1st Peter Pt. 6: A Life Declaring Christ’s Lordship

Lordship Salvation & Baptism

This book and this passage are such wonderful guidance and motivation and love God has given us. If we take the time to know it and meditate on it we will see our lives transformed for God’s glory.

Last Week: V.9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will grant you His blessing.

I found this the most challenging part of last week’s passage… I do the not retaliate part but the response of a blessing… I believe he has called us to this so He will enable us to do this. It is about God making US more like Jesus, less like US! Peter the Shepherd is drawing our attention to our relational health / spiritual health. This letter is a blueprint for how we are to grow as disciples. The foundation of our discipleship is what we believe about Jesus Christ, specifically our belief He is the Lord of our lives. This letter is written to ‘The Saints’ AKA the Biblically saved members of Christ’s body.

This part of the letter really hits at two big ideas:

We are to live lives that honor God (‘Do Good’) without fear of living dependent on Christ, or explaining the motivation behind your lifestyle.

We are saved by Christ’s death and Resurrection. Our response as Christ’s Body, to The Biblical Gospel, is absolute sincerity regarding Christ’s Lordship of our lives! Baptism is such a response.

Ch 3:13-22 NLT

13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.

  • Rhetorical question: Answer is the enemies of God, led by Satan
  • Lesson from Job: God allows Satan to do things to HIS people for HIS reasons
  • Reasons beyond our comprehension… ‘Where were you…??’
  • You may suffer while doing right…Job did!
  • The endgame is where we are to focus, that is the reward: eternity with God!
  • Satan can only threaten your eternal standing, he cannot change it!

There is One you should fear… “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell.Yes, he’s the one to fear.” Jesus @ Luke 12:4&5

Christ commands us to ‘fear God’… what specifically does that mean?

15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way.

  • Biblical Christian Life = Worship Christ as Lord of your life!
  • When you worship Christ as Lord of your life it re-aligns your priorities
  • You do things that confuse those who do not follow Christ [‘give up your life’]
  • You do stuff that makes someone ask you about your hope as a Christian
  • If no one has ever asked you this question it should trouble you
  • What is your conversion story? How do you tell it? Who is the star of the story?
  • Is humility featured in the story? (playing a support role to Christ)
  • Is there respect for others perspective? Christ was never a bully…
  • This is a command, not an option: Worship Christ as Lord / Be ready to share it
  • If we love Christ, we share what we have, somehow, someway

Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!

  • A clear conscience flows from a repentant heart / sincere ‘Lordship Salvation’
  • There is a wise recognition of conflict / spiritual warfare
  • ‘Belong to Christ’
  • When you are His you have an intimate relationship W/ God that blesses others
  • Do you belong to Christ and live like it? What is this life based on?
  • What drives your behavior more: comfort or Christ?
  • Can’t I have comfort while I follow Christ? Not according to the Bible

The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers from them all… ~ Psalm 34:19

Doing Good is being a righteous person, only way to be righteous is to belong to Christ and live humbly under HIS Lordship.

18 Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but He was raised to life in the Spirit.

  • To Suffer: To be affected by a thing, whether good or bad (bigger picture)
  • Christ didn’t suffer for wrong He did
  • Christ died to save sinners = bring them to eternal safety
  • The physical body died and was reanimated by the activity of the Holy Spirit
  • Life in The Spirit = Resurrection Life

19 He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. [saved through the water]

  • Variant reading: Christ traveled & proclaimed Truth, in the Spirit, to prisoners
  • Another translation: …in the Spirit He went and preached… time doesn’t need to be sequential
  • God’s spiritual activity as ‘Triunity’: separate roles / persons, but ONE essence
  • God’s Spirt preached for 50-60 years through Noah as he built the Ark
  • Noah: the most unsuccessful preacher of all time! Only 8 converts in 60 yrs??
  • God in HIS unique wisdom and sovereignty chose to save just EIGHT people

So what is Peter saying? He is perhaps declaring that Christ’s sacrificial death was in essence ‘Spiritual Preaching’ to all humanity (each of us) who are born separated from their Creator. He is connecting this to Noah’s story. In Noah’s day, out of everyone who was preached to by God’s spiritual activity (Noah building the ark & preaching) only EIGHT were saved… from what destroyed the rest of humanity.

