1 Peter 5:6-14 — Cross and Crown

Introduction

“Good morning, Cross and Crown.”

Introduce myself, Coby Scott.

Married to Katy and covenant member of Church at the Cross, which is your sending church!

If I have not met you—and chances are that I haven’t—I would be honored to meet you after the gathering today.

James, thank you for giving me the opportunity to come serve you and this church today. It is an honor.

Also, to encourage you, Cross and Crown, you are blessed to have James as your pastor. He loves Jesus, loves his family, and loves you very much.

And as a a covenant member of Church at the Cross, know that we are consistently praying for you.

All in all, I am very happy to be here with you this morning.

A Starting Point

So, James has asked me to close your sermon series on 1 Peter today, and throughout my preparation—digging the gold-mine that this passage is—I find it remarkable that these truths are in the Bible.

Main Idea: In his care and by his grace, God will preserve his people forever.

As you know, Peter is writing to Christians in Asia Minor who are undergoing persecution for their faith, likely right before or during the “Neronian Persecution.”

To Christians who are suffering.

And we see Peter’s purpose in writing the letter:

(v. 12) “exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God.”

He is writing to exhort and declare about the grace of God to bolster their faith in the midst of their suffering.

It’s like a father of a downcast child who is being bullied at school lifting his child’s chin to lock eyes with his loving gaze of protection.

That child gets courage to keep going because they know their father loves them.

And in our passage today, we—as it were—listen in on Peter’s final marching orders for the Christians in Asia Minor.

Main Idea: In his care and by his grace, God will preserve his people forever.

Point #1: A Merciful God to Collapse Into (vv. 6-7)

Point #2: A Prowling Enemy to Combat (vv. 8-9)

Point #3: An Eternal Promise to Cling To (vv. 10-11)

Point #4: A Loving Family to Belong To (vv. 12-14)

First, we have A Merciful God to Collapse Into. Look with me at the second have of verse 5.

Point #1: A Merciful God to Collapse Into

(vv. 5b-7) “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Peter continues his final marching orders with an exhortation to humility.

Notice that Peter’s exhortation to be humble is an inference from verse 5, where he states a truth about how God relates to humanity.

(v. 5b-6) “‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore…”

On the one hand, God—who is sovereign, infinite, and eternal—is opposed to human pride.

The sinful tendency of exalting oneself above God or refusing to submit to God as God invites God’s opposition.

Self-exaltation, self-reliance, and self-dependence are the natural dispositions of an un-redeemed heart.

On the other hand, God is gracious to those who humble themselves before him.

Those who come to the end of themselves and collapse into the mercy of God—knowing they have nothing to offer him but their need—are those to whom God gives grace.

And remember that Peter is writing to Christians.

Therefore, the humility that he is exhorting them to is not one of justification, but of sanctification.

We who have fled for refuge to Jesus through faith by the grace of God have been humbled in salvation and are called to continue humbling ourselves for the rest of our days.

The Christian life is a life of lowliness, not loftiness. God has shown us the futility of depending on ourselves and the freedom of depending solely on him.

In other words, if the Christian life were a song, humility before God is not just the first note, but the melody.

Notice also that Peter exhorts his readers to humble themselves “under the mighty hand of God,” (v. 6).

Thomas Schreiner, in his commentary on 1 Peter, notes that

“the expression God’s ‘mighty hand’ is associated particularly with the Lord’s delivering Israel out of Egypt (e.g., Exod 3:19; 32:11; Deut 4:34; 5:15; 6:21; 7:8, 19; 9:26; 11:2; 26:8; Dan 9:15). Just as the Lord delivered his people from Egypt, so he will vindicate his people suffering in Asia Minor. The image of a mighty hand emphasizes the power of God. Believers humble themselves before a mighty God, the all-powerful one.” (p. 277).

In other words, Israel was safe under the “mighty hand of God.” In the midst of their suffering under the tyranny of Egypt, there was no better place for them to be than under the shelter of God’s “mighty hand.

God graciously leveraged his invisible power for the preservation of Israel, and Peter is inviting his readers to humble themselves under that same power.

To trust that he is able to vindicate them.

And this humility that Peter is exhorting his readers to has a purpose: “so that at the proper time he may exalt you,”

In 1:5, Peter writes that his readers are those “who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Peter is not calling his readers to an eternity of suffering. Instead, he is stating that the opposition of the world against Christ and his bride has a time-limit that God has set.

And he does not say, “so that you won’t suffer anymore,” but “so that at the proper time he may exalt you.”

In other words, when Christ returns to redeem his bride, it will not only be the ending of Christian suffering, but will result in the exaltation of those in Christ.

There is nothing neutral about the second coming of Jesus.

Peter is offering his readers—who are suffering for their faith—a vision of the future that is theirs as a reward for their humility before God.

