Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Christian Horticulture (2 Peter & Jude)


Table of Contents

.Introduction

If you plant a garden, it takes a lot of work to ensure there is a yield – that the full potential of that garden is realized at harvest time.
Soil prop, good seeds, proper nutrients, plenty of water, sunlight, etc. – work tending the plants.
But you also need to be vigilant at ensure weeds, bugs, and other types of pests don't devour the crop and kill the plants and otherwise leave you with a fruitless garden. – defend

.Tending (2 Peter)

1)Fruitful Living (2 Peter 1:1-15)

Justification Is of God (2 Peter 1:3-4)

God provides all we need to be all that He wants us to be.
Look at verse 3 with me:
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
What Peter is getting at here is this. Everything we need for life, eternal life, is provided by the Spirit, because of the work of the Son – justification. Those who are justified by God will also be glorified (Paul tells us).
But Peter also brings in, not only life, but a godly life. This is a calling of every justified person. To be holy because the Lord your God is holy. This is the work of the Spirit in harmony with the believer living out the Christian life – Sanctification.
And parallel to justification and sanctification are participation in the divine nature and escape of the corruption in the world (verse 4).

Fruitful Christian Living Takes Work (2 Peter 1:5-8)

We possess none of these qualities in ourselves.
And as we begin pursuing what Peter is saying, we realize how very impossible it is to live this way in our own strength.
I can't have faith apart from God working in me to produce it.
I can't grow in goodness because in myself I am not good.
I can't increase in knowledge of God and His word without the Spirit enlightening me.
I can't be self-controlled apart from the Holy Spirit's fruit in me.
I can't persevere because I am weak and easily stumble and fall.
I can't be godly apart from God's image being created in me.
I'm not kind, and I don't love.
Yet, Peter does not tell us to “let go and let God”. That is not biblical advise.
We are to be these things because they are what God is producing in use by His Spirit.
And He only produces the fruit of sanctification in lives of people whom he has justified.
As Peter points out in verse 8, a productive life results – one that is effective and grows in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We All Need Daily Reminders (2 Peter 1:9-15)

Of Our Past Forgiveness (1:9)

By not following through with the process of sanctification; by becoming worldly, by neglecting spiritual disciplines; it's easy to begin thinking of the Christian life as just a fringe benefit that one receives when he dies.
This is a nearsighted view, as Peter points out is verse 9. It's basically forgetting how ugly sin is and what a high price was paid for your redemption:
1 Peter 1:18-19 – 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,  19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

For Assurance (1:10-11)

If you are anything like me, you have had doubts about your salvation in the past. Maybe you are struggling with them in the present.
One thing that can contribute to doubts is failing to live a sanctified life. Neglect of your walk with the Lord. By doing your own thing instead of finding out what God's thing is for you to do.
Confess it and turn back to God in repentance and experience the assurance of your salvation.

Life Is Short, Stir Briskly (1:12-15)

Peter knows that he will soon stretch out his hands and go where he does not want to go. This was what Jesus told him in the last chapter of John.
And so Peter wants to stir them up (ESV) or refresh their memory.
Look at verse 12:
So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.
Peter is not reminding ignorant people. These are people “firmly established in the truth.”
We can never get enough reminders about the gospel message and from whence our salvation came.
We also can never get too many reminders about living a life that aligns with our great salvation.

2)The Sure Word (2 Peter 1:16-21)

Peter's Experience (2 Peter 1:16-18)

As great as all Peter's experiences were, he isn't continually going back to them. He is also not telling them that they really missed out.
What Peter is pointing out is that God supplies certain people in time, Prophets, Apostles, etc. to write down God's oracles. And that personal experiences, as wonderful as they are, cannot supplant the truth of Scripture.
19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
We ought never take an experience and try to overlay it on Scripture and use it for an understanding of Scripture. We need to look at our experiences God provides in the shadow of Scripture.
The Scriptures are authoritative, not our experiences.

