| 1 and 2 Peter Peter
writes the first Epistle approximately 64 AD and the second one about 3 years later. He
was to be martyred soon after he penned his last letter. Nero was about 25 years of age
when he became Emporer and he was to rule for a brief 5 years. Historians record that he
committed suicide when he was 30. Nero wanted to build a huge palace for himself and some
say that he deliberately started a fire in Rome to make way for his new palace. He blamed
the Christians and punished them terribly. He used the corpses of Christians as lamps to
burn at night.
Nero was a real danger to the Church. Through him, many brethren
suffered great persecution and many were martyred. It is said that Peter and Paul were
executed during his reign.
As dangerous as tyrants like Nero were to the Church there was a
much bigger danger. Indeed, the danger from without caused much stess and pain to God's
people. In Peter's first letter he is full of comfort and encouragement regarding this
danger attacking them from the outside.
But in Peter's second letter he addresses something far more
sinister for Christians - the attack from within. In chapter 2 the first 22 verses, he
deals specifically with the rise of false teachers through which the "way of truth
would be evil spoken of". This danger for the church was far more pernicious than the
danger from persecutors like Nero. It is still true today.
Our real enemy is from within. Yes, satan loves attacking
Christians from without and making life miserable for them. But that is bearable and
Christians can still bear good testimony to the Lord Jesus.
One of these dangers from within is the lack of unity among
brethren. Think of the Reformation. God did a marvelous work but it was harmed by disunity
from among the Reformation leaders. Great works of God, revivals, are often spoiled by
Christians' lack of unity among themselves. In John 17 we read of the prayer that Jesus
made to the Father. In Jn 17:21 He prays for the unity of His children. And what a prayer!
"That they may be one; as thou, Father, are in me, and I in thee, that
they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."
What prevents the world from believing that the Father sent Jesus?
Lack of unity among brethren - not attacks from outside. The real danger is among
Christians. What tremendous unity Jesus prays for - as the Father was in Him so too He
would be in us! And, more than that, He gives us His glory (vs 22) How is this
accomplished? "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be one; and that
the world may know that thou hast sent me,...". His living in us makes
us truly one and this is the only living testimony to the world. Our sermons will not
convince them - only our God-given unity.
Also, the love among the brethren is more convincing than anything
we might say. In John 13:34 we read of the "new commandment" to love
one another. Unity among the brethren is only possible when we love one another. And this
is only made possible by Jesus living within us.
No wonder the devil seeks to destroy from within the church. Yes,
satan's attacks from without are awful but that does not destroy the testimony of the
church. The lack of loving unity is the real danger to the church. Are you part of the
problem?
How will you stand before the judgement seat of Christ if you are
part of the disunity in His church? Repent today!
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