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1 Peter 5 The Distinction of Humility

5/27/2016

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Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:10
​1 Peter 5
We’ve been learning about the distinction we have in following Christ and what an honor it is to suffer for Him. Brothers and Sisters, we do not suffer alone. We have one another. God established the church, the body of Christ in a model of His relationship with us. He works and speaks through us, His chosen and holy people to encourage, exhort, and edify one another. We do so in a model of Jesus relationship with us as we strive to always move forward in our transformation toward His image. One of the most important aspects of Jesus’ character and the most difficult to live is humility. But love is communicated most perfectly in humility. Verses 1-4 read,
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: 2 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; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
 
The Lord put our pastors, deacons, and elders in place. He honored them by making them servants to His people as Jesus lived as a servant to us. Their job is difficult, their responsibility is immense. They will be judged with greater strictness than the majority (James 3:1). The longer we are walking in Christ, the more we ought to look act like Him. As we mature, we should be becoming teachers, mentors, and servants in the Kingdom (Hebrews 5:12). People in the position of elder must walk in humility and act in love. They are a living example of Jesus Christ to us. So we need to make sure we are showing them the respect they deserve. We need to model the humility of Christ by submitting to our pastors and other elders, by giving them the reverence they deserve as God’s anointed servants. Verse 5 reads,
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
 
Pride is a sneaky thing and it is in opposition to God. Atheism is not the opposite of Christianity; I-theism is. It is the exaltation of the self, the serving of one’s self, the living to please one’s self that opposes the Lord and serves Satan. But pride sneaks in. When we judge the elder or one another for imperfections, pride is showing its ugly head. When we look at the good works we’ve done for Christ and give ourselves a pat on the back, we open the door to pride. When we plan a mission to bring the lost to the Lord yet control every aspect because only we can do it right, pride walks in that door. When we accept the glory that belongs to God for the works being done, pride takes over, quenches the Holy Spirit and makes us ineffectual at best and makes people follow us straight to Hell at worst. Pride is at the core of sin. Lucifer fell because of His pride (Ezekiel 28:17). Adam and Eve sinned because of pride (Genesis 3:6). Judas betrayed Christ because of pride (Luke 22:3). Peter denied Christ because of pride (Luke 22:54-62). Peter was reconciled with Christ because Jesus loved him enough to forgive him and offer him the honor of caring for His church (John 21:15-19). Jesus exemplified humility for Peter and Peter was able to follow that example and submit to Jesus. Verses 6-7 read,
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
It is prideful to worry, to be anxious, and think that we have to take care of our problems on our own. All we have to do is humble ourselves before God and trust Him. He promised if we concerned ourselves with His kingdom, He would take care of all the details. In Matthew 6:33-34 Jesus said,
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Satan works through pride. He makes the lost think they do not need God and he makes Christians think they should depend on themselves rather than God for their transformations, good works, and provision. So be careful of pride. Verses 8-11 read,
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
 
You know, the devil your enemy is not all that. He’s puffed up with pride. He tries to look beautiful for the world and terrifying to Christians. But he isn’t. He attacks in fear. Do you know that you don’t have to fight with him or engage him at all? All you have to do is resist, to say, “Nope, not gonna give in” and he takes off like a coward.  To fight the enemy is to say you don’t trust that God will fight for you. It says you do not believe Jesus already overcame Satan, sin and death. Submit to God and trust Him to be God. James 4:6-10 reads,
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
 
Pride tells us that we can earn favor from God. Pride makes us trust the Law instead of the Lord. Peter closes this letter in verses 12-14
By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. 13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with the kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
 
Believer, I encourage you today stand firm in the true grace of God, to ask God to reveal hidden pride in you, to look at your relationships and see if you are submitting to one another, and to submit yourself to God. You do not have to be afraid to submit to God, He loves you so very deeply.
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1 Peter 4 Suffering with a Purpose, Grace with a Mission

5/26/2016

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Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer Romans 12:12
​1 Peter 4
Yesterday we read about how we are different from the world and that difference is expressed by how we treat people. Today, we see how that difference is exhibited by our behavior. Verses 1-3 read,
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.
Jesus suffered so much and it was for our benefit. Our own suffering, which for most of us will never be as bad as Christ’s can also be for our benefit. We can learn from it and we develop the character of Christ because of it. Romans 5:1-5 says it like this,
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
 
We cannot let Jesus sacrifice on the Cross and His victory over death and sin mean nothing to us by not letting his suffering or own transform us. The past is the past. God no longer sees our sins we He looks at us, He sees us as new righteous creations. There is no sin in Christ. Christ was sinless, He took our sin away, and we no longer have sin in us or on us. 1 John 3:4-6 reads,
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
 
