God is always the keeper and guardian of the covenant community and its members. He answers prayers (120:1), even for those sullied by their own sin (120:2-4) and their world environment (120:5-7). The God of Protection should be our focus (121:1), as: He created all (121:2), cares about details of our journey (121:3,8), is always on duty (121:4), is knowable through Israel’s history (121:4), watches over His people in covenant (121:5), protects from world system & spiritual enemies (121:6-7), and does all this forever (121:8).

The intersection of faith in ones work life

A study of heaven from the Bible

Humility serves as the bridge to this final section of the letter. Humbly, we:

1. Enjoy God’s grace. 5

2. Trust God’s timing for exaltation. 6 (The meek do inherit the earth!)

3. Recognize His care and cast our worries on Him. 7

4. Resist the adversary by trusting God. 8-9a

5. Know ours isn’t the only story. 9b

6. Look forward to the work of God in our lives. 10

7. Glorify Him. 11

Peter then closes in the formal Greek style:

1. His secretary (see notes on Silas) is mentioned. 12

2. His purpose is simply stated. It’s all about standing in grace. 12

3. Greetings are sent and expected. 13

4. Peace is spoken. 14

Many of the concepts of the letter are repeated in succinct form, though the emphasis is here on the Spirit. Because of God’s Spirit:

1. Trials need not surprise us. 12

2. Trials give opportunity to rejoice – now and forever. 13

3. Trials because of Christianity bring great spiritual power. 14

4. Trials should not be confused with just correction. 15 (I.e., we don’t lie to ourselves.)

5. Trials are free from shame. 16

6. Trials are purifying and timely. 17a

7. Trials are nothing compared to what the unsaved will undergo. 17b-18.

8. Trials grant deeper chance to trust our sovereign God. 19

All this applies to each Christian, and Peter particularly relates these lessons to Elders (therefore). This is likely because of their exemplary role and the fact that the job is fraught with pain.

Peter’s core tenet is that Jesus’ sacrifice is our purposeful guide in reckoning ourselves as dead to sin. (1) Flowing from that, he:

1. Lists the lusts that make up our sinful norm. 2-3

2. Describes the practical daily experience of Christians’ relationships to old unsaved friends. 4

3. Reminds that Jesus is worthy, willing, and waiting to fulfill His great White Throne Judgment of non-believers. 5

4. Comforts with the truth that though believers are physically dead men walking (each will likely undergo fleshly death) they escape judgment and live forever in the Spirit.

5. Describes what a “dead to sin” life looks like. It’s not a series of regulations, but rather a call to exciting activities, including:

a. Biblically sound prayer. 7

b. Fervent love for each other. 8

c. Gracious hospitality. 9

d. Giving stewardship. 10

e. God-empowered service. 11

f. Praise where it belongs. 11

The divine, eternal perspective is appropriate even under discomfort and trial. Peter first lays out the exhortation (13-17) and then reveals the encouragement that Jesus is the author of such behavior (18-22). The natural human perspective is assumed in Peter’s argument, but he counters it with great detail regarding the eternal, divine perspective on “unfair” things:

1. God sees all. (verse 12)

2. The general principle of positive retribution remains. (13)

3. When the general principle is violated: (14-17)

a. Know you are blessed. (14a; Matt 5; James 1)

b. Keep your head. 14b

c. Acknowledge Jesus’ Lordship over this. 15a

d. Speak truth. (or give witness) 15b

e. Stay clean. 16

f. Err toward non-resistance. 17

Jesus is the ultimate example of suffering, as He accepted an undeserved penalty so that others might be blessed. Believers in Christ who desire a close relationship with the Father should follow Jesus in such surrender. Specifically, this involves:

1. Blessing those who curse us.

2. Trusting God’s ultimate purposes.

3. Living for good. [Outline: What Jesus did; What we’re to do; How to do it.]

Peter then gets very practical, pointing out that living for good, even when it involves hardship, includes submission and love in the home where the internal person is revealed and where two-as-one impacts one’s relationship with God.

This is the first section of the general behavior section of the epistle (2:11-3:12). The section describes appropriate responses to struggles in every significant area of life – citizenship, employment, and home life. The eleven verses considered here exhort Christians to live differently because we are different and we know eternity can be different. Our changed behavior is motivated by a love for God’s glory and positive intentions for the lost people around us. (11-12) Expanding on the theme of glorifying God, Peter says that we have been called to find favor with God. God looks favorably on our submissive bearing of government and employment unfairness. This submission again blesses the world around us by silencing fools and interesting non-Christians (“finds favor” in v. 19 likely refers to humans). (13-15; 18-21a) Yet, one wonders whether Peter is calling for Christians to be doormats, continually wallowing in low self-concept and standing silently in tacit approval of evil? Wonderfully, Peter gives a resounding no, outlining instead the biblical concept of voluntary surrender. The Christian is completely free, and that freedom is purposefully harnessed to a four-fold objective: honoring all, loving Christians, fearing only God, and honoring the government powers. (16-17) When government or employment demands that one of those objectives be purposefully violated, other scriptures teach that God’s person should, as befits a free individual, speak truth and accept the consequences.