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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 19, 2019 0:39:40 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter - An Introduction, 18 September 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 Wednesday, 18 September 2019 The book of 1 Peter; an Introduction. The book of Peter is the 60th book of the Bible, and it is comprised of 5 chapters of 105 verses. Therefore, it is three verses shorter than the previous book, James. A verse-per-day evaluation of 1 Peter will take a bit over three months to complete. Peter is the Apostle Peter who was personally called by Jesus. Matthew 4:18 and John 1:40 note that he is Andrew’s brother (another Apostle of the Lord as is seen in Matthew 10:2), and John 1:44 says that Peter and Andrew came from the city of Bethsaida. Peter is also known as Simon at times. This is known from the time of his first meeting with the Lord which occurred in John 1. In John 1:40, where Andrew was introduced, it is as “Simon Peter’s brother.” In the next verse it notes that Andrew “found his own brother Simon.” But Peter is also known at times as Cephas (kay-fas). On his initial meeting with Jesus, it says – “Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, ‘You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas’ (which is translated, A Stone).” John 1:42 The name Cephas is the Aramaic word for rock. The word “Stone” in that verse is Petros; hence, the name Peter (Cephas) is a name given by the Lord to Simon. He is at times called any of these names, or a combination of them, such as “Simon Peter.” Interestingly, it is Paul who uses the Aramaic name Cephas eight of the nine times that it is seen in Scripture. Those are noted four times in 1 Corinthians and four times in Galatians. When Paul uses that name, it is to highlight the Jewishness of Peter to make theological points about things. Paul also writes of him using the Greek name Petros two times in Galatians as well. The more common name Peter is used over 150 times in the New Testament. The combined name Simon Peter is used over 30 times, mostly by John in his gospel, but it is how Peter refers to himself in the first verse of his first epistle. Paying attention to the various ways Peter is addressed will often help the reader understand the surrounding context better. Though the initial meeting of Jesus and Andrew and Peter is recorded in John 1, the calling of these two brothers to follow Him is found in Matthew 4 while they were fishing in the Galilee. Peter is known as the apostle to the circumcision, meaning the Jews. This is noted in Galatians 2:7, 8, where Paul says that “they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter 8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles).” This does not mean there are two gospels, one for the Jew and one for the Gentile, but that these men were given their main audience for the one gospel to the Jew (Peter) and the Gentile (Paul). The canonicity of the book of 1 Peter was never in doubt. It was accepted from the beginning as having come from him, and bearing the authority of his apostleship. It is dated from the mid to late 60s. The Apostle Paul states in 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” So, in a real sense, the letter is, like all of Scripture, written to the people of the world. However, 1 Peter is written specifically to the Hebrew people who were dispersed among the Gentiles in “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1). Due to its placement after Paul’s letters, and then after the books of Hebrews and James, it is evident based on an evaluation of the structure of the Bible that the Lord intends for this epistle, like Hebrews and James, to be a letter directed to the Hebrew people of the end times as much as it was directed to the early Jewish believers in the Lord. The very structure of the Bible gives us this hint of redemptive history. The main theme of 1 Peter is “To emphasize the proper attitude and conduct believers are to have when undergoing persecution.” Thus, the main purpose of the epistle is “To encourage believers in the midst of suffering.” The main presentation of Christ in the epistle is “Jesus Christ, Our Rock.” The naming of Simon as Simon Peter (Petros, the Rock) or Cephas (the Rock) is an ironic development of this lesser “Rock,” meaning Peter, exalting the true Rock, our Lord Jesus Christ. The letter is addressed from “Babylon” in 1 Peter 5:13. Though there are various ideas about “which” Babylon is being referred to, the obvious and most likely answer is that he is speaking of Rome in a symbolic way, equating it with Babylon of the past Jewish history. Babylon held sway over Israel before, but at the time that 1 Peter was written, Rome had assumed that role. Extra-biblical tradition places Peter in Rome in his later life, and there is no reason to assume that he is not referring to Rome in this figurative sense, just as Revelation does in Revelation 14. A study of Daniel 9 also indicates that Rome would be the center of focus again in the end times, corresponding to the theme of Rome as Babylon. As a short summary of the intent and purpose of the book, we should remember these points: 1) Author:Simon Peter (Cephas), the Apostle to the Lord Jesus; 2) Date:Mid to late 60s; 3) Theme:To emphasize the proper attitude and conduct believers are to have when undergoing persecution; 4) Purpose:To encourage believers in the midst of suffering; 5) Presentation of Christ: Jesus Christ; Our Rock. Life application: We hope that you will spend the next 105 days of your life learning the book of 1 Peter, one verse at a time. From there, we hope you will apply its truths to your life, molding yourself more each day into being a faithful and wholehearted follower of Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Lord God, what a wonder it is to study in Your word so that we will know Your heart and what You intend for us as we live out our short lives in Your presence. Be with us, and keep us from frittering away our time with worthless pursuit. Rather, may we study Your word, apply it to our lives, and stand approved in Your eyes on the Day when we will be brought before You for an evaluation of the lives we have lived. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 20, 2019 0:07:06 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:1, 19 September 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 Thursday, 19 September 2019 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 1 Peter 1:1 Peter begins his epistle in a manner similar to Paul. Neither uses their given name (Simon or Saul). The name Peter (Petros – Rock, or the Aramaic Cephas) was given to Peter by Christ Jesus in Matthew 16 – “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:13-19 Peter made the proclamation that Jesus is the Christ. In return, Jesus stated that Simon was Peter, the Rock. He then said, “and on this rock I will build my church.” As a point of theology, Jesus called him Peter (Petros), a masculine noun. He then said that “on this rock (petra)” He would build His church. The noun is feminine. Thus, Jesus was not saying that the rock on which He would build the church is Peter. Rather, it was on the proclamation that Peter made – “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The Roman Catholic claim that Peter was their first Pope based on this exchange is thus shown to be false. Peter next says, “an apostle of Jesus Christ.” This is unlike Paul who, in his initial greetings, always added in a qualifier, such as “a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle,” “called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,” and so on. Peter, however, simply states the fact that he is an apostle. He was one of the original twelve that were called, and the name and title speak for themselves. Whenever the apostles are listed in the gospel records, Peter is always listed first, and Judas the betrayer is always listed last. Peter then says, “to the pilgrims of the Dispersion.” What should follow immediately after that are the continued words of verse 2. Here are the two options – 1) To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father… (KJV et al.) 2) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia… (ERV et al) The importance of joining “elect” to “sojourners of the Dispersion” is that not all of the Dispersion are elect. Only those in Christ Jesus are. The Greek is specific to show this. By incorrectly separating these, one could also incorrectly assume that all in the Dispersion are elect. This word, Dispersion, is referenced in John 7:35 and James 1:1. The idea of the Dispersion of the Jews is also alluded to in Acts 2. Based on the context, those accounts can speak of all Jews, regardless of their having received Christ or not. Peter’s words are to those who have received Christ. Any other Jews of the Dispersion who read this epistle would be incidental, not actual addressees. Peter then states where in the Dispersion he is writing to with, “in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.” The term “pilgrim” signifies “residing in a strange country,” and thus a stranger or sojourner. In other words, they are not in the land of Israel, and are thus out of their homeland. But more, these are believers in Christ, and so even in the land of Israel, they are sojourners in the same sense as were the fathers whose true home is in a restored, heavenly paradise. These locations had believing Jews in them. Their faith probably came in several ways. One is that of the scattering of believers after the martyrdom of Stephen. That began in Acts 11 as believing Jews began to spread out. Paul’s missionary journeys also always went to the Jews first where quite often some would believe. Further, Aquila and Priscilla carried the message with them, as is seen in Acts. Slowly but surely, the message extended out so that by this time (mid to late 60s) there was a solid group of believing Jews. Vincent’s Word Studies notes – “Of all the catholic epistles, Peter's alone puts forward his apostleship in the introduction. He is addressing churches with which he had no immediate connection, and which were distinctively Pauline. Hence, he appeals to his apostleship in explanation of his writing to them, and as his warrant for taking Paul's place.” This seems correct, but the important thing to understand is that Peter is addressing Jews (the pilgrims of the Dispersion). Paul’s apostleship was to the Jew first, but specifically to the Gentiles. Peter’s is solely to the Jews. This is explicitly stated in Galatians 2 – “But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter 8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles).” Galatians 2:7, 8 Life application: After this opening verse, it is exciting to think on the wonders that lay ahead in the next 104 days of study. Set your mind now on continuing through with this study to the end. Make it a part of your daily life so that you will be built up and edified each day in an analysis of the word. Let us take time now to pray and ask for both wisdom and discernment as we move ahead – Glorious and Almighty Heavenly Father, thank You so much for the opportunity to look into the pages of the Bible. Though it was transmitted through fallible men who made mistakes throughout the journeys of their lives, You still worked through them, breathing out Your precious word. Help us to be wise and discerning as we look into Your perfect word, understanding that You are the Author through their inspired writings. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 21, 2019 0:56:09 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:2, 20 September 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 Friday, 20 September 2019 ...elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. 