Jim's Bible Studies

Be Hopeful (5:10-14)

2010-08-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"
Be Hopeful! (5:10-14)

In an epistle written to Christians undergoing severe persecution, Peter chooses to close on a positive note - 1 Pe 5:10-14 “And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you. To him be the dominion for ever and ever. Amen. By Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I account him, I have written unto you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand ye fast therein. She that is in Babylon, elect together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Mark my son. Salute one another with a kiss of love. Peace be unto you all that are in Christ.”

For no matter how terrible the "fiery trials" may become, Christians can always have "hope"! In these last few verses of this epistle, Peter offers a benediction in verse (10) “And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.” A doxology in verse (11) “To him be the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” A summary in verse (12) “By Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I account him, I have written unto you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand ye fast therein.” A few words of greeting in verse (13) “She that is in Babylon, elect together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Mark my son.” And a final command to love one another (14a) “Salute one another with a kiss of love." Along with a final prayer for peace (14b) “Peace be unto you all that are in Christ.”

Throughout this "collage" of concluding remarks, we find several reasons why Christians can always "Be Hopeful", even in the midst of terrible trials. For example, we are reminded of the fact that we have God's grace. God is "the God of all grace", verse (10) “And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.” Indeed, His grace is "manifold" - 1 Pe 4:10 “according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God;” Just as His gifts are varied, so He provides whatever we need in any circumstance - He 4:16 “Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need.”

We stand in "the true grace of God", verse (12) “By Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I account him, I have written unto you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand ye fast therein.” Our salvation is because of His grace - 1 Pe 1:10 “Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:” Those who are saved have "tasted that the Lord is gracious" - 1 Pe 2:3. With the knowledge that by remaining faithful to Christ we "stand in the true grace of God", we can take comfort knowing that the "God of all grace" will be with us all the way.

Which leads to another comforting thought. We are going to glory! God has "called us to His eternal glory", verse (10) “And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.” This is the purpose of our calling, to receive the glory that awaits us. That glory involves the "inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you" - 1 Pe 1:4

The road to glory may involve suffering, but it is no different than what Jesus experienced - Lk 24:26 “Behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into his glory?” And we can look forward to participating in His glory, if we are willing to suffer with Him - 1 Pe 4:13-14 “but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy. If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you.”

Knowing what lies ahead for those who persevere can help us remain steadfast in the faith. So can knowing that our suffering is temporary. It is only for "a while", verse (10). Earlier, Peter had said "a little while" - 1 Pe 1:6. By their very nature, physical sufferings cannot last forever.

Note the contrast between suffering and glory. Suffering is for "a while", glory is "eternal". Is not the "glory" worth the "suffering"? The apostle Paul thought so - 2 Co 4:16-18 “Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

But not only can we remain hopeful knowing that suffering is temporary to be replaced by glory that is eternal, in the meantime we can take consolation in knowing that with suffering comes blessings, verse (10) “And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.”

God will "perfect". The word used by Peter means "to equip, to adjust, to fit together". God "perfects" His people using several tools. One is the Word of God - 2 Ti 3:16-17 “Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.” Gifts were given to the church toward the same end - Ep 4:11-16 “And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ; from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.” And suffering is certainly another tool - Ro 5:3-4 “And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness; and stedfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope:”; Ja 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.”

God will "establish". This means "to fix firmly, to set fast". Christians need to be steadfast in the faith - 1 Pe 5:9 “whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.”; 2 Pe 3:17 “Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness.”. Through persecution often comes steadfastness, for the one who has endured suffering for the cause of Christ is not likely to led away from the truth.

God will "strengthen"! Make one stronger. Which is a normal consequence of enduring trial. God will "settle"! That is, "to lay a foundation". The Lord would have us to be solid, like that house built on a rock as Jesus described in Mt 7:24-27.

Peter is confident that for those who remain faithful in suffering, God will bless them in the four ways listed in verse 10. We too can have confidence, knowing that we have God's grace, we are going to glory, our suffering is only temporary and with suffering comes blessing. It is with such confidence that Peter closes with a collection of greetings, from:
1) "Silvanus" - Silas, a traveling companion of Paul.
2) "She who is in Babylon, elect together with you" - likely a congregation either in literal Babylon, located in modern day Iraq, or in figurative Babylon, which could be a reference to either Rome or Jerusalem.
3) "Mark my son" - John Mark, nephew of Barnabas, and author of the gospel of Mark.
4) An exhortation to love: "Greet one another with a kiss of love"
5) And a prayer for peace: "Peace to all who are in Christ Jesus"

May the example of Peter's confidence and hope, as well as his actual teaching found throughout this epistle, serve to help us remain full of hope during our sojourn as pilgrims of God!

"To Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." -- 1 Pe 5:11

Peter's Exhortation To The Young (5:5-9)

2010-07-25T06:25:00.001-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Peter's Exhortation To The Young (5:5-9)

In this fifth and final chapter, we find Peter concluding with a series of exhortations.... In our last lesson, we saw that he first directed his remarks toward "elders" - 1 Pe 5:1-4. Now, in 1 Pe 5:5-9, the exhortation is geared toward "younger people", though much of it certainly applies to all Christians.

The gist of his remarks reflect themes mentioned previously in his epistle, but Peter was one who understood the value of repetition and reminding - 2 Pe 1:12-15 “Wherefore I shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and are established in the truth which is with you. And I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;”

The first exhortation, therefore, is one we have seen stressed throughout 1st Peter. Submit Yourselves, verse (5) “Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.”

Peter had already enjoined submission onto all Christians. Christians in general where to submit to government authorities - 1 Pe 2:13-14. Christian slaves, to their masters - 1 Pe 2:18. Christian wives, to their husbands - 1 Pe 3:1.

Now he enjoins submission upon younger Christians, to their elders - 1 Pe 5:5a ““Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder.” This may be a reference to those "elders" described in verses 1-4. Or it may refer to all older Christians. He also enjoins submission upon Christians in general, to one another - 1 Pe 5:5b “Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another:”; Ep 5:21 “ subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.”

In defining submission, the word in Greek is hupotasso {hoop-ot-as'-so}. Various shades of meaning include:

a. to arrange under, to subordinate

b. to subject, put in subjection

c. to subject one's self, obey

d. to submit to one's control

e. to yield to one's admonition or advice

f. to obey, to be subject

It was also a Greek military term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader". In non-military use, it is "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden". The quality of submission goes a long way towards preserving unity and peace in churches, especially when all are submissive to one another.

Yet true submission comes only if we heed Peter's next exhortation. "Be clothed with humility", verses (5-7) “Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you.”

"Humility" as defined by the word Peter uses is tapeinophrosune {tap-i-nof-ros-oo'-nay}. It means to have a humble opinion of one's self; lowliness of mind. It is an important quality of that which makes up "the mind of Christ" - Ph 2:2-5 “make full my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; doing nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself; not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

The need for humility is not only to preserve peace and unity in our relationships with one another, but also to preserve a proper relationship with God.... "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble". A quotation based upon Pr 3:34“ Surely he scoffeth at the scoffers; But he giveth grace unto the lowly.”, and quoted also by James in Ja 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore the scripture saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.” A person with a humble spirit is highly esteemed by God - Isa 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”; 66:1-2 “Thus saith Jehovah, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what manner of house will ye build unto me? and what place shall be my rest? For all these things hath my hand made, and so all these things came to be, saith Jehovah: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word.”

Now with an understanding of God's high estimation of a humble and contrite spirit we turn back to our text where Peter's charge is to "humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God" - 1 Pe 5:6. That is, to submit to His providential workings in our lives, even if it means enduring persecution, as was the case in Peter's day! "cast all your care upon Him"1 Pe 5:7. Don't fret or worry about things over which you have no control. Let your Heavenly Father worry about such things. Even as Jesus taught in Mt 6:31-34 “ - Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

Note that there is a reward for humble service. God will give grace (show unmerited favor) to the humble - 1 Pe 5:5b “for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.” He will exalt the humble in due time - 1 Pe 5:6 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time;” When the time is right, then, God will exalt His people who place their faith and trust in Him, by humbly submitting to His Will and to one another.

In the meantime, lest Satan cheat us of our reward, Peter enjoins us to watch out for the Devil, verses (8-9) “Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.”

We have an "adversary"... He is called the "devil". The Greek word is diabolos {dee-ab'-ol-os}, meaning "one prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely". Peter's describes him as a "roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour". What bearing does this verse have on the doctrine of "once saved, always saved"? If such a doctrine is true...

1) Why does Peter bother to warn Christians who cannot be "devoured"?

2) Why does Satan bother to seek out those whom he cannot "devour"?

3) Indeed, why ANY warnings (and they are legion) to Christians? - He 3:12-15 “Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God: but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called To-day; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin: for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end: while it is said, To-day if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” Because there IS a very real danger of apostasy, we have such warnings!

To defeat the "adversary" we need to be serious ("be sober"), and watchful ("be vigilant") - 1 Pe 5:8a “ Be sober, be watchful:”; (Note: While under the influence of alcohol one is neither of these, but is vunerable to the devil’s attacks) Lk 21:34-36 “But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, (See Barnes NT Notes) and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth. But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

We need to resist the devil - 1 Pe 5:9a “whom withstand (resist) stedfast in your faith,”; Ja 4:7 "Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” We need to remain steadfast in the faith - 1 Pe 5:9a “whom withstand stedfast in your faith,” ; Co 1:21-23 “And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him: if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister.”

It helps to realize that we are not alone in our struggle - 1 Pe 5:9b “knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.”; 1 Co 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.”

Why God allows such a struggle will be more apparent when we consider Peter's "benediction" in verse 10, but we will save that for the next and final lesson in this series. While Peter's exhortations in verses 5-9 certainly apply to all Christians, they have special value to those who are "younger". They are often the most tested by our adversary, the devil. They have not had the time or experience to learn the value of such virtues as "submission", "humility", and "watchfulness". But for those who are willing to listen, both young and old, heeding the exhortations of Peter can ensure that we will receive the grace we need to withstand and overcome the devil and in due time be exalted by God Himself!

Peter's Exhortation To The Young (5:5-9)

2010-07-25T06:25:00.000-07:00

Peter's Exhortation to Elders (5:1-4)

2010-07-17T18:41:00.001-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Peter's Exhortation To Elders (5:1-4)

At all times, but especially during persecution, the people of God need good leadership. In His Divine wisdom, the Lord saw fit to organize His church in such a way that the condition He witnessed during His earthly ministry ("like sheep having no shepherd" - Mt 9:36) should not last for long. His plan calls for local congregations to be overseen by qualified men, known as "elders", and whose responsibilities were to "shepherd the flock of God". In our text (1 Pe 5:1-4), we read of such men, and Peter's exhortation to them. In this lesson, we shall:

1) Briefly summarize what is said about elders in the Lord's church throughout the Scriptures.

2) Consider the exhortation given by Peter to the elders in 1 Pe 5:1-4 “The elders among you I

exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a

partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Tend the flock of God which is among you,

exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God; nor yet

for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but

making yourselves ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested,

ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

We begin, therefore, with a brief summary concerning elders. In the New Testament church local congregations as soon as possible were organized under the leadership of elders - Ac 14:23 “And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.” In every example we have, there was a "plurality" of elders in each church, never just one elder, Ac 20:17 “And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to him the elders of the church.”; 21:17-18 “And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.” Note the plurality.

The work of elders can be seen by the use of terms that are used interchangeably in the Scriptures. Such terms as "elder, pastor, bishop, shepherd, and overseer". That they refer to the same position is evident by their use in:

1) Ac 20:17 “And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to him the elders of the church.”, 28 “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.” -- where elders are called "overseers" (bishops), and charged to "shepherd" (pastor) the church, depending on which version or translation one uses.

2) Ti 1:5-7 “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge; if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly. For the bishop must be blameless, as God’s steward; not self-willed, not soon angry, no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre;” -- where "elder" and "bishop" (overseer) are used together.

3) 1 Pe 5:1-2 “The elders among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;” -- where "elders" are told to "shepherd" (pastor) the flock of God, serving as "overseers" (bishops). As "older men", therefore, they are to watch over (bishop, overseer) the flock, and to tend (shepherd, pastor) the sheep.

With such an awesome responsibility to watch over and tend the flock of God, one can understand that it takes men with who are truly qualified. Two lists of qualifications for elders are found in 1 Ti 3:1-7 “Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach; no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”; Ti 1:5-9 “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge; if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly.For the bishop must be blameless, as God’s steward; not self-willed, not soon angry, no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre;but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled; holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers.”

Our responsibility to elders is to recognize and respect them - 1 Th 5:12-13 “But we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them exceeding highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.”; 1 Ti 5:17-20 “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his hire. Against an elder receive not an accusation, except at the mouth of two or three witnesses. Them that sin reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear.”

Our responsibility is to obey and be submissive when they lead scripturally - He 13:17 “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this were unprofitable for you.”; 1 Pe 5:5 “Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.” Think of elders, then, as your "spiritual advisors", as "shepherds"; who are to be mature, experienced Christian men charged by God to "watch out for your souls"!

With this brief summary fresh in our minds, let's now consider Peter's exhortation to elders and the basis for this exhortation. As coming from one who is a fellow elder Peter could have "commanded" them, using his apostolic authority. But practicing what he will preach in verse 3 “neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but”, Peter chose to "exhort" them as a "fellow elder". As coming from one who is a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker of the glory that will be revealed. He has certainly been an eyewitness of Christ's suffering. But he has also been a personal partaker of the suffering of Christ as described earlier in 1 Pe 4:13 “but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy.”; Ac 5:40-41 “And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles unto them, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.” And as so will be a partaker of the same glory referred to later in verse 4 “And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

Note exhortation itself. "Shepherd the flock of God". To tend (pastor) to the people of God; for this reason, elders must be:

1) "able to teach" - 1 Ti 3:2

2) "able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict" - Ti 1:9

As Paul told the elders of the church in Ephesus, this involves "taking heed" to themselves as well - Ac 20:28-30

"which is among you". Their responsibility is for the sheep in the congregation where they serve. Even as Paul told the Ephesian elders: "the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers" - Ac 20:28. The concept of one or more elders (bishops, pastors) over a plurality of churches is foreign to the New Testament.

"serving as overseers". Here the work of elders is summarized: to oversee the flock of God. But notice that Peter calls such oversight as "serving". In keeping with what is said later, the role of elder is one of a servant, not a lord.

"not by constraint but willingly". A man cannot be appointed to serve against his will. Indeed, there is nothing wrong with "desiring the position" - 1 Ti 3:1. But the moment he loses the desire to serve willingly, he should step down, for he will not be able to serve as he ought.

"not for dishonest gain but eagerly". An elder may be financially supported for his work - 1 Ti 5:17-18. But the motive for service is not to be money, but an eagerness to save souls!

"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you". As implied before, the oversight is a position of service, not to be abused by assuming a dictatorial role. A sobering thought is that elders are "entrusted" with the souls under their care, and they will be called to give an account! - He 13:17.

"but being examples to the flock". Just as sheep are best led, and not driven, so it is with the people of God. Qualified elders will have less problem getting people to follow them and submitting to their care. When elders do not provide examples of spirituality, the flock is more likely to rebel against their leadership.

What would be the motivation for elders to heed this exhortation? First, perhaps a subtle reminder that "elders" are also under authority.... There is one who is "the Chief Shepherd" (Jesus) who will one day appear, one to whom they will have to give an account - He 13:17. But more positively, a promise of recognition for faithful service.... "you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away". Like the "inheritance" reserved in heaven that "does not fade away" - 1 Pe 1:4

Those who serve well as elders are certainly worthy of "the crown of glory" that awaits them. Hopefully, as we better understand the exhortation given by Peter, we will appreciate the work they do in the kingdom of God.... We will "esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake" (1 Th 5:13). We will "obey", and "be submissive", so they can watch out for our souls "with joy and not with grief" (He 13:17). In our next lesson, we shall consider Peter's exhortations to those who are younger (1 Pe 5:5-9)...

Persevering Through Persecution (4:12-19) - Part 2

2010-07-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

Persevering Through Persecution (4:12-19) - Part 2

We have every reason, then, to rejoice in times of persecution. But for us to make the most of such situations, we need not only to "rejoice", but also to "reflect". One might use the time to examine their life, verses (15-18) “For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men’s matters: but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name. For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?”

If we must suffer, make it worthwhile. Make sure it is not for reasons listed by Peter.... Such as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or for doing what often brings unnecessary suffering to the church: "as a busybody in other people's matters". Make sure it is because we are Christians in which we have an opportunity to glorify God. In which we can demonstrate the grace He gives us to endure it.

Consider the consequences of not remaining faithful. God allows persecution of the righteous because it serves as one way to judge "the house of God" (in other words, God's family, the church) - 1 Pe 4:17 “For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?” As Paul wrote, it is "evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer" - 2 Th 1:4-5. If God is willing to so "judge" His own faithful children, what about those who are disobedient? As Peter asks:

"What will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?"

"Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

Paul provides the answer, in 2 Th 1:6-10... “if so be that it is righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you, and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day.” Those God will "repay with tribulation". Jesus will come "in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ". Yes, they "shall be punished with everlasting destruction". In view of the coming Judgment of God, of which the persecution of the saved is only a precursor, use times of persecution to reflect and make sure of our standing before God.

Finally, you can be successful in "Persevering Through Persecution" if you will commit yourself to God (19) “Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.”

"How" can we commit ourselves to God while being persecuted? By doing good, no matter the circumstances. Whatever evil is done to you, respond by doing good - Lk 6:27-28 “But I say unto you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.” Remember the example of Jesus (Lk 23:34) and Stephen (Ac 7:59-60). Don't let persecution be an excuse for misconduct.

"Why commit ourselves to God? Because God is a "faithful Creator". As "Creator", He has the power to do what is right in the end. As "faithful" (trustworthy), He can be trusted to do what is right in the end.

Certainly we should hope and pray that we never have to endure the sort of persecution experienced by the early Christians. But if we do, will we be prepared? We can be, if we take to heart the words of the apostle Peter as found in his epistle!

As for being prepared, have you yet "obeyed" the gospel? Some may think it odd that the gospel is to be "obeyed", and not just "believed"; but both Peter and Paul warn of the end of those "who do not obey the gospel" (1 Pe 4:19 “Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.”; 2 Th 1:8 “rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus:”).

How does one obey the gospel? - cf. Mk 16:15-16 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.”

Persevering Through Persucution (4:12-19)

2010-07-04T06:08:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Persevering Through Persecution (4:12-19)

We have observed in our study of 1st Peter that the original recipients of this epistle were undergoing "various trials" - 1 Pe 1:6 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials,”. In an earlier lesson, "Preparing For Persecution" (1 Pe 3:13-18), we saw where Peter gave instructions on how they (and we) should prepare themselves for hard times. Now in 4:12-19, Peter continues to discuss persecution, but with a slightly different slant. The slant is that he now mentions things that relate to "Persevering Through Persecution", not just preparing for it.

While we might not ever endure "physical" persecution, it is unlikely that we will escape occasional "verbal" or "social" persecution. Therefore, what Peter has to say can be of great benefit to help us persevere in such circumstances. For example, we should expect persecution, verse (12) “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you:”

Persecution is not unusual. A point Peter stresses twice in this verse; "do not think it strange" and "as though some strange thing happened to you". It is something other Christians were experiencing at that time as well - 1 Pe 5:9 “whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.” Jesus warned His disciples of hard times to come - Jn 15:18-21 “If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.” Why does God allow such things to happen? Read on...

"Fiery trials" serve to try one's faith. Just as gold is tested by fire, so our faith is tested by persecution - 1 Pe 1:6-7 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ:”. This is why God allows the devil to bring such persecution (remember Job?). But just as God blessed Job after his trials, so He will bless us! - 1 Pe 5:10 “And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.” As someone has said, "First comes the cross, then comes the crown." So don't be surprised if you find yourself facing ridicule, ostracizing, even physical persecution for the cause of Christ. (Ac 14:22 “confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.”; 2 Ti 3:12 “Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”).

Should it come, what then? Rejoice in persecution, verses (13-14) “but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy. If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you.”

The call to rejoice is nothing new. Jesus taught it in His sermon on the mount - Mt 5:11-12 “Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.” Paul found reason to "glory in tribulations" - Ro 5:3-5 “And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness; and stedfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope: and hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us.” And James taught that trials ought to be an occasion for joy - Ja 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.”

Why rejoice in persecution? As explained by Jesus... "for great is your reward in heaven". "for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you". As explained by Paul.... "tribulations produces perseverance". Which in turn produces "character, and character, hope". As explained by James.... "the testing of your faith produces patience". And patience can help one be "perfect and complete, lacking nothing".

Peter offers three reasons to rejoice in persecution. It means glory in the future.... "when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy". This will occur at His second coming - 2 Th 1:10-12 “when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day. To which end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfil every desire of goodness and every work of faith, with power; that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”. It means blessing in the present.... "blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you". A reference to the Holy Spirit, and possibly alluding to that blessing described by Jesus in Lk 12:11-12 “And when they bring you before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities, be not anxious how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say.”; 21:12-15 “But before all these things, they shall lay their hands on you, and shall persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. It shall turn out unto you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate beforehand how to answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay.” This was exemplified in the case of Stephen - Ac 7:54-60 “Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Such a blessing might have limited application to the special circumstances of the first century, but God's grace will still provide whatever we need to endure trials - 1 Co 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.” It means Christ is glorified.... "on your part He is glorified", when we endure persecution through the strength Jesus gives us, we make manifest the "life" (power) of Jesus - 2 Co 4:7-11 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves; we are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” And so by our conduct we can bring glory to Christ (God) - 1 Pe 2:12 “having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation”

We will continue this lesson in a second part noting that we have every reason, then, to rejoice in times of persecution even in this day and age.

