1 Peter Chapter 4 Pt. 4 The Beautiful Gift Of Hospitality

Remember that this present, evil world has an expiration date.

1 Peter 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 

We ended with verse 7 in our last post, so we need to look at it in context of the following paragraph.

Peter reminds all Christians, that each passing day brings the end of all things closer. 

Jesus said only the Father in heaven knows when the end will occur. Until that moment, His heart toward mankind is that of seeking to save the lost.

Therefore, believers in Christ should have a pattern of life marked by prayer and the pursuit of holiness. 

The apostle is going to give us some very practical examples of what it looks like when we pursue holiness. 

Genuine Christians love one another. 

1 Peter 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

The Holy Spirit guided Peter to highlight the guiding principle of living for Jesus Christ. It is that unconditional love for one another, as Christ commanded. 

(See John 13:34-35; 15:12; 15:17; Romans 13:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11; 3:23; 4:7; 4:11-12; 2 John 1:5).

Here is a noble spirit of genuine Christianity. Christians ought to love one another, which implies having a real love for others. 

It is a love that leads us to share their burdens and to care about their lives. It is a love that desires their welfare enough to do what we are able to do to promote it. 

Such a mutual love is not intellectual but spiritual in nature. It springs from the love of God poured into us by the Spirit of God. It is a fervent, sincere, strong, and lasting love for one another.  

This kind of love causes believers to be longsuffering toward other Christians, even if they have slighted us, or done wrong by us. It is a love that covers a multitude of sins (See Proverbs 10:12; 17:9). 

The idea of “covering" a multitude of sins means we are not harshly condemning or exposing other's faults. 

Rather, we remember the gracious forbearance God always has for us, and we too, become forbearing toward others, forgiving and forgetting past offenses.

Hospitality toward others is a mark of genuine faith. 

1 Peter 4:9  Use hospitality one to another without grudging. 

The word "hospitality" means showing kindness to others, especially to strangers. It is the idea of generously supplying for the needs of others. 

Hospitality may include providing a meal and a place to stay for someone in need. It may include hosting a missionary couple in our homes, or financially helping someone in need, within our local church family. 

When we have a spirit of hospitality, God will supply us with opportunities to exercise this particular gift. 

We ought to exercise the gift of hospitality toward others without grumbling. We are not being hospitable merely because it is commanded, but because we truly love  God and man. 

Be ready to entertain strangers. 

Hebrews 13:1-2  Let brotherly love continue. 2) Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 

The writer of the book of Hebrews looks back to the Old Testament scriptures where men like Abraham, Lot and Gideon showed hospitality toward strangers. 

Many times, those persons to whom they showed hospitality, were actually angels. (See Genesis 18; 19:1-3; Judges 6:11-27).

So too, we ought to exercise the gift of hospitality toward others without grumbling. 

We are not hospitable merely because God commands it, but because we truly love our Lord Jesus Christ and we enjoy a Spirit infused love for one another.  

Lovers of hospitality and of good men.

Titus 1:7-9  For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8)  But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9)  Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

Paul gives us a Spirit guided list of qualifications for a bishop, or lay leader in a local church. 

One of the qualifications is that of being a lover of hospitality. This gift of hospitality is echoed in the book of Hebrews and by the apostle Peter.

Christian hospitality was a dominant characteristic among Christians after the church began on the day of Pentecost (See Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:13, for example). 

The hospitality here required is freely offered by us to strangers and travelers. The proper objects of Christian hospitality are one another. 

Other Christians should be especially near and dear to us, such that we seek to meet their needs during times of persecution and distress. 

Many Christians during the early church period, were robbed of all they had or were hunted down like common criminals (See Acts 6-9).

Some Christians, like the Pilgrims who migrated to America, were driven away from their homeland, to distant countries for reasons of safety. 

In such case, they would starve if other Christians did not receive them. 

Hospitality is a gracious gift of God for us to show our love to one another. 

1 Peter 4:10  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 

Loving one another, and exercising hospitality toward other Christians, is a gracious gift of the Spirit of God to us. Let us selflessly minister to others as God gives us the opportunity to do so. 

Let us rejoice in the goodness of God for providing this amazing gift. Let us be good stewards of the grace of God shown to us, by loving one another at all times. 

Let the Word of God shape our thoughts and actions. 

1 Peter 4:11  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

The Spirit of God guided Peter to end this paragraph with these beautiful words. 

When a Christian speaks, let the life changing word of God guide our speech. When we act, let our actions be shaped by what God tells us in His word. 

Let us pursue these things with all our heart and mind. Let us use the time, energy and resources God has given to us, whether much or little, for His glory. 

May we all have hearts filled with praise for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bob