophobia is the fear of strangers. Necrophobia is the fear of the dead. Claustrophobia is the fear of confined places. Incredibly, triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13.

So many people suffer from debilitating fears, some from psychological illnesses, others from frightening experiences. I experienced real, deep-seated fear many years ago when I went skiing for the first time in western Canada. When I got off the gondola and looked down the ski slope in front of me, it looked like a suicidal, vertical drop in front of me. My chest immediately went tight with fear.

We are talking about fear in this article, not fear of heights or down-hill skiing, but something far more important - the fear of God. In today’s passage, Peter is focusing our attention on the Christian lifestyle, the kind of lifestyle that ought to characterize those who are “elect… according to the foreknowledge of God” (1:1-2) and, who have been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1:3).

In 1:13-25, Peter summarizes the expected conduct of God’s holy and elect people in four imperatives: Be hopeful! (13); Be holy! (14-16); Be fearful! (17-21); and Be loving! (22-25). Our passage today deals with the third imperative, “Be fearful” in the context of having been ransomed from our previous lifestyle before we were saved. This is a continuation of Peter’s plea for holy conduct (1:15-16).

The subject of this passage is how to live as exiles in a foreign land. The dominant theme of the passage is that: Believers ought to fear God by pursuing a holy lifestyle that is consistent with their salvation. Because of the prospect of our ultimate salvation at the return of Christ, our lives should be radically changed. You cannot remain the same as you were before you were saved. Who you are and what you stand for - your values, hopes, ethics, goals, priorities – are radically changed by Christ’s redemption. In this regard, Peter has already given two imperatives - now, here is the third imperative: “If (since) you call on him (God) as Father…conduct yourselves with fear (1:17a).

Grammatically, this entire passage is actually a first class conditional sentence. Verse 17a is the “if” (protasis) part of the sentence and vv. 17b-21 form the “then” (apodosis) part of the sentence. It’s a first class conditional sentence because it really says: “If you call on him as Father (and you certainly do), then conduct yourselves with fear…” The following verses 18-21 then provide the basis (reasons) for the “then” conditions. Because of this grammatical structure, “if” should probably be thought of as “since.”

Just as the Father has “called” us in 1:15, so we “call on Him.” We call on Him in prayer because he is our Father and we are his children. We enjoy a relationship with God as children to a loving faithful Father. Membership in God’s family is a great privilege but every privilege comes with responsibilities. Because you call on God as your Father, do not presume on His grace. Just as the Father has called us to “be holy in all our conduct” (1:15), so we are called to “conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile” (1:17b). God the Father is utterly holy and therefore will hold us to his holy standard and correct us when we need it. Do not expect God to be like an indulgent human father who lets you get away with all kinds of bad choices and ill behavior with impunity. Disobedience will not pass unnoticed or undisciplined.

So, why then should we fear Him? Notice two reasons why we should fear God…

I. Fear God Because He is Our Judge (1:17)

1. The Standard Of God’s Judgement. The Father judges each person “according to each one’s deeds.” This verb is best understood as continuous – i.e. God is continuously exercising ongoing discipline, judgement. As his children, God disciplines us now so that sin does not damage our relationship with him (Heb. 12:7-11). We need to be serious about sin and about holy living because God is the Judge.

Non-Christians will be judged at the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15). This is a judgement of condemnation: “Depart from me…” (Matt. 7:23; 25:41). This is the condemnation of eternal separation from God. But Christians, too, are subject to God’s judgement. We experience God’s judgement at the present time in the sense of his disciplinary acts as the Father of disobedient children. Fear of God’s discipline is a good, proper, healthy attitude toward God.

So, Christians experience God’s judgement now and we will experience God’s judgement in the future at the judgement seat of Christ. This is a judgement not for condemnation but for commendation, to cast into the fire those deeds that have no eternal value and to commend those deeds that we have done for God. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:10). “¹³ Each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. ¹⁴ If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire (1 Cor. 3:13-15). “Then each one will receive his commendation from God” (1 Cor. 4:5). That’s when we will hear God say, “Well done…”

Now you can understand why the focus on the return of Christ is so important. Not only because of the rewards we will receive but also because of the judgement. Our pardon from sin is not a license to live anyway we want.

Here then is the standard of God’s judgement - he judges each person according to their deeds. Then there is…

2. The Basis Of God’s Judgement. He judges each person’s deeds “impartially.” As the judge, he shows no favoritism, even to His own children (Rom. 2:11; Eph. 6:9). When you call on the Father, remember that you are calling on an impartial Judge. That God judges impartially means that no one is excluded from his scrutiny, that he is not swayed by who you are or what you may have accomplished, and that he owes you no favors. God’s discipline is individual and personal and it applies to all people, even though in this context believers specifically are in view. That is a judge’s task – to impartially assess liability and the appropriate consequence.

I don’t know what is going on in your life. Perhaps you’ve cheated on your exams or engaged in business dealings that aren’t upright and honest. Perhaps you didn’t declare all your income on your tax return or you’re dabbling in an illicit relationship outside your marriage. Whatever the case may be, you need to repent, confess, and abandon your sin.

I was washing our cars in our driveway one day. Both of them were filthy dirty. I sprayed water on them and immediately they looked clean. But if I left them that way, dirt would show up again as soon as they dried. To get them clean, you have to use a sponge and some turtle wax soap and a chamois. Sin is like that. Sometimes you’re tempted to spray water on it by going to church, saying the right things, looking good from the outside, but you’re still dirty. The only remedy for sin is “repentance before God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).

Since you call on God who is your Father and Judge, “conduct yourselves with fear (1:17c). Just as the Father who has called us is “holy” so we are called to be holy in all our conduct (1:15). The thought of God’s holiness and our call to be like him in holiness should cause us to “conduct ourselves with fear.” “Fear” means the fear of God. This fear is not to be diluted to an abstract “awe” or “reverence,” even though we must view God in awe and reverence. No, that’s too comfortable, too reductionistic.

This is the fear of who God is. He is the “Father who judges.” He is the absolutely holy One who cannot look upon sin. That should cause us to fear. This is the fear of not living a holy life to which God has called us, of dishonoring God, of falling short of God’s standard, of coming under God’s discipline.

He is the all-powerful One, the all-knowing one, the ever-present one. He made us and we are his creatures. He knows all about us, sees everything we do, and hears everything we say. That should cause us to fear lest we sin against him. We must remember that we live our lives in the presence and under the all-seeing gaze of a holy God.

Fear of God is not to be confused with loving God or of his loving us. It is exactly because He loves us that he disciplines and judges us, so that nothing comes between us and Him, so that we become the people He wants us to be. That’s love!

Fear of God is not to be confused with the dread of God’s wrath. The fear of eternal punishment is for those who do not know God. That’s entirely different from “godly fear” which is essential to holiness (Rev. 11:18; 15:4; 19:5). This is the fear of who God is. And…

This is the fear of displeasing our Father. We understand from our earthly family relationships what disruption and unpleasantness can be caused by displeasing our father. His displeasure may be caused by our breaking certain rules of the home or by our behavior which is inconsistent with the family’s values and reputation. In a similar way, we can displease our heavenly Father. God is utterly holy and hates sin. Thus if we sin, we displease him. We should have a holy fear of displeasing him, a fear based on deep gratitude for what God has done for us, and fear of offending him, fear of disobeying the one who is not to be trifled with or presumed upon.