21 And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience.

  • Being saved through water is what baptism is compared to
  • A Representation / A Corresponding Form / A Prefigure
  • Which now ‘signifies’ the salvation of YOU (members of Christ’s Body)
  • It is a response to your salvation, not the origination of your salvation
  • God initiates, we respond (HE loved us first)
  • The word translated ‘response’ can also be rendered pledge or profession
  • Baptism is the profession / confession of The Lordship of Christ in YOUR life!
  • Understanding what Christ has done, we respond in obedience

It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 22 Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

  • Christ’s Resurrection gives the ‘Representation’ that is baptism authenticity
  • Christ’s resurrection (Spiritual Activity) is what does the saving!
  • Christ rose from the dead & we mimic Him by rising from the waters of baptism
  • The Biblical Ordinance of Baptism (There from day 1 in Christ’s Church)
  • It is our personal declaration that Christ has raised us to eternal life!
  • He conquers sin and death to take the place of power and authority due him
  • In Biblical Baptism I declared Christ the ‘Eternal Lord of my Life’ (Lord of All)
  • All angels and authorities accept Christ’s authority… only humans do not

APPLICATION:

What specifics of your faith in Christ get you through hard situations and seasons?

What are the lifestyle choices you make to ‘worship Christ as Lord of your life’?

Are you ready to answer why you live for Christ in a winsome, accessible way?

Why is Baptism connected with being ready to give a reason for the hope you have in Christ?

Extra Credit:

Do you connect the exclusive privilege you have, known as salvation, to how only EIGHT people were saved from the flood?

/by

1st Peter Pt. 5: Different and The Same

Biblical Marriage Roles

Peter’s Audience: I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. ~ 1st Peter 1:1-&2

God used Peter to shepherd His people, through this letter… (‘feed my Lambs’). In the previous chapter we are given the motivation for the lifestyle we are called to.

Start of the previous passage: 13 For the Lord’s sake… Why we embrace spiritual & relational transformation. The end of the passage speaks of where we are: 25 Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls. Today we look at relational roles that are different for men and women in Christian Marriage as well as relational guidance for all of us; married, single, male & female.

This Scripture is for all who have surrendered their life to Jesus The Christ.

3:1-12 NLT

1 In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. 2 They will be won over by observing your pure and reverent lives.

  • Submission to authority based on God’s Sovereignty & Christ’s Sacrifice
  • Gen. 3:16 ‘You will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.’
  • Sin caused corruption of the relationship… In our fallen state this is the setup
  • Your obedience to ‘The Guardian of your soul’ is not based on your husband’s
  • Your life, not your words are to be your witness to your relationship with Christ
  • God wants you to join Him in the spiritual formation of your husband
  • Trusting that God is the authority you submit to, enacted through your husband

3 Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is SO precious to God.

  • This is to married women…
  • The command is: Do not focus on your physical appearance and adornments
  • Wives in the Body are to instead focus on what is ‘precious to God’
  • God wants you to have ‘Inner / Spiritual Beauty’
  • This kind of beauty is ultra low maintenance…unfading!
  • This kind of beauty is not flashy but rather shown in a gentle & quite spirit
  • This is how ‘Wives’ are to be…because women are different than men!
  • So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. ~ Gen 1:27 NIV

5 This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands. 6 For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.

  • God points us to an examples of Godly wives from His Word
  • What made these women ‘holy women’ is they put their trust in God first!
  • They knew God was in control so they accepted HIS authority structure Gen 3:16
  • This guides female members of Christ’s Body as to your role in marriage
  • You are spiritual descendants of Sara, submitting to your husband…Why?
  • If you know God controls your husband, then you trust HIM not your spouse
  • It is a hard place to be as a wife when your husband is not following Christ

7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.

