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The Bible reveals the government of God—His divine governmental administration of the entire universe—Isa. 9:6-7; Rev. 4:2; 5:6; Deut. 1:8-18:
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The government of God is the administrative center of the kingdom of God—Matt. 3:2; 6:10, 13b.
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In His divine government God is the King, the Lawmaker, and the Judge; He is the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch of His government—Isa. 33:22.
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God’s government is seen especially in His dealings with His chosen people—1 Pet. 1:2; Heb. 12:6:
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As believers in Christ, we have been born of God to be children of God, but we are still in the old creation—John 1:12-13; 3:3, 5-6; 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 John 3:1.
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For this reason we need God’s governmental dealings—1 Pet. 1:17; 4:12.
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God governs by judging; the judgment of God is for the carrying out of His government—1:17; 4:17; 5:6, 9:
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Through various kinds of judgments, the Lord God will clear up the entire universe and purify it so that He may have new heavens and a new earth for a new universe filled with His righteousness for His delight—2 Pet. 3:13.
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God judges everything that does not match His government; therefore, in this age we, the children of God, are under the daily judgment of God—1 Pet. 1:17.
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God uses fiery ordeals to deal with the believers in the judgment of His governmental administration, which begins from His own house—4:12, 17.
Morning Nourishment
Isa. 9:6 For a child is born to us, a Son is given to us; and the government is upon His shoulder…1 Pet. 1:17 And if you call as Father the One who without respect of persons judges according to each one’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear.
In his two Epistles Peter is on the subject of God’s universal government. These two books speak concerning the universal government of God. As we know, Matthew is on the kingdom. Do not think that the government and the kingdom are identical. No, the kingdom is one thing and the government is another. A country or nation has a government. The government, however, is not the nation; rather, the government is the administrative center of the nation. For example, the government in Washington, D.C., is the administrative center of the United States. Although Matthew presents the kingdom, the government is not found in that book. The government of God is in the writings of Peter.
God governs by judging. This is the way God carries out His government. As an elderly man who has some knowledge of world history both by study and observation, I can testify that I bow before God. He is the governing One, and He governs by judging. God has judged Hitler, Stalin, and other evildoers. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 8-9)
Today’s Reading
We should not think that God judges only evildoers such as Hitler and Stalin. God also judges His own people. According to 1 Peter 4:17, God’s governing judgment begins from His own household: “For it is time for the judgment to begin from the house of God; and if first from us, what will be the end of those who disobey the gospel of God?” This is God’s government.What is the purpose of God’s governing judgment? God judges in order to clear up His universe. The universe was created by God for a positive purpose, but Satan came in to defile it. Now God is cleansing the universe through judgment. He is doing a thorough work of cleaning the entire universe. Eventually, the universe will be new. Do you know the significance of the new heavens and the new earth mentioned in 2 Peter 3? The significance is that it indicates the newness of God’s universe.
God will not live or dwell in a place that is unclean. Thus, God is cleansing, purifying, the universe. First He purifies us, His household. We are now the center of His cleaning work. Do you not sometimes say to yourself, “Why is it that the more I love the Lord Jesus, the more difficulties I have? My relatives are flourishing; they are doing very well. But my situation seems to get worse and worse.” Some saints have problems with their health; others are disappointed with their children. The reason we have difficulties is that God’s judgment begins from His own household. You and I are under God’s judgment.
The reason the two Epistles of Peter were written, especially the first, was that the dispersed Jewish believers were suffering persecution. They were undergoing a fiery trial. Peter compares this persecution to the burning of a furnace. Because the believers were troubled and perhaps doubting, Peter wrote to instruct them and also to comfort them. In 1 Peter 5:10 he says, “But the God of all grace, He who has called you into His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself perfect, establish, strengthen, and ground you.” Here Peter seems to be telling the believers that there is no need for them to doubt, for God is perfecting them. Just as stones are cut in order to be fit together in a building, we also need to be “cut” in order to be perfected, established, strengthened, and grounded. Peter wrote to comfort the suffering, persecuted saints, showing them that all of them were under God’s government. The exercise of God’s government is first upon His own children. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 10-11)
Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Peter, msgs. 1, 21, 30-31