One factor hasn’t changed for Christians since the time of the Bible: we are in a clash between biblical values versus the values of the world. This culture clash can be violent or mild, but it’s always there. Living out of step with society often creates adversity for Christians. So Peter writes to remind us that we should be prepared when hardships come. Yet followers of Jesus can count on good news, even when we’re at war with the culture, because we know the promises God has in store for us.
Trials are inevitable. This is as true today as it was in Peter’s day.
The book of 1 Peter was written by the apostle Peter to a group of churches in several Roman provinces in what is now Turkey. He probably wrote the letter from Rome during the early part of Nero’s reign – when the persecution of the church was just starting to heat up. Peter himself was martyred soon afterwards.
Peter wants Christians to remember that we don’t belong to this world. We are “people living as foreigners” (1 Peter 1:1). He calls Christians “temporary residents” during our time here on this earth (1 Peter 1:17). Our true identity is as “God’s chosen people” (1 Peter 1:1), so our true home is with Jesus in heaven (Phil 3:20; Col 3:1-3). That puts us out of step with the culture around us.
As a result, the Christian life will always feature some difficulty. Peter wants us to know, “You must endure many trials….” (1 Peter 1:6). Life is full of adversity for everyone. But Peter is talking about trials that come because we don’t fit in with the surrounding culture. We might be shamed, ridiculed or marginalized. We might lose educational or work opportunities. We might lose friends and family. Many Christians around the world face outright persecution, even death, for following Jesus. We shouldn’t be surprised if that comes to our own country someday.
Trials test your faith. The bigger the trial, the bigger the test.
When adversity comes, as it surely will, it creates a test. Hard times show whether our faith is genuine (1 Peter 1:7). Peter compares trials to the process of testing precious metals. Gold has to be melted at high temperatures to expose any impurities, which can then be removed. Likewise, when the culture around us turns up the heat, it becomes an opportunity to show that our faith is legit. This sounds scary, but Peter doesn’t say “if” but “when your faith remains strong through many trials” (1 Peter 1:7). We should expect to pass the test, because when we trust in Christ (1 Peter 1:8), we have every resource to stand firm.
Trials take preparation. Christians need to get both the mind and the will ready for battle.
The fact that Christians are in a culture clash requires us to be prepared. This preparation has two parts. Peter says, “Prepare your minds for action” (1 Peter 1:13). Too many Christians are mentally unprepared. We don’t think about what we believe or why. We can be so focused on entertainment and amusement that we don’t exercise much mental effort to know and apply biblical truth. We accept the values and ideas of the culture uncritically, without evaluating where they might miss the mark of God’s word.
Peter also says, “Exercise self-control” (1 Peter 1:13). This involves preparing our will. Throughout 1 Peter, we will see that Christians face hardship differently than do the people around us. We trust God. We don’t retaliate. We continue doing what’s right. We can maintain our identity and values because we don’t just go with the flow of whatever the culture says. We make an intentional effort to live God’s way no matter what happens to us.
This leads directly to the next truth about trials:
Trials lure you backward. The pull of sin gets stronger as life gets harder.
When hard times come, there is always a pull back toward the “old ways of living” (1 Peter 1:14) that marked our lives before we followed Jesus. When we get ridiculed or shamed for our values and beliefs, it’s tempting to follow the crowd instead of standing up for Jesus. But that’s not who we are in Christ. We should live as “God’s obedient children” (1 Peter 1:14), which we are. Peter opened by declaring that God’s “Spirit has made you holy” (1 Peter 1:2). Now he comes back to that identity to urge us to live a holy life. An even greater reason to live a holy life is because of who God is. The God who called us is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16), so our lives should reflect his character rather than whatever the culture dictates.
Trials are temporary. Something far better lies ahead!
One of the most important themes of 1 Peter is the contrast between how short this life is versus the eternal realities God has promised his people. That gives us great hope, because it puts the trials of this life into a greater perspective.
In 1 Peter 1:6, when Peter warned that “you must endure many trials,” he added “for a little while.” Later, he encourages us to “put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world” (1 Peter 1:13). He spells this out in some detail in verses 1 Peter 1:3-5, where he describes “the priceless inheritance” kept in heaven for us, which allows us to “live in great expectation” even when the culture is against us.
Chapter 1 ends with another reminder that this world is temporary. Life in this world is like grass that grows beside the road. It’s green for a minute, but it quickly withers and dies (1 Peter 1:24). By contrast, we have a new life that lasts forever (1 Peter 1:23). So as “temporary residents” here (1 Peter 1:17), we shouldn’t start acting like this is our home. We shouldn’t get too attached to material things, to fleeting pleasures, or to the culture’s ideas and priorities.
There will always be a tension between our identity as God’s people versus the expectations of the surrounding culture, because this world is not our home. Our faith will be tested. We will be tempted. We have to be prepared to face the culture clash. But we can stand the test knowing that any trials we face are temporary compared to the glorious life that awaits us in Christ.
