1 Peter 4:10-11

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10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. ~ 1 Peter 4:10-11

Today, we continue our study of 1 Peter 4 where we are learning certain principles that aid us in navigating in this fallen world which is not our home. In today's passage we learn of the importance of our spiritual gifts in the context of community. Every Christian has a spiritual gift, a spiritual enabling from the Holy Spirit who grants us the capacity to help others through the exercising of our spiritual gift. The goal is that believers in Christ through the exercising of our collective spiritual enablements are strengthened in the faith to navigate in this lost and dying world.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms."

When we first believed on Christ as our Savior, we were given spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are enablements from the Spirit of God who has made us alive to Himself and the things of God. These gifts give us the capacity to serve God and others. The fact that God has given us spiritual gifts, highlights the fact that God is a giving God. When I think of giving, I think of grace. Ah, grace, that unique characteristic of God which makes it possible for us to access His love.

Where as our text today uses the phrase "God’s grace in its various forms," some translations use the words "manifold grace of God" in this verse. This particular Greek word is used as an adjective to describe God's grace. This word is the emphasis in this verse. Most desire to emphasize the spiritual gifts, but that is not the case here. If it weren't for the "manifold grace of God" we would have no gifts from the Spirit.

The word translated "manifold" or "various forms" is a word that means "many-colored." Here, God inspired the Apostle Peter to paint a picture for us: He writes about the "many colored grace of God." The Greek word Peter used here was used to describe a garment that had many colors. The grace of God shows up in our lives as multi-colored and it leaves us and others spell bound. God's grace is not monotone. It is multi-faceted. However, if we are not being defined by God through our obedience, we will not experience the blessing that God has in store for us. As is the case with all of God's gifts given to us, the goal of the gifts is not for our benefit but for the benefit of others around us.

Philip Yancey once wrote, "Grace implies a risk, the risk that we might abuse it. Yet as I read the Bible, God seems quite willing to take that risk. Remember that Jesus made the “failures” the heroes of his stories. The question isn’t whether God will forgive us in the future, it’s whether we will repent and ask for forgiveness. God’s grace is there for us to receive, if only we hold out open hands."

Grace is free, not earned. Grace rescues us from our spiritual blindness. Grace changes us like nothing else. When we understand that we can do nothing to earn or maintain God's favor and He still gives it, we are blown away with gratitude.

God's grace can only be accessed through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why God requires us to come to Him through His Son, the Lord Jesus. 

You see, Christ is the only perfect one and His perfect life and death procured God's favor for all who would be humble enough to receive the free gift of God's forgiveness. In order to grasp "grace" we must go back to the old Hebrew equivalent to the word grace in the New Testament. It means "to bend" or "to stoop." God chose to stoop in order to help us in our helplessness. The Holy One, the All powerful One stooped in order to be in the position to deliver His grace to us.

The story is told of a man who was in a federal building and he was thirsty. As he walked through the halls of the building, he looked quite anxiously for a water fountain. Just then, he noticed the water fountain down the hallway. As he approached the newly installed water fountain, he looked for a pedal to step on, there was none. He looked for a button to press, there was none. At that point a worker came and fixed a sign to the wall just behind the water fountain which read, "stoop and drink." We can only access God's favor by stooping and drinking.

John Piper once said, "The most precious gifts you can think of are not ends in themselves. They all lead to God. Ultimately, that is what all His gifts are for.” God has gifted us in order to point others back to Him. But, we must be diligent to constantly "stoop and drink."

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." 

Peter uses gifts from one end of the spectrum to the other to hammer home a very important point: No one gift is better than the other. Every gift is given and determined by the Holy Spirit. The moment He came to bring the culture of God to our souls, He delivered gifts which enable us to do His work on this earth in tandem with Him. We did not choose what gifts we end up with, however our gifts will reveal our passions to serve others. So, if we have a speaking gift like teaching or preaching, we most enjoy doing such. If our gift is more behind the scenes we will enjoy doing the behind the scenes things that are essential in ministry.

I close with a true story from 1945. During World War II there was a French village that was bombed. This village had a very important statue; It was a statue of Jesus Christ. The statue was broken to pieces. The townspeople collected the pieces and stored them until after the war was over. When the war was over, they rebuilt the statue. They found all the pieces, glued it back together, and put the statue in the town square. Only one problem, they couldn't find the hands. So it was a statue of Christ without hands. Now, the hands were very important to them, they bore the marks of the crucifixion. They couldn't find the hands. They looked high and low, but they couldn't find the hands. So one day somebody in that town put a plaque underneath. It read, "He has no hands but ours." This is the concept being communicated in this passage. Believers in Christ are equipped by the Holy Spirit with spiritual gifts to be the hands of the Lord Jesus to others. We are the expression of Jesus Christ in this world especially as we exercise our spiritual gifts.

