Encouragement in Difficult Days (6)
By Phil Haines
It has been a few months since my last blog post in this series on 1 Peter 1, yet I am still very conscious that we continue to live in difficult days; in times of anxiety and uncertainty, with disappointment. We always need the encouragement which the Scriptures so wonderfully provide.
In the opening verses of his letter, the Apostle Peter has reminded the suffering church of the awesome work that God has done for them in salvation: the Father chose them from before the foundation of the world, the Holy Spirit is working in their hearts, sanctifying them for obedience to Jesus Christ, and the Son has sprinkled them with His precious blood, cleansing them from their sins. Because of this great work of salvation, these Christians now have a sure and certain hope, even the hope of eternal life and an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled and unfading. Peter is not finished, he goes on to write that this inheritance is, ‘kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’
This is a great message for us today, as it was for the Christians in Peter’s day; not only has God done everything to save his people, but he is with us daily, keeping us, guarding us, protecting us. God is exercising his power for his people to ensure that we will reach our final destination safely. In this way, we can understand the Apostle Paul’s great words of assurance at the end of Romans chapter 8: ‘38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ Peter, writing to these elect exiles, is rehearsing the same foundational truth; God is with us, and he is keeping us and will always keep us.
There are many Old Testament passages which contain this same confidence, but two Psalms will suffice for this post: Psalms 46 and 121. The Psalmist in Psalm 46 tells us that God is our refuge and our strength, he is a very present help in time of trouble. I think the Psalm ties in appropriately with events in 2 Chronicles 20, when three nations came up against Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. Jehoshaphat called the people to come up to the Temple to cry out to God and ask for deliverance. The faithful were in trouble and they went to God for help. They cried out to their Father in heaven who cares for them, who chose them, who loves them. This approach to God was a very practical outworking of their faith. They firmly believed that God would care for His people and that he would guard them in times of trouble. The Lord answered their prayers, as he spoke to them through the prophet, “17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
Psalm 121 is another Psalm of comfort for those who are afflicted, who are suffering in the trial. The Psalmist draws our attention to the God who protects the faithful, the one who cares for their eternal souls in the midst of the battle. In the fire of the trial, the Psalmist’s eyes are drawn to the hills to ask, “from where does my help come? His reply demonstrates his confidence in God, the one who knows him and cares for him. He says, “my help comes from the Lord who made the heavens and the earth.”
The Psalmist is encouraged in the knowledge that God is sovereign and in the matters of the faith, God keeps His servant safe on the rock. The Lord will not allow His feet to be moved, he holds the psalmist firm on the doctrines of the faith. The God who keeps Israel safe, is the same God who preserves the individual. The Lord is at his right hand, he is there for him to call upon. The psalmist looks to the Lord for strength in the midst of the trial, in his times of suffering and difficulty. The Lord is his keeper, the Lord is his shield, the Lord protects his people from evil and from the evil one. Our encouragement lies in this same truth, the Lord guards our souls and keeps them safe and he does it throughout all the days of our lives because we are his; chosen by him, redeemed by his Son, sanctified by the Spirit. Therefore, it is by his grace and his strength that we will stand in the day of trial and temptation and in all the providences that will come upon us.
Verse 5 in 1 Peter ought to be understood alongside these Psalms and in the context of the whole introduction to this Epistle. These few verses are full of so many great encouragements, so that when the Apostle addresses the church respecting suffering, obedience, holiness and the like, he does so from this firm foundation. The people whom God has saved, to whom he has given an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, an inheritance that is being kept in heaven for them, this people need have no fear because God is keeping them and guarding their souls until the day when that salvation will be revealed. This is the wonderful comfort and encouragement that has been presented to us.
Why do God’s people need this comfort and encouragement?
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Peter tells them that they need to rest in these awesome truths because soon they are going to be experiencing trials and suffering, they are going to be tested, they are going to be engaged in the battle and they need to remember that in this battle, God is guarding them and it is his almighty, omnipotent power that is caring for their eternal souls in the midst of this battle.
This is a truth we need to remember as we endure this pandemic, in all the trials we’re experiencing now, and even in those that are yet to come. These foundational doctrines need to be part of the furniture of our minds so that we can draw on them in the middle of the night, when we have been woken from sleep, and we are feeling embattled in the darkness. For, if we believe these things, then we know that we belong to our God and Heavenly Father, and as such, by his great power we are being kept, our souls are being cared for and guarded by Him so that we will not stumble or fall.
What an extraordinary message for the Christians to whom Peter wrote! What a wonderful message for us, today, in 2020! God’s word does not change, his power does not wane, his promises are immutable. Pandemic or no pandemic, God is guarding us and keeping us, not for this life only, but for eternity, preparing us for that inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, for New Jerusalem where there will be no pandemics, no illnesses, no grief, no loss, no loneliness, and no alienation. Rather, there will be perfect love, joy, peace, and fellowship with our Saviour and with one another. In this we rejoice.