Although we can and sadly often do act the way we did before we knew Jesus, we do not have to be compelled to sin any longer. Even though we may do things that are considered sins, we are not under the law any longer so theoretically nothing we do is sin. But there are things which produce goodness and things which do not. There are practices, behaviors, and attitudes which exalt God and there are those which exalt ourselves. 1 Corinthians 6:12 says it this way,
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
 
We are just not the same as we used to be. Exalting ourselves and feeding our basal desires just doesn’t hold the same charm anymore. The world will undoubtedly take note of the difference and they will not like it. The old friends we used to party with, won’t recognize the new person we’ve become and they will want their old friend back. Why? Because our new desire to be good shows them that their actions are not so good. Verses 4-7 read,
 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.
7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
 
Judgement Day is coming. They will be judged. But our walk with Jesus in the Spirit can speak volumes to the lost. We can tell them the wonderful news of Jesus Christ and they can be saved!  But if we act the way we acted before we knew Jesus, if we sin the way we used to, they won’t see Jesus as real and they won’t see His power and saving grace.
Living by grace doesn’t mean sinning as if there is no such thing as law, it means exercising the power of God within us and living the holy righteous lives we can because God is able to transform us. Verses 8-11 read,
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 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.
 
Grace is wonderful and miraculous. We are not yet perfect but we have been perfected, even while God is still making us perfect. The law is no longer something we follow to be called good. It is part of us, written onto our hearts, so that we understand the crux of it which is reconciliation with God. We are free to love as God loves. Hebrews 10:14-18 reads,
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
    after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
    and write them on their minds,”

17 then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
 We will make mistakes but if we strive to act out of God’s love, we will not make those mistakes as often. Even when we do, love will cover the mistake with grace. People need God’s grace and we have it! We can show them His marvelous grace through exercising the gifts we’ve been given. We use those gifts for our benefit, the church’s benefit, and the world’s benefit. If we don’t use them, we are not serving Jesus Christ as we could, we are serving ourselves and hiding the Gospel from those who desperately need it.
We will suffer. We do suffer. And there are different kinds of suffering. Sometimes we go through awful things because we acted in certain ways and we have to experience the consequences of those choices. That suffering can discipline us. But sometimes our suffering is undeserved. Sometimes it is because we are standing up for Jesus, walking in the Spirit, and refusing to deny Christ by giving in to sin. That suffering can also teach us but in addition it glorifies God and points the world to Jesus. Verses 12-19 read,
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
 
Jesus suffered for our sake and the sake of every person on this planet. He was lifted up and hung on a cross as the world tried to humiliate Him. But the curse they tried to inflict on Jesus became a blessing and honor for us. So when people slander you, try and hurt you, or try to shame you undeservedly, remember Jesus will be glorified. Rejoice, you are being honored and your suffering can be a blessing to those living under the curse of death. Rejoice because the trials you are suffering are making you more like Jesus. If your life is changing to look like Jesus, then maybe you ought to question if you are walking in Christ. If your suffering isn’t reshaping your character into Jesus’ character, then perhaps you ought to question if The Holy Spirit is in you. Judgement Day is coming for all of us.
 
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1 Peter 3 Distinguished by Love and Humility

5/25/2016

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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. Romans 12:2
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. Romans 12:2
​1 Peter 3
As Christians, we are not “of this world.” We are called, sojourners, exiles, citizens of Heaven, a peculiar people, and a holy people. We are different and we are meant to stand out by our difference. Our distinction is not supposed to be by the t-shirts we wear or the bumper sticker on our cars, it is in our behavior, attitude, and love. We understand the profundity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are supposed to be like Jesus, not like the world.
The world is all about self-sufficiency, self-efficacy, pride, and strength. But the kingdom of God isn’t about that all. We depend on The Lord. In the kingdom of Heaven it is Jesus Christ we long to exalt. Even though He is God, He lived as the exemplification of humility. We point the world toward Jesus by living as He lived and loving as He loved. 1 John 2:9-11 reads,
Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
One way the world should see how peculiar we are is in our relationships with one another. Verses 1-7 reads,
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, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
 
The world’s idea of the marriage relationship, at least according to TV sitcoms is one of mutual battling of the wills, compromise, and a game with only one winner. Husbands on TV are power hungry buffoons and wives are manipulative shrews. While TV exaggerates for laughs, I do think that the world sees marriage as a struggle of control. But marriage in the kingdom of Heaven is the opposite. It is an example of our relationship with Jesus Christ, where the wife can submit, that is yield her will to her husband because she trusts his deep love for her. She knows he would never hurt her or desire anything bad for her. The husband can love his wife with an absolute, profound love because she is a precious gift from God, the weaker vessel, like a treasured Ming vase or beautiful Fabergé egg.
Women, being the weaker vessel is a beautiful thing, a compliment, not something to be ashamed of. Women are more sensitive. They are able to sympathize much more than men. It enables them to nurture, meet unstated needs, and care. It also means their hearts are more easily broken, and they should be handled with care. God sanctifies, that is matures men by asking them to love and care for the fragility of the women’s hearts. He sanctifies women by asking them to trust their hearts to men. Our sanctification comes through the exercise of that mutual submission and love both in marriage and in the church. Verses 8-12 read,
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For
“Whoever desires to love life
    and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit;
11 let him turn away from evil and do good;
    let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

