Do Not Be Afraid; Christ Is the Holy One

Rev. Sean Kilgo, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lawrence, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Peter 3:13-17.

Because the eyes and ears of the Lord are open to us, no harm can truly come upon us in Christ. Even when we suffer for righteousness’ sake, the Lord brings His blessing to us. St. Peter quotes from Isaiah to call us away from the fear of the world and to a proper fear of the Lord, who is Christ. He is held in our hearts as the Holy One who makes us ready to speak His Word to those who ask how we can suffer in hope. We make this confession in the presence of God with meekness and the fear of god. We know that as we conduct ourselves as Christians, the conscience of the world is pricked by the Law, yet we retain a good conscience in Christ. In Him, we seek to align ourselves with the good that is God’s will, even when it means suffering for the sake of Christ.

“The Imperishable Inheritance” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the epistles of 1 and 2 Peter and Jude. The life of the Christian Church right now is life in exile. We endure attacks from various trials and from false teachers. Such suffering makes us long for the eternal home that will be ours at the resurrection of the dead. In Jesus, we have this promise of eternal life that can never be snatched away. These three epistles strengthen us to hold fast to Christ in the midst of suffering and to give witness to the hope that is ours in Him.