1 Peter 1:2 The word here, elect, signifies that Peter is speaking to believing Jews, not merely all Jews. This will continue to be seen in the remaining clauses of this verse as well. It signifies a truly chosen group. It comes from the Greek word, eklektos, which shows the obvious connection to our modern word. The word covers various aspects of humanity. The Hebrew race was chosen to represent the Lord, particular people within the race were chosen for various appointments, the Messiah was selected by God out of humanity, and those of faith in Messiah are elect. Each instance bears its own significance. As noted in the previous verse, the word should be united with the word pilgrims – the elect pilgrims. Peter is writing to those Jews of the Dispersion who are believers in Christ. He then notes that they are elect “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” God the Father did not arbitrarily select people for coming to Christ. He also did not choose at some point to regenerate some and pass over others. Rather, God the Father knew, in advance, who would come to Him through Christ. However, it must be understood that foreknowledge does not negate free will in man. A person may know that if he leaves $10.00 on the mantle that his son will steal it, but this does not mean that the son does not have the choice to do the act. The foreknowledge is simply His knowing what will occur, but the guilt of a sinful action cannot be imputed to Him. And the reciprocal is true as well. The voluntary choosing of believing in Christ is left up to the individual. The word “foreknowledge,” or prognósis in the Greek, is where our modern word prognosis comes from. This is its second and last use in Scripture. It does signify a previous determination which is in accord with His grand plan. The individual choices within His plan are known to Him, and occur as He knew they would, but they are still individual choices. Next, Peter brings in the third member of the Trinity by saying, “in sanctification of the Spirit.” This is the act of the Spirit in setting someone apart as holy. It is the same thought given by Paul, for example, in 2 Thessalonians – “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14 This occurs when a person believes the gospel message. At that time, the Spirit seals that person for salvation as a guarantee (Ephesians 1:13, 14). Thus, that person is considered holy and set apart to God. Peter then explains further by saying, “for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” Here, the word “for” is used in an after the fact sense. The idea is “unto,” or “that you may obey.” Christ died and shed His blood to provide a sprinkling of His blood upon them. The Greek word is rhantismos, and it is used only here and in Hebrews 12:24. It signifies sprinkling for purification. This is a rite which was accomplished under the Old Covenant in Numbers 19 which was to purify a person from the taint of death. The person was (and we are) passively sprinkled as the work is accomplished upon us. We receive Christ, and the work of Christ is imputed to us, and the sanctification of the Spirit is worked upon us. As all people are born in sin, all people are born spiritually dead. The sprinkling of Christ is what purifies the believer from this taint of death, and the Holy Spirit then sanctifies that person as holy – all in accord with the foreknowledge of God the Father. Vincent’s Word Studies asks the reader to stop and “Note the three prepositions: according to (κατά) the foreknowledge; in (ἐν) sanctification; unto (εἰς) obedience. The ground, sphere, and end of spiritual sanctification.” As one can see, Peter’s words here cover roles of all three members of the Triune God. To understand this right of sprinkling and the marvelous pictures of Christ and His work that they reveal, one can go back to watch these two sermons on YouTube – After this short theologically packed description of those he is addressing, Peter then says, “Grace to you and peace be multiplied.” Grace is unmerited favor; it cannot be earned. This is a common greeting among the Greek people. Peace, however, is a common greeting among the Hebrew people. In their language, the word is shalom. The idea of shalom is more than a greeting for calm or quiet, but is rather a state of wholeness and completion in all ways. Peter unites the two terms. The audience is those of the Dispersion, and they would be fully aware of both terms and how they were applied in the common language spoken where they were. This extending of grace and peace is seen in Paul’s epistles as well. In their words, the common order is “grace” and then “peace.” Grace precedes peace because only after receiving the grace of God can a person experience the peace of God. Life application: There is a lot of theology contained in Peter’s words of this verse. A recap of election here may help bring to remembrance the importance of the doctrine. He says that those he mentioned in verse 1 are “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” Paul also speaks of election in Romans 9 and 11 (and elsewhere). As noted, it is a concept which indicates that even before creation God knew who would be saved. There are different views on this, e.g. – 1) God knew what choice would be made by those who received Him; 2) God chose the elect and the elect have no choice in the matter. Proponents of either view have verses which they use to justify their stand, but salvation is clearly described as a “gift” many times in Scripture. If something is forced, it is not a gift; a gift must be received. Further, to say God actively chose only some while actively passing others violates the precept that God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4). Think on these things. Understand that God has a plan, it is being worked out in the stream of time which He created, and that plan includes our voluntary choice to receive or reject Jesus Christ. Lord God, thank You for the gift of Jesus. Thank You also for the wonderful gift of being sanctified by Your Holy Spirit. We look to You in adoration for what You have done for us that we could never have accomplished on our own. It took the sprinkling of the precious blood of Jesus to cleanse us from our defilement. Thank You for this gift! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 22, 2019 23:11:34 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:3, 21 September 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2019 Saturday, 21 September 2019 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 Peter, having completed his introductory greetings, now begins the main section of his epistle. The first word he uses, translated as “blessed,” is eulogétos. In the New Testament, it is a word reserved only for exalting God. Its most basic meaning would be “worthy of praise.” Using this word of praiseworthy acknowledgment, he then describes the “who” and “why” he chose this word by stating, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The true God is always worthy of praise, but Peter ties the basis for his praise directly into the fact that God is the Father of Jesus the Messiah. The sons of Korah said – “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain.” Psalm 48:1 The sons of Korah praised God, who is the Lord (meaning Jehovah). Peter’s praise of God is directed to Him based on His position as God who is the Father of Jesus. In other words, there is a special praising of God for this particular aspect of Him. At times, God is praised for what He has created. At times, God is praised for His deliverance. And, at times, God is praised for His loving care of His people. Peter’s praise of God at this time is because of the relationship of God the Father to His Son, Jesus. The importance of this is seen in comparing Peter’s words to those of, for example, David. In 1 Chronicles 29, he writes – “Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.” 1 Chronicles 29:10 Instead of noting Him as the Father of the children of Israel, Peter shows that Christ is the fulfillment of what Israel was intended to bring forth – the Messiah. In the coming of Jesus, the truest sense of the Father/Son relationship is seen. Peter next says, “who according to His abundant mercy.” There is an expectation of mercy from God (according to) which Israel depended upon. They were a wayward people, stiff-necked and deserving of His wrath. This is made painfully clear in Scripture, but they understood that God had and would preserve them because of this attribute of His. The abundant mercy of God is exactly spoken of in Numbers 14:18, and it is referred to in the psalms, such as in Psalm 86 – “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.” Psalm 86:5 Understanding this attribute of God, Peter says that through it God “has begotten us again.” The word is an aorist participle and should be translated as “begat.” It is an event which occurred at one point for all time. Further, the word here is unique to Peter, and was probably coined by him. It is only seen here and in verse 1:23. Peter is saying that through the abundant mercy of God, which is found in Jesus Christ, God has given His people a new birth. It is what Jesus referred to in John 3 when He spoke to Nicodemus about being born again. That conversion which Jesus spoke of is possible because of what God has done in Christ. It is the same concept as that spoken of by Paul several times where he says that those in Christ are new creatures (for example 2 Corinthians 5:7) who are regenerated through what God has done in Him. Peter says that this act of being born again brings those so begotten “to a living hope.” The idea is that of expectancy. Man is destined to die, but in Christ, there is the expectation of life. Even if the body dies, because of what God has done in Christ, there is the surety that something beyond this existence which is active, vibrant, and alive will come about for God’s people. It is reminiscent of the very hope Job spoke of – “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27 This hope that Job was sure to come about is the hope which Peter claims has come because of Jesus. It is “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” God the Father sent His Son into the world to live the life which Adam failed to live. Death entered through Adam because sin came through Adam. And as all are in Adam, all sinned. But because Jesus did not sin, he offers the hope of life. Having died without sin, His death was not for Himself, but for His people. Thus, death could not hold Him (Acts 2:24), and the resurrection from the dead was the only possible outcome for Him. However, as He died for those who had sinned, their sins which were paid for through His death, are atoned for. This is how man is begotten of God. In Christ, new life in Christ is realized. The sin and death of Adam is removed, once and forever. This is the hope of the resurrection. It is God’s way of reconciling the world to Himself. As it deals with sin in man, and as sin in man is what separates man from God, then it becomes apparent that only those who are in Christ will be saved. It is a theological calculation. Just as 1 + 1 will always equal 2, man in Christ will always equal salvation. However, just as 1 + 0 always equals 1, unregenerate man without Christ will always remain unregenerate. Life application: Paul wrote out words which give a sentiment similar to what Peter says in this verse. In 1 Corinthians 15:19, he says – “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” What Peter speaks of here, and what Paul speaks of there, isn’t some ethereal or intangible thought about what may be coming after death. Nor is it a hope lacking certainty for which we must be pitied. Instead, it is a sure promise from God who cannot lie. Our hope is a living hope. Think on the utter futility of life if Jesus never came? People would be hoping for an eternity of peace that would be completely out of reach. In our natural selves, we are sold out to sin which separates us from any chance of seeing the face of God. However, because of Jesus who came, we have an undeserved chance at restoration and eternal joy. Today as you head out, look around you and determine that you won’t keep this living hope a secret. Step up and take the opportunity to tell others about Jesus. The world is in desperate need of hearing about the surety of God’s promise. If God was able to change you and call you from darkness, don’t you think He is also able to use you to be an instrument of getting His word out to others? To do anything less than spread the good news is to hide the very words which will either save them or condemn them. Spread the word today – we have a living hope. Yes God! You chose us for salvation, and this means You chose us to be instruments of Your word. Let us not only enjoy the benefit of eternal life, but also give us the opportunity and ability to tell others about it as well. This we pray that You will be glorified in them on the great Day when You come for Your people. