Day 334: 1 John 1:1-10

"...if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." - 1 John 1:7 ESV

The way John quoted Jesus in his first letter gives us an even better understanding of our passage today. Jesus said, "For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed." (John 3:20)

It has been documented that when HD TVs came into people's living rooms, those who did live news were a wreck. All the light and all the clarity were revealing what they really looked like. Their blemishes, their wrinkles. Every facet of their imperfections was put on display for all to see! Some considered (or went through with) plastic surgery.

John Stott wrote the following about this verse: "We must walk in the light of his holy self-revelation, and in his presence, without deceit or dishonesty in our mind or consciously tolerated sin in our conduct. ‘Walking in the light’ describes ‘absolute sincerity … to be, so to speak, all of a piece, to have nothing to conceal, and to make no attempt to conceal anything.’"

Bottom line: Light always exposes. When it does, we have a decision to make. Will we admit our darkness, confess it to Jesus, and let Him take care of our sin? Or will we continually try to justify our sin, hoping that eventually, everyone will move on?

God cannot move on. The pure nature of his glory is too much to exist in the presence of sin. Until we confess our sins, we cannot be purified. Admitting weakness is hard, but it is an essential practice for every Christian who seeks to operate in the light.

Day 333: 2 Peter 3:1-18

"Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living!" - 2 Peter 3:11 NLT

This chapter in 2 Peter is probably the last recorded words of the Apostle Peter that we have. In them, we see his heart for his original audience and us as well. He is longing to give us a greater perspective on what is happening right now and what will happen at the end of time. The following questions naturally arise as we think of Jesus' return.

How will it take place? >> Peter writes that "God will set the heavens on fire and the elements will melt (vs. 12)." Yes, even your 401K won't make it. All that we see and don't see will be renovated by fire.

Why is it taking so long? >> We see this twice in our reading today (vs. 9, 15). The time that has elapsed since the first century has allowed millions, maybe billions, to come to Jesus by faith; there are millions more who will also be given time to respond. His love is evidenced in his patience.

What does this mean for us? >> Peter gives two immediate reactions that we should have to these truths. It is helpful to see these as filters when you are trying to make a decision.

HOLY >> Hagios - set apart, sacred, dedicated; when God saved us, His intention was not for us to blend. Though we are meant to influence culture, culture is not to influence us. We should feel a little out of place here.

GODLY >> Eusebeia - reverence toward God, devout; in the Old Testament, this word is translated as "fear," which is a worship word. As Christians, we are to be committed religiously to Jesus. You can count on us to take the gospel to the next generation!

"Since the world will be destroyed and the faithfulness of everyone will be clearly shown, Christians must live “holy” and “godly” lives. Both of these terms are plural in Greek, signifying the many holy behaviors and godly acts to which believers are called."

- Black, A., & Black, M. C. (1998). 1 & 2 Peter (2 Pe 3:11)

Day 332: 2 Peter 2:1-22

“They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.” - ‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭2:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The theme of this chapter is WARNING! ⚠️

We are not lacking for historical examples of people trying to do things their own way by “instinct.” (see verse 12) Peter reminds us of a few:

- The flood (Genesis 6)

- Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19)

- Balaam (Numbers 22)

Each of these instances had at least one person that stood out and did things God’s way: Noah, Lot, and Moses.

What was it that used to offer you freedom, but instead slapped heavy chains on your wrists? 

Whatever that was, the Devil will not quit with his temptations for you to turn back to it.

How should we think about these attractive lifestyles that go against following Jesus?

Vomit and mud.

Both stink. Both are useless. Why would we ever want to be enslaved to them? Why would we want to release control to something or someone who seeks our harm?

It is always best to choose Jesus as our Lord. He is eternally motivated by His great love for us.

"No man can serve two masters; but all men must serve one. These men were not the last to set liberty against law. Yet their vaunted liberty turned into licence, and generated a new bondage. On the other hand glad bondage to the law of Christ, which was so disparaged by the false teachers, leads in fact to an emancipation more complete than the errorists could ever have imagined.”
- Michael Greene, 2 Peter and Jude: An Introduction and Commentary, page 140

Day 331: 2 Peter 1:1-21

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” - 2 Peter 1:5-7 ESV

First of all, this chapter is a headful. Scholars say that the Greek in 2 Peter is earthy and clumsy compared to 1 Peter, but that doesn't mean that the application is any less powerful when it comes to us in English.