A More Sure Witness (2 Peter 1:19-21)

3)Why Truth Matters (2 Peter 2)

Why does Peter point us so strongly to the Scriptures as words inspired by God? Because the enemy of our souls has his ambassadors out in force – he always has and always will until our Lord's return.
As he says in 2:1, there were false prophets back then as there are among you right now. And unless you and I are so in tune with the Scriptures and with the Holy Spirit, we will be swayed by their persuasive teaching.
They present heresies and even deny the sovereign Lord who bought you.

What Attraction

Why do so many fall prey to false teachers back then and today?
  1. One reason is that we have a natural sinful bent. And what they teach is attractive to that sin nature because it is coming from teachers who are teaching godless things.
  2. Another reason is due to the ignorance of many people in the things of God. They are not aware of sound doctrine and therefore they are swayed by the cunning teachings of men.
  3. Another reason is due to a lack of practical application of Scripture to one's own life. Hearing it, but having very little doing.
  4. Other reasons are that many who fall for such things are not believers at all and therefore do not have the Holy Spirit within them.

4)The Lord Will Return (2 Peter 3:1-13)

Remember the Prophets and Apostles

Once again, remember what was taught by prophet and apostle. The Bible is not optional, it is essential.

Don't Be Surprised (3:3-7)

Scoffers have always been around. Were it not for Christ in your life and mine, we too would be scoffers.
They cast doubt on the Lord's words and His promises. The same way the devil did in the garden.
But don't let them shake your faith. They did the same thing in Noah's day and see how far that got them.

The Lord Is Patient (3:8-10)

Besides, they are scoffing at the Lord's word all the while experiencing the patient mercy of the Lord. God isn't slow. He moves at exactly His pace. And thankfully so for my sake and yours.

5)Summary (2 Peter 3:14-18)

Be Holy (3:14)

Be Patient (3:15-16)

Be Steadfast (3:17)

Be Productive (3:18)

6)Illustration

I planted a tree last fall. I paid quite a bit for it and had a real struggle getting it into the backyard to plant. It is a spruce and it weighed several hundred pounds.
This winter was so dry (as was the fall) that many branches began to shed leaves. Mary and I kept looking at it through the winter and began to fear that it might be dead or dying.
It wasn't until this spring, when new buds of growth began showing up that we were so relieved to know that it was in fact alive.

7)Principle

One distinctive mark of a true believer is spiritual growth.

8)Applications

How are your branches? Are they dry and losing needles? Or are they supple and showing new growth?

What are you doing to prepare for dry seasons ahead?

What are you planning for this summer in order to remain in God's word daily?

Memorize 1 & 2 Peter? James? Another book?

.Defending (Jude)

Contend: to strive or vie in contest or rivalry or against difficulties
Defend: to ward off attack from; guard against assault or injury

1)Contend For The Faith (Jude 1-4)

The Faith Remains the Same (3)

Can't add to it or subtract from it.

False Teachers Distort Truth (4)

Our defense? Know the truth well.

2)God's Response to Past Rebellion (Jude 5-7)

3)False Teacher's Disregard For Truth (Jude 8-16)

Their Own Dreams

Live According to Flesh

Rebellious

Regarding Celestial Beings

Underestimate Their Power

Because they don't understand or accept Scripture, how could they truly understand the unseen world? They couldn't. And so they speak, without understanding, against powers they cannot comprehend.

Overestimate Their Power

False teachers speak about what they do not know. If Michael didn't rebuke Satan, how can man think he can. Arrogant and proud men think they can, but fools believe many untrue things.

Their Doom (Jude 13)

Everlasting darkness is reserved for them.

4)Summary (Jude 17-23)

Remember The Scriptures (Jude 17)

Don't Be Caught Off Guard (Jude 18-19)

Do...

Grow In The Faith

Pray In The Spirit

Stay In God's Love

Await Christ's Return

Be Merciful

Be Evangelists

Be Vigilant

5)Doxology (Jude 24-25)

24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

6)Illustration

Squash bugs lay their eggs on the underside of the large, healthy squash plants. When the bugs hatch, they begin to pierce the leaves and stems and kill the squash leaves – wilting and eventually turning brown or black.
If you don't know they are there, they can destroy the plant without even being detected or until its too late.