To dismiss the concept of the fear of the Lord as an O.T. concept is to neglect many N. T. passages and to impoverish our spiritual lives. Fear of God is connected with growth in holiness (2 Cor. 7:1; Phil. 2:12). To fear God is to grow in maturity and in the blessings of God. Remember the Christians in the early church who “walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:31). Adam and Eve feared God because of their sin and they hid from God. We, too, should fear God because of our sin that will be exposed and judged at the judgement seat of Christ. Franklin Roosevelt said: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” I don’t think that is true – the only thing to fear is God’s judgment. Abraham Lincoln said: “My great concern is not whether God is on our side; my great concern is to be on God’s side.” That’s proper fear of God. Someone said: “To be free from all fear, we must have but one fear – the fear of God.” Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).

So, this is the fear of who God is. This is the fear of displeasing our Father. And…

This is a fear that extends throughout our lifetime. We are spiritual exiles, strangers in a foreign land, pilgrims who are passing through this life. Throughout our time on earth we should live in fear of who God is (his absolute holiness, his demand that we be holy even as he is holy), in fear of sinning against God, in fear of displeasing God, in the fear of misrepresenting God to unbelievers around us. They are watching everything we say and do, so we must act as true children of God so that God is manifest in us to them such that our lives become more holy and more like him.

Remember, he is your Judge. So, every day, pray to God to make you sensitive to and aware of sin in your life, cry to God for a pure heart, live in fear of offending God and his holiness.

First, then we should fear the Lord because He is our Judge…

II. Fear God Because He Is Our Redeemer (1:18-21)

Live in accordance your redemption. “^17b Conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, ^18a knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers (1:17b-18a).

You were “ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers” at such great cost. So, fear the Lord lest you fall back into those futile ways from which you have been redeemed. Fear that you might return to empty religious rituals and traditions. Fear that you might be dragged into the ways of the world around you in this foreign land and become more like it rather than an exile. You were “ransomed” from this at such great cost.

A “ransom” is the price paid for someone’s freedom. This term was used to describe the purchase of a slave’s freedom (Lev. 25:47-49). We were held in slavery by Satan himself, our archenemy. He held us in his power and Christ ransomed us from it. This is why we must fear the Lord - because we have been ransomed, bought back from our self-willed rebellion against God.

Prior to their conversion, Peter’s audience had been living a futile, aimless manner of life. Their ancient traditions had no meaning, no purpose – they were empty, worthless, with no lasting results. But now they had abandoned their ancient customs, even though they had been inherited from their ancestors after generations of tradition. Remember, Peter says, that you were ransomed from sin, the world and Satan.

Never forget the cost of your redemption, for you were ransomed “not with perishable things such as silver or gold” (1:18b). Silver and gold are probably the two precious metals that come to mind when we think of the least perishable commodities. But silver tarnishes and even gold will lose its value and luster. Furthermore, the most precious commodities on earth could not ransom us from our pagan, ritualistic, rebellious, self-willed ways which we “inherited” from our forefathers. Silver and gold don’t have the value or power to do that! No earthly possession could ransom us from our sinful pattern of life and radically convert us to a life of holiness and obedience to God. No! You were not ransomed with silver or gold “but with the precious blood of Christ…” (1:19a). That was the cost of your redemption - your ransom price! That was the price God paid to redeem you from the slavery of sin - not the price of a mere slave purchased in the marketplace, nor the value of silver or gold, but “the precious blood of Christ” (1:19a). It cost God the blood of his own precious Son to buy us back from the slave market of sin.

Someone has said, “The most precious commodity in the world could not have accomplished your redemption from sin - only God by His mighty sacrifice could do that… So, conduct yourselves in fear that you do nothing that would despise or make light of that awful price paid by your Redeemer.” That should cause us to live in fear, shouldn’t it? Fear of despising the great sacrifice that Christ paid for our sins; fear of undervaluing the cost of our redemption; fear of denying Christ by failing to be loyal to him in view of all that he has done for us; fear of watering down the value and scope and efficacy of the death of Christ; fear of actually abandoning the historic Christian doctrines you once held which are at the heart of the gospel. We see this happening all around us. New teachings and new practices are cropping up in so-called evangelical churches. Let us fear lest we fall into the trap of watering down the authority of God’s word. Let us fear lest we fall into the trap of removing Christ’s penal substitution from his atoning work on the cross. These false teachings go right to the heart of the gospel! We should fear the Lord that this could happen to us.

The work of Christ has set us free (Eph. 2:10; Tit. 2:14). The hereditary chain of sin has been broken. Our conversion is life changing. What the most valued commodity in the world could not do the blood of Christ has done. What the world considers to be precious is in fact in God’s sight merely “perishable” - it wears out and decays. But the blood of Christ is of more value than gold or silver. It is not “perishable” but it is truly “precious.” Why? Because of the value that God places on it.

Only the blood of Christ has true redemptive value in the sight of God. It is the only ransom that God could accept for our sins. Not only does the blood of Christ ransoms us from our sin, but it cleanses our consciences (Heb. 9:14), it gives us bold access to God in worship and prayer (Heb. 10:19), it continuously cleanses us from repeated sin (1 Jn. 1:7), it enables us to conquer the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:11), it rescues us from our sinful way of life (1 Pet. 1:19).

Christ’s blood is “like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1:19b). He took our place - he was our substitutionary sacrifice. That’s why his blood is so precious, because in shedding his blood Christ died the death that we deserved on account of our sins. He was the perfect, spotless lamb to which all the O. T. sacrifices pointed. The Passover lamb (Ex. 12:5) and the many other O.T. sacrifices required a spotless lamb (Num. 6:14; 28:3, 9). The Passover was that special Jewish ritual by which each family had to kill a perfect lamb and sprinkle its blood on the two door posts and lintel in order to be sheltered from the destroying angel of death. And from that time forward, they have carried out this ritual every year at the time of Passover as a constant reminder of their redemption from Egypt. That imperfect ritual points forward to the perfect “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29), the one who “bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24), the one “who offered himself without blemish to God” (Heb. 9:14), the one who was “like a lamb that is led to the slaughter” (Isa. 53:7), the one who “entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12), the one who in heaven will be the subject and object of the eternal praise of the redeemed: “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9).

Such is the value of the blood of this Lamb that we should live in fear! Fear that we would ever harbor sin from which he redeemed us by his blood. Fear that we would ever derive enjoyment from sin which caused his agony and death.

We have been ransomed with the precious blood of Christ who “was foreknown before the foundation of the world” (1:20a). “Foreknown” here has the sense of predestined, chosen by God. In a past eternity, before the world even existed, God foreordained Jesus to be our substitutionary sacrifice. In eternity past the Godhead agreed that the Son would come to earth to be the Saviour of the world.

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world “but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you” (1:20b). Notice the contrast here between the foreordination of Christ concerning our redemption and his manifestation “in the last time.” God decreed in a past eternity to send his Son to be our substitute on the cross, but his decree remained unfulfilled until Christ was “manifest in these last times.” Through Jesus’ birth he entered the world in time, having been foreordained in eternity to be our Savior. Why was the plan of God delayed so long? – “for you,” Peter says. This long-awaited appearance of the Messiah was “for the sake of you.” He came to redeem “you” - the elect (1:1), the chosen of God (2:9).

He came in “the last times,” that period when the history of the world is coming to an end, the period that began with Christ’s incarnation and will end at his second coming. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have an enormously privileged position. You just may be living at the time when Christ will appear the second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him (Heb. 9:28).

