1 Peter

I am seeing the writings of the New Testament more clearly as I understand the multi-faceted teaching of grace.  I hope that each of you are seeing it more clearly also.  It is easier for me to understand why the New Testament epistles were written and the content of what they are discussing.  Let us reason together and reach some conclusions.

The early Christians were going into all the world and preaching the Gospel, the Good News that Jesus had paid for the sins of the entire world.  They had to be declaring that Jesus paid for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present, and even future sins.  They were NOT just declaring that our past sins were forgiven, but that each new sin is a new offense to God that must be dealt with again each time that we sin.  If they were, no one would have accused the early Christians as teaching grace or liberty as a cloak or covering for vice, as described in 1 Peter 2:15-16.  If they were declaring that our past sins were forgiven but our present and future sins are still held against us by God, no one could twist that teaching into an excuse to sin.  But that is exactly what many of the epistles address.  So, why all the teaching about holiness in the epistles if all sins are already forgiven?   

God's plan is simple.  He created us in His likeness to be happy, healthy, at peace, tranquil, to be loved by Him and to love others.  This plan was disrupted with Adam's sin.  But Jesus paid the penalty for all of our sins and restored us to God.  We are now indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  We are now at peace with God again.  This is grace.  But we do not live in a perfect environment anymore as Adam and Eve did.  We live in a fallen world.  We live in a body that is not yet redeemed.  We may know that the sins of our entire lifetime are forgiven, past, present and even future sins.  But sin still causes us pain.  I may know that God is not counting my sins against me.  But if I persist in sinning, I will still experience pain and suffering and not experience the joy and peace that God has for me.  This is the reason for all of the teaching on holiness in the epistles.  Our holiness does not bring us any justification before God.  We are saved by His grace and mercy alone through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  But Peter tells us that we can be barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  2 Peter 1:8.  That is why Peter tells us to be diligent and add virtue or moral goodness and self-control and godliness and brotherly kindness to our faith.  2 Peter 1:5-7.  Does God dwell in us?  If we are born again, the answer is yes.  Peter says that God gave us all the precious promises in the New Testament so that we MAY BE partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  2 Peter 1:4.  When we are born again, the divine nature of God comes to dwell in us.  But we have a choice.  We can either partake of the divine nature through walking in love or we can experience the corruption that is in the world through the lust of our flesh.  How can anyone see God in us if we act immoral or mean or spend our time fulfilling the lust of the flesh?  If our families fall apart, or we end up in jail, or we cause pain to others or ourselves through fulfilling the lust of the flesh, will we be happy?  Is the divine nature of God, Who is love, being expressed through us when we fulfill the lust of the flesh?  No.  This is the reason for the teaching of holiness that is found in all of the epistles.  The same grace that tells us that our sins are forgiven therefore teaches us to walk in holiness.  God has made us to be at peace with him through the blood of Jesus Christ.  But we won't experience that peace if we are caught up in the ways of the world. 

This is not going back under the law.  It is not putting those who have come to understand grace back into bondage.  If parents gave their young daughter a new bicycle, but told her not to ride it in the street, is that putting their daughter in bondage?  Of course not.  It is giving her instruction so that she can enjoy her new bicycle without getting hurt.  That is what the teaching of holiness is.  God wants us to be at peace and have joy and harmony with Him and walk in love toward those around us.  To teach holiness in that manner is the same as teaching that all sins have been forgiven.  It is all the same grace of God for us.  Our sins are forgiven.  Our choices are also vitally important if we are to experience His peace and joy.

Many believers can quote that they are the righteousness of God, and this is right and true.  Many believers can say that the sins of our entire lifetime are paid for, and that God is not counting our sins against us.  2 Corin. 5:19.  This is also an amazing truth.  Paul pleads with us to accept this truth and be reconciled to God.  2 Corin. 5:20.  But many of these same believers are not experiencing joy and peace, and their lives are no different than non-Christians.  Paul makes another pleading to the Corinthians 2 verses later.  He pleads with them not to receive the grace of God in vain, or to no effect in their lives.  2 Corin. 6:1.  Is Paul a kill-joy?  Is he saying they will go to Hell if they don't walk in holiness?  No.  He is saying that these believers will not experience the true grace of God if they are caught up in sin and walking in unholiness.  Paul tells them to recognize that they are the temple of God.  He tells them to therefore walk in holiness and stop touching what is unclean or to stop sinning.  Is this just so they can grow up and be mature Christians?  Yes, but it is also so that they will enjoy the grace of God.  Our choices are vitally important even though our sins have been forgiven.  This is the true grace of God.  1 Peter 5:12.

I hope this helps each of us see more clearly the grace of God in the teachings of holiness that are included in each of the epistles.  We will continue with chapter 2 of 1 Peter in the following lesson.      

Keith Oliver