7)Principle

False teachers are parasites in God's garden.

Believers must grow in the knowledge of the truth in order to resist parasitic teaching.

8)Applications

How are you contributing to the health of God's garden?

Who could you come alongside who might be susceptible to false teaching?

Posted by Mike Pent at 03:47 0 comments

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Grace In Suffering (1 Peter 3-5)


Table of Contents



.Introduction




.For the Sake of the Sinner (1 Peter 3:1-22)

1)Wives Submit to Own Husband (1 Peter 3:1-6)

In The Same Way...

1 Peter 2:13 – as we are called to submit to every authority
1 Peter 2:18 – as slaves are to submit to masters, even harsh ones
1 Peter 2:21-25 – as Christ suffered and entrusted himself to the Father

To Win Them...

The purpose Peter gives for the wives to submit is for the sake of the gospel. So that their lives might testify to the lost husband through purity and reverence.

Inner Beauty...

Don't compensate for an internal deficiency through external means.
In other words, it won't matter what you look like on the outside if there is no inner beauty.
This is so true in many areas of our lives as well. Sometimes we tend to get busy outwardly doing and neglect the quiet prayer life that is crucial.
It's often easier to correct something that is visible and not address the inner, root cause issue that lies under the surface.
Peter is by no means saying that external adornments should be avoided and done away with. Only that they cannot compensate for something lacking inside.
In order to live like this, the wife needs to experience God's sustaining grace. By living like this, the unbelieving husband experiences God's grace and might be won to the Lord.

What outward things might you be doing in order to compensate for some inward deficiency?




2)Husbands Respect Your Wife (1 Peter 3:7)

We're only given one verse, so we must be doing pretty well, right? Or perhaps Peter realized that our ability to handle too many things at once was limited.
Whatever the case may be, we are to respect our wives.
Look what Peter says about women in this short passage: they are partners, they are joint heirs in the give of life, the way we treat them can have an adverse affect on our own prayer lives.
Wow! They are not inferior to men in any way and they are recipients of all the blessings of salvation that men enjoy. No distinction.
But Peter does point out that they are weaker. Not in any spiritual sense. Not in an intellectual sense. Not even in a metaphysical sense.
I believe he is pointing out that they are not built the same way we are. They are generally more fragile in regard to physical characteristics. They are not able to endure as much physical strain as men. And certainly in the society in which these believers lived, they were in a situation in which the uncertainties of the future may have tended to weigh heavier on them – less control (or at least it seemed).
Men are to respect and protect and be considerate of our wives. To put aside some of our own aspirations and consider the wife's needs.
In order for men to live like this on a consistent basis requires God's sustaining grace and an ongoing outpouring of His love through us to our wives.

How could you show more consideration for your wife?

Does the way you treat your wife reflect a respect of her weakness?

3)Get Outside Yourself (1 Peter 3:8-12)

Peter calls us to exercise the call to selfless living:
  • Harmony – when someone sings harmony, they are not the lead. They are trying to complement the one singing the melody.
  • Sympathy – agreement in feeling; to empathize with another; to be willing to carry their sorrow and distress.
  • Love – (as brothers), this is a giving of myself to the needs of another, not expecting anything in return. This may be ongoing, without end.
  • Compassion – very similar to sympathy, perhaps even with a deeper identification with the person's plight.
  • Humility – serve, don't expect a return, put others first, seek to lift others up, don't seek my own interests and agenda.
It's a very simple list, isn't it? I mean simple on paper. But if we practice the opposite, what are the disastrous results? We reflect nothing but a worldly, self-centered agenda that cannot please God.
Because we are blessed, we are to give out blessings freely – even to those who insult and injure us. And these are not to be blessings by mouth only. They are to be actions that give back good to those who may hate us.
Apart from the grace of God, you and I haven't a hope in the world to live this way. But by God's grace, and in his strength, we are able to live this way to God's glory.

