In Depth:  Tim Vasby-Burnie

Tim Vasby-Burnie

How should husbands live if they are members of God’s chosen people, and living stones in His spiritual temple-house? This is the question Peter turns to in 1 Peter 3v7: "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers" (NIV)

The phrase "be considerate" sounds a bit tame. "Being considerate" is often viewed as a matter of a few nice manners. But Peter wants husbands to consider their wives and understand them. The ESV has Peter telling husbands to "live with your wives in an understanding way".

Tim Vasby-Burnie

A calling from God is a noble, exciting, and gracious privilege.

Peter tells people who once lived in ignorance, who were led by evil desires, that they are called to be holy, like God (1 Peter 1v15-16). He builds up the church by telling them they have the honour of being called out of darkness into God’s wonderful light (2v9).

Tim Vasby-Burnie

Who is a "model Christian"? A pastor-evangelist who can both disciple a congregation and reach the lost effectively? A nurse putting in long hours, working with compassion and praying silently for her patients?

Peter says: think of a slave. A slave - with no power, suffering for doing good - is a model Christian.

Tim Vasby-Burnie

We should follow Jesus Christ in such a way that our lives cause people to talk about us, and in such a way that our lives silence that talk.

Peter assumes that the church, built on the foundation that is Jesus Christ – rejected by man but chosen by God - will be a people who are often rejected by those around us.

Tim Vasby-Burnie

What does the good life look like? What sort of good life can turn the heart of unbelievers towards God?

We are “foreigners and exiles” in this world – what sort of life shows that we belong to the age to come, the kingdom of Jesus? In this dark world, what can we do to shine the wonderful light of mercy we have discovered in Christ?

Tim Vasby-Burnie

Should Christians live in a way that wins the favour of our community? Or should you follow Jesus in a way that shows your distinctiveness and causes people to accuse you of doing wrong?

Peter says: Why choose? Both are true! “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2v12).

Tim Vasby-Burnie

Last month we saw the dramatic "before and after" given in 1 Peter 2v9-10... Through Jesus Christ, the world is divided into darkness and light, those who are “not a people” and those who are “God’s people," those who have “not received mercy” and those who “have received mercy."

And now it is war.

Tim Vasby-Burnie

The summertime often has people hoping for significant "before and after" experiences. Perhaps the hope to return from holiday rested rather than exhausted, or tanned rather than pale.

The greatest "before and after" is the one that Jesus gives to His people: “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2v10).

Tim Vasby-Burnie

Do you want to experience the future, now? Read on!

Christian: you have received, in Jesus, an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. What a contrast to this passing age. The customs and priorities of your culture are an empty way of life, but you have been redeemed from that by the precious blood of Christ. Even gold is perishable compared to the everlasting certainty of your glorious inheritance.

Tim Vasby-Burnie

Reports of a "Quiet Revival" have been exciting Christians in recent weeks, yet for the foreseeable future we will continue to feel the deep relevance of 1 Peter to the contemporary church: we are “exiles” in this world (1 Peter 1:1).

As with many of our brothers and sisters across the world, we are a minority in a culture that is suspicious of our faith and all too ready to speak maliciously against the church (1 Peter 3:16, 4:4). Do you feel this yourself?

Tim Vasby-Burnie

If a member of an evangelical church was asked, “What are we redeemed from?”, I hope most would answer something like “sin”, “death”, “judgement” or “hell”. All good answers!

But Peter has another answer: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19). The exodus and passover imagery is clear.

Tim Vasby-Burnie

In 1 Peter 1:13 we reach the first command, the first imperative in this epistle. Some preaching definitely needs a bit more application, but some preaching keeps loading people with things to do when the passage is all about what God has done!

Since verse 3 Peter has been praising the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has told us of our hope—the promise of resurrection and an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.

Tim Vasby-Burnie

If you are in exile, scattered to a place you do not really call ‘home’, what security do you have? What is there to cause you to praise? What will the future hold? These could be the sorts of questions being asked by those to whom the apostle Peter wrote his first letter.

Similarly, we might feel insecure today. If more institutions become hostile to Christian truths, career plans and thoughts of job security start to fade away. What security is there for ministers and congregations in declining denominations?

Tim Vasby-Burnie

Now and again I will give a recitation of 1 Peter from memory and I know when the first smiles will cross the faces of those listening: when I reach the end of chapter 1 verse 2: 'Grace and peace be yours in abundance'.

'Grace and peace be yours' – this is standard fare for an epistle. 'In abundance' adds a new dimension.

Tim Vasby-Burnie

We've all had the experience of ticking 'Yes I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions' as we install new software, take out some insurance or sign up for a new social media platform. Sometimes we are even forced to scroll through the small print before we can click 'Yes' - but do we ever actually read the text?

I did once, when agreeing to a cash-back offer that came with a new phone - I wanted to know exactly when I needed to send the company copies of my bill. It was a hassle, but worth it for the savings.

Tim Vasby-Burnie

'What am I doing here?' 'Are we in the right place?' These could be the questions of a Christian in the public sector, trying to tread delicately but truthfully during Pride month. Or the Christian minister in a church that is resistant to Biblical truth. Or Christians in a village in India actively hostile to the precariously small Christian community.

Peter’s first letter is addressed to 'God’s elect, exiles scattered'. It seems almost a contradiction. To be God’s elect may bring to your mind associations with honour, glory, status, privilege. Exile has associations with shame, suffering, being overlooked or looked down upon. Peter brings both together throughout the letter, right the way to 5:15 where greetings are sent from 'she who is in Babylon, chosen together with you'. Exiled in Babylon, yet chosen, elect.