Using a comparison to the Old Testament priesthood, Peter calls believers a -Holy Priesthood- in 1 Peter 2. As the priests were intercessors between the people of Israel and God, so believers have been made intercessors between God and a lost world. In order to be able to properly fulfill that function, there is a certain character that is required in order to reflect the nature of God in our lives. By looking at the Old Testament priests and what God required of them, we get a glimpse of what God has called us to as well as New Testament believers.

James chapter 5 contains what has become a very controversial passage about prayer and anointing for the healing of sickness. In verse 14, he says for those who are sick with a debilitating illness to call for the elders of the church that they might pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. The next verse says this- -And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.- Many will argue that this passage is figurative and that the reference to sickness and anointing are both spiritual applications and should not be taken literally. But since nothing else in this passage is figurative, and since there is an additional reference to being forgiven if he has committed sins, it is clear that the sickness is literal and the anointing with oil is literal as well. To pray for miraculous healing in this way is the clear intent of the author since he illustrates it with the example of Elijah praying for the miraculous intervention of God through the weather which was granted. Not every sick believer will be immediately healed, but I wonder how many miraculous blessings we have missed because we refuse to follow God's instructions in simple faith, trusting Him for the outcome.

Psalm 46 is a statement of confidence about where believers find refuge. This psalm is believed to have been penned after the event of the Assyrian assault on Jerusalem recorded in 2 Kings 19, when God sent His angel to destroy 185,000 enemy combatants overnight. It is a plain but bold proclamation about in Whom our protection and deliverance lie as God's people, and it emphasizes the stability of our Protector even amidst the instability of the world around us. Therefore, we need not fear, regardless of how extreme our circumstances may seem to be.

In Peter's analogy comparing the Church to a building, he names Christ as the living cornerstone and believers as the living stones that make up the structure. His point is that all believers make up ONE spiritual temple called the church, regardless of location, background, or even denomination. As stones in that Temple, each believer contributes to the strength, function, and even aesthetic of the church, and therefore, any failure by one believer affects the church as a whole. Peter goes on to say that those in the church are one race, one priesthood, one nation, and one people, further emphasizing the unity established by God's Spirit between believers. Based on that emphasis, shouldn't the lives of believers be more focused on their roles as part of the church than on their individual lives--

Saul was the first king of Israel, but he did not exemplify what God wanted from the king of His chosen people. Saul's disobedience and insecurity arrived at a crossroads when he failed to totally eliminate the Amalekites according to God's command, bringing home both animals and the Amalekite king, Agag. Samuel's approach to pointing out and dealing with Saul's sin is a study and example in itself. But Saul's response just demonstrated his fear of men over his fear of God and his outright rebellion against God as he issued deflections and excuses in response to Samuel's admonition. Even though he seemed repentant as he finally confessed his guilt, Saul lost both his position and his communion with God from that point forward.

While being saved from sin and death is the result of redemption in Christ, it is not the end purpose. God saves sinners in order to reflect Himself to a lost world through the holiness He instills in believers. Increasing in holiness is commonly known as spiritual growth, and the key contributing factor to that growth is a believer's interaction with God's Word. 1 Peter 2 begins with an admonition to lay aside sins that reflect a self-righteous attitude, but that is the secondary action we should undertake. The primary factor in spiritual growth is our desire for the -pure milk of the Word.- Peter compares that desire to a baby's longing for its mother's milk, which it not only desires above everything else but is absolutely dependent upon for survival and growth. So it is with a believer and God's Word.

While the culture around us emphasizes standing up for yourself and expecting people to respect and acknowledge your value as a person, the Bible emphasizes just the opposite. In 1 Peter 3:8-12, we are given a list of principles that should define the Christian life, one which is marked by submission and humility in our responses to other people. Out of that humility which defined Christ's ministry on earth emanate courtesy, brotherly love, unity, and compassion between believers, and blessing instead of cursing toward those who are hostile to the faith.

In 1 Peter 3, the command is very clearly stated for wives to be submissive to their husbands. But many people miss the command for husbands to be submissive to their wives in verse 7. It is not that the wife has authority over the husband in the marriage, but that the husband is to love his wife, submitting himself to her needs. In doing that biblically, a godly husband will meet her needs physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.

1 Peter 3 begins with the admonition for wives to be submissive to their husbands. While many try to dismiss this instruction as archaic due to cultural differences between then and now, this principle is actually at the foundation of God's institution of marriage. Peter draws parallels between the submission of a wife to her husband with our submission to governmental authority and workplace authorities, indicating that submission is not conditioned upon the good or bad nature of the husband and that submission includes the aspect of obedience. This kind of submission, even more than spoken words of testimony, becomes the main avenue through which God will draw ungodly husbands to Himself as they witness the testimony of a godly wife in action.

Peter follows up the command for us to obey government authorities with this command: Servants, obey your masters. Considering the Greek words that he chose, it is clear that this command applies to modern-day employee/employer relationships. And it is very clear that it does not matter what the character of our corporate authority is, Peter says to submit to both good and bad masters. In citing the reason for these commands, Peter says that is "acceptable to God" if we suffer under corrupt authorities even when we are doing the right thing. In fact, he says that this is what we are called to as believers. Even as Christ suffered unjustly under corrupt authority figures, so we must also bear up patiently under unwarranted persecution against us. In so doing, the grace of God is manifest in our lives as His children.