He was made manifest in the last times for you “who through him are believers in God” (1:21a). That’s who Christ came to redeem – those who believe in God. Through his manifestation on earth and his completed work of redemption at the cross we believe God. We don’t believe in him because of any merit of our own but solely because of what he has done as our Redeemer. Through the manifestation of Jesus Christ and our trust in Him we now are “believers in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory (1:21b). The only way to God is through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6). The God who planned our redemption is now the object of our trust. Our belief in God is not due to blind faith, nor does it belong exclusively to some sort of esoteric group of people but to those who through faith in Christ believe in God, on the empirical evidence that God “raised Jesus from the dead and gave him glory.” That’s why we believe in God.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation stone of Christian belief, for “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). The basis of our belief in Christ is that God raised him from the dead, even to his own right hand, giving him honour and “glory.” To give him “glory” means that God glorified him by exalting him to his own right hand, the place of supreme power and exaltation: “⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11).

The result of this wonderful truth – the manifestation of Christ in these last times and his subsequent resurrection and glorification - is “that your faith and hope are in God” (1:21c). “Your faith and hope are in God” because just as Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by God’s power so shall we. This is the gospel in which “faith and hope” are inseparably linked. In fact, that has been the basis of Peter’s thesis thus far in this epistle (cf. 1:3, 5, 7, 9, 13).

Final Remarks

What a wonderful way to draw this exhortation to a close. The God whom we fear is also the God whom we trust forever. After telling us to live holy lives (1:14-16) and to fear God’s discipline and displeasure if we disobey Him (1:17), especially considering that God redeemed us from sin at such great cost (1:18-19), Peter concludes by reminding us that the God whom we fear as Judge is also the God whom we trust as Savior. The sequence of thought goes like this: In the counsels of eternity past, God foreordained our redemption in these last times through the incarnation and manifestation of Christ (1:20), through whom we believe in God who raised Christ from the dead and glorified him, the consequence of which is that we place all our trust and hope in God (1:21).

What a privilege to live in this age when we can know God as Savior through Christ. What a motivation for holy living - to fear the Lord because He is our Judge and because he is our Redeemer.

Here then again, we se the centrality of the cross in Peter’s first epistle. The entirety of who we are as the redeemed people of God is dependent upon the work of Christ on the cross. Apart from his saving sacrifice on the cross, we would be forever lost. We would never know God, much less fear him. But in and through Christ, we have drawn near. “¹¹ Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— ¹² remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have bene brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:11-13).

Remember our thesis: Believers ought to fear God by pursuing a holy lifestyle that is consistent with our salvation. Who of you would knowingly lead sinful lives in the light of who God is? Who of you would cheapen the grace of God by indulging in sin from which you have been redeemed at such great cost? Do you remember God’s eternal decree to send His Son to be our Savior? Do you remember what Christ did in shedding his blood to purchase our freedom? Will you resolve, in response to such great salvation, to obey God and live holy lives for His glory and to do so in the fear of God because He is your Judge and your Redeemer? Remember, “You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:20). Amen!

In chapter 1 Peter has written clearly and decisively to his audience concerning their redemption and regeneration which now he follows up with practical instructions that flow from their new-found position in Christ. The truth of their position in Christ is one thing; the practice that is appropriate to that position is another. The fact is that everyone who professes faith in Christ must manifest the reality of that faith in radical changes to their thinking, attitudes, habits, associations, and behaviors (cf. Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4-5) as we mature in Christ - changes that are consistent with and a reflection of their new position in Christ, changes which set them apart from the world. In other words, Christian faith and practice renders us distinct from that of unbelievers. As Jesus said, the basic way in which we can recognize those who are true believers from those who are false is by their words, thoughts, and actions (Matt. 7:15-20).

Now, these changes do not come automatically or immediately upon profession of faith but they become more and more manifest as we grow in Christian maturity. As we mature in our faith and practice, those sinful thoughts, attitudes, and actions that characterized us as unbelievers must be eliminated and new occupations adopted. This is what it means to have “purified your souls by obedience to the truth” and this is what fosters “sincere brotherly love” (1:22). Peter now addresses these issues directly in our passage, 1 Peter 2:1-10.

The subject, then, of this study is “The distinctiveness of Christian behavior and community.” The overall principle that we learn from this passage is that “the people of God are new creatures in Christ, set apart exclusively for God.” First notice…

I. Christians are Distinct In Their Behavior (2:1-3).

1. They must put away old sinful habits (2:1). “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.” “So” or “therefore” connects back to 1:20-25 regarding their new life in Christ. They are “believers in God” whose “faith and hope are in God” (1:21). They have “purified” their souls, the evidence of which is their “sincere brotherly love” (1:22). They are “born again…through the living and abiding word of God” (1:23). Therefore, such regenerate people must rid themselves of those sinful attitudes and actions that would harm, or potentially destroy, the mutual love among their Christian community of brothers and sisters.

To “put away” sinful habits is concomitant with the imperative to “long for the pure spiritual milk” (2:2). The former is necessary for the latter. A healthy, loving relationship between believers requires this putting away, which is an on-going, daily act of cleansing not only to maintain our individual relationship with the Lord but also to maintain our congregational relationship of unity and harmony.

It’s interesting to see the actual vices that Peter addresses. You would think, for example, that he would start by condemning the idolatry and sexual immorality of the Gentile world in which his audience lived and in which they had one time participated. But he doesn’t. He addresses those vices that would very quickly destroy their Christian relationships in their new community of faith. We see the same approach in the apostle Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians, in which he addresses their partisanship in-fighting and their drive for position and power. Undoubtedly, the priority for Paul and Peter was to ensure that Satan did not gain an entrance into this new community of faith through practices or influences that would cause divisions or in any way weaken their faith or testimony.

“So put away all malice.” Malice is that attitude, desire, or intention to do evil or bear ill-will towards others. Malice is the product of a spiteful spirit, a grudge which when expressed would inflict pain, either emotional or psychological, on someone else. A malicious spirit is often the precursor to inflicting physical harm. Such an attitude would very quickly cause harm and division in the church, especially among young believers. Christians cannot enjoy sweet and unhindered fellowship with one another if, at the same time, they are harboring malicious thoughts and intentions. Of course, this is exactly what Satan wants – to cause a rift in our Christian fellowship such that, when unjudged and taken to its logical conclusion, it destroys the Christian testimony of the local church.

“So put away…all deceit and hypocrisy.” While deceit is certainly a common characteristic of unbelievers, you would not expect it among Christians, would you? Sadly, it is rampant among believers. In my experience, deceit and anger are two of the most common destructive practices found among Christians. Deceit is the means by which Satan brought sin into the world in the first place when he deceived Adam and Eve. And that aspect of our human fallenness continues to plague us even after we have been born again. Deception is the opposite of truth. Satan is thoroughly deceitful; God is thoroughly truthful. Deceit destroys trust, which is fundamental for a loving, united relationship.

Jesus said to the Jews, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (Jn. 8:44). You can see from these verses, that deceit is a character flaw (just like the devil’s) that we inherited from the fall. It stems from our fallen, sinful nature and the way to ensure that it does not become active is to “crucify the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:25). In contrast to Satan’s destructive influences, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn. 14:6) and “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Jn. 8:32). The way of true freedom is to imitate Jesus in character, attitude, and action.

Hypocrisy likewise is a form of deceit. It is the practice of claiming a certain ethical standard or belief for oneself but not living in accordance with that standard. It is a contradiction between what you claim to believe and what you do. It is a pretense, duplicity. This is the charge that is commonly rendered by unbelievers against Christians and Christianity. And while hypocrisy undoubtedly exists among Christians, I think that the charge is true of human beings in general, not just Christians, and is often used to justify a person’s rejection of the truth. Nonetheless, just because it is prevalent in society in general and just because it is often used as an excuse for unbelief, that by no means clears Christians of the charge or the command to put such hypocrisy away. Let us be true to who we are as new creatures in Christ, open and transparent and honest - not trying to be someone that we are not.