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 22, 2019 23:14:25 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:4, 22 September 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 Sunday, 22 September 2019 ...to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 1 Peter 1:4 Peter just spoke of “a living hope.” He now describes what that hope is, beginning with, “to an inheritance.” The word is one commonly used by Paul to speak of that which awaits those who are in Christ. The idea of an inheritance is one which belongs to a family member. Thus, believers are sons through adoption. And further, there is no earthly distinction which precludes receiving the inheritance. One can be a slave or free, a male or a female, a Jew or a Gentile, etc. in this life, and yet be an adopted child of God awaiting the inheritance in the next. Paul makes that perfectly clear in his epistles. There is one and the same gospel with one and the same inheritance for all. Peter then continues by describing this inheritance as “incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away.” The idea of it being incorruptible is that it is imperishable. It cannot decay, erode away, or cease to continue because of a breakdown due to either external or internal faults. The inheritance is obtained, and nothing can cause it to perish. Peter’s use of the word, because he is speaking of a future hope not yet received, is one of a guarantee of salvation. The idea of it being undefiled is that of something that is unstained. The word was used in Hebrews 7:26 and 13:4; James 1:27; and now here it is used for the last time. There is no taint or contamination in the inheritance. One can think of the pristine perfection of Eden before the fall. It is one which speaks of a joy of existence which cannot truly be imagined by us at this time. The idea of an inheritance which “does not fade away” is that of it being perpetual in nature. In the Greek, the word is an adjective, and thus it is “unfading.” What will be received, this living hope, is eternal in nature and it will never diminish as the ages pass. It speaks of the unceasing glory of the Creator being revealed forever and ever. Peter says that this inheritance, this living hope, is “reserved in heaven for you.” The verb is a perfect participle – “which has been reserved.” Thus, the deal is done upon belief in Christ. From that point, the inheritance is kept for that person. Again, it looks to the doctrine of eternal salvation. It is unthinkable that God would keep something for someone, promising that it is so, just to remove that thing based on the individual’s performance. That is not – nor was it ever – a gift of grace. If one must merit, or continue to merit, the inheritance, then it is not of grace but of works. But the inheritance is set, and it is a heavenly one. People may debate what “heavens” means until the day the inheritance is received, but one thing is certain concerning it – it is not an inheritance which bears any resemblance to the life and sphere in which we now exist. What Adam and Eve had is certainly comparable to what we will receive, but for us, it will be received with the knowledge that it can never be lost again, and that it was obtained for us by the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the inheritance is one which will forever result in man glorifying God for what He has done. Life application: Right now we suffer through backaches, financial difficulties, troubled relationships, etc. But what is coming will be eternal in nature. Paul speaks about this in 1 Corinthians 15:53 – “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” Not only will we put on immortality, but it will be in an undefiled state; we will live in complete holiness, and the stain of sin will be gone forever. Our state of sanctification leads to this state of glorification which is the living hope we possess. The downside of this process is that all who fail to come to Jesus Christ will never receive the promise. They will remain in a state of eternal corruption, and the prospect of heaven will be forever removed from them. We need to understand that for human beings it is “the devil by default.” A change in the settings is needed in order to share in the promise of unfading glory. Citing Paul again, we read this in Acts 26:18, “… to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” Make sure you don’t keep the good news of Jesus Christ a secret. Without Him, hell awaits. O God, give us the strong and urgent desire to proclaim Jesus’ wonderful works to the people around us. Certainly, it is our duty to do so. And so, take away any timidity or reticence to speak out so that we will be bold in our faith! May we be competent messengers of Your precious gospel. To Your glory alone! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 24, 2019 0:06:21 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:5, 23 September 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 Monday, 23 September 2019 ...who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:5 Peter continues his marvelous words which highlight the doctrine of eternal security. All three verses of this thought should be cited to see this – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Finishing this magnificent thought here, Peter says (based on the inheritance which is reserved in heaven for us) that we “are kept by the power of God.” The word “kept” speaks of a military guard. This is its last of four uses in the New Testament. We are being kept and guarded as if by a military sentinel. In other words, God is personally watching over us concerning our inheritance. Neither our salvation, nor our continued salvation (which is the basis for our inheritance), is not contingent on what we do, but rather on what Christ has done (Ephesians 2:8, 9 e.g.), and what God continues to do. He has granted us salvation, He has sealed us with a guarantee, and He is keeping us by His power and for His glory. As the scholar Bengel says, “As the inheritance hath been preserved, so are the heirs guarded; neither shall it fail them, nor they it.” Peter’s words speak of surety. Peter continues with “through faith.” It is debated if this means “faith in Christ for salvation” or “continued faith in Christ for salvation.” The answer is found in the citation of Ephesians 2:8, 9 above. We are saved by grace through faith. It is an act of faith which occurred, and that one-time act has brought us to salvation. At that moment, we were sealed for the inheritance (Ephesians 1:13, 14). It is a one-time, and for all time, act of faith. This is confirmed in the tense of the Greek word translated as “kept.” It is a present participle which signifies a continues process of guarding our salvation for the inheritance. It is not by us, but by God. If it were up to us to keep our salvation, it would mean that it was never of grace through faith, and it is a certain fact that our salvation would be lost. Peter’s words speak of surety. Peter next says that this being kept by God through faith is “for salvation.” Peter will speak of the salvation again in verses 9 and 10 of this chapter, and also of our redemption in verse 18. Those will come with a note of assurance, not as a dubious or tenuous possession. It is no different here. The grant is through (dia) faith for (eis) salvation. It is not “in hopes of salvation,” but “for salvation.” Peter’s words speak of surety. He then finishes with, “ready to be revealed in the last time.” The word speaks of being prepared. It is not ready as in anticipation, such as, “I am so excited about Jesus’ coming.” Rather it is ready in accomplishment, “I have been prepared (by God) for Jesus’ coming because God has sealed me with His Holy Spirit.” The words speak of everything accomplished and set for the act because all of the preparations which were necessary for it to come about have been done. Peter’s words speak of surety. Reviewing these past three verses in individual thoughts, each one shouts out the doctrine of eternal security – 1) We have obtained mercy. 2) We have been begotten. 3) We have a living hope. 4) Our hope is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 5) We have an inheritance which: -----a) is incorruptible and undefiled. -----b) will not fade away. -----c) is reserved in heaven for us. 6) We are kept by the power of God through faith. 7) God is keeping us “for salvation.” 8) Everything for our salvation is prepared (accomplished) and will be revealed at the time appointed by God. Life application: It is by grace, through the faith we professed in Jesus Christ in the power of His resurrection that saved us, and it is that same act of faith that keeps us for the coming salvation – the redemption of our bodies.Those who teach that a person can lose his salvation are not very good scholars. Their theology is lacking, and their doctrine is one of bondage, not of freedom in Christ. Keep away from such truly terrible teachers and plainly poor preachers. Thank You, O God, for the wonderful, beautiful promise of eternal life – free from pain and trial and trouble and sin. Instead, we will have a body which is fitting to be in Your glorious presence and a desire to please You forever. What a great and glorious hope we have! Thank You! Thank You! In Jesus’ name... Thank You! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 25, 2019 0:30:27 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:6, 24 September 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019 Tuesday, 24 September 2019 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 1 Peter 1:6 Peter begins this verse with, “In this.” It is referring to the “living hope” mentioned in verse 3 and the excitingly wonderful description given from verses 3-6. This living hope allows us to “greatly rejoice” no matter what our current situation is. And who could not do so when he fully grasps what Peter has described! In his words is the assurance of salvation, not merely a dubious hope. It is a hope which is grounded in the promises of God which cannot fail. And, it is because of this living hope, that is possessed by believers, that they can look beyond the temporary light afflictions that they may face. As Peter says, “though now for a little while.” Peter is speaking not of a temporary issue during this life, but the temporary issue which is this life. The KJV gives a false sense of the idea by saying, “for a season.” Again, Peter’s words do not speak of a temporary part of this life at all, but the whole. This whole is being compared to a short period of time. In comparison to the eternal state in which we will be, this life truly is “a little while.” Understanding this, he then says, “if need be.” There is a purpose for all things that come to man, and those things come according to God’s sovereign decisions. In the book of Job, Satan afflicted Job terribly, but he did so only as allowed by the Lord. There was, in fact, a need for this trial in his life, and there is always a reason for that which occurs in our lives as well. For some, they are truly for a season, meaning temporary. Job was afflicted and then restored. However, others may face a particular affliction (or afflictions) for their entire lifespan. Peter would still call this “a little while.” He then finishes his thought concerning this with, “you have been grieved by various trials.” The words, “you have been grieved,” have the sense of, “you have been put to grief.” It is passive in the grief. We are the recipients of the grief, just as Job was. The next word translated as “by” here is the Greek word en. It means “in.” Vincent’s Word Studies says, “the preposition not being instrumental, but indicating the sphere or environment in which the grief operates.” In other words, we are living in a world of grief, and we have been put to grief in this world where grief operates. What Peter is doing is making a contrast between what is now so that we can compare it to what lies ahead in our “living hope” which is “incorruptible and undefiled.” What we experience here cannot compare to the glory which lies ahead. The word translated as “various” is one which speaks of the spots of a leopard, lines in marble, or the embroidering of a robe. It is something variegated. The trials come out in various ways, and at various times and degrees depending on the individual. Despite these, Peter says that the believer rejoices. The only reason why one would rejoice through such things is because there is a hope that they have an end. If they were to be one’s full and final lot in life, what would there be to rejoice in? But when we truly grasp that this life is a blip on the road which leads to eternal glory, then why should we let it consume our joy and disturb our souls? Life application: Are you reading this commentary today and seeing that Peter’s words apply to you? Mature Christians will look beyond the “various trials” which have grieved us, and which may continue to grieve us, and we will possess a joy as we face them. It is certain that we are not immune from trials, and we should even expect them, but they are really only grains of sand on a road otherwise paved with gold, and which leads us to our coming glorified state. In the book of Colossians, Paul shows us his ability to rejoice even while writing from a Roman prison – “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church.” Colossians 1:24 Paul was often beaten, imprisoned, abandoned, or he faced some other terrible time. And yet, he could look beyond the moment to the glory to come. If you think carefully about everything that goes on around you, it is all exactly as it should be, and we are moving toward the consummation of the ages. God is in complete control even if we aren’t. He is working faithfully through our many errors, trials, and heartaches. In the end, we can look back on our lives and say, “So this is why that happened.” For now, you should trust that He hasn’t abandoned you, and He hasn’t carelessly forgotten about your every need. While we may mourn now, we can still rejoice in the future. Our hope is that sure; our destiny is secure. Lord God, help us to realize that you haven’t abandoned us, nor have you forgotten even our slightest sorrows. How much more then do You know and care for our times of overwhelming grief. Thank You for being so tender and caring towards us. You are a great and awesome Creator and to You we give our praise. Hallelujah and Amen!
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 25, 2019 23:48:29 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:7, 25 September 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 Wednesday, 25 September 2019 ...that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 1:7 Peter just spoke of being grieved by various trials. He says that there is a reason for these things. It is dealing with “the genuineness of your faith.” The word translated as genuineness is found only here and James 1:3. It signifies a test or a proving of something to determine its nature, whether it is genuine or not. Because of the use of this word, it is surmised that Peter was aware of James’ epistle and was using this particular word to supplement the thoughts that James spoke of. There he said – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2, 3 James spoke of the producing of patience when tested. Peter speaks of the genuineness of it. In other words, there is a proving process which is occurring in the believer that comes from these various trials. He then says that this proven faith is “much more precious than gold that perishes.” Peter makes the comparison of faith directly to gold, and he says that it is “more precious.” The thing that many find of such high value is nothing compared to proven faith. And to bolster this, he says that gold “perishes.” The idea here is that faith does not. When it is proven, it is that which has eternal benefit. In this, there is a thought which Paul made in his writings that is confirmed here. Gold is tangible; it can be seen and held. And yet, it is temporary. However, faith in God’s work which is accomplished in Christ is unseen. But despite this, it will never perish. Paul spoke of this in 1 Corinthians 13:13 with the words, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three.” Peter then says of this faith, “though it is tested by fire.” This is referring to the “various trials” of verse 6. They are the means of testing the faith, and though they may be grieving, they serve a purpose. Gold is purified when it is put through the fire. Peter is making a comparison between that process and the fire of affliction. The same result is realized. Just as gold is purified by fire, so is the faith purified by the trials. He is making a direct analogy between the two – meaning the proven faith and the purified gold. In doing so, he then says that the faith “may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” The three-fold thought expresses that which is to be bestowed upon those of faith at the time of Christ’s revelation. There will be commendation for having demonstrated faith. That will be increased for those who maintained their faith through the various trials they face. There will be reward for those who have increased their faith from simple belief in the gospel to that which is so grounded that it will hold up even through the greatest of trials. And, there will be a conferral of the magnificence of God bestowed upon those who have so proven their faith. Each person will receive what is due to him according to the evaluation which is made concerning the faith which is demonstrated. In the end, the judgment of the believer is one of reward and loss, and every single reward will be based on faith which is connected to whatever deed is accomplished. A deed not done in faith can receive no reward. The judgment of God in Christ upon the believer is described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 and 2 Corinthians 5:9-11. Life application: The faith we possess, and which is tested in the crucible of trial, difficulty, and suffering will ultimately lead to “praise, honor, and glory.” Too often when something disastrous occurs, we cry out, “Why God?” Imagine a father and his friends who go out on the ocean for a day of fishing. Three days later, after extensive searches, they are all found dead. The usual questions arise, and God’s goodness is part of that questioning process. But is this right? Would these people have perished in a boating accident if they hadn’t gone boating? Would it have been better to stay indoors in a locked room? God’s goodness is displayed in the fact that these people had the freedom to choose a day of fishing; they had the ability to relax instead of continuing work just to feed their family; they had families that loved them; etc. We don’t live in isolated cells with feeding tubes attached to us. We must expect soldiers will die in war, people who cross the street may not make it to the other side, and people who eat may accidentally choke on their food. The test then is not for the dead, but for the living. When we face trials – be they large or small; personal, within a family, or within a community; financial, life-threatening, or spiritual – we demonstrate our faith when we acknowledge God’s sovereignty and His right to work out His plan in a way that we may not always understand. When trials come, the testing may be intense and the heat may be severe, but this refining process is something that will ultimately lead to praise, honor, and glory. And this will come when Jesus Christ is revealed to us in His glorious splendor. Pain and sadness are to be expected, but when you can honestly accept all things with the attitude that “the Lord’s will be done,” you are in the high place of strong faith – a place of reward from the Creator. O great and sovereign God, give us the ability to accept all things that occur in our lives as gifts from You – whether blessing or trial. We ask this because we see that even the trials are blessings when they test our faith and refine it. Help us to consider that Your word clearly teaches this. And so, when trials come, may there be praise, honor, and glory for us when we faithfully endure through them, and when our faith is proven as a result of them. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 27, 2019 1:14:17 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:8, 26 September 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 Thursday, 26 September 2019 ...whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 1 Peter 1:8 Peter had just spoken of the faith of his audience. Someday that faith would be turned to sight. As he said, “at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Now he confirms that they are living by faith and not by sight with the words, “whom having not seen you love.” It is to be remembered that Peter had lived with Christ, experienced many marvelous things with Him, and yet that did not lessen the honor of those who had not seen Him. In fact, Peter certainly remembered the words of Jesus to Thomas – “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29 It very well may be that this is what was on Peter’s mind as he penned his words to the saints. He next says, “Though now you do not see Him.” This is a set of words which, although rather innocuous in nature, are to be taken literally for all whom he is writing to. As this includes any who read Scripture, and as Scripture is given to all for the establishment and building up of faith (Romans 10:17), it is to be taken that Peter’s words here apply to all – “Though you do not see Him.” It is a note that we live by faith and not by sight. It thus dispels claims by those who say they have had visions of Christ. Taken together with Jesus’ words to Thomas, this is a certainty. Peter then expresses what should be considered an honor with the words, “yet believing.” These people had believed simply by having been told. There was no sight, and yet they accepted the message. The honor Jesus spoke of to Thomas is firmly established in those who have come to God through the word conveyed to them. And in this act of faith, Peter then says, “you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” The joy inexpressible is that joy which can only be felt inside. It is the absolute surety that the faith in the heart will lead to the sight of the eyes. It is a joy which understands that the pains and trials of this world are nothing when compared to the state of existence which lies ahead. And it is a joy which says, “Though death