Humbling Ourselves under God’s Mighty Hand
by Beebe Kauffman
“Holy.” When I was a child, that word sounded a lot like not having any fun. Being rigid and self-righteous. Watching everyone else to make sure they were doing it right, whatever “it” was at the time. But that’s not at all what God and His word mean by holiness.
Holiness is a participation in all kinds of goodness, and excelling in them, and a nonparticipation in all kinds of evil or harm. God is the only Person who is perfectly holy. He is perfectly separated from all sin and perfectly excellent in all goodness. Believers are growing in holiness, a process that begins when we are saved.
First Peter is like a handbook on holiness. It tells us that this amazing lifestyle was God’s idea—“Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). God wants us to be holy no matter what’s going on in our lives—on ordinary days, in extraordinary times, in surprises, emergencies, and challenges. And just to be sure that the message is strong and clear, the extreme example is added—be holy in suffering and trials.
First Peter provides instructions on how we can cooperate with the transformation process—obey the word of God, follow Christ, live for God and depend on Him, walk in humility, love one another fervently, live honorably, do good with the ability that God supplies, and hold fast in trials to the joys of faith. It gives us specific examples of what holiness looks like in daily practice and cautions us about some common hindrances.
Chapter 5 shows us how to be humble and to guard ourselves, so we can be holy and live for God and His kingdom.
Ch. 5 Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.
v.1-4 Leaders, be good to God’s people who are entrusted to you, and shepherd them willingly and as an example of the holy life they are to live.
v.5-7 Be submissive to one another, be clothed with humility, and cast all your care on God.
v.8-9 Resist the devil and his powerful enticements to ruin your walk of holiness, by countering them with the wisdom of faith.
v.10-11 May the God of all grace use trials to render you complete, immovable in faith, strong enough to endure trials, and established in truth.
v.12-14 Continue to stand in the true doctrine of God’s grace.
*This adapted excerpt comes from Beebe Kauffman, A Whole Lot of Wonderful—Application of the New Testament for Today (Buford, Georgia: Lighthouse Bible Studies, 2018), 628 and 645.