Living In The End Times (4:7-11)

2010-06-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Living In The End Times (4:7-11)

In 1 Pe 4:2, Peter wrote concerning the Christian that, "...he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God." As an impetus to live out one's time in the flesh for the will of God, one should remember that we are living in the "end times" - 1 Pe 4:7a ("But the end of all things is at hand;"). It might be that Peter actually had reference in this text to the destruction of Jerusalem. Which was the end of the temple, the Levitical priesthood, and of the Jewish economy. As MacKnight points out in his commentary: "This epistle being written A.D.67, about a year after the war with the Romans began, which ended in the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Jewish state, Peter, who had heard his Master's prophecy concerning these events, and concerning the signs of their approach, had good reason to say, that they had approached."

But whether Peter has in mind the destruction of Jerusalem, or the Lord's second coming, we can still say "the end of all things is at hand"... For even if the Lord Himself does not return for another two thousand years, the time is not long when we who are alive today will be "in the flesh" no more. With every passing day, "our salvation is nearer than when we first believed", and the "end" draws ever closer. How then should we live out the rest of our time, living as we do in the "end times"?

Verses 7-11 provides guidance to "Living In The End Times" and we notice right away that it should involve prayer that is serious and alert, verse (7), “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer:”

Peter stresses seriousness throughout his epistle. The word here is sophroneo {so-fron-eh'-o}, which means to be in one's right mind; to exercise self control:

1) to put a moderate estimate upon one's self, think of one's self soberly

2) to curb one's passions

Words closely related to this are found in 1 Pe 1:13 “Wherefore girding up the loins of your mind, be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”; 5:8 “Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,” (note the word "sober").

This quality is needed especially in our prayers. Otherwise we cannot pray as we ought - Ep 6:18 “with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,”. That is, with praying that is "watchful" - Lk 21:34-36 “But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth. But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man”. Serious, watchful praying is necessary, therefore, or we might not be ready for that which will come.

As we continue in our text, we see that "Living In The End Times" also calls for a love that is fervent & forgiving, verse (8) “above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins:”

This is the second time Peter commands "fervent love". The first time was in 1 Pe 1:22 “Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently:”. We defined "fervent" as "constant" or "earnest". Here Peter tells us to make such "fervent love" the number one priority ("above all things have fervent love..."). This is reminiscent of Paul's words in Co 3:14 “and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.” And perhaps a reflection of Jesus' words in Mt 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.”

The need for such "fervent love" is seen in its power to forgive. "for love will cover a multitude of sins". This appears to be a reference to Pro 10:12 ("love covers all sins"). To "cover sin" does not mean to ignore it, but as used by James it suggests "fervent love" does what is necessary to restore and forgive the sinner - Ja 5:19-20 “My brethren, if any among you err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he who converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.”

As the "time of the end" draws near, and the Day of Judgment looms closer, how important it is that we have the kind of love for one another which will encourage us all to get rid of sin in our lives! As a further expression of "fervent love for one another", "Living In The End Times" will also involve hospitality that is gracious, verse (9) “using hospitality one to another without murmuring:”

This is an unusual use of the word "hopitality. For the word is philoxenos {fil-ox'-en-os}. It literally means "love of strangers""of the household of faith", our own brethren! - Ga 6:10 “ and is normally used in reference to kindness to those we don't know. But here Peter applies it to our love towards brethren. But if we are to show kindness to those we don't know, how much more towards those who are So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith.”

There is always a need for hospitality, as our love for one another is a sign of true discipleship - Jn 13:34-35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered, Whither I go, thou canst not follow now; but thou shalt follow afterwards.” But there may be a special need as "the end draws near". Several passages suggest that persecution of the saints will increase before Christ returns (so as I understand Re 20:7-9 “And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them.” ). In any period of persecution, when some Christians lose all they have, other Christians need to be ready to provide for their needs - Mt 25:34-40 “ Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink? And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? And when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.”

For hospitality to be true and sincere, it must be "without grumbling". If one shows kindness with a begrudging spirit, can it be said they truly have a love of strangers (or brethren)? Only by placing a higher premium on our brethren than we do on our possessions can we show hospitality without grumbling.

Finally, in keeping with our Lord's charge to "Do business till I come" (Lk 19:13), "Living In The End Times" requires that we offer service that glorifies God, verses (10-11) “according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; if any man ministereth, ministering as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

Each person can perform a valuable service by the grace of God, which is "manifold" (multi-faceted), where there are various ways one can serve God. And each of us are to be "good stewards" (accountable servants) of whatever gifts or abilities we may have. Even as Paul wrote to the brethren at Rome in Ro 12:3-8 “For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but so to think as to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith. For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office: so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another. And having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; or ministry, let us give ourselves to our ministry; or he that teacheth, to his teaching; or he that exhorteth, to his exhorting: he that giveth, let him do it with liberality; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.”

With two examples, Peter illustrates the kind of service that glorifies God. Those that speak should speak "as the oracles of God". Understanding that they are speaking for God, they should speak only that which God Himself has revealed, with "sound speech that cannot be condemned" - Ti 2:7-8 “in all things showing thyself an ensample of good works; in thy doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of us.” Those that minister (serve) do so with the ability or strength supplied by God Himself! Certainly not with slothfulness - Ro 12:11 “in diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;”

"Living In The End Times", then, is living with the recognition that to God (and Jesus Christ) "belong the glory and dominion forever and ever". With that recognition, we will be careful to develop:

1) Prayer that is serious and alert

2) Love that is fervent and forgiving

3) Hospitality that is gracious

4) Service that glorifies God
How are you living now that "the end of all things is at hand"? Are you glorifying God through Jesus Christ

The Militant Christian

2010-06-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

The Militant Christian (1 Peter 4:1-6)

It is quite common today to pick up the newspaper and read about the violent actions of those referred to as "militant fundamentalists". Sometimes the phrase has reference to extremists of the Islamic faith, engaged in what they call "Jihad" (holy war, or struggle). But there also times when it is applied to professing Christians, who resort to physical violence in support of their cause (for example, the radical pro-life movement).

As true followers of the "Prince of Peace" we must remember that the Kingdom is spiritual, and therefore not expanded through carnal means - Jn 18:36 “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” We should keep in mind the words of our Savior: "...for all who take sword will perish by the sword." - Mt 26:52. But this is not to say we do not have a true struggle, nor weapons with which to fight... We are engaged in a spiritual struggle, both without and within - Ep 6:12 “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”; 1 Pe 2:12 “having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

We have in our arsenal weapons that are "mighty in God" - 2 Co 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;”. Indeed, as we enter the fourth chapter of 1st Peter, we see that Christians are to "arm" themselves in their service to the Lord - 1 Pe 4:1 “Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;”. So in one sense, there is such a thing as "The Militant Christian"; but it is important that we properly understand in what sense we are to be militant in our service to the Lord

Using 1 Pe 4:1-6 as our text, I would first point out that "The Militant Christian" is to be armed with the mind of Christ, verse (1) “Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;”

A mind willing to suffer is the attitude Peter wants us to have, which was the attitude of Christ Himself - 1 Pe 2:21-23 “who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”; 3:18“ Because Christ also suffered for sins once, 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;”

There are two reasons we should be willing to suffer, "since Christ suffered for us". He died for us, that we might live for righteousness - 1 Pe 2:24 “who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.” Is it asking too much that we might be willing to endure hardship for His sake?Note also, "he who suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin". One who endures hardship for Christ is not likely to allow sin to have dominance in his or her life. "One who has embraced the mind of Christ, and whose life is so influenced by him that he suffers persecution is not in danger of succumbing to the weaker temptations of the flesh. To such an individual these allurements lose their appeal. Martyrs, in the hour of persecution and death, do not toy with temptation or surrender to the seductions of the world!" - Guy N. Woods.

Armed with the mind of Christ, which includes a willingness to suffer for doing good, "The Militant Christian" is also to be militant in his struggle against sin, see verses (2-3). “that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries:”

Here is where the major battle is to be fought. A battle between one's soul and fleshly lusts - 1 Pe 2:12 “having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” Unless we first win the battle for our own soul, we are not likely to be of much help in winning the souls of others! Therefore we need to remove the plank out of our own eye first - Mt 7:3-5 “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Only by first being "spiritual" ourselves are we prepared to help others - Ga 6:1 “Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Many immature Christians begin fighting a "spiritual warfare" with others too soon, and lose the "spiritual warfare" within themselves in the process!

In our motivation for this struggle against sin we have wasted enough of our lifetime doing what is called "the will of the Gentiles", which is briefly summarized in verse 3. What Paul calls the "works of the flesh" in Ga 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Now it is time to live out the rest of our life for "the will of God", briefly summarized in verses 7-11 (which will be considered more carefully in the next lesson).

As we think of ourselves "standing strong for the faith" and "fighting the good fight", let's not forget that the battle begins within ourselves. Unless the Christian is first militant in "crucifying the flesh" and "putting to death the deeds of the body", he or she is not likely to have the "spiritual fortitude" necessary to prevent killing one's self in the "battle for truth"2 Ti 2:24-26 “ (note And the Lord’s servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing, in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth, and they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him unto his will.”).

When "The Militant Christian" is living out the rest of his or her life for the will of God, we need to be prepared for the fact that we will likely be maligned, verse (4) “wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:”

Our former companions will think us "strange", because we no longer join with them in their sin. Unable to persuade us from our new course, they may resort to "speaking evil of you". Some young Christians are troubled by this "peer pressure", but when maligned we have reason to rejoice - Mt 5:11-12 “Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.”; 1 Pe 4:13-14 “but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy. If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you.” Our response is to be one of love and honorable conduct - Mt 5:44“ but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;”; 1 Pe 2:12“ having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” Who knows? Perhaps our conduct will lead one day to their glorifying God!

Yes, "The Militant Christian" is likely to be thought of by others as a "fanatic", but I believe that deep down even those who malign us the most have respect for our convictions when held with the proper spirit on our part.

Finally, taking a clue from the comments of Peter in verses 5-6, let me suggest that "The Militant Christian" is one who is willing to let God be the judge, (5-6) “who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead. For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”

Verse 6 is another one of "Peter's perplexing passages".. Especially the phrase "the gospel was also preached to those who are dead". Some think Peter is referring back to his comments in 1 Pe 3:18-20... If so, then the "spirits in prison" would be human spirits, not angelic spirits (as I suggested in my earlier lesson). If so, then the preaching of the gospel was:

1) Not an offer of salvation (i.e., a second chance).

2) But a proclamation of what Christ has done, explaining how Christ has redeemed the O.T. faithful, and why others remain condemned.

3) Note that they were still "judged according to men in the flesh" (how they lived in the flesh), though they now "live according to God in the spirit".

Others believe Peter is simply referring to the preaching of the gospel... To people when they were alive, but who are now among the dead.

Either way, as "militant Christians, wee must remember who is the Judge... God is the judge of those who are "outside" - 1 Co 5:12-13 “For what have I to do with judging them that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.” They will have to "give an account to Him who is ready to judge..." - 1 Pe 4:5. We must therefore be willing to let God be the judge... In other words, leave vengeance to God - Ro 12:19 “Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord.” God will apply the "justice" when necessary, we are called upon to offer His "mercy" until then, through the preaching of the gospel and through living lives of kindness and mercy - Ro 12:20-21 “But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

There is a place, then, for "militancy" in the life of the Christian! But it is to be found in the way we "arm" ourselves with the mind of Christ... "Fighting" the spiritual warfare that wages within. "Militant" in our efforts to live the godly life, do going and showing mercy. Are you "fighting the good fight of faith"? Are you even in the Lord's army...?

The Antitype in which God Saves Us (1 Peter 3:21-22) - Part Two

2010-06-13T05:23:00.000-07:00

The Antitype in which God Saves Us (1 Peter 3:21-22) - Part Two

In part one of our lesson having introduced our text with some definitions to type and antitype we looked at baptism and salvation by first looking at the biblical witnesses and record. Now let’s look at the testimony of some Bible scholars. Augustine (A.D. 354-430) Referring to the efficacy of baptism, he wrote that "the salvation of man is effected in baptism"; also, that a person "is baptized for the express purpose of being with Christ." (as quoted by Jack W. Cottrell in Baptism And The Remission of Sins, College Press, 1990, p. 30). In regards to the necessity of baptism, he refers to the "apostolic tradition, by which the Churches of Christ maintain it to be an inherent principle, that without baptism...it is impossible for any man to attain to salvation and everlasting life." (ibid., p. 30). Thomas Aquinas (A.D. 1225-1274) "...Men are bound to that without which they cannot obtain salvation. Now it is manifest that no one can obtain salvation but through Christ..."

"But for this end is baptism conferred on a man, that being regenerated thereby, he may be incorporated in Christ."

"Consequently it is manifest that all are bound to be baptized: and that without Baptism there is no salvation for men." (ibid., p. 31). Martin Luther, in answer to the question, "What gifts or benefits does Baptism bestow?", Luther replied in his Small Catechism, "It effects forgiveness of sins." He also wrote concerning the sinner: "Through Baptism he is bathed in the blood of Christ and is cleansed from sins." Again, he wrote: "To put it most simply, the power, effect, benefit, fruit, and purpose of Baptism is to save." In response to those who would call this a kind of works-salvation, he said "Yes, it is true that our works are of no use for salvation. Baptism, however, is not our work but God's." (ibid., p. 32-34).

Indeed, until the "reformed theology" of Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin came along, the general consensus of religious scholars was in harmony with the Bible: that baptism does indeed save us!

But how can that be? The answer can be seen when we consider baptism and the resurrection of Christ. Salvation in baptism is not found in the “water”. As Peter makes clear when he says "not the removal of the filth of the flesh". For indeed it is only through the blood of Jesus Christ we can be saved - Ro 5:8-9 “But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him.”

Salvation in baptism is possible because of the resurrection of Christ. If He had not been raised, we would still be in our sins - 1 Co 15:17 “and if Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” But because Jesus was raised from the dead, we who are united together in the likeness of His death (i.e., baptism) can share in the power of His resurrection as we also rise to walk in newness of life - cf. Ro 6:3-5 “Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection;”; Co 2:12-13 “having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses;” In other words, it is the same power of God that raised Jesus from the dead which saves us in baptism so we can be "made alive" - Ep 1:19-20 “and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,”; 2:4-6 “but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus:” By God's saving grace and resurrecting power, then, baptism can indeed save us! Not because of any cleansing power in the water, but because of what God is doing at that moment.

But notice finally, what is said about baptism and the appeal for a good conscience, “the answer of a good conscience” (NKJV). This is a difficult phrase, but I believe it most likely means "an appeal to God for a clear conscience". This understanding is supported by the following translations:

"...the craving for a conscience right with God" (Goodspeed)

"...the prayer for a clean conscience before God" (Moffat)

"...the request unto God for a good conscience" (Rotherham)

"...an appeal to God for a clear conscience" (RSV)

"...an appeal to God for a good conscience" (NASV)

This coincides with the purpose of baptism. Baptism was "for the remission of sins", to have one's sins "washed away" (by the blood of Christ, of course) - cf. Ac 2:38 “And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”; 22:16 “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.” Therefore, people in N.T. times who realized they were sinners were anxious to be baptized as soon as possible - cf. Ac 8:35-38 “And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.” To have a good conscience before God (indeed, to a have our conscience "purged" by the blood of Christ - He 9:14“how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”), one is baptized so their sins can be washed away and they can rise to a new life through the same power of God that raised Jesus from the dead!

It is a tragedy that so many people today downplay the importance of baptism. But if we will only allow the Bible to say what it does about baptism, we will see that it is indeed "The Antitype In Which God Saves Us"! And like Martin Luther, we will view baptism as "excellent, glorious, and exalted," as "a most precious thing," as "an infinite, divine treasure." (ibid., p. 34). Verse 21 of our text describes that Christ has now gone into heaven and that all things have been made subject to Him. Have you subjected to His authority by obeying His command to be baptized? - Mt 28:18-20. Have you made that appeal for a good conscience before God?

The Antitype in which God Saves Us (3:21-22)

2010-06-06T05:14:00.000-07:00

“THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER”

The Antitype in which God Saves Us (3:21-22)

In the midst of a section in which he is discussing Christ's suffering and why we need to prepare for suffering, Peter has some revealing comments on the subject of baptism - 1 Pe 3:21-22 “which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh,but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ; who is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.” First, he refers to baptism as an "antitype" ("the like figure", KJV). Then he makes the striking comment that baptism "saves us". He describes baptism as "the answer of a good conscience". But he also says that baptism saves us "through the resurrection of Jesus Christ"

Any one of these four points is likely to perplex those who read this passage. Some may wonder what’s an "antitype" or “like figure”. Others may take issue with the idea that baptism has anything to do with salvation. Many question what is meant by the phrase, "the answer of a good conscience". And how does the resurrection of Christ have anything to do with salvation, when it was His death that provided the forgiveness of sins?

In this lesson, I hope to share some thoughts which may help us appreciate more fully how baptism is indeed "The Antitype In Which God Saves Us", beginning with baptism as an “antitype”. The Greek word for “antitype” is antitupon {an-teet'-oo-pon}, which means "a thing formed after some pattern; that which corresponds to a type". So you have two things that some how relate or correspond to each other; one is a type, the other is the antitype. Barnes writes, “In the New Testament, however, it is used in a different sense; and (Greek) anti, in composition, implies resemblance, correspondence; and hence the word means, formed after a type or model; like; corresponding; that which corresponds to a type. Rob. Lex. The word occurs only in this place and #Heb 9:24, rendered figures.”

H i How is baptism an antitype in our text. The waters of the flood are the "type", and the waters of baptism are the "antitype" - 1 Pe 3:20-21“which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ; who is one the right hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.”

In his commentary, Barnes says, "The meaning here is, that baptism corresponded to, or had a resemblance to, the water by which Noah was saved; or that there was a use of water in the one case which corresponded in some respects to the water that was used in the other; to wit, in effecting salvation." (Commentary on 1st Peter) "The apostle does not say that it corresponded in all respects; in respect, e.g., to quantity, or to the manner of the application, or to the efficacy; but there is a sense in which water performs an important part in our salvation, as it did in his." (ibid.) An important part in our salvation? Baptism? This may sound foreign to many people today, but the Bible and many Bible scholars over the history of the church have stressed this very point.

Having introduced our text with some definitions to type and antitype let’s look at baptism and salvation by first looking at the biblical witnesses and record. There are several statements of Jesus that emphasize the necessity of baptism for salvation - Mt 28:18-20 “And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”; Mk 16: 15-16“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.”; Jn 3:3-5“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God!”

The record of apostolic preaching as found in the Book of Acts continues this thought - Ac 2:38“And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”; 22:16“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.”In his epistles, Paul often wrote of the purpose of baptism, and the role it played in salvation -Ro 6:3-6“Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin;”; Ga 3:26-27“For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.”; Co 2:11-13“in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses;”; Ti 3:4-5“But when the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love toward man, appeared, not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,” And in our text, we have Peter's own words, which coincide with what he preached on that first Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ - 1 Pe 3:21; Ac 2:38.

We will continue this lesson in a second part. We will start the second part by looking at the testimony of some Bible scholars.

Peter's Preplexing Passage - Part 2

2010-05-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Peter's Perplexing Passage (3:18-20) Part 2

Having looked at four different views regarding our text and three of the difficulties of these views, we start this part of our lesson by looking at the difficulties of the view Friedrich Spitta (1900 A.D.) supported. We will then look at a fifth view that is in beautiful harmony with Peter's wording and context...

The major difficulties with this view of Friedrich Spitta is that in responding to the Sadducees, Jesus taught that angels of God do not marry - Mt 22:30 “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as angels in heaven.” Of course, Jesus may have been referring to angels who "keep their proper domain", and do not leave "their own habitation". If righteous angels could temporarily take on human form to deliver God's message (as in the case described in Ge 18:1-8; 19:1-3) where they ate food, it might have been possible for "fallen angels" to take on human form and cohabitate as some believe Ge 6 suggests. But it is just as feasible to understand Ge 6 differently.... That the "sons of God" were the descendants of Seth (in other words, godly people), and the "daughters of men" were descendants of Cain (ungodly people). This view stays clear of speculation which can easily take on mythological proportions!

We come to a fifth interpretation, one that I think has much to commend for it. There is the view of some present contemporary commentators we need to look at. The basic elements are that the resurrected Christ, WHEN HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, proclaimed to imprisoned spirits his victory over death. That the exalted Christ passed through the realm where the fallen angels are kept and proclaimed His triumph over them (Ep 6:12 “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”; Co 2:15 “having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”, is offered as support for this view). This interpretation has met favorable response in both Protestant and Roman Catholic circles. More importantly, this view is in beautiful harmony with Peter's wording and context...

Note that there are some major distinction in this view over the prior views presented. The preaching was made by Jesus Himself (not through Noah). The preaching was made by Jesus AFTER "being put to death in the flesh" (not in His pre-incarnate form). The preaching was made by Jesus AFTER He was "made alive by the Spirit" (i.e., after His resurrection, not during the three day period between death and resurrection). The preaching was made to "THE SPIRITS". Not to "the spirits of men" (which is how the souls or spirits of men are commonly referred to, notice He 12:23 “to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,”; Re 6:9 “And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:” ; 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”). But rather the preaching was to "angelic spirits". The preaching was made to them "IN PRISON" (that there are angels so bound is clearly taught in 2 Pe 2 and Jude). The preaching was made to them who were "FORMERLY DISOBEDIENT...IN THE DAYS OF NOAH". This view does not require that the rebellious angels were the "sons of God" in Ge 6, but simply were somehow disobedient at that time (as some were later during Christ's time). The preaching was a proclamation of victory over death, not an offer of a second chance of salvation to a select few!

