13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
It intrigues me that St Peter would remind people to always be ready to defend the faith, and then in a couple of verses later talks about Noah. There is truly a connection with being able to defend the faith, and confessing a world wide flood. But there is something else I would like to confess, the patience of God.
Now you can count up the years between Seth and Noah or you can take St Peter's word for it that God was patient. God waited patiently as he watched his creation fall further into corruption. Year after year, generation after generation, he watched as sinful people continued to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Even the claim of Cain's descendent that he would be avenged seven times the punishment of killing Cain.
People were twisting the story. They were no longer showing Love toward the one true God. But God was patient. He waited until the day finally came when it was the proper time to send the flood upon the Earth.
Good is still patient with his creation. He is long suffering with his people. He continues to send forth His Word and Spirit into the world to call people to faith. God is waiting patiently for the time to be right when Jesus Christ will come to Judge the Loving and the Dead. But thanks be to God because he sent a flood at the proper time. Thanks be to God because he sent Jesus Christ into the Flesh to die for the forgiveness of all sins. This gives us hope for the day of Christ's return, so we can have eternal life.
Now you can count up the years between Seth and Noah or you can take St Peter's word for it that God was patient. God waited patiently as he watched his creation fall further into corruption. Year after year, generation after generation, he watched as sinful people continued to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Even the claim of Cain's descendent that he would be avenged seven times the punishment of killing Cain.
People were twisting the story. They were no longer showing Love toward the one true God. But God was patient. He waited until the day finally came when it was the proper time to send the flood upon the Earth.
Good is still patient with his creation. He is long suffering with his people. He continues to send forth His Word and Spirit into the world to call people to faith. God is waiting patiently for the time to be right when Jesus Christ will come to Judge the Loving and the Dead. But thanks be to God because he sent a flood at the proper time. Thanks be to God because he sent Jesus Christ into the Flesh to die for the forgiveness of all sins. This gives us hope for the day of Christ's return, so we can have eternal life.
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