1 Peter 4:17-19

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17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" 19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. ~ 1 Peter 4:17-19

Today, we conclude our study of 1 Peter 4 where the Apostle Peter has addressed a group of young first century Christians who were being brutally persecuted by all in the known world at that time. In today's passage Peter gives further instruction on how to handle suffering.

Suffering is within God’s will for the believer in Jesus Christ. This is true even when Satan may be the immediate cause. But, God is always poised to bring good out of our hardships, most importantly, to give us a deeper walk with Him. God uses all things together for our good and for His glory. When we give God enough time, He reveals the genius of His ways to us.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?"

Peter speaks of judgment for believers in Christ here not as punishment, rather, he speaks of judgment as the act of separating the real from the fake. God uses suffering in order to inculcate His culture into our lives. Think of a judge who uses scales to weight two metals to determine which was is genuine and which one is a fraud. God uses the purifying work of suffering to change the believer from the inside out, enabling us to know what is good and of God. This work is a process we know to be sanctification. Whereas our justification before God was procured by Christ alone on the cross, our sanctification is a process whereby God is changing our souls which is made of our minds, our wills, and our emotions. God's role behind the suffering in the life of the believer in Christ is to inculcate His culture into us through our suffering.

On the other hand, the role of suffering in the life of the unbeliever has as its design to draw the unbeliever to faith in the God of the Bible. And, for those who do not believe, evidenced by their lack of obedience to God, they will spend eternity separate from God and all that is good. God did not create evil. And, hell seems to be a very harsh punishment for sin, that is until we understand that behind the smallest expression of wickedness is the wicked one himself. In hell, sin will one day be banished forever and never again will it threaten the well being of humans.

Judgement is always involved in the choices we make. This is the nature of the truth; it involves discrimination between that which is true and that which is false. Having trusted in the One who referred to Himself as the Truth, the believer is protected from the judgement of God. Not so, for the unbeliever.

For the believer in Christ, the judgement Peter wrote about here is different than the judgement God exacts on those who choose not to believe that the sacrifice of Christ paid the penalty for their sin. Believers in Christ go through suffering so that we may hone our abilities to make correct judgment. God does not allow suffering in our lives because He hates us, He allows suffering in our lives because He loves us and He desires for us growth. Our sufferings drive us to God enabling us to know the heart of our heavenly father.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"

In this verse Peter quotes Proverbs 11:31. The salvation of the believer in Christ includes persecution and hardship. God uses suffering in our lives in an instructive way. It is kind of like a remedial test through which God teaches us the destructive nature of sin and the gloriousness of the truth. That kind of judgment is hard for us and it will continue in our lives until the Lord takes us home to live in eternity with Him. Suffering helps us to see the importance of a clear evaluation of all things, including our suffering. It is hard, but as we grow in our understanding of it, we will recognize its real value.  

Whereas it is hard to get heaven into the believer, it is impossible for any human to get into heaven apart from him believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, it was the Lord Jesus who said, "It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter heaven." 

According to Luke's gospel, the word used for needle was a surgeon's needle. Luke narrowed the word so specifically because he himself was a doctor. The point the Lord Jesus was making is it is most difficult for someone who trusts in money to get into heaven. In fact, when the disciples heard this teaching, they were greatly astonished and they said, "Who then can be saved?"  The disciples being Jewish believed if the rich can't get saved, nobody can get saved. Of course, they were wrong. They believe that if one has riches, wealth it's a sign of God's blessing on that one's life.

No person on earth can be saved in and of and by himself. It is simply impossible. This is why the Lord Jesus had to come and live a perfect life, measuring up to the truth, and dying a perfect death, defeating death through His resurrection. His purchase of our salvation is something no human could possible do due to our fallenness.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."

God is a faithful Creator, not just of a few small things in our lives, but of the entire universe. He spoke, and light was created. He breathed, and life began. He keeps the planets spinning. He keeps our hearts beating. He is our faithful Creator. Sometimes we feel as if our lives are spinning out of control, yet God has always been faithful to hold our lives together when we let Him. The Creator of the universe is trustworthy. The God who created the heavens and the earth is big enough to handle whatever problems we encounter in this life. He has a proven track record. So, Peter reminds us to trust Him in our suffering. 