 
People of the world take notice of real humility because it is so very different from what they understand as the road to success and a happy life. They pay attention to lives lived in an effort to do good, to obey Christ, and live so very differently than they understand. You see, the world is all about self-seeking, even in good deeds they honor themselves. But the kingdom of Heaven does good to honor Christ. In the kingdom of Heaven, good deeds are done as a natural expression of the Holy Spirit not as a way to earn good things for ourselves.
The world may want to hurt you if you go around proudly protesting everything about what you view as evil. I saw a post this morning hatefully declaring transgender people as insane. While we may see the brokenness of a person hating themselves to such a degree, the world doesn’t see it and arrogantly spouting statements like that is a very worldly thing to do. Do you imagine any person would come to Jesus because you tell him he’s an idiot? Those actions deservedly bring on fights and hate. Love would befriend that hurting soul. Love would teach him that God created him beautifully and that God loves him. Who could protest that? Who would want to hurt someone who did that? Verses 13-17 say,
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
There might be people who still want to cause you to suffer even when you do nothing to them. We do not purposely go looking for hate. There are enough people who hate God already, we cannot give them reason to despise Him.  The world is enslaved to Satan and most of them don’t have any idea about it. We can recognize Satan’s voice implanting thoughts in our minds, they don’t! So there will be those who want to hurt us for Jesus’ sake. Let it always be that and never because we warrant it.
Jesus suffered horrifically and He was completely innocent. He was put to death in the most torturous kind of death imaginable, not because he deserved it, but because we deserved it. He took it gladly. He never defended Himself. He endured it. If He underwent such awful suffering for us, we can withstand suffering for the sake of the lost too. When they see the hope in us that we don’t lose no matter what they do, they will notice, and they may even ask. That is when we offer a defense, not a defense for our bad actions, but a defense for the love and hope of Jesus Christ, a defense of the faith and the Gospel. Verses 18-22 read,
For Christ also suffered once for sins, 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, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
 
Jesus saved us from death. Just like Noah and his family were saved from the destruction the rest of the world experienced, we were saved from eternal death. The water of baptism is not what sanctifies or changes us, it is the choice to submit to God and ask Him to change us which allows Him to do it. After we are born again, we are new. We are no longer who we used to be like the world. We stand out. Our new character, our submissive spirit, grief for the world, meekness, desire for righteousness, mercy, purity, peacemaking and endurance that distinguishes us (Matthew 5:2-11). It is our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control which points the world to Jesus (Galatians 5:22-23).
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1 Peter 2 Jesus Honors Us, Let’s Honor Others

5/23/2016

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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. 1 Peter 2:10
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. 1 Peter 2:10
​1 Peter 2
Yesterday, we read about being born again and having a new identity in Christ. We know that God sees us now as completely new, perfected, and righteous. We need to believe the new and eternal name He has for us, not the accusations of Satan or the world. What does that mean for our lives? How does the world see us now? In God’s sight we are noble, but in much of the world’s estimation we are detestable. That cannot stop us from striving to be who God says we are and growing into maturity as the image of Jesus Christ. That begins by living up to our new identity and not living the way we did before Jesus saved us. Verses 1-3 read,
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
 
What is the pure spiritual milk we crave? It is the Holy Spirit teaching us and revealing Christ to us. It is His guidance as He divulges the Word of God to us. And it is the unwrapping of the mystery of the Gospel. The more we ask the Lord to feed us the spiritual food He offers, the more we will grow up into who He made us to be. Those of us who have been Christ followers for a little while know that the bread of the Word is better by far than anything the world ever offered. We have tasted have found that the Lord is good. We ask the Lord for more and He is happy to comply. We seek Him and He is happy to be found. We knock and He opens the door (Matthew 7:7-8).
We go to Jesus as the founder, builder, and finisher of our faith, not so that we will look good, but so that we will be made good. Don’t expect the world to applaud. They didn’t admire, receive, or honor Jesus. Verses 4-8 read,
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”

8 and
“A stone of stumbling,
    and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
 
