Salt & Light Blog

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

5/23/2016

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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Galatians 2 The Gospel of Christ or Satan, Grace or Law?

4/14/2016

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He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. Titus 1:9

Galatians 2
The Gospel of Jesus Christ must be defended. The truth must remain pure, undefiled. Too many of us put up with letting little half-truths into the church for the sake of looking kind. Too often we allow people to speak perversions of the Gospel, which sound right but are not, thinking that everyone has the same foundation, maturity, or knowledge we have and can stand firm against these lies. But not everyone can, because not everyone recognizes the lies. People assume that if we, who are more mature are listening, then it must be sound and their beliefs are confused, their conviction becomes sullied because suddenly it is not the Gospel they are hearing, learning, and living, but a gospel which is filled with deceit and bad news. The gospel of works, laws, religion, and ritual is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ it is the gospel of the one speaking it, the gospel of Satan: I-theism. We cannot let just anyone teach and we cannot tolerate any lies being taught, even accidentally.
Paul was telling the church at Galatia why they should trust that he spoke the Truth to them and why he had the right to preach it to them. He was warning them to keep false gospels out of the church. In chapter 1 he had told them about the education he had received via The Holy Spirit at the feet of Jesus and then how he had learned under Peter and James. In this chapter he continued to explain that he had spent the next fourteen years maturing, developing, and learning before finally being called by God to his ministry. Verses 1-2 read,
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain.
Paul didn’t disclose who those influential people were, but simply that they were respected in the church. He went to the apostles and to these influential men and confirmed with them the revelation he had received for his ministry. Paul was an apostle had been a Christ follower for seventeen years but he didn’t presume to keep his revelation secret, he discussed it and was happy to receive the feedback of the others. Even the most mature, the highest up in the church can make a mistake, can hope they are hearing the Holy Spirit but are really hearing themselves. Sharing your revelations with others says you trust that since you all have the same Spirit, He will confirm or refute what He has spoken for all of you together. It gives the body a chance to be united and to share in the work of Christ.
Paul’s ministry was not a run-of-the-mill ministry, it was revolutionary. His ministry was for the Gentiles. For the most part, Christianity in the early church was for the Jews. It was not withheld from Gentiles but it was seen by many as a sect of Judaism. Some people did not think Christianity was ever supposed to be for the Gentile; they fought against it. Paul was ready to fight for it. Verses 3-5 read,
But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.
The enemy Satan is so staunchly opposed to The Gospel of Christ that he had sent spies in, people who pretended to be Christians but were only there trying to bring the sect down. They wanted people back following the Pharisaical traditions of Judaism rather than following Christ and living in His freedom and grace. They had even managed to be among the influential of the church. Acting as if you’re good can get you pretty far in some churches but in the true church the hierarchy is not the same as the world or the false churches. In the true church, if people are paying attention and zealous for the Gospel, the frauds will be revealed. People will be known by who they become as they mature. Jesus described it by comparing wheat and tares (weeds) in Matthew 13:24-30.
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
