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In order to do the will of God in the kingdom of God, we must live the Christian life under the government of God—1 Pet. 1:17; 2:24; 5:6-7, 10:
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In his writings Peter combines the Christian life and God's government, revealing that the Christian life and the government of God go together as a pair— 1:17; 2:21, 24; 3:15; 4:17; 5:5-8:
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The subject of 1 Peter is the Christian life under the government of God, showing us the government of God especially in His dealings with His chosen people—1:2.
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The subject of 2 Peter is the divine provision and the divine government, showing us that as God is governing us, He supplies us with whatever we need—1:1-4; 3:13.
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God governs by judging; this judgment of God is for the carrying out of His government—1 Pet. 1:17; 4:17.
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The judgment in 1 Peter 1:17, which is carried out by the Father, is the present, daily judgment of God's governmental dealings with His children.
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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—v. 17.
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As believers in Christ and children of God, we should live a Christian life under the government of God— John 3:15; 1:12-13; 1 Pet. 4:13-19; 5:6-7:
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The Epistles of Peter reveal the Christ who enables us to take God's governmental dealings administered through sufferings—1 Pet. 1:6-8; 2:3-4, 19, 21-25; 3:18, 22; 4:1, 15-16; 5:8-9.
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In the death of Christ we have died to sins so that in the resurrection of Christ we might live to righteousness under God's government—2:24:
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To live to righteousness is to fulfill God's governmental requirements— v. 24.
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In our Christian life we should live in a way that matches the righteous requirements of His government—Psa. 89:14; Matt. 5:6, 10.
Morning Nourishment
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.5:10 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.
In his two Epistles Peter is on the subject of God’s universal government…. As we know, Matthew is on the kingdom. Do not think that the government and the kingdom are identical…. A country or nation has a government. The government, however, is not the nation; rather, the government is the administrative center of the nation.
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. On the one hand, to some extent, God tolerated them in doing certain things that served His purpose, such as Hitler’s slaughtering of the Jews, which caused the Jews to be one. Nevertheless, God judged them. (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: “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.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.
[In 1 Peter 5:10] Peter seems to be telling the believers that there is no need for them to doubt, for God is perfecting them…. 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.
[In 1 Peter 1:17] Peter “is not speaking of the final judgment of the soul. In that sense ‘the Father does not judge anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son’ (John 5:22). The thing spoken of here is the daily judgment of God’s government in this world, exercised with regard to His children. Accordingly it says, ‘the time of your sojourning’ here” (Darby). This is God’s judgment on His own household (1 Pet. 4:17).
Today all of us are under God’s judgment. God is not only gracing us, giving us grace. He is also judging us. This is the reason we have many sufferings. We have sufferings because God is judging us. On the one hand, God is gracing us to live a life that suits His righteousness under His government. On the other hand, He judges anything that does not match His government. Therefore, in this age we the believers are under the daily judgment of God. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 10-11, 269-270)
Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Peter, msgs. 1-2, 5, 7, 11, 21