1 Peter 4:8-9

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8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ~ 1 Peter 4:8-9

Today, we continue our study of 1 Peter 4 where the Apostle Peter is giving us principles about how to relate to one another while we are suffering severely. The wisdom needed from God is a must in order to navigate the frustrations and disappointments that we face in this life.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

This letter was written to a group of believers who were suffering intensely. It is when we are struggling that we find it most difficult to love others; it is also the most difficult time to be grateful. One of the major roles of our suffering and our pain, though, is to help us to recognize and to know the contrast between what is true and what is not. Being able to recognize the difference between good and evil is wisdom and it is wisdom that enables us to receive God's culture into our existence. This is where our trials serve us; they serve to drive us to the place where we increasingly are depending upon God and we are being defined by Him. The key is that we run to Him through our pain, that we run to Him for His definition of us.

In this verse we are admonished to love deeply those who are believers in the Lord Jesus. A careful study of the word "love" in this verse and a careful study of the word "hospitality" in the following verse reveals that unless we experience God's unconditional love and practice it among our brothers in the Lord, we will not be known for practicing brotherly love or hospitality to those believers we have never met. The word the Apostle chose to use in this verse for "love" is "agape" or commitment type of love. Then, in the verse to follow Peter used "phileo" with is brotherly love. As you will see, the usage of these two different words fro love is quite instructive to us. Both of these two types of love enable us to realize God's culture among us, all the while fighting back sin and grumbling.

God, by nature, is love, and it is only His kind of love that "covers a multitude of sins." In fact, it was His love that caused Him to send His Son to earth to shed His blood on the cross so that we could be made acceptable into heaven. The Greek word translated "deeply" means "stretched" or "strained." The Greeks originally used this word to describe the way a horse stretched forward to reach its top speed.  

In order to love this way we must be defined by God and to be energized to strain forward with those who are feeling the weight of the pressures of this world. It is this kind of love that enables us to strain forward with our commitment to those who are not easy to love. Human love can help sinners face sins and repent from those sins, but it has no power to blot out sin. True love cannot enjoy fellowship with the works of darkness. True love loves the truth and judges according to that truth. The role of true love is to choose truth and to resist its opponent, sin and self. In today's passage Peter describes two aspects of this kind of love, it is a love that covers sin and it is a love that recovers the fallen.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." 

The word translated "hospitality" here is the word from which we get our English word "hospital." This is the practical display of love. The word Peter used here for love means "to love a stranger who is a member of God's family." Peter tells us to love like brothers other believers whom we do not know well. This Greek word translated "hospitality" is a compound word, joining the word that means brotherly love with the word that means stranger or foreigner. In Peter's day the public hotels were immoral places, and both Christians and non-Christians tried to bypass them if they could. So it was necessary for people to open their homes to travelers who were also believers in the Lord. Peter says one of our paramount characteristics of the believer in Christ ought to be that we love strangers.

It is our gratitude that gives birth to this desire to be of help to a brother in need. When we complain, gratitude is not allowed to give the platform needed to these two very important choices. Gratitude provides the hands and feet that enable us to love in this very practical way. And, the biggest disease today is not cancer nor AIDS nor tuberculosis; the biggest disease today is lovelessness. Strangely, I am finding that my gratitude grows in spite of the hardships that I encounter in this life. In fact, I am discovering that as I go through hardships and He embraces me as I embrace Him through those hardships, it is then that I really experience His heart for me. This is not possible without our trials. We would want to avoid the trials but in so doing, we would avoid intimacy with God. This is what causes our hearts to swell with gratitude because we recognize that God is truly involved in our lives.

1 Peter 4:6-7

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6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. 7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ~ 1 Peter 4:6-7

Today, we return to our study of 1 Peter 4 where the Apostle Peter has just reminded us that all those who in the end did not trust in Christ's finished work on the cross for the forgiveness of their sin will spend eternity in hell. Think of that for a moment; All who reject the free gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ will spend eternity in hell.