As suggested, this last view is not only in harmony with the very words and grammatical constructions used by Peter, but it is harmony with the CONTEXT.... Peter had been teaching us to be willing to suffer, if necessary, for doing good - 1 Pe 3:17 “For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing.” He appeals to the example of Christ - 1 Pe 3:18a “Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God;”. Who despite His suffering and death, was made alive, proclaimed victory to those spirits who had not been willing to submit to God in Noah's day, ascending to the right hand of God, over all angels and authorities! - 1 Pe 3:18b-20 “being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:”, note especially v. 22 “who is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.”

In view of Jesus' triumph over suffering, we should be willing to do the same! - 1 Pe 4:1 “Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;”. Admittedly, this passage is difficult, so one needs to be careful and not be dogmatic in one's treatment of it. I hope that by presenting this survey of the various views it may serve helpful in drawing your own conclusions about "Peter's Perplexing Passage". But one thing Peter mentions in this passage that is not perplexing is his reference to baptism, and it's necessity for salvation (1 Pe 3:21 “which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ;”)...

Peter's Perplexing Passage 1 Peter 3:18-20

2010-05-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Peter's Perplexing Passage (3:18-20)

For the sake of brevity we will break this lesson into two parts. Now let's begin our lesson. In 2 Pe 3:15-16, Peter mentions that Paul wrote some things that were hard to understand. The same could be said about some of Peter's own writings, especially the passage in 1 Pe 3:18-20 “Because Christ also suffered for sins once, 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; in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:”

Considered by some to be one of the most difficult passages in the Bible, various and sometimes fanciful interpretations have been given. In a lesson designed to inform rather than exhort, we shall examine several of the interpretations that have been offered and suggest which one seems to be the right one (to me, at least). We shall examine five interpretations, in the chronological sequence in which they have been offered.

The view of Clement of Alexandria (200 A.D.). The basic elements of Clement's is that Christ went to hell in His spirit BETWEEN His death and His resurrection. That He proclaimed the message of salvation to the souls of sinners imprisoned there since the flood.

Major difficulties with this view would suggest that for some reason these souls were given a "second chance". Whereas the Bible consistently teaches against such an idea.... "it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" - He 9:27. Peter himself later wrote that the wicked souls before the flood were being "reserved... under punishment for the day of judgment" - 2 Pe 2:4-5, 9. Why would people before the flood be given a second chance when those after the flood are not?

The view of Augustine (400 A.D.). The basic elements of Augustine's view is that the "pre-existent" Christ in His spirit proclaimed salvation through Noah to the people who lived before the flood. We know that Noah was "a preacher of righteousness" in his day - 2 Pe 2:5. We know that the Spirit of Christ was at work in O.T. prophets - 1 Pe 1:10-11. This view is held by many brethren today.

The major difficulties with this view is that the wording of Peter would more naturally suggest that he is speaking of the Christ who was "put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit". In other words, the "crucified & resurrected" Christ, not the "pre-incarnate" Christ. Also, the wording would more naturally suggest the preaching occurred to the spirits "in prison", not before they were imprisoned when they "formerly were disobedient", not during their disobedience. Augustine's view dominated the theological scene for centuries, but then other views were presented.

The view of Cardinal Bellarmine (1600 A.D.) is that in His spirit Christ went to release the souls of the RIGHTEOUS who repented before the flood and had been kept in "LIMBO". In Catholic theology, "limbo" is the place between heaven and hell, where the souls of the O.T. saints were kept.

The major difficulties with this view is that the Bible is silent about a place such as "limbo". The "spirits" under discussion by Peter were "disobedient" in "the days of Noah" according to Ge 6:5-13; 7:1, only Noah and his family were righteous. If others had repented, would they not also have been on the ark? In other words, there were none righteous before the flood save Noah and his family!

The view of Friedrich Spitta (1900 A.D.) is that after His death and BEFORE His resurrection, Christ preached to "fallen angels", also known as "sons of God", who during Noah's time had married "daughters of men". This view is based upon a particular interpretation of Ge 6:1-4“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose. And Jehovah said, My Spirit shall not strive with man for ever, for that he also is flesh: yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty years. The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them: the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown....”. Job 1:6“Now it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan also came among them.”; 2:1“Again it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan came also among them to present himself before Jehovah.”is offered as evidence that angels are sometimes referred to as "sons of God". Jude 6“And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”, also, is offered as referring to "fallen angels"in the days of Noah because it sounds very similar to references in a book called I Enoch. I Enoch expounds in detail the idea that the "sons of God"in Ge 6 were "fallen angels". Jude seems to quote directly from this book in Ju 14“And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones,”, 15“to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” , a Jewish historian born in 37 A.D., took a similar view of Ge 6. This view is held by many Protestant scholars.

For the purpose of brevity we will look at the difficulties of this view when we continue this lesson in Part 2. We will also look at a view that is in beautiful harmony with Peter's wording and context...

Preparing For Persucution 1 Peter 3:13-18

2010-05-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Preparing For Persecution (3:13-18)

Having described the proper conduct of Christians in various relationships, Peter now turns more specifically to the subject of suffering. That the first recipients of this epistle were experiencing or would experience persecution is evident from 1:6 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials,”; 4:12-19 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you: but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy. If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you. For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men’s matters: but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name. For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.”; 5:8-10 “Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world. And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.”

Now, under normal circumstances, what Peter writes in verse 13 is the rule... "And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?" But there are times when Satan will make every effort to bring harm to those who try to follow the will of God (remember Job?) - 1 Pe 5:8-9 “Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.”; Re 12:17 “And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus:”

How, then, should Christians prepare themselves so that they might be victorious in overcoming whatever persecution might come their way? In verses 14-18, we can glean at least five points in "Preparing For Persecution"... Remember, you are blessed if you suffer for Christ (3:14,17). This truth is stressed twice by Peter in this epistle. In our text - 1 Pe 3:14 “But even if ye should suffer for righteousness’ sake, blessed are ye: and fear not their fear, neither be troubled;”. Even more definitively in 1 Pe 4:14 “If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you.” Where he adds that the "Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you". Those who suffer for the cause of Christ are fortunate, for God is with them.

This reinforces what Christ taught; that those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are blessed - Mt 5:10-12 “Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.” In this passage, two reasons are given for such blessedness. Your reward will be great in heaven and you are in the company of God's prophets of old.

Certainly you are better off suffering for Christ, than suffering for evil. There are no blessings or promises in the latter. As Peter writes in 1 Pe 3:17 “For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing.” Suffering for evil is what WILL happen if we are not willing to stand up for Christ. And suffering for Christ is only temporary, but the suffering for evil is eternal!

Sanctify the Lord in your hearts, (3:14-15) “But even if ye should suffer for righteousness’ sake, blessed are ye: and fear not their fear, neither be troubled; but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear:”

What does it mean to "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts"?. The word "sanctify" means "to set apart". Thus it means to set the Lord up on the throne of your heart, to make Him the Lord and Ruler of your life; ruling over your own desires; His Will taking precedent over your own will and that of others. The NU-Text suggests that it is Christ under consideration as referencing the "Lord God".

This is the key to facing persecution without fear or without being troubled. For unless we sanctify the Lord in our hearts, we will be afraid of what man might do, or be troubled by what he threatens. But when we make Christ and God, Lord, we will not fear what man might do - He 13:5-6 “Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee. So that with good courage we say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear: What shall man do unto me?”

Always be ready to give a defense for the reason of your hope, (3:15) “being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear:”

Observe carefully what Peter is not saying. He is NOT saying that we need to be ready to give an answer for EVERY question on religious matters that someone might ask. As some have used this verse as a proof-text. While we should certainly strive to be able to explain why we do what we do in matters of religion, that is not the point Peter is making here.

Instead, Peter is saying to always be ready to give a reason why you have the HOPE you do. To explain the basis of your hope (your strong desire and expectation). This implies that our desire and confidence for the future is so strong that it is observable by others. Even in the midst of persecution, we are demonstrating joy over the hope we have - 1 Pe 1:6 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials”, 8 “whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”. To do so in the proper spirit. In the spirit of MEEKNESS. This pertains to our attitude toward men. We should be humble, not arrogant or angry. In the spirit of FEAR. This pertains to our attitude toward God. It should be reverent, not flippant.

Keep your conscience clean, (3:16) “having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in Christ.” reason to keep your conscience clean is given by Peter in our text. That this together with your good conduct will likely cause your enemies to be ashamed for mistreating you. If not ashamed in this life, they will certainly be ashamed on the day of judgment!

Another reason to have a clean conscience is that a guilty conscience will not enable one to face the threat of death without fear and trembling. For before we can stand before men without fear we need to be able to stand before God without fear. That is impossible without a clear conscience! - 1 Jn 3:21 “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God;”

Remember the example of Christ, (3:17-18) “For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing. Because Christ also suffered for sins once, 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;”

He suffered for our sakes that He might bring us to God - 1 Pe 3:18 “Because Christ also suffered for sins once, 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;”; also 2:20-25 “For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now". So we see that suffering for good can sometimes accomplish much good in the long run.

We have been called to follow his example. As Peter already indicated in 1 Pe 2:21. And which he does again in 1 Pe 4:1 “Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;”

More will be said later in this epistle on the subject of how to deal with persecution, b ut in this text, we find five good ways to prepare ourselves... applying these five principles to our lives we will be more useful to the Lord, ready for whatever may come. Even if we are not faced with the prospects of physical persecutions in our lifetime, it will help in times of social or verbal persecution.

In this lesson, we noticed the value of having a good conscience; in 1 Pe 3:21, Peter speaks of that which he calls "the answer of of good conscience toward God" (i.e., baptism). Have you considered what else he says about it in that passage...?

Our Duties to Each Other

2010-05-09T07:25:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Our Duties To Each Other (3:8-12)

In his epistle, Peter has defined the Christian's duties in various relationships:

1) Our duty in relation to those of the world - 1 Pe 2:11-12

2) Our duty in relation to governmental authorities - 1 Pe 2:13-17

3) Our duty in a servant-master relationship - 1 Pe 2:18-25

4) Our duty in wife-husband relationships - 1 Pe 3:1-7

Beginning now in verse 8 of the third chapter, Peter defines our duty to each other as brethren in Christ. Peter will provide motivation to fulfill our duties to one another in verses 10-12, but let's first consider what these duties are. Our duties to each other, (8-9) “Finally, be ye all likeminded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded: not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” To "be of one mind" (NASV, "harmonious"). That is, to be united in the same purpose, the same goal. Jesus prayed for this kind of unity in Jn 17:20-21 “Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me.” A church that demonstrated this "oneness of mind" is that of Jerusalem - Ac 4:32 “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul: and not one of them said that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.” How can we have this "oneness of mind"? It is attainable only to the extent that we all submit to the will of God. Therefore, we all need to make God's Will our will, His Purpose our purpose just as Christ did while on earth - Jn 5:30 “I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”

To have "compassion for one another" (NASV, "sympathetic"). This means to have pity, a feeling of distress toward the ills of others. It is that disposition which is moved by the problems of others (like sickness, hardships, etc.). This is the attitude manifested by Jesus during His earthly ministry - Mt 9:35-36 “And Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd.” The Hebrew writer tells us of His heavenly ministry and continued compassion - He 4:15 “For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Such compassion can only come from a tender, loving heart, which may be why Peter goes on to say that we need to "love as brothers". Literally, this means to be "brother lovers". This attribute is essential, if we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ - 2 Pe 1:7-8“and in your godliness brotherly kindness; and in your brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”This attribute is essential, if we are to cthe world that we are truly disciples of Jesus - Jn 13:35“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” you a "brother lover"? If not you are not a lover of God, either! - 1 Jn 4:20“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen.” do not even know God! - 1 Jn 4:7-8“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” is one way to know if you are a "brother lover".... Ask yourself this question: "Do I even know my brother?" you don't, how can you honestly say that you are a "brother lover"?

We are to "be tenderhearted", (NASV, "kindhearted"). It is this kind of heart that is compassionate, capable of loving our brethren. The opposite would be "cold-hearted", where we are insensitive to the needs and feelings of others. Even if we start out as "cold-hearted", in Christ Jesus we can and must undergo a transformation, in which we develop a "tender heart" - Ep 4:22-24 “that ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, that waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit; and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.”, 31-32 “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.”; Co 3:8-10 “but now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out of your mouth: lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him:”, 12 “Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;” . Have you considered what kind of heart you have?

We are to "be courteous" (NASV, "humble in spirit"). Literally, to be "friendly of mind, kind". Such courtesy would imply a humility of spirit, for an arrogant or proud spirit does not bother to be courteous. Christians are to imitate their Lord and Savior, and not think so highly of themselves that they cannot be kind and courteous to others - Ph 2:3-5 “doing nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself; not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

We are to "return blessing for evil". When someone (a brother or sister) does us evil, we are to respond with a blessing! While this may go against "human nature", Peter gives two reasons why we are to react in this way. We are called to follow the example of Christ - 1 Pe 3:9 “not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” with 1 Pe 2:21-23 “For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”. That we might receive a blessing from God - Lk 6:35 “But love your enemies, and do them good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.”

These are six duties that we have one toward another. They are part of what constitutes the Christ-like character that we are to develop as His disciples.

Being saved, then, is not the end of God's plan for us; He would have us become like His Son (cf. Ro 8:29 “For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:”). To motivate us in fulfilling these duties, Peter quotes from the 34th Psalm... What then should motivate us to fulfill these duties? (10-12) “For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears unto their supplication: But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil.”

First, that we might "love life and see good days". Everyone wishes to enjoy life as they experience it from day to day. But too often, many make their own lives miserable by their own self-seeking, self-destructive attitudes. Constantly complaining, contentious, retaliating to evil with evil, they only aggravate the situation. But David in his psalm gives the secret to loving life and seeing good days. Refrain the tongue from evil, and lips from speaking guile - 1 Pe 3:10 “For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile:” In other words, don't engage in slander, backbiting, complaining, lying, murmuring, and grumbling. It doesn't solve difficulties, but only makes them worse. Do good, seek peace and pursue it - 1 Pe 3:11 “And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it.” In other words, do the very kind of things mentioned by Peter in 1 Pe 3:8-9 “Finally, be ye all likeminded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded: not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” Only then will your life be pleasant, for the qualities described by Peter will make the best out of difficult situations. They will make good situations even better!

Second, so the Lord will be open to us - 1 Pe 3:12. Only by doing the will of God (as found in 1 Pe 3:8-9) can we ensure that His gracious eyes will watch over us and His ears will be open to our prayers. On the other hand, the Lord's face is against those who do evil, and will not hear their prayers. Indeed, consider the list of abominations found in Pr 6:16-19 and notice how many are the direct opposite of how we are to be. We are to be courteous (humble) - but the Lord hates a proud look! We are to be compassionate - but abusing the innocent is an abomination to the Lord! We are to be tender-hearted - but the Lord hates a cold heart that thinks evil of others! We are to return good for evil - but those who respond quickly with evil, the Lord abhors! We are to be of one mind - but if we sow discord by murmuring and complaining, we are abominable in God's sight!

So if we want the Lord to watch over us, if we want Him to heed our prayers, let us be sure to fulfill our duties to each other as brethren as outlined by Peter in verses 8-9. In so doing, we will enjoy life to its fullest, and see many good days during our pilgrimage here on earth!

Our Duties as Wives and Husbands 1 Peter 3:1-7

2010-05-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Our Duties As Wives And Husbands (3:1-7)

In this study of 1st Peter, we are seeing that God teaches the Christian how to conduct himself in all relations of life. BEFORE GOD, he is to be holy, even as God is holy - 1 Pe 1:14-16. BEFORE THE WORLD, he is to live an honorable life, one filled with good works - 1 Pe 2:11-12. AS A CITIZEN, he is to submit to civil authorities - 1 Pe 2:13-17. AS A SERVANT, he is to do good, even it means to suffer patiently the mistreatment of others - 1 Pe 2:18-25.

As we come to chapter three, we find there are also certain responsibilities in our relations as husbands and wives - 1 Pe 3:1-7. In a society where "dysfunctional families" seem to be the norm, it is even more imperative that the people of God demonstrate through their families that which is the will of God, and is "honorable" (good, beautiful to behold) conduct.

Our text goes a long way in describing the sort of conduct that is "honorable" for wives and husbands, beginning with instructions to the wives. Be submissive to your husbands (1-2); “In like manner, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives; beholding your chaste behavior coupled with fear.” The word "likewise" refers back to the discussion in the previous chapter in which the principle of submission has already been applied to: our responsibility to governmental authorities; the servant's relationship to his master. This would suggest that the same principles discussed earlier hold true to wives in their relationship with their husbands to submit not only to the good, but also to the harsh - 1 Pe 2:18 “Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.” That if a wife suffers wrong from her husband when she was doing good, it is commendable before God if she bear that mistreatment patiently - 1 Pe 2:19 “For this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully.”

The value of submission is best illustrated in the case where a Christian wife is married to an unbeliever. He might be converted by her "conduct" even though he might not have previously obeyed "the" word (the gospel)... Without "a" word (persistent nagging), he may be reached by her conduct! The type of "conduct" likely to have that effect is described as: "chaste" - that is, purity in all manner of life; "accompanied by fear" - that is, reverence; which in this case is manifested toward the husband and is an attitude consistent with the principle of "submission". So the first duty of wives as outlined by Peter is that of "submission", especially if the husband is an unbeliever.

Adorn yourselves properly, verses (3-4); “Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” It is likely that Peter's comments are in the form of a "Hebraism". In other words, a Hebrew idiom (form of speech) commonly found in the Scriptures. In this case, there is a contrast ("not this...but this") for the sake of emphasis. A good example of this is found in Jn 6:27 “Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed.” Jesus is not saying that it is wrong to work so we can eat, but that our priority in life should be to have everlasting life.

A similar emphasis by way of contrast is being made by Peter. In other words, don't let your emphasis on "beauty" pertain to outward adornment. Not that it is always wrong to arrange the hair, wear gold, or put on apparel, but place your emphasis elsewhere! Let your beauty be "the hidden person of the heart". Conduct yourself so that beauty of the "inner person" shines forth, where people notice more "who" you are rather than "what" you wear! It is a "gentle and quite spirit" that constitutes true inner beauty. Unlike hair, gold, and apparel, it is incorruptible! - 2 Co 4:16 “Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.” It is also very precious in the sight of God - Isa 66:1-2 “Thus saith Jehovah, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what manner of house will ye build unto me? and what place shall be my rest? For all these things hath my hand made, and so all these things came to be, saith Jehovah: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word.”

So Christian women, let your inner beauty be your most noticeable feature! Without inner beauty, any outward beauty is like a ring of gold in the nose of a pig! - Pro 11:22 “As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, So is a fair woman that is without discretion.” Parents, are we teaching this truth (by word and example) to our daughters?

Be "daughters of Sarah", verses (5-6) “For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands: as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose children ye now are, if ye do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.” Remember, the holy women in the Old Testament who trusted in God adorned themselves with a gentle and quiet spirit and were submissive to their husbands. A case in point is that of Sarah who was so beautiful outwardly that Pharaoh wanted her when she was over 65 years old; that the king of the Philistines wanted her when she was over 90 years old, and long past the age of childbearing. Yet her true beauty was demonstrated by her submissive spirit (calling her husband "lord"). Christian women can become the "daughters of Sarah," provided they "do good" (be submissive to their husbands) and "are not afraid of any terror" (composed with a gentle and quiet spirit). To be considered a "daughter of Sarah" by God would be a very special honor! It can be had by any woman who heeds the words of the apostle Peter. But a failure to heed these words will result in being more like a "daughter of Jezebel." Remember, she delighted in her physical beauty and in manipulating her husband. May such never be true of women professing godliness and wearing the name of Christ!

Peter's instructions to husbands are brief, but nonetheless extremely important. “Ye husbands, in like manner, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor unto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel, as being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; to the end that your prayers be not hindered.” Peter writes, "dwell with your wives with understanding" although the KJV says "with knowledge". Husbands are expected to know, and understand their responsibilities in marriage - Ep 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;”. The nature of women, as "weaker vessels" refers to physical strength, not to intellectual abilities, moral courage, or spiritual strength. Such understanding is to govern how the husband lives with his wife -- with love and thoughtfulness.

"Give honor" to the wife. The word "give" means "to assign". "honor" involves the idea of that which is "precious, of high value". So the husband is to assign to his wife the honor of being precious and of high value in his sight. A good reason to consider our wives in such light: they are truly "heirs together of the grace of life". In other words, they are sisters in Christ, and therefore worthy of the respect we give any other child of God!

"that your prayers may not be hindered". Here is good reason to heed Peter's instruction! The word "hindered" literally means "cut off". Thus the way we treat our wives may result in our access to God being cut off! This is what happened to the O.T. priests who divorced their wives - Mal 2:13-14 “And this again ye do: ye cover the altar of Jehovah with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, neither receiveth it with good will at your hand. Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because Jehovah hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously, though she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.” Would Christian husbands that mistreat and/or abuse their wives expect any different?

We learn from Peter, then, that how we conduct ourselves as husbands and wives can have a bearing on our personal relationship with God. If wives are to be considered "very precious in the sight of God..." If husbands are to keep open the avenue of their prayers to God... -- Then we must apply the principles in this passage (1 Pe 3:1-7) to our lives! If we do, then we all can be "heirs together of the grace of life!" If not, then we put a barrier between ourselves and God!