The world doesn’t honor us, they think we’re fools. They rejected Christ and they reject us, especially as we grow into His image. They think that the way we live, in obedience to the law of love and choosing righteousness is nuts. They not only do not want to obey God, they cannot. That is why our cornerstone, our foundation is their stumbling block. They have to reach a point where they realize their need of Jesus. Our obedience to live as our new self, reveals Jesus to the lost and as they understand that they cannot be good without Him, they will fall to their knees and ask for salvation.
That is where the honor is for us. We get what they are missing. We can be righteous because God made us righteous by Jesus’ blood and He makes us able through the indwelling of His Spirit. The more we look like Jesus, the more we live up to how God sees us. We are part of the kingdom of God!  We are chosen by Him and united with Him! That is truly amazing. Verses 9-10 tell us how God sees us.
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. 10 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 are a people for God’s own possession! He adores us. When God considers you, Believer, He smiles. I for one want to live up to the way God sees me. I want to be worthy of the pleasure I give Him and His calling on my life. Verses 11-17 tell us,
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 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.
13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
 
Just because people in the world do not show us honor, does not mean we have the right to retaliate and dishonor them. God loves the person who ridicules your beliefs as much as He loves you. God wants them to know it. We reflect Jesus for the lost. We live in the kingdom of Heaven no matter where we are and that means treating people well and submitting to authority as a testimony to humility, kindness, and love. The way we interact with others is a witness to who God is and who He has made us to be. Verses 18-25 read,
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
 
God loved you before you loved Him. Jesus forgave you while you were still a sinner. Romans 5:6-8 says,
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
​

We love people in their sin. Jesus suffered. He did no wrong. He loved people. He healed them. He didn’t wait for them to be worthy of being healed or loved. He simply loved. He not only didn’t wait for people to deserve His love, He made us worth it by taking all our sin onto Himself. He was blameless, but He made us blameless! He died for all of us, for all of them. They whipped Him and beat Him and hung Him on a tree in the most torturous kind of death imaginable, yet Jesus didn’t retaliate. He endured.
The honor the world showed Jesus was non-existent. They lifted Him up to kill Him. But that most cursed of deaths blessed us and gave us new life. Let’s live up to the honor Jesus shows us by living in the way the world cannot. Let’s be Jesus to them and be the stumbling block so that they can know The Rock of Jesus Christ. Let’s love them enough to honor them even though they don’t deserve it yet.
 

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1 Peter 1 God Defines You by a New Name not the Accusations of the Enemy

5/23/2016

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1 Peter 1:3
Listen to the Audio devotional read by Anna Bonet by clicking the video below.
​1 Peter 1
Today, we will begin reading the two epistles (that is letters) written by Peter. Peter is my favorite apostle. Is it weird to have a favorite apostle? I love his exuberance, even when it led him to be embarrassed, he acted first in his passion for Jesus. That exuberance is described in the story of Jesus’ appearing to the disciples after His resurrection. Peter, Thomas, James, John and two other disciples were fishing without any luck. Jesus appeared on the shore and told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. The fishermen did not recognize Him at first, but they did as He suggested and pulled in more fish than should have been possible. The story continues in John 21:7.
That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
Peter jumped in first and trusted God for the rest. I tend to that and like Peter sometimes I end up all wet. But Jesus was waiting for him on the shore with a great job and a description of the amazing changes He would make in His friend (John 21:9-19). Peter is often remembered for the mistakes he made, but the legacy he left the church is not his denial of Christ. The legacy he left for us, is in his assertion that Jesus is the Christ.
When Jesus found Peter, he was a lively and hardworking fisherman (Matthew 4:18-22). He was the first to proclaim Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 16:13-20). Although eleven of the twelve disciples abandoned Jesus on the night of his arrest, Peter’s denial was most remembered. His highs were soaring and his lows were plummeting. But Peter’s future was not based on the mistakes of his past, it was based on his love, passion, and commitment for Jesus. Peter’s hope was founded on Jesus Christ and the awesome work of the Holy Spirit. Believer, your future isn’t based on the mistakes of your past, but on the hope of Jesus Christ. You are born again, you are new.
This first letter from Peter begins with verses 1-2
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
We are being sanctified, that is made holy like Jesus by the Holy Spirit. God has known from before we were born who we would be and what we would go through. He has never left us, He will never leave us, no matter how great our mistakes, how devastating our sins. He loves us and sticks with us in order to make us into who we were meant to be, who He knows we are.
God does not define us by our mistakes. He did not define Simon Peter by his wavering temperament, He called him Peter, the Rock! God changed him from vacillating boisterous Simon into steadfast passionate Peter. How does God see you? I promise you Believer, He doesn’t see you as the sins, mistakes, and character flaws the enemy wants you to suppose about yourself. He sees you as His righteous child, a new creation. Verses 3-9 read,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
 