may come, it does not have the final say over my existence.” Words cannot fully express the joy which is anticipated in the faith of the believer. The idea of the believer’s joy being “full of glory” is that of anticipation in the state which lies ahead. We can look at our bodies and see true wisdom in their construction. We can marvel how they heal themselves from cuts, bruises, diseases, and so on. But we also know that our bodies are corruptible and will wear out. We will die and our bodies will return to the dust. However, what God promises in Christ is a glory which is beyond our ability to imagine. We shall be like Christ, rising from the dead with eternal bodies. Such is just a small sampling of what the words “full of glory” look forward to. Peter understood this because it has been the hope of man since the fall. And it is a hope which is now realized in Christ Jesus, of whom his audience was now also partakers. Life application: After the resurrection, Thomas doubted that it had occurred at all. This was even after the other apostles and those with them had emphatically claimed that Jesus was alive. Eight days later Jesus appeared while Thomas was present. Finally convinced of what he saw and felt, he cried out, “My Lord and my God!” Are you struggling with the validity of the biblical account? Or do you have that inexpressible joy which is full of glory? The difference may simply be that you have failed to apply your faith to a study of the Bible. When your faith is faltering, nothing can build it up like opening its pages and reminding yourself about the reliability of what is recorded there, including the book of 1 Peter. If you find some portions difficult, go to reliable study aids which were written by people who have spent their lives verifying the accuracy of what the Bible records. Don’t be a doubting Thomas (or Jane, or Mike, or Calvin, or…)! Instead, believe the surety of God’s word and you will be filled with inexpressible joy! Heavenly Father, I know Your word is sure and Your testimony is true. When my faith falters, help me to rebuild it through reexamining the pages of the Bible and being filled with Your glorious Holy Spirit. Yes Lord! Fill me to overflowing with knowledge of You by the illumination of Your Word for my understanding and the joy that accompanies it. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 27, 2019 23:36:56 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:9, 27 September 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019·5 MINUTES Friday, 27 September 2019 ...receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:9 Peter now completes the greater thought which began in verse 6 of this chapter, but of which a lesser thought is connected to the previous verse. Taken together the two verses say, “Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” The word translated as “receiving” simply means to carry or bear something. However, based on the context, it carries one of a couple different ideas. The first is that of receiving something back which belonged to a person. That is seen, for example, in Matthew 25:27. However, it is also receiving something that has been earned or recovered. This is what is Peter is speaking of here. He says to his audience (meaning the saints) that you will be “receiving the end of your faith.” It is faith which brings the result. One does not receive what is promised based on works, living a particular type of life, or being better than another (grading on a bell curve), or any other such notion. It is faith alone by which one receives “the end” which Peter speaks of, which is “the salvation of your souls.” The “end” or object of faith is what the faith is expectant of. One can have faith that putting money in the bank will result in a return on the principle through whatever interest rate is promised. One can have faith that starting a journey on a sailboat will bring him to his anticipated island getaway. The “end,” or object, of the Christian’s faith in Jesus Christ is salvation. In short, sin is the problem. The law is how sin is made manifest, Jesus’ lived perfectly under the law and was found without sin, Jesus died in fulfillment of the law, and for the sins of those bound under the law (a principle known as substitutionary atonement which is authorized in the law), and therefore Jesus removes our sin debt. Jesus rose from the grave, having triumphed over death. In His resurrection, the proof of His sinless nature, and the proof of His acceptable substitutionary death for our sin is seen. In this, the person who believes in Christ’s work (demonstrating faith) is deemed justified and freed from sin’s penalty. And in this, the person is granted eternal life. In this declaration of justification by God, one is saved, which is the “end” of his faith. Concerning this word, translated as “receiving,” Vincent's Word Studies says, “Paul uses it of receiving the awards of judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10; Ephesians 6:8; Colossians 3:25). In Hebrews, it is used of receiving the promise (Hebrews 10:36; Hebrews 11:39), and of Abraham receiving back Isaac (Hebrews 11:19). Peter uses it thrice, and in each case of receiving the rewards of righteousness or of iniquity. See 1 Peter 5:4; 2 Peter 2:13.” It should be noted that in this verse, this word komizó, or “receiving,” is a present participle in the Greek. Peter says in “believing,” (of verse 8), one is “receiving” (of verse 9). In other words, the deal is done. By an act of faith in what Christ has done, the salvation is received. How terrible it is that people add to the simple gospel, or that people attempt to divide the simple gospel into various categories (one gospel for the Jew & one gospel for the Gentile) instead of seeing that what God has done in Christ is a one-time act, based on faith, and it is a single gospel message for all people. Those who add to, or attempt to divide, this gospel will receive their just punishment for proclaiming “a different gospel, which is not another” (Galatians 1:6, 7). Be wise! Don’t listen to these false workers who teach their message of demons. Life application: Positionally, those who have called on Jesus are already saved. We know this from a multitude of verses, for example – “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?” Romans 8:24 The action is completed in the sense that we need to do nothing else except wait to receive our final redemption. Until that day, let us act as if we really believe it. We should attend church – not to be blessed, but to worship out of gratitude. We should endure trials joyfully, knowing that even these serve a good purpose. We should sing in our hearts (and even with our lips!) as we walk along life’s path. If you are forgetting to thank the Lord for the glory to come, take time today – even right now – to reflect on what is ahead, and then thank Him for the marvel of that Day! As Paul said in the Romans verse, “hope that is seen is not hope.” And as Peter shows, a day is coming when we will receive the end of our faith. This will be when our hope is changed to sight – that glorious day when Jesus Christ Himself calls us to the paradise He has prepared. Get ready, Jesus is coming, and our eyes will behold the One who brought us to the end of our faith. Praise God! Jesus is coming and we shall be saved. Hallelujah and amen! What a day! O, what a glorious and joyful day – O, happy day! Lord Jesus, what You have promised is worth all the waiting in the world. One day we will look upon Your majesty and bask in Your beauty for all eternity – saved from the stain of sin found in this temporary world. Praise to You, O Lord! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 28, 2019 23:21:52 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:10, 28 September 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019·4 MINUTES Saturday, 28 September 2019 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 1 Peter 1:10 Peter now refers to what he just said in the previous verse concerning “the salvation of your souls.” He says, “Of this salvation...” The word “of” here carries the sense of “in regards to,” or “concerning.” From there, he says, “the prophets have inquired and searched carefully.” Both verbs begin with the prefix ek, signifying “out.” And so, the words bear the idea of “the prophets have sought out and searched out carefully.” In this, there is not just a general search made, but a very detailed and concerted effort on their part. They peered into the matter with the most intense scrutiny in order to find out what they were looking for. Peter says they are those “who prophesied.” A picture is forming. These are prophets who spoke out the word of the Lord. They are not false prophets as can be seen from the previous words “have inquired and searched carefully.” A false prophet would not search out his own false words. What would be the point? He uttered something out of his own head, and so he is fully aware of what he spoke of. On the contrary, these are true prophets who have spoken the word of the Lord, and now they are actually searching out the message transmitted through them. It shows that the Source of the prophecy was not from themselves, but from God. The word translated as “searched carefully” is found only here in the New Testament, exeraunaó. It signifies “to search with all diligence.” As HELPS Word Studies says, “Here it focuses on the end-result of the searching, i.e. the fulfillment of salvation (unique glorification) in a believer's life.” Understanding this, Peter describes what these prophets prophesied by saying, “of the grace that would come to you.” The prophets came under the dispensation of the law. They spoke the word of the Lord, and what they prophesied was a time when God’s grace would be bestowed apart from the law. That is perfectly evident from the context of Peter’s words. Further, it is apparent that the grace which they spoke of was coming not for themselves, but for others – at a later time. The word “grace” here signifies the Lord’s favor as He freely extends Himself to His people. Peter will continue with this through verse 12. It is a marvelous set of words which gives us insights into how certain the prophetic word of God is, and how perfectly planned out it was. Before the things came to pass, the Lord revealed them. However, He did it in a way which was veiled to those who passed them on. Though they spoke them out, they did not understand what they had conveyed. Thus, they searched what they had received carefully. It is a rather astonishing thing to ponder. Life application: We read these marvelous words in the book of Isaiah – “Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6, 7 Imagine Isaiah receiving this prophecy, knowing these were God’s words, and then reading them again and again and again – searching diligently and trying to discover the meaning of the very words that he had just penned. It is almost unimaginable! A Man would be born and yet He would be called the Mighty God. Men are born, live, and then die. And yet, it says He would be the Everlasting Father. Each word used to describe this coming One shouts out to us of the Incarnate Word of God – yes, we know Him as Jesus. But Isaiah could only look forward and wonder. Likewise, the suffering servant passage in Isaiah 52:13-53:12 must have been incredible – what could it mean? Each of the prophets must have looked at the words they had composed and wondered, but until such things were revealed in Jesus, they simply couldn’t fathom the grace that would come. However, we can look back and understand and revel in the words that brought them such straining of thought. How blessed we are in this dispensation of God’s grace! We look on Your word to us in awe, O God! The grace it reveals is far greater than anything a human could imagine. You stepped out of eternity, united with human flesh, and walked among us. In Christ, You suffered on our behalf and now we have the offer of reconciliation and eternal life – all because of what You have done! Glory to You, O God! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 29, 2019 17:17:44 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:11, 29 September 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2019·7 MINUTES Sunday, 29 September 2019 ...searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 1 Peter 1:11 The words here speak of “the prophets” of the previous verse. He said that they “inquired and searched carefully … of the grace that would come to you.” Now, he continues with that thought, explaining what it was like for these men who spoke out and wrote down the oracles of God. He says they were “searching what, or what manner of time.” The idea of “searching” is to make a diligent inquiry. These prophets wrote out the prophesies transmitted through them, and then they thoroughly investigated what they had written out. They wanted to know “what,” meaning the details concerning the Messiah they had prophesied about. They were given a broad brushstroke of His coming, but they lacked the details. They could see aspects of Him, but the Man Jesus was out of their ability to see – who He would be, what He would be like, and how He would accomplish the things they wrote of. They also wanted to know “what manner of time” these things would come about. This may be speaking of the actual timing of the coming of Messiah, but more probably it is speaking of the state of the world at the time of His coming. How could the things they wrote down be fulfilled? What would be the condition of the people who anticipated His coming. What would be the relationship between Israel and the Gentiles? On and on, “what manner of time” lay ahead when Messiah would be revealed? Peter next gives an indication of the means of the prophetic word coming to these men. He refers to “the Spirit of Christ who was in them.” Charles Ellicott notes that the term “Christ” here speaks of the office, and not specifically a title of the Man – meaning Jesus Christ. This may be a correct analysis. The “Spirit of Christ,” is that which anticipates the coming of Messiah, it speaks of Him and His work, and so on. It is not impossible, however, that Peter is speaking of “the Spirit of Christ” as referring to the Holy Spirit, whose role in the Godhead is to reveal the Lord Jesus before His coming, during His advent, and continuing on after His ascension. The work of God within the Godhead has one united purpose. Thus, the term “Spirit of Christ” would then be synonymous with “Holy Spirit,” “Spirit of God,” and etc. This is seen, for example, in Romans 8 – “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” Romans 8:9 Peter continues on, noting that “the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand.” Whether “Spirit of Christ” refers to the office, or to the inspiration which comes from Christ personally, the words “was indicating” show that the men were influenced by a force which led them to record what was instilled in them by God. The things He purposed for them to know were revealed. There was enough information to make the work of Christ fully understandable in relation to what was written once it occurred, but not until it occurred. Until Christ came, it remained veiled even though specific words were given by God as “He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ.” In Scripture, it is the Lord who speaks out prophecy, and yet it is the Spirit who speaks out prophecy, and it is God who speaks out prophecy. And in those words which point to Christ, they – like all other Scripture – were recorded in the word. And the word itself then speaks out prophecy. In this word, the sufferings of Christ are clearly indicated, even from the earliest chapters of Genesis. In Genesis 3:15, it is now quite clear that Messiah is being referred to. There it says that the serpent would “bruise His heel.” From that point on, countless examples of the sufferings of Christ are recorded. The sacrifices and offerings of the Levitical priesthood point to the sufferings of Christ. His sufferings are detailed in small and in great ways in the prophets. They are obscurely referred to in the account of the birth and naming of Benjamin in Genesis 35:18, where he was first named Ben-Oni, or Son of my Suffering. A complete record of the study into how many times the sufferings of Christ are mentioned in the Bible would take up innumerable pages of analysis. Vincent's Word Studies explains why Peter highlighted this. He says, “Peter was especially concerned to show that the sufferings of Christ were in fulfilment of prophecy, because it was a subject of dispute with the Jews whether the Christ was to suffer (Acts 3:18; Acts 26:22, Acts 26:23).” By testifying to the sufferings of the coming Christ in advance, there was no excuse that Israel – the stewards of the oracles of God – should have missed the coming of Messiah. Along with these sufferings, Peter also refers to “the glories that would follow.” This refers to everything that would come in successive steps after the sufferings of Christ. The cross was a point of suffering, but it was also a point of glory. The resurrection, the proofs of His resurrection, the ascension, the continued work of the apostles and the church since, the coming rapture, the physical return of Christ, the millennium, and the eternal state are all referred to in the glories that would follow. These were recorded by the prophets, and they were all carefully searched out by them, but they could not sufficiently peer into the words they had been inspired to write in order to see what they desired to see. Those things were reserved for those who came after they occurred, and which could then be pieced together in order to be seen in the revealed light that God so intended for them to be seen. Life application: Today, we have the revelation that the prophets searched out in hopes of knowing, but to them it was a mystery. Paul uses this term quite a few times as he speaks of the ministry of Christ. For example – “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— 27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.” Romans 16:25-27 Here we see that the work of Christ was a mystery kept in the mind of God since the very foundation of the world. However, it was made manifest in the gospel. This mystery was presented in the “prophetic scriptures” which is exactly what Peter is talking about. The prophets of old wrote of the coming glory, and yet to them it was veiled. Likewise, the times of the coming of Christ and the fulfillment of the ages is veiled. We can search carefully, get out our calculators and computers, look at calendars of coming events, and strain our minds over the times and the seasons, but in the end, we must simply wait on the Lord’s timing. As Jesus said in Acts 1:7, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” When He is ready, He will be back – but not a moment sooner. It won’t come by the desires or uninspired guesses of prognosticators; it will come by the wisdom of God. Lord God, we sure would love to see Jesus, and we would very much like to sit in His presence and dine together. May that day be soon. But Lord God, Your will be done, not ours. Our garments are washed, our hearts are ready, and Your invitations are in our hand. When You call, we will respond with joy. Until then, we love You and we will be about the business You have for us. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 30, 2019 23:56:59 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:12, 30 September 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 Monday, 30 September 2019 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into. 1 Peter 1:12 It is an amazing set of words from Peter. He has been speaking of the prophets who were led by the Spirit of Christ who was in them, and who wrote of the “sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” Now he says that “To them it was revealed that…” This thought goes along with what he said in verse 10. There, Peter noted that these prophets “inquired and searched carefully.” But their search was to no avail. It was revealed to them that the words they had received were “not to themselves.” In other words, they spoke out prophecy that did not apply to their lives, but to the lives of others, both in time and, at times, in location. In other words, it often surely seemed obvious that prophecy of the Messiah to come was future. But some of the prophets prophesied from their homes in exile, such as Daniel. Not only were the prophecies future, but they were pointing to the coming of Messiah in a land that they were not even in. It may seem obvious to us now, but in the ancient world, gods were often considered localized gods of places, nations, or people groups. But the prophetic word of the true God extends beyond such limits. Peter then continues noting that what was revealed was not to them, “but to us.” Peter is writing the words and making the claim that because Christ had come, the prophetic word was to those who were alive since His coming. The span of years spent in waiting had ended, and the time of waiting for the prophetic word to be fulfilled had arrived. With this understanding, Peter includes himself now in the process of revealing that once hidden word by saying, “they were ministering the things which have been reported to you.” Peter and the other apostles had seen the fulfillment of the prophecies. They were able to see what the prophets of old could not, and they were able to put the otherwise obscure writings into the context of the Person and work of Jesus the Messiah. Because of this, they reported the message, proclaiming that the prophecies were fulfilled. It should be noted that the words “were ministering” are in the imperfect active. The prophets of old are still ministering to those who read their words even today as they are explained to us by the apostles. This reporting was “through those who have preached the gospel to you.” The prophets of old vicariously ministered through the apostles. The words they had received were being passed on for the hearer to know and understand the truth of what was written. As noted already, the truth is that even today the writings of those prophets would make no sense to someone who picked them up and read them, unless they had the accompanying words of the apostles found in the New Testament. This is why Paul could say in his epistle to the Corinthians – “Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” 2 Corinthians 3:12-16 Without the explanation of the apostles, either in person, or by the writings they have left behind, the mysteries into which the prophets inquired and searched carefully are still veiled to the reader. But since the coming of Christ, these things were made known. And this process was not only directly, as if by personal sight and understanding, but more especially “by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.” It is true that the apostles witnessed much of the fulfillment of what the prophets wrote about. Further, Jesus explained many things from the Scriptures after His resurrection (e.g. Luke 23:13-27). However, there are still other things which were not directly revealed at those times. Rather, the Holy Spirit revealed them through the apostles as they were inspired to do so. Their writings, which have been compiled into the New Testament, allow the Scriptures to be understood from a Christ-centered perspective which would have been otherwise impossible to understand. This is so much so that Peter finishes the verse with, “things which angels desire to look into.” Of the word translated as “desire to look into,” Vincent's Word studies says – “A very graphic