Peter: Guarded by God’s power
I started writing this months ago - December I think - but here it is.
I was reading in 1 Peter 1 a couple of days ago. It’s become quite a familiar passage and book for me. We spent some time on it in the cell group I lead a few months ago and I spoke in church a couple weeks ago from 1 Peter 2, so I’m starting to remember some of the phrases even though I haven’t intentionally memorized it - which would be worth doing. But I made some new connections this time.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV)
Peter is completely confident that believers will receive their inheritance which is being kept for them, and he’s completely confident that God is keeping those believers - that by his power he is guarding them through faith until he comes to collect his own people. I was thinking about the idea of being “guarded through faith” and I guess I started to think about how Peter came to know all of what he says here. Surely he’s not making it up, so how did he come to know this truth and to be able to talk with such certainty and joy about what God is doing and will do?
Suddenly I made a connection between what Peter went through and what he’s teaching. Luke 22:31-34 records a staggering, otherworldly conversation between Jesus and Peter. Imagine your best friend telling you that within a few hours you’re going to deny even knowing them. How would Peter have felt hearing that? But in the middle of a devastating prophecy Jesus said something that I’m sure played a significant role in crystalizing the particular truth that Peter has in view in chapter 1 vs 5 of his first letter.
“… I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32) Jesus prayed for him! Jesus knew what was coming and entrusted Peter to his Father. Jesus prayed that even in the face of and the aftermath of his denial, Peter’s faith would survive.
Peter experienced being guarded through faith through his own denial of Jesus. To his horror and pain, Peter did exactly what Jesus said. Surely his fulfillment of the first part of the prophecy gave a remorseful Peter the strengthen and grace to repent, and by so doing fulfill the second part of the prophecy. Jesus already knew that he would betray him this way. But he had already protected Peter’s faith through prayer and promised his restoration. He did turn again, and he strengthened the other disciples. What Peter is rejoicing in stands firmly on Jesus’ promises in passages like John 6: 37-40, but surely he must also be rejoicing in his own experience of God’s promise coming to pass.
1 Peter 1: 3-5 has implications for those of us who wonder if we’ll make it in this Christian life. It also has implications for those who haven’t responded to the gospel because they don’t think they could succeed at being a Christian. But there are also implications for those believers who have never once given failure a thought. Peter says what those of us who are prone to lofty thoughts of ourselves might easily say. “Never! I’d die for you!” Our security is not found in the strength of our faith or in our self-confidence. These are not mind-games. Repeating “I think I can! I think I can!” to yourself doesn’t change how fickle and sinful you are. Our security is found in the strength of the God who guards us through faith (the “through faith” part deserves further exploration but this post is already long enough). We can fail. We will fail. He cannot fail. He will not fail.