4)The Reason For Hope (1 Peter 3:13-17)

As believers, we should be known for doing good. I know the phrase, “do-gooder” has negative connotations, but it ought not be that way for us.
Our doing good should come from an internal motivation and not external.
I should not only be in the habit of doing good to those I consider to be deserving. I should not just do it when it is convenient.
Peter is saying, be in the habit of doing good, and if you are harmed as a result, don't retaliate, but use that as an opportunity to present the gospel.
Let your life reflect Christ in what you do, then when you endure abuse, use that as an opportunity to share the hope that you have in Christ.
If I react in kind to mistreatment, what will the lost world think? If I have a sharp or witty rebuttal to someones comment or action, what will they say? They certainly won't think I have anything in my life that is any better than what they have.
The adversity of life provides an opportunity for the hope of the believer to shine through.
But gentleness and respect and a clear conscience before God are all needed.

Who do you know that is aware of the hope that you have?

5)Our Savior's Example (1 Peter 3:18-22)

Once again, Peter brings us back to the reason behind these commands. Our lives are not about us, but they are about the One who saved us.
He's the righteous one, we are not. He's the one who died for our sin – the sin the we deserve to die for.
And He is the one who brings us into a relationship with God.
Anyone outside of this relationship with God through Jesus Christ, is in fact bound to sin and will one day face the consequences of sin – eternal condemnation and separation from God.
That's why Peter points out the example of the flood to us.
Noah was like us. He lived and was tormented in his day. He was a man that uniquely obeyed and feared God. He trusted God and believed Him while all around were those who disregarded God and his word.
Noah endured this type of life, but it was a life of hope. Hope in God's salvation, which he accomplished through the ark. This deluge that came upon the world wiped out human life except those in the ark.
And all though the ark-building process, Noah's life illustrated the grace of God to those around him. God was extending grace to those who were under the curse by giving grace to Noah in the midst of his trial.
But after that, there was no hope for the lost. Once this life is over, there is not second chance. That rejection of God's provision in this life binds one to an eternity of separation in the next.
It's only by God's grace through faith in Jesus that we have hope of this life and the next.

6)Principle

Christian suffering provides a unique opportunity to display God's grace.


.For the Sake of the Savior (1 Peter 4:1-19)




1)The Right Attitude (1 Peter 4:1-6)

Peter deals a lot with what is going on inside the mind of his listeners. I think this may be due to the fact that he realizes what he used to be like and how impulsive he used to be. He remembers how bold his words often were, how loyal he wanted to be, but how frail he was in his own power.
But after the resurrection and after Pentecost, we see a Peter that was willing to go before the very ones who tried Christ and tell them he had to obey God rather than men. And then to count is joy to be worthy of being beaten for his Lord.
What a change in attitude. What a transformation in what really matters in life.
That's why he calls our attention to the attitude of our Lord in suffering. If our attitude is His attitude, then we entrust ourselves to the Father and His will. And that becomes our life priority no matter how it is realized in this life.
And with that changed attitude, we also find that the thing that used to bring us enjoyment are not so glittery. We no longer long for to fulfill our own fleshly desires.
And if you are like me, once you stopped running with the old crowd, you began to hear derogatory comments about Christianity. And wondering why you don't hang with the gang anymore.

2)The Right Mindset (1 Peter 4:7-11)

Once again Peter calls us to be clear minded and self-controlled. What he is getting at is that we think correctly about they way things really are. We need to be Biblically informed in the way we think.
And self-control is not just willing to control myself, but it is an internal working of God – a motivation that is not based upon any external forces. I don't do what I do just because others are watching or because of the consequences, I do what I do out of a love and respect for God.
How else would I be able to love deeply. This love he is calling us to is not something that is pretty and clean and easy. It is loving the unlovely and even those who sin against us. That's why he says that love covers a multitude of sins. It is not like we are cleared of some sins due to love. But that when you love, you overlook many offenses (see 1 Corinthians 13).
So we are to:
9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.  11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Would you say the things you do are more internally driven by what God wants or externally driven by what others think or expect?

