1 Peter 1:17

1 Peter 1:17 — 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,
After a week of reflecting on and discussing about a specific sin that I don’t personally struggle with, I am encouraged and humbled by the words of Peter. God is an impartial judge who judges each individual according to one’s own deeds, and God does so perfectly. We on the other hand generally make horrible judges of the deeds of others. This reminds me of the words of Jesus: "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matt 7:3).

Peter echoes Jesus’ words by encouraging us to conduct ourselves with fear as we live out our lives as sojourners in this life. It can be incredibly easy within our culture to surround ourselves with people just like ourselves and create echo chambers of self-righteousness that result in our passionate condemnation of a brother for a sin that we have never been tempted of, while we defend our sister with equal passion when they err in a manner of sin with which we are comfortable.

We are all called to not be conformed to our former passions of this world and to be holy as the God who called us is holy (1 Pe 1:14-16). But the only way that we may have any success in doing so is in the unity of the body of Christ.
 
This does not mean that we cannot call sin what it is. Sin is sin. But we should always do so with fear and trembling regarding our own sin.

We should also be encouraged that we call upon this perfect judge not as a foreign rule-maker but as our Father. The fear we should have is not one of terror but of awe and reverence for our good Father into whose image we desire to grow. Let us not be children who are quick to tattle on our brothers and sisters in Christ with the hope of receiving praise from our Father and witnessing the punishment of our siblings, but let us be children who honestly reflect on our own weaknesses and shortcomings so that we may humbly encourage one another to repent of their own weaknesses and shortcomings, while welcoming their correction of our own.
 
We have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus. This price was not something we could have earned, so let us not be quick to judge but be quick to listen to and pray for one another that we may grow in sanctification together.

United with Christ,
Rev. Joshua Fried
Pastor