“So put away… envy.” Envy is discontent with what you have or are and the desire for what someone else has or what they are. Out of envy, other people’s possessions, position, and lifestyle appear more satisfying than our own and we are not content until we attain the same as they. Envy is the opposite of love. Love desires and acts in the best interest of others; envy desires and acts in the best interest of self. Again, envy is a common trait listed in vices associated with the sinful nature of unbelievers (Rom. 1:29; Gal. 5:21; Tit. 3:3) and should not characterize Christian believers.

“So put away… slander.” To slander someone is to say something about them that is false and damaging to their character and reputation. If envy is the product of a deceitful heart, then slander is the product of a deceitful tongue. Slander is the attempt to spread false assertions that discredit someone else in order to elevate self. How prone we are to want to elevate ourselves, sometimes at any cost! This is the exact opposite of Jesus, who emptied himself of his rights and privileges by taking the position of a servant, humbling himself, and dying on a cross (Phil. 2:5-8).

So, you can see that the sinful practices and thoughts that Peter outlines here are those that are endemic to the fallen, sinful human condition in regard to which Jesus said, “²¹ From within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mk. 7:21-23).

Christians must put away such old sinful vices, and instead…

2. They must take in new spiritual food (2:2-3). Now Peter’s focus changes from the evil that Christians must put out of our lives to the good that we must pursue. When we are born again, we must not only put off sinful practices and attitudes, but we must also take in spiritual nourishment that enables us to grow in faith and practice. “² Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation – ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

These believers were not newborns in the sense of being new Christians. Rather, this is an analogy, that just as “newborn infants” have an innate craving for their mother’s milk (and they let you know when it is time to eat!), just so Christians at all stages of spiritual growth should “long for the pure spiritual milk” in order to grow spiritually. Just as mothers provide pure milk for their babies, so God provides the pure milk of the word for his people. Notice that the verb “long for” is in the imperative mood - this is not something that happens to us impassively, but something we must actively pursue, for without suitable nourishment our growth will be stunted physically and spiritually. There should be in every believer a hunger for good, nourishing, pure spiritual food that is appropriate to our stage of maturity and which will enable us to grow in faith and love.

This food is described specifically as “pure” spiritual milk in contrast to the sinful, impure desires and practices of the flesh (2:1). The milk of God’s word contains no impurities, no malice, no deceit, no hypocrisy, no envy, and no slander. It is “spiritual” milk in that it is the word of God itself, the “living and abiding word of God” that “remains forever” (1:23, 25).

Those who have been purified and love one another earnestly out of a pure heart (1:22), desire the pure milk of the word of God (1:25), “that by it you may grow up into salvation - if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (2:2b-3). New birth is the beginning of “growing up” in the truth and responsibilities of salvation. This is a process of maturation that continues until we reach full spiritual adulthood (Eph. 4:13-14),

When Peter says “…if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good,” he is not questioning their salvation, but he is challenging his readers as to their experience of God’s goodness. To “taste that the Lord is good” is to experience his goodness in our lives. As the Psalmist exhorts us, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Ps. 34:8). Spiritual tasting of the Lord’s goodness is that continual experience of “growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). It means “growing up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph. 4:15). The apostle Paul reminds us that it is the goodness (kindness) of God that leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4). Having brought us to repentance through his unconditional love and goodness told out most fully at the cross, God wants us to experience it on a daily basis and to grow in it through an ever-deepening relationship with, and understanding of, him.

What an encouragement this must have been to Peter’s readers, who were suffering unjustly as strangers in a foreign land, to be reminded that the Lord is good and that they can experience (“taste”) his goodness despite their circumstances. Indeed, the more we experience the goodness of God in our daily circumstances, the more we long for the pure milk of his word.

Of course the imagery in using the word “taste” continues to reflect the analogy of spiritual growth from the birth of a baby to childhood, puberty, and adulthood. What starts out as dependence upon the infant’s mother soon progresses to independence and self-responsibility, all the while we reflect more and more of our parents’ likeness. That’s what it is to grow in spiritual maturity, becoming evermore like Christ, being conformed more and more to him (Rom. 8:28-29). This is the purpose and result of God working all things together for our good.

Furthermore, to “taste” something is to enjoy it, to experience it. Just as tasting food gives you the sensory enjoyment of that food, a foretaste of what eating that food will be like, so our taste of the Lord’s goodness at salvation gives us the foretaste of a lifetime of enjoyment of the Lord’s goodness and kindness.

First, then, Christians are distinct in their behavior (2:1-3) - they put away old sinful vices and they take in new spiritual food. Second…

II. Christians Are Distinct In Their Community (2:4-10).

As we have already seen in 2:1-3, salvation involves not simply a one-time experience but ongoing growth into Christ. Now Peter changes the analogy of salvation from the birth and growth of a child to the construction and establishment of a spiritual household of faith, a new community in Christ.

1. Christians are a distinct spiritual society (2:4-6). Just as infants are born into a family, which as it grows constitutes a household, so it is in the spiritual realm. “As you come to him” (2:4a) refers to our salvation, coming to “the Lord” (2:3) by faith. It is our response to Jesus’ invitation to “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). The One to whom we come by faith is “a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious” (2:4b). Here is where the analogy shifts from the dependence and nourishment of an infant in a family to our security in Christ’s household – a distinct social unit.

The concept of a “living stone” is a contradiction in terms but is undoubtedly used by Peter here to emphasize the radical nature of this household into which we are incorporated. By faith we come to a “living stone” (the One who rose from the dead), not a dead idol like those worshipped by the pagan world around us. A “stone” speaks of permanence, stability, endurance, unchangeableness. That’s the security we have in Christ. That’s the foundation on which this spiritual household of faith is built and into which we are incorporated through new birth in Christ. The One at whose crucifixion the stones were torn apart in testimony to his divinity is the One who is the resurrection and the life (Jn. 11:25), the One who draws water from a lifeless stone (Gen. 17:5), indeed the One who is the Rock himself (1 Cor. 10:4).

This stone was “rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious.” When Jesus came into the world he was carefully examined by the political and religious leaders who concluded that he was not genuine, an impostor who must be cast out. Thus the suffering of Jesus at the hands of cruel men was the precursor of the suffering of those who embrace him, who come to him in faith, like Peter’s readers. But Jesus’ rejection by man is placed in juxtaposition to Jesus’ acceptance by God. The One men rejected and crucified is the One whom God raised from the dead and glorified, the One who in God’s estimation is “chosen and precious.” Jesus is likened to a precious jewel, a specially chosen stone of inestimable, enduring value.

By virtue of coming to Christ by faith, we become stones in the household of God. As we will see in the next verses (2:6-8), those who are born again are like stones of a building that are laid on a foundation cornerstone who is Christ. “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house” (2:5a). Like Christ, “the living stone” (2:4), Christians are also described as “living stones.” We have been made alive in Christ. His life is infused into us through the Holy Spirit. The metaphor is that believers in Christ are the “living” stones which are being built into a “spiritual house.” Christians corporately comprise Christ’s body and are a reflection and representation of him in the world, made so by the indwelling Holy Spirit. In this way Peter portrays the process by which, upon conversion, one is incorporated into a spiritual community, “built up” as a spiritual household of faith. By faith in Christ, we who were previously “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1) are “made alive together with Christ” (Eph. 2:5), “living stones” in God’s building which is formed by the Holy Spirit who binds together all believers. “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” (Eph. 2:19). We are thus united as a family in God’s household, a distinct society.

