“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”
1 PETER 1:1-2, ESV
Over the past five weeks, we’ve unpacked some big truths from the tiny intro to 1 Peter. We’ve looked at:
- Finding Treasure in Unlikely Places, Part 1 of 5
- The Basis of God’s Special Favor, Part 2 of 5
- The Implications of God’s Special Favor, Part 3 of 5
- Reclaiming a Christian Identity, Part 4 of 5
And now, lastly, Peter reminds us in the bolded phrase above to cultivate eternal wishes for others. “Grace” is the Greco-Roman way of saying “Hi” and “Peace” is the Jewish way of doing the same. Peter roots friendliness in the gracious and peacemaking ways of God:
- Grace is God’s loving favor to sinners in Christ.
- Peace is the objective condition of being right with God through Christ, together with all that flows from that relationship.
Steve Brown tells the story about one time when he was a pastor and a young leader named Sarah came into his study. As Steve looked up from a book he was reading, Sarah said, “I went to a Bible study last night and I learned some really good stuff. I learned that you can’t hug a stiff kid.”
Steve rolled his eyes internally as, having teenagers at the time, he felt she was stating the obvious—hugging them sometimes felt like hugging a telephone pole!
Steve said to her, “That’s a good illustration. I’ll use it sometime.” Then he went back to his reading, hoping she would leave. But she just stood there. Finally, he asked, “What is it, Sarah?” She said, “I learned something else last night. I went to babysit after the Bible study for a two-year-old. He had played in the mud all day and was the dirtiest kid I have ever seen. I walked into his room and he lifted up his arms to be hugged. I found out that it’s easier to hug a dirty kid than it is to hug a stiff kid.”
So true, isn’t it?
Steve then gives this application:
“I’m not worried about your dirt. Jesus already took care of that on the cross. When Jesus said, ‘It is finished,’ it really was. He took your sin to the cross. And not only that, Paul talks a lot about what theologians call imputation. That means that he took your sin and gave you the goodness, the obedience, the perfection of Christ. Whenever you stand before God, you are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Your sin is covered, but the stiffness (e.g., “I’ll do it my way,” “I am my own master,” “I’ll control this situation, thank you”) will kill you.”[1]
So, God loves you as a dirty kid. Let go of your stiffness. Come to him as a stranger, a disenfranchised exile… but an elect one—an object of his special love and favor.
And remember, you’re a channel of God’s grace and peace to others. We pray a lot of things for our loved ones but what do they really need the most? Isn’t it God’s grace and peace in fullest measure?
I pray that, as a result of this series, you’ll be increasingly comfortable simply being one of God’s dirty kids; further, that you’ll be reminded of your amazing identity: In Christ, you’re an elect exile, surrounded by the unconditional, sovereign love of the Trinity, and called to be an instrument of his grace and peace.