3)Christian Suffering (1 Peter 12-19)

Don't Be Surprised...(12-13)

Suffering should not be a surprise to the believer. For one thing, we should never think that we don't deserve it. But for another, Jesus even warned about it over and over. If we don't suffer, we may want to be surprised or concerned.
Part of this attitude change that we talked about earlier is to put suffering in the right perspective. As we said, Peter and John were able to rejoice when they were beaten, not because it was stimulating, but because they were considered worthy to suffer for the name of Christ.
If our suffering is for the cause of Christ, then we have cause to rejoice. Not that we are gaining any merits on our behalf or contributing to our salvation. But we are enduring abuse for our Savior's sake – the one who paid fully for our salvation through His suffering.

You're Blessed...(14-16)

It's not a reason for shame. Praise God that the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Suffering is in fact a mark of ownership – the world is going to hate the believer that is living for Christ. (16, 14)

Commit to Your Creator...(17-19)

If it's His will that I suffer, who better is there to commit myself than to Him. (19)

4)Principle

The Christian's attitude in suffering should be one of identification with Christ.

.For the Sake of the Saints (1 Peter 5:1-14)




1)To The Elders (1 Peter 5:1-4)

Look at the way Peter addresses the elders of the churches. He addresses then as peers. Not lording it over on them. But instead identifying with them. His role is the same thing – a servant of God for His people.
He also points out that we are all recipients of the same glory to be revealed. This is not some form of hierarchy, but it is an equality of persons with varying roles.
And the responsibility of the shepherd is one that is to oversee the care and guidance of the flock. To ensure that the teaching is not heretical. That true teaching about God and the gospel are presented and that doctrine is not in error. They are not above reproach but are under Christ's authority to lead, strengthen, and nurture people that belong, not to them but, to Christ.

How are you using your position in your church? Are you lording it over others or are you serving the flock?

2)Humility (1 Peter 5:5-7)

This submission word keeps cropping up throughout First Peter. Here once again he tells a group to submit to those placed in authority. He calls the young to submit to the elders.
This may not necessarily be young in age but young in the faith. Those he calls elders must be those qualified to teach and lead. Those who are newer believers must be willing to submit to the authority God has given to the elders for the building up of the church.
This takes humility because sometimes you may think that the elder is not doing things the way you think they should. Maybe you think you could do better. But there is a reason for roles within the body of Christ. And part of that is to refine those of us who must submit to those in authority.
They carry a heavy burden that we often don't see. And sometimes we think we have the answer, but that is only due to the fact that we haven't seen the entire picture.
One other item I think would serve us well and that is the idea of seeking Godly counsel from those who have been around a while. Those who have endured the test of time. Much wisdom is found in trying to find those that God has given long life and gleaning insights and perspectives from them. But sometimes we, as younger men, must seek them out. We often move too fast and we need to slow down and try to make the connection.

What Christian leader has God put over you that you need to start submitting to?

What mature believer do you know that you could seek counsel from?

3)Resist and Stand (1 Peter 5:8-9)

There are consequences to living in opposition to what Peter has just pointed out. For one thing, there will be disunity in the body. There will be divisions and back biting and talk. There will be much difficulty for the elders in shepherding and lose of fellowship for the proud.
And there will be much rejoicing the Satan's camp. He wants to devour and one big way he does that is to cause divisions and fights within the church. And this doesn't have to be over doctrine either.
So, we are once again to live lives that are self-controlled and alert. Besides, we are all on the same team in the struggles of life. We all serve the same master and suffer for his sake. So we could much better serve the Lord when we are unified and in prayer for our fellow believers that are experiencing similar (or worse) things in other parts of the world.

How good is your resistance?

Are you allowing the enemy a foothold in his fight against God's church?

4)The God of All Grace (1 Peter 5:10-14)

Once again Peter brings up this idea of grace. Both the grace in salvation and then the grace to endure. All grace that is necessary is found in God himself.
As Peter points out, our suffering is only a little while in light of eternity.
Restoration will come. Whether it is in this life or the next, it will eventually come. He is the source of strength.

5)Principle

God's strength to endure suffering is found in the context of a healthy church.

Are you part of a healthy church? If not, why not?