Our future is not in question and cannot be taken away from us. Our names, our true identities are written in the Book of Life and cannot be blotted out. Revelation 3:5 reads,
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
We go through some really difficult times on this earth, none of what we go through can take away our eternity or make us back into who we used to be. The enemy will call you names, he’ll accuse you of every sin he can to try and take away your hope, but it is being guarded by The LORD God. God allows all that bad stuff to refine you and make you even more like Jesus. We can even find reasons to celebrate the bad stuff because Jesus.
Throughout the ages, people have suffered for Jesus, even before He was born in Bethlehem. What the prophets went through was for God’s glory and our benefit! We don’t remember them for their shortcomings but for who God made them to be. We remember their identities in Christ, not their identities in the world. When you think of Elisha, do you remember the bald man who unleashed a she-bear to kill a bunch of bullying kids? (2 Kings 2:23-25). I doubt it. Likely you remember the man who did miracle after miracle for the Lord, who had a double portion of God’s Spirit (2 Kings 2:9-14). Our new identities are not for us alone, it is for God’s glory, for the lost to come to know Jesus. Verses 10-12 read,
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
 
The Spirit of Christ was in the prophets and they told Israel and us about Jesus. He comes into us today too, not to leave us as we were but to change us, sanctify and make us new. Why? So we too can preach the Gospel, not by our own power but by The Holy Spirit. That is not nothing! The angels long know some of what The Holy Spirit says to us.
It is a big deal to be born again. It’s huge to live as our new selves with this unshakable hope.  So much of why we can endure the suffering we do is because we know the truth. We know who Jesus is, we know our future, and we know that even in the here and now, we are not like the world. We are citizens of Heaven. In Philippians 3:20-21 Paul said,
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
 
That is our future and that is how we endure. That is how we point the world to Salvation in Jesus Christ. We were once lost. We were once sinners and slaves to the prince of the world. But that is not who we are anymore. Our lives should show it! Verses 13-19 read,
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
 
We are here for such a short time when you compare it to eternity. Our childhood, our time on this earth is a flash. People love to say YOLO, “you only live once” as an excuse to do whatever they want. We do only live once, but that life is eternal! Perhaps we should use YOLO to live for Christ and die to ourselves. Perhaps we should love people like Jesus loves them and show them who they can be instead of who they think they are doomed to be. Jesus can be their Redeemer. He has always been the one and only way to salvation. Verses 20-25 read,
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for
“All flesh is like grass
    and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
    and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
 
Believer, you only have this one short life to live on earth. Who will you be? Will you be who Satan has accused you of being? Or will you choose to live in the glory of God as who He has made you to be? Will you be the sinner or the saint?
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1 Peter 4 Following Christ in His Suffering

4/3/2015

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1 Peter Chapter 4

Christ suffered on the cross and we as His followers also suffer. Christ’s suffering gave us salvation. Our suffering reveals Salvation in us. Verses 1-2 read,

“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.”

We are not better than Jesus. We must expect to suffer. And when we do suffer for Christ’s sake, we can rejoice. We are emulating our Lord. We are being transformed to His image. We are glorifying God so that others will know His redemption.

Verses 12-17 read,

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”

Suffering has more than one purpose. While we suffer, people see us. They watch and take note of how and why we go through our situation. How is that we can rejoice and even praise God through trials? They expect us to react in a worldly way and when we don’t, they see a glimpse of God. They see the grace of Jesus lived out.

Suffering conforms us to the image of Jesus Christ. Trials and tribulations teach us to exercise the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts He gave us, and purify us. . God sees us as righteous when He looks at us, but that doesn’t mean, He doesn’t care about our behavior. We are saved by grace but that doesn’t mean we should use our liberty as a reason to look and act like the rest of the world. We are supposed to emanate the Spirit of God, not the spirits of the world. We follow the King of kings, not the prince of this world. If the saved, God’s own children can’t behave in a manner worthy of God, how can we expect the lost to ever find Jesus? Verses 17-19 read,

“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”


19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

We entrust our souls to the Lord. We give Him custody and authority over it. While we suffer, through good times, through joy, through sadness, and everything else we know God has charge over our souls and He will keep it for us until the Day we come into it at our completion. It will be worth more than it could have been if He hadn’t held it for us. It will be perfect.

Until that day, we are charged with doing good, with being Children of God in a world that doesn’t know Him. We are charged with doing good in a world that celebrates selfishness and debauchery. Even the fact that we don’t want to join them in decadence shocks them and gives them a reason to hate us or know us because of Jesus.

Verses 3-4 say it like this,

“For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;”

We have to remember that they are lost. The reason they badmouth us is because they follow Satan and don’t even know it. They will be judged one day. They need the chance to hear the Gospel. They need a chance to call Jesus their Lord. Our behavior in good times and bad gives them a chance to hear the Truth. Verses 5-6 say it this way,

“but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.”

Their self-indulgence may give them temporary pleasure, but Jesus gives eternal life. Keep in mind. Choose your conduct with love. Do you love them enough to abstain from sin, suffer with grace, and rejoice in the Lord? Do you love them enough to give them a chance to know Jesus?