Don’t be deceived, those well-meaning, mistaken people who teach and preach effort instead of faith, ritual instead of relationship, and law instead of love were placed in the church by the enemy. He means to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). There is nothing kind about letting them spread their seeds of deception. But they will be shown for the charlatans they are, they cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit, because He is not in them. But allowing them to spread Satan’s propaganda means they will lead many people to Hell to be burned along with them in the Harvest.
Remember we are not here to please people. We are not here to kowtow to people. We are here to glorify God, please Him and love Him by loving one another. Paul wasn’t inclined to salaaming to anyone, but he did respect the body of Christ and did love them deeply. Paul trusted God enough to know that the Spirit within each of us recognizes Himself in others. Verses 6-10 read,
And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles),9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
That is exactly what happened, James, Peter, and John recognized the Holy Spirit in Paul, they confirmed his ministry to the Gentiles and sent him to his important work. They knew that though different from their own, it went hand in hand with it. Each of us called to a unique ministry, yet the same mission. We are called to make disciples for Christ, but each to varying populations, places, and by differing processes.
There are times though that even those we know to be Spirit-filled, mature, and true must be corrected. We are all flawed and sometimes our flesh or fear overcomes us, sometimes we make mistakes, and sometimes we sin. I’ve been on both ends of the love of Christ shared for one another. I’ve had to pull my pastor aside and say, ‘you said such and such during your sermon, but the Bible says this.’ I’ve had my Brothers and Sisters come to me and say, ‘the revelation you think is from God is not, it does not mesh with what He told us.’ Though difficult, it is love that we exercise when we say these things, it is defense of the Gospel, love for those who will be swayed, and love for the person who sinned. Verses 11-14 describe that happening between Paul and Peter.
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Paul had deep respect for Peter; he had mentored him and he was an apostle and a pillar of the church. But in love he could not let him practice hypocrisy out of fear for pleasing people over God. Peter preached grace just like Paul, because Peter preached the Gospel but he let his fear cause him to practice the legalism the Judaizers practiced. He led several people astray including Barnabas. Paul had to confront him, not to hurt him but to put him and those who followed him back on the right path.
Fear does that, it makes us want to look good in front of people. Honestly consider if you do this. Have you been out with church friends and didn’t order the drink you wanted because it would look bad. Did you pretend in front of them that wine never passed your pious lips? Maybe you gave a ride to a church friend and quickly changed the music from your favorite to the latest acceptable “Christian” music. Those little ears in the back seat are noticing your hypocrisy and learning that pretending to be one way in front of some people is more important than living authentically for Christ. What gospel is your life teaching, the I-theistic gospel of works or the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
It is not abstinence from sinning which saves us. It is not following the traditions of the church or Christian culture that redeems. It is faith in Jesus Christ, it is His blood, His work, and His love that saves. Verses 15-21 read,
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Jesus saves us, His Holy Spirit transforms us. We don’t have to pretend, we don’t have to live and teach lies. The gospel of works is the gospel Satan would have you believe and live. We died to the law! Why do we keep trying to go back to that dead thing again? We are not slaves to sin who must please Satan by working for salvation that cannot be earned. We are free in God’s grace to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we work to earn salvation then Jesus work on the cross means nothing.
Are you living the Gospel or are you living a lie? Are the people who say they are members of the body with you living the Gospel or are they living a lie? People will follow you, people will follow them. Where are you leading them?

