This is the rule of our faith, the foundation of our building, and the consolidation of our way of life. God, the Father, uncreated, unlimited, invisible, one God, the creator of the universe—this is the first article of our faith. The second article is the Word of God, the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was revealed by the prophets in accord with the genre of their prophecies and in accord with the plan of the Father; through him all things have been made. At the end of times, in order to recapitulate all things, he has become a human among humans, visible and palpable, so as to destroy death, bring life to light, and effect the reconciliation of God and humanity. And the third article is the Holy Spirit; through the Spirit the prophets prophesied, our ancestors were taught the things of God, and the just were led along the path of justice. At the end of times, the Spirit has been poured forth in a new manner upon all flesh, in order to renew them for God over the whole earth.

Therefore, the baptism of our new birth is placed under the sign of these three articles. God the Father grants it to us in view of our new birth in his Son through the Holy Spirit. For those who are bearers of the Holy Spirit are led to the Word who is the Son, and the Son leads them to the Father, and the Father confers incorruptibility on us. Without the Spirit it is impossible to see the Word of God, and without the Son one cannot approach the Father. For the Son is the knowledge of the Father, and the knowledge of the Son is had through the Holy Spirit; and the Son gives the Spirit according to the Father’s good pleasure. Through the Spirit, the Father is called Most High, Almighty, and Lord of Hosts. Thus, we come to the knowledge of God: we know that God exists, that he is the creator of heaven and earth and all things, the maker of angels and humans, the Lord, through whom all things come into existence, and from whom all things proceed, rich in mercy, grace, compassion, goodness, and justice. This is he who in the law is called the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: the God of the living. The sublimity and greatness of this God surpass all description.

—Irenaeus (late 2nd century), Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching

Does this faith match yours?

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.  For,

“Whoever among you would love life and see good days must keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn from evil and do good;  seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. In that state he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because those who have suffered in their bodies are done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

—1 Peter 3:8-4:6 (TNIV)

Today, we finish our series of reflections this week on the nature of Christian love. Here again we see Christian love further defined by Peter. It is not to repay tit for tat. It is not to take vengeance. It is not to speak evilly of others, especially our enemies. It is to seek peace. Peter tells us that we are to be willing to suffer for doing good and following Christ. Why? Because we are to imitate Christ in all his doings, suffering included. Apparently suffering for righteousness sake is a good thing in the economy of God’s mercy and grace, even if we do not fully understand why. How are you doing on these fronts?

And then Peter throws this tantalizing morsel at us. He tells us that those who have suffered in their bodies are done with sin. My initial response to this is, “Thanks but no thanks. If that is what it takes to be done with sin in my body, I think I’ll be content to remain in mine.” But if what Peter says is true (and because it is the inspired word of God, we know that it is), then this causes us to rethink what it means to suffer. Apparently God can and does use our physical suffering to rid us of our sins! Being the cowardly man that I am, I confess I do not relish this idea. But I do think this can provide more than a modicum of hope to those who have put their trust in Christ and who are suffering physically because Peter is telling us that this is God at work sanctifying us. Certainly he did that in Christ and as we know, Christ calls us to imitate him in every way.

What are your thoughts on this?

What is it that moves any of us if not some kind of love? Consider even the most shameful deeds (adulteries, villainy, murders, all kinds of lust). Are they not all the work of some sort of love? Should we then be told, “Don’t love anything?” Of course not. If you did not love anything, you would be lifeless, dead, detestable, miserable. Go ahead and love but be careful what you love.

—Commentary on Psalm 31.2.5

Many rather careless persons who are inclined to abuse God’s loving kindness to increase the magnitude of their sins and indulge in excessive negligence mouth such words as these: “There is no hell; there is no future judgment; God forgives all our sins.” To reduce them to silence a wise man states: “Say not: ‘Great is his mercy; my many sins he will forgive.’ For mercy and anger alike are with him; upon the wicked alights his wrath.” And again: “Great as his mercy is his punishment.”

“Where then,” you ask, “are the proofs of his lovingkindness, if we receive punishment deserved by our sins?” Yet it is clear from this fact that God’s lovingkindness is nevertheless great. In dividing our existence into two periods—the present life and that which is to come—and making the first a succession of trials and the second a place of crowning, God has shown great lovingkindness. How and in what way? Because although we have committed many and grievous sins, and have not ceased from youth to extreme old age to defile our souls with ten thousand evil deeds, he has not demanded from us a reckoning for any one of these sins but has granted us pardon for them by the bath of regeneration [baptism] and has freely bestowed on us justice and holiness.

Consider then what great proofs of lovingkindness these constitute: to remit sin by grace, and to refrain from punishing the one who after grace has sinned and deserves punishment but rather to give the sinner the opportunity and the time to make amends!

—John Chrysostom, Homily 28 on John, 1

The Spirit frees us from sin and death, and changes us from the earthly people we were, people of dust and ashes, into spiritual people, sharers in the divine glory, and heirs of God the Father who bear a likeness to the Son and are his co-heirs and kindred, destined to reign with him and to share his glory. In place of earth the Spirit reopens heaven to us and gladly admits us into paradise.

—Didymus the Blind, Treatise on the Trinity, 2.12

Since [Jesus] himself has declared and said of the bread: “This is my body,” who shall dare to doubt any longer? And since he has affirmed and said, “This is my blood,” who shall ever hesitate, saying that it is not his blood? For thus we come to bear Christ in us, because his Body and Blood are diffused through our members; thus it is that, according to the blessed Peter: “we become partakers of the divine nature.”

Contemplate therefore the bread and wine not as bare elements, for they are, according to the Lord’s declaration, the Body and Blood of Christ; though sense suggests this to you, let faith steady you. Judge not the matter from taste, but from faith be fully assured without misgiving, that you have been vouchsafed the Body and Blood of Christ.

—Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem [late 4th century], Mystagogical Catechesis, 4

We have died with Christ. We carry about in our bodies the sign of his death, so that the living Christ may also be revealed in us. We have risen with Christ. Your soul must hold fast to him, you must follow after him in your thoughts, you must tread his ways by faith, not in outward show. You must take refuge in him. Let my soul say to this fountain: “When shall I come and see you face to face?” For the fountain is God himself.

When Christ greeted his holy disciples with the words, “Peace be with you,” by peace he meant himself, for Christ’s presence always brings tranquility of soul.

—Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of St. John 12.1