Peter ends today's passage with a challenge to trust God while doing good. We are to trust God in our suffering while doing good. We, as believers in Christ, should be the most motivated to do the will of God for many reasons, especially for the sake of those who have not trusted Christ as their Savior. I believe the paramount to the good that we can do in this world is topped by being faithful to share the gospel with the lost. I am most grateful to those who loved me enough to tell me the truth. Without their stedfast obedience, I wonder where I would be today. I am truly grateful for the many who chose to obey the God of the Bible and tell me of their relationship with Him and to share with me the gospel of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 4:15-16

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15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. ~ 1 Peter 4:15-16

Today, we return to 1 Peter 4 where the Apostle Peter is pulling back the curtain so that we can see the precedents to the believer's intimacy with God. In today's two verses, the Apostle Peter gives us two dangers when we are suffering for Christ. 

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler."

Peter reminds us our suffering should not be the result of irresponsible living, such as murder, thievery, criminality or meddling. In 1 Peter 2:20 we read, "For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience?" Again, in 1 Peter 3:17, we read, "For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right, rather than for doing what is wrong."

The phrase "any other kind of criminal" employed in today's verse is used to cover all the crimes not mentioned in the first two words. Then, Peter adds one other very interesting word, he says, "or even as a meddler." This is the only time in the New Testament that this word is used. This word "meddler" describes a revolutionary who disrupts society. 

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name."

The second danger Peter mentions in today's passage is to be ashamed of the name of Jesus Christ. This is the third and last time that the title "Christian" is used in the New Testament. The other two occurrences are in Acts 11:26 and Acts 26:28. The word "Christian" simply identifies one as a follower of Christ. 

In the courtyard of the High Priest, Ciaphas, it was Peter who was ashamed of the Lord. Peter's shame showed up when he denied knowing the Lord Jesus on the night Jesus was betrayed. Perhaps, as Peter wrote these words, he thought back to that early morning some 30 years earlier when he denied knowing the Lord those three times. After the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, Peter demonstrated a different approach to life. This was largely due to the indwelling Holy Spirit. In fact, this is why you and I desire to bring honor to our Savior. Of course, He rescued us by dying on the cross for the penalty of our sin. And just like Peter, He has given us the Holy Spirit who has given us a new heart with new desires.

The shame that Peter felt that early morning some thirty years earlier was a product of his guilt. Peter didn't know what to do with his guilt. It was only until after he was born again that he began to understand guilt. Guilt is the nerve ending of the soul. Guilt can be good and it can be bad; it can drive us to the Lord or it can drive us away from the Lord. It is kind of like fear; it is a product of sin. And, guilt gives birth to shame if we allow guilt to drive us away from the Lord. It is in being driven to the Lord that our guilt and our shame serves us. And, when we begin to understand that on the cross the Lord Jesus took our guilt and shame along with all of our sin from us so that we would not be defined by it. 

I am finding that the greatest thing in life is to bring honor to Him, no matter what is required and no matter the cost. Bringing honor to the One who rescued me from certain damnation for eternity is simply not enough to express the gratitude that I have for what He has done for me. This gratitude grows as my understanding of my guilt and my shame grows. And the more I understand that, the more I understand the enormity of the payment He made on that cross for me.

Faith in the God of the Bible is the belief that He will do what is right. Many believe faith is that God will do what we want Him to do. Faith in the God of the Bible is that He will do what is right and true. This is the best for all of us because only that which is right and true will endure into eternity. 

Peter ends today's verse with this phrase, "praise God that you bear that name." 

The name Jesus, announced to Joseph and Mary through the angels means "Yahweh saves." Transliterated from Hebrew and Aramaic, the name is Yeshua. This name is a combination of Ya, an abbreviation for Yahweh, and the verb Yasha, meaning "rescue," "deliver," or "save." The Lord Jesus came to this earth because Yahweh saves.

For years I kept the Lord Jesus at arms length. It wasn't until the greatest heartbreak came to me that I turned to Him and I began to get to know Him in a personal way. As a result, over time I was willing to let Him into my life. And now, the greatest privilege in life for this bedraggled ragamuffin is to say to Him, "Yes, Lord." After entering into a personal relationship with the Lord, I am discovering that the more I let God take over my life, the more I am becoming the person He made me to be. Many have drawn the wrong conclusion of Him because they have not honestly considered His person, His life and His claims. This same Lord Jesus who created all, who defined everything in the beginning, loved us enough to yield Himself to the cruelty of the Roman cross so that we could be truly defined by God.

When the Lord Jesus hung on the cross, He experienced a distance from God the Father that you and I deserve but we should never experience. Had He not gone through with the redemptive plan of God, we would be without hope of any kind. Since He took our sin upon Himself and God judged it in His body on that tree, the penalty for our sin has been paid and now we are in His family for eternity. 

