Category: Heart

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1 Peter 3:5-6(a) — The Brush

Picture: Photo of a man's face with a large brush stroke of color across it.

For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. 

Today’s passage is interesting. If I read through it quickly, I think, “That’s nice…” But, if I stop and think about what Peter is saying, I have to cringe a little. 

Peter begins by talking about “the holy women of the past.” That is a broad brush to paint a picture with! It includes all holy women in the Bible. Who would you put on that list? Who wouldn’t make the cut? 

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1 Peter 3:3-4 — Godly Values

Picture: Photo of the entry sign at Graceland.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

When I think of “outward adornment” my mind wanders back to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. The year I was born Elvis Presley was already twenty years old. He had just signed his first recording contract with RCA Records. As a kid, there was always an Elvis song on the radio. Maybe I was a bit jealous but I decided at an early age that I didn’t think much of him or his music. 

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1 Peter 3:1(b)-2 — Without Words

Picture: Photo of Marcel Marceau, mime.

… so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

Why would anyone want to submit to God? Mmmm…. because God is the creator of the universe and everything in it? Because when our body dies our spirit remains? Because God is the one who determines whether our spirit is with Him for eternity or tossed into the burning lake of fire? I guess that would be a good reason to submit to God. 

And what does God want from us? He wants our love above all else and that we should love others as ourselves. (Matthew 22: 35-40) Oh, and he wants us to “go and make disciples.” (Matthew 28: 16-20)

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1 Peter 3:1 — The Same Old Deception

Picture: A statue of a child listening to a sea shell.

Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands …

One of the things that is difficult to get our heads around in this life is that we are not alone. There is a saying that goes, “What you see is what you get,” but that is not true for the world we live in. There is so much more to life than what we can see. 

In our recent post, “The Back Side of the Page,” we took a look at what is behind the facade of what we call reality. Behind the stage props we call “life,” there is a larger and more real existence. It is where we find God, the angels, Satan, and his demons. It is also where we find our spiritual existence. What is hard to see are the connections between the physical and the spiritual, but they are very real. 

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1 Peter 2:24 (b) — Signpost

Picture: Rustic sign pointing to the "Next Step."

… so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness …

Today’s passage speaks to a theme that has been on my heart quite strongly for the past year or so. What does it mean to “die to sins and live for righteousness?” If we want to follow Peter’s guidance, what do we do? Moreover, if we want our church body to follow Peter’s teaching here, what do we do? 

If we are to die to our sin, we have to be aware that we are sinning. If we are to live for righteousness, we need to have some concept of what that means. Is it possible for us to do either without being in God’s Word every day? 

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1 Peter 2:22 (b) — An Awkward Dinner

Picture: A smiling face made with peas on a plate.

…and no deceit was found in his mouth.

Peter’s description of Jesus is grounded in personal knowledge as well as scripture. Peter knows Jesus well. Today’s passage shows us an aspect of Jesus that is easy to contrast with our world today. 

What do you think of when you hear the word, “deceit?” Do you, like me, immediately think, “lies?” If yes, we would both be partially right. But a “lie” does not cover the entire concept of the word. 

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1 Peter 2:20 — What the Child Saw

Yes… I changed the picture. 🙂 JE

But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 

English is a wonderful language. It is rich in history, flexible, adaptable, and functional. There is a reason why people around the world choose to learn English if they want to communicate internationally. Even so, when compared to the Hebrew and Greek languages, English sometimes feels … inadequate. 

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1 Peter 2:9 — Family

Picture of scrabble blocks that spell "family."

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

One of the most amazing aspects of Christianity are the Christians themselves. We are not born of an ancient lineage as are the Jews. We do not have tribal connections or a common heritage. We do not even have a common language. Yet God has made us into one family. More than that, we have become a royal priesthood and a holy nation. 

Wherever you find God’s people they declare God’s praises. They are different. You can tell. They no longer walk in darkness. Instead, they walk in the light. 

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