Christianity is not a lone ranger lifestyle. You are not saved and then set loose to wander through life alone. No, at conversion we become part of God’s household of faith, along with all the other “living stones,” the purpose of which is “to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (2:5b). God is the builder and we are the stones that, collectively, comprise this spiritual building in which we serve as “a holy priesthood.” The character of this house is that of a new temple where worship is offered to God by us, holy priests, who offer praise to God - “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” These are not literal, physical sacrifices as in the old sacrificial system, but spiritual sacrifices in the form of the worship of God, the outflow of which is the proclamation of the gospel and the purpose of which is the conversion of unbelievers. Our praise to God is acceptable precisely because it is “through Jesus Christ.” His work on the cross makes us acceptable to God and, thus, our praise to God through Christ also is acceptable. That’s why the author of Hebrews writes, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name” (Heb. 13:15). But such praise is not limited to verbal expression; it also finds its declaration in the commitment and service of our entire lives. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Rom. 12:1).

Referring back to his description of Christ in 2:4 as “a living stone,” Peter now returns to that imagery with this explanation: “For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious’” (2:6a). Citing Isaiah 28:16, Peter now emphasizes that God is the One who has placed Jesus in this new spiritual household, this new spiritual temple, as a cornerstone - that position of superiority, strength, and structural stability, superior over all other stones, the keystone, the very foundational bedrock of this spiritual building, the cornerstone which supports and holds together the entire structure, without which this building could not possibly stand. Repeating the thought in 2:4, Peter emphasizes that this cornerstone is “chosen” by God and “precious” to God. The stone that the builders (human beings) rejected has been made by God the cornerstone (cf. Ps. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:10-11). Indeed, he is the very dearest object of God’s heart, the One who has been raised by God from the dead and exalted to the place of highest honor (Phil. 2:9-11).

Continuing the thought I quoted earlier from Ephesians 2:19, Paul also speaks to the same truth when he says that believers are united as a distinct spiritual society, a family in a common household which is “²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:20-21). Jesus is the chief cornerstone in this spiritual building, the church, in which he holds the place of supreme distinction, providing to this building its identity, support, and strength. In the church Jesus is the preeminent one, the one who created all things, rules all things, and holds all things together. Indeed, he is “the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent” (Col. 1:16-19).

Just as Jesus is “chosen and precious” (1:4), so too, Peter adds, “whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” (2:6b). Or, to put it positively, they will be honored, just as Jesus was honored by the Father at his baptism, resurrection, and ascension. Peter is inferring here that despite the current sufferings of his readers, they will ultimately be vindicated. God has honored Jesus in the place he has given him, so also those who “come to him” (2:4), “will not be put to shame” – they will not be dishonored or disappointed in the last day. “They will not experience the embarrassment of judgement but the glory of approval” (Thomas R. Schreiner, NAC, 1 Peter, 110).

So, Christians are a distinct spiritual society (2:4-6), and…

2. Christians have a distinct spiritual identity (2:7-10). This “cornerstone,” who is so precious to believers and who provides the security and stability of the household, is not received as such by unbelievers. In fact, this cornerstone divides the world. Peter says, “⁷ So the honor (i.e. not being put to shame, v. 6) is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ ⁸ and ‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do” (2:7-8). Where “those who believe” will be honored, “those who do not believe” will be shamed because they rejected and stumbled over the cornerstone, considering him instead a “rock of offense” (cf. Rom. 9:33).

Those who reject him are like those who trip over a stone in their path. They know the gospel, they know who Jesus is, but they think they can ignore him, worse yet reject him and his authority over them. Without so much as keeping their eyes open to watch where they are going, they “stumble” over him. To stumble over him is to “disobey the word, as they are destined to do.” They ignore the truth about who Jesus is and what he has done. They reject his rule over their life and refuse to submit to his claim on them. But such rejection is all within God’s providential control of their lives. Their rejection of Christ is their divine destiny. That’s what they chose and that’s what they will get. In contrast to believers whom “God has not destined… for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9), God has destined unbelievers to stumble over Jesus, to not recognize, appreciate, or acknowledge who he is. They are responsible for their decisions regarding Christ, but at the same time God orders all things – hence “they are destined” to this for God has appointed them to destruction (Rom. 9:22).

Now comes the very important application. What is your response to Jesus? Are you among those who believe in Jesus, honoring him for who he is and what he has done, those whom Jesus in turn honors? Are you among those for whom Jesus is the chief cornerstone of their life? Or, are you among those who reject him, who rebel against him like the citizens in Jesus’ parable who “hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us’” (Lk. 19:14)? Have you acknowledged him as “the chief cornerstone” of your life, or is he a stone over which you stumble?

Thus the cornerstone divides the world into those who believe in him and those who do not believe. Those who do not believe and reject Christ will discover, to their shock, eternal shame, and condemnation, that he has, in fact, “become the cornerstone,” the one whom God has exalted to his right hand of honor and power, from which he rules the world now and forever. They stumbled over him, but such is not the case for believers: “But you (on the other hand and by contrast) are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (2:9). The salvation of believers is similarly God-ordained, just as the condemnation of unbelievers is God-ordained.

The imagery used to describe God’s chosen and elect people, those who comprise this new spiritual household / temple, are taken from the O.T. with which Peter’s readers would undoubtedly have been familiar. Addressing all believers as a corporate unit, a spiritual house, Peter describes them collectively as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” This is the nature of the people of faith in this new spiritual community. To be a member of this new spiritual community is to be a member of “a chosen race,” an elect people, which is such a privileged and precious position and relationship. We are chosen by God just as Jesus was (2:4, 6). Could any position be more precious, more to be treasured? We, the church, are also “a royal priesthood” - “royal” in that we serve the King of kings, and a “priesthood” in that we serve our Great High Priest, interceding before him on behalf of the people of God. Thus, what was once true of Israel now also describes the church. In this way Peter is showing that the people of God belong to and serve the kingdom of God whose head is Christ, as distinct from unbelievers around us who belong to and serve the kingdom of this world. As royal priests we “offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (2:5). Like the O.T. priests, we are privileged “to draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil consciences and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:22). Like Israel, we are a “holy nation,” those who are set apart exclusively for God, “a people for his own possession.”

The purpose behind this special identity and position is “that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (2:9b). Think of that! This is our calling. This is our purpose in life. This is our privilege, to declare God’s glory in his person and his deeds (Ps. 145:4). We praise him for our salvation, for calling us “out of darkness into his marvelous light.” How can we not declare the excellencies of God’s mighty deeds in creation and redemption? We were lost in darkest night and could not find our way. Our minds were blinded by the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). Our understanding was darkened and we were alienated from the life of God (Eph. 4:18). But, in the gracious call of God, “the God who said ‘Let light shine out of darkness, has shone into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

Quoting Hosea 1:9-10, 2:23, Peter likens God’s people to Israel in that “Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (2:10). Again, as with Israel whom God rejected for their sin and to whom God subsequently granted his mercy, acknowledging them again as his people, so with the church – we who were in darkness and did not deserve God’s mercy have now received mercy by God’s grace and are now constituted as his people. Prior to our conversion, we were not identified as God’s people, indeed we were “separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:12-13). By faith in Christ we have now received and enjoy God’s grace and mercy and are identified as God’s people exclusively.

Final Remarks

So, Peter sets out for us in this passage the consequences that flow from being God’s chosen and redeemed people, his obedient children who are no longer “conformed to the passions of your former ignorance” (1:14). This transformation is manifest in two distinctives:

I. Christians are Distinct In Their Behavior (2:1-3).

1. They must put away old sinful vices (2:1).

2. They must take in new spiritual food (2:2-3).

II. Christians Are Distinct In Their Community (2:4-10).

1. They are a distinct spiritual society (2:4-6).

2. They have a distinct spiritual identity (2:7-10).

This distinctiveness is brought about by the cross of Christ. “The people of God are new creatures in Christ, set apart exclusively for God.” Paul says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).