1 Peter 4:14

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If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. ~ 1 Peter 4:14

Today, we return to our study of 1 Peter, the book with the theme of hope in the times of suffering. In today's verse the Apostle Peter continues with the same general idea as he had written about in the past two verses. In those two verses, the Apostle mentioned the fiery trial of believers, and our participation in Christ’s sufferings. For the believer in Christ these are to be expected and actually are a point of honor. 

Peter begins today's verse with, "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ." 

This portion of this verse is not speaking of suffering which is a result of faith in Christ as much as it is a title of honor for bearing the name of Christ. The reproach is because of the honorable name the believer in Christ bears, and it is used as an insult by those who do not bear it. This is not a problem for the believer who is being defined by God. In fact, when we are being defined Him, the insults of others will not result in their designed intentions. Those who insult us do this in order to get us to respond in like manner. When we resist the lurings of the flesh or the evil desires that are yet within us even though we are born again, we experience the pronouncement of God's Spirit and power upon, in and through us.

We do not understand the power of God unless we see it displayed in our lives. We do not really experience God's power unless we go through suffering. Notice that I said "go through." Those who cut the process short, desiring comfort or relief over substance, miss out on the deepening of their hearts for the very pronounced presence of God. Our comfort, which is what our suffering disrupts, blinds us from the reality of God's presence being pronounced in and through our lives. It also blinds us to God's power being released into and through our lives. It is our fallenness that almost always requires us to go through suffering in order to be more intimate with God. And, we will not know the pronounced presence and power of God personally until we turn to Him in the midst of our suffering. This is the subject of the second half of this verse. 

The Apostle uses the phrase "for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you" strategically in this verse. The word "glory" speaks of the shekinah glory that was visible over Mount Sinai when God gave the Law to Moses. This shining glory was visible over the tabernacle as Israel traveled through the wilderness out of Egypt. It was visible when the temple was dedicated in Jerusalem. This was the glory which Peter saw when the Lord Jesus was transfigured before him on the mountain with James and John. This cloud of glory is the outward manifestation of God's presence among His people. When the Old Testament believers saw this cloud in its various forms, they knew that God was with them, and they were assured of God's presence. Peter says believers in Christ  actually have the same glory of God, in us, over us, around us, protecting us, directing us, even though we have a very difficult time seeing it. This verse is a reminder when we suffer for the name of Christ that we are sharing in His sufferings. We are put in a place to give evidence of God's blessing and presence and power as we stand tall amid the suffering.

The blessing that the Apostle wrote about here is not a subjective happiness; it is the objective presence and power of God in our yielded lives through the Holy Spirit. When we are insulted because of our identity in Christ, we are blessed because God's presence is pronounced in, to, and through us. To know His presence is the most fulfilling experience for any believer. I find it instructive that in heaven at the end of time according to Revelation 22, believers in Christ will be the temple or the resting place of God. In that context, we will be most fulfilled. So, it makes good sense that when we are insulted because of the person of the Lord Jesus, we will experience God's presence in such a way that we will be most satisfied.

The word "rests"  speaks of the refreshing that comes when we yield to the most dominant power in the midst of our suffering. Many down through the years have been martyred for their faith and they totally transcended the physical pain during the persecution. Some have been known to sing hymns while their physical lives were being taken from them. They were able to do those things because they hosted the pronounced presence and power of God in that moment. This happened because the Spirit of God had rested upon them to lift them up beyond the physical dimension. 

This reminds me of Philippians 2:13 which reads, "for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."

When our wills agree with God, we are rendered powerless and helpless to do what we need to do. This is where the Lord shows His power and His glory. As a result, we "work out" what God "works in" us. We do not work to earn "our salvation," we allow the very life of the Lord Jesus to be manifested to and through our yielded lives. As we do this, we do not oppose God's will. No, His will becomes our will.

1 Peter 4:12-13

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12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. ~ 1 Peter 4:12-13

Today, we return to our study of 1 Peter 4 where the Apostle Peter addressed first century Christians who were unmercifully being persecuted. According to history, we know that at that time the ruler of the world, Nero, had set the city of Rome on fire in order to blame Christians, justifying his ill treatment of them throughout his empire.