He is saying to them that present humility leads to future exaltation. That a refusal to depend on themselves and a commitment to entrust themselves to the Lord in their suffering will result in unimaginable glory.

In humble faith, Peter’s readers are to look Godward.

They don’t know the timing of when God will exalt them (“at the proper time”), but their faith is not in the timing of their exaltation; it is in the source and fact of it.

Perhaps you’re enduring suffering right now. If you are in Christ, there is a day coming when God will exalt you. You can believe that!

Their present humility in entrusting themselves to the Lord would lead to their future exaltation.

But what—according to Peter—does it look like for Christians to humble themselves before God?

If you were a citizen of domineering ancient Rome and were instructed to “humble yourself” before your king/emperor, what would your expected response be? Bowing? Kneeling? Prostrating?

Each of these would be appropriate in that context. In fact, not doing so would likely result in some sort of sever rebuke.

But notice that Peter modifies the verbal phrase, “humble yourselves” with the participle, “casting…”

Peter is exhorting these suffering Christians to “humble themselves” before the king of the universe, and instructs them to do so by “casting” their anxieties upon him.

This word “casting” refers to throwing a cloak on an animal for riding.

In other words, God can bear the blow of his people’s anxieties landing on him.

And notice the word “all” in the text.

Peter does not say, “cast your smaller anxieties upon the Lord, but bear the big ones on your own.”

To the contrary, he instructs suffering Christians—who undoubtedly had numerous big-time anxieties—to throw all of their worries on the Lord.

And not “because you might find God having a good day,” but because “God cares (present progressive) for you.”

The grounds for casting our anxieties upon the Lord is his consistent and stable care for his people.

In other words, a manifestation of Christian humility before God is a casting of all our anxieties upon him in utter dependence and trust.

But if casting our anxieties upon the Lord is a manifestation of humility before God, what is our lack of doing so a manifestation of?

Charles Spurgeon, in his commentary on 1 Peter, writes,

1 Peter Exposition

The very essence of anxious care is the imagining that

He goes on to say that this tendency “has in it the very nature of sin” because it is an “attempt to know better than God,” which means that the very pride that God opposes can be manifested by our lack of entrusting the totality of our lives to him.

By not “casting our anxieties upon the Lord,” we are—whether directly or indirectly—saying to God, “I can handle this. I don’t need you. You can’t care for me in any way that I can’t care for myself.”

What Peter is saying is that God wants to bear your burdens. Contrary to our cultural moment, we don’t get peace by looking within ourselves, but by looking to our Lord with humble faith, believing that he cares for us!

Maybe you’re thinking, “but you don’t know the severity of the worries of my heart.”

Brother, sister, God does! He knows it more keenly than even you do! And he is inviting you to throw it upon him.

Our God specializes in caring for those who have nothing to offer him but are humble enough to collapse into his mercy.

And how might we do this?

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Christian life is one of searching the heart of God—making new discovery after new discovery—and we will never find a corner of his heart that is indifferent to us or lacks the fullest amount of care.

Therefore, if you are God’s child, humble yourself under his powerful hand by casting your anxieties upon him. He cares for you deeper than you can imagine.

We have A Merciful God to Collapse Into.

But Peter doesn’t stop there.

The second thing we see in the text is that we have A Prowling Enemy to Combat.

A Prowling Enemy to Combat.

Point #2: A Prowling Enemy to Combat

(vv. 8-9) “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”

A few weeks ago, our church hosted what is called “One Weekend,” which is basically a D-NOW. And at One Weekend—with about 160 students—we played a game called “OutPost.”

OutPost is basically a spin on “Capture the Flag.”

Two teams of about 80-90 people trying to capture the other team’s flag—which is surrounded by about 30 people 200 yards away.

Just in case you’re wondering, being chased by a group of 10 middle schoolers is very stressful.

Nonetheless, before the game begins, each team strategies’ not only for how to capture the other teams’ football, but how to keep the other team from getting yours.

It is essential to have defenders guarding your base watching for the enemy prowling behind cars in the parking lot, trying to pounce on your football.

Peter is—as it were—exhorting his readers to defend their team’s base by being “sober-minded” and “watchful” (v. 9).

It goes without saying that a drunken person makes for a lousy watchman.

They can’t focus, keep their balance, or even stay awake.

Peter is imploring his readers to stay awake.

Why?

Because, he says, “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Peter is imploring his readers to be watchful because they have a very real enemy who is seeking their destruction, which is a pronounced reality in the midst of suffering.

Jesus, in John 10:10, says that “the thief (that is, Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”

Christian, while God intends for you to be exalted, Satan intends for you to be devoured.

He is like the eye of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings, looking every which way for an opportunity to destroy.

And if Peter is exhorting his readers to be watchful, the temptation then is to be ignorant or avoidant of Satan’s prowling.