Peter is adamant about us being intentional in putting our faith to work. Being a Christian is not a passive exercise. We now have the power of God (verse 3) within us, charging us into territory we never thought we'd reach. Maybe we deemed ourselves unworthy because of sin or unpreparedness. Still, Peter sees our lives as a chance for progression.

So, we "supplement" faith with a barrage of growth-steps. Interestingly, many of us look at growth as a means of being well-known. What is the purpose of growth if we can't make it to the top?

Apparently, faith's pinnacle is a stronger love for fellow Christians and those who have yet to say yes to Jesus, and it all starts by placing our meager trust (faith) in a Mighty God.

For those interested in going deeper, below you'll find the progression defined below:

Faith pistis - trust, persuasion, or confidence in Jesus for salvation

Virtue arete - excellence of character, it was used in verse 3 of today's reading to describe Jesus

Knowledge gnosis - seeking to know, inquiry, investigation

Self-control enkrateia - to exercise complete control over one’s desires and actions

Steadfastness hypomone - capacity to bear up under difficult circumstances

Godliness eusebeia - word for religion, 10 out of its 15 appearances in the New Testament happen during Paul's pastoral letters to Timothy and Titus (how to run a local church), it is appropriate religious beliefs and practices

Brotherly affection philadelphia - brotherly love, family love, affection for another believer in Jesus (only used 6X in the New Testament)

Love agape - word used to describe how God loves us, the highest standard of sacrificial love, always does what is spiritually best for someone else

Day 330: 1 Peter 4:7-19, 5:1-14

“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” - 1 Peter 4:7-8

When trying to teach little kids about the importance of morality, there are three main tenants many Christian parents use:

1. Pray

2. Love

3. Share

I find it super interesting that these are the three Peter encourages these suffering Christians in Asia Minor to continue to live out.

If we really believe that Jesus' return is imminent, we will…

(1) Put ourselves in the best position to pray. To do it right, we will need to be self-controlled and have ready minds. What are you doing to pray every day for others intentionally? Do you journal? Do you walk and pray? Do you text prayers to others?

(2) Love each other gracefully. Where there are people, there will be sinning. Where there is sin, we will need love to cover it. Who is it that you need to forgive this Thanksgiving season?

(3) Share our homes and our meals. Shelter and food are needs everyone has. Though these take a lot of time and sacrifice, this can be the most powerful witness a Christian can have. In 1 Thessalonians 2:8, Paul writes that they shared not only the gospel but their own lives. It is powerful.

You can see easily how these prepare us and others for Jesus' return. We should still pray like the first-century church did, that He will come quickly!

"Thinking that the end of history is at the door and the Judge is about to enter through it can energize one’s prayers and lead to a specially effective focus in those prayers."
- McKnight, S. (1996). 1 Peter (p. 237)

Day 329: 1 Peter 3:8-22, 4:1-6

“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.'”- 1 Peter 3:21 ESV

Only eight people survived the flood of Genesis 6. Eight. Some estimate that there could have been millions of people on the earth at that time. Yet Noah and his seven came through those floodwaters. Did Noah deserve credit for saving them and the animals on the ark? I mean, he did build a large boat for 120 years. If that were true, wouldn't Noah have offered a sacrifice to himself instead of to God when they exited the boat on the mountains of Ararat?

There was no doubt that it was God who had saved Noah and his family. He had given him the instructions to build the floating device, giving him specific direction on gathering the animals, and God even shut the door before the water fell.

What a powerful picture when thinking about being saved from our sins. It was Jesus' suffering that provided the way to be saved (see verse 18). Baptism is ultimately surrendering to His direction, declaring that Jesus is Lord (verse 15).

The word used here for appeal can also be translated as request, inquiry, or answer (KJV).

Baptism is yet another way for us to cry out to God, asking Him to save us.

We will not survive the flood without His protective and provisional grace.

"...it is because Christ is risen from the dead that baptism becomes an instrument through which God can make known his saving activity. If Christ were not raised, then baptism remains only a symbol not of life but of death. But since Christ is indeed raised from death, then the Christian is also enabled to rise from the water of baptism into a new life (compare Rom 6:1–11)."
Arichea, D. C., & Nida, E. A. (1980). A handbook on the first letter from Peter (p. 121)

Are you interested in learning more about baptism? This page may be helpful for you to read (take your Bible with you).