Atheists tell us that the universe is random and we should take a blind and an indifferent approach life because it is without meaning and purpose. But, when we go through our darkest of moments like these to whom Peter wrote, that postulate just does not cut it because there is absolutely no comfort, no hope in that approach to life. If there is no God, then where did we get the standard of goodness by which we measure evil? This argument for God's existence is called the moral argument which underscores the idea that if there is no God, there should not be any ultimate values. And, if there are no ultimate values, there should be no such thing as good or evil. But, to this, I find it amazingly instructive that I have never heard an atheist speak at a funeral; it is only those who have hope that are asked to speak at such events. Those with hope have an ultimate standard. This is revealing of a much deeper truth.

The Apostle Peter addressed the problem of suffering no less than 21 times in this letter. And, one thing that sticks out most in this epistle is that God works in and through our suffering and our pain. And, when we say, "There is so much evil in the world," we only say that because we innately know that there is a supreme good. And if there is a supreme good, there must be a supreme being behind it. I taught middle and high school students for thirty one years. When my students made less than the perfect mark, it was presupposed there was a standard of perfection. The perfect mark was the standard by which everything else was measured. 

Having said that, we wrestle with the fact that we live in an imperfect world. It was once perfect but through the Fall of man in the Garden of Eden, imperfection entered the world, and, sin was given its birth. God is not to blame for sin because sin is the devaluing of that which God defined as good in the beginning. But, God offers us hope through the fact that He majors in the art of pulling victories out of our mistakes. The question is whether we will embrace His hope or not.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you."

Unexpected struggle causes us to feel insecure because in those moments we discover that we are truly not in control of our lives. This is why it is so important for us to give the control over to the Lord because He truly has everything in control even when it appears that He does not. In fact, God is most acutely aware and He is most resoundingly attentive to each one of us when we are going through our most arduous moments. We only discover this when we honestly turn to Him. 

Once we have turned to the God of the Bible, it is then that we discover that He is all wise and He knows that we grow the most when we are going through the most difficult of trials. In His culture we discover that suffering is always purposeful. Peter says that it's purpose is to strengthen our trust in the God of the Bible. We must look at suffering with confidence that God is working through it to accomplish His greater good. 

Wednesday night, January 30, 2019, my 24 year old son went in to cardiac arrest. It was a tremendous blow to my being when I was told. As I drove down Interstate 20, I spoke with the Lord. I wasn't mad, I was just confused, because my son was really coming into his own as a teacher in a rural elementary public school. The Lord was using him in his students lives. As I drove along at a rapid rate, I told the Lord that I trusted Him, and whatever He decided I would accept. I just asked Him to help me and my remaining family navigate the trial. Eight days later I watched my middle son, Will, walk out of the hospital. We had experienced a miracle. I do not believe that the enormity of my faith produced that miracle. No, it was that God decided to leave my son on this earth for His glory. And, that it the purpose of our trials, so that He would be glorified and people would be drawn to Him.

If my son had died, I know on the authority of the Scriptures where he would be right now ... he would be in the presence of the Almighty God. In part, this trial forced me to face one of my biggest fears. It wasn't that the fear crumbled in the presence of my great faith. No, it crumbled in the great presence of my God. You see, the key to all of life is this: Who defines me? If it is anything less than the Lord Jesus Christ, our lives will crumble beneath the pressure of the outside forces that are much greater than we.

The "something strange" in this verse indicates a lack of understanding as to why trials occur in our lives in the first place. There should be no doubt as to why believers in the Lord Jesus face trials. Through our trials, God wants to provide a power that is accessed through our weaknesses; He desires for us to know His power. More acutely, He desires that we know Him most intimately. And when know Him like this, He defines us. This will result in the fact that we learn to walk with Him  through our mountainous situations with victory. This does not mean we will be free of pressure and pain, but it does mean we will be able to see the purposes for which we encounter various trials of many kinds. And, germane to all of the trials that we encounter is this: that we know the God of the Bible who is the very source of our strength.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."

Believers in Christ participate in sufferings which are similar to those which Christ endured. The difference is our sufferings are emblematic of His sufferings, but we do not literally participate in His actual sufferings. Actually, it is through our sufferings that we are offered a deeper level of intimacy with the Lord Jesus. The question is: What will we do with our trials? Will we run to Him through our trials?

The word translated as "overjoyed" has the same root as at the word "rejoice" found at the beginning of this verse. It is through our pain and sufferings that we are granted greater opportunities to go deeper in our intimacy with the Lord. And, it is through our pain and suffering that we are granted the where with all to see our need for Him and His wisdom. When we suffer as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is obviously of great value to the Lord. When we endure trials and we lay hold of the multicolored purposes that He has in store for us, we will be tremendously overjoyed when He appears at His return.

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.