Spurgeon goes on to write,

1 Peter Exposition

There is no believer in Christ, no follower of that which is true and lovely and of good repute, who will not find himself, at some season or other, attacked by this foul fiend (

We cannot live as if Satan does not exist. We cannot be passive of his activity. There is never a moment of the Christian life that Satan is not seeking to devour us.

If we desire to follow Jesus faithfully—no matter our circumstances—we must be watchful of the enemy. We simply do not have the option to consume ourselves with worldly things and forego being good watchmen.

And a fundamental part of watching is looking.

So, what are areas in your life that Satan’s temptations seem to be acutely enticing to you?

For example, if there is a sin that you struggle with consistently, consider if there is a frequent context (a group of people, a location, a time of day, etc.) in which you are most prone to give into that sin.

If there is, Satan is luring you into that context because he knows you are weak and vulnerable there.

Therefore, Peter implores his readers—and us—to be watchful of Satan’s prowling.

We would do well to heed his exhortation.

And let’s not forget that Peter’s readers were enduring immense suffering for their faith (church fathers Origen and Jerome wrote that Peter himself was crucified upside down for following Jesus).

The point Peter is making is that Satan has a special place in his evil heart for Christians who are suffering and, therefore, they must be good watchmen, looking out for his lurking.

Now Frodo and Sam needed to be watchful of Sauron, but they also needed to resist the powerful draw of the ring.

Similarly, Peter exhorts his readers to “resist” the devil in verse 9.

And it seems safe to assume that they were particularly tempted by Satan to deny their faith.

In the midst of their suffering, Satan was likely introducing doubt to their hearts.

His tempting thought might have gone something like: “Would God—who says he is good—really allow you to experience this level of pain?”

And Peter is imploring his readers to “resist” those temptations.

But how are we to resist Satan?

How are we to resist the temptations that Satan throws our way, whatever that temptation may be?

Notice that Peter adds, “firm in your faith” (v. 9).

John Calvin, in his commentary on 1 Peter, writes,

Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles Chapter 5

Resist

We need not downplay the sufficiency of firm faith in the midst of suffering.

But what is faith?

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

And earlier in this letter, Peter writes,

1 Peter 1:13 ESV

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Put simply, our resisting of the devil takes the form of gospel-assurance and gospel-conviction.

The issue is not our strength, but our faith.

You don’t need to just try harder. Instead, by faith, the truth of the gospel needs to go deeper into your mind and soul.

The way forward in resisting the devil is not a tighter grip, but a deeper belief in Christ’s work on your behalf, his presence in your life, and his second coming to exalt you.

And the deeper that truth gets into our hearts, the more strength we will get from God to turn away from the devil.

Peter goes on to write, “knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”

He lifts the eyes of his readers from their local context to the global reality of the church. And the reality of the global church is one of suffering, not prosperity.

It is normal for Christians to be beat up by this world because this world is opposed to our Savior. And he told us that:

Matthew 10:22 ESV

you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.

In fact, the presence of opposition for faith in Jesus is itself a testimony to the legitimacy of that faith.

If you are experiencing difficulty or persecution or suffering as a result of following Jesus—whatever form that takes—you have brothers and sisters around the world experiencing the same reality, with many experiencing even much worse. You are not alone.

So think about them!

Think about our brothers and sisters who are facing rejection, alienation from family, imprisonment, and even death because of their devotion to Jesus.

Like a football player going through two-a-days, sometimes the best thing we can do is lift our heads to see the endurance of others on our team.

SIDEBAR:

We can acknowledge that most Christians in the West don’t face persecution of the same degree or kind that these Christians faced or some Christians face today.

Nonetheless, the upshot of this passage is not to therefore just “get over it because others have had it worse than we do.” Rather, if such hope and comfort is possible in the midst of the most extreme suffering, what would keep it from being available for us too?

And if you are facing, or will face suffering for your faith—which is a very real possibility—this hope is yours in Christ as well.

We would all do well to heed these exhortations in our own lives, no matter the difficulty we are presently facing.

So I urge you—with this passage—to:

Be watchful by refusing to ignore Satan,

Resist the devil by deeply receiving the gospel over and over again by faith, and,

Be encouraged that we are never alone in our suffering. And in heaven, you will stand beside myriads of those who persevered by God’s grace.

We have a prowling enemy to combat, and God is calling us to resist him by looking to Jesus in humble faith.

Now, how might we expect Peter to bring his marching orders to a close?

He doesn’t do so with another exhortation, but with an eternal promise for his readers to cling to, which is the third thing we see in the text.

An Eternal Promise to Cling To.

Point #3: An Eternal Promise to Cling To

(vv. 10-11) “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Isn’t this remarkable?

Peter is—as it were—pointing his readers to the horizon of their eternal glory.

Notice that Peter contrasts “a little while” with “eternal glory.

