Tell a friend you want to lose weight and workout, and most likely they will cheer you on.
Ask them to join you, and most will pass.
Crank it up a notch and ask them to watch an Ironman Triathlon with you, it’s an inspiring thing to see—-a 2.4 ocean swim, 112 mile bike ride, and just for grins a 26.2 mile dash. Then, ask your friends to join you, all will decline.
Peter’s words to the church are a bit like that, Jesus, according to Peter, is not a man you watch from comfortably from the couch, he is the only one to follow, and paying the price to enter the race and win, is worth it.
v.17
Father
God is Father, Jesus reminds us in John 14-17.
Jesus most telling comment is found in John 17:20-21, where the night before he went to the cross, Jesus prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
The nature of Fatherhood is joy and closeness with his offspring, Father is happy to be with his kids, always. The intimacy is deep and rather serious. Peter, in his next book, 2 Peter will this about being a disciple of Jesus, we are “partakers of the divine nature.”
To be with Jesus is to enter into an invitation to live inside and breathe the air of the Trinity.
Peter’s speciifically mentions the Father’s divine right to judge, but unlike humans, the Father judges impartially according to one’s deeds.
No works doctrine is on Peter’s lips, he is clarifying things, no one should think the Father has a blind eye to sin just because the blood of the cross is found in his eyes.
Fear is not meant in psychological terms as in a phobia. Fear is honor and respect. Salvation was costly and determined, so they only response is to live, in Peter’s words, as “exiles.”
v.18
Forefathers
The forefather of the human race is Adam, and our true earthly mother is Eve. They engaged in a silly attempt to cover their sin by placing fig leaves over their bodies. In case you don’t yet know, it didn’t work. The only solution for sin is blood. Oddly enough the entire Old Testament is full of blood animal sacrifices, but there is only one verse in the entire O.T. that explains why any of that makes sense to God. In Leviticus 17:11 the scriptures says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar, to make atonement for souls, for it is blood that makes atonement by the life.”
God did not kill Adam and Eve, he saved them, by shedding animal blood and covering their bodies in leather.
Peter uses the word “Futile” which in Greek means “Empty” to describe the sin of our forefathers. The word futile is also understood to mean does not profit, as in every business person knows how to read a Profit and Loss statement. I even have one for church. Peter, once a succerssful businessman uses this concept to describe sin—sin is empty and leads only to loss—there in fact one profit in sin.
Ransomed
The word ransomed means to be bought.
Thought the word is not political, most understand the word ransom in the political sense. Some bad guys take an innocent person and hold them hostage, willing to return the hostage for a set price. If the price is paid then the hostage is returned. Politically the United States does not negotiate with terrorists, so no deal in made in such matters.
God’s ransom required justice be satisfied. The person at fault has no means to pay God for their debt of sin. God chose to become fully human and did the one thing no human could do by themselves in their sinfulness—satisfy God grievance against sin.
Now a transaction can take place, where a single payment one sin applies as a single payment for all sin, once and for all.
v.19