  • Married men in Christ’s Body… In the same way = 4 The Lord’s Sake
  • Give Honor… What Honors your Wife? What do you use as a standard?
  • Treat your wife as though she is pinnacle of God’s creation; because She Is!
  • Not physically as strong but your equal spiritually… at least!
  • Anything short of the treatment described here hinders your intimacy with God

8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.

  • Finally: To close out this appeal for relational health: ‘For The Lord’s Sake’
  • These are for men & women…everyone!

So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. ~ Gen 1:27 NIV

  • Called to the same mind… what mind is that? What should our worldview be?
  • How are we to come to this ‘one mind’???

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. ~ Romans 12:2 NLT

  • From this God changed mind comes…Sympathy, Brotherly & Sisterly Love, A Tenderhearted & Humble attitude
  • As much as God made men & women different, He also gave us commonality
  • In Christ, we recognize our sameness and our uniqueness at the same time

9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will grant you His blessing.

  • We are made in God’s image, He never responds to evil with evil (cross)

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

  • When insulted, we are to respond with grace and a blessing.
  • God has this expectation of us
  • Living like this we have more intimacy with God; that is the blessing He grants you!

10 For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. 11 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. 12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” [Psalm 34:12-16a]

  • The previous verse says: Come my children, listen to me and I will teach you to fear the Lord…
  • These are commands for God’s surrendered people (Israel / Body)
  • In this Psalm’s context ‘enjoy life and see many happy days = eternity
  • But the Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned. ~ Psalm 34:2 NLT
  • Evil = Depraved & Corrupt…Speaking Evil = saying things that inflict destruction
  • Lies = words of fraud and deceit (deceit here is same word used in 2:1 & 2:22)
  • You have to turn away from evil before you can do good (can’t mix in a little bit)
  • We are called to go out of our way to be at peace within this Body (V. 8)
  • We are called to ‘keep the peace’ through strong relationships (being present)
  • The integrity of doing what God considers ‘right’ is protection & blessing
  • Truth, constructive words, peace seeking & keeping…they all enhance and deepen our relationship with God!! Real prayer life…
  • To ‘Do’ evil is practice and lifestyle, it involves the embrace of an activity
  • If we embrace evil, falsehood and conflict God cannot be related to us
  • The sin of any evil is enough to separate us from God forever (Turn His Face)

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s solution! David wrote of the redemption of those who surrender their life to God. That redemption was won at the cross by our Lord Jesus Christ, God Incarnate! He was born supernaturally and lived in perfect obedience to God’s Word & Will. He laid down His life to buy us out of Hell! And He conquered Hell and sin, rising from death to eternal life… as those who are His will too, If we surrender our life to His Lordship He gives us eternal life! As a downpayment on eternity God puts His Holy Spirit in us! That is the only way we can live as this scripture calls us to live. Will be still mess up? Absolutely! Will we help each other be more obedient? By God’s Spirit within us, Absolutely!

Scripture Application:

Current and Future Christian Wives: Do you fully accept your husband’s biblical authority in your marriage? Partial Obedience = Disobedience

Current and Future Christian Husbands: Do you biblically honor your wife, treating her with understanding and as an equal partner in your marriage? Partial Obedience = Disobedience

Why doesn’t God’s word give the same commands and marital standards to wives as to husbands?

Rate yourself 1-10

How one-minded are you with this Body?

What are your actions of love and sympathy to members of this Body?

How tenderhearted are you?

How humble is your attitude?

What is the impact of your active discipleship on your relationships? ~ Don’t know? Maybe you should try ‘Active Discipleship’ and find out!

/by

1st Peter Pt. 4: Authority Issues

The Biblical Doctrine of God’s Absolute Sovereignty

I used to have some serious authority issues, I was in rebellion against everything. So basically I was in rebellion against God…as I came to realize. Once God brought me to Biblical Salvation @ 35 there was a lot of rebellion to undo. It was a process but I came to understand that if I was surrendering to the authority of Jesus Christ / God The Father / The Holy Spirit, then I had to surrender to all authority that the Triune God has willed.