The key here is to be “in Christ,” which in Peter’s language means to being “born again” (1:3, 23); “obtaining…the salvation of your souls” (1:9-10); “ransomed…with the precious blood of Christ” (1:18-19); to “come to him” (2:4); to “believe in him” (2:6-7). Thus, the centrality of the cross is paramount here, not only in producing distinct Christian behavior, but also in forming a distinct Christian community. Through faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross, Christians collectively are a “chose race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.” And it is our distinct delight, honor, privilege, and duty to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” in the midst of a world that is divided and stumbles over the very One in whom we have placed our trust for eternity.

As with all study of Scripture, in order to rightly understand the teaching of this passage we need to read it in its context. The theme that cycles throughout 1 Peter is that of suffering as a Christian (cf. 1 Peter 2:15, 18-25; 3:8-17), undoubtedly because his readers were suffering for their faith at the time of his writing. His point is that it may be, in the will of God, that Christians will suffer even when doing good, but we can take courage that blessings follow suffering for righteousness (3:9, 14).

One area of life in which we may experience suffering for righteousness is when we speak up for Christ (3:13-17). On this subject Peter makes the following points: (1) When we speak up for Christ, we must not fear our opponents (3:13-14); (2) When we speak up for Christ, we must honour Christ privately in our hearts (3:15a); (3) When we speak up for Christ, we must honor Christ publicly in our words (3:15b-16). In conclusion, though doing good (like honoring Christ publicly) may incur suffering, Peter’s exhortation in such case is that “it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (3:17). This exhortation leads naturally from the Christian experience of suffering for doing good to two examples for us to follow and be encouraged by, first…

I. Christ Suffered For Our Eternal Gain (3:18).

1. Christ suffered as the sin-bearer: “For Christ also suffered once for sins” (3:18a; cf. 2:21-25). “Also” connects back to the suffering that Peter’s readers were experiencing, for not only were they experiencing suffering but “Christ also suffered.” He was the only perfect man who ever lived and yet he suffered. He suffered blamelessly as our perfect example and encouragement. So, the implication is, if he, the perfect man, suffered, how much more should we expect and endure suffering. In one sense, Peter is saying to his readers, “Like you ‘Christ also suffered.’” But in another sense, Christ did not suffer like us, for his example of suffering for doing good goes far beyond anything that we could experience in our lives. Nonetheless, suffering for doing good identifies us as believers with Christ who also suffered for doing good.

Just as Peter’s readers were suffering, so they should remember the example of Christ who “also suffered once for sins.” That Christ suffered “once” emphasizes the fact that his suffering for sins took place at a specific point in history, that it was a definite event at which our redemption was accomplished, that such an event had never occurred before and that it will never happen again. Indeed, his work of redemption was only required once for all time because it satisfied all of God’s holy requirements on account of sin, as the author of Hebrews reminds us: “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God… For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Heb. 10:12, 14; cf. Heb. 7:27). Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice for sins was universal in its scope and sufficient in its efficacy for the sins of the whole world: “He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 Jn. 2:2; cf. Jn. 3:16). His suffering was once-for-all because it had eternal validity – his death never needed to be repeated. That’s why he “sat down at the right hand of God” - the work was finished; he could rest in the place of highest authority and honor at the right hand of God. The Scriptures emphasize the necessity, the efficacy, the completeness, and the finality of Christ’s suffering on the cross. This is particularly brought into focus when he declared on the cross, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30). The necessary sacrifice for sins had been offered, completed, and accepted by God.

Christ suffered once for sins and in so doing he had suffered at the hands of wicked men and at the hand of God. At the hands of wicked men he had suffered the most egregious mockery, torture, and unjust death by crucifixion. On the cross, men hurled insults at him: “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matt. 27:40). Beside him two criminals were justly crucified, one of whom railed on him saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39). Similarly, the religious leaders, “⁴¹ the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, ⁴² ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God; let God deliver him now if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way” (Matt. 27:41-44).

This and so much more, Christ suffered at the hands of wicked men and he suffered also at the hand of God. On the cross he was abandoned by God, which abandonment was amplified by the isolation of the darkness: “⁴⁴ It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵ while the sun's light failed” (Lk. 23:44). At that moment of complete darkness, Jesus reached the apex of his suffering when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matt. 27:46). Yet, in that moment of abandonment by God, though he was completely alone in the darkness, Jesus expressed his complete control over, and voluntary submission to, what was happening to him, “calling out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last” (Lk. 23:46).

So, Christ suffered as the sin-bearer. And…

2. Christ suffered as our substitute. “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous” (3:18b). The comparison with the suffering of Peter’s readers is most vivid. We suffer often for our own sins, but Christ had no sins for which to suffer. Christ suffered innocently and unjustly, not for his owns sins but for ours, “the righteous” one suffered for us, “the unrighteous.” How unjust is that! The unjustness of Christ’s suffering far exceeded anything Peter’s readers suffered, as he, the perfectly righteous one, suffered at the hands of and on behalf of those who were thoroughly unrighteous. He suffered as our substitute.

If Peter’s readers were concerned about unjust suffering for their faith (and they were), should not Christ’s suffering alleviate their concerns. Peter is not saying that their suffering was insignificant. He isn’t demeaning or minimizing their suffering, but he is pointing out that any suffering that we may endure for the name of Christ is nothing compared to his suffering on our behalf. We deserved death under the condemnation of God, for “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Death was God’s just judgement for sin. But Christ’s suffering and death was for us, the unrighteous people who had persecuted and hated him without a cause. He died the death we deserved under God’s holy judgement for sin. Whoever heard of a righteous person bearing the punishment of an unrighteous person? Well, Christ did, “⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6-8).

The theology that Peter describes as “the righteous for the unrighteous” is often referred to as Christ’s substitutionary atonement or his penal substitution. As to Christ’s substitutionary atonement, we mean that in his suffering and death on the cross, Christ took our place in dying the death we deserved for our sins. The idea in the term “substitutionary atonement” (or, “vicarious atonement”) is that our sins and their penalty were transferred to Christ on the cross, where he died in our place so that we would not have to die but, instead, could live eternally. Thus, Christ, the sinless one, took our sins on himself. This is what our text here in 1 Peter 3:18a says and means, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous.” In addition to our text, many other Scriptures affirm this truth, for example…

2 Corinthians 5:15, “He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake, he (God) made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.”

1 Peter 2:24, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”

Galatians 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.’”

Isaiah 53:6, “The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Hebrews 9:28, “Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

Christ’s substitutionary atonement also includes what is often called, in theological terms, Christ’s penal substitution. Penal substitution conveys the idea of punishment, that in Christ’s substitution for us on the cross he bore God’s punishment for our sins, in our place. He took the punishment we rightly deserved and which he did not deserve at all (1 Pet. 2:24). The perfectly “righteous” one suffered once for the sins of the “unrighteous.” By doing so, Christ satisfied God’s holy and just requirements against our sin. Thus, of course, by Christ’s death and by faith in him we are forgiven, set free from the punishment for our sins, and reconciled to God (Rom. 5:10). Such is the manifold grace and unbounding love of God for us, that he would send his one and only Son to die for us when we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8).

3. Christ suffered for our reconciliation: “…that he might bring us to God” (3:18c). Only through the death of Christ on the cross can we be reconciled to God. This was the great purpose in Christ substitutionary atonement that (1) we could be brought near to God (Eph. 2:13), (2) we could have new life in him (2 Cor. 5:17; Jn. 20:31; Eph. 4:24; Rom. 6:4), (3) we could be united with God (Jn. 14:20; Jn. 17:20-23), (4) we could know God (Jn. 17:3; Phil. 3:10; Rom. 12:2), (5) we could be reconciled to God through the death of his Son (Rom. 5:10), (6) we could live for God (Mk. 12:28-31; Rom. 14:8), and (7) we could have fellowship with God (1 Jn. 1:3).