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Revelation 11:1-14: The Two Witnesses

12/23/2015

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Revelation 11:1-14
At the conclusion of chapter 10, John was given the commandment, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” (Revelation 10:11). Revelation 11 begins with a prophetic act. Verses 1-2 read,
“Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.”
Measuring the temple of God, the altar, and the people who worship there is akin to counting and judging or discerning the people of God. Who are His people and are they faithful and spirit-filled? Are they worshipping in Spirit and in Truth? John was told not to include the court because it is overtaken and trodden by the nations who rejected Christ. It is not time for them to be counted. For 3 ½ years they will disregard and blaspheme the Lord. They will treat Jerusalem as theirs and it will be terrible. But they won’t walk on the Temple of God, we are His temple and the enemy cannot have us. They will run roughshod over the City of God, but we are the City of God and they will not defeat us. For the same 3 ½ years that the nations blasphemously trample over the courts and Jerusalem, The Lord’s two witnesses will prophesy with His authority. Verse 3 reads,
“And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
The two witnesses will be dressed in sackcloth indicating that they suffer and mourn. They mourn because the world isn’t listening to the trumpet warnings. They suffer because everyone will suffer through that great tribulation. But they do not let that stop them from obeying God and prophesying, both in action and in word. We are given God’s authority and power for a reason. We are not meant to keep Him gagged inside us while we hide from the troubles and woes of life. God’s word must be expressed, He must be glorified. Paul described it this way in 1 Corinthians 9:16-17,
“For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.”
Who are the two witnesses? Over the years people have guessed and assigned them various identities. They have been called Moses and Elijah by some, Peter and John by others. Cults such as the Muggletonians[i] and the Shakers[ii] have been created by naming the witnesses. The Muggletonians named the two witnesses John Reeve and Lodowick Muggleton. The Shakers said that the first witness was the male aspect of God in Jesus Christ and the second was the female aspect of God in Ann Lee, who founded the movement and called herself Mother Ann Lee.
Identifying the two witnesses as individuals is not the wisest choice. Let’s look at who scripture says they are. Verse 5 reads,
“These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth”
They are the two olive trees. The Hebrew word for olive tree is es shemen and it means to shine brightly like the sun. It means richness, anointing, fat, fruitful, oil, and ointment. The olive tree symbolizes the fruitful strong righteous man in the Bible and its oil represents The Holy Spirit. Psalm 52:8 reads,
“But I am like a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.”
They are the two lampstands. The lampstands are symbols of the church (Revelation 1:20). The light they produce by the power of the olive oil is the Light of Christ. (John 8:12). And having Christ in us, makes us lights to the world as well (Matthew 5:14). We must glorify Christ. If He is in us we have to shine as brightly as the Son.
There are two witnesses, but two olive trees and two lampstands. They are both an olive tree and a lampstand. The two witnesses are representatives of Christ and preach His grace. They are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and exercise His authority. Zechariah 4:1-7 describes the olive trees and lampstands this way,
“And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3 And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”
You and I are God’s witnesses. We are the olive trees and the lampstands. We are ambassadors for Christ, filled with His Holy Spirit. Although we may be clothed in sackcloth, we are not powerless. Look at what the two witnesses will do while the trumpets call people to repentance. Verses 5-7 read,
“And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.”
Those who do not worship in the temple and trample the courts will try to hurt those who do. They will hate God’s witnesses. But by God’s power and by His might, we can call down God’s holy fire and consume our adversaries. We have the power to stop the rain from falling and turn water to blood. We have the power to strike people with plagues and diseases. These prophetic acts bring to mind the first four trumpets (Revelation 8:6-13). We do not currently call curses down on our enemies. We bless those who persecute us. But in the Great Tribulation our enemies will not be coming to Christ because of our love and blessings. They will fight by Satan’s side and reject Christ. We along with Jesus will have control of the first four trumpets and use them to warn people to repent and come to Christ. But our rivals will not come to Christ and the enemy will hate us all the more. He will make war on us and it will even appear he wins. Verses 7-10 describe his apparent victory.
“And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.”
The celebration over this supposed conquest will be immense. It will be like a worldwide Christmas people will make merry and exchange gifts they will be so happy. We will no longer be there to say they are suffering because they rejected Christ or remind them of the sins they commit. They will be free to make Jerusalem as evil as Sodom and despicable and slave-filled as Pharaoh’s Egypt. But their revelry won’t last. Verses 11-13 read,
“But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.”
God will bring His witnesses back to life, we will be resurrected and He will call us to come to Him. We will go up to heaven in a cloud of witnesses and all those previously partying people will see it. The sixth trumpet and the second woe will close with an earthquake that kills 7,000 people and destroys a tenth of the city. Verse 14 reads,
“The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.”
Will they listen to the seventh trumpet? They didn’t heed the first six and they will be without the Holy Spirit or the light of Christ. But we are here now. We can warn them now! We can prophesy now. We are God’s witnesses and so we must testify! We have the power and might of Almighty God within us. If we tell a mountain to move it will (Mark 11:23). If we tell a storm to stop raining it will. If we ask anything as Jesus’ witnesses, He will do it (John 14:14).

[i] http://www.exlibris.org/nonconform/engdis/muggleton.html

[ii] http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/cities/shakers.html

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John, from The Son of Thunder to The Apostle of Love