word, meaning to stoop sideways (παρά). Used by Aristophanes to picture the attitude of a bad harp-player. Here it portrays one stooping and stretching the neck to gaze on some wonderful sight. It occurs in James 1:25, describing him who looks into the perfect law of liberty as into a mirror; and in Luke 24:12; John 20:5, John 20:11, of Peter and John and Mary stooping and looking into the empty tomb. Possibly the memory of this incident unconsciously suggested the word to Peter. The phrase illustrates Peter's habitual emphasis upon the testimony of sight.” The angels desired to know what the prophetic word said, not as participants in it, but as those viewing the redemptive plans of God from the outside, like spectators in an arena. The astonishing work of God in redeeming man, including the cross of Christ, was a complete surprise to them. This is obvious from the words of Pilate’s wife in Matthew – “While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.’” Matthew 27:19 Pilate’s wife was given a dream which caused her to warn her husband. But if Pilate had not participated in what occurred, Christ would not have been crucified. The next verses confirm that he did not fully heed her words. The serpent went through the woman in the Garden of Eden to thwart God’s plans, and he had some inkling that the day ahead was one which would see his defeat. Is it that being unable to determine what action to take, he went through a woman again by attempting to have her influence her husband to thwart what seemed to be an inevitable, but as yet unrevealed, part of God’s plan? If so, this shows us that the devil may know God’s word, but he also does not understand the complexities of the prophecies which are future, nor can he discern those things which have not been revealed, but which remain sealed until God reveals them. Life application: The prophets of old received God’s word and then turned around and read what they had written out. They searched the words carefully and looked for hints about the glory to come. When they read of the sufferings of Christ and compared them with verses like the one proclaiming Him the everlasting Father, they must have been completely baffled. This coming One would be buried in a grave and yet He would rule the nations forever? It must have been incredibly hard to understand and reconcile the concepts… maybe there would be two Messiahs? Maybe the passages weren’t to be taken literally? Finally, they realized that it was simply not for them to know. Instead, others would be the recipients of the revelation which was received; they were merely the conduit by which God was revealing the mysteries that would be revealed in Christ. And who are the favored recipients? They are those who hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have received enlightenment of the verses which were veiled in times past because Jesus’ ministry fulfilled them. Once His work was complete, the prophetic word came alive. Truly we are a favored generation. As we wait on the return of our Lord, we have the pages of the Bible to guide us and instruct us in our daily lives. Be sure to read your Bible daily, and to share the gospel always. Thank You Jesus for sending Your Spirit to illuminate Your word to us through the preaching of the gospel and the study of its contents. Thank You for allowing us to be the recipients of the fullness of the writings which tell us of You and Your glorious work in and through humanity. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 2, 2019 0:26:40 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:13,1 October 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019·6 MINUTES Tuesday, 1 October 2019 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1 Peter 1:13 The word “Therefore” is given to sum up everything Peter has thus far said. In verse 5, he spoke of the believer’s “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” In verse 7, he then spoke of “the revelation of Jesus Christ.” His words have been built around those things as instruction and for clarification of how things are in the life of the believer, especially in regard to the surety of the salvation which they possess. Because of this hope found in the gospel, which was so hungrily searched out in order to be understood by the prophets who wrote of it, Peter says for his audience to “gird up the loins of your mind.” This term is used as a metaphor in a few different ways. In 1 Kings 18, we read this – “Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.” 1 Kings 18:46 Elijah “girded up his loins” in order to run as quickly as possible. The garments of the people of Israel were long and flowing. If one tried to run in them, he could easily get his legs tripped up. And so, when a quick pace was needed, they would pull the garment up to their waist and tie the sash they wore around that which was pulled up. Thus, they “girded up” their loins. In Job 38:3, we read this – “Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!” (NASB) Here, the same metaphor is used, but the purpose is different. Instead of running, the Lord is basically saying, “It is time to wrestle.” When a person was set to wrestle, he would gird up his garments, just as when he ran. Thus, the Lord is saying to Job, “We are going to mentally wrestle through this. Be ready!” One must now question, which was on Peter’s mind? The answer is, probably both. First, Peter was looking ahead to a long race. As he noted in verse 5, the saints are kept for salvation which was “to be revealed in the last time.” As that is an indeterminate amount of time, they were to be girded up for a long race. This is seen in Paul’s words to those in Corinth – “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” 1 Corinthians 9:24, 25 However, Peter is also contending for the faith which has been delivered to the saints. He is writing to Jews who could easily get caught up in the legalism of the law once again. In fact, he had to gird himself up and wrestle with this issue himself. He was challenged by Paul for falling into this trap in Galatians 2:11-21. Paul had told the Galatians about what happened to remind them of the importance of holding to the one and only gospel, delivered to both Jew and Gentile. In summary of his thoughts, he called the Galatians “foolish” in Galatians 3:1. They had failed to gird up the loins of their mind, and they had suffered defeat in the wrestling match of sound doctrine. Peter is instructing his audience to be prepared for such a race and such a wrestling match. And so, in his instruction, he says, “be sober.” The words are a present participle which should read “being sober.” Understanding this, it is not speaking of literal soberness, but a spiritual soberness. Believers are to be calm, wakeful, circumspect, and morally grounded by knowing and adhering to the word. In acting in this manner, we will always be ready for the Lord’s coming. It will not be a moment of sad surprise when it happens, but rather a moment of joyous surprise. This is Peter’s intent. He next says, “and rest your hope fully.” Here, the verb is active and imperative. You are to do this, and you are to keep it up. “Rest your hope and keep resting your hope.” And that is to be “upon the grace.” Grace is unmerited favor. It is something that one cannot work for, but simply receive. Peter is saying that the gospel is that of grace, and what it will deliver is solely of grace. In essence, “NO WORKS!” He is adamantly telling his readers the same message that Paul told the Gentiles – “It is not of the law, but of grace.” He then notes that this grace “is to be brought to you.” Again, as with the words “being sober” above, the verb here is a present participle. It rightly reads, “is being brought to you.” There is salvation in Christ, and it is coming to you and it will not fail. It is an implied note of eternal salvation. As Vincent's Word Studies notes: “The object of hope is already on the way.” And that hope which is coming will be “at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” The revelation of Jesus Christ is spoken of throughout the New Testament. For the faithful believer before the rapture, Christ’s revealing will be at a meeting in the clouds before the tribulation period. For those who are saved after this point, there will be a literal, physical return of Christ to the earth to judge the world. Paul speaks of these things first in 1 Thessalonians 4, and then again in 2 Thessalonians 1. Peter is imploring his audience to be sober and to have the loins of their minds girded up in anticipation of this hope. Life application: Paul says this concerning the grace of the Lord in Ephesians 2 – “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7 Paul’s words speak of “the ages to come.” It is a note of infinite grace. God has saved us, and that salvation shall never end. This is just what we need! Let us be thankful for the grace of God which is found in Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank You Lord for the infinite grace You have displayed and continue to display in our lives. We fail You continuously and our only hope is in Your faithfulness despite our faithlessness. We trust in You alone for both our salvation and our continued state of favor in Your eyes. Thank You for the cross and thank You for the garments of righteousness it provides. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 3, 2019 0:14:26 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:14, 2 October 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2019 Wednesday, 2 October 2019 ...as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 1 Peter 1:14 Peter just told his audience to gird up the loins of their minds, to be sober, and to rest their hope on the grace that is being brought to them. He now continues with his exhortation to them by saying, “as obedient children.” The Greek uses two nouns here, and it is therefore better rendered as “as children of obedience.” Vincent's Word Studies explains this as, “The Christian is represented as related to the motive principle of his life as a child to a parent.” In other words, this is speaking of the state of the Christian at all times in relation to the Lord, and not specifically of the ongoing conduct of the children in general. One can see the reason for this relationship by looking back to verse 3 where Peter says that the Lord “has begotten us again to a living hope.” Because of this state of being begotten, we are implored to live as “children of obedience.” Next, Peter explains what this means with the words, “not conforming yourselves to the former lusts.” Here Peter uses a verb only seen elsewhere in Romans 12:2 where Paul implores his reader to not be conformed to this world. This word gives the sense of identity, or assuming an outward form. Here Peter is specifically speaking of identifying with a life of lusts. Instead of looking for gratification in all temptations, the believer is to find his satisfaction in Christ, and in the hope which He provides. This is because we have been enlightened to the truth of the resurrection and a future hope. This is something that was previously unknown. If unknown, then the thought is obviously that this world is all there is. If that is so, then one might as well grab for all he can get. But that is, as Peter says, “ignorance.” Without knowing of the truth of God in Christ, there exists a state of ignorance. In hearing the gospel, and in knowing what God has planned for His people, we are to emulate Christ, walk in holiness, and not conform to (or pursue recklessly) the conduct of this world. Life application: Many people have a problem with the concept of total depravity. This means that we are all bound under sin and totally incapable of saving ourselves. It also gives us an understanding of why God can command the Israelites to march into Canaan and destroy everything that lived – including women and children. As Jesus said in John 3:18 – “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” We are “condemned already.” This means even from the moment of conception. All humans receive Adam’s sin-nature and do not need to do a thing to be separated from God. However, even on those who are separated in this way, God is merciful – He provides them food, rain, and the good things of life. As an example of His mercy, He waited 400 years to destroy the people of Canaan because of His longsuffering and because “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete” (Genesis 15:16). Likewise, God spared Nineveh at the preaching of Jonah because they repented. This doesn’t mean they were saved for eternity, but from destruction in this life; they were allowed to continue on under the sun. Peter says that we were all in this depraved state and that we once conformed ourselves to these lusts. He then says we did this in “ignorance.” Ignorance of the law is, however, no excuse. If you can come to this realization and accept it for what it is, then you can understand the infinite grace and mercy demonstrated at the cross of Jesus. Glory to God for His favor upon the sons of Adam! Truly O God, You are merciful and full of grace. Glory be to You for sending Jesus, born into the stream of humanity in order to save us from the depraved state we were in. Surely, You are worthy of all our praise! Yes! Glory to You, O God! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 3, 2019 23:23:28 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:15, 3 October 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2019·6 MINUTES Thursday, 3 October 2019 …but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 1 Peter 1:15 Several scholars, and several translations, translate Peter’s words here as a title rather than a description. For example, the NASB translates this as – “…but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;” What seems more likely is that Peter is reaching back to the heart of the book of Leviticus where, in Chapter 11, the Lord says this – “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.” Leviticus 11:44 The Lord gave instructions to Israel concerning what He expected of them, and then He proclaimed the reason why He did so. It is because He is holy, and they had been called by Him to be His people. In His calling, He expected them to emulate Him. It is as if God is saying, “I am the Pattern which you should form yourselves after.” It is to be noted that the Lord’s calling was to Israel alone in Leviticus. Here in 1 Peter, some could argue that Peter is addressing the Jews (which is correct) and, therefore, the calling that Peter is speaking about is one directed solely to the Jews. This is incorrect. Christ established the New Covenant in His blood. In this, He has called both Jew and Greek (meaning the Gentiles – see Romans 1:16; Romans 2:9, 10, Romans 10:12; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11, and etc.). The fact that the Jews (for the most part) did not accept the gospel does not negate that the call was made to them as well as to the Gentiles. Peter’s epistle is a call to the Jew, but specifically a call to the Jew of the end-times (as can be deduced by its placement after Paul’s Gentile-led church-age epistles). The Jews, after their rejection of Christ and extended time of punishment for this rejection, are being called to the one gospel which is found in Christ Jesus. That it is the same message to both Jew and Gentile is confirmed by Paul’s words of Ephesians 4 – “But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4 Paul speaks of living according to the holiness of God, putting off the old man and being adorned in the new. This is the same calling as Peter now speaks of. And so, based on the unchanging nature of God, who is holy, Peter says, “you also be holy in all your conduct.” The call is made, the individual responds to it, and the standard is expected. Peter ties the expected character of the one who has called on the Lord to emulate His character. Again, this is a principle that Paul speaks of in Philippians 1:27 – “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” A change in one’s life to that which is Christ-centered is expected of those who have, in fact, come to Christ. The word used by Peter, and translated as “conduct,” is a favorite of his. It is used three times by Paul, once in Hebrews, and once by James. However, Peter uses it six times in this letter, and 2 times in his second letter. It is anastrophé, and it gives the sense of a change of one’s outward behavior based on one’s inner beliefs. If one has called on Christ, having believed the gospel message (an inner belief), that person should then reflect, in his outward conduct, a change which conforms to the One upon whom he has trusted. It would make no sense for a person to accept the conservative views of hard work, lower taxes, moral uprightness, normal-brained thinking, and so on, just to continue to vote for left-leaning politicians. Nor would it make any sense for such a person to continue to support lazy indolence, higher taxes, perversion, and crazy ideologies. A change to right thinking should have a corresponding external change in the person. If this is true with an earthly political system, how much more should there be a change in a person to a life of holiness when calling on the HOLY GOD through Christ Jesus! Life application: From eternity past, the Father has called us to be saved. This is known as the doctrine of “predestination.” It tells us that our salvation was and is set in stone; it was a done deal even before creation. And yet the Bible says that we must receive Jesus in order to be saved – an act of our free-will. How are these two concepts reconciled? God doesn’t think like we do. We think thought after thought, sequentially. We may think discursively in random thoughts, or we may think syllogistically, making deductions where “this plus this therefore equals this.” But God knows everything intuitively and immediately. Nothing is unknown to Him including the free-will decision we make when we receive Jesus. Because of our salvation, it follows then that we need to be holy just as God is holy. However, because we think sequentially – thought after thought – we get caught up in life as it comes our way. We are challenged with trials, troubles, woes, and difficulties as the moments turn into hours, and then the hours pass into days. This is why we so desperately need to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit. Just as we asked for and received salvation, we need to ask forgiveness when we sin (a reactive action) which prepares us for being renewed in the Spirit. Also, we need to pray for wisdom, patience, and especially God’s direction in advance (acting proactively). And further, we need to know what God expects of us. This comes about through reading and meditating upon His word. By living in this way, we open the doors to holiness and right living. It simply is not possible to go to church once a week, raise hands, and shout “Hallelujah,” and then spend the rest of the week relying on that short experience to keep us holy. Please make a daily commitment to – 1) morning - rise and praise; 2) daily - walk and talk; 3) evening - lay and pray; and 4) always - read the word and apply what you have heard. The Bible reveals that we are always in the presence of the Lord. Remember this and act accordingly. And…be holy in all your conduct. Lord God, the more we trust in You and the closer our walk is with You, it seems the more evident our sin is. Give us wisdom to confess our sins as they occur, and also to ask for guidance each day that we may be protected from sinning even more. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit as we seek You through Your word so that we may be pleasing vessels of holiness to You. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 5, 2019 0:39:37 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, 1 Peter 1:16, 4 October 2019
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019·READING TIME Friday, 4 October 2019 ... because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16 This is cited by Peter from Leviticus 11:44. It reflects God’s expectation for His people, both of Israel under the Old Covenant, and for those who come to Christ under the new covenant. Though Peter is writing to Jews, because he is the apostle to the circumcision, this is no different than what Paul writes to the Gentiles as the apostle to the uncircumcised. Two of many examples from him are – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” Ephesians 1:3, 4 “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1 The Lord expects the same holy conduct at all times from His people, because such conduct reflects His holy nature. Time and again in Leviticus, the idea of holiness is presented. Their conduct under the law was expected to conform to the law in order for them to reflect His holiness. But the reason for it was because the conduct of the people from which they were called (meaning the world at large) did not reflect what He expected. This is seen, for example, in Leviticus 20:26 – “And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.” Now, Christ has called not only Jews, but all people into His new covenant. This is by drawing them from out of the world. The Jews were called out from the law which only highlighted their sin, and the Gentiles are called out from the unholy conduct of being aligned with the world and against God. Together, all are called to a new type of holiness, which is sanctification by the Spirit and through right conduct before God. Life application: A couple of great points come from today’s short verse – 1) Peter is quoting Leviticus 11:44. There are other times in the Bible where this same general thought is mentioned. Scripture quoting Scripture is one way the Bible validates itself internally. Things are proclaimed and then they happen; things are stated and then they’re re-quoted elsewhere; someone claims to be a prophet and Jesus confirms that status. These and many other such occurrences validate the authority of other books, other people, and other concepts within the framework of the Bible. 2) God is making an absolute statement about Himself – a statement that can be inferred from simply thinking about the nature of God, even without the Bible. In other words, the Bible not only validates itself internally, but in a host of other ways, including when discussing the nature of God. Unlike the Koran or other religious texts from religions around the world, only the Bible fully reveals and confirms the nature of God. We are left with an absolutely sure word concerning His nature. He has revealed Himself to us in a way we can understand. 3) We are to reflect God’s image. He is holy and we are to act accordingly. He is full of grace and we are to likewise be graceful. He is filled with mercy and therefore we need to exercise mercy. The same is true with truthfulness, love, righteousness, justice, etc. God expects us to live in a way that reflects His nature. When we deviate from that, we isolate ourselves from His goodness and are left with only a fearful expectation of judgment. Let us always attempt to live our lives in a way which reflects God’s infinite qualities, even if we fall short of demonstrating them perfectly. Heavenly Father, You have asked us to be holy because You are holy. That can be rather difficult for us at times. We each fail You when we fail to be forgiving, truthful, or to act in any other way that should reflect Your glory. Forgive us of our weaknesses, and fill us with Your Spirit, so that we can correct this. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
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