Walking Home Through a Strange Land (Part 2 of 2)

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• Edward Fudge
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Nov 19, 2014 1909

by Edward Fudge

Those who take up God’s assignment to walk through this strange land home are none other than his newly-begotten children. They are made such objectively by Christ’s resurrection (1 Peter 1:3) and subjectively by the living, spoken (rhema) gospel message (logos) of God (1:22).

The written manifestation of God’s word also plays an important part. As milk is vital to the growth of a newborn infant, so the scriptures are to the growth of the spiritually newborn (2:1-3). Peter’s “Bible” we know as the Old Testament (probably in Greek). He quotes or paraphrases language from Exodus, Leviticus, Psalms, Isaiah and Hosea in 1 Peter alone.

As objective reality, Christ’s resurrection is an event that occupied a specific place in space and time, a “happening” to be believed and trusted (1:3). We must vigilently resist every effort to reduce it to anything less–whether impersonal archetypes, theoretical principles, or simple narrative.

As subjective reality, our personal conversion embodied our deepest feelings and emotions, and it is intended to be experienced and enjoyed.

At the end of our mission is an inheritance, which Peter describes in negative terms–it will never perish, fade, or spoil–it is too good to describe in positive words. And it is reserved in heaven for us (1:4).

Meanwhile, God’s power guards us until we reach our inheritance (1:4-5). The Greek verb here has many possible translations: guard, keep, fortress, shield, garrison. The point is that in trusting God we are absolutely secure, and of that we may enjoy full assurance (1:3-5).

We need this kind of assurance. The assignment for which God has called us includes grievous trials, sorrows, and suffering (1:6-9). Such is life for foreigners found walking through a land not theirs, strangers on divine assignment as they make their own way home.

– Edward Fudge (used by permission, from GracEmail)