Hell is one of the most controversial doctrines in Christianity. Many find it hard to accept the idea that sin or man's rebellion against God has eternal consequences. They would rather believe that Hell is a modern invention, or perhaps a poetic image that represents something less than it is. But, Hell is a very real place. Many believe the only thing the Lord Jesus ever talked about was heaven. Surprisingly, He spoke far more about Hell than He did about Heaven! In fact, He spoke more on Hell than any other subject.

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit."

This verse begins with "For this is the reason" which refers to the fact that all men, women, boys and girls will one day give account to God for their sinfulness. For those who have trusted in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of sin, they will spend eternity in heaven. This verse refers to those who heard the gospel when they were alive on this earth and they did not choose to believe and then they died. The gospel was not preached to our dead Christian friends in vain. The reason the gospel was preached to those who have died is so that even though it looks like they have been judged like everybody else, they haven't. They are alive in the spirit. Their spirits are alive because they were born again. Right now they are with the Lord.

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray." 

The last words of the Lord Jesus in the book of the Revelation are these: "Yes, I am coming soon." When we read that, we ask, "So how soon is soon?" And I'm actually helped by a book by C. S. Lewis called The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in the Chronicles of Narnia series where there's a conversation between Lucy and Aslan the lion who was the Christ figure in the book. As they part company, Aslan said to Lucy, "Lucy, don't look so sad. We will meet soon again." And she says, "Please, Aslan, what do you mean by soon?" And Aslan replied by saying, "I call all times soon."

"The last days" is technically a phrase in the New Testament that refers to the time between the first coming of Christ and His Second Coming, that of all of human history, that is the last part of human history. We currently are living in the last days, but we must be living in the last part of the last days, because of all of the predictions made that have been fulfilled in our lifetime. Particularly, the formation of Israel as a country once again in 1948. And, since the end is near, we must pray with diligence. As our tomorrows become fewer, our prayers must increase.

Time is running out on all who have yet to place their trust in the Lord Jesus as their Savior. This explains Peter's admonition to us in this verse. Being alert and sober minded means that our reliance on God through prayer must increase. In today's passage, the Apostle Peter connects the nearness of the end with our earnest need to pray. Instead of working frantically before the time runs out, we should rest increasingly in God’s sovereignty and seek His help. The most important thing we can do in a given day is to pray. The importance of daily communication with God cannot be overestimated. Daily prayer gives us the opportunity to share all aspects of our lives with God, and in so doing, we are sensitized by Him to be involved in what He is doing in this world.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said, "The heart of prayer is the prayer of the heart." Prayer does not consist simply of words, gestures, or eloquence. Prayer is the address of a poor soul to our loving Father in heaven. So, if we desire to see a change concerning any issue, especially in the lives of the lost, we must pray so that God will intervene. And, as we pray, we do well to remember Martin Luther's quote about prayer: "Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness."

1 Peter 4:3-5

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3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ~ 1 Peter 4:3-5

Today, we return to our study of 1 Peter 4 where the Apostle Peter is helping us to recognize the value of the culture of God which is primarily inculcated into our souls by the Holy Spirit and our choice to obey the Word of God. It is God's definitions of all things that reveals His culture which is that which makes all things good and right, even though they may be delivered to us through painful experiences.

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry."

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we should be different in our lifestyle in comparison to unbelievers because we have entered into a personal relationship with God and our eyes have been opened to the destructiveness of sin. Our lifestyle difference is not a sign that we are better than those who have no personal relationship with God, because it has been created by the impartation of the Holy Spirit into our hearts. Depending on where we are in the process of being defined by God, we will reflect a measure of difference at various times in that process. 

The key word in this verse is the word "choose." This word reflects why those who know not God live as they do. They have been sold a bill of goods, as we had been before we came to faith in the Lord. The list of sins that Peter highlights here are addictions which entangle those who live for pleasure, thinking that pleasure is the ultimate experience in life. What they do not know is that the self life is destructive and it leads to plasticity. I remember when I was in high school and every Monday morning the guys would talk about the girls they had been with over the weekend. They would tell how they had sex with a girl whom they had gotten high or drunk. They had a warped view of sex and this is what motivated them to take advantage of those girls. Such is the case for those who are being defined by sin.

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you."

Those who know not for themselves the saving grace of God do not understand what happens to a person into whom God enters. The world is surprised when we get serious at our attempt to follow Christ and forsake sin. They don't think it strange when we wreck our bodies with drugs or when we turn our backs on destroying our families through wild and irresponsible living. They don't think it strange when we wreck our jobs because of our hangovers. They do think it strange when the drunk becomes sober or when the dad starts loving his children as he ought. They think it is strange when the sinner enters into a personal relationship with God resulting in his eyes opening to the diabolical nature of sin. 