Posted by Mike Pent at 03:40 0 comments

Be Holy (1 Peter 1-2)


Table of Contents

.Introduction

What do you want to be when you grow up?


.The Believer's Blessed Position (1 Peter 1:1-12)

1)Salutation

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

The Author

Peter, Petras, Cephas – name give by Jesus to Simon. His name means rock.
Apostle – an emissary of the King; commissioned to carry forth the King's decrees and not just his own word

The Recipients

The places mentioned in verse 1 are all within the geographic confines of modern-day Turkey.
They would be places more readily thought of as Paul's territory since he was the apostle to the Gentiles. But then again, Peter was one of the first to really see God's commission extend to the Gentiles when he went to Cornelius.
Peter calls them, God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered...
First thing we see is that they belong to God as His possession.
They are His elect – He chose them as His own and sovereignly brought about their salvation. (All believers are God's elect)
Not of this world, strangers. Some translations, exiles. In other words, this world is not their home, they are just a passin' through. (All believers are strangers)
Finally, he calls them the scattered, or part of the dispersion in the aforementioned territories. This does not necessarily mean that they were scattered due to persecution. He may be referring to the fact that they are a dispersed group. Most likely these are Gentiles, after all.

God

Notice the work of the Trinity laid out in verse 2:
God the Father – chooses the elect
The Spirit – regenerates and sanctifies
Jesus Christ (the Son) – shed His blood for the elect

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

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Other Religions

There are a lot of religions in the world (all except Christianity) that are basing their whole belief system on a dead hope:
  • Founded by dead or dying men
  • Based upon speculation about what comes after life without the power to really know what comes next
  • Theories about origins, this life, and eternity
  • And gods that conform to man's weak notions about what a god should be like
[Conversation with a guy at work this past week: he prefers Zen over other religions; it asks nothing of its followers (but it also offers nothing of its adherents, except the same end as all other religions – hopelessness)]

Our God

But we believe in a God that is merciful. He does not give His elect what they deserve.
And yet, He is completely just – no infraction of God's perfect law will ever go unaccounted for. It can't and God still be just.
And so we see here Jesus Christ, the one who satisfied God's justice and made possible God's mercy toward us by taking upon himself what we deserve.
He died in the place of God's elect. But that's not all – He lives! Praise God for the resurrection!

An Exile's Inheritance

And though God's elect are aliens and exiles in this world, we are far from poor for we have an incorruptible inheritance.
It's not only incorruptible, but it is also untouchable – God is the keeper of that inheritance.
In addition to the inheritance, we are shielded by God through faith. Reminiscent of the shield of faith Paul talked about in Ephesians 6. God hasn't left us empty-handed here on earth, but has given us a faith that endures. And a faith that is placed in the immutable God himself.

3)A Refined Faith (1 Peter 1:6-9)

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
What Peter had just presented to the believers, regarding their hope, is certainly reason for great rejoicing. It would be worth my while to stop and ponder verses 1-5 a bit more often and consider the deep things that are mine in Christ.
Peter does not deny, however, the present realities – harsh realities – of the persecuted believer. “though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.”
The Christian life is not an easy life, especially if one is living for the Savior and not for self. But Peter does remind them of the fact that this suffering is for a little while. In light of eternity, a lifetime of suffering is a little while.
And as James had pointed out, suffering is a refiner. Here, Peter points out that the suffering refines and also validates the quality of one's faith. And when faith is proved genuine, it results in praise, glory, and honor (when Jesus Christ is revealed).
This revelation of Jesus Christ could refer to Him being revealed in the one undergoing trials. For the trials in a believer's life serve to remove the dross and show forth the character of Jesus more clearly. And then Jesus is praised, glorified, and honored.
It also may have the meaning of Jesus' return and that the faith that was tested and made strong will be a resulting praise, glory and honor as well.
Peter reminds the reader to keep the end goal in mind when enduring trials – it is the refining of faith. And faith's goal is the soul's salvation.
This faith is not based upon sight and full understanding. Peter had seen Jesus, yes, but these believers loved Jesus in the same way yet had never seen him.

