Have you ever wished you could start over? Becoming a new me, improved in every way, benefitting from the wisdom gained from experience without all the baggage we picked up during our passage through space and time… Well, there’s Good News: in Christ we have become ‘new creations’, and Peter is highlighting in this letter what new identity we have received after accepting the Gospel. He then informs us of how we should live as a result. There are some things we need to stop doing and others we need to start doing. The old way of living was full of sin as verse 1 suggests, so now that we are born again into a completely new life of privilege, we also need to embrace fully our responsibilities and duties.

Peter gives us a few helpful pictures to encourage us in our relationship with God.  First of all, that of new-born babies. They are naturally hungry and need feeding often and regularly, otherwise they won’t thrive. In like manner, as a new-born Christian we need to be hungry for God’s word, the Bible, and feed on it regularly, otherwise we won’t grow much in our relationship with Jesus. A big meal once a week is not enough – small helpings every day are required.

A second picture is that of a spiritual temple built of living stones. No longer does God live in a man-made temple, as he did in Old Testament times, but God is now living within His chosen people, those who choose Him to be Saviour and Lord of their lives.

A third reference Peter draws on are the words of identity that were spoken over Israel initially, but can now be applied to people everywhere, Jews and Gentiles alike, who have accepted Jesus as the promised Messiah. We are royalty, mediators between God and man (a royal priesthood), set apart to live to please God corporately (holy nation) as well as individually; we are valuable and special because we are His redeemed masterpiece (‘a people for his possession’). As a result, we also have a brand-new assignment: to live in a way that will speak of God, and bring honour and glory to His name in whatever situation we find ourselves. Jesus Himself encouraged His followers to let their light shine before unbelievers (Matt 5:14ff), “So go public with your faith, and influence neighbours and communities for God.” (Dr T. Evans)

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Question:

Are you reading the word of God regularly and does it change you and the way you live? Are you obeying its teaching?

Prayer:

Father God, thank you for giving us a new identity in Christ. Lord Jesus, please forgive us where we haven’t been shining as your light in this world. Fill us afresh with your Holy Spirit and help us to ‘go public with [our] faith’, influencing our neighbours, family, friends and whole communities for you, in Jesus’ name, Amen!