It must be stressed that any change in the believer's lifestyle is not a requirement for going to heaven, but a result of heaven getting into the believer. As a result, the believer in Christ must never be surprised by unbelievers who "heap abuse" on us when we do not enter into their sin. They do this because they are empty of the substance that makes the believer different.

We all struggle with the idea that as Christians we are to be both out of step with the culture of this world, and compelling to those who live in that culture. In order to have a chance at accomplishing this task, our motivation as believers in Christ must come from God's definition of us and of all things, including our unsaved friends. All the while, we must remain aware of the fact that unbelievers will one day face the judgement of God. And, due to this fact, we must desire to be used of God, pointing our friends to God with the hope that they will receive the free gift of forgiveness of their sin by God.

In v.5 of today's passage we read, "But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead."

These described in this verse are those who in the previous verse were "surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living." Of them, the Apostle Peter wrote, "they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead."

The Lord Jesus Christ is the standard or the plumb line for that which is true and right. He has always been without sin, and He prevailed over sin and death because of His sinlessness. He is the embodiment of the law, and therefore, He is the ideal to which all others must attain in order to be acceptable before God. Once a person has come to the end of himself and trusts Christ as his Savior, he then through Christ is made acceptable before God.

In this verse, the Apostle Peter writes of the judgment that will be for both "the living and the dead." For all who will be found in Christ and His finished work on the cross for the forgiveness of their sin, they will be pronounced righteous and acceptable before God. For those who will be found not humble enough to receive the free gift of forgiveness from God, they will spend eternity in hell, separated from God and all that is good. No one who has ever lived on this earth will escape this judgement. The Christian will pass the entrance exam only after having trusted that the Lord Jesus' death on the cross paid his penalty before our holy and just God. 

The Lord Jesus Christ is not only the plumb line for that which is true, He is also the plumb line for those who trust in Him as their Savior. And, for those who have yet to receive the free gift of salvation through Him, He will be the plumb line who will reveal there crookedness in the end. As believers in Christ, we are to be daily prepared to give a reason to those who ask for the hope that we have within us. In addition, we should regularly pray for those whom we meet, praying that God opens their eyes to the truth like He did for us. 

1 Peter 4:1-2

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Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. ~ 1 Peter 4:1-2

Today, we transition into 1 Peter 4. You will remember that at the end of 1 Peter 3, we read about Noah and his family building and entering into the Ark. In so doing, they gave safe haven in their souls to the culture of God. In like manner, when we placed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we began the process of  inviting the culture of God into our being. This is what allows us to be defined by the truth of God.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin." 

The Lord Jesus suffered physical death; He died physically on the cross. And, His suffering although included cruel pain, bewilderment, confusion and death for Him, it brought victory  to all who will ever trust in His finished work on the cross. You see, we were doomed. Our fate was sealed and we didn't even know it. We were guaranteed an eternity in hell. That is, until the Lord Jesus came and paid our ransom and, of course, we believed..

In John 11:25-26 we read, "25 Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?'"

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ validates His identity as God. If He were not God He could not be our Savior. It was His resurrection that attested most to His divinity. And, His resurrection was proven by more than 500 eyewitnesses at one time when they saw Him as recorded in 1 Corinthians 15. It is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ that provides undeniable proof that He is the Savior of the world.

The next phrase in v.1 of today's passage we read, "... arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin."  

The Lord Jesus suffered when He took on Satan's definition of things and defeated Him. In so doing, the Lord Jesus loosened the grips of sin and death on us. Since we are dead to sin, we choose not to be defined by it. As a result of trusting in the work of Christ, the life that we had before we trusted in Him has been rendered powerless. That part of us died when Christ died, so temptation and sin no longer has power over us; it is dead. 

The phrase "arm yourselves," is a military phrase. And, the  preparation of the believer in Christ is more so inward than it is outward. Believers in Christ are to arm ourselves with a compass bearing that directs our soul, so that we will be properly prepared for the real battles that await us. These battles matter in for eternity, not just for time as we know it. 