Speaking of being heirs of the grace of life, do you know how one can become such an heir? - Ti 3:4-7 "But when the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love toward man, appeared, not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Commendable Conduct Before God Part 2

2010-04-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

Commendable Conduct Before God (2:18-25) Part 2

In Part 1 of our lesson we looked at what it is to be commendable before God. There are a few suggestions to the question as to how we can be sure to have this commendable conduct? "Rejoice" that you are counted worthy to suffer. So Peter commanded later in this epistle - 1 Pe 4:12-14 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you: but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy.”; also Ac 5:41 “They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.” Just as Christ did in His sermon on the mount - Mt 5:10-12 “Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.” Knowing that we are blessed in the sight of God, and have joined a great group of prophets, apostles, and disciples in suffering for Christ, can help us to have the proper attitude (one of joy, not vengeance). Even if those mistreating us do not know that we are Christians, if our response is governed by Christ's teachings, we can still have satisfaction in knowing that God is pleased!

"Resist" the temptation to retaliate. When we suffer mistreatment by others, Satan is behind it all - 1 Pe 5:8-9 “Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.” He would love to hinder the cause of Christ by having us retaliate just as people in the world would, proving that Christians are no different than sinners of the world. Don't let him win!

"Respond" not re-act to mistreatment by doing more good. When mistreated for doing good, just do more good! - 1 Pe 3:9 “not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”; Ro 12:20-21 “But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” For "endure" (1 Pe 2:19) means "to bear from underneath, for example (figurative) to undergo hardship", thus to bear up under pressure. There is nothing noble (commendable) about stopping when "the going gets tough"; but when "the tough get going", and going about doing good, now THAT is commendable!

"Rely" on God. Suffering patiently when mistreated for doing good does not always bring immediate satisfaction, which emotionally we initially desire. We must therefore trust in God, believing that His will is best. Just as Jesus "committed Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Pe 2:23), so should we - 1 Pe 4:19 “Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.” And if our Christ-like behavior does not change the behavior of those who mistreat us, God will one day do what is right - Ro 12:19 “Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord.”; 2 Th 1:6 “if so be that it is righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you,”

Hopefully by following the "four R's" (rejoice, resist, respond, rely) we can follow in the steps of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If so, then we can be sure to have "commendable conduct before God"! We have made reference to what Jesus accomplished by suffering for us, how He bore our sins on the tree (1 Pe 2:24). Peter also says Jesus did this "that we, having died to sins might live for righteousness".

Have you "died to sins"? Do you even know how that it is accomplished? The answer is found in Romans 6:1-8...

Commendable Conduct Before God

2010-04-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Commendable Conduct Before God (2:18-25)

Our last study introduced the importance of submission to human institutions that rule over us - 1 Pe 2:13-17. Now in verses 18-25, Peter addresses those who were servants, emphasizing again the principle of submission (READ) “Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”

In the course of his instructions, Peter mentions conduct that is considered "commendable" before God... In the NKJV, the word "commendable" is used twice - 1 Pe 2:19, 20. The NASV translates it as "finds favor" . In this study, we shall consider what is commendable conduct before God, why it is considered commendable and how we can be sure to have this commendable conduct before God.

First of all, then, what is commendable conduct before God? Commendable conduct before God is to suffer patiently when mistreated for doing good. Consider the example given by Peter in our text. A servant is trying to serve his master well. For some reason, however, his master mistreats him. The servant "finds favor" in God's sight if he patiently and submissively endures the mistreatment! To put it in other words, when you are doing that which is good and despite it you are being mistreated, but you endure the unjust treatment patiently your patient forbearance is commendable in the sight of God!

Note carefully; it is not simply suffering patiently that is commendable, but suffering patiently when you did good, and yet are abused for it - 1 Pe 2:20 “For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”

Is this applicable only in a master-slave relationship? No! Consider 1 Pe 3:13-14 “And who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealous of that which is good? But even if ye should suffer for righteousness’ sake, blessed are ye: and fear not their fear, neither be troubled;”, 17 “For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing.”, where Peter speaks to brethren in general. In writing to servants, then, Peter is applying a general truth to a specific application. It is therefore applicable to any situation where we are told to submit... For example, in our relationship to government - 1 Pe 2:13 “Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme;”. Another example, in a wife's relationship to her husband - 1 Pe 3:1 “In like manner, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives;”. Another example would be in our relationship to one another - Ep 5:21 “subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.” So whenever we do good and suffer for it, to endure that suffering patiently is "commendable conduct before God." But that is hard! It is our natural inclination to resist and defend ourselves when we are "in the right" and being mistreated. Indeed, we want to "stand up for our rights."

To appreciate why patiently enduring suffering while doing good is commendable before God, let's address the question of why this conduct is commendable before God? Because we were call for this very purpose! Consider 1 Pe 2:21-23 “For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”. Christians are called to follow the example of Jesus. Just as He suffered patiently when mistreated without cause, so should we! We have therefore been called to respond to ill treatment with good treatment - cf. 1 Pe 3:9 “not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”; see also Lk 6:27-36.

In view of the potential good that can result note what Jesus accomplished by His patient forbearance to mistreatment done to Him! - 1 Pe 2:24-25 “who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” The forgiveness of our sins! The restoration of straying sheep back to their Shepherd! By following the example of Jesus, we can have an effect for good also. By returning good for evil, we are more likely to overcome evil - Ro 12:19-21 “Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord. But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” In this way we are more likely to change those who persecute us. For they are often ashamed when they see how we patiently endure their mistreatment by doing good.

Just as we were moved by the sacrificial death of Jesus for our sins, so we might best move others to change their evil ways by patiently doing good even when they mistreat us. That is why we have been called to follow the example of Jesus! Finally, there are a few suggestions to the question as to how we can be sure to have this commendable conduct? We will cover these in Part 2 of this lesson.

Pilgrims and The Governments of Men - Part 2

2010-04-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

Pilgrims And The Governments Of Men (2:13-17) Part 2

In Part 1 of this lesson we looked at the text and discovered that as Christians and pilgrims we are to submit to any form of government that rules over us, let God's "pilgrims" freely submit to the powers ruling over them. But is the principle of submission to government without exception? Is there ever a time when Christians are justified in refusing to obey governmental authorities? From Peter himself, we learn the exception to the rule. It is not whenever government is "oppressive". Consider the government and conditions under which Peter and Paul wrote: The government was totalitarian, with Nero as ruler, an evil, despotic emperor. Under his reign, Christians suffered greatly - 1 Pe 4:12-13 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you: but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy.”; 5:8-9 “Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.” Eventually, even Peter himself was crucified, and Paul was beheaded. Under such oppressive governments, our responsibilities remain clear. We are to still submit. We are to pray for our rulers, that peace may prevail - 1 Ti 2:1-2 “I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, be made for all men; for kings and all that are in high place; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity.” Who knows? Perhaps God who "removes kings and raises up kings" will answer our prayers and give us rulers who are good and just!

The exception: we must obey God rather than man! As illustrated by Peter and the rest of the apostles - Ac 4:18-20 “And they called them, and charged them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge ye: for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard.”; 5:27-29 “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, We strictly charged you not to teach in this name: and behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. But Peter and the apostles answered and said, We must obey God rather than men.”

Only when government tries to force us to disobey God, must we then disobey the government. Even then, it is only the particular laws designed to force us to disobey God that we have a right to break; we have no authority to break other laws in protest. Rather, we are charged to pray for those in authority, and submit to them in all other areas.

Such is our responsibility as pilgrims under whatever government we may find ourselves as we sojourn here on earth. Even though we have liberty and freedom in Christ, we should use that freedom in serving the Lord - 1 Pe 2:16 “as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.” As we do so, we will show honor and respect to those in authority - 1 Pe 2:17 “Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”

Of course, we who live in countries that allow freedom of religion should be especially quick to show our respect and submission, and to thank God daily for this wonderful privilege!

Speaking of freedom of religion, are we taking advantage of such freedom by rendering obedience to God? Perhaps there are those who have not yet done so... - He 5:9 “and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation;”

Pilgrims And The Governments of Men

2010-04-04T05:19:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Pilgrims And The Governments Of Men (2:13-17)

Throughout our study in 1st Peter, we have noticed that as "pilgrims" , those who are Christians have many blessings and responsibilities. For example, in our previous study we saw that as "pilgrims and sojourners" we are to have our conduct honorable among those with whom we live. But what about our responsibilities to those governments of men under which we live? When our true citizenship is in heaven, do we have any responsibilities to the countries on earth?

Peter addresses this very question in 1 Pe 2:13-17... The pilgrims' resposibility is but one word: Submit! (13-14) “Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well.” We are to submit "to every ordinance of man". The word "submit" means "be subject to," signifying "to place one's self under subjection; to render one's self subordinate". This will not be the only time in this epistle that Christians will be told to be submissive - se for example, 1 Pe 2:18; 3:1; 5:5. In this case, we are told to submit "to every ordinance of man". The word "ordinance" literally means "a creation": The Greeks and Romans were accustomed to describe the appointment of officers as the "creation" of them. Therefore, the expression "ordinance" actually refers not to a particular law passed by government, but to the civil government or institution itself. See the NASV, "to every human institution". Note also, we are to submit to EVERY human institution whether it be a monarchy, democracy, or totalitarian state. The responsibility of pilgrims is still the same: submit!

The apostle Paul taught the same principle. We are to be subject to the governing authorities ("higher powers", KJV) - Ro 13:1 “Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God.” We MUST be subject, and show such submission by paying taxes and customs, and showing respect and honor to our officials - Ro 13:5-7 “Wherefore ye must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For this cause ye pay tribute also; for they are ministers of God’s service, attending continually upon this very thing. Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.” Our responsibility as pilgrims to the governments of men under which we live is quite simple: submit to them.

But submission is not always an easy thing to do. What reasons do Peter and Paul give that might motivate us to submit to our governments as we should? Looking closely at verses 15-17 of our text we will find the reasons why we must submit. Peter gives two good reasons. First and foremost, "this is the will of God" - 1 Pe 2:15a; see also, "for the Lord's sake" - 1 Pe 2:13. That ought to suffice for all true servants of God. But Peter does go on to explain why this is the Lord's will. That we may "put to silence the ignorance of foolish men" - 1 Pe 2:15b “that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:”. Because of their allegiance to a heavenly King, Christians are often falsely accused of sedition or treason - for example, Ac 17:5-8 “But the Jews, being moved with jealousy, took unto them certain vile fellows of the rabble, and gathering a crowd, set the city on an uproar; and assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them forth to the people. And when they found them not, they dragged Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; whom Jason hath received: and these all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. And they troubled the multitude and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.” By doing good (for example, submitting to the governing authorities), we can "silence" (lit., muzzle) such ignorant charges.

Paul also gives us another good reason. Governing authorities that exist have been appointed by God! - Ro 13:1 “Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God.” This truth is also emphasized in the book of Daniel - Dan 2:20-21 “Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his. And he changeth the times and the seasons; he removeth kings, and setteth up kings; he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that have understanding;”; 4:17 “The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the lowest of men.”, 25 “that thou shalt be driven from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen, and shalt be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee; till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.”, 32 “and thou shalt be driven from men; and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen; and seven times shall pass over thee; until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.”

Even those that are evil, which God uses for His divine purposes and then replaces - Exo 9:16 “but in very deed for this cause have I made thee to stand, to show thee my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.” (Egypt); Isa 10:5-12 (Assyria). This being the case, to resist the government means to resist God Himself! - Ro 13:2-4 “Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same: for he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him that doeth evil.”

So lest we find ourselves resisting against God Himself, let God's "pilgrims" freely submit to the powers ruling over them. In so doing, we will also silence those who might falsely accuse us of wrong-doing. But is the principle of submission to government without exception? Is there ever a time when Christians are justified in refusing to obey governmental authorities? We will look into the answers to these questions when we continue our lesson in Part 2.

A Plea to Pilgrims (2:11-12)

2010-03-28T03:17:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

A Plea To Pilgrims (2:11-12)

Having said that as Christians we are "a chosen generation"; "a royal priesthood"; "a holy nation"; God's "own special people"; Peter makes a heart-felt plea concerning our conduct before those in the world - 1 Pe 2:11-12 “Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” As we consider this "plea to pilgrims", remember that Peter is speaking by inspiration; in other words, it is actually GOD who is making this plea!

Before we examine the plea itself, let's notice some things mentioned in the passage that serve as the basis of the plea. You are "beloved". Beloved by whom? By Peter, of course - 1 Pe 2:12; also 1 Pe 4:12 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you:”. By Paul, James, John, & Jude, all of whom used this same term of endearment. But most of all, we are beloved of God and Jesus! - Ro 1:7 “To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”; Co 3:12 “Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;”. It is out of such human and divine love that this plea is made.

You are "sojourners and pilgrims". You have not yet reached your heavenly home. As we will see later, failure to heed the plea will mean you will never reach it! In view of that real possibility, we find this plea made even in the form of "begging"!

You are engaged in warfare. A war in which "fleshly lusts" wage war against the "soul". The outcome of this "war" will determine whether or not we will reach our heavenly home.

You are being observed by others. Some of which who often speak evil of you (even as they did of Christ). But by heeding this plea, it is possible to cause those very ones who speak evil of you to glorify God in "the day of visitation". This "day of visitation" might refer to the Day of Judgment. In my opinion, it refers to the "day" when God's grace is shown through a presentation of the gospel to them - Lk 19:44 “and shall dash thee to the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” In either case, we have an opportunity to bring glory to God by the way we heed this plea.

In view of these four reasons, then, God through Peter is making a heart-felt plea. What is this plea? It contains two parts, which we shall now look at closely. First, the plea begs us to "abstain from fleshly lust". The word "abstain" means "to hold one's self constantly back". From what are we to abstain? "Fleshly lusts", some of which are defined by Paul in Ga 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Notice that they involve more than just "sexual" sins (such as fornication). They also include sins of the "emotions" (hatred, outbursts of wrath, jealousies, envy, etc.). Why must we "hold ourselves constantly back" from these things?According to Peter, they "wage war against the soul". According to Paul, they can keep us out of the kingdom of God! - see Ga 5:21. So if we want to succeed in our spiritual "pilgrimage" and reach our heavenly destination, we must heed this "plea to pilgrims"! How can one abstain from fleshly lusts? In his epistles, Paul explains how. Keep your mind on the things of the Spirit, and not on the things of the flesh - Ro 8:5-6 “For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:”. Grow in Christ, and don't provide opportunities for the fulfillment of fleshly lusts - Ro 13:13-14 “Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in revelling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Should such opportunities arise, flee them (remember Joseph and Potiphar's wife?), and pursue after that which is good - 2 Ti 2:22 “But flee youthful lusts, and follow after righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

By following Paul's advice, we can win the "war" between the flesh and soul, and successfully complete our pilgrimage!

But abstaining from fleshly lusts is not the only thing expected of God's pilgrims. The plea also begs us to "have Honorable conduct". The word "honorable" ("honest", KJV) in the Greek is "kalos". It means that which is good, beautiful, harmonious, and lovely. In other words, our conduct is to be something beautiful and refreshing to behold. We can have conduct that is "honorable". If on the one hand, we abstain from "fleshly lusts", and on the other hand, we do "good works" ("good" is the same word in the Greek as "honorable"). We have seen what are "fleshly lusts", what "good works" can we do that are beautiful to behold? We can see to the needs of those who are poor, fatherless, widowed, sick, and otherwise afflicted - Ja 1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

We can demonstrate love and hospitality to brethren, friends, neighbors, even strangers - He 13:1-3 “Let love of the brethren continue. Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; them that are ill-treated, as being yourselves also in the body.”

We can react kindly to those who despise us, speak evil of us, and mistreat us - Lk 6:27-31 “But I say unto you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you. To him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and from him that taketh away thy cloak withhold not thy coat also. Give to every one that asketh thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” The effect of such conduct is that it will likely prompt others to glorify God! As Jesus taught us in Mt 5:16 “Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Even those who at the present may speak against us as evildoers! - 1 Pe 2:12 “having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

By heeding this "plea to pilgrims" as found in 1 Pe 2:11-12, it is possible to accomplish several things at the same time. We can save ourselves. We can glorify God. We might even help save those who presently speak evil of us! As the "people of God" who have "obtained mercy" (1 Pe 2:10), can we do any less? Abstain, then, from those fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul!Conduct yourselves, then, in ways that are honorable and a thing of beauty for others to behold! -- In so doing, you will ensure the successful completion of your spiritual pilgrimage!

Speaking of the mercy of God, have you received the mercy that comes through the "washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit"? - cf. Ti 3:4-7

Spiritual Sacrifices Acceptable to God 1 Peter 2:5

2010-03-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Spiritual Sacrifices Acceptable To God (2:5)

An important principle taught in the New Testament is that of "The Priesthood Of All Believers." It is true that under the Law of Moses there was a distinction made between priests and the common people. Even today, many religions professing to be "Christian" have developed a clergy-laity distinction. But the New Testament teaches otherwise - Re 1:5-6 “and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood; and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”; 1 Pe 2:9 “But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”. The fact is, in Christ we are ALL "clergy". I used to say that we had no clergy in the church, but in reality we have no "laity". Does this mean we are all free to use "clergy-parking"? I'll let you discuss that with the security guards at the hospitals!

As "a royal priesthood", our responsibilities are described in 1 Pe 2:5 “ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” "to offer up spiritual sacrifices". "sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ". My goal in this lesson is to make sure that we understand our duties as "a holy priesthood", and to encourage us to carry them out faithfully.

Let's take a closer look at the idea of "spiritual sacrifices" noting the types of sacrifices to be offered by Christians. We are to offer our bodies, as "living sacrifices" - Ro 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” A lifestyle characterized by sacrificial love - Ep 5:1-2 “Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.” Praise and thanksgiving, which we do in prayer and song - He 13:15 “Through him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name.”

Doing good and sharing with others - He 13:16 “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”; Ph 4:15-18 “And ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving but ye only; for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my need. Not that I seek for the gift; but I seek for the fruit that increaseth to your account. But I have all things, and abound: I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.” Even in the way we die for the Lord! - Ph 1:20 “according to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing shall I be put to shame, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.”; 2:17 “Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all:”; 2 Ti 4:6 “For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come.”

Let's examine the purpose of these sacrifices. In the Old Testament, sacrifices were offered for one of two reasons: for those OUT of fellowship with God, to restore them back to the Lord and for those IN fellowship with God, to express thanksgiving, praise, love and devotion. But in the New Testament only Jesus can provide the sacrifice needed to restore us back to God - He 10:11-18 “And every priest indeed standeth day by day ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, the which can never take away sins: but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; henceforth expecting till his enemies be made the footstool of his feet. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also beareth witness to us; for after he hath said, This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws on their heart, And upon their mind also will I write them; then saith he, And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”Therefore, it should be clearly understood that our sacrifices are not to "remove sin" or in any other way to try to "earn our way" into heaven! But rather, to express thanksgiving and praise, love and devotion, for the goodness and mercy God has shown to us! Such is the nature of the "spiritual sacrifices" we offer to God. But as our text says, they must be "acceptable to God".

We can learn some valuable lessons from the Book of Malachi about what constitutes "acceptable sacrifices". It must be the best we have to offer - Mal 1:6-8 “A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I am a father, where is mine honor? and if I am a master, where is my fear? saith Jehovah of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar. And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of Jehovah is contemptible. And when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, it is no evil! and when ye offer the lame and sick, it is no evil! Present it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee? or will he accept thy person? saith Jehovah of hosts.” we despise the Name of God by offering "defiled food"(sacrifices). Would we render the same kind of service to our employers, etc.? If not, God would rather someone "shut the doors"or let someone else serve Him - Mal 1:9-11“And now, I pray you, entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he accept any of your persons? saith Jehovah of hosts. Oh that there were one among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on mine altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, saith Jehovah of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the Gentiles, saith Jehovah of hosts.”

It must be offered with sincerity and zeal- Mal 1:12-13 “But ye profane it, in that ye say, The table of Jehovah is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even its food, is contemptible. Ye say also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith Jehovah of hosts; and ye have brought that which was taken by violence, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye bring the offering: should I accept this at your hand? saith Jehovah.” of zeal is evidence of lack of sincerity! Lack of both results in offering "blemished sacrifices", which brings a curse from Him who deserves proper reverence - Mal 1:14-2:9“But cursed be the deceiver, who hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a blemished thing; for I am a great King, saith Jehovah of hosts, and my name is terrible among the Gentiles. And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith Jehovah of hosts, then will I send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your seed, and will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your feasts; and ye shall be taken away with it. And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant may be with Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts. My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him that he might fear; and he feared me, and stood in awe of my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity. For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of hosts. But ye are turned aside out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble in the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have had respect of persons in the law”

How does this apply to our spiritual sacrifices like singing praises; like doing good to others? It must be offered in conjunction with righteous living - Mal 2:13-16 “And this again ye do: ye cover the altar of Jehovah with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, neither receiveth it with good will at your hand. Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because Jehovah hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously, though she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did he not make one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? And wherefore one? He sought a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For I hate putting away, saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, and him that covereth his garment with violence, saith Jehovah of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.” The priests of Malachi's day had been quick to divorce their wives. Even Peter taught that our treatment of wives would have a bearing on the effectiveness of our prayers - 1 Pe 3:7 “Ye husbands, in like manner, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor unto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel, as being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; to the end that your prayers be not hindered.” This can be applied to many other things as well - Ps 41:1-3 “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: Jehovah will deliver him in the day of evil. Jehovah will preserve him, and keep him alive, And he shall be blessed upon the earth; And deliver not thou him unto the will of his enemies. Jehovah will support him upon the couch of languishing: Thou makest all his bed in his sickness.”