I also came to understand that if it happens, The Triune God has willed it. This means that if any kind of authority that exists, God has willed it… HARD REALITY!

Where we left off last week…

12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

  • Pete is going to give us some specifics about ‘Living Properly’ (James-like)
  • Living as Christ calls us to will bring Honor to God: PRIORITY # 1

Ch 2:13-25 NLT

13 For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

  • Peter says: Christ is THE REASON to do what I am about to tell you to do..
  • Submit to ALL Authority, this is everything.
  • Government / Education / Military / Family / Occupation / Sports / Associations
  • Even Jesus Christ’s Church!
  • Top of the food chain of earthly authority: KING… For us it is the president…
  • Rulers (in theory) are enforcers of God’s morality / justice (sin corrupted 2 Max)

15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17 Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.

  • God wants the truth of your life to disprove accusations against your character
  • Satan is ‘The accuser of the brethren’ BUT… God knows the truth
  • You don’t defend yourself, you let your life speak for you against accusers
  • You have freedom from accusation, but don’t get proud… (serious prob 4 me)
  • Never forget that you are owned, bought and paid for, so remember who’s boss
  • Don’t abuse God’s grace (Romans 6:1-2)
  • Respect all and LOVE God’s family
  • Respect and Love are not the same thing
  • Fear (as used here) is the ultimate level of respect

18 You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. 19 For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment.

  • “All Respect’ same word used in the verse 17 pertaining to God (reverent fear)
  • If you are under authority where you don’t have full freedom…STILL Submit
  • Followers of Christ are to submit to authority regardless of it’s righteousness
  • Conscious of His will means: ‘It is happening so It is God’s will’
  • God’s Spirit teaches us God’s is pleased when we surrender to His sovereignty
  • Not conditional sovereignty… ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGNTY

20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. 21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

  • God saying: Like V. 16; God will handle your PR when you obey HIM
  • Don’t look for accolades ‘suffering 4 Christ’ when you did wrong!
  • Don’t abuse God’s Grace! (Taking forgiveness for granted) spiritual entitlement
  • As Christ’s followers we are to ‘do good’ even if it causes us to suffer
  • We are to suffer because HE suffered
  • Follow in His Steps…be covered by the dust of your Rabbi

22 He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.[Isaiah 53:9] 23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

  • Here are specifics of the example Christ is to us:
  • Perfect Holiness & Perfect Integrity: Difficult Goal! (Don’t lower the standard)
  • He had the ability to retaliate… He certainly could have enacted revenge..
  • Why? Because HE Submitted 100% to God the Father… left ALL in His hands
  • Christ surrendered completely to His Father’s will, showing us how to do it!

24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. 25 Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.

  • God (Christ) submitted as a person bearing the weight of all sin on the cross
  • Dying for OUR sin in OUR place so we could live for the opposite of SIN
  • His death brings about our eternal life (gratitude prevents grace abuse)
  • Those called by Christ were once far from God, but that is no longer the case
  • Shepherd & Guardian = Leading and Protecting

SUMMARY:

Our entire lives are to be ‘For Christ’s Sake’.

Surrender to Christ = Submission to ALL authority structures.

Living as Christ’s slaves means not abusing God’s grace exercising our freedom.

Submission goes all the way to oppression, and even then trusting God is in charge.

Don’t confuse suffering for your bad choices / sin with suffering on behalf of God.

Christ is our example of fully submitting to God’s sovereign authority structures.

APPLICATION:

What is something you are going to change in your life ‘For The Lord’s Sake’?

Are you aware of ‘Grace Abuse’ in your life? How do you react when you discover it?

What keeps you from living as though all authority structures are there because God has put them there?

What circumstances cause you to rebel against authority instead of following Christ’s example?

THERE IS FREEDOM IN SURRENDER TO CHRIST

THERE IS HOPE OBEYING GOD

YOU CAN TRUST HIM FOR EVERYTHING…INCLUDING TODAY & ETERNITY!

/by