Notice what it says, "Arm yourselves with the same attitude." This battle of sanctification that we are engaged in always begins in our minds. Before it goes anywhere else it starts in the way and what we think. Believers in Christ are to arm ourselves with the same approach to life as to that of the Lord Jesus Christ who was determined to live by the culture of God no matter what it cost Him, even separation from God for a short time.

Sin, which is the distortion of the truth, impairs our ability to value even suffering. Through Christ Jesus, we are free from the power of sin. And now we have been raised to a new kind of life, a life free from guilt and foolish decisions. As a result, we are poised to make wise choices which are consistent with God's definition of all things as given in His word. We will never be perfect at this this side of heaven.

The phrase "because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin," reveals the spiritual state of the victorious sufferer. It does not mean that believers in Christ are now sinless, it means we now have the ability to resist the power of sin. Christ's death, burial and resurrection made it possible for us to possess the mindset of Christ who chose to suffer. When we make this choice which is antithetical to our fallen nature, we show that we have been given the choice to not sin. Once we see and understand the nature of sin, we will trust in God’s truth enough to choose to die to self; we will see the nature of sin, that is a poison to our souls. 

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God."

Once we entered into a personal relationship with God through Christ, our eyes were opened and we saw real reality. This means we will increasingly recognize that the will of God for our lives is the most important and the most exciting thing ever. We will subsequently learn to live every day in anticipation of what God is doing in this world and how we factor into what He is doing. This is truly the greatest adventure ever. 

God's will is not an encumbrance, it's an enablement that leads to the real battle of the advancement of good over evil. Can you imagine that we factor into the age old war of good over evil? When we get to this point in our walk with the Lord, we will recognize His will has a cross-shaped approach to it. The cross reminds us that life is about connecting the horizontal to the vertical. We will not always know what He's up to, there are times when He doesn't reveal it so quickly, but we can rest assured that He knows best. And, He is calling you and me to a life of connecting the unsaved to Him. And, He even uses our suffering to accomplish it.

C.S. Lewis once said, "God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain."

1 Peter 3:21-22

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21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. ~ 1 Peter 3:21-22

Today we conclude our study of 1 Peter 3 where the Apostle Peter has been instructing us on the principles that enable us to be defined by God as we live our lives in this fallen world. Knowing the difference between good and evil is not a natural phenomena for mortal man; we must first be trained in the culture of God before we know what is really worth investing in.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "...and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

In the previous verse Peter brought our attention to the ark of Noah and that only eight entered into it and were saved from God's wrath. When we see the word baptism, we naturally think of water baptism, but it is just a metaphor of something far more greater. This is why the Apostle quickly says, "...not the removal of dirt from the body." The Lord Jesus is the ark. The judgment of God fell on Him. God's judgement fell on Him, and, having believed in Him, God's judgement will never touch the believer in Christ. In real reality death is the ark of Christ that transitioned us from this world to the next. This is why we are not to fear death. 

The Lord Jesus bore our sin and by doing so, He satisfied the justice of God. In order for sinful man to be reconciled to God the penalty for our sin had to be paid. The Lord Jesus paid the penalty or the wage for our sin. As a result, when we believe in Him as our savior, our sins are forgiven and we are reconciled to God. It is then that God's presence can be in us through the abiding Holy Spirit.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of many types, object lessons and prophecies of the Old Testament. It was the Lord Jesus who said to the religious leaders, "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life... If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me."

In Isaiah 53:3-5 we read, "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

With such verses, how could we miss that the Lord Jesus is the predicted Messiah of the Old Testament? The only way anyone misses Him is that they choose not to believe in this One who overcame sin and death by dying on the cross for His friends. Once we have believed in the Lord Jesus as our savior, we are then granted a clear conscience as indicated in our passage for today. A cleared conscience before God is the result of having been born again which is when the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our spirit making us alive to God. This is the ultimate picture the Lord gave us through the ark of Noah.

In v.22 of today's passage we read, "...who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him."

As our text for today suggests, Christianity is about a personal relationship with God and this personal relationship begins with the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. You see, He went to that cross to pay the penalty that our sinfulness created between us and God. In order for us to have a personal relationship with God, someone had to bridge that gap. Jesus Christ bridged that gap. Like the eight in the family of Noah, we must believe in the promises of the God of the Bible in order to be saved ourselves. 

The Lord Jesus Christ didn’t just resurrect, He also ascended into heaven. When He arrived there, He was found approved by God. And now, "He is at God's right hand" which signifies the position of authority, power, and rule that God has granted Him. There in heaven, even "angels, authorities and powers (are) in submission to him." This reminder is for all believers in Christ that we are not out of His eyesight and we can trust Him with whatever circumstances that He causes or allows to come into our lives. In the end, it is all designed to help us to know Him for ourselves and to make Him known to others.