4)The Unfolding Mystery (1 Peter 1:10-12)

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
You know, none of the prophets or the Patriachs had ever seen Jesus and yet they were saved in the same way, by grace through faith.

5)Principle

All Christians, regardless of circumstances, are blessed by God.

6)Applications

How might you be mistaking circumstances with blessing?

What blessings have you experienced in spite of adverse circumstances?

What trials have you praised God for lately?


.The Believer's Sacred Occupation (1 Peter 1:13-2:12)




1)Preparation (1 Peter 1:13-16)

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

The Mind (1 Peter 1:13)

The mind can be a real inhibitor toward progress. This is true in many areas of life. But its especially true in the Christian life.
Many of the battles we face in regard to temptation are waged in the mind. Often leading to rationalizations and eventual submission to that temptation.
But Peter calls his readers, us included, to have ready minds. Self-controlled (or sober) minds, so that we are thinking clearly and don't fall prey to the enemy's tricks or our own weaknesses.
Don't put your hopes in lesser things. Let it be in what is to come. It's too easy to become disappointed or disenchanted in this life because the things you hoped would turn out just didn't.
So let your hope be in something that is a sure thing – Jesus' return.

In what areas of your life could you use some self-control?

What are you placing your hope in?

Obedience (1 Peter 1:14)

Be obedient, as an obedient child to his parents. That includes knowing what you parents expect.
Don't let your old evil desires be what you still desire.

Be Holy (1 Peter 1:15-16)

Holy living is to replace the submission to previous evil desires.
We are to live in practical holiness. This does not mean that we will ever reach perfection – we will always sin before we die or Christ returns.
But we are to live a separated life. Set apart from common things that corrupt and consecrated for the things that honor God.
God is perfect and holiness is His character. We are to live lives that seek to please God – lives that are separate from sin.

2)The Redemption Price (1 Peter 1:17-21)

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
Peter takes this concept of refined gold that he used previously – something very valuable then and now – and contrasts it with the value of our Savior.
When something or someone was going to be redeemed in Old and New Testament times, someone – the redeemer – would have to pay a price for the item or person being redeemed.
The Old Covenant made provisions for selling property or even yourself in order to pay off a debt. If the property was to be bought back before the year of Jubilee, then one had to pay a price based upon the number of years remaining in the redemption terms.
Gold or silver would have been the typical currency.
But here, gold and silver are set aside as though they were nothing. These are things that have no value when it comes to the soul.
A real cost was paid for the souls of God's redeemed and that is Christ's precious blood.
And all the sacrifices of the OT from Passover, to each of those prescribed under the Levitical law, all pointed to this one culminating sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

3)Faith In God Through the Son and the Word (1 Peter 1:21-23)

21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
The object of our faith is God, made possible through the death and redemption price paid in Jesus' blood and the word of God that reveals these truths to us.
The reality of one's need of a savior, of Jesus' death for sin, and God's acceptance of Jesus' substitutionary atonement all are true. But apart from one's acceptance of these truths, that person is still in his sin. Still under God's wrath and coming judgment.
But purification comes through faith. Positional purity – God sees the believers' sin as paid in full. And this position of purity puts the believer in a position, now, able to live a pure life – a life of holiness.
This is the believers' occupation – holy living. Be holy because God himself is holy and He paid an infinite price to make you and I holy too.

4)We're Rocks (1 Peter 2:4-12)

When ancient buildings were made of stone, say a temple, rocks were chosen. And the builder would chip away at the edges of the rocks so that they so that each stone fit tightly against the ones adjacent to it.
When Solomon's temple was build, he had the massive stones cut at the quarry and pre-chissled as not to make the temple sight noisy.
Well Peter takes this temple motif and applies it to a spiritual structure that God has always been building.
4 As you (continually) come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone,”
8 and,
“A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
These quotes from the Old Testament had nothing to do with a rebuilt temple in Zion, at least not in their ultimate sense, but had do with the One to which the temple pointed – Jesus.
Jesus even mentioned to the Samaritan woman at the well, “A time is coming and has now come when the true worshiper will neither worship on this mountain or in Jerusalem. The true worshipers will worship in spirit and in truth for God is spirit and the worshiper must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Verse 4 tells us that we are to come (continually) to Jesus who is by definition the Living Stone.

