I can’t think of a greater book to turn to in troubling times than I Peter. This epistle was written to encourage believers who are being persecuted for their faith. In this book, Peter exhorts suffering saints to passionately pursue a life of holiness in light of the hope that we have in Christ (I Peter 1:13-21).
What should we do when the wicked prosper?
Like most of you, I’m deeply concerned with a lot that’s taking place in our country. Godless ideologies are rapidly becoming mainstream as wicked people in powerful positions of influence relentlessly advance their agendas. Those who try to resist are marginalized or “cancelled.” The alarming success of the wicked cannot be ignored. It’s reshaping our culture, worldview, relationships, and freedoms. One can only imagine what might be on the horizon if the wicked continue to prosper in their endeavors.
So how should we as God’s people respond to all of this? Thankfully, we don’t have to figure out how to navigate through these challenging times on our own. God’s Word gives us answers. Below are a few thoughts from the Scriptures that I trust will be an encouragement to you:
Let the future hope of the gospel fuel your present pursuit of holiness.
I can’t think of a greater book to turn to in troubling times than I Peter. This epistle was written to encourage believers who are being persecuted for their faith. In this book, Peter exhorts suffering saints to passionately pursue a life of holiness in light of the hope that we have in Christ (I Peter 1:13-21).
What is holiness? It’s loving “the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Mt. 22:37). A life of holiness is consumed with Christ. He is our life (Phil. 1:21). Being holy means that we “seek the things above, where Christ is” (Col. 3:1-4). As we grow in holiness, we become more fixated on pleasing our Lord and less “entangled in civilian pursuits” (2 Tim. 2:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:1-10). Instead of worrying about the future, we joyfully embrace our identity, privileges, and responsibilities as God’s people. Knowing that we are sojourners and exiles on earth, we “desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Heb. 11:13-16; I Peter 1:1, 17; 2:11).
Friends, don’t lose heart. The sufferings and injustices of this present time cannot in any way compare to the glories that await us in Christ (Ro.8:18; 2 Cor.4:16-18). It doesn’t really matter what happens to us in the here and now. We have an “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (I Peter 1:4). Even in the midst of the potential trials that might await us, we can “rejoice with joy unspeakable” (I Pet. 1:3-9). We know that the Lord is orchestrating all things – even the things taking place right now in our society – for the ultimate good of His people (Ro. 8:28).