1 Peter 3:19-20

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19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water. ~ 1 Peter 3:19-20

Today, we continue our study of 1 Peter 3. This passage is one of the most difficult passages in all of the Bible to interpret and to understand. However, the difficulty understanding it is quite instructive, much like our pain and suffering. Most often, it is in hindsight that we make the most sense of our suffering and pain. If it weren’t for the experience of separation, we would not appreciate the joy of love. Such is it's nature.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits."

When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, He experienced spiritual death which is separation from God. Then He was made alive through His resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. In Psalm 91:16 we read, "With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation." This verse is one of many in the Old Testament which told us beforehand that the Messiah would overcome sin and death by dying and rising from the dead. In Psalm 16:10 we read, "For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay." This is yet another verse from the Old Testament attesting to the fact that the Messiah would overcome death by raising from the dead. This is the reason that David pictured the Messiah alive in Psalm 22:29 which reads, "That all of God’s people will also undergo a resurrection, all those who go down to the dust will bow before Him, even he who cannot keep his soul alive."

This event, which occurred almost two thousand years ago, is the best attested fact in human history and experience. During the forty days following His resurrection, the Lord Jesus showed Himself to be alive from the dead by "many infallible proofs." He appeared at various times and places to many people who told others what they had seen. According to 1 Corinthians 15:6 the Lord Jesus was seen at one time by more than 500 people. It would have been easy to dispel the resurrection as a hoax but with so many seeing Him alive after His resurrection, at the same time, it was impossible to do so. 

The next phrase in v.19 is one of the most difficult verses to figure out. It reads, "...he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits."

This means that after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus' living spirit, apart from His body, which lay in the tomb, went to Hell to announce His victory over sin and death to the "imprisoned spirits." When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, for sure there was a victory party in the realm of evil. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2, "None of the rulers of this age understood it; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." The forces of evil thought they were overcoming God that day but they were deathly wrong.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "...to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water."

Since the beginning of time, when Lucifer fell, he has been at war with the purposes of God. And, throughout time he has tried to destroy the redemption of man. He tried to destroy the Lord Jesus through the religious leaders of Israel.  And, as is indicated in this verse, the Lord Jesus' proclamation was to those who chose not the free gift of God, but the lies of the enemy during the days of Noah. Why He did that, we are not sure. But, one thing that we are for sure about is that He overcame sin and death by raising from the dead.

Peter, in these two verses, has pulled back the curtain to enable us to see that when we resist the lies of Satan and receive God's will, we are choosing a spot, at that moment, on the winning team. Most often we miss the beauty of suffering because we don’t know that we actually are loved by God. We miss the absolute beauty of suffering because we don’t feel safe. It is in our ignorance that we suffer more than we ought. There were only eight who chose to get on Noah's ark. Only eight who chose rightly, only eight out of so many. It is our ignorance that cripples us. Oh, but when we choose wisely, the lid will be popped off for us for eternity and we will enjoy the fruits of Christ's suffering exponentially.

1 Peter 3:17-18

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17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 
~ 1 Peter 3:17-18

Today, we continue our study of 1 Peter 3 wherein the Apostle Peter has reminded us that sometimes it is God's will that we suffer for doing what is right. In writing this the Apostle draws our attention to the distinction between good and evil. That which is good or evil is what God has deemed them. And, as long as we consistently choose God's definitions of things, we should be safe from being defined by evil and we should be defined by God.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

God has a plan, and sometimes suffering is a part of that plan, even when we suffer for doing good or the right thing. There are examples of this throughout Scripture. Abel suffered after doing good. Joseph suffered without having done any wrong. He followed his father’s words, did what was proper, and suffered for it. It is axiomatic that we suffer in God’s plan. The only variable is whether we will accept the suffering as the will of God for us. Peter reminds us that it is better to suffer for "doing good" than for "doing evil." Undeserved suffering makes believers in Christ partners in the perpetuation of that which is good or righteous or true. And, when we do this we enter into Christ’s suffering. 

The "If" in this verse is a wish. It was Peter’s wish that the Asia Minor Christians to whom he wrote this book would suffer for doing good. When we suffer for doing the right things, we uphold the right things in our lives and in our culture. When we do this and experience suffering, it is consistent with the "the will of God" for our lives.   

