The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Peter 2:18-21, “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.
19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.
20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps…”

Have you ever listened to a speaker who overused a word? Perhaps it was a word that could have had more than one meaning. He hadn’t defined the word, so you strained to understand just what he meant by using it.

There was no misunderstanding of Peter’s use of the word precious. It is but one of Peter’s key words in this first of his two epistles. He uses it seven times, enabling the reader to know “…that the proof of (his) faith, (was) more precious than gold…” (1:7, et al). Hope is another of Peter’s favorite words. The LORD Jesus “has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1:3).

Peter never used the word “vicarious”; yet, he specified the death of Christ as vicarious, when he said, “…you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1:18-19).

The key word used by Peter was the word “suffering.” This word and others of equivalent nature appears 21 times in his First Epistle. Peter undoubtedly suffered from his denial of friendship with Christ, after His arrest. Yet, Peter never suffered the equivalent of Christ’s suffering on the Cross.
Just think of how you have suffered from just witnessing the suffering of a loved one.

It was Christ Jesus’ suffering on the Cross that made salvation available to us. Peter longs that we should suffer innocently to the LORD’s glory, for in that suffering we have fellowship with Him.
As suffering draws us closer to loved ones, it also draws us closer to Christ Jesus. Those who know Him are drawn even closer through suffering. They may even count their suffering to be a blessing. Do you know Him? He suffered and died for you. Trust Him now in the midst of your suffering.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom