Bible Studies
Peter
and His Letters (1)
A
Broken Rock Becomes a Foundation Stone
Before studying the 2 letters
written by Peter, it is helpful to review his life. We can understand his
letters better when we relate them to what he went through. Peter is probably
the best example in scripture of a failure who became a great leader. Peter
seemed to vacillate between godly insight and foolish mistakes. Again and again
we find him in the forefront, vowing undying faithfulness to Christ, and then
falling on his face. Probably he is like most of us who don’t always carry out
our good intentions. He was erratic, unreliable, well-meaning, eager, fervent,
bold, overconfident, rash, devoted, affectionate and impulsive. What we see
through it all is a faithful Lord who called, disciplined, rebuked, affirmed,
restored, and used this flawed instrument, in much the same way as He deals
with us. We can learn a lot from Peter’s example, but also from the example of
our Lord as He dealt with Peter.
A.
Jesus gave the leader of His apostolic team the name
“Cephas”, which is the Aramaic word for rock. The New Testament usually uses the Greek equivalent to his name,
Peter. His Semitic name was Simon, and his father was John or Jonah. II Pet. 1:1 Why did Jesus give him the
name Cephas or Peter or Rock? I think He saw beyond the unreliable, impulsive
man who would make so many mistakes, to the enduring “rock” leader of the early
church whom he could become. The Lord sees in us not only what we are, but also
our potential for ministry and blessing to others.
B.
Peter was introduced to Jesus by his quieter brother,
Andrew. Andrew and John had been stirred by the preaching of John the Baptist.
John had invited his listeners to turn their attention away from him to Jesus,
the Lamb of God. The first thing Andrew did was find his brother Simon
and tell him, “We have found the Messiah.” If only we would be as quick to tell the
Good News to our loved ones! It was probably 6 to 9 months later that Peter and
Andrew while casting their fishing net into the water, responded to Jesus’
invitation to follow Him and become fishers of men.
C.
Probably Luke’s narrative took place at the same time, only
he gives fresh details. Jesus stepped into Simon’s boat and began teaching
the people gathered on the shore of Lake Galilee. When Jesus commanded Simon to
cast out the nets, he did so in spite of the fact that they had toiled all
night and caught nothing. The miraculous catch of fish was too heavy for 2
boats. As the boats began to sink, Peter fell on his knees and cried out,
“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” Peter began his journey of faith with
a deep understanding of his own sinful heart and his unworthiness to stand
before Christ. It was his soft, repentant heart that later saved him from
becoming another Judas.
A. When Jesus set apart the twelve to be His apostles, Peter must have been identified early on as the first among equals. Mark in his gospel mentions Peter 19 times by name. All of the lists of the 12 apostles in the 4 gospels begin with the name of Peter. Peter regularly became the spokesman of the group, though sometimes speaking without thinking. Peter was brought into the inner circle with James and John to witness firsthand the raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead, the Transfiguration, and the intercession in Gethsemane. Years later Peter’s memory remained vivid of that mountain-top experience when he was eyewitness to the Lord’s majesty and heard the thundering voice from heaven.
II Pet. 1:16-18
B. Peter’s intentions were always good, but his understanding of Jesus’ mission was faulty. Because of his expressive nature, he often displayed his faults for all to see. His faith grew as he observed the Lord in many situations, but his mind was easily distracted. Peter and the other disciples witnessed the miraculous feeding of the 5000. Then Jesus went alone to the mountain to pray while He sent the disciples away in the boat. In the early morning hours, Jesus came to them walking on the lake. He calmed their fears by telling them that He was not a ghost. Then Peter asked if he could come to him on the water. He boldly stepped out and began to walk, but then looked at the winds and waves and began to sink. His cries for help brought Jesus to save him. This is a good picture of Peter’s whole life. He dared to try what others would not but then became distracted and afraid and lost his faith. Perhaps our faith is like that, too.
C.
Jesus’ hard teachings in John 6 caused many of His wider circle of disciples to turn away.
Jesus refused to satisfy their desires for a king who would overthrow the
Romans. As these followers left, Jesus asked the Twelve if they, too, wanted to
leave Him. It was the time of decision for His truest disciples. He was talking
more and more about the suffering ahead for Himself and His followers. As
usual, Peter stepped forward as the group’s representative and answered. John 6:67-69 Departure from Jesus was
unthinkable. A decisive commitment had been made and there was no turning back.
The disciples had entered into the understanding that Jesus was the Messiah and
their faith was settled. Peter’s faith would continue to be tested and to grow,
but not always in a neat line.
III.
Affirmation
and condemnation
A.
At the end of the Galilean phase of ministry Jesus brought
His disciples to a place far north in the region of Caesarea Philippi. Here He
could talk to them privately. He asked them how the people were identifying
Him. They replied that popular opinion identified Him as a prophet, but people
did not agree. No group in Israel had identified Him as the Messiah. So then He
asked all of them, “Who do you say that I am?” As usual, Peter answered for the
group. After 2 years with Him they had definitely come to the conclusion that
He was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus told Peter that his
confession had not come from human understanding but from God-given insight.
Jesus said that it was on this truth about Himself that He would build His
church. The Catholics say that Jesus said the church would be built on Peter,
but He said very clearly that it was His church, not Peter’s. In both
Old and New Testament Jesus is identified as the Rock – the Foundation of the
church.
B.
After Peter’s confession and affirmation by Jesus, He began
to speak more about His suffering, death and resurrection. This is not His
first reference to His death, but He expounds it now openly to His disciples.
The “Son of Man” is not only the sovereign King of Dan. 7:13-14. He is also the Suffering Servant of Psa. 22 & Isa. 53. Peter had
understood only the first so now he objected to the idea, saying, “Never,
Lord.” He doesn’t seem to realize that you can’t call Jesus Lord and then
oppose Him. Here he seems to imply that he knows more of God’s will than Jesus
does. How arrogant! Jesus turns to him with a powerful condemnation: “Get
behind me, Satan!” Peter was being manipulated by Satan to turn Jesus away from
the cross that was the Father’s will. Peter has moved from a confession given
by divine revelation to active opposition to God’s purpose.
IV.
Boasting and
falling
A. At the Lord’s Supper after Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, He warned Peter that Satan would sift him as wheat. The Lord told him that He was praying that his faith would not fail. He gave Peter hope for the future when He said, “When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But Peter could not even imagine turning away, so why would he need to turn back. He was so sure of himself that he said he was ready to go to prison and to death. He did not understand his own weakness and cowardice. Jesus took Peter along with James and John deep into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. This was Peter’s chance to gain strength from God for the trials ahead. Jesus warned him and the others to watch and pray so that they would not fall into temptation. Although the spirit is willing, the body is weak.
B.
When Judas led the crowd to the Garden to arrest Jesus, it
was Peter who rashly struck out with his sword. It was not what Jesus wanted,
so he healed the ear of the high priest’s servant that Peter had cut off. Then
all the disciples ran away including Peter, just as Jesus said they would.
Peter followed at a far enough distance so he wouldn’t be caught. Peter was in
the courtyard of the high priest while Jesus was being tried. A girl recognized
him and told the others that he was one of Jesus’ disciples. Peter spoke his
first denying lie: “I am not”. Then another girl identified him as one of them.
Peter denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” Then a man claimed that
he had seen Peter in Gethsemane at the arrest. Peter denied with cursing and
swearing. And then the rooster crowed and he remembered Christ’s warning. The
Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and he went out and wept bitterly.
V.
Restoration
and reinstatement
A. We don’t know where Peter was during the crucifixion, but his story continues after the resurrection. After the women saw the angels on the first day of the week who told them that Jesus had risen, Mary Magdalene went to tell Peter and John. They went to the tomb and found it empty. Sometime that afternoon Jesus made a special appearance to Peter. We don’t know the conversation, but we assume that Peter repented and was forgiven. Later Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples, but He had told the women that He would go before them to Galilee. So next we find Peter and 6 other disciples back in Galilee fishing. Jesus was on the shore, but they didn’t know Him. John recognized Him when He told them to throw their nets on the other side of the boat and they hauled in an enormous catch of fish. When they got to shore they found Jesus had prepared their breakfast.
B.
The conversation that followed between Jesus and Peter is
very revealing. Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him unconditionally (agapao), and
more than other things and people. Peter answered Him truthfully, “I love you
as a friend (phileo)”. Again Jesus asked him and he answered the same way.
Finally Jesus asked him if he loved Him as a friend (phileo). Finally Peter had
understood that he had nothing to boast about. Even his love needed to grow.
Then Jesus gave him his assignment: “Feed My sheep.” When Jesus first called
Peter He made him a fisher of men – a witness and an evangelist. Now he tells
him to be a shepherd to the people of God under his care. And that’s what Peter
became.
After Pentecost when Peter was
filled with the Holy Spirit, he preached the sermon that brought 3000 to Christ
and into the church. Peter still had much to learn but the Holy Spirit taught
him to love and accept the Gentile believers, and to be one of the primary
leaders of the early church. Peter learned to stand for Jesus even in the face
of persecution and imprisonment. And when his work was finished, he had the
courage to die by crucifixion rather than deny his Lord.
Bible
Studies
Peter
and His Letters (2)
A
Member of God’s Family
I
Peter 1:1-13
Peter’s first letter was written
about 64 AD. 31 or 32 years had passed since Jesus’ death, resurrection and
ascension. In those years Peter had learned a lot and grown to maturity in
Christ. In this letter he writes much about Christian life and duties. It has
been described as a letter of separation, of suffering and persecution, but
also of suffering and glory. 6 years after this letter was written Jerusalem was
destroyed by Titus. The Christian Jews would face terrible persecution. It is a
letter of hope, of pilgrimage and of courage. It deals with the true grace of
God and calls us to holy living, especially as we face the end times.
I.
Strangers in
the world
A. Peter clearly identifies himself in the first verse, with his name and his position as “apostle”. Since he was writing to Christians who were far from Jerusalem, they would need to know his status in the church as one of the original 12 apostles. Peter was writing to Christians scattered throughout the Roman world. He calls them “strangers”. Many of them may have been aliens in the places they lived, but he was referring to them as aliens in this world – in the world but not of it! In 1:1 he says that he is writing to “strangers in the world”, and in 1:17 he wrote, “Live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear”. He doesn’t encourage them to be part of the world system, but to be separated. That is one of his themes. We are still that – living in the world as Abraham did in Canaan – as strangers and pilgrims.
B. Peter’s letter has a lot to do with suffering and persecution, with separation and pilgrimage. He was writing to those who were widely scattered through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. Those regions covered most of what is now Turkey. It was the area evangelized by Paul and his companions. We read in the book of Acts about the planting of churches there. How well I remember Cappadocia, where I saw the underground cities and caves in which people lived to protect themselves. How many Christians lived there, seeking refuge and safety from the persecutions of the Romans and others? I’m sure they knew a lot about suffering. Satan must have hated these faithful, suffering believers. He determined to subdue the whole area under Islam. How sad that what was once filled with Christians now is 95% Muslim.
C. Why did Peter call them “the elect’? Peter wrote to God’s elect “who were chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”. I believe this is a good definition of election. It explains how people who choose Christ are chosen. How beautifully Peter explains it using the three Persons of the Trinity. 1.) God the Father chose us through His foreknowledge. Eph. 1:4-6 2.) Jesus Christ sprinkled us with His blood when we came to Him in obedience. Eph. 1:7-12 3.) God the Holy Spirit sanctified us or set us apart for God. That’s His continuing work in us. Eph. 1:13-14 And so we have a complete explanation of the gospel – how we are saved and the interaction of God’s choosing and our choosing. What a miracle! It is the greatest miracle that God does – the redeeming and transforming of a life.
II.
Our new birth
A.
Peter’s wish and prayer for these harassed and suffering
people is that they might have grace and peace in abundance. Peter bursts out
in praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is Jesus’ God and
Jesus’ Father and yet Jesus is Lord and Christ. In this one sentence we see
evidence of 2 primary doctrines: the Trinity and the dual nature of Christ. How
did we become God’s children? “In His
great mercy He has given us new birth.” John 3 Everything depends on the mercy of God. Without His mercy
reaching out to us we have no hope. This new birth is into a living hope. The
only real hope is a living hope. Before we were without hope and without God in
this world. Eph. 2:12 God has given
us a living hope through a living Savior:
“through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
B. The resurrection means that we have a living Savior and Lord, and a living hope that we will be with Him forever – also in resurrected bodies like His! And we will not only live with Him. We will have an inheritance as joint heirs that can never perish, spoil or fade like all earthly things and bodies. It is not a house that is eaten up by termites, a car that won’t run any more or money that is lost or stolen. It is safely kept in heaven for us. But what about now? Now we live as strangers, separated and suffering. But we are not alone! “Through faith we are shielded by God’s power”. As we trust in Him He becomes our shield and refuge. How long can we depend on His protection? “Until the coming of salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” Jesus is that Salvation. He has promised to keep us as we put all our faith in Him, until the day He comes back for us! John 14:3 We can depend on God, not only to save us spiritually with the new birth, but to fulfill that living hope – that Christ will come to save us eternally.
III.
Our faith as
believers
A. There are reasons for rejoicing even though “for a little while” we have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. Rom. 5:1-5 There are many paradoxes in Christianity. One is that a whole lifetime is “just a little while” in comparison to all eternity. Another is that in the midst of grief we can greatly rejoice. But can’t God keep us from these trials and grief? Isn’t He able to prevent them? Yes, of course He is! But He won’t because He is developing our faith – the most valuable thing we have. Peter reminds us of several things about our faith. First, it needs testing to make it strong and pure. Second, the testing proves that it is genuine faith – not just imagination or “brainwashing”, as my friend said. Is it real faith or just head knowledge? If it is only head knowledge it will fail in the time of trial.
B.
When our faith has been tested and proved genuine it will
result in praise, honor and glory when Christ is revealed. Why is faith so
important? Because it honors God by trusting Him, knowing that He is good and
faithful, no matter what happens. The greatest way you can honor another person
is to believe in him – not just in what He says, but in the kind of Person He
is. Faith is “being sure of what we hope
for, and certain of what we do not see.” Heb. 11:1 The world says, “seeing is believing”. That’s not faith!
Our faith is “seeing because we believe” or “believing is seeing”. Even though
we have never seen Him we love Him. This kind of faith is described in verse 8. It’s not “love at first
sight”. It’s love without sight! Never having seen Him with our eyes, we have
fully comprehended Him with our heart, and come to love Him more than life
itself. Believing Him and loving Him fills us with an inexpressible and
glorious joy.
IV.
Our salvation –
God’s amazing mystery
A. Why are we filled with such joy? It’s because we are in the process of receiving the goal or end of our faith which is the salvation of our souls. We are being saved as we love and trust our Savior. Have men always known about this salvation? No! The prophets of old longed to know more about it. They spoke of the grace that was to come to us, but even they didn’t fully comprehend it. They searched diligently and with the greatest care and yet didn’t fully understand. The Holy Spirit predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow through Isaiah and others. The sufferings have taken place but the glories are still to come. It’s important to note that it was the Spirit of the Christ who spoke to them. That was before Christ was incarnated in the flesh. The Spirit has worked in men’s hearts in all ages because God, the Trinity, has always been.
B. The prophets were serving us by predicting and preparing us for what would come, enabling us to understand the truth of the Gospel and the Lordship of Christ. They were trying to discover the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ was pointing. They knew that they were not serving themselves, but future generations who would see and live in these very prophecies. How very privileged we are! These are the things that were told to Peter’s generation – the believers scattered over Asia Minor or modern Turkey. The gospel was clearly preached to them by people like Paul, Barnabus, Silas and Timothy – men who had been filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Their preaching was not from their own wisdom or brilliance. I Cor. 2:1-4
C. And so the gospel came down to us, the privileged ones. We have received this precious gift and been blessed by God to be able to know and enter into this mystery of salvation. The apostles and those who followed them had the privilege of understanding what the prophets saw only dimly in the future. Even angels did not fully understand this mystery, and probably still don’t. They long to know things that are only fully revealed to men by the Holy Spirit. How could they know the joy of sins forgiven? They cast their lot at the beginning of time to be eternally with God or eternally with Satan, their chosen leader. Only we humans can avail ourselves of the grace of God and the salvation of Christ.
V.
Living out our
salvation
A. Since through God’s grace and our faith we have been born again into a living hope, we must live it out in our lives. So Peter gives us several imperatives or commands: “Be self-controlled; do not conform; be holy; love one another”. Since God has given us the privilege of enjoying this amazing salvation, what should be our response? Because of all that God has done for us, “Therefore”…we must do our part. We are to prepare our minds for action – not turn off our minds or empty our minds as some false teachers are teaching. We must be self-controlled, the opposite of uncontrolled or “drunk” as we see demonstrated in some of the meetings on TV or in certain churches.
B. We are to use our minds to bring our bodies into submission. Of course, we need the Lord’s help in this, but unless we take the first step, how can we expect Him to help us? Besides setting our minds on the things of God and His Word, we need to also set our hope. Heb. 6:19a Once again Peter emphasizes hope. Our hope must be fully set by faith on the grace and glory that will be given to us when Jesus is revealed. We set our minds on self-control, looking forward to the hope on which we are set – the coming of our Lord and eternity spent with Him in His home.
Conclusion
We are strangers here on earth, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Heb. 13:14 With Moses, we disregard the disgrace we may have to go through because we are “otherworldly” people or strangers in this world. Why do we do this? Because though we have not seen Him who is invisible, we love Him and are filled with joy to know Him. And our hearts are full of the living hope that we found when we were born again. Heb. 11:26-27 We have the honor of knowing and receiving the salvation which the prophets searched for and the angels long to understand. So now how will we use this marvelous privilege? Are we prepared for action? Are we ready to share this amazing Good News? Are we looking forward to this hope – the coming of Christ?
Bible Studies
Peter
and His Letters (3)
Act
Like a Child of God
I
Peter 1:14 - 2:10
As we learned last week, God in
His great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope. I Pet. 1:3 This came about through our faith which is more precious
than gold. 1:7 It was our faith that
made it possible for us to believe in Him and love Him even though we have not
seen Him. In this way we receive the goal of our faith which is the salvation
of our souls. 1:8-9 But a newborn
baby must learn how to act as a child of his father, so Peter continues by
showing us how to act like God’s children and grow up to become adult members
in His family.
I.
Obey your
Father
A.
We are now God’s children, so we are to act as obedient
children! Obedient children of God no longer conform to the world and the evil
desires of the past. Instead we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. Rom. 12:1-2 As we set our minds to be
self-controlled and obedient to the Lord, it gives Him the chance to transform
our minds by renewing them – giving them new ways of thinking and acting. We
followed evil desires in the past out of ignorance. But now we are born again.
We can no longer claim ignorance because we have seen the truth and come to
know Him who is Truth. Then Peter gives us the ultimate high standard: You must
be holy as your God is holy. This is written in the Word, not once, but several
times. Lev. 1:44,45; 19:2; 20:7 We
cannot reach perfection in this life, but our goal is more holiness – to be
like Jesus!
B.
Peter is calling us to get our act together as children of
the glorious Father. We are to prepare our minds for action – study to show
ourselves approved; be self-controlled; set our hope on the coming of Christ;
be obedient; and be holy. Since we know our Father as One who judges each
person’s work impartially, we need to live our lives in accordance with that
individual judgment to come. That means living on earth as strangers and
pilgrims in reverent fear of our great, almighty God. This is not a game we’re
playing! It’s serious business. If we fear God and His judgment we will live as
in this world but not of it. We are citizens of another country of which the
Father is the Head. Our attitude should be as strangers and aliens who don’t
really fit in. We have been redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to
us. This is the opposite of what is being taught today about our past cultures.
Were the demons we worshipped actually God? No! What they passed down to us was
an empty and harmful way of life.
A.
The truth is that we had to be redeemed from our former way
of life and our culture. It could not save us! So how were we redeemed? Were we
bought like slaves in the slave market with perishable things like silver and
gold? No! We were purchased by God with the precious blood of Christ. He was
God’s Lamb, totally without blemish or defect. The Jews understood this concept
perfectly because they had often offered unblemished lambs in sacrifice to God.
But Jesus the Lamb was not chosen from the flock for Passover. He was chosen
before the creation of the world. As the members of the Trinity had said at the
creation, “Let us make man in our image” (Gen.
1:26), they had also said, “Let us choose one from among us to be the Lamb
to be sacrificed.”. He was not revealed as the Lamb until 4000 years had
passed, but He was chosen before the creation.
B.
It is through God’s Lamb that we have come to believe in
God, who demonstrated His love and power by raising Him from the dead and
glorifying Him. Therefore our faith (vs.
5,7,9) and our hope (vs. 3 & 13)
are in God. So Peter has summed up 2 themes of this chapter: faith and
hope. Now he goes to a third theme, the new birth. To it he adds love. He
writes that we have purified ourselves. Actually it is God who has purified us
with the blood of His Son. But even that is not possible without our faith and
obedience. We have purified ourselves by obeying the truth. This faith,
obedience and purification has led us to love our brothers and sisters in the
faith. Once again, God opens the door, but we have to go in. We are told to
love one another deeply, not just on the surface. This is only possible because
we have been born again. Our new birth finally makes sincere love for others
possible.
C.
Our first human birth was accomplished with perishable seed.
The new spiritual birth is accomplished with imperishable seed through the
living and enduring Word of God. This Word is written, but it is also incarnate
in the Person of Jesus. John 1:1-2 He
comes to live in us when we are born again. Peter quotes from Isa. 40:6-8 to prove his point: the
difference between the perishable and imperishable. Men are like grass. Grass
is as common as sand on the beach. Even though it looks healthy and green, it
is only that way as long as God gives the rain. When it is cut down or the
drought sets in, it withers and dies. Even the glory of men – their physical
beauty and strength, their talents and abilities, their possessions and money –
is like the flowers of the field. A field of flowers is beautiful, but it only
takes a burning sun or a freezing wind to turn them into uselessness. It is so
hard for us to recognize that our lives are like grass – or at best, flowers.
III.
Grow up to
become an adult member of God’s family
A.
Peter goes on to say that we should therefore live out this
new imperishable birth. As Paul wrote in Ephesians and Colossians, so here
Peter writes that we must rid ourselves of the old ways of our old birth or
nature, We need to crave or desire or put on the new ways of our new birth.
It’s interesting that he doesn’t tell them to rid themselves of immorality or
drunkenness. Maybe they already knew that and had begun to leave their old
sinful ways. Instead, Peter writes about the sins of Christians! What are the
sins of Christians? Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and slander or gossip.
He emphasizes all malice and all deceit and slander of every
kind. There is no place for these sins in the lives of believers. An
insincere person is jealous of others and therefore slanders them to make
himself look good. God told Cain that sin was crouching at his door in these
forms and he must master it. He didn’t, and his eternal death was the result. Gen. 4:7
B.
Paul wrote to the Romans (13:14) that they must clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus
instead of thinking about how to gratify their sinful desires. Titus 3:3-7 describes our condition
well before we were saved. We were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved
by passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating
others. Then we were rescued from all that by the kindness, mercy and love of
our Lord, So Peter here encourages us to crave pure spiritual milk like newborn
babies so that we can grow up in our salvation. We have tasted the milk of
God’s Word. It tasted good. But we need to drink many bottles of it, and even
go on to the meat of the Word in order to become mature, to be able to stand in
the hard times, and to be able to discern the difference between good and evil,
the true and the false. Heb. 5:14
A.
The next 5 verses are all about “stones” – mentioned 7 times
in these verses. It is all based on the one great Living Stone. This is the
Stone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him – the Lord Jesus
Christ! He is the Chief Cornerstone. Without Him there is no building. But He
is not the only stone. You can’t build a temple with only a cornerstone. He is the
most important, but He also gathers to Him many other living stones. Our stones
are fitted to and around Him. Notice that they are not dead weights. They are
living stones being built into a living house – a spiritual house or temple.
But like Christ we are not just stones in the building. We are also a holy
priesthood. What is our job? To offer spiritual sacrifices. These are not like
the sacrifices made in Herod’s temple, many of which were despised by God. Mal. 1:10 These spiritual sacrifices
are acceptable to God because they come through Jesus Christ. Rom. 12:1
B.
So we follow Christ’s example. He is God incarnate, the
human Temple in which God lives. He is the High Priest, and He is the
once-for-all Sacrifice. So in some small way, we become His temple and His
priest on earth. Our bodies become the living sacrifices that He can use. Peter
next quotes from Isa. 28:16 which is
often quoted in the New Testament. God said that He would lay in Zion a chosen
and precious cornerstone. It’s interesting to note that He was laying it like
you would lay bricks or a foundation. That’s what Jesus is. And our destiny
depends on our response to this Living Cornerstone that was laid by God. “The one who trusts in Him will never be put
to shame.” All others will be shamed eternally for their rejection of God’s
great gift. So the question is: “Do we believe or not?” “To you who believe this stone is precious.” As He is precious to
God, so He is precious to us, precious beyond anything or anyone else.
C.
What about those who don’t believe in Him? They are the
builders who have rejected Him. Nevertheless, Jesus has become the Cornerstone
of the whole building or the Capstone of the archway that leads in. Psa. 118:22 Without the cornerstone,
the building is a jumbled mess of stones. Without the capstone there is no
archway into the building. Next Peter quotes Isa. 8:14. This same Precious Stone causes men to stumble and fall.
It becomes a stumbling-block. I Cor.
1:23 Why should this important Rock make people fall? Because they disobey
the message. God in His foreknowledge knew that they would, and so they are
destined to fall – eternally!
A.
Choosing Christ and obeying Him causes us to be among the
Chosen – chosen by the foreknowledge of God before creation. We are the royal
priesthood, “offering spiritual
sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.” (v. 5) And we have the priestly function of intercession for
others, just as Christ our High Priest intercedes for us to the Father. It’s
hard to think of the scattered believers as a “nation”, but we have changed
nationality and citizenship from the country we came from to the heavenly
country. Heb. 11:10, 16; 13:14 We
are a people who belong to God. We are God’s people and therefore a “holy
nation”. As His children and His nation we must live and reflect His holiness.
B.
Why would God choose us to be His people? Of course, it’s
because He loves us. But it’s also because He wants us to declare His praises.
We are to be His representatives, His ambassadors, His spokesmen. And whose
praises do we declare? “ The One who
called us out of darkness into His wonderful light.” Our testimony should
not be about how good we are, but about how merciful God is to call us from the
intense darkness into His brilliant light. Peter gives the contrast with two “once…but now” phrases. Once
we were not a people. We had no similar nationality. We were Jews or Gentiles,
white or brown with no relationship to each other. But now we are the
people of God – all of one blood. Once we had not received mercy. We
were lost and miserable – “without hope
and without God”. Eph. 2:12 But
now we have received mercy – that undeserved favor of God to the condemned
criminals declaring them pardoned and innocent.
When we think of all the
blessings and gifts God has given us, doesn’t it give us the desire to share it
all with others? Are they still in the terrible darkness that we were saved
from? Do they fear death because they know they are not ready to face God since
they are not His people? Are they full of guilt over their many sins which
weigh on them like a heavy burden? They may not admit these things to us, but
we know if they have not given their lives to Christ this is their condition
because it was ours before we were saved. Won’t you take your responsibility as
Christ’s ambassador to declare His praise and His wonderful works? II Cor. 5:18-21
Bible Studies
Peter
and His Letters (4)
Live
in Your Society as a Child of God
I
Peter 2:11- 25
Having
established that if we have been born again we are now members of God’s family,
Peter went on to admonish us to act like children of God and to become
adult members of God’s family, able to take responsibility for others. Now he
goes on to teach us the importance of living in our society as a child of God.
In doing this, he branches into 2 of his themes for the rest of this letter:
submission and suffering. We will try to understand how this important
characteristic of a true believer – submission – may bring us in to suffering,
and how we are to be submissive in the midst of suffering. These are not
popular themes of preachers today, but if we are serious about maturing as
Christians, we must see the interaction of the two – and live it out! I Pet. 3:17
Read I Peter
2:11-25
I.
Remember
you’re only visiting here
A.
Peter reminded us in 2:10
that “Once you were not a people, but
now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you
have received mercy.” The Lord turned us from “nobodies” into “somebodies”.
What a merciful Lord He is! Since we are now God’s people we need to recognize
that we have no real part in this world. We are aliens and strangers. I Pet. 1:1, 17 This world is not our home, so we must be on guard against the sinful desires of this world. Why?
Because they war against our souls! We learned that in James 1:14-15.
B.
Peter used the strongest word to warn us: “abstain”. This
means “have nothing to do with”. If you abstain from liquor, you don’t drink
any at all. If young people abstain from sex before marriage, they keep
themselves pure until they are married. These sinful desires Peter mentions
wreak havoc in our souls. They fight against the very life of God in us. Notice
Peter isn’t talking about sinful words and acts, but about what comes before
those – the inner desires that no one sees but God. We have to cut off
worldliness at its roots – the hidden desires and longings of our sinful
hearts.
C.
We are to be living examples – living good lives among the
unbelievers. It doesn’t mean that they will agree with us or honor us, but that
they will see our good deeds. They may accuse us of doing wrong – being foolish
and fanatical and different than they are. They may think that we are wasting
our lives and talents on serving the Lord. But if we are faithful, our good
lives, our priestly prayers, and our declaration of His praises may cause them
to glorify God when He “visits” us. So we need to live as the people of God,
from the inside out until He comes to visit us and rule here on earth as King.
If we are faithful, others will be glorifying God with us on that day because
they gave their lives to Him through our influence. Matt. 5:16
A.
Peter reminds us that we need to submit to authority. I
think he learned this lesson the hard way. As a younger man I don’t think he
practiced much submission. But when we learn how to truly submit to Christ it
helps us to be able to submit to the authorities in this world. Of course,
there are times when we have to say with Peter, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:27-29 But we need to be sure that we are clearly within
God’s will before we stand up against an authority. It was clearly God’s will
for them to boldly preach the gospel so they could not obey those who commanded
them to be silent.
B.
However, in ordinary circumstances, we need to respect and
obey our authorities – whether the King or President as supreme, or the
governors or police who work for him. They are the enforcers of his authority
who punish wrongdoers and commend right-doers. Of course, government
authorities are not always just. Peter knew about that. He was imprisoned and
later, crucified. But he wants us to know that rebellion and sedition are not
God’s way. It is not God’s will to bomb an abortion clinic even though we don’t
agree with abortion. The false teachers who are teaching that we Christians
have to take over the governments of the world, are actually teaching sedition.
Why should we submit to these authorities? “For
the Lord’s sake”. (v. 13) We
honor Him when we respect others, and it lifts up His name when others see us
doing what is right.
C.
Do we want to know what God’s will is? Here we are told
specifically what is God’s will for us in our society. It is clearly God’s will
that we do good. By doing good and living out God’s life in us, we silence the
ignorant talk of foolish men. In Peter’s day they accused the Christians of
setting fire to Rome when actually it was Emperor Nero who did it. The Jewish
Christians were blamed for the rebellion of the ungodly Jews. The Gentile
Christians were blamed for leaving their gods and thereby bringing curses on
others. Today we are blamed if we insist that Jesus is the Only Way, the Only
Truth and the Only Life. We are called intolerant. It is God’s way that by
doing good – like submitting to the authorities – we should silence their
foolish and ignorant talk. We must live what we teach.
A.
How should we then live? Do we need to be all tied in knots
and legalism? Should we be constantly afraid that we might break some law, like
the SDAs? No1 The truth has made us free, so we are to live as free men and
women. John 8:32 This does not give
us license to do anything our flesh desires. People excuse their sin or lack of
self-control by saying that they are free, no longer under law but under grace.
That is using our freedom as a cover-up for evil. We are to live as servants of
God. We choose to serve God because we love Him, and as His servants we must
follow the ways of Christ which are even higher than the law. All we have to do
is ask ourselves, “Am I living as a servant of God should, faithfully doing His
will?”
B.
In verse 17 Peter
sums up the correct attitude of a servant of God – toward everyone in general,
the believers in particular, God, and the government authorities. So these are
the proper attitudes toward the whole spectrum of those who make up our lives.
We are to show the proper respect to everyone – rich or poor, black or white,
homeless or millionaire. The world tends to respect some more than others, but
that’s not God’s standard for us. When it comes to the brotherhood of
believers, we owe them love. When it comes to God, we owe Him everything. The
really wise person will fear, honor and obey the Lord. Prov. 1:7 It is proper to respect the King or President because of
his position even if he is not a man of God.
A. Next, Peter deals, as Paul does elsewhere, with slaves. There were many Christian slaves in the Roman Empire. Should they rebel or run away? The Bible never tells them to do that. Instead, both Peter and Paul tell slaves to submit. Eph. 6:6 Of course, it is not good for human beings to be bought and sold. But many human circumstances are not good. So what should a Christian slave do? Submit! None of us are slaves, but most of us are or were employees working for someone. Peter tells us we are to submit ourselves to our bosses with all respect. That’s fine if you have a good and considerate boss, but suppose your boss is harsh and mean? If he’s your boss, you submit! The respect in this case is not based on the character of the one respected, but on the character of the one who respects! In fact, it is commendable if a person bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God and wants to please Him.
B.
I believe that God is especially pleased and will reward
those who suffer unjustly just because they love Him. Suffering for your own
evil and wrong is not to your credit. But suffering for good is. In fact, if we
suffer while doing good, we are following in Christ’s steps. He suffered for
us, leaving us an example. We are to be willing to suffer for Him and to
have the same attitude He had. What was His attitude? Unlike us, He never did
anything but good! In fact, He committed no sin and no deceit
was found in His mouth. Isa. 53:9 He
was and is 100% good. Suffering, especially unjustly, may cause us to sin or be
deceitful. They hurled insults at Him the whole time He was being tried,
scourged and crucified. He certainly could have retaliated. It must have been a
temptation for Him, when the creatures of His own making treated Him so. We,
too, are tempted to retaliate when we are mistreated. If we do, we aren’t
following in His steps.
C.
Jesus made no threats. Certainly He could have told them
that they would be condemned to eternal hell. In fact, He could have sent them
there at the time. What did He do instead? He entrusted Himself to the Father’s
will. Here we see how suffering and submission go together. We must learn to
follow in Jesus’ steps – to submit to our Father when we are suffering
unjustly. Then Jesus died for those who caused His death – you and me! “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the
tree.” I can’t even imagine the horrors of a sinless person taking on the
sins of the whole world “in His body”. His
death provides the way for us to die – and to live! Instead of living for sin,
we die to sin. Instead of being dead to righteousness, we live for
righteousness. Here we have the proper context for Isaiah’s words: “By His wounds you have been healed”. Some
teach that this verse guarantees that we will be healed physically by Jesus’
wounds. Peter is not writing about physical healing, but about spiritual
healing. It is by Jesus’ wounds and His death that we have been healed – freed
from sin and made alive to righteousness.
D.
Peter also uses Isaiah’s simile of sheep gone astray. Isa. 53:6 We were like sheep that were
wandering off, straying away from our fold and our shepherd. Luke 15:4 These wandering, lost sheep
have returned. Actually, we have been returned, but with our voluntary
agreement, like the lamb on the shoulder of its shepherd. Were we returned to a
place? No, to a Person. He is the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls, not just
our bodies. Our souls are the part most wounded by our sin and rebellion. The
Good Shepherd cares for His sheep and oversees their safe return to the fold
where they belong. This is what has happened to us because of Christ’s
submission, suffering and sacrifice. How do we follow in His steps? We pray for
and find other lost sheep who need to be brought to Him.
What have we learned about
following in Jesus’ steps? Jesus knew that He was here on earth only
temporarily. It was not His final destination. But He was here for a very
important mission. Do we see our lives on earth in the same way? We should
understand that while this earth is not our final home, we are here for a
reason. II Cor. 5:20 Jesus was
accused of many things while He was here, but He kept on living a holy life so
that those who really wanted to know God could see God in Him. This is our
pattern. We must abstain from the fleshly desires which fight against our
souls. That way, those who want to accuse us will have no real evidence against
us, but will be influenced and drawn to Christ by our good lives. Jesus
submitted Himself, first of all to the Father, and then also to governmental
authorities. So we are to live submissively to God and respectfully toward
leaders. As Christ suffered while doing good, we may also. While suffering we
ned to remain submissive to the Father’s will in our lives. But we must beware
of suffering for our evil deeds. That’s where we leave Christ’s footsteps and
go our own way as wandering sheep. We don’t want to be one of those
sheep, but to be God’s helper in bringing them back. James 5:19-20
Bible Studies
Peter
and His Letters (5)
Live
in Your Family & God’s Family as a Child of God
I
Peter 3:1-12
Peter makes a strong emphasis in
this section (2:13-3:22) on
submission and respect. We are to submit ourselves to every authority. (2:13) We are to show respect to
everyone. (2:17) Slaves (or
employees) are to submit to their masters with all respect. (2:18) Wives are to submit to their
husbands. (3:1) Husbands are to
respect their wives. (3:7) Even when
we witness for Christ, we are to do it with gentleness and respect. (3:15) Submission and respect seem to be the foundation and the
hallmark of every relationship of a
Christian. It all starts with our submission to the Lord and our deep respect
for Him. Without that, we will not be able to live it out to others.
I.
Wives, help
your husbands
A.
Peter has been writing about slaves who were often
mistreated and definitely not respected by others. Even though slavery is
wrong, they were to respond in the right way by being willing to suffer for
Christ. Eph. 6:5-8 Now Peter turns
to wives, writing, “Wives, in the same way..” Wives were probably often
mistreated by their husbands as they still are today in some cultures. The
question is: What should be the wife’s attitude, even if she is suffering?
Peter wrote that submission of the wives to their husbands is vital. Wives are
to be submissive to their husbands as they are to the Lord. Why? Because God
has assigned the husband the job of being head of the wife as Christ is the
head of the church. Eph. 5:22-24
B.
But what should the wife do if her husband is not a
Christian? The Lord said that we should not be unequally yoked together with
unbelievers. Some women disobey this and suffer for it later. But sometimes a
woman is saved after she is married and so ends up living with an unbeliever.
Or in some cultures women are forced to marry men whom they would not choose to
marry, thus ending up married to an unbeliever. In that case, her primary
responsibility is to try to win her husband. Some Christian women understand
this, but they try to win their husbands by nagging them or dragging them to
church. That’s not usually successful, and causes a woman to treat her husband
in a disrespectful way.
C.
So what is Peter’s solution to this problem? He writes that
unbelieving husbands may be won over “without
words by the behavior of their wives.” Wives who live out God’s Word may be
instruments in God’s hands even without speaking. That doesn’t mean that they
shouldn’t speak. The problem is that many women show disrespect for their
husbands by the way they speak to them. Let them live out the life of
Christ before their husbands. What kind of behavior is Peter referring to? A
life of purity and reverence. Purity means clean living which comes from a
clean heart and mind. Reverence is submission and honor, esteeming the other
better than herself.
D.
Actually, the same principle is true of an employee winning
his employer to the Lord. His faithfulness to his work, his honesty and his
respect for the boss will go a long way in helping him witness to the boss.
When an unbelieving husband sees his wife’s purity and reverence he wonders
what makes her different from others. The Christian wife who wants to influence
her husband should concentrate on inner beauty more than outward adornment.
Outward adornment is fancy hair-dos, expensive clothes, plenty of make-up, and
lots of gold jewelry. How do we cultivate inner beauty? We must spend time with
God – in study of His Word and prayer.
E.
Does this mean that a woman should not look attractive? NO!
But our major work should be on the inside instead of the outside. Outside
beauty is usually artificial. Underneath the glamorous exterior may be ugliness
in the heart and mind. The real beauty of a woman is in the inner self where it
is unfading. The outer self will become old and wrinkled, but a woman can
cultivate the inner, unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. This is charm
that lasts and is of great worth in God’s eyes, and in the eyes of people who
are looking deeper than outward appearance. The holy women of the past are our
example. Their hope was in God and they were beautiful on the inside. They were
submissive to their husbands.
F.
Sarah was one of those. She obeyed Abraham and called him
her master. When she failed to let him be lord and master, she made one of the
biggest mistakes of all time. When she insisted on her own will, Ishmael, son
of Hagar, was the result. He was the father of the Arabs, the haters of the
Jews. Self-willed women have a way of creating big problems. However, most of
the time Sarah did what was right, and we are her daughters if we follow her
good example. Peter admonishes women not to give way to fear. What kind of
fear? Any kind of fear that would keep us from doing right as Peter has
described it: being submissive and gentle, and living out our faith as a
testimony. Maybe it is the fear that her husband will take advantage of her. Or
she might fear that she will lose her self-worth. Can we trust God in these
things? He is the One who told women to be submissive to their husbands.
A.
Peter doesn’t speak only to wives, but to husbands as well.
Though he uses fewer words to write to them, what he writes is very significant
and important. Once again he opens with: “Husbands,
in the same way…” He has been writing about submission and respect and he
continues on with that theme in addressing husbands. As the wives are to be submissive,
the husbands are to be considerate. That would exclude the “I’m the boss”
attitude that many husbands have. A husband is to be kind, loving and
considerate of the wife’s feelings. Paul wrote that husbands must love their
wives as Christ loved the church. That’s a self-sacrificing kind of love. Eph. 5:25 In fact, Paul wrote that
husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. “He who loves his wife, loves himself.” Eph. 5:28
B.
The husband is also to respect his wife. She Is not his
slave or servant. She is his partner. Why would you mistreat your partner?
Everyone knows that when you do that you both suffer the consequences. The wife
should be taken care of as the weaker partner. This does not mean that the man
is superior to the woman. She is weaker, not mentally or spiritually, but
physically. Often the wife is stronger mentally or spiritually than the
husband, but she doesn’t have the physical strength that he has. The wife is
not only a partner, but an heir with the husband of the gracious gift of life.
No man or woman alone can produce a child. It takes a partnership. Peter
concludes his words to husbands with a warning. Mistreatment of a wife can
hinder or cancel your prayers. It seems that God chooses not to hear or answer
the prayers of such a husband.
A.
Next Peter summarizes all he has said with a general
statement: “Finally, all of you…” What
are we all to do? Peter gives us a list of
“Do’s” and “Don’ts”. These are not simple rules like you would give to
children. They are evidences of Christian maturity when we follow them with the
heart.
1.)
Live in harmony with one another. When we sing different
parts in harmony it’s a beautiful sound. So we are to live that way, making
good sounds together instead of loud arguing and fighting.
2.)
Be sympathetic. This means that we need to understand and
sympathize with one another’s needs and problems, not just think of our own
problems.
3.)
Love as brothers. We must consider our fellow believers as
members of the same family and love them as we do our blood relatives.
4.)
Be compassionate and humble. We need to humble ourselves
before others, not be arrogant and proud or think of ourselves as superior to
them. Then we can be compassionate. Col.
3:12
B.
If we love in those ways, we will not repay evil with evil.
We will not insult others when they insult us. It’s very tempting to try to get
revenge when others insult you or treat you as insignificant and unimportant.
Many Christians get their revenge with gossip. This is just as serious a sin as
any others are. But Peter not only tells us what not to do, but what to
do! Instead of giving back an insult or paying back evil or gossiping about
the person who hurt us, we are to give back blessing! It was to this we were
called, so that we may inherit a blessing. It’s hard to bless others who treat
you badly, but the one who blesses will be blessed! Col. 3:13; Matt. 5:43-48
A.
Peter quotes Psa.
34:12-16 to prove his points. Peter quotes 12 times from the Old Testament
in this short letter. It’s obvious that his faith is founded on God’s Word.
Psalm 34 was written by David at one of the traumatic points in his life. The
principles in it are basic and important. If we love life and want to see good
days, there are certain things we must do and others we must not do. “Loving
life” and “seeing good days” must not be defined by our worldly context. What
the world calls “the good life” may be the worst thing for us as Christians. If
we really love life, we will love the One who gives us the opportunity to live
freely now and to live forever. Our good days will be those in which we are the
closest to the Lord and doing His will. And we long for all the good days to
come when we will live in His home and see His face every day.
B.
So what must we do to enjoy real life and to have good days?
1.) We must keep our tongues from evil. It is difficult to tame the tongue, but it is possible with the power of self-control – a fruit of the Spirit’s work in us. James 1:26
2.)
We must keep our lips from deceitful speech. That is talk
that is designed to give a false impression – like bragging and exaggerating
our stories to sound good. Sometimes it’s an attempt to trick someone into
doing something. Col. 3:9-10
3.)
We must determine to turn from evil and do good. This
involves deliberate choices – to turn away from everything evil and to actively
seek to do good, using our tongues and everything else for God’s glory.
4.)
We must seek peace and pursue it – run after it. Instead of
looking for a chance to argue or prove our point, we must seek peaceful
solutions. To pursue it means to strive for that goal. Our tongues can make war
or peace.
C.
If we do these things the way God wants us to, we receive
His help and blessing. If not, we receive His curses. It’s as simple as that!
In this Psalm David talks about the Lord’s eyes, ears and face. He is not just
some vague force as in “Star Wars”. He is a real Person like we are. His eyes
of mercy and help are on the one who chooses and pursues righteousness. The
worship song says, “When Your eyes are on this child, Your grace extends to
me.” Does God hear all prayer? Yes, of course, in one way He hears everything.
But does He pay attention to and answer all prayer? NO! Isaiah says that our
sins may prevent Him from answering. Isa.
59:1-2 But He is always attentive to the prayers of the righteous, and
their prayers will be answered in His way at His time. Psa. 34:17 On the other side, the face of the Lord is against those
who do evil. I can’t imagine how terrible it is to have the face of God against
us. That’s the worst thing I can think of.
It’s interesting that Peter in
this letter corrects the primary sin of wives and the primary sin of husbands.
The biggest problem that wives have is lack of submission and reverence for
their husbands. On the other hand, the biggest problem that husbands have is
lack of consideration and compassion for their wives. One sin is just as big as
the other is. When a wife fails, she may not be able to influence her husband
for the Lord. When a husband fails, he may find that God is no longer answering
his prayers. We do well to pay attention to Peter’s warnings.
Bible Studies
Peter
and His Letters (6)
Live
in the World as a Child of God
I
Peter 3:13-4:6
Peter has been teaching us how we
should live and act as a member of God’s family. Since we gave our hearts to
Christ we are no longer the same. We have been born into the family of God. But
how do we live and act as a child of God? He has taught us about living in our
society as God’s child. He has shown husbands and wives how to live in their
family. And he has taught all of us how to live in God’s family as His
children. Now he turns to the problems of living in this degenerate world as a
child of God. It’s not easy, but the Holy Spirit through Peter shows us the
things we need to remember.
I.
Don’t be
afraid of the things they are afraid of
A.
Peter asks a question. “Who
is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?” It seems that the answer
should be: “No one!” But the man who wrote this went about doing good and
spreading the gospel, and he went to jail more than once. He finally ended his
life being crucified upside down. Usually, though, doing good “silences the ignorant talk of foolish men”.
I Pet. 2:15 But we may have to
suffer as Peter did. Even if we
should have to suffer for what is right, we are blessed. We should not be afraid to suffer. Matt. 5:10-12 It’s better to be blessed by God while being cursed
by men than to be blessed by men and therefore cursed by God.
B.
We must not fear what they fear. We must not give way
to fear. (v. 6) What do people in
this world fear? They fear other people. They fear sickness. They fear demons.
And most of all, they fear death. Should we be afraid of these things? Why
should we fear people when God Himself is our Helper? Heb. 13:6 If we try to please men instead of the Lord because we
fear what they will say about us, or do to us, we will find ourselves trapped. Prov. 29:25 Are we afraid of sickness?
Can’t the God whose grace was sufficient for Paul also give us grace in our
weakness? II Cor. 12:9 Are we afraid
of demons? But the demons are subject to our Lord Jesus! I Pet. 3:22 And what about death? Isn’t everyone afraid of death?
When we belong to Christ we no longer need to fear even death. Phil. 1:20-2I Nothing and no one can
separate us from God’s love.Rom. 8:38-39
II.
Witness to the
people in your world
A.
I think that Peter’s next words should be made into a motto
to be hung on our walls. “In your hearts
set apart Christ as Lord.” If Christ is our Lord we will try to do His will
– to live in a way that pleases Him. Then we do not need to fear what the
people of the world fear. If Christ is our Lord we will always be prepared to
speak for Him. We need to be ready to give a reason for the hope that we have.
What is our hope? We know that we’re God’s children and will be going to live
with Him in heaven. Do people see that we have this hope in the midst of
darkness and trouble? Or do they hear us complaining and questioning the God
whom we say we trust? If they see that we have real hope in the midst of our
trials, they will be curious about the reason for it.
B.
Their curiosity about our confidence and hope will give us a
very natural and sincere opportunity to tell them about what Christ has done
for us and what He can do for them. The witness that we give must be given with
the right attitude – an attitude of gentleness and respect. We are not to blast
others or put them down because they’re not Christians, but be kind and
respectful. That will win us a hearing where blasting and disrespect will close
ears. This is true of husbands and wives who are trying to win their mates.
It’s also true of children who are trying to win their parents, and employees
who are witnessing to their bosses.
C.
In whatever situation we are witnessing, we must be careful
to keep a clear conscience. We need to check and recheck our motives. Do we
feel superior or better than they because we are Christians and they are not?
Do we want to prove that we know more or are more spiritual? Are we looking for
praise from men because we have brought someone to Christ? (Illus: There was a
young man who was attending Bible College in Providence, RI, when I was there
as a student. He used to go out on the streets and stop people to talk to them
about Christ. He was offensive in the way that he did it, but he would come
back to school and brag about how many people “he had saved”.) Is our heart
right and are our motives pure? If so, it will shame those who slander us
because we follow Christ.
A.
“Suffer” and “suffering” are used 17 times in Peter’s book.
Peter and the Christians of his time knew a lot about suffering, just as today
the Christians of China, the Sudan and Indonesia know. And Jesus warned us that
we, too, will experience persecution and suffering. Matt. 24:9-13 It is far better to suffer for doing good than doing
evil. It doesn’t mean that we should want to suffer, but to be willing to
suffer if it is God’s will. Doing good is God’s will, so if it entails
suffering, so be it. Some would teach us today that it is never God’s will for
us to suffer. I think Peter is a far more reliable teacher than these false
teachers are. I Pet. 4:19 If we
suffer for what is right, we are blessed. (v.
14) So we should not fear what they fear, but keep on trusting the Lord and
endure hardness like a good soldier.
B.
We need to remember that Christ, the Lord of glory,
suffered and died for us and for those to whom we are witnessing. Peter uses
the favorite expression of the writer of Hebrews: “once for all”. Heb. 9:12;
10:10 There is an enduring finality in that simple fact. It was “once for
all” that Christ died for our sins – the righteous for the unrighteous. The
Holy One died for the unholy ones. For what purpose? To bring us to God. Why?
Because God loves us and longed to be reconciled to us. Jesus was put to death
in the body, but made alive by the Spirit. We, too, will die in our bodies, but
live by the Spirit. When Jesus rose from the dead, He went into the depths. It
seems that He preached to the spirits in prison – the ones who disobeyed long
ago and died in the flood. God had waited patiently – for 120 years – before sending
the flood.
C.
I don’t know why Jesus preached to these sinners in Hades,
but I do know that He led the faithful “captives” to heaven – those in
Abraham’s bosom. Eph. 4:8-9 In the
time of Noah there were only a few people – eight – who were saved out of that
whole generation through water. They went through the water while the others
all drowned in the same water. This water is similar to the water of baptism
that now saves us. We have to be careful that we don’t misunderstand what Peter
is saying here. This is not teaching baptismal regeneration: that we are born
again by the water of baptism. It is the water that indicates that salvation
has already occurred. This water is not for the removal of dirt – or sin – from
the body. Instead it is the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It shows
that the conscience has already been cleared by repentance and salvation.
D.
We are saved by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His death
cleanses us from sin and His resurrection gives us new life. That’s why baptism
by immersion under the water is a good picture of our salvation which is our
death to sin and resurrection to new life. It is a picture of what has already
happened to us spiritually. There are different forms of baptism and they all
mean the same thing, but immersion gives a clearer picture than the others do.
Christ is the One who has gone to heaven and is at God’s right hand. Since He
is now in the place of authority. angels, authorities and powers (both good and
evil) are in submission to Him. He is Lord of all even though at the present
time we don’t see everything subject to Him. Heb. 2:7-8 Soon it will be evident that He is King of kings and
Lord of lords!
A.
Since Christ suffered in the body, we should arm ourselves
with the same attitude He had. Phil. 2:5
We should be willing to suffer like He did if God has ordained it for us.
Obviously, Peter was concerned that the Christians of his time would be able to
stand fast in the midst of their suffering and persecution. And he wanted them
to know how their suffering was related to Christ’s suffering. Usually
we think of suffering as a very bad thing and we do everything we can to avoid
it. But Peter reminds us that suffering can have good results. “He who has suffered in the body is done
with sin.”
B.
I don’t think that this is automatic. But as our suffering
drives us to Christ, we become more and more devoted to Him and less and less
attached to the world. However, this is only true if we are submissive to God
in our suffering. The one who has suffered and through it been driven to the
Lord, has lost his interest in evil human desires. The suffering and what he
has learned from it has pointed him to the will of God and drawn him close to
his Savior. So Peter lets us know that suffering may bear precious fruit if we
have the same attitude that Christ had. He put the will of His Father before
anything else, even His own will and comfort. Matt. 26:39
A. Peter is honest with them, reminding them that they had spent more than enough time in the past doing what unbelievers choose to do. Notice that the sins he mentions are mostly related to immorality. Certainly that was the primary sin of the Roman Empire, but also the Canaanites and other tribes in their area. Our country is turning more and more to these things. Even the “detestable idolatry” had a lot of immorality mixed in. (Illus: India is full of idolatry. Amy Carmichael, the missionary, spent her life there rescuing the young girls who were taken from their homes to be prostitutes in the temples of the idols.) People whose lives are totally inundated with this kind of filth don’t understand why Christians don’t plunge into the same flood of dissipation. To them, this is all there is to life.
B.
How many are living that way these days, thinking that they
are experiencing life? Their consciences are seared, but somehow they can’t
totally erase the finger of God in their lives which makes them feel guilty.
The contrast of their lives with those who walk with God makes them angry and
resentful. This causes them to be abusive toward Christians or try to get
revenge on them. We don’t have to let this bother us, because there is a just
Judge to whom they will have to give account. Rom. 14:12 The next verse refers to those who have died or been
martyred for the faith. They were probably verbally and physically abused
because of their stand for Christ. Although they have been judged physically by
man, they have lived according to God in regard to the spirit. Their spirits
have endured the abuse and they faithfully lived for God. Actually, being dead,
their spirits are still living for God and with God.
There is a very important
connection in this book between suffering and submission. It is vital for us to
understand this because if we don’t we may question the reasons for our
suffering. Jesus is the key to understanding this. It was the Lord’s will to
crush Him and make Him suffer. Isa.
53:10 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, He was heard because of His
submission, and He learned obedience from what He suffered. Heb. 5:7-8 We, too, will learn what God
wants us to learn if we are submissive to His will even when it includes
suffering. I Pet. 4:19 These are not
truths for the baby Christian. Only the mature believer can understand what
Peter is teaching us here, and can grow stronger in his submission and
obedience, thus bringing more glory to God.
Bible Studies
Peter
and His Letters (7)
The
End of All Things is Near
I
Peter 4:7-19
Peter has written that suffering
has its benefits. The one who has suffered in the body is done with sin. He no
longer lives the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather
for the will of God. How important is it for us to be done with sin? How
important is it for us to live for the will of God? It’s important any time,
but especially when the time is short. Peter wrote that “the end of all things is near”. He wrote that almost 2000 years
ago! As far as God is concerned, 1000 years is as 1 day. II Pet. 3:8 So in the light of eternity, only 2 days have passed
since Peter wrote it! But since we are living at the end of all things – much
closer now than Peter was – we need to live wisely and faithfully to the end.
I.
Pray
faithfully, love deeply and open your home to others
A.
In a time like the end times we must be able to pray – for
ourselves and others. Can’t we always pray? No! We must be clear-minded and
self-controlled in order to pray. If we are drinking or using drugs we will not
be clear-minded. Hannah prayed to God for a son out of her longing and
suffering. Eli the priest thought that she was drunk. Her prayer was answered
because it came from a heart of love for God. If we are indulging in sinful
pursuits we will not be self-controlled. II
Pet. 3:11-12 False teachers teach that we should empty our minds and let
the Spirit take over. We don’t need to pray. But the spirit they are
experiencing is not the Holy Spirit, since here the Holy Spirit speaks through
Peter telling us to be clear-minded and self-controlled “so that we can pray.”
Prayer is obviously a function of the mind as well as the spirit. It’s my
experience that I can only pray successfully when my heart is in tune with God.
When we follow worldly ways, our heart is not in tune and our prayers are
hindered – just like a husband’s prayers are hindered when he mistreats his
wife. (3:7)
B.
Above all, in this end time we must love each other deeply
and widely. This is the second time Peter has written this. (1:22) Deep love cannot be easily
destroyed, like a tree with deep roots. This is not an easy thing. It requires
submission and self-sacrifice. Our love must cover widely rather than revealing
the multitude of sins that others have. I
Cor. 13:6-7 Of course, we cannot forgive or even cover other people’s sins
– or our own. But when we accept and love those who have failed – the ones the
Pharisees called “sinners” – we put aside and cover their many sins rather than
revealing them for others to see. We don’t gossip about them or remind them or
others of what they have done. On the basis of God’s forgiveness, we are able
to forgive. If we have truly forgiven the past, it’s easier to forgive and love
in the present. When we hold onto the past, we cannot forgive the present. I
think our problem is that our love is too shallow or too narrow. Christ’s love
for us is so deep and wide that it led Him to the cross – for the sake of the
whole world!
C.
We are to offer hospitality to one another – especially
those in the body of Christ. I learned a lot from Micronesians about
hospitality. However, I also learned that it is often from custom rather than
from the heart. Often when Micronesians give me something, and I say that they
shouldn’t spend their money on me, they say it is their custom. It’s a good
custom, but we need to check our hearts to see if we offer our kindness only
because it is custom or because we really want to. Micronesian cultures and
Arab cultures require the offer of hospitality, but sometimes the grumbling
goes on behind the backs of the guests. We need to be sure that our motives are
pure when we serve others. If we do it for show, they may be fooled, but God
will not.
A.
If we have a gift – whether it’s prophesying, serving,
teaching, encouraging, contributing to needs, leading, or showing mercy – we
should recognize that we have received it from the Lord. Rom. 12:6-8 We don’t have it because of our own talent or ability.
God gave it to us – and He gave it to us so that we can use it to serve others,
not to gain recognition or power over them. It is an administration of God’s
grace in its various forms. For example, if we speak, we should do it as
speaking the very words of God – not our own ideas or for our own glory. In other words, we are representatives of
God and He is speaking through us. We are not to receive praise for what God is
speaking.
B.
What if God has given us the gift of service. Is that a lesser gift? No! “If anyone serves, he should do it with the
strength God provides.” Our service should not be done in our own strength
or wisdom. Those can easily break down, or we might be tempted to receive the
glory for ourselves. I think it’s a good idea for us to serve in humble ways,
even if we also have the opportunity to serve in more public ways. Can we still
praise God and gain our strength from Him when we are cleaning the bathroom or
washing the dishes? Are we willing to serve the people who cannot pay us back?
We must be careful to do whatever we do with His strength and for His glory. Col. 3:23-24 Our goal should be “that in all things God may be praised
through Jesus Christ”. Whatever we do with the gifts God has given must be
done for the purpose of bringing praise to Him. So we say with Peter, “To Him
alone be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
III.
Rejoice in the
midst of suffering
A.
Peter writes that we should not be surprised at the painful
trials we are suffering. It’s not as though some strange, weird thing were
happening to us. Rev. 2:10 Today,
many false teachers teach that all Christians should be healthy, rich and
happy. I guess they haven’t read I Peter! Peter says that our suffering is not
strange or unexpected. So we should not be discouraged or angry at God or
doubting ourselves as though our lack of faith is the reason for our suffering.
Maybe they were asking as we do sometimes, “Why is God doing this, or allowing
this to happen to me? Is this from Satan? Why doesn’t God take it away?” It is
not strange for Christians to suffer; in fact, it is to be expected. Instead of
doubting and questioning, we should rejoice! I Peter 1:6-8 You remember that James says the same thing in James 1:2.
B.
Why should we rejoice at suffering? That’s a foreign concept
in our world today. We are to rejoice that we have the privilege of
taking part in the sufferings of Christ. Phil.
3:10 It’s hard to rejoice when suffering, but if we recognize that it is a
privilege and honor that God gives us to follow in Christ’s footsteps, that
takes away the sting. It also helps when we realize that the sufferings come as
James explains in James 1:3-4 in
order to test our faith and develop
our maturity. If we can endure hardness and willingly rejoice in sufferings now,
we will be overjoyed when His glory is revealed and we are included in
it! When you are overjoyed, you have too much joy to keep it all in and it
bubbles over.
C.
Are we being put down and insulted because of the name of
Christ? If so, we are blessed. If our sin brings us insults, that’s no honor,
but if our faithfulness brings insults, we can be sure that the Spirit of glory
and of God rests on us. To be insulted because we love Christ is a great honor
because it shows that we are more concerned with pleasing God than with
pleasing men. But we have to guard our hearts, actions and words because if we
suffer for wrongdoing – as a murderer, thief, criminal, or meddler – that is a
great shame and it brings shame on Christ’s name as well. Notice that being a
meddler is in the same list as being a murderer or criminal. Meddling in other
people’s business and gossiping about them is a serious offense in God’s book,
similar to being a criminal. Much suffering, pain and sorrow in the church
comes from it.
D.
If we suffer as Christians we should not be ashamed, unlike
the shame that comes from wrongdoing. Paul wrote a lot about this to Timothy.
He wrote that though he was suffering and in prison, he was not ashamed. II Tim. 1:12 Some of Paul’s disciples
and co-workers were ashamed of his imprisonment, but he urged Timothy to not be
ashamed. II Tim. 1:15; 4:10 If we
are persecuted or suffer as a Christian we should be proud, not ashamed. Our
pride should be in the fact that we bear His glorious name. What an honor to be
known as Christ’s own. It seems to me that our shame or pride directly reflects
where we are with God. If we are proud of ourselves and ashamed of Christ, we
are on the wrong side. If we are proud to be Christ’s disciples and not ashamed
to follow Him, suffer for Him, love Him and stand up for Him, we are on the
right side and blessed!
A.
Judgment begins first with the family of God. We are to
judge ourselves by what we learn in God’s Word so that we don’t have to be
judged by God. But if we do not straighten up and walk right, God will
discipline us to bring us back to Him. Heb.
12:5-6 If we don’t respond to God’s discipline, He will judge us. We can’t
play games with God. He is incredibly longsuffering, but His patience does come
to an end. And for one who knows Him and is a member of His family, it is a
fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Heb. 10:31 But God is only fair to judge His own children first,
because they are His children. They know better because they’ve been
taught by their Father. But if our judgment is pending if we don’t repent, what
about those who refuse to obey the Gospel? God told the prophets that the Jews,
His people, would be judged. When He told them that He would use godless
Assyria and Babylonia to do it, they were horrified. Then He told them that
those godless nations would be wiped out later in judgment.
B.
Peter quotes Prov.
11:31: “If it is hard for the
righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” But
we teach that it is easy to be saved. It is wonderfully easy to be born again,
but that’s just the beginning of “being saved”. The completion of our salvation
requires perseverance, self-discipline, and God’s discipline. We must “hold
firmly” and “show diligence” to the end. Heb.
3:14; 6:11 So in that sense, it is hard for the righteous to be saved. It
takes a life-long commitment. There is much for the Christian to overcome. The
world, the flesh and the devil conspire against us. “It’s not an easy road
we’re traveling to heaven.” But Christians at least have started going the
right direction and are righteous. What will become of the ungodly and the
sinner? To reject God’s gift, refuse to obey the gospel, and possibly even
persecute God’s people will mean meeting the One who is the consuming fire. Heb. 12:29
C.
Peter starts verse 19
with “So then..” If it is to be
expected that we will suffer as Christians like Christ did; and if we should
not be ashamed but proud to bear His name; and if God is a just Judge of us and
our persecutors, then we must commit ourselves to Him. Peter writes to those
who suffer according to God’s will. Is it God’s will that we suffer sometimes?
Evidently. Peter’s theme is suffering. We can expect to suffer like Christ. It
is not a shame to go through trials and persecution, but rather an honor to
suffer for His name. We should rejoice in the midst of suffering, knowing that
it will refine and strengthen our faith. (1:6-8)
So if we are trusting the Lord and faithful to Him and yet meet suffering,
we can know that it is God’s will. So what should be our response once we
understand this? We should commit ourselves to our faithful Creator and
continue to do good.
Peter’s
teaching about suffering is a clear rebuttal to what is being taught by false
teachers today. We may be suffering according to God’s will. This is the 4th
time that Peter has mentioned God’s will. In 2:15 it is God’s will that we silence foolish men with our holy
lives. In 3:17 it is better if it is
God’s will to suffer for doing good than doing evil. In 4:2 the one who has suffered goes on to live for the will of God,
not for evil human desires. Here in 4:19
those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to Him,
knowing that He is faithful. Instead of becoming angry, resentful and seeking
revenge, they should continue to do good to the end. Suffering as a Christian
is not something to be ashamed of or afraid of. Our job is to keep on trusting
our faithful God, knowing that the suffering is within His will, and it will
refine our faith and prepare us for glory.
Bible Studies
Peter
and His Letters (8)
Shepherds
of God’s Flock
I
Peter 5:1-14
Peter writes now specifically to
the elders of the church and to young men. The elders would be like those we
now call pastors. Peter appeals to them, not from a higher position than they
are, but as a fellow elder. He identifies himself as an elder and a witness of
Christ’s suffering. He may have been one of the few still living who had seen
Christ’s suffering. He certainly would never forget what he had witnessed
because he had denied the Lord 3 times when He was suffering at His trial. But
Peter had been forgiven and restored. So he also includes himself as one who
will share in Christ’s glory. As he has encouraged others to be faithful in
times of suffering and to look forward to their inheritance, so he now assures
them that he will inherit as well. I
Peter 1:6-7
Read I Peter
5:1-7
I.
Be shepherds
of God’s flock
A.
Peter gives guidelines for elders or pastors similar to
those that Paul gave. First, they are to be shepherds of God’s flock that is
under their care. I’m sure that Peter would remember until his death the words
that Jesus said to him: “Feed My sheep.” John 21:15-17 Shepherds care for the
sheep. They lead them, protect them and feed them. We have to be careful of
what kind of food we are feeding others. But the pastors must always remember
that it is God’s flock that they shepherd, not theirs. They don’t own
God’s sheep. God owns them. Secondly, pastors and elders are to serve as
overseers, not as lords and masters, but as those who lovingly watch over the
sheep.
B.
Thirdly, they must serve willingly. They are not to serve
because they must but because they long to serve the Lord. God wants willing
servants and willing lovers. He is not interested in forcing His love on us or
requiring us to be servants. That’s why Satan is allowed to tempt us – so that
we will have the choice. Without a real choice, we can’t be willing servants.
Fourthly, pastors and elders are not to be greedy for money, but eager to
serve. I Tim. 3:1-3 If money is our
motivation and reason for being pastors or church workers we are neither
willing nor eager to serve. We do it for what we can get. I’m afraid that money
is the motivation for many who are in the Lord’s service, especially the
televangelists. Actually, they are serving themselves, not the Lord.
C.
Fifthly, pastors and elders are not to lord it over those
entrusted to them. Matt. 20:25-28 Since
the sheep are God’s flock and they have only been entrusted for safe keeping to
an earthly shepherd, the shepherd has no right to lord it over them. Pastors
and elders are only stewards of God’s sheep just as all of us are stewards of
all God gives us. Actually the sheep and the shepherd have only one Lord and
Chief Shepherd to whom they must account. Sixthly, Instead of being lords,
pastors are to be examples. They are to be like Jesus, examples of love,
faithfulness, endurance in suffering, patience, and forgiveness.
D.
Those who are shepherds of God’s flock, serving as overseers
and not lords, being eager to serve and not greedy for money, will someday
receive their just pay or reward. They will receive it from the Chief Shepherd.
When He appears they will receive the crown of glory – a permanent reward,
which like their inheritance will not fade away. (1:4) Unlike the laurel crowns of the early Olympics and the flower
marmars of Micronesia, this crown will never wilt or fade. It’s worth waiting
for! It’s so much better than the praise of men. If the crown is only the words
of Jesus: “Well done, good and faithful servant”, it will be the greatest honor
anyone can get, anytime, anywhere.
II.
Be humble and
submissive
A.
As Peter has admonished the elders to be servants and
examples to the flock, he now turns to the young men. The young men should “in
the same way” – the humble, servant way – take their places in the body of
Christ, being submissive to the older men. We certainly don’t see a lot of that
today! But Peter doesn’t limit the need for humility and submission to the
young men. He includes all of us! “All of
you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.” This is similar
to Paul’s words in Eph. 5:21.
B.
There are many reasons for humility and submission, but the
primary reason is to please God. God responds with blessing or cursing to our
choices. If we choose to be proud, He will oppose us. In fact, He will sooner
or later bring us down, either in this life or the next. It’s a scary thing to
be opposed by God. I know some people who have experienced what it means to be
brought down by a God who opposed them in their pride. On the other hand, He
gives grace to the humble. It is the grace of forgiveness, the grace of
strength to endure, and the grace to bow before others when our human nature
wants to do the opposite.
C.
So Peter urges his readers to humble themselves under God’s
mighty hand rather than oppose it. When the Philistines captured the ark of God
in battle they thought that their god had helped them win. When they put the
ark in the temple of their god Dagon, their idol fell on its face before the
ark. Soon the people were dying. Those who didn’t die had tumors. Finally they
recognized that God’s hand was heavy upon them because of their pride and their
lack of reverence for God’s Holy Ark. I
Sam. 5:6 It is always best and wisest to humble ourselves before God. When
we do, He pours His grace on us instead of His wrath.
D.
It’s not that God wants to keep us down. In fact, He will
lift us up, but it must be in His due time. The time will come, but not
on our timetable. Trying to live an upright and yet humble life here on earth
can cause a lot of anxiety. But we have a Divine Helper if we are submissive
and humble. He cares for us more than anyone else. And He is calling us to cast
all our worries on Him. It’s like saying, “Throw it all into His lap” or “Pile
it all on His shoulders.” How can we do this to the Almighty God? We can do it
only because He invites us to do it and because of His great love for us, His
children.