Suffering plays a role in helping us to see the difference between good and evil. When we are able to make the distinction between good and evil, the battle to go in the way of God's culture becomes much easier. Our understanding of what is good or evil is crucial with regard to what we decide to invest in because no one wants to invest in the diabolical plans of evil. And, yet, when we feed the flesh by giving in to the lusts of the flesh, that is exactly what we do.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit."

The Apostle Peter begins this verse with the word "for" in order to explain why it is sometimes God's will for us to suffer for doing what is right. Then Peter makes the connection between the believer's suffering and that of Christ. Christ’s suffering was a vicarious act. He did not sin, and yet He was made sin for us. His point is: When we do the right thing and suffer, we reveal part of the reason the Lord Jesus Christ died for us who are unrighteous. He didn't deserve to die, but even in being treated unjustly, He triumphed over sin and death through His resurrection. He paid the debt that our sin created. The Lord Jesus suffered unjustly so that the truth would triumph in the end. 

By trusting in the Lord Jesus' underserved death on the cross, God has "imputed" His righteousness to us, and our sin was transferred to Him at the cross. This began our personal relationship with God, enabling us to know and to live in His culture. Daily, when we choose good over evil, we factor in on the age long battle over evil and the one who brought evil into existence. The Lord Jesus ultimately died that horrific death, in order to purchase for all who would receive His free offer of forgiveness of sin. Of course, this is what unites us to God. When the Lord Jesus paid the penalty of our sin, we got back into the game. And now, we are learning that even our suffering factors in as a sentry in our souls in the process, always pointing us to our Savior and His ways if we let them. 

1 Peter 3:15-16

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15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.  ~ 1 Peter 3:15-16

Today, we continue our study in 1 Peter 3 where the Apostle is revealing to us how to battle against being defined by this fallen world. In context, Peter has taken us to the importance of good solid relationship skills including good communication with the Lord and with one another.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

Literally, the first sentence of this verse is written, "But, set apart Christ in your hearts." This is the heart of the whole book of 1 Peter. You see, before we go out and face the world every day, we must first give Him His rightful place in our hearts, otherwise we will be inauthentic before a lost and dying world. In reality, He sets Himself apart in the first spot of our hearts as we allow Him to reveal Himself to us. Having experienced His goodness and faithfulness for ourselves, we naturally will develop a love for Him which will, in the end, be unparalleled. It takes a long time to get to this place and many never get there. I am in process myself.

 As a result, we will be loyal to Him, although imperfect in our attempt to be so. We will have His heart because He will have revealed it to and for us through the various trials of life. What is required of us is that we go through the trails with Him. We must not only embrace Him through the trials, we must allow Him to embrace us through the trials. This scenario creates in us a love for Him, and this kind of love can not be faked.

The more we trust Him, the more we will give Him safe passage into our souls. The interesting part of growing in our trust of God is we do not learn of His faithfulness without dealing with our need. And, the greater the need, the more magnanimous will be our discovery of His faithfulness. And even then, we have to go through stuff with Him in order to see that He is truly committed to us.

With the next sentence of this verse we discover that the plot thickens. It reads, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

The word "answer" here means defense. We get our English word apologetics from it. Apologetics means to have a defense or offer explanations or give good reasons for that which we believe. The Greek word used here is used to describe lawyers who stand in a courtroom and give good and compelling reasons on behalf of their client. We live in a world where we are always in the courtroom. We are never out of the courtroom. This world is a living courtroom, and the best defense for the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the relationship that we have garnered with Him and from Him as we go through the stuff of life with Him. 

This grand concept of hope is always magnified by our suffering. And, as others see us dealing with the suffering that they also go through, they see our hope. This type of hope creates inquisitiveness in others. And, without even knowing it, they are asking of us a revelation of God.

At the end of this verse and on into the next, the Apostle Peter directs us to add three ingredients to this presentation of God before the lost onlookers. The last sentence in this verse reads, "But do this with gentleness and respect."

The word Peter used here for gentleness means mild, calm, kind, quiet, and tender. The word used for respect is the word from which we get our English word phobia or fear. The picture Peter is giving us here is that of a person who treats people who perhaps humanly deserve unkindness, yet who get kindness because of the givers authentic relationship with the Lord. 

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "Keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."

