A letter From The Apostle
0 comments | Posted by Steven Layson on 12 Oct 2008 in From Steve's Study ::
You’ve got to love Peter the Apostle! Of all the apostles, I feel most affinity with him. Throughout the gospels, you see that he has an absolute heart of gold, despite the many mistakes he makes and the number of times he puts his foot in his mouth!
Some 30 years later, Peter writes to a group of churches in Asia Minor to encourage them as they seek to live out their faith in a world that is becoming increasingly hostile to them.
There were so many obstacles in the way of them living the Christian life, from the general temptations in the world around them, to the scorn and derision of their friends and family, and even to the extent of state organised persecution.
Very little has changed of course. We still live in a world which tries to seduce us with all manner of temptations and false “gods”. We still experience the scorn and derision of our friends, work colleagues and family members, who can’t understand why we’ve suddenly become “all religious”. And there are still places throughout the world where Christians are the subjects of organized and often violent persecution. Indeed, there were more Christians martyred in the twentieth century that in all the centuries before added together!
In the midst of such a world, Peter’s letters are both encouraging and challenging. As we look at 1 Peter over the next two months, we will be reminded of the great hope and salvation we have received, and challenged to live lives of holiness, that are pleasing to God.
Why don’t you take 20 minutes now to sit down and read through the whole letter, jotting down things that encourage you, or questions you would like addressed as we go through it together?
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