17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” 

1 Peter 1:17 (NLT) 中文 

Hope has a cost

Peter just challenged his readers to put all our “hope eggs” into the “grace basket”. He tells us that this grace will be delivered in the future at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And he calls us to pattern holiness after God.

Just rewards

Now he informs us that this future day will also come with judgment or reward – based on what we do on earth. Our heavenly Father does not play favorites. His grace is extended to all. His judgment and rewards also – based on how we live here.

Temporary residents

Peter reminds us that we are only on this earth as “temporary residents”. The Gk is παροικία (paroikia) – which means sojourner. One salient definition is, “a dwelling beside or near; especially residence in a foreign land without the rights of citizenship.” (Bullinger commentary) That is how we need to consider our life on earth. Our real residence is where? Heaven.

Reverent fear

So as we live here, he calls us to live in reverent fear. What does that mean? The AMP translates it as, “with profound respect for Him”, which I really like. Are there things we hold sacred in our lives, or even in society? To what or whom do we show profound respect? I dare say not much. Even in church we have, to a degree, lost our sense of reverence of God. We see God as our Father – which He obviously is (v17), or as our friend – also true, but even as “buddy”. If these descriptions are not balanced with God as holy and high and lifted up, exalted, then we miss a huge part of who God is and dare I say, He becomes smaller in our minds.

“When we fail to see God’s apartness, we begin to believe that He is just a “super-man.” Then we don’t see that His love is a holy love, His justice is a holy justice, and so on with all of His attributes. Holiness is not so much something we possess as it is something that possesses us.” (enduringword.com)

RЯeflection

• How do you consider your life on this earth? Do we get so wrapped up in the day-to-day that it becomes our focus? Just getting through today…or just getting to the weekend, or to the vacation. We just want some rest, even retirement. But this life is a drop in the ocean. James 4:14 tells us, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.”
• Who is God to you? Do you only see Him as Father, friend, “pal”? He’s much more than this. He is awesome in His appearance. “But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him.” (Habbakuk 2:20)