Through his substitutionary death on the cross, Christ opened up the way for us to come to God through faith in him. Indeed, there is no other way to God. Jesus himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6). The gospel is exclusive in its scope. By this I mean that Christ is the only way to God through the salvation that he offers by faith in his substitutionary death. This is an unpopular teaching today. Society wants us to believe that there are many ways to God through all kinds of beliefs and religious systems, but Jesus teaches otherwise. He said, 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14). All roads do not lead to heaven. Jesus is the only way, as the following Scriptures (and many others) affirm:

Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Rom. 10:9, “For, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

1 Tim. 2:5, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

Through faith in Christ we now have access to God (Eph. 2:18-19; 3:12; Rom. 5:2; Heb. 10:19-22). Through faith in Christ we now have been been brought into a vital, living, intimate, and personal, and eternal relationship with God, such that we can now come into God’s presence with confidence, to his very throne of grace (Heb. 4:16). And all of this has been made possible because of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross for us, by which he, as our Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5), has brought us to God.

Doesn’t that just thrill your soul? To think of who we were in our fallen, sinful, depraved condition and to compare that with who we are now in Christ is just beyond our comprehension. That God would provide such a remedy for our sins is incredible. Why would he bother? Because he loved us. Why would God actually give his one and only beloved Son to be our Saviour (Jn. 3:16)? Because he loved us. And by faith in Christ we enter into all the riches that are ours in him – (1) we are chosen in Christ (Eph. 1:4); (2) we are predestined for adoption (Eph. 1:5); (3) we are redeemed (Eph. 1:7); (4) we have an eternal inheritance (Eph. 1:11; Rom. 8:17); and (5) we are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14). The great, eternal purpose, then, in Christ’s suffering for sins was our reconciliation to God, to “bring us to God.”

And the great means of bringing us to God was by “…being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit” (3:18d). He was “put to death in the flesh” but that was not the end. No! Our Savior rose triumphant over sin and death. “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14). Death could not hold him in the grave. He was “put to death in the flesh” and subsequently “made alive by the Spirit.”

It was of paramount importance for Peter’s readers, these suffering believers, to know that Christ’s suffering did not overcome him. Though his one-time suffering culminated in his death, he was also resurrected “by the Spirit.” From this perspective Peter shows here the relative insignificance of temporary suffering in this world compared to the eternal joy and blessing in the world to come (cf. 2 Cor. 4:16-18). Jesus suffered even to death for the sake of our eternal, spiritual gain.

The contrast between “flesh” and “Spirit” here does not infer a material-immaterial dualism. Rather it is intended to convey the contrast between Christ’s physical death (“in the flesh”) by men and his physical resurrection to life by the Holy Spirit – i.e. the Holy Spirit was the divine agent of Jesus’ resurrection. While many translations render this word “spirit” with a small “s”, it seems unlikely from the context that this is correct. Jesus suffered on the cross and was crucified by men but God raised him from the dead by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:10-11; 8:11-13). The danger with rendering this word with a small “s” (referring to Jesus’ spirit) is that it could lead to the false teaching that only Jesus’ spirit was raised and not his body, that his resurrection was a spiritual resurrection not physical. But Scripture is clear that his physical resurrection is the guarantee of our physical resurrection at his return (1 Cor. 15:13, 16). Furthermore, this statement is a wonderful vindication of Christ’s sacrificial, substitutionary death. He died for us and God showed that his sacrifice was fully accepted and complete by raising him from the dead by the Holy Spirit. The Trinity, as always, acted in complete agreement and unity.

From the example of Christ who suffered for our eternal gain (3:18), Peter turns next to the example of Noah…

II. Noah Suffered For His Faithful Testimony (3:19-20).

Continuing his theme of suffering for doing good (from 3:8-17), Peter has reminded his readers of Christ’s example of suffering for sins, which he sustained in view of the great purpose “to bring us to God,” and which he accomplished through the great means of “…being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”

In order to understand 3:19-20 correctly, we need to consider the entire section (3:18-20) together: “¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, ¹⁹ by whom he also went and preached to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who in the past were disobedient when God patiently waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is eight persons, were brought safely through the water.”

The “also” in 3:19 echoes the “also” in 3:18, indicating a continuation but also a distinction in Christ’s activities. So, the sequence is this: “¹⁸ Christ also suffered once… was put to death… made alive” and “he also went and preached to the spirits in prison” (3:19).

There is much debate about and much difficulty over the translation and interpretation of 3:19-20. While I readily concede the interpretive challenges in this passage, and while I respect the conclusions of other preachers and scholars, and since I cannot examine all the issues and arguments here, let me briefly give you the results of my own analysis and research in seeking to answer the following interpretive questions...

1. Who were “the spirits in prison” to whom Christ preached? Various answers to this question have been put forward, the two most common being that “the spirits in prison” could refer either to fallen angels (cf. 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) or to unbelievers who had died and were in the place of punishment (2 Peter 2:9). After much study and consideration of the various arguments, the context and the language seem to me to indicate that “the spirits in prison” refers to unbelieving human beings in the place of punishment. Let me briefly support that conclusion.

First, grammatically the phrase “the spirits in prison” (3:19) is the antecedent (or, preceding referent) to the subordinate clause “who in the past were disobedient when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared” (3:20a). Grammatically then, 3:20 explains that “the spirits in prison” were all the people who refused to believe and obey Noah’s testimony, who consequently perished in the flood, and who are now “in prison” (hades) pending the final judgement. Or, to put it even more simply, “the spirits in prison” (cf. 2 Pet. 2:9) and those “who in the past were disobedient when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah” are one and the same. They are not, therefore, fallen angels as some scholars assert.

Second, “when God’s patience waited” also supports the interpretation that “the spirits in prison” refers to disobedient humans (not fallen angels), since it was for the repentance of human beings that God patiently waited in Noah’s day. “When God’s patience waited” conveys the extent of God’s grace throughout that entire time period of violence and corruption (specifically, “while the ark was being prepared”) despite the unjust response to Noah from the rebellious and unbelieving people. The phrase does not refer to an opportunity for the fallen angels to repent, for there is never a hint that fallen angels have a chance to repent.

Third, those who assert that the “spirits in prison” refers to fallen angels usually quote 2 Peter 2:4-6, Jude 6-7, and Genesis 6:1-13 in support of their position. But, in 2 Peter 2:4-6, Peter is simply citing various examples of God’s judgement on rebellion as follows: (1) God’s judgement on “the angels when they sinned” - presumably those who followed Satan in his rebellion against God - and who were cast out of heaven at that time to await their final judgement (v. 4); (2) God’s judgement on “the ancient world” who refused Noah’s invitation to enter the ark and who subsequently perished in the flood (v. 5); and (3) God’s judgement of fire on Sodom and Gomorrah because of their immorality (v. 6). Similarly, Jude 6-7 repeats these examples of God’s judgement on the fallen angels and Sodom and Gomorrah. But these passages by no means indicate that those fallen angels are “the spirits in prison” in 1 Peter 3:19. Further, Genesis 6 records (1) the utter depravity of the women who cohabited with “the sons of God” (fallen angels) and (2) the wickedness of man that was great in the earth, in response to which God declared, “My Spirit shall not always strive with man…So the Lord said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land’” (Gen. 6:2-7). It’s important to note that God’s anger here was directed to the human race, not to fallen angels. Moreover, I don’t think that our passage in 1 Peter 3 is talking about the fallen angels anyway because nowhere are angels said to have disobeyed “while the ark was being prepared.”

