Read 1 Peter 1:13-22
Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. 14Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. 15Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 16for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’
Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. 14Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. 15Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 16for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’
17 If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. 22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.
Read 1 Peter 3:1-8
Wives, in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands, so that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct, 2when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; 4rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. 5It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by accepting the authority of their husbands. 6Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters as long as you do what is good and never let fears alarm you.
Wives, in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands, so that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct, 2when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; 4rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. 5It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by accepting the authority of their husbands. 6Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters as long as you do what is good and never let fears alarm you.
7 Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together, paying honour to the woman as the weaker sex, since they too are also heirs of the gracious gift of life—so that nothing may hinder your prayers.
8 Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
Questions for Personal Reflection from Jerry Tankersley
If you were to write a prayer based on 1 Peter 1:16 what would you pray?
Think about what you have inherited from your family. Not just material things as important as they may be, but your spiritual inheritance. Make a list of the good, beautiful, and precious gifts you have received that have made you into the person you are.
Did you read the May 30, 2011, issue of Time Magazine? Click HERE to view the article. What do you make of Nancy Gibbs article about powerful people behaving like pigs? What is the piggish behavior she describes and critiques?
If you could add some names and faces to the Misconduct Matrix in Time whose would they be.
What has God done to deliver us from the futile ways inherited from our ancestors?
What questions come to your mind about Peter’s exhortations to wives and husbands in chapter 3?
How can men and women nurture their common dignity and show respect for one another?
Do you want to be holy? What would that mean?
Prayer
“You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16)
by Dr. M. Craig Barnes (blog posting April 22, 2011)
by Dr. M. Craig Barnes (blog posting April 22, 2011)
When you inspired Peter to write these words, you had to know that this is a pretty tough call for us to fulfill. I would love to say that I want to be holy, but I wonder – is there some besetting sin, some socially appropriate addiction, that I am not about ready to lay down? No, there is not one. There are many. Not only can I not obey the imperative to be holy, I cannot even succeed in honestly wanting it.
My only hope is that you never meant for this to be an imperative. What if it’s a promise? I shall be holy because Jesus Christ is holy, and by your Spirit, you are transforming me into his image. You are not limited by either my sin or my addicted will. Make me holy, O God, for my soul will never rest with anything less. I know in my best moments that my real desire is for you. Amen.
I don't mind being "the weaker sex." Let the men-folk open those mayonnaise jars and do the heavy lifting.
ReplyDeleteWhat do miss are the times when it was assumed that one would be scandalized by scandalous behavior. The envelope keeps getting pushed, and the line farther before being crossed.
In his book, "A Place for You", Paul Tournier discusses some of these issues. He talks about the "localization of evil"--identifying evil (or perhaps piggishness) in certain behaviors. This is to place the "bad" outside of oneself. Avoidance of these behaviors can then be thought of as avoidance of evil, leading to the false conclusion that one is OK.
ReplyDeleteThen Tournier does his slam-dunk. He talks about the universality of sin, reminding the reader that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" and that "there are none who are righteous, no not one." I may seem OK in my behavior, but I constantly need to check my motives and monitor my heart. Those are the loci of my personal piggishness. I have no business pointing my fingers at those who act these things out. I have enough on my plate being accountable for the fact that I am a sinner and will always be so. I am forever grateful for and wholly dependent on God's grace.
Edie Krampe
Edie,
ReplyDeleteYou are right on. Paul Tournier is one of my favorites. He is the Swiss Christian psychiatrist whose books nurtured alot of us along the way. I think that Jesus and the Apostle Peter knew that evil was a heart disease that infected the human personality and which we inherited from Adam. Mark 7 makes this clear. I think they also understood that evil has powerful social, political, culural, communal manisfestations. The world around us seeks to press us into its own mold for the sake of conforming our total persons to the ways of the world. We have inherited futile ways of thinking and behaving from our ancestors. Perhaps that is the sinful sludge accumulated that impacts every aspect of who we are from the individual's heart to the evils of the political and social events of human history. We are all involved. But we live by God's transforming grace that calls us to a deep gratitude for our salvation. It is difficult for us to discern our own inner motivations, thoughts, and behaviors. This is why we need the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and the fellowship of God's people to transform us from the inside out and to empower us to work for the healing of the outer world. Thank you for blogging with me. Jerry T.
Thanks, Jerry. I was not saying that my behavior is not important. It totally is! I have to constantly monitor my sense of superiority when I see others struggle in areas that are culturally deemed worse than others. And I am so grateful that God is always there to help me start over when I mess up, both behaviorally and verbally. A friend put it beautifully: I am slipping and sliding all over my life, but God is always there to help me if I am willing to let Him in.
ReplyDeleteEdie Krampe