Some in Malachi's day did not think it of any value to serve the Lord faithfully - Mal 3:13-15 “Your words have been stout against me, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, What have we spoken against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Jehovah of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are built up; yea, they tempt God, and escape.” But others heeded his words, and it is touching to read what was said about them - Mal 3:16-18 “Then they that feared Jehovah spake one with another; and Jehovah hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, even mine own possession, in the day that I make; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” Shall we be among those who serve God? May we never forget that in the sight of God we are to be "a royal priesthood", called to offer "spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ"!

May God help us to truly be one of His "jewels"!

Jesus: Cornerstone, or Stumblingstone

2010-03-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"
Jesus: Cornerstone, Or Stumblingstone? (2:4-10)

When the infant Jesus was being presented to the Lord at the temple, an interesting statement was made concerning Him by Simeon: "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel..." (Lk 2:34). In other words, Jesus was destined to have different effects on different people.... To some, He would be the cause of their rising. For others, He would be their down fall. In 1 Peter 2:4-10, the apostle Peter expands upon this same theme... To some people, Jesus serves as a "cornerstone". To others, He is a "stumblingstone".

What's the difference? Well to those who believe, Jesus is a "cornerstone". He is a living stone according to verse 4, “unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious,”. Which was rejected by men. As stated by John in Jn 1:10-11 “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not.” Instead, they crucified Him. And yet, He was chosen by God, considered to be precious as foretold in Ps 118:22, God has taken that which was rejected by men and made it the "cornerstone".

The cornerstone of what? The "cornerstone" of a great spiritual house or temple, (5-6) “ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.” Upon which we are being built. The same thought or illustration is used by the apostle Paul - 1 Co 3:9-11 “For we are God’s fellow-workers: ye are God’s husbandry, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon.”, 16-17 “Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye.”; Ep 2:19-22 “So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;”

As this spiritual house built upon Christ, we fulfill certain responsibilities. We serve as a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices to God, for example:
1) Our bodies - Ro 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
2) Our praise - He 13:15 “Through him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name.”
3) Our doing good and sharing - He 13:16 “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
4) Even our deaths - 2 Ti 4:6-8 “For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing.”

We therefore serve as God's special people (9-10) “But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
We are a great spiritual house or temple with a special task of proclaiming the praises of God for by His grace we have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light; we who were not a people, are now the people of God; we have obtained mercy!

Jesus is also the rock upon which we as individuals build our lives - MT 7:24-27 “Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof” By following His teachings, we are able to establish our lives on solid ground and this enables us to withstand the "storms" of life. So in more ways than one, Jesus is truly a "cornerstone" to those who believe in Him and follow Him.

But what about those who do not believe in Jesus, who do not make Him the "cornerstone" of their lives? To those who do not believe, Jesus is a "stumblingstone". There is no other alternative, (7-8). “For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” Either Jesus is the cornerstone upon which we are being built as stones in His temple (the church). Upon which we are building our lives by following His teaching. Or He will be the "stumblingstone" over which we will meet our doom!

That Jesus would be a stumblingstone to some was foretold by Isaiah, who Peter quotes - Isa 8:13-15 “Jehovah of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble thereon, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.” We saw that Simeon also foresaw the same thing when Jesus was presented in the temple as a newborn - Lk 2:34 “and Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel; and for a sign which is spoken against;” Even Jesus saw Himself as this stumblingstone - Mt 21:42-44 “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; This was from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.”

Sadly, Jesus became a stumblingstone to Israel. Ro 9:30-33 “What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith: but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling; even as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.”; 1 Co 1:23 “but we preach Christ crucified, unto Jews a stumblingblock, and unto Gentiles foolishness;”. Jesus was a stumbling block to many of the Jews because they thought that they could attain righteousness by keeping the Law. They could not accept the need for a suffering Messiah to atone for their sins!

In a similar way, Jesus is a stmblingstone for many people today. Pride prevents them from accepting Jesus on His terms! They think that they can please God and go to heaven on the basis of their good deeds. Therefore, they are unwilling to confess their sinfulness, and their need for Jesus Christ; to turn their lives over to Jesus, and to do His Will

The sad part is this. To those who stumble by being disobedient, doom awaits! They become angry, arrogant, and combative when their sinfulness is made known to them. For such doom has been appointed by God - 1 Pe 2:8 “and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” Such is logically necessary, for without Christ we will die in our own sins - Jn 8:24 “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Righteous punishment can only follow - Re 20:11-15 “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire. And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.”

We often sing "Jesus, Rock of Ages," for truly Jesus is like a rock. But what kind of rock is He to us? If we are willing to believe and obey Jesus, He can be the CORNERSTONE.... Upon which we can be added as part of His church, the spiritual temple. Upon which we can build our lives so as to have a full and meaningful life. But if we disbelieve and are disobedient. then by necessity Jesus will be our STUMBLINGSTONE.... Over which we will fall. Under which we will be broken and be ground to powder. There is no middle ground. What will Jesus be for you? Are you obedient to His Word?

2010-03-07T04:51:00.000-08:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"
Loving One Another Fervently (1:22)

In our last study, we saw that "Proper Conduct As Obedient Children" means:
1.) Not to conform ourselves to the former lusts - 1 Pe 1:14
2.) To be holy in all our conduct - 1 Pe 1:15-16
3.) To conduct ourselves in fear - 1 Pe 1:17-21
Another responsibility we have as obedient children is found in verse 22...“Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently:”. Simply stated, we are to "love one another fervently". A closer look at verse 22 reveals:
1) What "fervent love" is
2) And how it is possible for Christians to "love one another fervently"

But before we take that closer look, consider this question. Why is "fervent love" important? Why, because it is a demonstration of discipleship. While Judas had gone to betray Him, Jesus gave a new commandment - Jn 13:33-35 “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say unto you. A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” It is a commandment to love one another, even as Jesus loved us. The reason for such a commandment: to convince the world that we are truly His disciples! Where there is no "Christ-like love", our actions betray our words. We may profess to be Christ's disciples, but failure to have a fervent love like Christ had for us will cause the world to doubt our discipleship!

Second, it is a demonstration of spiritual life. "Love of the brethren" is an indication that we have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life - 1 Jn 3:14 “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death.” Failure to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, without any excuse, is an indication that we are still spiritually dead! We will not be able to stand before God in the judgment and offer up any excuse for failure to follw His command "that ye love one another; even as I have loved you,"

Thirdly, it demonstrates our relationship to God. God is love, and those who truly love have been born of God - 1 Jn 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God.” Failure to love leaves the impression that we have not been born again and that we do not truly know God! - 1 Jn 4:8 “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

Certainly these three reasons should convince us that "loving one another fervently" is important. But what qualifies as a "fervent love"? What kind of love will demonstrate our discipleship, our spiritual life, our relationship with God? What is "fervent love"? Clearly it is "fervent"! The same word is used in reference to prayer in Ac 12:5 “Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him.” There it is translated "constant" or "earnest". Just as the disciples were constantly praying for the release of Peter, so our love for one another is to be "unceasing". Therefore, only that love which is constant and earnest can qualify as "fervent love".

From Barnes NT Notes:
"See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." "The phrase "with a pure heart fervently," means
(1.) that it should be genuine love, proceeding from a heart in which there is no guile or hypocrisy;
(2.) that it should be intense affection, (Greek;) not cold and formal, but ardent and strong. If there is any reason why we should love true Christians at all, there is the same reason why our attachment to them should be intense. This verse establishes the following points:
(1.) That truth was at the foundation of their piety. They had none of which this was not the proper basis; and in which the foundation was not as broad as the superstructure. There is no religion in the world which is not the fair development of truth; which the truth is not fitted to produce.
(2.) They became Christians as the result of obeying the truth; or by yielding to its fair influence on the soul. Their own minds complied with its claims; their own hearts yielded; there was the exercise of their own volitions. This expresses a doctrine of great importance.
(a.) There is always the exercise of the powers of the mind in true religion; always a yielding to truth; always a voluntary reception of it into the soul.
(b.) Religion is always of the nature of obedience. It consists in yielding to what is true and right; in laying aside the feelings of opposition, and in allowing the mind to follow where truth and duty lead.
(c.) This would always take place when the truth is presented to the mind, if there were no voluntary resistance. If all men were ready to yield to the truth, they would become Christians. The only reason why all men do not love and serve God, is that they refuse to yield to what they know to be true and right.
(3.) The agency by which this was accomplished was that of the Holy Ghost. Truth is adapted in itself to a certain end or result, as seed is adapted to produce a harvest. But it will no more of itself produce its appropriate effects on the soul, than seed will produce a harvest without rains, and dews, and suns. In all cases, therefore, the proper effect of truth on the soul is to be traced to the influence of the Holy Spirit, as the germination of the seed in the earth is to the foreign cause that acts on it. No man was ever converted by the mere effect of truth without the agency of the Holy Ghost, any more than seed germinates when laid on a hard rock.
(4.) The effect of this influence of the Holy Spirit in applying the truth is to produce love to all who are Christians. Love to Christian brethren springs up in the soul of every one who is truly converted: and this love is just as certain evidence that the seed of truth has germinated in the soul, as the green and delicate blade that peeps up through the earth is evidence that the seed sown has been quickened into life. We may learn hence,
(a.) that truth is of inestimable value. It is as valuable as religion itself, for all the religion in the world is the result of it.
(b.) Error and falsehood are mischievous and evil in the same degree. There is no true religion which is the fair result of error; and all the pretended religion that is sustained by error is worthless.
(c.) If a system of religion, or a religious measure or doctrine, cannot be defended by truth, it should be at once abandoned. Comp. See Barnes "Job 13:7".
(d.) We should avoid the places where error is taught. Pr 19:27, "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge."
(e.) We should place ourselves under the teachings of truth, for there is truth enough in the world to occupy all our time and attention; and it is only by truth that our minds can be benefited."

Love must also be "sincere". Translated "unfeigned" in some versions. The Greek word literally means "not hypocritical". This makes it clear that "fervent love" is not to be some kind of show, but coming from the heart - Ro 12:9 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.”

Finally, love must also be "pure". Love of the brethren must always be kept in the context of moral purity. Under no circumstances is our love to be a cover for sexual immorality - Ep 5:2-3 “and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints;”. Pure, sincere, fervent love, then, is one that emulates Christ's love, in other words, a sacrificial love! We'll continue this lesson in a second part answering the question 'How do we measure up to this type of love"?

Proper Conduct as Obedient Children 1 Peter 1:14-21

2010-02-28T06:59:00.000-08:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"
Proper Conduct As Obedient Children (1:14-21)

In our previous study, we saw from verse 13 that we have the responsibility to fortify the focus of our hope and set it fully upon the grace that we are to receive when Jesus comes again. Another responsibility we have as Christians is to conduct ourselves as "obedient children" - 1 Pe 1:14 “as children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in the time of your ignorance:”. While the need to be obedient is often misconstrued by some as sounding legalistic, it is stressed in the New Testament nonetheless - He 5:9 “and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation;”; 2 Th 1:8 “rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus:”

In what way are we to be obedient? There is much the Bible has to say on the subject, but in this lesson we shall focus our attention to 1 Pe 1:14-21, where we learn that "Proper Conduct As Obedient Children" has both negative and positive connotations (both "thou shalt nots" and "thou shalt"). For example, we learn from verse 14 that as "obedient children" we are not to conform to former lust. My understanding of what Peter is saying is from the word "conform" ("fashion" in the KJV), which means "to conform one's self (i.e. one's mind and character) to another's pattern". The "former lusts" refer to the evil desires and behavior in which we once engaged, and in which the world continues to engage. In essence, then, Peter is saying: "Don't act like you once did, or like those still in the world." "Do not adopt their sinful habits, mannerisms, dress, and speech, which you did before you became Christians."

By applying what Peter is saying we will not seek to act like those who are not Christians. For Christians are not to be "conformists", but true "non-conformists", or "transformists" as Paul writes - Ro 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” "Conformists" simply imitate others, sometimes claiming to do so only outwardly. But "transformists" are those who: Have undergone a true change on the "inside" and who manifest the difference on the "outside"

To behave properly as "obedient children", then, we need to be sure we are not adopting the sinful habits or mannerisms of those in the world. Like accepting the popular fashions of our society which appeal to fleshly desires: Such as, short dresses, tight "designer jeans", and other immodest apparel. Christians, rather than conforming, are to adorn themselves in modest apparel - 1 Ti 2:9-10 “In like manner, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety; not with braided hair, and gold or pearls or costly raiment; but (which becometh women professing godliness) through good works.” Like filling our speech with suggestive language or jokes - Ep 4:29 “Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear.”; 5:3-4 “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints; nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, or jesting, which are not befitting: but rather giving of thanks.” Or delighting in various forms of entertainment which cater to fleshly desires - Ph 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

But too many Christians DO conform to the world and its lusts.... Therefore it is not surprising to hear many becoming entrapped by the world as is indicated by the rise of marital unfaithfulness and divorce. So Christians need to heed what Peter is saying (as well as what was said by John - 1 Jn 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

In a more "positive" vein, we learn from verses 15-16 that as "obedient children" we are to be holy in our conduct. The word "holy" is closely related to the words "sanctify" and "sanctification". All of which stress the idea of being "set apart". To be "holy", then, means that we are "set apart" or dedicated to God. We are to be "holy" for two reasons. The first reason is that given in our text: "For I (God) am holy." The God who has called us through His gospel is a holy God. He Himself is "set apart" from sin and wickedness. His very nature demands a similar holiness on our part - cf. He 12:14 “Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord:” It is also Jesus' desire that we be holy (He died for this very purpose!) - cf. Ep 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

We need to also note that we are to be holy in "all" our conduct. Holiness is not something we put on when convenient, like on Sundays. Instead, our daily life, our entire conduct is to be "set apart" in service to the Lord - Ro 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.” For this to be true, every aspect of our life must be in harmony with God's demand for holiness! This means our work, our speech, our dress, our recreation. ALL should be in harmony with the principles of God's Word. Even the most mundane things, when done in keeping with God's Will, become a part of our holy service to God! Can it be said of our lives, that we are holy in all our conduct? Do we go about our business, our play, with the thought of being "set apart" to the Will of God, so that it is evident in our business or play? I am sure that all of us can improve in this area of our service as "obedient children"!

There is one more point that can be made in reference to our conduct as "obedient children", taken from verses 17-21. We must conduct ourselves in fear. As pilgrims, "fear" has a proper place during our sojourn as we live in this world. Even as Jesus taught His disciples - Mt 10:28 “And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” And as Paul wrote the Philippians - Ph 2:12 “So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;”

Peter gives us two reasons for such "fear" in our text. First, in view of the judgment by our Father - 1 Pe 1:17 “And if ye call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to each man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear:”. God will not be partial - "without partiality". God will be personal in His judgment - "judges according to each one's work" -- No one will receive special favors, no one will escape His discerning eye! Second, in view of the high cost of redemption - 1 Pe 1:18-21 “knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers; but with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, even the blood of Christ: who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was manifested at the end of times for your sake, who through him are believers in God, that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God.”

We were not redeemed from our sins with silver or gold, but only by the precious blood of Christ!
1) Who was without blemish and without spot
2) Who was foreordained to die for our sins before the world began
3) Who came to this earth for our sakes
4) By whom our faith and hope are in God!
Any Christian who does not conduct himself in a manner appreciative of the price paid for his sins, can expect a fate worse than death if he does not repent! - He 10:26-31"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. A man that hath set at nought Moses law dieth without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

From verses 14-21, then, we learn that "Proper Conduct As Obedient Children" means that we are not to conform ourselves to former lusts. We are to be holy in all our conduct. We are to conduct ourselves in fear. Paul said much the same thing in writing to the church at Corinth:
"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Co 7:1) This we cannot do on our own, but by the redeeming grace of God.... We can be forgiven by the precious blood of Christ. We can be strengthened by the power of His Spirit to live the sort of lives pleasing to our Heavenly Father. Have you responded to the grace of God in order to receive such wonderful blessings? - Ac 2:38

Fortifying The Focus of Our Hope (1:13)

2010-02-21T05:45:00.000-08:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"
Fortifying The Focus Of Our Hope (1:13)

Up to this point in his epistle, Peter has summarized some of the blessings enjoyed by God's "pilgrims"... Their election, sanctification, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus - 1 Pe 1:2. Their rebirth to a living hope - 1 Pe 1:3. Their incorruptible inheritance, reserved in heaven - 1 Pe 1:4. Their being kept by the power of God through faith for the salvation to come - 1 Pe 1:5. Their great joy, which is inexpressible and full of glory - 1 Pe 1:6-9. And, the honor of having been served by a distinguished group of individuals - 1 Pe 1:10-12.

Starting with verse 13, we find a series of exhortations.... These exhortations are based upon the wonderful blessings listed previously (note the connecting word "therefore"). These exhortations are found throughout much of the rest of the epistle. The first exhortation relates to the "hope" that we have as Christians - 1 Pe 1:13 “Wherefore girding up the loins of your mind, be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” In which we are charged to "rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ". Put another way, we are being charged to "fortify the focus of our hope". What this means, and how we are to accomplish it, will be the focus of this lesson.

Let's start by first noticing our duty to fortify the focus of our hope. That is the primary exhortation in this passage. The words "rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you" is the main point of this verse. The other exhortations which precede it are subsidiary. And will be considered later.

What does it mean to "rest your hope fully"? It means to "set your hope perfectly, unchangeably, without doubt and despondency". As the NASV puts it: "fix your hope completely on the grace...". Therefore Peter is exhorting us to make our hope one that is complete, strong, and not wavering.

The cultivation of a strong hope is therefore a Christian duty. We have a duty to develop and fortify our hope. Just as we need to cultivate patience, self-control, etc., so we need to cultivate our hope! For without a hope that is strong our faith may waver. We are subject to fear, doubt, and depression. Yes, the cultivation (or fortification) of our hope is essential to living joyful and victorious lives as Christians! This is the main point of verse 13, an exhortation to fortify our hope, to make it stronger. Just as we are to grow in faith and love, so we are to grow in hope!

To do this effectively, it is important to give thought to identifying the focus of our hope. As defined in verse 13, our hope is the "grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ". In other words, the unmerited favor that we will receive when Jesus comes again!

This is alluded to in the first twelve verses. Our hope is the "inheritance...reserved in heaven for you" - 1 Pe 1:4. The "salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" - 1 Pe 1:5. The "praise, honor, and glory" we shall receive "at the revelation of Jesus Christ" - 1 Pe 1:7. The "end of your faith--the salvation of your souls" - 1 Pe 1:9

In view of all these verses, the focus of our hope is to be the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the wonderful grace He will bring! The wonderful praise, honor, and glory we shall receive when He comes! The complete and final salvation of our souls from sin and its effects! The receiving of our wonderful inheritance, the heavenly city, which is incorruptible, undefiled, and that does not fade away! Such is to be the focus of our hope. And as stated previously, the main charge in this passage to "rest our hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you" (to fortify the focus of your hope).

How we accomplish this is now considered as we examine what is necessary to fortify the focus of our hope. "gird up the loins of your mind". "gird up" is an oriental expression.... It refers to the act of gathering up around the waist the long, loose robes warn by those in the east. Such "gathering up" was necessary or one's progress in running or some other act of exertion would be impeded. With the use of this metaphor, Peter is saying we must put out of the mind all things that would impede the free action of the mind in connection with developing our hope. We must put out of the mind such things like worry, fear, or obsession with material possessions. In other words, remove anything and everything that is not conducive to having a strong hope in the coming of our Lord. Such as carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life as Jesus said - Lk 21:34-35 “But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth.” Such things as these "choke" us and hinder our ability to bear fruit (such as the fruit of a strong hope) - Lk 8:14 “And that which fell among the thorns, these are they that have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.”

"Be sober". The word "sober" means "to be calm and collected in spirit, to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect". It is that state of mind in which the individual is self-controlled, able to see things without the distortion caused by worry or fear. To fortify the focus of our hope requires a CALM and SERIOUS attention to the task at hand - Lk 21:36 ("Watch therefore, and pray always..."). We cannot cultivate and fortify a strong hope if we are so "weak-minded" that we allow things to divert us away from our true calling!

And what is our calling? To sojourn through this life as pilgrims, but with a hope that is resting fully upon the grace we will receive when Christ comes again! The problem with many Christians today is NOT that they have no hope, but that their hope is weak and shallow. And that is because they are preoccupied with the affairs of this temporary life. To remain faithful to the Lord, we need to heed Peter's exhortation to fortify the focus of our hope by freeing our minds of those things which would hinder us. By being more serious about the kind of lives our Heavenly Father would have us live - Lk 12:35-40 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; and be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he shall return from the marriage feast; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and shall come and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, and if in the third, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not have left his house to be broken through. Be ye also ready: for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

Our next lesson will elaborate upon how God would have us live; but for now, are we living for God at all...?

Ministering Not to Themselves, But to Us - Cont.

2010-02-14T05:54:00.000-08:00

Ministering Not To Themselves, But To Us (1:10-12) - Cont.

In our prior portion of this lesson we left off the statement "And it was the Holy Spirit who inspired the apostles to reveal the gospel, referencing 1 Pe 1:12 “To whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.”

Let's now consider the implications of this truth. Through His ministry of inspiration and revelation in the lives of the prophets and apostles, we have been served by the Holy Spirit. Because of His work, we have today the completed revelation of God's Word in our hands! This is in addition to the "sanctifying work" of the Holy Spirit to which Peter referred in 1 Pe 1:2 “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.” Do we appreciate the service that the Holy Spirit has rendered for us throughout the ages? Is this not an indication of the great value God must place upon His people?

But there is even another group of distinguished individuals who served their lives in our behalf... We have been served by "the Apostles"! This we can glean from verse 12 "...those who preached the gospel to you". This is a likely reference to the apostles of Jesus Christ who were commissioned to preach the gospel, as recorded in Mk 16:15-16“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.” they carried out this "Great Commission", they considered themselves but servants for those to whom they preached. As Paul said, they were but "seed-throwers"and "water-boys"- 1 Co 3:5-7“What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him. I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” were serving as servants of Christ - 1 Co 3:21-4:1“Wherefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s. Let a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Here, moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.”; 2 Co 4:5“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.”