12/4/2015

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Who was the Apostle John? As I prepare to begin reading Revelation, one of the five books of the Bible authored by this man, I thought it appropriate to read a little bit about him and get a sense of who he was. John was one of the first of the disciples to follow Jesus. Matthew 4:18-22 records it,
“While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”
Jesus called James and John the Sons of Thunder. (Mark 3:17). Although no reason is given, we know Jesus named people with purpose and with a knowledge of who they were. Jesus knows each of us, exactly as who we are and who we are meant to be. (John 2:23-25). The name reveals the brothers passion and action nature which is revealed in the account of Jesus’ rejection from a Samaritan village in Luke 9:51-56.
“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 And they went on to another village.”
John was one of Jesus dearest friends, perhaps even His closest. He referred to himself in John as the disciple whom Jesus loved. (John 13:23, John 21:20). He was in the inner circle of the Apostles whom Jesus brought with Him for more private time and teaching.
Peter, James and John were the ones whom Jesus asked to stay awake with Him the night before His arrest. (Matthew 26:36-38). Jesus bared His soul to them. The three went with Jesus to the mountain top and saw Jesus shine as The Son of God. Matthew 17:1-13 records that amazing event which these three were privileged to witness.
“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son,[a] with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.”
That is not the only amazing disclosure Jesus entrusted to John as we will learn when we read Revelation. God gave John the vision and experience that he recorded for us in order to understand the end times and the awesome eternity in store for believers and non-believers. Revelation 1:1-3 reads,
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”
Jesus not only entrusted these great words to John, He entrusted the care of His mother to him, the only one of the apostles not to abandon Jesus as He gave up His life on the cross. John 19:25-27 reads,
“but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”
John was a fisherman, and so the probability was he was not highly educated, but he had a very distinct writing style. He had the heart of a poet. His wrote in imagery and in contrasts of love and hate, dark and light. 1 John 2:7-11 is an example.
“Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 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.”
Unlike Paul’s linear and academic logic, John’s circular logic was often lyrical but no less authoritative. 1 John 2:12-14 reads,
“I am writing to you, little children,
    because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
    because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
    because you know the Father.
14 I write to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
    because you are strong,
    and the word of God abides in you,
    and you have overcome the evil one.”
John began as a fiery fisherman, a Son of Thunder but he became the Apostle of Love, a pillar of the early church who along with James, the brother of Jesus and Peter led the church in accepting Paul as an Apostle. (Galatians 2:9). Jesus takes who we are and makes us into who we are meant to be. He took John’s fierce temper and tempered it with love. He changed him from a man who wanted to call fire out of the sky to punish the people who rejected Christ to the man who wrote to defend love and teach us to love in order bring people who rejected Christ into His great love.

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2 Peter 2 If You Know the Word Yourself, You Wont Fall for Lies.

4/8/2015

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2 Peter Chapter 2

It is very important for believers to read the Bible, to pray, and to pursue knowledge of God. Otherwise they will follow whatever sounds nice, even if it is in complete opposition to the Gospel. They can begin to believe the well-woven tales of liars who take parts of the Bible and present them with their strange logic. They appeal to emotions and fleshly desires. They are about feeling good and being positive. Peter exhorts the church to beware of those people. Verses 1-3 read,

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

The same demons who infested people in Noah’s day and in Sodom and Gomorrah are infesting them now to keep as many as possible from the truth. In Peter’s day, the false prophets and false teachers had to go into each church to spread their heretical doctrine. Today, they only have to appear on television. They still go into the churches, some even start their own churches. They look good. They seem so positive and pleasant with their big smiles and agreeable words. They can make people believe the lies they tell, because they sprinkle in enough scripture to make them think it is biblical. They offer freedom in prosperity, perfect health, and power. And desperate people searching for good news, seeking relief from their problems throw money at them and exalt the false teachers as their saviors.

We must know the Bible ourselves. We must read the word ourselves instead of only listening to what this preacher or that preacher says. A good preacher wants you to read it yourself, he wants us to question him about what he has taught. We are seeking God, not a preacher. In 1 Corinthians 15:34 Paul has some harsh words for people who don’t bother learning for themselves, who believe the false teachers who denied Jesus’ resurrection and brought other lies to them.

“Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.”

We must remain diligent in our pursuit of the Kingdom of God. We have to recognize truth and lies. We have to be assiduous in our godliness. Lot lived in Sodom for years. All around him people gave way to the most base of desires. Yet, he remained righteous. Imagine the derision he faced day after day as everyone in that city called him hater, Pious Pat, and evil. But he remained steadfast and never let their vile life become normal and acceptable to him. Verses 7-10 read,

“and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.”

The Lord brought Lot safely out of Sodom when he destroyed the city for its sin. The Lord has rescued us from the punishment of sin to the awesome hope of eternal life. Let that promise keep us persistent in following God instead of man. Allow the promise of our salvation to keep us diligent and deliberate in partaking of God’s nature instead of the flesh nature.

