A Digital Newsletter from Living Stream Ministry
In [1 Peter 5:6] Peter says, “Therefore, be humbled under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” The words “be humbled” here are passive voice, indicating to be made humble by God, mostly through the sufferings of persecutions (v. 10).
This, however, needs our cooperation with God’s operation. We must be willing to be made humble, lowly, under the mighty hand of God. Hence, be humbled. We may say that “humbled” is passive, but “be” is active. While God is acting to operate on us, we need to take the initiative to be operated on by Him. To take the initiative is active; to be operated on is passive. This is our willingness to be under the hand of God, which is mighty to do everything for us.
Persecution may be used by God to humble us. Actually, any kind of suffering may be used by God for this purpose. When good things happen to us, we may become proud. But suffering or persecution may help us to be humble. For example, a brother may be humbled as a result of losing his job. A student may be humbled by receiving a lower grade than he expected. If this student receives a high grade, he may be somewhat uplifted. But if he receives a lower grade, he may be humbled. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 299-300)
The brothers and sisters in the church life may love one another, but their love may be rather superficial. In their love there may be no life supply and no “antibiotic” to foster healing. This means that their love is lacking in agape.
But in Peter’s love for the brothers there is another element, and this element is the divine love, a love that supplies us with wisdom to love the brothers in a proper way. Sometimes we love others foolishly, in a way that can spoil them. We do not have the wisdom to love them in a way that will enable them to receive the life supply and be nourished. God’s love is not only nourishing, but also contains a spiritual antibiotic that fosters healing and prevents illness. If we love the brothers with divine love, we shall infuse such an antibiotic into them. For example, you may realize that a brother has a certain shortage or weakness. You know that teaching or correction will not help the brother. This brother needs to be loved with a noble love. If you love him with this kind of love, he will receive the life supply and an antibiotic that can kill the “germs” within him. In the church life we need to love one another with discernment, not foolishly. We need to love the brothers with the high purpose of nourishing them and helping them to be healed. (Life-study of 2 Peter, pp. 51-52)
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