Therefore, we have been served by men, such as Peter, James, John, and Paul. Men who gave their lives for our sake, to convince the world that our faith in their testimony is not unfounded, but that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead! - 2 Co 11:24-29 “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not?”

When we take the time to think about those who spent their lives ministering to us, we can't help but conclude that Christians hold a very high place in God's scheme of redemption as it has unfolded throughout the ages! But before we conclude this lesson, let me point out another noble group that has served those who are God's "elect". We have been served by "angels". Verse 12 tells us that angels had a keen interest in things prophesied by the prophets and in things proclaimed by the apostles through the gospel.

Why such a keen interest? They too were involved in the process of foretelling and revealing the salvation in Christ! For example, Gabriel's appearances to Daniel - see Dan 8, 9. Gabriel's appearances to Zacharias and Mary - see Lk 1:11-19, 26-38. But like the prophets, angels were also in the dark concerning the details of the coming salvation. And so, the angels were serving not themselves but us! - He 1:13-14 “But of which of the angels hath he said at any time, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation?”

Our Father in heaven must hold His "elect" (the church) in high regard to have them served by such a distinguished company! To be so privileged should motivate us to praise God for His grace and to devote our lives in grateful service to Him and His people. But the grace God bestowed toward us reached its peak when addition to all these (prophets, the Holy Spirit, apostles, angels) He sent His only Son to serve us as well!
"just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." - Mt 20:28
Shall we not respond with grateful service through faithful obedience to His Will?

Ministering Not to Themselves, But to Us

2010-02-07T06:05:00.000-08:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Ministering Not To Themselves, But To Us (1:10-12)

Already in Peter's epistle we have seen several blessings enjoyed by the "elect" of God.... The "elect" are born again to a "living" hope - 1 Pe 1:3. The "elect" having a joy "inexpressible and full of glory" - 1 Pe 1:8.

As one continues in verses 10-12, he finds that Peter expands upon the topic of the "salvation" Christians enjoy as a result of their faith (please read) “Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them. To whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.” If one takes the time to contemplate upon what is found in this passage, he should not fail to be impressed with how privileged we are in God's sight. For there we learn that we are the recipients of a gospel that was prophesied and has come to us only through the efforts of a very distinguished company of individuals! And in their efforts, they were ministering not to themselves, but to us who are now Christians!

To illustrate just how privileged we are, let's begin identifying those who have ministered to us... We have been served by 'Prophets", which is the main thought of this passage. When the prophets prophesied, they were often intrigued by what they revealed - 1 Pe 1:10-11 “Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them.” This is because they were inspired or moved by the Holy Spirit, and not by their own will - 2 Pe 1:21 “For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.” Therefore, they often expressed perplexity concerning those things they prophesied - for example, Dan 7:28 “Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my countenance was changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.”; 8:26-27 “And the vision of the evenings and mornings which hath been told is true: but shut thou up the vision; for it belongeth to many days to come. And I, Daniel, fainted, and was sick certain days; then I rose up, and did the king’s business: and I wondered at the vision, but none understood it.” But as pointed out in our text, it was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but us! - Dan 12:8-9 “And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my lord, what shall be the issue of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end.”

Consider the implications of this point. We who are Christians have been served by such people as Moses, Samuel, and David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. These men (and many others) spent their lives, and in many cases even gave their lives, in service to you and me! Yes, these great "heroes of faith" suffered much in their service to God and to us who are now in Christ - He 11:36-38 “and others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword: they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves, and the holes of the earth.” Does this not indicate that we must be very special in God's sight? We who have been ministered unto by the prophets of Almighty God, and who endured all these things for our sake?

And yet, there is even more... We have been served by "the Holy Spirit"! This thought is also expressed in our text. For it was the Holy Spirit who inspired the prophets to proclaim things to come - 1 Pe 1:11 “searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them.” It was He who inspired David and Isaiah to foretell the sufferings of Christ - see, Ps 22 and Isa 53. It was He who likewise moved the prophets to proclaim the glories to follow:

1) the resurrection of Jesus - Ps 16: 9-11 “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; My flesh also shall dwell in safety. For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; In thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

2) His ascension and coronation - Dan 7:13-14 “I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

And it was the Holy Spirit who inspired the apostles to reveal the gospel - 1 Pe 1:12 “To whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.” As Jesus promised He would, in His discourse to His apostles - Jn 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come.” As Paul said He did, in writing to the Ephesians - Ep 3:5 “which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;”

We will pause here and consider the implications of this truth when we continue this lesson in a second part.

Joy Inexpressible and Full of Glory (1 Peter 1:6-9)

2010-01-31T05:23:00.000-08:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"
Joy Inexpressible And Full Of Glory (1:6-9)

One of the many blessings available to the "elect" (chosen) of God is a very special kind of joy.... For reasons we shall notice in our lesson, Christians are able to "greatly rejoice" (lit., "leap for joy") - 1 Pe 1:6 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials,”. They have access to joy that is "inexpressible and full of glory" - 1 Pe 1:8 “whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory:” A joy so great, so glorious, that it is impossible to truly express with words!

In this lesson, we shall focus our attention on Peter's remarks in 1 Pe 1:6-9 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ: whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”; concerning this "inexpressible joy" that Christians are blessed to have.

Notice first that in verse 6 Peter begins by saying "IN THIS you greatly rejoice..." He is referring to those things which serve as the basis for inexpressible joy. There are "past" grounds for rejoicing. We have been "set apart" by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit - 1:2. We have been "sprinkled" with the blood of Jesus Christ - 1:2. We have been "born again" to a living hope - 1:3.

There are "present" grounds for rejoicing as well. We are God's "elect" - 1:2. We are "kept" by the power of God through faith - 1:5 “who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” There are also "future" grounds for rejoicing. We have an "inheritance" reserved for us in heaven - 1:4. We look forward to the "salvation" which will be revealed in the last time - 1:5, note 1:9 “receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” All these blessings (past, present, future) serve as the basis for inexpressible joy. Because of them, we can "greatly rejoice!"

Exactly how great is this joy? In verses 6-7, Peter explains the exceeding greatness of this joy. It enables us to rejoice even in trial (1:6) “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials,”. No matter what degree of suffering one may experience, in Christ there is joy to match it. As Peter explains in 1 Pe 4:12-13 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you: but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy.” As he and the rest of the apostles exemplified in Ac 5:40-41 “And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles unto them, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.” How can Christians find joy in such trials? Informed Christians understand the purifying nature of such trials - 1 Pe 1:7 “that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ:”; 2 Co 4:17-18 “For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Knowing what trials can produce, it is possible to be joyful in trials - Ja 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.”, 12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love him.”; Ro 5:1-5 “Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness; and stedfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope: and hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us.”

What kind of trials? The word "various" includes all kinds. Primarily, it includes those which come as a result of living for Christ - Mt 5:10-12 “Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.” But we can also rejoice in the everyday afflictions of life. Such as, sickness, heartbreak, frustration, approaching death. For these things also provide an opportunity to test our faith, hope, love, longsuffering and patience. If one is able to rejoice even in the midst of such trials, surely they have a joy "inexpressible and full of glory"!

But how can Christians be sure to possess this joy? For it must be admitted that all do not, and there are times when even the best of us do not. In verse 8, Peter alludes to two things which I suggest are necessary to possessing this inexpressible joy.

We must love Jesus, "whom having not seen you love". Jesus is the ultimate source for being able to rejoice in all things - Ph 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice.” He has promised that if we truly love Him, He and His Father will be with us - Jn 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” If Jesus is with us, we can receive that joy which is inexpressible! - Jn 15:11 “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”; 16:33 “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” But can we who have never seen Jesus, love Him? Yes! - 1 Pe 1:8 “whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory:” How can we come to love Him who we have not seen? Through a devotional study of:
1.) The Old Testament, with its prophecies of the Messiah
2.) The Gospels, with their description of His life, teachings, compassion, suffering, death, and glorious resurrection
3.) The Acts, with its action-packed portrayal of the Lord working together with His church
4.) The Epistles, where we learn of many blessings found in Christ, and of His ministry as High Priest interceding in our behalf
5.) The Revelation, in which we learn of the glorious victory to be won by the Lamb and His followers

We must also believe in Jesus. "Though now you do not see Him, yet believing...". Through believing in Jesus we can "rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory". But such faith is more than a mental assent, or academic knowledge of Jesus. It involves the key element of faith itself, which is "trust". Trusting in His commands to be for our ultimate good. Trusting is His promises to fulfilled. The kind of trust that prompts us to obey Jesus wholeheartedly. This kind of faith comes from the Word of God - Ro 10:17 “ So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

When we have this kind of faith in Jesus, and when we truly love Him with our whole being.... A blessing we receive is that "joy inexpressible and full of glory"! A blessing that can sustain us till we reach the end (goal) of our faith: salvation! - 1 Pe 1:9 “receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” That is because this "inexpressible joy" is based upon many other blessings: past, present, and future. It enables us to joyfully persevere through all kinds of trials in this life. But again, this blessing is only for those who truly love Jesus and believe in Him...

Do you love Jesus? If you do, you will keep His commandments - Jn 14:15 “If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments.”, 23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” Do you believe in Jesus? If you do, you will do what He says - Lk 6:46 “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

Are there commandments of Jesus you have not yet obeyed? If so, why not obey them today so that this "inexpressible joy" can be yours as well!

A "Living" hope (1 Peter 1:3-5)

2010-01-24T05:37:00.000-08:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

A "Living" Hope (1 Peter 1:3-5)

In our study of Peter's epistle so far, we have noticed that as far as the world is concerned, Christians are but "pilgrims". But as far as God is concerned, we are His "elect". As the "elect" (chosen) of God, we are the recipients of many blessings that God offers to all who will obey and follow Christ. One of these blessings is described in 1 Pe 1:3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." Here we learn that God has caused us to be born again unto "a living hope". An understanding of this "living" hope can help Christians who are "pilgrims" be more joyful during their sojourn in this life. Therefore, in this lesson we shall examine what Peter says about the Christian hope that makes it a "living" hope.

Verse 3 begins with Peter praising God, and this leads us to the first reason our hope is a "living" hope, because God is merciful. The basis for our hope lies in the abundance of God's mercy; mercy bestowed while we were yet sinners - Ro 5:6 "For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly.", 8 "But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Mercy bestowed upon the conditions of faith, repentance, and baptism - Ac 2:36-38 "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Mercy bestowed continually upon Christians as they repent of and confess their sins - 1 Jn 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Because of God's "abundant mercy", then, we who are sinners can have a "living" hope!

But according to verse 3 there is another reason to have hope. Because Jesus is alive! The resurrection of Jesus is crucial to our hope. If Christ is not risen, then the apostles were liars, and our faith is vain! - 1 Co 15:14-15 "and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain. Yea, we are found false witnesses of God; because we witnessed of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead are not raised." If Christ is not risen, we are still held guilty for our sins, no forgiveness has occurred! - 1 Co 15:17 "and if Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins." If Christ is not risen, those who have died as Christians have perished, they are lost! - 1 Co 15:18 "Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished." If Christ has not risen, then we do not have a "living" hope, instead we are to be pitied by others! - 1 Co 15:19 "If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable."

But through Jesus' resurrection, we have been "born again" to a living hope! Peter may have reference not to the process of conversion (though he does in 1 Pe 1:23), but to the renewed hope produced by the resurrection of Jesus. For example, after Jesus' death and prior to His resurrection, the disciples were despondent. But after the resurrection of Jesus, His disciples were "born again" in regards to their hope. As Guy N. Woods says in his commentary: "The reference here is...to the re-establishment of the faith of the disciples by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead." Surely the fact that Jesus did rise gives us reason for a "living" hope. God would not raise a liar, so anything Jesus said about our hope is true - note, Jn 11:25 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live;". Since Jesus rose from the dead, we have a firm hope that we too will one day rise from the dead - 1 Co 15:20-23 "But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming." By the abundant mercy of God, and upon the basis of Jesus' own resurrection, then, we have been "born again" to a living hope!

But there are two more reasons discussed in verses 4-5 as to why our hope can be described as "living". One is because of the nature of our inheritance! The degree of hope we have is directly related to the inheritance we have. If our inheritance is a good one, our hope is strong, or "living". If our inheritance is a poor one, then our hope is weak, or "dead".

This is as Peter described in verses 4-5 "unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." It is "incorruptible. The Greek word is aphthartos {af'-thar-tos}, meaning "not liable to corruption or decay, imperishable". Unlike the present heavens and earth in which now live, and which will one day be destroyed - 2 Pe 3:10-13 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

Our inheritance is to be undefiled. The Greek word is amiantos {am-ee'-an-tos}, meaning "not defiled, unsoiled". It is unlike the earthly Canaan, which could be and was defiled by its inhabitants. Our hope pertains to that where the defiled are not allowed to enter - Re 21:27"and there shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean, or he that maketh an abomination and a lie: but only they that are written in the Lamb's book of life."

Our inheritance does not fade away. The Greek word is amarantos {am-ar'-an-tos}, meaning "unfading, perennial". The word is a variation of "amaranth" which was the name of a mythical flower whose bloom was perpetual and whose loveliness never faded. Such is our heavenly reward: it will not rust, fade, or wither like so many things do here on earth.

Our inheritance is reserved in heaven. The word "reserved" comes from tereo {tay-reh'-o}, meaning "to watch, to observe, to guard, protect, to reserve, set aside". Therefore, our inheritance is safely guarded in heaven itself! No one, not even Satan himself, can steal it from you!

Since this is the nature of our "inheritance" upon which our hope rests, we can see why our hope is described as a "living" hope.There is one more reason to call our hope a "living" hope: not only is our inheritance safely guarded in heaven, but also because we are guarded. Christians are "kept" for the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The word "kept" is from phroureo {froo-reh'-o}, and is a military term. It means "to guard, protect by a military guard, either to prevent hostile invasion, or to keep the inhabitants of a besieged city from flight". "While our inheritance is being kept guarded in heaven under the watchful eye of God, we are being garrisoned about by God's protecting care for it." (WUEST)

Note that being "kept" involves two things. First, The Power of God! We have the help of God Himself, who knows how to help those in temptation. He knows how to deliver them out of temptation - 2 Pe 2:9 "the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment;" He knows how to enable them to bear with the temptation - 1 Co 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it." He supplies the armor necessary to withstand in the evil day - Ep 6:10-13 "Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand."

Also, Our Faith! To be safely guarded by God's protective care requires faith on our part. The only way we can ever lose our inheritance reserved in heaven is to become unfaithful to the Lord! - Re 2:10 "Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." While the Bible teaches the security of the "believer" It also teaches that a "believer" can become an "unbeliever" - He 3:12-13 "Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God: but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called To-day; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin:" And it teaches that "unbelievers" have no hope - He 3:14-4:3. As long as we remain "faithful", then, we have the assurance of God's protective care to guide us until we receive that inheritance reserved in heaven for us!

In this passage (1 Pe 1:3-5), there are four reasons why the hope of the Christian is called a "living" hope: because God is merciful! Because Jesus is alive! Because of the nature of our inheritance!Because we are safely guarded! A "living" hope can be a source of great joy in the lives of Christians; it certainly was to the original recipients of Peter's epistle:
"In this (the living hope that pertains to the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time) you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials." - 1 Pe 1:6

Do you have this "living" hope? You do if you have received God's mercy offered in Christ, and are remaining faithful to the Lord. If you have not received this mercy, or have neglected it through unfaithfulness, why not come to the Lord according to His conditions found in His Holy Word? - please read Ac 2:38; 1 Jn 1:9

This lesson has been composed in part from a lesson series on 1st Peter by Mark A. Copeland and used as permitted by him at The Executable Outlines Series website.
The Executable Outlines Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2000

The elect of God (1 Peter 1;2) Cont.

2010-01-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

The "Elect" Of God (1:2) - Cont.

Peter in this epistle will later expound upon the need for obedience. As obedient children of God, we are to be holy - 1 Pe 1:14-16 “as children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in the time of your ignorance: but like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.”

We are even to submit to civil authorities, that we might silence the ignorance of foolish men - 1 Pe 2:13-16 “Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well. For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.” Peter implies grave consequences to those "who obey not the gospel of God" - 1 Pe 4:17 “For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?” Peter also tells servants and wives to be obedient, but this should suffice to impress upon us that the privilege of being God's "elect" involves the responsibility of being obedient to the will of the Lord.

Finally, being the "elect" of God also means we have the blessings of forgiveness! We enjoy the "spinkling of the blood of Christ Jesus. This is a clear reference to the blessing of forgiveness of sins made possible by the death of Christ. The blessing of forgiveness is one enjoyed when we first become Christians upon our baptism into Christ - Ac 2:38 “And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”; 22:16 “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.” The blessing of forgiveness is one enjoyed as we confess sins throughout our daily walk with God -1 Jn 1:7-9 “but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This blessing is only one of several mentioned in Peter's epistle. He later speaks of "an inheritance" - 1 Pe 1:4 “unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,”. And the "salvation of souls" - 1 Pe 1:9 “receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” He describes Jesus as the "Shepherd and Overseer of your souls" - 1 Pe 2:25 “For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” He also refers to the care of God - 1 Pe 5:7 “casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you.”

We hope to examine some of these blessings for God's "elect" in greater detail in future lessons. But what we have seen from 1 Pe 1:2 is that while Christians may indeed be "pilgrims", strangers living in a world not their own, they are not to be pitied! For by the grace of God and their obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ, they are God's "elect", His "chosen ones", and as such they are:
1) Part of God's predetermined plan
2) Chosen through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit
3) Given responsibilities in keeping with the fact they are the children of God
4) Recipients of the richest blessings God has to offer (such as forgiveness of sins)
It is surprising, then, that Peter would address such people with: "Grace to you and peace be multiplied"? Certainly those who are God's "elect" receive in multiple measure the saving grace of God and the peace which accompanies such unmerited favor!

How about you? Are you one of the "elect" of God? You are if you have answered the call of the gospel through the obedience of faith (see Mk 16:15-16; Ac 2:38-41)! If you have not yet rendered obedience to the gospel, then please do so today, especially in view of the following statements by Peter and Paul:

"For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?" - 1 Pe 4:17

"and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed." - 2 Th 1:7-10

The Elect of God (1Peter 1:2)

2010-01-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"
The "Elect" Of God (1:2)

In our previous study, we noticed that Peter referred to Christians as "pilgrims of the Dispersion". This description implies that Christians are but strangers, foreigners, sojourning in a land not their own, and scattered about like seed. With their citizenship in heaven, they may be "in" this world, but they are not to be "of" this world. Therefore, one of their important duties is to be "separate" - 1 Pe 2:11 "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul."

One might think that since Christians are "scattered strangers" in this world, they are to be pitied. Not so, for though they are strangers in the world, they are the "ELECT" of God - 1 Pe 1:2“according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.” The word "elect" simply means "chosen" and is thus translated in 1 Pe 2:9-10 “But ye are an elect race (chosen, KJV), a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” There we learn that Christians are "a chosen generation"; i.e., they are truly God's chosen people!

In this lesson, we shall consider what it means for Christians to be "The ELECT Of God". Using the comments of Peter in 1 Pe 1:2 as an outline for this study, we see first that as the ELECT of God we are a part of God's predetermined plan. Peter says, "elect according to the foreknowledge of God". The word "foreknowledge" comes from "prognosis" {prog'-no-sis}. It means "forethought, pre-arrangement". For example, being the "elect" (chosen) of God is in keeping with God's plan which He designed beforehand. As B. W. Johnson says in his "People's New Testament" commentary: "Their election and salvation was in accordance with God's predetermined purpose to save men through the gospel, and hence, according to foreknowledge."

Paul expounds upon this "pre-arrangement" in Ephesians. God planned it before the world began - Ep 1:4 “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love:”. It anticipated the "chosen" being holy and without blame - Ep 1:4b “that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love:”. It looked forward to the "elect" being adopted as sons - Ep 1:5a “having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself”. This plan is according to God's good pleasure - Ep 1:5b “according to the good pleasure of his will,”. This plan has a goal that the "elect" walk in good works - Ep 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.”

Was this "election" individual or corporate? I understand election by God to have been general, not particular; corporate, not individual. That it would be "the body of Christ, the church as a whole".... Which God chose to be the recipients of His divine and gracious purposes and which He planned beforehand (foreknowledge) to carry out in Christ Jesus. While in the "corporate" sense this choice is unconditional and final, as "individuals" we must be "diligent to make your calling and election sure" - 2 Pe 1:10. Just as Israel (as a nation) had been chosen by God to receive His blessings during the Old Testament period, but individually, the Israelites also had to make "their calling and election sure". So by being in Christ, we are God's "elect", and involved in a plan which was in the mind of God before time began and which is still in the process of being worked out! The implication of this is that those who are God's "elect" are very special to God.