This is not about winning arguments with people, it is about God loving them into heaven through our broken and yielded lives. You see, when we are defined by God, our actions will reflect Him and not our natural selves. This, of course, will always leave us with a clear conscience which enables us to continue to pursue God unimpeded. This is the key to living this life which garners the curiosity of those observing our relationship with God.

The Apostle Paul stood up in Acts 23, and said, "I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." And the point is this: A clear conscience will help us face anything, even a hostile world. As we are criticized by others, our conscience will be clear because we set the Lord Jesus apart in our hearts. They might accuse us of all sorts of things, but we will have a clear conscience. This will result in a loving boldness that will enable us to endure even with the worst of the hurting that are out there.

1 Peter 3:13-14

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13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened. ~ 1 Peter 3:13-14

Today, we return to our study of 1 Peter 3 where the Apostle Peter is sharing with us those most important principles regarding suffering that he had learned through his walk with the Lord for some sixty years. Suffering is easier to endure when we know that there is a purpose to it. This is the theme for today's text.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?"

Here, the Apostle addresses those who live consistent with God's definitions of things. No, they are not going to be perfect but they are those who are pursuing God and His definitions. This question is written in such a way that normally we would never expect to suffer if we are operating in this life as a people who do good to other people. This is increasingly not the case in our world today because many have so rejected God's definitions of things or the truth that they are threatened by the truth. 

Many today ignore the fact that the history of Christianity has, for the most part, benefited societies. The concept of human rights is a biblical concept. These values have long been given to us by the God of the Bible through His word. For example, women's rights came from the Bible. When the Lord Jesus spoke 2,000 years ago, the culture around Him did not respect women at all. And, even though in early America the same was true here, eventually the rights of women were granted because God is for the rights of women. He is the One from whom we got the idea. There has always been those who called themselves Christians but they did not live consistent with God's definitions. Their inconsistency does not negate the consistency of God's word. This is why we must be defined by God.  

I find it quite instructive here that Peter begins today's passage with a question. Questions are often the product of our doubt. Most think of doubt as something which is bad but often it is necessary for the growth of our faith. There will always be an element of uncertainty when we live by faith. It is the uncertainties that make us worry and to get anxious. This is why God is constantly calling us to trust Him and to be subsequently defined by Him. This is the answer to all of life here on earth.

In addition, it is only those who enjoy the adventure that questions take us on who really live life. Only those who pursue God really live. In this pursuit there will be times that we will think we will not survive, times we may regret that we ever embarked on this journey, times we wish the idea had never come up. But if we step out and risk and go, when the journey is complete, we will have a wealth that is desired by all of those who have know all the treasures this world. We will have a grand story with God. We will have much to tell, and, as a result of this grand pursuit, we will not be the same. And it will all be more than worth it.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened."

In this verse Peter quotes a portion from Isaiah 8:12-13. This quotation is quite significant because Ahaz, king of Judah, faced the impending invasion of the Assyrian army. The kings of Israel and Syria wanted Ahaz to join them in an alliance against the Assyrians, but Ahaz refused. As a result, Israel and Syria threatened to invade Judah.  

Behind the scenes, Ahaz subsequently made an alliance with Assyria. And the prophet Isaiah warned Ahaz against ungodly alliances, and urged him to trust God alone for deliverance. That was the background of the passage Peter quotes here. In other words, this is not a new problem. Essentially, Peter with Isaiah, was saying, "Do not fear the intimidation of man." You see, as Peter goes on to say, "we are blessed" when we suffer for doing the right thing because we have been convinced by the truth Himself to go the way of the truth. The Lord Jesus Christ is the truth, and, when we are being defined by the truth, we will have a greater depth to our daily walk with Him. This will be so because the truth makes us who are being defined by it the most secure people in the world.

In the Bible, there are two types of fear: the fear of man and the fear of God. In order to accomplish our ultimate calling, we must be ardent on the idea that God defines us. Being defined by God begins with the development of a reverential fear of Him. This is a fear that hones our view of Him as a good God who has our best interest at heart. Fear must be our servant, not we it, because fear always looks to corrode our confidence in God’s goodness. 

"Fear not" is the most repeated command in the Bible, one for every day. In fact, the gospels list some 125 Christ-issued imperatives for us to not fear. But, there is a fear, according to our text, which plays a role in the ultimate purpose of our suffering. Fear itself is not a sin. But it can lead to sin. It reminds us that we are mere humans. It drives us to our knees before the One who reminds us that in our weakness He is strong. It drives us to depend upon Him, and, there is no better place for you and me to be.