1 Peter: Week 6 (Wednesday 9th June 2021)
(from www.insightforliving.org.uk)
Chapter 2:13-25
The Heart Of The Matter
Few dilemmas are more difficult to cope with than being done wrong after having done right. Our natural tendency is to resent such treatment, retaliate, and then hold a grudge. Strange as it may seem, God offers rare and wise counsel: instead of getting even . . . submit. In this section of Peter’s letter, believers are exhorted to follow in the footsteps of their Lord. What an unusual reaction! In a day when most sue or slug it out, submitting seems out of the question. Nevertheless, God’s ways are always best. His instructions may not come naturally or easily, but they are effective. Nothing is more disarming to our enemies. As Christ modeled so beautifully, submission to the Father leads to remarkable results.
Discovering the Way
1. Common and Natural Reactions to Unfair Treatment
When we’re treated unfairly, three common, knee-jerk reactions come naturally. First, we may adopt the aggressive pattern of blaming others. Second, we may embrace a pattern of feeling sorry for ourselves. And third, we may gravitate toward the holding pattern of postponing feelings.
2. An Alternative That Honors God (1 Peter 2:13 – 17)
How can we live honorably in the face of unfair treatment? Peter wrote that we are to submit.
3. An Example and the Example (1 Peter 2:18 – 24)
Suffering unjustly is part and parcel of our calling as Christians because we follow Jesus Christ, who also suffered unjustly.
Starting Your Journey
Submission is such an important response to unjust suffering because, as 1 Peter 2:25 makes clear, it forces us to turn our attention to Christ.