Presence Weekly 11/18/2024, "The Paradox of Obedience (Part 4): The Blessing of Obedience"

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for 

"All flesh is like grass 

and all its glory like the flower of grass. 

The grass withers, and the flower falls, 

25 but the word of the Lord remains forever." 

And this word is the good news that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:13–25.

Throughout the past three devotionals, we have focused on the paradox of our obedience, slowly unpacking and examining the multi-faceted nature of obedience and its implications for life in the public square. All of this, the foundation of obedience, the practice of obedience, and the motivation of obedience lead us to what matters most: What are the implications of obedience?

Equipping servants and leaders is the very mission that Jesus gave Peter after His resurrection. As Jesus sat by the fire, grilling fish, he looked to Peter, whose last interaction with Jesus had left Peter humiliated and probably feeling like an unworthy, unwanted outcast. But rather than come at him with anger, Jesus tells the formerly impulsive, sword-yielding Peter that obedience does not consist of lopping off people's ears, believing that is how to ensure that the mission of Jesus moves forward. 

Rather, 

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16 He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."  John 21:15–17.

Now, in writing this letter, Peter is doing just that. He is feeding the sheep of Jesus with critical instruction about living in a society where they are considered irrelevant and extreme. Obedience to Christ is essential, not so that we can gain the favor of others or merit with God, but so we can bless others. This brings the final imperative of this section of 1 Peter, and it is earth-shattering, 

"Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart" (1 Peter 1:22).

Peter is saying that we have purified our souls by obedience to truth. He does not mean that we somehow cleansed ourselves or made ourselves righteous through our obedience to the Law, but that we were purified by obeying the gospel's truth and putting our faith in Christ. However, even with that gospel disclaimer, I think there is room here to say that obedience to God's Law purifies our hearts. The more we obey, the less our sinfulness gets in the way.

Loving one another 

Who does Peter have in mind to receive the blessing of obedience? 

Primarily, Peter has in mind the community of believers reading his letter. But this is more complex than it initially sounds. Just as today, diversity presents obstacles to love. Within the quickly growing first-century church, there were Jews and Gentiles, men and women, Romans and non-Romans, rich and poor, men and women, wealthy and poor, slave and free. These differences pose opportunities for divisions within the church and inclinations toward developing siloed communities. Thus, Peter's message of loving one another evokes Jesus's prayer in John 17. There, he prayed that they would love one another in such a way that their love would have an evangelical impact on seekers and skeptics, saying, ​​" I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me" (John 17:23). 

However, loving one another does not only apply to those with whom we share faith. When asked, "Who is my neighbor?" in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 17), Jesus exploded any notion that love for one another was something to experience only within the church by introducing the idea that "your neighbor" included the very people that are considered outsiders and the type of people with whom we would never want to associate. So, loving one another also means loving those not part of the Christian community. 

Consider the implications for the public square. As Christians, we are called to love those we disagree with politically. This means no name-calling, rage-tweeting, false accusations, assuming the worst motives, straw-manning views, or seeking to destroy them personally. Love does not mean agreement or affirmation, but it certainly conveys a manner of association that looks different from the current rhetoric in the public square. 

Loving earnestly

Peter also sets the bar for how this love happens. Our loving one another is neither haphazard nor partial. It is intentional and ongoing, and that is asking a lot because loving some people is exhausting! If we are going to love one another earnestly, we will have to find something to fuel this earnestness when we are unable or unwilling to continue. Thankfully, Peter is ready to provide the fuel for this type of love. 

We are able to love one another earnestly, "since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God" (1 Peter 1:23). We love because God loves us. We love one another earnestlybecause we are loved earnestly by a Father who pursued the redemption of a disobedient, wandering, idolatrous people by offering his only Son for our sins. This is how the God of steadfast love and faithfulness loves. 

Peter's words are encouraging because we are creatures longing for acceptance and affirmation. Our affirmation must not, ultimately, come from others who, based on constantly shifting cultural mores, may decide that we are not valued because our beliefs and actions do not line up with their beliefs and values and, so, cast us away to drift through the culture as trueexiles. No! Because of the gospel, our Father loves and accepts us for one reason only. That reason is what Peter is reaching for when he quotes Isaiah. In the original passage, the prophet promises redemption and rescue to God's elect, who are about to be exiled, 

"All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever." 

Now that we have been born again, we can embrace and obey the command to love one another earnestly. Isn't it wonderful that this paradoxical call to obedience culminates in love for one another rather than tribalism and judgmentalism? 

Loving from a pure heart

 The final aspect of this blessing that comes from obedience is a love free from envy. It is a love that is free from malice. It is a love that is free from competition. It is a love that is free from greed. It is a love that is free from neediness. It is a love that is free from judgmentalism. It is a love that does not harbor ulterior motives of gain. It is a love that keeps on loving even when it is sinned against because it is a love that forgives. Love with those improper motivations is not love me - it is manipulation. 

As Christians serving and leading in the public square, we love from a pure heart because that is the obedience that God requires from us. The paradoxical obedience of loving one another earnestly and from a pure heart is the way that we, living as elect exiles in a posture of faithful presence, display the missional love that is so stunning that people are first confused by how we love and are then led to desire that kind of love. 

In conclusion, our obedience to love one another earnestly, from a pure heart, is the evangelical witness of the church! Consider the blessing this brings to our families, workplaces, communities, and even the public square. 

Questions for application

How does Peter's framing of loving one another challenge your current conception of the people you are called to love? Who are the types of people that you struggle to love?

