Oct 1. 1 Peter 1. Corey Stuck

The Ultimate Super-Hero!

My family loves the movie Megamind. It’s based in Metro City (pronounced Metrosity). Metro Man is the Super Hero keeping the city safe, free and full of joy. Megamind comes along and takes over the city, which then is filled with fear & sadness. A place where everyone is afraid, sad and even the villain is feeling melancholy (pronounced meLONcōly). I won’t spoil the movie for you, but the point is that people, when living under protection, safety and security, thrive and are able to live joy-filled and meaningful lives.

Of course we aren’t here to talk about Megamind...

Peter is writing to disciples of Jesus who are going through severe trials, difficulties and opposition. They are likely tempted to doubt God’s faithfulness and question his love because of those difficulties (aren’t we all tempted with this at some point?).

Peter makes clear God’s position as the great provider and protector, in spite of the circumstances surrounding them. He uses absolute words such as “IMPERISHABLE”, “UNDEFILED”, “UNFADING”, “GUARDED” to describe the inheritance those following Jesus can have confidence in.

As a result of this guaranteed inheritance, as well as God’s promise to guard us, we get to LIVE freely, REJOICE fully, HOPE completely, OBEY wholeheartedly, FEAR GOD reverently, LOVE deeply, and so much more. We get to do all these things no matter what difficulty might be happening in our lives right now.

The difficulties we might be experiencing are allowed by God so your faith can be proven genuine (v.7). It’s difficult to consider my challenges are for my own good, but it is true (see Heb 12 - hardships as discipline). God allows us to go through challenges because if everything were perfect and went our way every time then we might eventually stop considering a need for God.

Robert S. McGee in his book “The Search for Significance” said this: “As Christians, our fulfillment in this life depends not on our skills to avoid life’s problems but on our ability to apply God’s specific solutions to those problems.”

God’s ultimate solution and protection has been provided when he sent Jesus to this earth to live a perfect life and ultimately to be crucified for our sins. Because of Jesus’ resurrection we get to live confident of the resurrection we are guaranteed.

With a protector far better than Metro City under Metro-Man’s protection from Megamind, we get to truly live a life of freedom, confidence and security in a way that glorifies God no matter what challenges or difficulties we might face.