As we return to 1 Pe 1:2, we learn also that we become God's "elect" through the sanctifying work of the Spirit. Sanctification, the process by which we are "set apart" for God's purpose, is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. There are several passages that describe the connection between the Holy Spirit and our sanctification - Ro 15:16 “that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus unto the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”; 1 Co 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.”; 2 Th 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”

How the Holy Spirit accomplishes this "sanctification is through the Word of God. It was God's will that the Holy Spirit would reveal the Word to the apostles - Jn 16:12-13 “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come.” Through this revealed Word, we are "sanctified" (set apart) - Jn 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.” Therefore, when people obey the Word of God which has been revealed by the Holy Spirit, they become "chosen...to salvation" through:
1) "sanctification of the Spirit" (the Divine side of conversion, as the Spirit has revealed the Word and convicts men of sin through it).
2) "and belief of the truth" (the human side of conversion, as they believe it) - 2 Th 2:13-14 “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you through our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Having been "sanctified" (set apart) by belief in the truth, and as God's "elect" now a part of His eternal plan, you might expect such privileges would call for certain responsibilities. Indeed it does, for as God's "elect" we have the responsibility of obedience. We saw earlier in Ep 2:10 that it was part of God's plan before time began that the people of God would "walk in good works". This is all part of God's wonderful grace as defined by Paul in Ti 2:11-14 “For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works.” We do not earn salvation by such good works (Ti 3:5 “not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”), but nonetheless we are to be diligent in doing them - Ti 3:1 “Put them in mind to be in subjection to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready unto every good work,”, 8 “Faithful is the saying, and concerning these things I desire that thou affirm confidently, to the end that they who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men:”, 14 “And let our people also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.” Peter in this epistle will later expound upon the need for obedience.

Pilgrims of the Dispersion - Cont.

2010-01-03T05:36:00.000-08:00

Pilgrims Of The Dispersion (1:1) - Cont.

Having defined what Peter means by "pilgrims of the dispersion," we will now turn or attention to the journey and look at some responsibilities as pilgrims. On this JOURNEY, we become like our spiritual father, Abraham. Notice He 11:8-10“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”, 13-16“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things make it manifest that they are seeking after a country of their own. And if indeed they had been mindful of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city.” this is our attitude towards this life then God is not ashamed to be called our God. And we can honestly sing songs like "This World Is Not My Home"

This phrase reminds us of an important responsibility. Our responsibility as "pilgrims" is to be SEPARATE - 1 Pe 2:11-12 “Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” We may be "in the world," but we are not to be "of the world" - Jn 17:15-16 “I pray not that thou shouldest take them from the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.”; 2 Co 6:14-7:1 “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Remaining separate may cause some in the world to think we are strange, but - 1 Pe 4:3-4“For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries: wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:” Jesus said this would happen, even as it did to Him - Jn 15:18-19 “If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

Figuratively speaking, we should be like those foreign refugees now in our country who resist giving up their heritage, their language; who resist attempts to "Americanize" them and destroy their cultural traditions. Can it be said of us who are Christians, that we are keeping ourselves SEPARATE from the world? Are we steadfast in our faith or are we allowing the world to influence our speech, dress and conduct? If so, then we are no longer "pilgrims," but "naturalized citizens" of this world! Remember John's warning in 1 Jn 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

This phrase ought to remind us of our true home. Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we eagerly await our Savior - Ph 3:20-21 “For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself.” We are to be looking for "a new heavens and a new earth" - 2 Pe 3:13-14 “But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight.” That is where we will find our true home, the CITY.... "which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God." - He 11:10,16. That is "the one to come" - He 13:14“For we have not here an abiding city, but we seek after the city which is to come.” The city that "comes down out of heaven from God" - Re 21:1-22:5 -- That is where we, who are now simply strangers and foreigners scattered like seed in this world, will one day be gathered together! Those who are truly "pilgrims" will think often of their true home. When we live far away from family we think often of our roots of home. And so we will think often of our heavenly home, if we are truly "pilgrims of the Dispersion"!

Are we "pilgrims of the Dispersion"? We are, if as Christians we view our life here on earth as a journey in a foreign land! We are, if we keep ourselves separate from things in the world that would lead us away from God! We are, if we view as our true home, the heavenly city God has prepared from those who confess they are strangers and pilgrims on the earth!

But you are NOT a "pilgrim of the Dispersion" if you have not yet begun your spiritual sojourn by obeying the gospel of Christ! Having done so, you allow the attractions of the world to discontinue your journey and "settle down" in things which would separate you from God! Are YOU a "pilgrim of the Dispersion"?

Pilgrims of the Dispersion 1 Peter 1:1

2009-12-27T07:16:00.000-08:00

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Pilgrims Of The Dispersion (1:1)

Throughout the New Testament, various phrases are used to describe those people of God who make up the Lord's church. Individually, they are referred to as disciples, saints, believers, priests, Christians, etc. Collectively, they are called the church, the church of God, churches of Christ, the body of Christ, the temple of God, the family of God, etc. -- Each of these terms describe various relationships maintained by those who are Christians. An interesting phrase not commonly used in reference to the people of God is found in 1 Pe 1:1, where Peter addresses "the pilgrims of the Dispersion" 1 Pe 1:1 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners (pilgrims) of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,”

A proper understanding of this phrase can be very beneficial, and give us insight into:

1) What the Christian life is.

2) An important responsibility expected of Christians.

3) Our true home, and goal in this life.

Let's start by defining "Pilgrims of the Dispersion". The word translated "Pilgrim" is interesting. Transliterated from Greek., it is parepidemos {par-ep-id'-ay-mos}which is a combination of three words:

para - "alongside of" epi - "upon"

demos - "used in Biblical Greek of the people of a heathen city" (Wuest)

Here, then, is how Thayer defines the word:

"one who comes from a foreign country into a city or land to reside there by the side of the natives"

"a stranger"

"sojourning in a strange place, a foreigner"

"in the New Testament metaph. in reference to heaven as the native country, one who sojourns on earth

This is so of Christians (1 Pe 1:1)...of the patriarchs (He 11:13 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”)."

Another definition: "One who stays in a place as a stranger or visitor; to describe Christians whose final citizenship is in heaven and who are regarded as temporary dwellers on earth." (Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia Of The Bible)

The meaning of the word "Dispersion". The Greek word is diaspora {dee-as-por-ah'}. It is noun form of the verb diaspeiro, which means "to sow, to scatter seed". The term is found in Jn 7:35 (“The Jews therefore said among themselves, Whither will this man go that we shall not find him? will he go unto the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?”), and there it refers to the Jews who were scattered among the Greeks as a result of the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. This has caused some to conclude that Peter was writing to Jewish Christians who were living in the regions of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) - 1 Pe 1:1b "in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,”. But there is good reason to believe that Peter was writing to ALL the Christians, both Jewish and Gentile, who were scattered throughout Asia Minor. There are several comments made in this epistle that cannot be understood in reference to the original recipients being Jews - for example, 1 Pe 1:14 “as children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in the time of your ignorance:”, 18 “knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers;”, 20-21 “who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was manifested at the end of times for your sake, who through him are believers in God, that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God.” More likely, Peter employs terms once limited to the Jews, but now applicable to all who are in Christ:

1) For example, terms like "elect" (1:2), "holy nation" (2:9), "people of God" (2:10)

2) Even as Paul did: "circumcision" (Ph 3:3), "Israel of God" (Ga 6:16)

If this be so, then Peter implies by using the term "pilgrims of the dispersion" that all Christians are:

1) Pilgrims living in a world not their own.

2) Like scattered seed, spread out among those in the world.

With this understanding of the phrase, "pilgrims of the dispersion," we can now draw insights that are implied by it. This phrase reveals what the Christian life rally is. It is but a JOURNEY, begun when we first became Christians, ending only when we reach our true destination. This ought to affect our entire perspective on life for it is not an end in itself. It is only a temporary trip toward our final destination. Our homes, our jobs, etc., take on a different meaning when viewed in this light. This ought to affect our perspective on death. Not the end of life, but the end of our journey! Not the end of life, but the beginning of eternity in our true home! Having defined what Peter means by "pilgrims of the dispersion," will now turn or attention to the journey and look at some responsibilities as pilgrims when we continue this lesson.

Continuing to Grow - Cont.

2009-12-20T07:22:00.000-08:00

A Closer Walk With God

Continuing To Grow - Cont.

Having looked at some hindrances to spiritual growth such as discouragement and the law of interference, we will now look at some ways to overcome these hindrances. In an effort to prevent succumbing to these hindrances, here are some suggestions for continuing your spiritual growth. Become active in the work of the congregation. Begin immediately! It is important not to delay (remember the "hindrances"). There is work for everyone, and it is best to start with something you are able to handle. Even the most humble service can be a source of joy for those who are doing it to please God - Psa 84:10 "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness."; Jn 13:12-17 "When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."

Offer your services to the elders! These men will be glad to find work for you to do in keeping with your ability. Sometimes they hesitate to call on people for work if they are not sure the people are

willing. But let them know that you have the attitude of Isaiah: "Here am I! Send me." - Isa 6:8. Look for work needing to be done! The best servant is one who can see things to be done and does them without having to be told every step to take. Most of us are good critics; here is how we can put that ability to good use:

1) Whenever we see something we want to criticize, take that as an opportunity to show (not tell) how it should be done.

2) Someone else's failure is often our opportunity to be of service.

3) In other words, "Don't criticize, energize!"

Start a program of regular private devotions. Spend time each day alone with God, engaged in prayer, Bible study, singing praises. Such time consistently spent will supply the spiritual nourishment necessary for spiritual growth. Many Christians do not grow because they try to exist on a "spiritual starvation diet"!

Participate in an informal Bible study group. Meet weekly with other Christians in an informal setting to study the Bible together. This provides opportunity for mutual sharing and encouragement which leads to even more knowledge and spiritual growth.

Become involved in leading people to Christ. Begin implementing the suggestions in the lesson on increasing opportunities to share the gospel. Even if you don't do the actual teaching, you can do what Andrew and Philip did: lead a friend to Christ! - Jn 1:40-46. Those involved in leading others to Christ rarely ever stop growing in Christ themselves!

Practice constant self-examination. The Scriptures call us to examine ourselves in our relation to Christ - 2 Co 13:5 "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" Here are some questions we should often ask ourselves:

Do I have a better Bible knowledge than one year ago?

Am I as interested in Jesus Christ today as when I was baptized?

Have I helped someone else to become a Christian?

Am I enjoying life as a child of God?

Am I improving my life, my disposition, and becoming more like Christ?

Do I set a good example for other Christians?

Am I growing in such activities as Bible study, prayer, worship?

Self-examination is not an easy process, but true spiritual growth is impossible without it!

Though we have come to the end of this series of studies, if we implement the suggestions in this lesson and those preceding, we will successfully embark on a spiritual journey with Christ that will last through eternity! It is sad that many Christians are often just religious enough to be miserable; but their life is intended to be one filled with love, joy, peace, and so much more! - Ga 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." It is my prayer that these lessons may be useful in helping you to truly experience the abundant life that Jesus provides! - Jn 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." (1 Th 5:23-24)

This material is from an outline series from ExecutableOutlines.com, a web site containing sermon outlines and Bible studies by Mark A. Copeland. Visit the web site to browse or download additional material for church or personal use. The outlines were developed in the course of my ministry as a preacher of the gospel. Feel free to use them as they are, or adapt them to suit your own personal style.

To God Be The Glory! This series of lessons has been presented in textual format from these outlines with little to no changes in content. Any changes made were done to make the text read smoothly. (JMN)

Continuing to Grow

2009-12-13T05:28:00.000-08:00

A Closer Walk With God

Continuing To Grow

Growth is necessary in all areas of life: business, science, industry, etc. This is especially true in our lives as Christians - Ep 4:14-15 "so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,"; 1 Pe 2:2 "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation--"; 2 Pe 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."; 2 Th 1:3 "We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing." But spiritual growth must be well-rounded, balanced growth... The Christian must grow in knowledge, in zeal, in faith, in Christ-like character, in good works. The Christian must not be full of knowledge while his disposition remains un-Christlike. This final lesson is intended to help us continue growing ever closer to God and more productive in our service to Jesus Christ.

It is beneficial to be aware of those things which act as hindrances to growth. One of those hindrances is lack of effort. Growing in Christ is not automatic. One may still be a "babe" after many years - He 5:13 "But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."; 1 Co 3:1,2 "But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,". Growth requires effort, but those who are spiritually lazy will simply follow the course of least resistance; such will forever remain "babes" , if they do not fall away altogether.

Another hindrance is discouragement. Some people make a good beginning, but get discouraged and quit. Reasons may vary: church troubles, personal problems, lack of encouragement from others, etc. But consider the example of the apostle Paul: few of us would ever have the problems he had - 2 Co 11:24-29 "Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?" Yet he did not "lose heart" (become discouraged) - 2 Co 4:8-9 "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;" Why? Because he knew his labor was not in vain - 2 Co 4:16-5:1 "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." And so he encourages us not to grow weary in doing good - Ga 6:9 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."; 1 Co 15:58 "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."

The law of disuse hinders our growth. A knife stays bright when used, but unused it becomes rusty. So it is with Christians, we lose what knowledge, ability, and opportunity we have when we do not use them! To use another metaphor, unless we are earnest in our endeavor, we will simply "drift away" from the Lord - He 2:1 "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."

There is also the law of interference. Crops, trees and flowers do not grow well when crowded. So our spiritual growth will be hindered if we allow others to crowd out our spiritual life. Businessmen may become to busy to attend to God's business. A woman may get so occupied with housekeeping that she has little time for God. Young people may be so busy with school activities that prayer, worship, good works and Bible study are crowded out. Preachers might get so tied down with meetings, administrative duties, etc., that they too do not have time to spend alone with God. Jesus warned about the danger of interference - Mk 4:18-19 "And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

In an effort to prevent succumbing to these hindrances, When we continue this lesson we will offer some suggestions for continuing your spiritual growth, overcoming the aforementioned hindrances.

Increasing Opportunities To Share The Gospel - Cont.

2009-12-06T05:38:00.000-08:00

A Closer Walk With God

Increasing Opportunities To Share The Gospel - Cont.

We continue this lesson in a second part. Having looked at a couple of things to do with our list of souls we would like to see saved we will look at some additional action steps we will need to take.

Do the things which demonstrates your love for them. The importance of this suggestions is that "People don't care how much we know until they know how much we care!" A demonstration of love will make a person more likely to be receptive to the gospel of love when it is shared! - 1 Pe 2:12 "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."

Some "action" steps we can take is to invite them into your home for a dinner or snack. Visit them, especially in times of trial or sickness. Do things with them on a social level.

Invite those on your list to attend services. Some reasons we wanr them to attend services is that they will (or should) have an opportunity to see a caring congregation in action. Combined with your own demonstration of love as an individual the demonstration of love by others should make a lasting impression. They will more likely have an opportunity to be presented with the gospel of Christ (more on this, shortly).

As you prepare to invite these souls, be sure to pray, asking for "wisdom" to invite them in the best manner. Asking for "boldness" to offer the invitation to attend. Whether invited by you, someone else, or are walk-ins greet them, let them know they are welcome. Invite them home or out for a dinner or snack. Call or visit them, after they have attended - He 13:2 "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."; Ro 12:13b "and seek to show hospitality." In doing this, you are preparing their hearts for the gospel. For by demonstrating love as a congregation of Christians they will be more likely to believe in the love of God demonstrated in the life of Christ! - 1 Pe 2:11-12 "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."

See that they have an opportunity to hear the gospel. Ideally, this will come after witnessing a demonstration of the gospel "in our lives" by our love, hospitality, etc. Both as individuals and as a congregation. If you feel confident in teaching others, then approach them yourself and suggest a home Bible study with them (using aids like video tapes, charts, or simply an open Bible). Or that they study on their own with the aid of a Bible correspondence course. If you do not feel you are capable to approach them concerning a study, or in conducting the study yourself bring it to the attention of members who are able and willing to teach. Provide opportunities for the teacher and the prospect to become better acquainted, and the teacher can take it from there.

These suggestions are offered with a firm conviction that if they will be carried out, opportunities to share the gospel and save souls will be greatly increased! With the hope that you will accept the challenge to implement these suggestions. This approach is not only the most successful in saving and keeping souls, it is also one of the most natural and easiest ways to reach the lost for Christ! Remember the survey by The Institute For American Church Growth? One does not even have to be able to teach to be effective in leading others to Christ! One simply has to be a friend to Christians and to the lost! And even if we do not convert a single soul we will have fulfilled our obligation to share Christ with others. We will have done it in such a way as to become better Christians, a better congregation, better friends, better neighbors, better coworkers, etc.!

Here are some suggestions for implementation by a congregation or a feww interested individuals.

Have those interested in being involved meet together on a weekly basis.

Encourage one another to set goals for the coming week. Share ideas for goals; for example...

1) Having over or visiting one person or family from the congregation.

2) Making a list of souls for which to begin praying.

3) What you plan to do to demonstrate your love and concern for those on your list.

4) Who you will invite to services.

5) What visitors you will call, visit, etc.

6) Who you will offer to have a study, or put in contact with someone who will follow-up with a study.

Write the goals for the coming week down. Pray about them, together and on your own throughout the week.

At each weekly meeting share and discuss how the goals are being met. Set new goals for the coming week. Write them down, pray about them.

This simple program should easily increase opportunities to share the gospel and bring many souls to Christ!

Increasing Opportunities To Share The Gospel

2009-11-29T05:30:00.000-08:00

A Closer Walk With God

Increasing Opportunities To Share The Gospel

The importance of sharing the gospel of Christ with the lost cannot be overemphasized... Jesus wants everyone to hear the good news of salvation - Mk 16:15-16 "And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." The gospel is God's power to salvation to all who believe it - Ro 1:16-17 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."' -- But what is the most effective way to reach people today? The Institute For American Church Growth asked over 10,000 people this question: "What was responsible for your coming to Christ and this church?" Their replies were . . .

I had a special need - 3%

I just walked in - 3%

I liked the minister - 6%

I visited there - 1%

I liked the Bible classes - 5%

I attended a gospel meeting - 0.5%

I liked the programs - 3%

A friend or relative invited me - 79%

What do we learn from a survey like this? If churches are to grow, it will be through the efforts of individual members. Preachers, programs, classes may help, but in most cases they will only maintain the size of the congregation. Such congregational efforts are worthwhile, for they can reach people with whom we might otherwise never come in contact. The greatest potential lies with those who have some contact with members of the local congregation. Each of us have daily contact with tens of people who need the gospel of Christ. In addition to efforts designed to reach people "en masse" (via television, radio, mail), we need to utilize the contacts made through the members (in other words, provide a "two-pronged" approach to evangelism). Two things are needed to utilize the contacts made through individual members. A concern for the lost by those members - Mt 9:36-38 "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."' ; Ro 9:1-3 "I am speaking the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit-- that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh."; 10:1 "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved." A knowledge of how we can increase our opportunities to share the gospel with those with whom we frequently come into contact with, assuming that the concern is there. In this lesson I wish to share suggestions on how anyone who is a Christian can increase their opportunities to share the gospel...

Do things which make for a caring congregation. Our love of others will help prove that we are who we claim. In other words, that we are truly the disciples of Christ - Jn 13:35 "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."' Correct doctrine, organization, worship, etc., is important, but it will be our love for one another that will convince the world that we are truly the disciples of Christ!

Our love makes us useful to the Lord. The Lord knows the true condition of His churches! - Re 3:7-8 '"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. "'I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." If we are a congregation that can be used by Him to reach others with the gospel, to assimilate them into the Family of God, to nurture them in their spiritual growth, then He will "open doors" for us!

But suppose that we are not a place where new Christians can grow spiritually in an atmosphere of love...? Then here are some "action steps" to take. Make it a point to get to know all the members by name. Get a church directory and begin to place names with faces. Try to learn someone new at each service until you know them all. Practice "hospitality" towards the members - 1 Pe 4:8-9 "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling." Invite them into your home, or out to eat (set a goal of one new family or member per month). Visit other Christians frequently (esp. the sick, shut-ins, new members, absent members).

Make a list of souls you would like to see saved. This may not seem important, bu it is! It utilizes a very helpful technique used by people successful in all walks of life (in other words, having a "things to do" list). For us, it helps to focus our attention upon those we hope to reach for the Lord, and not neglect them. In making up this list start with those who are close to you and work outwardly. Family, relatives, your own and of fellow church members, friends, regular visitors to the services of the church, coworkers, casual acquaintances (mailman, store clerk, etc.) and last but not least, neighbors. Limit this list to five or eight souls (a list with too many and you will not be able to focus your efforts effectively). Give priority to those who are the "unchurched". In other words, those who are not active members of any denomination or particular religion. Active members of a denomination or religion are often very satisfied with their human traditions and are not as receptive to the pure and simple gospel of Christ. Husbands and wives might best just have one list (as the suggestions to follow will require their joint cooperation). Keep this list where you will see it daily so you will be constantly reminded of these people; so you will be more likely to do the things mentioned next . . .

Pray for souls on your list daily that God will work together with you. To give you "opportunities" to do good for them - Co 4:3 "At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison--"; 2 Th 3:1 "Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you,". To give you the "wisdom" to make the most of those opportunities - Ep 6:19-20 "and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak."

Pray that those on your list will have the opportunity to hear the truth; have honest hearts to be open and receptive to the truth. Remember, it is God who gives the increase. We are but servants whom God can use in His providential workings - 1 Co 3:5-7 "What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." So though we may work as though it all depends upon us, let us pray as though it all depends upon God!

We will continue this lesson in a second part. Having looked at a couple of things to do with our list of souls we would like to see saved we will look at some additional action steps we will need to take.

The Church and You - Cont.

2009-11-22T05:01:00.000-08:00

A Closer Walk With God

The Church And You - Cont.

Having looked at the primary work of the church and the work through leadership, we will now look at how we can contribute. We should contribute regularly to the work of the church. The work of the church can be divided into three areas:

Evangelism - Mt 28:19-20"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."; 1 Ti 3:15"if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth.; 1 Pe 2:9-10"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

Edification - Ep 4:11-16"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

Benevolence - 1 Ti 5:16"If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are really widows."

How the local church can raise funds to do its work is illustrated in 1 Co 16:1-2 "Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come." Principles governing such collections were discussed in Lesson #2, "Our Public Assemblies". The financial support provided by the local church enables it to do much of the work God designed it to do.

