But sanctify the Lord God in your heart, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (16) having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.  (17) For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.  (18) For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit

The Apostle Peter wrote this letter to the Christians in the far flung Roman empire and his main concern is Christian conduct under persecution.  The foundation of the gospel Peter preached is Christ is Messiah and Lord and he is urging Christians to make Jesus the center of their lives.  Belief in the sovereignty of God enables Christians to respond properly to the troubles of life – and also the joys of life.

The “hope” and life style of early Christians was so markedly different from the culture of that ancient world that Peter is assuming here that they will be asked about it – either by official interrogation or by informal questioning.  Peter is assuming a great deal of slander and lies about Christian belief and living –  here he tells his readers that the truth of Christian living may shame unbelievers into silence.

Christians should be always ready – we should know what we believe and why we believe it  and we should be ready to explain these beliefs.  Defending one’s belief was (and is) a Jewish tradition.   Peter is encouraging his audience to continue in this tradition and to know and believe in Christ Jesus, the Messiah who was foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament – perfect man and perfect God – the righteous one who suffered for unrighteous man

.  We behave as we believe.  Martin Luther, a biblical scholar,  nailed his theses to the church door at Wittenberg and stood ready to defend his position – “Here I stand.  I can do no other – God help me. ”  Christians should be ready to live as holy people and defend their position – Here we stand.   We can do no other.  Amen

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, (5) you also, as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  (6) Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

“Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

(7) Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,

“The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,”

(8) and

A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.”

They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.  (9) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light

The Apostle Peter wrote this first letter to Christians in distant parts of the Roman Empire.  He wrote to encourage them in times of persecution and to remind them that  the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our faith and hope.

Peter uses a common biblical metaphor of Christ as the living cornerstone of salvation and of the Church.  The new truth is that through Jesus every Christian is part of a new priestly order.  In the Old Testament there was a priestly family and sacrifices would be offered through them to please God.  Now Peter is telling his audience that in the New Testament the word priest is applied to all people of God and all believers are priests – all have access to God through Jesus Christ.  It is the character and attitude of the giver that makes spiritual gifts acceptable.

Belief in Christ is essential:  not just a passive belief but a decisive and obedient action.  People are confused when they hold a strong and sincere belief in something that does not matter.  i.e. they can strongly believe that a chair is God and worship that chair –  such people are sincerely wrong.    However the gospel tells us the beginning and end of our faith is Christ and we are to look for everything in Him – the Word of God proclaims this and history confirms it.  Our fundamental relationship is with Christ and if we neglect or reject Him we “stumble” over Him and offend God.

BUT IF, WHEN YE DO WELL, AND SUFFER FOR IT, YE TAKE IT PATIENTLY, THIS IS ACCEPTABLE WITH GOD.  (21) FOR EVEN HEREUNTO WERE YE CALLED;  BECAUSE CHRIST ALSO SUFFERED FOR US, LEAVING US AN EXAMPLE, THAT YE SHOULD FOLLOW HIS STEPS:  (22) WHO DID NO SIN, NEITHER WAS GUILE FOUND IN HIS MOUTH:  (23) WHO, WHEN HE WAS REVILED, REVILED NOT AGAIN; WHEN HE SUFFERED, HE THREATENED NOT; BUT COMMITTED HIMSELF TO HIM THAT JUDGETH RIGHTEOUSLY:  (24) WHO HIS OWN SELF BARE OUR SINS IN HIS OWN BODY ON THE TREE, THAT WE, BEING DEAD TO SINS, SHOULD LIVE UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS: BY WHOSE STRIPES YE WERE HEALED.  (25) FOR YE WERE AS SHEEP GOING ASTRAY; BUT ARE NOW RETURNED UNTO THE SHEPHERD AND BISHOP OF YOUR SOULS. 

This first letter of Peter was written by the Apostle Peter to Christians in faraway places in the then known world.  More and more Christians were ostracized by society – they were outcasts, mocked, insulted,  bullied and in some cases jailed and even put to death for their beliefs.  Peter is writing to these Christians to encourage them to be steadfast in their faith.  Jesus set the example – there was no reason for Christ to suffer as He did no wrong –  and He put His trust in God, the perfect judge.  We are called to imitate Christ in everything.  We are called from dark to light as an effectual call to salvation.

Peter’s letter is based on a biblical world view of God’s sovereignty. Jesus Christ has appeared in history and is the long awaited, prophesied Messiah.  God’s plan is working toward completion.  Peter tells his audience that the first phase of messianic time has already happened in Jesus as He is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah (Old Testament)  who has died to carry away the sins of the world – but also to provide a pattern for Christian living.  The sovereign God will sustain those early Christians (and us) in adversity.  Faith, submission and trust in God as the righteous judge,  provide the basis for Christian living.

We are told again and again in the Bible to set our eyes and hearts on heaven.  This world is temporary and we need to seek the eternal.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that the figure of the crucified invalidates all thought which takes success (meaning success of this earthly world)  for its standard.  Remember Bob the wonder dog – he never took his eyes off the ball.

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; (18) knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  (20) He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you (21) who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

This letter was written by the Apostle Peter to the early Christians to encourage them in times of persecution because of their faith.  In ancient days the buying and selling of slaves was a major business – there was a redemption price.  People did not at first understand that the death of the perfect man, Jesus, was the price of redemption from the bondage of slavery to sin.  The Jews were looking for a Messiah of an earthly kingdom but  redemption from sin and eternal salvation by the acts of Jesus is an elementary Christian belief.

Peter is telling his audience that Christian life is lived out of knowledge of the redemption that Christ Jesus has accomplished.  Believers have a new relationship with God which is a motivation for conduct here on earth – a new life style.  Christians are not to become complacent but to remember, in fear, the Father is also the judge of both believers and non-believers.   Peter’s use of the word fear means that we should live our lives as holy or separated from things of this world  – in reverential awe stricken joy and a dread of offending God through sin.  Christians are foreigners and temporary residents of this world who need to practice vigilance against temptation and live lives of holy carefulness. True faith results in sanctified behavior –  All through the New Testament we hear that we act as we believe.

Unbelievers lack divine insight and are unable to lead a life with eternal purpose.   Peter’s use of “believers” in these verses has the meaning of certainty.  “Faith is not a blind leap but is a confident commitment to One Who abounds and the evidence bears ample testimony.”