Peter gives a lengthy description of false teachers in verses 10-22 and I highly recommend you read it for yourself in case you recognize people that fit that description. Verses 14-15 read,

“They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing,”

It is the unsteady soul who falls for the lies. Not only must we be careful about what we listen to and believe but we have to watch out for our brothers and sisters who are weaker, less mature, or going through trials that make them vulnerable to these vultures. Verses 18-19 say,

“For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.”

We’ve all seen brothers and sisters teetering on the edge. We must step in and be Jesus to them to keep them from following lies instead of Jesus. They will either be overcome by Jesus or overcome by false promises of pleasure. We can be the difference.

Once a person hears and understands the truth about Jesus, if she goes back to living as a slave to lies, her punishment is much worse than the one who never heard the Gospel. We can’t let that happen to her. Verses 20-21 say it like this.

“For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them”

Are you following a false teacher or Jesus? Do you know God for yourself or are you taking someone else’s word for who He is and what He has said? Is there a brother or sister who may fall victim to a false prophet? Pursue God. Pursue Truth.

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2 Peter 1:1-4 Live an Extraordinary Excellent Godly Life. Be Like Jesus

4/6/2015

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2 Peter Chapter 1 Verses 1-4

Who in Christendom do you admire? Who are your heroes of faith? Is it Peter, Paul, or James? Is it Billy Graham, your pastor, or an elder of your church? You have the same potential for great faith they do. The Gospel that saved Peter is the same truth that saved us. The Salvation that redeemed Paul is the same that redeemed us. The same God chose us, the same Savior died and resurrected for us, the same Spirit that sanctified them sanctifies us.

Verses 1-2 read,

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Confirm Your Calling and Election

Jesus didn’t have to work harder to forgive our sins than theirs. He died once for all of us. He died once to forgive all sins. Hebrews 9:24-28 says it this way,

“For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

The grace we received was the same grace. Peter is known just as much for his blunders as he is for his great faith. He famously denied knowing Jesus not once but three times on the night before the crucifixion. And Jesus forgave him. He went on to become a champion of the faith. Paul was Saul before he met Jesus. Saul persecuted the church with such fervor that he was known to and feared by all the Brethren. Yet Paul became the man who suffered for Jesus more than any of the other apostles. He exemplified Christ to the point that he could say, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1). And we all should be able to say that. We all should reach a point of maturity that we know we are emanating Jesus, and there is more Spirit than flesh radiating from us.

That level of sanctification is not reserved for some Christians. It is for all of us. We all received the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t choose to transform some and leave others the same as they were the day they were saved. He doesn’t decide to purify some less than others. He is the Spirit of the Living God. He is Almighty God and He chose to indwell us. We have the same potential to be as effective for the kingdom as any of the Christians before us or with us. Verses 3-4 read,

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

There is nothing and nobody who can stand in God’s way of conforming us to His image. He through His great power has given us everything we need to follow Him and live godly lives. Godliness is glorifying Jesus. God chose us, He called us. He didn’t call us so we could live ordinary lives and look like the world. He called us to His own glory! He called us to be like Him. He didn’t call us to mediocracy but to excellence. If some of us are not living extraordinary lives it is because we are not pursuing God, we are not letting Him reform us. He has to revolutionize us before we can revolutionize the world through Him.

The Holy Spirit is indwelled in us. We live by the promise of His seal. We live by the hope of Christ’s resurrection which is our resurrection. We are no longer part of the world, fallen, and headed for Hell. Because of Jesus we have overcome that. We died to sin, and live in Christ. We partake, join in God’s awesome power. It isn’t some but all of us with the potential to do great things for Jesus.

There is no reason any of us have to live mundane lives. God is awesome and He wants us to live excellent exceptional lives that venerate Christ. In John 14:12-14 Jesus said,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

You see you have the same Lord, the same faith, the same redemption that Peter, Paul, and any of the great heroes of faith have. You were called by the Father. You put your trust in Jesus. You have the Holy Spirit. Start living the God glorifying life of distinction that He made possible for you.

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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 4 Following Christ in His Suffering

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

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

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

Donna Campbell

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