Verses 7-11 encourage us,

“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 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.”

Believer, you are special. You are not like the world. You are a child of the Living God, saved by Jesus and consecrated by the Holy Spirit. You are separate from the world, in it but not of it. Your life should be a witness to the truth, a living sacrifice to the Lord, and a light to salvation.

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1 Peter 3:8-22 Why Does the World Hate You? Are You a Jerk?

4/2/2015

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1 Peter Chapter 3 Verses 8-22

What is the culture of the Kingdom of God? It is a culture of love. It is love demonstrated in humility, kindness, gentleness, patience, and peace. It is a culture in which God’s children reveal Christ through our lives. And it should be obvious that we are different from the world. We are exiles among them. Verses 8-9 describe the manner in which we should live.

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”

These verses describes our behavior toward one another and verse nine expands our conduct to others. People will not like our refusal to conform to the norms of the society. They may be cruel. They may hate us. But we are not to hate them back. We are to love them, pity them, and be Jesus to them so they might know Him and be saved. It is not us against them. The world is not our enemy.

God never asked us to wage war against the lost. He told us to seek Him, to seek the Kingdom of God. To live godly upright lives. Let God be the judge of the lost, let Him be concerned with avenging His children and punishing evil. Verses 10-12 read,

“For

“Whoever desires to love life
    and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit;
11 let him turn away from evil and do good;
    let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”


The Lord doesn’t even wanting us talking smack about people. We are supposed to seek peace and pursue it, truly endeavor peace. The world hates us but we don’t hate back. We want them to know Jesus. They will only be able to see Jesus in us, if we love them as Jesus loves us. If we do the right things, the good things, and the kind things. They hate us, but we are not supposed to give them reason to hate us.

Sadly, we too often take the fact that the world will hate us and decide that gives us reason to give them motives to hate us. They do hate Christians, but it is supposed to be because they hate Christ and we are behaving like Him, not because we are smug jerks, calling them names. We do not need to give them causes to hate us. Verses 13-17 say it like this,

“Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.”

Don’t we want them to know the profound love of God? Don’t we want them to come to Christ? Why would they come to Jesus, if we, His representatives are arrogant loudmouth miscreants? Why would they want to know who Jesus is if His followers act just like they do? We are supposed to be honoring Christ. What honor is it to Him if we hit back?

Jesus suffered. He was hated, not because He did anything wrong, not because He deserved the hatred but because He loved His Father wholeheartedly, because He loved people in a way that the establishment couldn’t grasp. Jesus died for our sins. Jesus died for the sins of the world. He died so that we all could be reconciled to God and live. Verse 18-20 says,

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, 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, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.”

From the times of Noah, Salvation was offered to the world, and from the times of Noah the world rejected Him. The people of Noah’s days are dead and it is too late for them. Once they die, the chance for redemption is over. But until then we can love them, we can share the Gospel with them, we can be Jesus to them. Most of the world will reject Jesus. They will choose death over life. The world hated Noah. The world hated Jesus. The world hates us. They shouldn’t hate us because we are hateful. They should hate us because we are like Jesus. They don’t want to know they are sinful. They don’t want their world turned downside up.

That can’t stop us from loving them and from living godly lives among them. God doesn’t want a single one of them to die without knowing Him. He wants them to repent and be redeemed. He wants them to know Jesus. Verses 21-22 read,

“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.”

Remember Believer, who Jesus is. He is Awesome God. He is our Savior. Jesus saved you. He redeemed you from who you once were. He took you off the path to Hell and put you in the Kingdom of Heaven. You were once one of the lost, love them enough to give them a chance to be blessed by your life in Christ. 

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1 Peter 3:1-7 True and Appealing Beauty is about More than Pretty

4/1/2015

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1 Peter Chapter 3 Verses 1-7

It is not only unpopular but right out disgusting to the world that Christian wives are exhorted to submit to their husbands. But we know that the husband wife relationship is not the man unilaterally making choices for the wife, beating her, and demanding his every need be met. It is a relationship of mutual honor, in which the wife honors her husband by making trusting his choices and the husband honors the wife by meeting her needs, knowing and understanding her, and caring for her as precious and beautiful.

Verses 1-2 tell us,

“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, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct.”

In the world wives are afraid to submit to their husbands. Perhaps it is because they don’t trust their husbands to really love them enough not to hurt them. Maybe it is because they do not want to give up power or control to anyone. Regardless of the reason it is only through our Lord that we can emulate Him with the godly marriage He subscribes. When the world sees it lived out in a Christian marriage they notice.

