1 Peter 2:18-19 18since you know that it was not with perishable things, like silver or gold, you have been redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish or defect.
Verses 18-19 begin with a causal participle that gives a second, much more positive motivation for holy living in reverent fear. We must realize with the deepest appreciation the cost involved to give us eternal salvation. Although God will judge all people, God is also gracious and paid the highest price to redeem us from our useless way of living.
People seek silver and gold because they think these will give them security and happiness. We all want to be secure, safe, and happy. Wealth can provide some degree of these, but wealth can also be lost or stolen quickly. Things of this world will disappoint because they break or something better comes out that we envy and desire to get. The world economy thrives on the idea that newer is better. Peter says that this type of life is empty and meaningless (mataias). If we think this life is the only thing that matters, then we should eat, drink, and be merry (1 Corinthians 15:32).
It is surprising that Peter states that silver and gold perish. These precious metals seem to endure over time, but they can tarnish. Even more so, what they can buy will perish. Anything of this world, including the most permanent looking metals and stones, can and will perish. They were formed through fire and can be destroyed through fire. If all this earthly existence is temporary, fleeting, and meaningless (see Ecclesiastes), then why place value in these things? They cannot redeem us for eternity. The happiness and fulfillment they bring do not matter when we breathe our last breath. These verses should cause us to pause and consider where we place our values.
Peter reflects on what gives the greatest value in life, and that is the One who provides eternal life. Verse 19 continues the thought of verse 18 and shows the cost required for our redemption. The passive verb have been redeemed(elytrōthēte) means to buy something for a price. We have been enslaved by sin and deceived by the crooked and depraved mindset and values of this world. This old life only leads to emptiness and futile effort to find purpose and fulfillment. Nothing in this world can provide eternal life, and nothing we can do can buy it or earn it. We cannot be good enough. Redemption only comes through the grace and gift of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
Peter reflects on the cross and Jesus’ suffering in our behalf. Jesus’ suffering is a theme that appears throughout the letter. In chapter 2, Peter refers to how Jesus’ suffering and death were the fulfillment of Isaiah 53. Jesus qualifies as the perfect sacrifice for sin because he is without blemish or defect. As Hebrews 4:15 indicates, although tempted like us, Jesus was without sin. He is the sacrifice for atonement who took upon himself our sins. Peter and Paul shared the same deep insight: “[God] made the one who did not know sin to be made sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus paid the price of death Adam and Eve brought in their disobedience (Genesis 2:17) and fulfilled the requirements of the sacrificial system in the Old Testament, giving his life for the life we owe because of our own disobedience and rebellion against God.