Spiritual Growth

by K.H. Riley, Wembley, England | Category: Simon Peter: Bondservant And Apostle | Sept 1995

When Peter was moved to write his first epistle he wrote to the 'elect' and reminded them that their election had been 'unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ' and his second letter was addressed to the same people. By referring to them as 'elect' he was calling their attention to their position as an elect race (2:9) and by referring them back to the blood of sprinkling in Exodus 24:3 he was reminding them of the obedience that the people of Israel had confessed at Sinai when they said, 'All the words which the Lord hath spoken will we do and be obedient'.

In Ephesians 1 Paul had written to those who had been chosen 'in Him before the foundation of the world'. That choosing had been to salvation which could not be made more sure than it was; being based upon the work of the Lord Jesus and which did not need the works of man, either to bring it about or to supplement it. In his second epistle (1:10) Peter urges them to make their calling and election sure. What therefore is that election? Surely it is their election to the service of God. That is the election that is to be made more sure. To effect this spiritual growth was necessary, and Peter touches upon this growth in several ways in his epistle, calling upon his own experiences to underline it. The apostle Paul had in his epistles shown how spiritual growth could be attained, but Peter develops the theme in his own inimitable way. He reminds his readers that the salvation they enjoyed had been written about by the prophets of old who had not experienced it for themselves, but had diligently searched the scriptures they were writing to see the hidden meaning behind the words of the Spirit. Moreover, even the angels in heaven, created and sinless beings, desired to look into these things.

'Wherefore', says Peter, 'gird up the loins of your mind'. There is much to be learned from that word 'Wherefore'. Just consider all that has been said before. Remember you are the heirs to the promises that the prophets had written about, but had not been fulfilled. Remember that even angelic beings would like to know more about the things that you are privileged to know. Taking all the foregoing into account, says Peter, gird up your loins. The girding up of the loins signifies that the workman was about to undertake his task. He did not gird up his loins if he was about to take his rest. Peter had known what it was to gird his loins when he was fishing although there was one occasion when he had been naked whilst about his work (John 21:7). He also remembered that on the last night together, the Lord had girded Himself. That time it was with a towel so that he could wash the disciples' feet. As recorded in John 21:18 the Lord had told Peter that when he was young he girded himself, but when he became old others would gird him and he would be taken where he would prefer not to go. Peter also remembered that Herod had taken him and Put him in prison with the execution fixed for the next day, but God had sent His angel who had said, 'Gird yourself (Acts 12:8). He had been taken into prison where he would have preferred not to go and now the angel was taking him out. It would have been quite within the powers of the angel to gird Peter, but no, he was to gird himself for his release. Now he says to his readers, 'Gird yourselves'. There is work to be done to attain spiritual growth. You will not get it by taking things easily, assuming that it will come of its own volition.

We are not to fashion ourselves according to our former lusts (1:14). Here Peter was echoing the words of Paul in Romans 12. Our outward appearance should be in accordance with our inward new-born nature and we should be holy in all manner of living. Knowing this, says Peter, ye were redeemed from your vain manner of life by the precious blood of a Lamb without blemish. He remembered the blood of the lamb without blemish that he and the Lord had partaken of on the last night before the Cross. That had been a lamb without blemish as far as men could see, but the next day he had seen a Lamb slain at the Cross that was without blemish not only as far as the eye of man was concerned, but was without blemish in the sight of the all-seeing God.

'Ye shall be holy' (1:16). This is but one of many references to the Old Testament He was quoting from Leviticus 11:44 where God was commanding physical holiness upon His people. Peter is calling to a spiritual holiness and a longing for the spiritual milk (2:2) which would have both a negative and a positive effect. Negatively we are to put off all guile, and positively we are to put on the new man (Eph. 4:24). Growing unto salvation is a positive and continuing thing. We are to abstain from fleshly lusts (2:11) that the Gentiles 'may by your goods works ... glorify God in the day of visitation'. This seems to refer to a day when God will visit the Gentiles either in mercy (Luke 19:44) or in judgement (Is. 10:3). Either way glory will be given to God. The good works of the believer may be refereed to in Luke 16, and Peter would have remembered the parable where the Lord commends to His disciples that they make to themselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness. Is this not a call to us to use our money (mammon) by such means that the Gentiles may be saved thereby? No salvation can be bought by money itself. The world does not contain sufficient wealth to save even one sinner. But our money can be used for the printing of leaflets that can be used to bring salvation. It can be used to finance the work of the Lord's evangelists and others to go out into all the world and preach the gospel. Surely God will be glorified by this means. Who knows how many will welcome us when we reach the heavenly tabernacles, grateful that we used our wealth, such as it was, to finance the preaching of the gospel by which they were saved? Not that this absolves us of our responsibility to preach.

Peter also commends his readers to follow His steps (2:21). Note that he does not say follow in His steps? That would be an impossible task for a sinful people to follow in the steps of a sinless Master. There had been a day when Peter had stepped out of the boat to walk to his Master on the water. Sadly be ceased (metaphorically) to follow His steps and sank. Let us follow His steps, says Peter, and learn to live thereby.

'Finally', says Peter in chapter 3, verse 8. That is another word which throws us back on all that has gone before. The epistle is not a collection of unconnected threads but is a seamless robe. We are not to return reviling upon those who revile us. The Lord reviled not back: (2:23). Take a look at the English word 'reviled' and spell it backwards and we get the word 'deliver'. True it is that He reviled not back but delivered instead all who through their lifetime were subject to bondage. Peter again refers to the Old Testament, this time to Psalm 34 (vv. 13,14). This Psalm bad been written by David when be was in the land of the Philistines and realized that he would not attain to God's promises by reviling the Lord's anointed. He had got himself into a precarious position by accepting the hospitality of a Philistine king and in order to extricate himself he had feigned madness. Are we extricating ourselves from the grip of the world or are we adopting its methods in order to promote our well-being?

Beginning his second letter Peter says 'we have obtained a like precious faith'. The word obtained here means 'having obtained by lot'. The faith that we have obtained has been allotted to us by divine grace - an act independent of human control. In the same way the children of Israel had obtained their inheritance (Joshua chapter 14). They lived on the land that had been given them by lot and so must we. Our faith has been allotted to us for the same reason - that we might live by faith thereby. 'The just shall live by (or out of) faith' because that faith rests in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ - true testimony to the deity of our Lord Jesus.

K.H. Riley, Wembley, England | Sept 1995
Simon Peter: Bondservant And Apostle