They notice when we as believers submit, or give our authority to another person. It is a courageous strong thing to do. It takes great strength, only the strength of the Holy Spirit makes it possible. We imitate our relationship with Christ in our relationship with others. We give Christ authority over our lives. We give our spouses authority over our lives. But in our union with Jesus, He gives our authority back to us and even shares His authority over the earth with us. In our Christian marriages we reflect our Godly union and our spouse also gives us back our authority and shares power with us. That is something the world doesn’t understand. But they do see something special about the woman who submits in a godly manner. They do note that submission in a world that treats life like a game in which winning is all that matters is unique. That deference, respect and willingness to trust another so deeply is a testimony to the love of the Father, the grace of Jesus, and the strength of the Holy Spirit.

Your faith in Christ, your relationship with the Father, and your manifestation of the Holy Spirit make you beautiful. People perceive there is something extraordinary about you when you emulate the Lord. Verses 3-4 read,

“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.”

God sees you as beautiful when you exhibit the traits of Jesus we call the Fruit of the Spirit. The world sees that difference too when your embellishments are inward rather than outward. Love, kindness, gentleness, and humility are much more attractive than heavy make-up, short skirts, tight tops, and high heels. The woman with a heart after her God is precious and rare herself, she doesn’t need jewels to entice others toward her. True beauty doesn’t fade with wrinkles and stooped backs, it grows with maturity in Christ.

Sarah was one of the most beautiful women in history. Her legendary beauty is the basis for Abram’s deception of Pharaoh and God sending plagues upon Pharaoh’s house in order to rescue her. But the source for her beauty was not how she dressed herself, it was not in the jewels she put on, but her faith in God and submission to her husband. Verses 5-6 say,

“For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.”

Sarah is the “mother of nations” She set out on the same long trek Abraham did. She believed the Lord with him. She spoke her mind, she guided her husband, but she acquiesced to him because she trusted him and she knew he loved her. Sarah didn’t have to guess whether her husband loved her. He showed her, even to the point of sending his son Ishmael away because his presence hurt her.

Wives do not just blindly submit to husbands. They are able to do so because the husband so blatantly loves them first. Verse 7 reads,

“Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”

My pastor once described it like this. Imagine your dinner plates. Compare your everyday dishes to your fine China. Where to you keep the Corningware? It’s tough, it is in the cupboard, it gets washed the same as the rest of the dishes, the kids use it, and you use it nearly every day. But what about the fine China, the Waterford or the Royal Albert? That is kept in a special cabinet, on display but out of reach of little hands. It is used for special occasions. It is handled carefully so as not to break it or even chip it. Its worth is proven by the honor it is shown. Treating the Waterford as if it were Corningware would be reprehensible.

In the world, husbands do not treat their wives with such honor, compassion, and love. It is a running joke that men can’t ever understand women, but here Peter exhorts husbands to be understanding of their wives. If the husband loves her, won’t he know her enough to get where she is coming from? Jesus loves us enough to understand us.

A godly marriage is based on the union of Christ and the church. The world looks at submission to anyone especially one’s spouse as appalling. But the faith it takes to live in such an unworldly manner makes us beautiful and therefore appealing. Do not be like the world. Remember we are exiles, we are strangers in a strange land. Let them see the splendor of Christ in us.


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1 Peter 2:13-25 Submission to Authority is not Like this World, it is Like Jesus

3/31/2015

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1 Peter Chapter 2 Verses 13-25

We are sojourners among the lost. We are exiles in this world. When people see us, we should be recognizable as children of the Living God and citizens of Heaven. We are distinguished as Christians because we are conformed to the image of Christ, and everywhere and in everything we glorify Him. The culture of our home is unlike the culture of the world. We are not reactionary, we are revolutionary. We do not treat people the way they deserve to be treated, we remember Christ and treat them the way our God asks us to, with love and grace.

That includes people who are cruel, people who yield power unreasonably, and those in the government whether we like their politics or not. We submit to the Lord and in that deference we remember He is in control and He gave them their office. Respect for those in authority is respect and trust for God.

Verses 13-15 read,

“Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.”

It is unusual to have that esteem for those in authority over us, especially a government we don’t agree with. But in doing that, we show how different we are. We venerate God by respecting and submitting to authority. People see the culture of the Kingdom of God when we do good. They can’t fairly say anything bad about Jesus, when we walk in obedience and goodness.

We walk as sanctified children of God by choice. We are not burdened by rules. We are not oppressed by the threat of punishment or condemnation. So we are free to love people, do the noble thing, the right thing, and the loving thing. We are free to emulate Christ. That makes us uncommon, separate, and divergent from the masses. We belong to Christ, not this world. Verses 16-18 say it this way,

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.”

Jesus didn’t have to stand in front of Herod while he cruelly derided Him and quietly take it, but He did. He did because He loved Herod and Herod had been given a position of authority. Did Christ’s humility hurt Him? No, He knew the truth, He knew where the real power was and Who held it. When Jesus stood in front of Pilate knowing He would be beaten, He remained quiet and humble. He told Pilate, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:11).