Fourth, it was from humans that Noah suffered rejection, not from fallen angels. This is important since unjust suffering from other human beings is Peter’s theme.

Since that is who “the spirits in prison” refers to, then…

2. How and when did Christ preach to the spirits in prison? Again, the grammatical and literary unity of 3:18-20 is vital in answering this question. As to “how” Christ preached to the spirits in prison, we learn that it took place by the ministry of the Holy Spirit: “¹⁸ Christ… (was) made alive by the Spirit, ¹⁹ by whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison” (3:18-19).

As to “when” Christ preached to the spirits in prison, we learn that it took place “when God patiently waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared” (3:20a). This indicates that Christ preached to the spirits in prison through the agency of Noah by the same Holy Spirit who raised Christ from the dead.

While recognizing the difficulties inherent in this passage, my conclusion is that the “spirits in prison” refers to those same persons who were alive when Christ preached to them by his Holy Spirit through Noah, but who, at the time of Peter’s writing, were “in prison” awaiting judgement for their rejection of Noah’s testimony. This interpretation is consistent with Peter’s statement in 1 Peter 4:6, “For this is why the gospel was preached to those who are (now) dead (but who were alive at the time the gospel was preached to them), that though judged in the flesh according to men, they might live in the spirit according to God.”

The notion of Christ preaching through Noah is also consistent with Peter’s assertion in 1 Peter 1:9-11, where the “Spirit of Christ” is said to have been active in the O.T. prophets. Thus, Christ, by the Spirit, “went and preached” through the agency of Noah.

3. What did Christ preach to the spirits in prison through Noah? While the text does not specify the content of Noah’s preaching, nonetheless it clearly conveys the idea that during the entire period when Noah was building the ark, “God waited patiently” (3:20) for that sinful generation to respond to Noah’s testimony by repenting and entering the ark by faith (cf. 2 Pet. 3:9, 15; 1 Tim. 1:16; Rom. 2:4). Evidently, that was what Noah preached to them on behalf of Christ - a message of repentance and the offer of salvation. Sadly, despite Noah’s faithful testimony over many years, despite his obedience to God in constructing the ark, despite his faithful warning of a coming flood, and despite offering the people certain escape from judgement in the ark, that entire generation was “disobedient” to his message, rejecting his testimony and the opportunity of salvation in the ark. Consequently, everyone perished except for Noah’s family in the ark, “in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water” (3:20b).

In addition, we can infer what the content of Noah’s message was from three other passages…

a) 1 Peter 2:5 and 9, “⁵ … if (God) did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly… ⁹ then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.” Here we read that Noah was a “herald of righteousness.” A “herald” is someone who publicly proclaims important news. This is what Noah proclaimed publicly in addition to his silent testimony in building the ark. He was a righteous man who declared a message of righteousness – (1) that God “preserves” the righteous from his judgement and “rescues” them from trials; and (2) that God keeps “the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement.” Indeed, Noah himself “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8) and the only way to find favor with God is through righteousness on the basis of faith. Undoubtedly this is the message Noah preached – salvation by grace through faith (cf. Eph. 2:8-9).

b) Hebrews 11:7, “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” Here we read that by his preaching Noah “condemned the world.” Through the Holy Spirit he preached the gospel to those who were facing God’s imminent judgement. He must, therefore, have told them about their sins and alienation from God and warned them that unless they repented and got right with God they would perish under the judgement of God, which judgement would take the form of a flood. Hence, they must flee to the ark for safety.

c) Luke 17:26-27, where Jesus also affirmed that this was the content of Noah’s message: “26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” Here, Jesus issues both a warning for unbelievers and a comfort for believers. The warning is that, just as God did not spare the unbelievers in the ancient world from the flood, so he will not spare unbelievers in our world from the final judgement. The comfort is that, just as God preserved the believers in the ancient world (Noah and his family) from the flood, so he will preserve believers in our world from coming judgement, the final outcome of which (condemnation for one and salvation for the other) depends entirely on one’s response to the gospel. This should surely motivate us to be faithful preachers of the gospel today.

From all this evidence, it seems fair to conclude that Noah preached the gospel. Since Christ was preaching by the Holy Spirit through Noah while Noah was building the ark (2 Pet. 2:5), then Noah was effectively Christ’s mouthpiece proclaiming that judgement was coming and that salvation could be secured by repentance and faith, demonstrated by entering into the ark.

4. When did Christ preach to them? Given my understanding of this passage as outlined above, this question is redundant. Christ preached to “the spirits in prison” through Noah by the Holy Spirit during the time that Noah was building the ark - not while Christ was in the grave or after his resurrection as some scholars assert.

Thus, Peter argues, Noah is another example of suffering for doing good, specifically for his faithful testimony concerning impending judgement.

Final Remarks.

The interpretation of these verses hangs on the context of the entire paragraph. Peter skillfully presents two illustrations in which his audience would readily recognize the similarity to their own situation. Together with Jesus and Noah, they (1) were a minority surrounded by hostile unbelievers; (2) were the righteous in the midst of the wicked; (3) bore a bold witness to those around concerning the reality of impending judgement; and (4) were spiritually empowered for their witness as God waited patiently for people to respond in repentance.

All of this is recorded by way of encouragement to Peter’s readers. Christ was vindicated after having suffered (3:18) and so was Noah (3:20). Similarly, they too would receive the approbation of God for enduring unjust suffering from unbelievers. Moreover, just as Noah was saved through the flood waters, so “baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you” (3:21a). This verse presents some interpretive challenges but, as with 3:19-20, it can only be properly understood when read in context. Just as, in the ark, the “eight persons were saved through water” (3:20b), so the antitype of baptism “saves” us in the sense of our identification with Christ (1) in his death and burial symbolized in immersion in water; and (2) in his resurrection symbolized in rising up from the waters of baptism (cf. Rom. 6:4). Just as Noah and his family took refuge in the ark, so we take refuge in Christ’s death and resurrection, by which we are saved from future judgement. Peter is not teaching the erroneous doctrine of baptismal regeneration; it’s the death and resurrection of Christ alone, which baptism represents, that saves us. Peter is teaching that the significance of baptism is not in its external, physical cleansing – “the removal of dirt from the body” (3:21b) – but in its internal, spiritual cleansing - “an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (3:21c). A “good conscience” can only be enjoyed through the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God, all of which is signified in baptism.

As further encouragement to his readers, Peter concludes this section (3:18-22) on a note of praise and triumph concerning the vindication of Jesus Christ, who “has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him” (3:22). Just as Christ was vindicated for his unjust suffering by his resurrection and exaltation to a position of power and triumph, so we can take courage that, if we suffer for doing good, we also will be vindicated by our resurrection and glorification at the return of Christ. For Peter, glory always follows suffering. Even the prophets of old, who inquired into the coming salvation of which the Holy Spirit had testified, knew of the sufferings of Christ and “the subsequent glories” (1:11). And Peter himself was “a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed” (5:1). Similarly, his readers, too, will experience the “eternal glory in Christ” (to which they had been called) after they “have suffered a little while” (5:10). All of this provides the impetus for Peter’s readers to press on towards their ultimate glorification.

May this passage of Scripture also be an encouragement to us as we contemplate the centrality of the cross, specifically in connection with Christ’s suffering for sins. He suffered rejection on our behalf and for our benefit. When we try to speak up for Christ in the midst of a hostile world by “giving a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (3:15), when we feel the opposition and ridicule of unbelievers against the gospel, let us take courage that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to testify for Christ, even as God continues to extend his grace in waiting for people to respond in repentance.