Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.
Summary: Everyone suffers. Peter understands this and encourages us to avoid suffering for doing wrong, even if we suffer for doing right.
Continue reading “1 Peter 4:15 — A List of Wrongs”
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
Summary: Regardless of whether we are thin-skinned or thick-skin, when we have the Spirit and glory of Jesus on us, the world will insult us. Respond with God’s love.
Continue reading “1 Peter 4:14 — Skin”
If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.
Summary: God holds us accountable for using His Word correctly.
Continue reading “1 Peter 4:11 (a) — Speaking God’s Word”
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
Summary: God asks us to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:39) Peter helps us understand what this means.
Continue reading “1 Peter 4:9 — Twofer”
Above all, love each other deeply…
Summary: Peter echoes the Great Commandment (Matthew 22: 37-40) when he tells us to love each other deeply.
Continue reading “1 Peter 4:8 (a) — Deep Love”
For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.
Summary: Peter gives us a short list of things pagans do. He does not rub our noses in it, but simply says we have done enough in the past. Now is the time to live for God.
Continue reading “1 Peter 4:3 — Enough”
… because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.
Summary: Peter tells us that it is possible to be ”done with sin.” The price is to stay focused on Christ and adopt Christ’s attitude toward suffering. Today we explore what this means.
Continue reading “1 Peter 4:1 (b) — Done with Sin”
He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
Summary: Peter focuses in on the key fact of Christianity: That Jesus was put to death, was allowed to remain dead, and then was made alive again.
Continue reading “1 Peter 3:18 (b) — Made Alive”
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
Summary: There are four types of righteousness and two of them will get you to heaven. The only problem is that the third type is impossible to achieve and the fourth requires that somebody else achieve it and offers you a free pass. Fortunately for us, Jesus does both.
Continue reading “1 Peter 3:18 (a) — The Flavors of Righteousness”
“Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”
Summary: Peter warns us against the power of fear and the danger of turning our imagination against ourselves. We need to keep our focus on Godly possibilities.
Continue reading “1 Peter 3:14 (b) — Godly Possibilities”