We should do our part in the work of the church. We cannot "pay" to have our part of the church's work done for us. A strong, successful congregation is one where every member does their part - Ep 4:15-16 "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." There are different kinds of functions we might perform - Ro 12:3-8 "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness." What is essential is that we each do what we can with the same zeal and enthusiasm - 1 Pe 4:10-11 "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

We should help keep the church united. Unity among believers is very important to Jesus - Jn 17:20-21 ""I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me."; Ep 2:14-16 "For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility." Division is condemned in the Scriptures - 1 Co 1:10-13 "I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"; 3:3-4 "for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not being merely human?" To maintain our unity in Christ requires certain attitudes and diligent effort - Ep 4:1-3 "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Here are some things we can do to avoid division(s). Be peacemakers when brethren have disagreements - Mt 5:9 '"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." Avoid gossip - 1 Ti 5:13 "Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.", 19 "Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses." Avoid discussion of speculative questions - 1 Ti 6:3-5 "If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain."; 2 Ti 2:23 "Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels." Avoid partiality - 1 Ti 5:21 "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality."

We should live a life that speaks well of the church. Be an example to others - 1 Ti 4:12 "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."; Ti 2:7-8 "Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Some people delight in finding Christians who are not living right and use them as an example to attack the church. We are to avoid giving them opportunities to do so - Ti 2:8 "and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us."; 1 Ti 5:14 "And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all."; 1 Pe 2:12 "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." Christians are not perfect, but should strive to be an example of what we ought to be!

More could be said on this subject, but this should suffice to make the point that with the blessings

of fellowship within the body of Christ come various responsibilities. God did not intend for us to be "islands unto ourselves", but joined together in Christ where we can encourage one another in an atmosphere of righteousness, joy, and peace - Ro 14:17-19 "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding."

The following are some questions to stimulate your thinking,

Have you let a local church know that you wish to be identified as an accepted, working member of their group?

Do you know the elders, deacons and other members of the church where you attend?

Do you have a sense of what function you provide in the body of Christ, and are you fulfilling it?

If every member of the church were as faithful and active as you in your service to the Lord, what kind of church would it be?

The Church and You

2009-11-15T06:04:00.000-08:00

A Closer Walk With God

The Church And You

As we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, as we continue in our service and walk with God, we do not do so alone. A wonderful blessing we have in Christ is being members of His body, the church. When we properly understand what the church is, both in its universal and local sense and what our responsibilities are toward the church -- then we can better utilize this blessing to help us remain faithful in our lives as disciples of Christ.

What is the church? The word "church" refers to people who have been saved. As we are saved, the Lord in heaven Himself "adds" us to His church - Ac 2:47 "praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." As His "church" (a word meaning "assembly" or "congregation"), we are members of God's "household" or "family" - 1 Ti 3:15 "if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth."

The word "church" is used primarily in two senses. The universal sense: all the saved throughout the world. It is used in this way in passages like Mt 16:18 "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."; Ep 5:23 "For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior."; Co 1:18 "And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent." In the "universal" sense there is only ONE church - Ep 4:4 "There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call--"; compare with Ep 1:22-23 "And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." Christ is the head; individual Christians are members of His body - 1 Co 12:27 "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." There is no earthly organization; what organization there may be is spiritual in nature - Ep 2:19-20 "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,". The universal church never meets as such; it has no "officers" except Jesus Christ and the original apostles and prophets.

In the local sense: the saved in one particular locality. It is used in this way in passages like 1 Co 1:2 "To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:"; Re 1:11 "saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."'; Ro 16:16 "Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you." In the "local" sense there are MANY churches - see for example Ga 1:2 "and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:" There is to be an earthly organization within each local church. Ideally, each church has elders (also know as bishops, pastors) and deacons - Ph 1:1 (described more fully later in this lesson) "Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:" But churches may exist temporarily until such men can be appointed - as in Ac 14:21-23 "When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed." Local churches meet regularly; and Christians have responsibilities in connection with their brethren in the local church.

Let's now look at some of the responsibilities in the local church. We should "join ourselves" to a local church. Only Christ "adds" one to the church universal; but one can and should "join" themselves to a local church - Ac 9:26-28 "And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord." This enables you to benefit by the association of other Christians, and provides you an opportunity to be of service to them - He 3:12-14 "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end." ; 10:24-25 "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." There are some responsibilities Christ has given you that you cannot fulfill on your own; for example, the Lord's Supper - Ac 20:7 "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight." So we need to find and join a local faithful congregation of the Lord (a careful study of the New Testament can help you to identify such today; perhaps a subject for future study?)

We should cooperate with the leaders. In a fully developed local church, there will be elders to oversee the people of God. The terms "elder, pastor, bishop, shepherd, overseer" are often used interchangeably, referring to the same position - Ac 20:17 "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.", 28 "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood."; Ti 1:5-7 "This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you-- if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined."; 1 Pe 5:1-2 "So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;" . Their qualifications are found in 1 Ti 3:1-7; Ti 1:5-9. Our responsibilities to them are as follows:

1) To recognize and respect them - 1 Th 5:12-13 "We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves."; 1 Ti 5:17-20 "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer deserves his wages." Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear."

2) To obey and be submissive when they lead scripturally - He 13:17 "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."; 1 Pe 5:2-3 "shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."

Think of them as your "spiritual advisors", as "shepherds"; they are mature, experienced Christian men who are charged by God to "watch out for your souls"!

In a fully developed local church, there will also be deacons to serve the people of God. These are "servants" who assist the elders in the work of the church. Their qualifications are found in 1 Ti 3:8-13. The work they do is a very noble one - 1 Ti 3:13 "For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus." There may also be those who serve as evangelists and teachers - Ep 4:11 "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,". The "evangelists" concentrate their attention on teaching the gospel to the lost. "Teachers" concentrate attention upon edifying the members. Those commonly referred to as "preachers" or "ministers" may do both the work of evangelist and teacher. But whether they serve as evangelist, teacher, preacher, or minister, within the local church they likewise submit to the leadership of the elders.

We should contribute regularly to the work of the church. When we continue this lesson we will look at some ways we can contribute to it's work.

The Christian and Good Works

2009-11-08T04:40:00.000-08:00

A Closer Walk With God

The Christian And Good Works

In a previous lesson we discussed the matter of devotion or worship to God, especially in our public assemblies. One objective of such activities is to stir us up to "good works" - He 10:24-25 "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." In this short but important lesson, we shall examine the matter of "good works" which Christians are to do...

Christians are to do good works. Do not misunderstand the purpose of good works. They are not done to "buy" or "earn" our way into heaven. God saves us by His grace, not by our works - Ep 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."; Ti 3:3-7 "For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Yet, as God's People, we have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works! - Ep 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."; Ti 2:11-14 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.; 3:1 "Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,", 8 "The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.", 14 "And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful."

Why, then are we to do good works? They bring glory to God! - Mt 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."; 1 Pe 2:11-12 "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." They can prepare unbelievers to be more receptive to the gospel - 1 Pe 2:12 "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."; 3:1-2 "Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives-- when they see your respectful and pure conduct." They demonstrate the living nature of our faith - Ja 2:14-17 "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." They are necessary if we are to be like Jesus - see for example Lk 6:46 with Ac 10:38.

What good works can we do? Some good works are spiritual in nature. Such as telling others of God's grace - 1 Pe 2:9-10 "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." We may not all be "teachers" in a formal sense - 1 Co 12:27-31 "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way."; Ja 3:1-2 "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body". But all of us can share with others the wonderful grace of God available in Christ Jesus! Another good work is encouraging other Christians - He 3:12-13 "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." We can be a "Philemon" or a "Stephanus" - Phile 7 "For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you."; 1 Co 16:15-18 "Now I urge you, brothers--you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints-- be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men." For example...through cards, calls, visits, Bible studies, etc. we can be an encouragement to others. We can do a very good work by restoring and encouraging weak brethren - Ga 6:1-2 "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." We can be a "Barnabas" (who helped John Mark). The importance of this work is seen in light of Ja 5:19-20 "My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."

Other good works are more physical in nature. Jesus did not limit His good works to things spiritual - Lk 7:22 "And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them." Nor did He expect His disciples to so limit their good works... Note for example the "Limited Commission" - Mt 10:7-8 "And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay." Another example is the "judgment scene" - Mt 25:34-40. Just as some may be gifted in talent and opportunities to "teach", so others are gifted to "serve" in areas of physical service - Ro 12:3-8, such as "giving" and such as "showing mercy". Women can be especially fruitful in this area for they often have a more flexible use of their time. Why not be a "Dorcas"? - Ac 9:36-39.

No matter how we may serve the Lord, "good works" are a mark of pure religion - Ja 1:27 "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." It is also a key to spiritual blessedness (happiness) - Ja 1:25 "But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."; Ac 20:35 "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"' So let's be sure to keep in mind the admonition of Paul to Titus... "Those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works." - Ti 3:8

The following are questions to stimulate your thinking.

What kind of "spiritual" good works are you doing, or are preparing yourself to do?

What kind of "physical" good works are you doing, or hope one day to do?

Who should get the glory when you are praised for good works?

Discerning Between Good and Evil

2009-11-01T05:20:00.000-08:00

A Closer Walk With God

Discerning Between Good And Evil

In the previous lesson we talked about overcoming sin by understanding the development of sin and utilizing the help of God to:

1) Change our desires.

2) Limit our opportunities to sin.

3) Exercise self-control.

4) Seek forgiveness.

Assumed in all of this, is that we know or can discern the difference between what is good and evil. Knowing the difference does not come automatically upon conversion. It is an ability that comes with time and "exercise" - He 5:12-14 "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, or everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil." This lesson is designed to help us develop this ability to discern, so that we might truly have "a closer walk with God".

Deciding what is right and what is wrong is really very simple. It involves asking a few questions about the matter at hand... Such as "is it clearly condemned in the Bible? Many things are specifically mentioned as being wrong. One list of such things is found in Ga 5:19-21 "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." A similar list is found in Ep 5:3-6 "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." For such things, that settles the matter. At least as far as Christians are concerned. There is no room for debate when the Scriptures clearly condemn some practice.

But not all sins are mentioned by name, for the Bible would be endless if that were true! So another question needs to be asked, "is it similar to those condemned in the Bible"? In Gal, 5:19-21, note the phrase "and the like". When we are uncertain about some matter, we should ask whether it is like sins specifically mentioned. For example, what about smoking marijuana? Is it not like "drunkenness"? You might compare something in question with the good things mentioned, noting those things in Ga 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Is the matter in question more like the "fruit of the Spirit" (that which is good) or the "works of the flesh" (that which is evil)?

Another question to consider, does it hurt your conscience? Note the importance of a good conscience in light of the following Scriptures - 1 Ti 1:5 "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.", 18-19 "This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith,"; 3:9 "They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience." Violating our conscience to the degree it no longer bothers us is a sure sign of apostasy! - 1 Ti 4:1-2 "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,"

This may help us to appreciate Romans 14:23 "But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." . Doing something when you doubt its rightfulness is to violate your conscience. That, declares Paul, is sin! So an act may be good in of itself, but if you think it is wrong (because of incorrect knowledge) or have doubts about its rightfulness, then don't do it!

Another help is to ask, "what do mature Christians say about it? Of course, this is not the ultimate determining factor for mature Christians can be wrong, as they would be the first to admit. But, Heb 5:14 does say that those who by "reason of use" are in a position to discern. "But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil." This is why the advice of mature Christians can be helpful - Ph 3:17 "Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us." The example of Rehoboam's failure to listen to the advice of older, mature men should teach us something - (1 Kin 12:6-20). Paul instructed Titus that the younger should look to those older - Ti 2:2-5 "Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled."

Then a question that is often overlooked is does it hinder our influence. By both example and word, Paul stressed the importance of being concerned about our influence on others. Notice his concern for how his influence affected the salvation of others - 1 Co 9:19-23 "For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings." He then commands to do likewise, in which we are simply imitating the example of Christ! - 1 Co 10:31-11:1 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."

Peter taught the value of a good example in helping a wife win her husband to the Lord - 1 Pe 3:1-2 "Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives-- when they see your respectful and pure conduct." What is said of a wife's example would also be true of a Christian's example. So we should be concerned as to whether a practice under question helps or hinders our influence for the Lord!

We might question is it poor stewardship? That we are "stewards" of our time, money, and bodies is evident from the Lord's Parable of the Talents - Mt 25:14-30. Also from Paul's instruction concerning our bodies - 1 Co 6:19-20 "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." From his directions for those rich in this world - 1 Ti 6:17-19 "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."

Some activities may be harmless in themselves, but require so much time and energy there is none left for the Lord! This can be true of vocations, hobbies, etc. We should bear in mind that time is limited and therefore priorities must be set and kept - Ep 5:16 "making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."; Mt 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Finally, we can ask would Jesus do it? Remember the goal of discipleship as found in Lk 6:40 "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher." In other words, to be like Jesus! "Would Jesus do it?" is therefore an appropriate question. If you think He would not, it is probably wrong! This makes the study of Jesus of prime importance. Studying His life, His examples, His Word. So that we can have the "mind of Christ" - Ph 2:5 "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,".

I hope that these seven questions can help in identifying what is good and what is evil. The importance of properly discerning between good and evil is seen in such passages like 2 Co 6:16-7:1 "Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty." Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God." We are reminded of how blessed we are to be the people of God and the responsibility to act accordingly, if we wish to have a closer walk with God!

Here are some questions to stimulate your thinking.

Do you have some older Christian to whom you feel free to go to for advice?

Do you feel that you usually give enough thought to the effect of your actions on other people?

Are you trying to keep a good conscience in all that you do?

Will you ask, when in doubt, "What would Jesus do?"

Overcoming Sin - Cont.

2009-10-25T05:24:00.000-07:00

A Closer Walk With God

Overcoming Sin - Cont.

Having introduced the problem and two ways to help in overcoming sin we will continue by looking at two additional ways to help in our problem. We will start with a third, exercise "self-control". Remember, it becomes sin when we yield to action in fulfilling our sinful desires. If we can control ourselves so as to not yield, then we can overcome sin! How does the Christian exercise self-control? Self-control is but one aspect of the "fruit of the Spirit" - Ga 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." When we become Christians, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives - Ac 2:38 "And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."; 5:32 "And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."' The Spirit is God's instrumental agent by which He imparts strength to us - Ep 3:16 "that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,". Strengthened by the Spirit, we are able to "put to death the deeds of the body" - Ro 8: 12-13 "So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." As Paul said: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." - Ph 4:13. It is through faith in God's Word that the Christian believes that he has this divine help - Ep 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,". It is certainly proper to pray for it, as Paul did in behalf of the Ephesians - Ep 3:16 "that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,". But equally important, to act upon it, trusting that you are not alone as you try to do God's will - Ph 2:12-13 "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." As an exercise commercial once said: Just do it! The Christian, then, has no excuse for yielding to a temptation - 1 Co 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." But there may be times when we don't take advantage of the strength God provides through His Spirit, and we sin; what then?

Fourth, if necessary, obtain "forgiveness". Remember that sin is victorious when it results in punishment. But if we obtain forgiveness through the blood of Christ, we can avoid that punishment and thereby still overcome sin! - 1 Jn 2:1-2 "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." Yes, Christ is truly the "propitiation" for our sins! By His blood, we were forgiven of past sins when united with Him in baptism - Ac 2:38; 22:16; Re 1:5. By His blood, we can be forgiven of present sins when we repent, pray, and confess our sins to God - Ac 8:22; 1 Jn 1:9. At any time the Christian can overcome sins that were committed, by repenting and confessing them to God!

Here are some observations about overcoming sin. If you noticed carefully, you should have seen that at each of the four points in the development of sin, God is able and willing to help us overcome sin!

God helps us to "control our desires" by providing His Word to renew our minds.

God helps us to "limit the opportunities" through His Providence as we pray for such.

God helps us to "exercise self-control" over our actions through His Spirit strengthening the inner man.

God helps us to "obtain forgiveness" through His Son's blood as we repent and pray.

-- Isn't the grace of God wonderful? - 2 Th 3:3 "But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one."; 1 Co 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

In this discussion we have concentrated on "sins of commission". That is, sins we commit by overt action on our part. There are also "sins of omission". Sins which come from failing to do what is right - Ja 4:17 "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." Overcoming these sins is similar... Change our desires so we want to do what is right. Exercise self-control so we act as we should when we have the opportunity. When guilty of sins of omission, obtain forgiveness in the same way.

In learning the four points at which we may overcome sin, don't think that we can simply wait until we reach the fourth point to act... That is, to just go ahead and sin, then ask God for forgiveness. There are several reasons why we should not do this:

1) In baptism, we were freed from the power of sin, and should now present ourselves to God as servants of righteousness - see Ro 6:1-23.

2) Though we can receive forgiveness for sin, we might still suffer the "temporal" consequences of sins - Ga 6:7-9 "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

3) If we allow sin to deceive us so as to become "hardened", we may get to the point of sinning "willfully" and lose our salvation! - He 3:12-14 "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end."; 10:26-31 "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." So don't take the grace of God lightly and attempt to abuse it!

How much better it would be to praise God for His grace, and use it to overcome sin in our lives! May the promise found in Ja 1:12 help motivate us to do so:

"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

Some questions to stimulate your thinking.

Are you engaged in a daily Bible study program which will help you develop the proper kind of desires?

Do you "watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation"?

Do you avoid circumstances and companions that you know would entice you to sin?

Do you pray that God will strengthen you "by His Spirit in the inner man"?

Do you ask God daily to forgive your sins, and to help you overcome sin in your life?

Overcoming Sin

2009-10-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

A Closer Walk With God

Overcoming Sin

A wonderful blessing we receive when we become Christians is the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. At our baptism, the blood of Christ cleanses us from all past sins. Compare Ac 22:16 "And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'" with Re 1:5 "and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood." This does not mean that our problem with sin is over... We still sin at times - 1 Jn 1:8 "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.", 10 "If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." Satan does his best to cause us to sin - 1 Pe 5:8 "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." If we are to maintain a close walk with God, and ultimately receive the riches of glory He has prepared for us, we must overcome the problem of sin in two ways:

By sinning less and less - 1 Jn 2:1a "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin."

By knowing what to do when we do sin - 1 Jn 2:1b-2 "But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."

This lesson is concerned with helping us see how sin develops, and how to overcome sin with its terrible consequences.

To overcome sin, we need to understand how it develops. The Bible outlines the development of sin in Ja 1:12-15 "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. The first stage of sin is temptation. In Ja 1:14 (see above), we see that "temptation" includes two things. First we see desire (some translations say "lust", suggesting a strong desire for something). Then we see enticement (an opportunity and encouragement to satisfy the desire). Putting it in the form of a simple equation: Temptation = Desire + Opportunity. To illustrate: a small boy is tempted to steal some cookies when he wants (desire) them and has an occasion (opportunity) to take them. The temptation becomes stronger if he wants them badly, and has a good chance of getting them without being seen. Note: At this stage in the development of sin, actual sin has not yet been committed. It is not a sin to be "tempted". For Jesus Himself was "tempted as we are, yet without sin" - He 4:15; 2:18.

The second stage is sin itself. "When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin" - Ja 1:15. It becomes sin when we act and yield to the temptation. Thus sin involves the added step of some sort of action on our part. Again, in the form of a simple equation: Sin = Desire + Opportunity + Action.

The third stage involves the consequences of unrepented and unforgiven sin: "Death". "And sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death" - Ja 1:15. The "death" spoken here refers to spiritual separation from God. This separation occurs first in this life - Isa 59:2 "but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. If we die physically in this state, then we will experience the "second death", which involves eternal punishment! - Re 21:8 "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."'

Putting all this into a final equation: Desire + Opportunity + Action + No Forgiveness = Death

Let's note some observations about the development of sin. Sin will have overcome us if we receive the "final punishment" of Re 21:8. But we will have overcome sin if we can avoid this punishment and experience the glories God has prepared for His children! How can we be sure to overcome sin? By stopping its development at any one of the four points leading to the final punishment!

Now let's examine how this may be done, how to overcome. First, change our "desires". Since this is where the process of sin begins, it is the best place for us to begin. Bear in mind that it is a part of Christian growth to change our desires - Ro 12:1-2 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."; Ga 5:24 "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." How do we change our desires? Notice that the Word of God has always been instrumental in helping people overcome sin - Psa 119:11 "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."; Mt 4:3-10 "And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"

To see how the Word of God can change our desires as we read of God's love, longsuffering and mercy, we desire to serve Him - Psa 116:12-14 "What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people." As we read of sin and its damnable consequences, we come to hate it! - Psa 119:104 "Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way." So the more we study God's Word, the less likely we will have the desire to sin, thereby beginning to overcome sin by "nipping it in the bud"! But changing our desires takes time; while engaged in the process of changing our desires, what else can we do?

Second, limit our "opportunities". Remember, we are tempted only when there is both desire and opportunity. So while we work on changing our desires, we should limit the opportunities to fulfill wrongful desires. This can be done by asking for God's providential help, as Jesus taught - Mt 6:13 "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."; 26:41 "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."' We can cooperate with God by purposely avoiding situations that might excite wrongful desires like following the example of David - Psa 101:3-4 "I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil." And we can follow the example of Job - Job 31:1 '"I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?" We can cooperate with God by avoiding those whose evil behavior encourages us to sin with them. Again, David sets a good example - Psa 101:6-7 "I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes." Paul also adds his warning - 1 Co 15:33 "Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals."' But we will unlikely remove every desire and opportunity to sin in this life, what then? When we continue this lesson we will look at two more ways we can work to overcome sin.