How does the charge of loving earnestly challenge your current conception of loving others? Who are the types of people that are exhausting to love? Why? 

What steps can you take this week to love earnestly? 

Consider your own heart. How often do you find yourself loving from someplace rather than a pure heart? Do you see a common or recurring thread when your heart shifts to another motivation? 

• Monday: Morning: Habakkuk 2:1-4, 9-20; James 2:14-26; Luke 16:19-31; Psalm 89:1-18 // Evening: Psalm 89:19-52
• Tuesday: Morning: Habakkuk 3:1-10, 16-18; James 3:1-12; Luke 17:1-10; Psalm 97,99 // Evening: Psalm 94
• Wednesday: Morning: Malachi 1:1, 6-14; James 3:13-4:12; Luke 17:11-19, Psalm 101, 109:1-5, 21-31// Evening: Psalm 81,82
• Thursday: Morning: Malachi 2:1-16, James 4:13-5:6, Luke 17:20-37, Psalm 105:1-22 // Evening: Psalm 105:23-45
• Friday: Morning: Malachi 3:1-12, James 5:7-12, Luke 18:1-8, Psalm 102 // Evening: Psalm 107:1-32
• Saturday: Morning: Malachi 3:13-4:6, James 5:13-20, Luke 18:9-14, Psalm 107:33-43, 108:1-6 // Evening: Psalm 33
• Sunday: Morning: Zechariah 9:9-16, 1 Peter 3:13-22, Matthew 21:1-13, Psalm 118 // Evening: Psalm 145

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• Think Tank, Lobby group, NGO: The Technology Policy Institute: a think tank that focuses on the economics of innovation, technological change, and related regulation. Their mission is to advance knowledge and inform policymakers by producing independent, rigorous research and by sponsoring educational programs and conferences on major issues affecting information technology and communications policy.
• Weekly delegation: For the congressional delegation and staff of Illinois. 
• News: For the many individuals currently on the Hill who are weighing opportunities to move into the Executive branch. For the many Presidential and political appointees who are looking for work on the Hill, in think tanks, or in a private sector position. For the transition teams working to smoothly transition between administrations. For those in the Senate preparing for the confirmation hearings and that the process would be one of truth and justice.
• Personal requests: For a couple trying to sell their home and for their children who will move to a new school. For someone who is considering leaving public service due to frustration and exhaustion. For someone trying to balance marriage, Master’s degree coursework, and their job. For a couple still trying to get their child to sleep through the night. For someone who is trying to negotiate a difficult path through an ideologically diverse team. Faithful Presence is looking for two highly- motivated Interns!

• Read this first → Current has an essay by Faithful Presence board member, Dr. Shirley Mullen, on the benefits of allowing Pascal rather than Descartes to frame our understanding of the modern world, “Descartes or Pascal?”
• Mere Orthodoxy has an essay on a culturally relevant matter for the church, “The Christian in a Therapeutic Age.”
• The Journal of Religion and Liberty (Acton), has a lengthy must-read by Jordan Ballor, “The Faithful Christian and the Politics of the Tao.” 
• The Wall Street Journal has an exciting and possibly anxiety-inducing story about the next round of AI coming soon, A Powerful Al Breakthrough Is About to Transform the World.
• The Gospel Coalition has their take on the impact of abortion on the recent election outcomes and what it may mean for pro-life Christians, “How the Pro-Life Movement Lost and Won in the Election.”
• Juicy Ecumenism and World Magazine have the latest thought-provoking piece from Mark Tooley wrestling with the morality of deportation.

• Prioritize this → Tuesday, November 19, 12:00 - 4:00 pm ET (virtual only), the Acton Institute hosts the 2024 PovertyCure Summit. “Dignity, Agency, & Charity,” is a virtual event for people seeking to address problems of poverty and promote human flourishing in their own communities and abroad. 
• Tuesday, November 19, 5:30 - 7:00 pm ET, the American Enterprise Institute hosts, Crossroads of Conservatism Debate: Has Public Policy in Recent Decades Worsened the Quality of Life for Most Americans?
• Wednesday, November 20, 2:00pm - 3:15pm ET (virtual only), Aspen Institute hosts an discussion, Workplace Democracy: Sharing Power and Decision Making at Work
• Thursday, November 21, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm ET, the Brookings Institute will host, Transitions: Planning and staffing a presidency.
• Thursday, November 21,1 - 2 pm ET, the Cato Institute hosts, a book forum, A Life for Liberty: The Making of an American Originalist
• Notice this → The DC Holiday Market has MOVED! The DC Holiday Market will open in Dupont Circle on 19th Street, NW – just north of Dupont Circle Park – on Friday, November 22nd.

Just two blocks from the White House sits one of the not-so-best-kept-secrets of folks who prefer to do the business of the people over something other than coffee. Started by Cigar Aficionado Sheldon Jacobs, Shelly’s Back Room has been providing a place to have a meal, conduct some business, or just relax for over 25 years. It’s just the way you might picture a place where White House Communication Director Toby Ziegler might be seen smoking cigars. 

But it’s not just a magnificently well-ventilated cigar lounge with one of the most diverse bourbon and scotch selections in the downtown area, it also features a menu that is sure to please. As an appetizer, the “Beef Pepper Turnovers” are a perfect mid- afternoon small plate for a business meeting. Other stand-outs include the lobster bisque soup, the half-pound Shelly Burger, an amazing pasta Jambalaya, and, of course, their 16oz New York Strip. There are even a few televisions so you can stay up to speed on the local news - if that’s your thing.