Though present suffering feels like a drag, it pales in comparison to the eternal glory that awaits the people of God.

In Romans 8:18, Paul writes,

Romans 8:18 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Christian, when God “called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (2:9), he called you unto eternal glory.

And not just any glory, but “his eternal glory in Christ.”

This text is telling us that we who deserve eternal condemnation have been called and will be brought into the eternal glory of God through Christ.

Maybe you’re thinking, “but if only you knew the darkness in my life.”

Notice with me that Peter says God “will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

This “himself” is intentionally added to emphasize that God alone is responsible for bringing our salvation to eternal completion.

Though Peter’s readers were weak and vulnerable as they endured suffering, the assurance of their eternal deliverance did not hinge on their own capacities.

And, Peter just said that our God is “the God of all grace.”

The grace of God running dry for his people would be like Niagara Falls running out of water.

It’s unthinkable. And all we need to do is look at its manifestation to be reminded of its sufficiency.

The grace of God was most fully manifested at the cross of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

At the cross, God’s grace was poured out for his people as Jesus—the spotless and blameless one—took the full blow of the wrath of God for our sin, so that we might receive eternal salvation and forgiveness through faith in him and his work.

Christian brother and sister,

Romans 8:31–39 ESV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies…Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Peter is emphatically saying that the assurance of their future eternal deliverance was as sure as God’s calling them to salvation in the first place.

The same God that called you from the pit of your sinful darkness has determined your glorification.

He will not leave you out to dry.

And Peter’s doxology that closes the body of his letter—“to him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen”—only solidifies this.

Rome didn’t have eternal dominion.

The United States of America does not have eternal dominion.

God does. He is sovereign over everything and,

Romans 8:28 ESV

we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

God has leveraged his dominion for the full and complete salvation of his people.

If you are in Christ, no matter the severity of your suffering or pain, your eternity is incredibly bright. Dare to believe that.

And if that’s true, is he not the most trustworthy person to humble ourselves before? Is he not alone worthy of our lives?

And if you don’t know him—if you have not given up on yourself and collapsed into his mercy for salvation—this morning presents a wonderful opportunity for you to do that.

Apart from him, there is no hope beyond this life.

And while the Christian life is one of suffering, he is worth suffering for. He is worth giving everything for.

Is it not better to endure suffering in this life under the gracious care of God awaiting an eternal glory of healing than to settle for a broken world that—let’s be honest—always leaves us unsatisfied?

I plead with you, give up on yourself and entrust yourself to Jesus.

He specializes in saving those who have nothing to offer him but their need, and are humble enough to ask for his saving grace.

Before we move to take communion, look with me at these last three verses, which present A Loving Family to Belong To.

A Loving Family to Belong To.

Point #4: A Loving Family to Belong To

(vv. 12-14) “By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”

In this benediction, we don’t get a detailed description of a doctrine, but we get a sneak-peak into how the earliest Christians related to one another in the midst of hardship.

Notice that Peter is sending greetings to the church in Asian Minor from brothers and sisters who live in Rome and are not part of the local communities of Asia Minor.

It’s a lot like us at Church at the Cross greeting you, Cross and Crown, with love.

Geographical distance cannot spiritually separate the family of God.

Notice also the affection in these verses.

The family of God is not meant to be a family of cold niceties, but of authentic and heart-felt love. We are not mere acquaintances, but brothers and sisters that are united by the work of our Savior.

In the midst of suffering, the Christians of the early church gave thought to one another. They wanted to say hello to one another!

The fundamental quality of commonality in the church is the work of Jesus.

We are a chosen people, unified by God’s work of redemption in our lives.

Diagnostically, do you see other Christians neutrally or as those who you belong to Jesus with?

Now—an important note—this passage is not commanding us to kiss our neighbors. Unless your neighbor is your spouse, do not kiss them!

But it is an imperative for Christians to love one another affectionately in culturally appropriate ways.

For example, I am in a discipleship group at CATC, and most of the time when we see each other, we hug! Like a full embrace kind of hug!

Why?

Because we love one another! Jesus has united us by his blood and made us family.

And in a world that beats us down, we need the—culturally appropriate and affectionate—love of one another.

The truths in this passage cannot be manifested in isolation from other believers.

We need one another.

So, Cross and Crown, you have a family of love to belong to. Keep giving your all to this local body. God has adopted us into his family.

Conclusion

In his care and by his grace, God will preserve his people forever.

We have:

A Merciful God to Collapse Into (vv. 6-7)

A Prowling Enemy to Combat (vv. 8-9)

An Eternal Promise to Cling To (vv. 10-11)

A Loving Family to Belong To (vv. 12-14)

As God’s people, he intends to lift our chins for us to lock eyes with his loving gaze of protection.

As Katy and I used to here TJ Tims, a pastor in Nashville say often: Christian, you can exhale.

Pray