Being humble enough to let people have the upper hand is not the way the world works. We live in a society that glorifies power, superiority, and dominance. But the ethos of the Kingdom of God is one of humility, grace, and kindness. It is one of imitating Christ and turning the other cheek. Verses 19-21 say it this way,

“For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”

Of course the key here is that we must do good. Suffering because we sinned or didn’t plan well is not special and doesn’t call attention to the King of kings, even when we withstand it with steadfastness as we should. But suffering for the good we have done is suffering on Christ’s account and that does glorify our God.

Jesus was good. He was completely blameless. He had all the authority and dominion of God. He could have struck Pilate down, He could have smote Herod, He could have destroyed the Roman soldiers who beat Him. But He didn’t. He didn’t even tell them that He had armies of angels and all the power of God at His disposal. He took it graciously because of His love for us and for them. Even as he agonized on the cross, He was gracious as He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34).

His grace saved us. His submission to earthly authority made it possible us to know Him and be called sons of God. Verses 23-25 read,

“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

That grace is impossible for the world to display or even grasp. It is foreign to the lost to not hate those who hate, to not fight back or even threaten. But we can because we trust God. We know the Lord loves us, has a plan, loves the one who hates us, and will judge all of us. When we exhibit the grace He asked us to, people see Jesus in us. The strength of the Holy Spirit emanates from us when we bow down in submission, love, and grace to authority in obedience to our Lord.


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1 Peter 2:1-12 Jesus is Either Your Cornerstone or Your Stumbling Block

3/30/2015

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1 Peter Chapter 2 Verses 1-12

It is a choice to follow Jesus and live a holy life. But it is a choice that believers want to make as we mature in the Word. That maturation doesn’t happen automatically. The fruit doesn’t just suddenly appear. The Holy Spirit purifies us through the fires we face. (1 Peter 1:6-8). He transforms us through the Word that we read, hear, and experience. Verses 1-3 read,

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

Leaving sin behind is not easy at first. Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander are common and quite natural to the flesh. But as we continue and we long to grow, as we get to know our Lord more and more closely, we want to be like Him, not the world. We know that life in Christ is so much better than life in the world. The Lord is good! The spiritual food of His Word, intimacy with Him, and the relationship He gives us is sweeter than words can describe. We want it increasingly, progressively, and deeper.

The world can’t understand. They look at us from the outside and wonder why anyone would choose to live a life of putting sin away, of purposely choosing to walk the more difficult road of love, truth, sincerity, good will, and encouragement over natural longings of the flesh. They rejected Christ because His teachings didn’t make sense to them. What looks absurd, preposterous and unreasonable to them, is beautiful, perfect, and wise to us. It is perfectly reasonable to us, because we accepted Christ. We were given the Holy Spirit and He changes us and allows us to see the excellent and flawless truth and wisdom of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus is the foundation of that wisdom. Without Him we can’t possibly understand. Isaiah compared Him to the cornerstone a building and Peter quoted him to get across his point that we as Christians are different than the world. Verses 4-6 say,

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”


The cornerstone is the foundation upon which the rest of the building is constructed. It is essential and it determines the position of every other stone. Jesus is our cornerstone, our foundation and we are stones in the building with Him. Without Him, the temple would crumble. For believers Jesus is our keystone and basis. He builds us up. He makes all things possible. But for outsiders, He is a stumbling block, an obstacle which they do not understand. They disobey because they are led by the flesh and see Jesus not as God, the Lover of their souls but an offense and insult to who they are. (Verses 7-8).

We are different. We are not like the world. We see the beauty of Christ. We have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. He is essential to our being. He makes it possible to obey. He makes it possible to live lives of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And as we mature we do not have to struggle to manifest those characteristics, we become more like Christ so we look and act more like Him. It is still a choice to stand out from the world. We have to keep in mind we are not like the lost. We choose to obey. We choose to be founded on Love. Verses 9-10 put it this way.

“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. 10 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 should celebrate our distinctiveness. Our idiosyncrasy is the Holy Spirit alive in us. Our difference is Jesus. Our calling is holy. We are chosen by God, we belong to Him. Honoring that awesome mission and identity is not always easy. It is not easy to elect not to lie, to forgive rather than hate, or to be kind person who hates us. But we are established in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit and chosen by the Father. We are special. We are not like the world, we are exiles among them. And we should be conspicuous. Verses 11-12 read,

“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 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.”

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    As I read the Bible every day, I take what God teaches me, what He says, and write it out. I then share that with you. It gives me a deeper understanding of the Word and I hope that it will encourage you as it does me, to put your love and faith into action.

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    Matthew 6:33
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    May His Face Shine Upon Us
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    More Than Conquerors
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    October 21st 2015
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    September 27th 2015
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