Have you ever come to Jesus?

Are you still coming to Jesus – continually?

5)A Nation of Priests (1 Peter 2:9-12)

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, (Why?) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
These words of Peter all reflect the condition of God's people in Exodus prior to God redeeming them from Egypt, bringing them into covenant with Himself, and establishing His presence in their midst through the Tabernacle worship (and later temple).
All the shadows of the Old Testament did not go away but instead were fulfilled in the cornerstone of God's true Temple.
You and I were once not a people. But if you are one of God's own, you are part of the people of God. We were brought from darkness into His glorious light. And we are to declare His praises – that's our occupation.
As priests, we offer living sacrifices – God no longer accepts animal sacrifices and He never will again. Instead, our very lives are to be lived as a sacrifice to him. Sacrificing my cravings and desires for his; my will for His; my purposes in life for His.

What sacrifices have you made lately to God?

How well are you doing at declaring God's praises?

6)Principle

All believers have a sacred occupation.

Believers are chosen and built upon Christ to reflect God's holiness.

.The Believer's Submissive Exemplar (1 Peter 2:13-25)

We often think of submission as a weakness, but it's not. It is a place where one bows to the will of another. To give over or yield to the power or authority of another. There's nothing weak about that and in fact, it takes more strength many times than opposition. More strength of character.

1)Submit to Rulers (1 Peter 2:13)

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

The Lord's Sake

The authorities in government are given their authority by God.
Our submission to those authorities are for our Lord's sake.
Without the authorities, even if we don't always agree with them, there would be anarchy. God has a purpose for them and they will be held accountable to God whether they acknowledge Him or not.
We are just to submit.

Good is God's Will

In verse 15, doing good is God's will for His people. For one thing, if we are out doing things that are not good and breaking the law, evil or foolish men, will have reason to speak evil against us and God.
But, if we are doing everything above board and submitting to authority, and fulfilling our civil duties, their comments will show them to be the fools that they are.
People don't need any fodder to throw at us and God's good name.

Our Ultimate Authority

God is our ultimate authority. So, if the civil authorities call upon us to deny God's authority or sin against Him, we must not do it.
But, more often than not, we try to use the excuse that we belong to God so we answer to a higher authority and need not adhere to those that are our governing authorities. By making such statements or living out such realities, we fail to submit to God's authority in the process.

How might you be dishonoring God by dishonoring God-given authority in your life?

2)Respect

Often we think of respect as something earned. But respect also comes with the position. We may not always respect the way of the individual but we must respect their position of authority.
And that may even mean enduring unwarranted treatment. Certainly that was what Peter would soon face on a cross.
18 Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
The bottom line is, those who abuse their power will be answerable to God. As believers, we ought not give reason to be abused.
If we are beaten unjustly for doing good, that is commendable to God.
Besides, no person walking this earth will ever endure so much and deserve it so little as Jesus:

3)Our Example (1 Peter 2:21-25)

Note: God did not put Jesus here on earth to be an example to humanity so that we can learn how to live. He is that, but that is not the primary reason He came.

For You

21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
He was not only not suffering justly – unjust treatment – it was something that I caused (you and I both). Peter had said it is not commendable to be beaten for doing evil. Well, my evil did not cause me to be beaten, it cause Jesus to bear my beating.
If He suffered this way for me, how can I not be willing to suffer for His name?

His Reaction

22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
He didn't react in kind but instead bore it – insults, suffering (understatement), bore sin.
He died at the hands of sinners for sinners so that sinners might live.
And this life is not just any life: it is a life lived for righteousness.

4)Principle

It's not possible to submit to Christ without also submitting to His authority.

Jesus' example made it possible for believers to follow his example.

5)Applications

What attitudes of Jesus do you see in your own life? What would you like to see more of?

Are you willing to make that a matter of prayer? What about asking others to pray for you as well?
Posted by Mike Pent at 03:34 0 comments
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