Day 328: 1 Peter 2:11-25, 3:1-7

"He personally carried away our sins in his own body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. You have been healed by his wounds." - 1 Peter 2:24 NLT

What was happening while Jesus was hanging, exposed, and humiliated on the cross for those six hours? Sure, there was an earthquake, darkness, and dead people came out of their graves; the 30-foot tall curtain was also torn in the temple. Yet all of these were outward signs of what was also happening in the spiritual realm.

This verse in 1 Peter gives us a view of what was actually happening as Jesus suffered and died on the cross. He took on ALL of our sins IN His body 1,990-ish years ago. Our Savior's sacrifice is still doing the same work it was doing at the very beginning of the church.

What motivated Jesus to do something like this for us?

So we could finally die to sin.

So we could finally live lives of freedom.

So we could be healed entirely.

Jesus' wounds were not wasted. They have been pouring out restoration ever since. Now, may we turn and offer what we've been given to the entire world!

"The last clause of Isaiah 53:5 is 'and by his wounds we are healed.' Peter again points to the vicarious nature of what Jesus accomplished when he suffered and died for us. He was wounded so that we could be healed. We should therefore live righteously, which includes enduring unjust suffering for doing right."
- Black, A., & Black, M. C. (1998). 1 & 2 Peter (1 Pe 2:24). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub.

Day 327: 1 Peter 1:13-2:10

"...you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he has called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." - 1 Peter 2:9 NLT

A simple question, "Who am I?" is probably the most important one we will ever answer. I remember someone asking me that question in college, and I recall thinking how overly simplistic it was. I am Andrew. I was born in Oklahoma. I enjoy saltwater-taffy. My dentist disapproves.

Yet those simple answers won't do me much good when I step into eternity, primarily because they will all become irrelevant. My background and preferences will suddenly cease to matter.

According to Peter, as a follower of Jesus, I should be focusing on these truths:

• I am a part of a chosen people

• I am a priest

• I am a part of the holy kingdom

• I am God's treasure

And these are all a foundation for me to share who I really am with as many people as possible. Backing up to vs. 18-19, I am first and foremost someone who has been ransomed by the blood of Jesus.

This should be the most important factoid about me. Why? Because it affects everything else, even into eternity.

“Just as believers are a new spiritual race and a new spiritual priesthood, so they are a new spiritual nation which is based now neither on ethnic identity nor geographical boundaries but rather on allegiance to their heavenly King, Jesus Christ, who is truly King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16)." - Grudem, W. A. (1988). 1 Peter: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 17, p. 117). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Day 326: 1 Peter 1:1-12

"So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while." - 1 Peter 1:6 NLT

There is so much jammed into this verse (and the entire 12 verses of today's reading). Again, this may be troubling to many of us who weren't notified that "many trials" are necessary for spiritual growth.

Peter is encouraging these suffering Christians to be "truly glad." How could they be glad when they were heavily persecuted within the Roman Empire? They could be glad because their trials would lead to testing, and testing would show that their faith was strong and pure. The fires of trials are revealers of our authenticity as believers in Jesus.

Scot McKnight writes that "Peter sees in suffering a situation from which the believers can learn and grow."

Us being 21st Century Americans, we would never (outside of a funeral service) use the words rejoice (agalliao - to experience a great state of gladness) and grieve (lypeo - state of sadness) in the same sentence. Yet the first century Christians were experiencing these realities side by side, keeping a view toward their heavenly destination.

We weren't created in Christ Jesus to just weather the storms of this life. Instead, we are to also see them as honoring opportunities to grow closer to (and identify with) our Savior.

Day 325: James 5:1-20

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” - James‬ ‭5:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

So many of us love the part of this chapter that shows the potential of a sick person we love to experience lasting healing. What an amazing thing it must have been to see consistent miracles happen among the early church members. As time has passed, the frequency of these signs and wonders has slowed. Even toward the end of the Apostle Paul’s life, we see him offering medicinal healing as a help (1 Timothy 5:23). Yet we should still pray, believing God can even now do the impossible!

The opening of verse sixteen isn’t as fun. We are commanded to confess our sins to one another. Nothing can be harder than to admit that we’ve blown it, especially to communicate that to another Christian that we could potentially let down.

Yet when we do confess our mistakes, we experience healing 100% of the time.

Don’t let your pride (or laziness) keep you from experiencing the fullness of God’s power.

”Mutual confession of sins, which James encourages as a habitual practice (this is suggested by the present tense of the imperative), is greatly beneficial to the spiritual vitality of a church.” - Douglas J. Moo, “James”, pg 229