1 Peter: Faith in the Furnace

At the beginning of our Teaching Statement of Faith (1:2), we say 'that God‘s intentions, revealed in the Bible, are the supreme and final authority in testing all claims about what is true and what is right.'

If our church consistently holds to this conviction, then we will always be sojourners and exiles in this world (1 Pet 2:11). In other words, we will never fit comfortably into the pattern of this world. No matter what country or culture we find ourselves in, a portion of what we believe will be seen as narrow, unloving and cruel.

Because of this, we need to learn how to deal with rejection graciously (1 Pet 2:21-23). We need to be equipped to answer gently and intelligently (1 Pet 3:15). We must labor hard to put our faith into practice and allow our good behavior to shame those who want to slander us (1 Pet 3:16). Finally, we must persevere (1 Pet 5:10) and not compromise on our convictions that flow from the eternal Word of God (1 Pet 1:23-25).

We’re asking God to use this small letter to powerfully make us more like Christ. We’d encourage you to start reading this epistle now and prepare your heart for the life-changing truth found in 1 Peter.