III.
Resist the
devil
A.
Next Peter tells us to be self-controlled and alert. Lacking
self-control can cause us to lose our opportunities to witness and to bless
others. To be alert means to be awake and aware – to be discerning. We have to
be able to see the enemy’s fiery darts and to be properly clothed in God’s
armor. Eph. 6:16 What a picture of
the devil this is! He is pictured as a lion – the most ferocious and feared of
animals. He prowls around, hiding in the tall grass so that his potential
victim won’t see him. The lion either quietly sneaks up on his prey or roars
with his powerful voice. This petrifies or freezes his victim so that it can’t
move. If we can imagine the fear of a small deer which the lion is tracking, we
can understand the fear that Satan can produce in people’s hearts.
B.
Since we have such a formidable enemy, we can’t afford to be
careless or to sleep on the job. Even though it’s very scary to resist a lion,
that’s what we have to do. I think of David who had the courage to resist a
lion with only a slingshot. The lion would have devoured – eaten – his lamb and
him! How do we resist Satan? Eph.
6:13-17 tells us how. We stand firm in the faith. We take our
position on God’s Word and then use it as a weapon, as we protect ourselves
with our shield of faith in our great God. When the enemy attacks us we can
feel alone and abandoned, and wonder why we are the ones being attacked.
But the truth is that our brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same
kind of suffering. In fact, some are experiencing much worse attacks than we
are.
A.
The good news is that we have a mighty Defender in this
fight with the great lion. He is the God of all grace. His grace is sufficient
to carry us to victory if we will trust and obey. He is the One who called us
to His eternal glory in Christ. And the One who called is faithful to complete
or fulfill His calling. Phil. 1:6 He
knows about our suffering. He has Himself suffered, and knows how it feels. The
suffering is part of His plan for us. We must go through our tests, but they
don’t last forever – just for a little while.
B.
Though it’s hard to see it, we know that actually our
lifetime is only a little while. He is the One who allows the suffering, and He
is the One who restores. He will Himself restore us, making us strong,
firm and steadfast. Peter experienced that - not just physically, but
spiritually. He strengthens us during our suffering and trials, and He restores
us after the suffering is over. So we see that He is indeed the God of all
grace. He is the One who has called us. We suffer within His will. (4:19) And He will restore us. So to Him
be the power forever and ever!
A.
Since Peter was a contemporary of Paul, he no doubt knew
those who traveled with Paul, especially those who came from Antioch. We don’t
know where Peter was when he wrote this letter, but he mentions “Babylon”.
Probably he was referring to Rome because Rome was often called Babylon. Peter
says that he received help from Silas in writing this letter. Probably this is
the Silas who traveled with Paul on his 2nd and 3rd
missionary journeys. Since Peter is writing to the Christians in Asia Minor
where Paul and Silas traveled, they would know Silas. Silas also knew them
and was able to tell Peter things that would help him understand the problems
and suffering those Christians were going through.
B.
Peter spent his last years in Rome and evidently Silas was
also there, and was regarded by Peter as a faithful brother. What was Peter’s
stated purpose for writing this letter? He wanted to encourage them and to
testify of the true grace of God. It was a time of intense persecution, and the
saints needed encouragement and grace in their trials. Peter’s final admonition
is like Paul’s in Eph. 6: “Stand fast in it.” He was telling them,
“Don’t give in to the pressure and persecution, but stand fast in God’s grace.
C.
Peter sends greetings from “She who is in Babylon”. This is no doubt a veiled reference to the
church in Rome. Probably Peter was protecting the church during the reign of
Nero. But those suffering saints in Rome were chosen together with the
suffering saints of Asia Minor to whom he wrote. Paul mentioned that Mark was
with him in Rome for awhile, and later he asked Timothy to bring Mark with him
when he came to Rome. II Tim. 4:11 Evidently
Mark was working with Peter at this time – a little earlier. Peter calls him
“my son”. Barnabus’ faithful efforts and his personal sacrifice to help Mark
after his failure on the 1st missionary journey had paid off. Mark
became a blessing to both Peter and Paul.
Peter ends his letter very
softly. He has emphasized suffering, submission and separation. In the hard
times in which the early Christians lived, it was important to warn them about
the roaring lion and call them to alertness and self-control. But they also
needed comfort and encouragement. So Peter closes by telling them to love one
another and to demonstrate their love by greeting one another with a kiss. When
the rest of the world is against us it is comforting and helpful to know that
our brothers and sisters in Christ truly stand with us in the love of family
members. Peter closes with a blessing of peace to all who are in Christ. They
needed that peace in the midst of their trials just as we do today. John 14:27
Bible Studies
Peter
and His Letters (9)
Make
Your Calling and Election Sure
II
Peter 1:1-11
Peter now writes for the second
time to the same people to whom he wrote his first letter. In his first letter
his major theme was suffering. This time his emphasis is different because the
Christians to whom he wrote were in danger of being confused and misled by
false teachers. Peter obviously had never forgotten Christ’s commission to him:
“Feed My sheep.” He knew he was a shepherd of Christ’s sheep, and he was deeply
concerned about the false teachers and evildoers who had come into the church.
He wrote to enlighten the believers about the dangers and to encourage them to
live godly lives in expectation of Christ’s return.
I.
Our Lord Jesus Christ
A. Peter identifies himself as the writer of the letter, using his 2 names: Simon Peter. How does he describe himself? He is not trying to impress them with his high position. He writes first that he is a servant of Christ, and second, that he is an apostle. It is a good lesson for us. We should think of ourselves first as humble servants of the Lord, and only second as pastors, pastors’ wives, missionaries, etc. He writes to those who through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as he and his companions had received. Whoever they are, they are united with Peter and the others in the same faith – the glorious gospel.
B.
Peter blessed them with grace and peace in abundance, but
makes it clear that it comes not from him but through the knowledge of God and
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Peter uses “Jesus our Lord” and “our Lord Jesus
Christ” 5 times in this first chapter. Peter knew Jesus as a close friend with
whom he walked many miles and ate many meals. He doesn’t diminish His name and
His glory. Along with His human name “Jesus”, he uses His God name “Lord”, and
His name as the Jewish Messiah, “Christ”. Using the 3 names and titles together,
“our Lord Jesus Christ”, spells out clearly who Jesus is. He is Jesus, the Son
of Man. He is the Lord who is the Son of God. And He is the Christ, which means
the Anointed and Promised One.
II.
Everything we
need for life and godliness
A.
What a blessing to know that His divine power has given us everything
we need for life and godliness. We not only have our material and physical
needs provided. We also need to be godly, so He supplies our spiritual needs as
well. How does the Lord supply our need to be godly? He does it through the
knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. To know Christ is
the answer to our needs and our heart’s desires. He called us by His own glory
and His own goodness, and that’s how He also sanctifies us or makes us holy.
One of the ways He does this is by the gift of His very great and precious
promises. His Word is full of great and precious promises which we only need to
claim. He has promised! We only need to apply those promises.
A.
It is through what Jesus has done by dying in our place, and
through the promises He has made to us that we “can participate in the divine
nature.” We don’t become divine – or “little gods” as some teach – but
we gain a new nature to become a new man designed to be like Jesus. Rom. 8:29 It is in the death of the old
man and the birth of the new man that we have the potential of escaping the
corruption in the world caused by evil desires. How true it is that evil
desires cause corruption. They’re like flies causing fish to rot. Greed, lust,
jealousy, hatred are at the root of the corruption in that we must make every
effort to live at peace with others and to be holy and blameless. Heb. 12:14; II Pet. 3:14 We have the
potential just as a baby does, but we will not reach that potential without
making an effort on our part. It’s as if Jesus leads us to the trail that
climbs up to the top of the mountain. He even infuses in us the strength to
climb, but we still have to do the climbing! For a baby to grow it
requires exercise and good nutrition, so we start our journey with milk, but
then add meat. Heb. 5:13-14 What is
our first step? We begin in this new life in Christ by being born again by faith. It is the first step up the
trail. Only faith in Christ will put us on the right path. Without faith, we
will miss all the rest.
B.
But we need to continue on up the path by taking the next
step – adding goodness. We practice
being good instead of being evil or self-centered. When we repent Christ makes
us good by forgiving our sins, but we have to live each day in goodness. The
third step up the trail to the top is knowledge.
Like a child going to school, we need to grow in our knowledge of the Lord
and His will for us. How? We must be students of the Word, studying as good
workmen and becoming discerning of the difference between what is evil and what
is good. II Tim. 2:15 As we grow and
move higher up the mountain we begin to experience problems with our lack of
obedience. Children have to be taught to obey and control themselves instead of
being selfish, rebellious and disobedient. To our knowledge we need to add self-control. Otherwise, our knowledge
will not benefit ourselves or others. All of life must be controlled.
C.
As we climb higher up the mountain we find that it grows
harder. We often get discouraged and want to quit. It’s one thing to start
well, and quite another to carry on and not quit. We have to learn to keep
going, no matter what happens. This will require the next step of perseverance. If we keep going we will
come to the next high step called godliness.
But maybe it’s too high. We think we can never be godly. It’s too far up the
mountain to be like God. But there is One at our right hand who will help us. Psa. 16:8 Remember that He has given us
everything we need for life and godliness. (v. 3) Maybe we will feel that we have already reached the top of
the mountain when we become godly. We’re not there yet! We can be turned in on
ourselves instead or out toward others.
D.
So to our godliness we must add brotherly kindness. We must learn to be compassionate, kind and
caring toward our brothers and sisters in the Lord. If that sounds easy,
remember that it is way up the mountain and not often achieved in our homes and
churches where there is more bickering and gossiping than brotherly kindness.
Now we are close to the top but we still have to climb another big step. Up at
the top is love. This is not
emotional love. It is unconditional love like Jesus has for us. He loves us
even when we are not acting in ways He would like. He loves us even when we
ignore Him and don’t show Him the respect and give Him the time He deserves.
Love reaches out to help, bends over backwards, and goes the second mile. I Cor. 13:4-7 This is a hard climb, but
it is well worth the effort. It takes daily perseverance and determination as
well as repentance for our failures.
A.
So we are to make every effort to develop our faith,
goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness
and love. It is true that these are fruits of the Spirit, but the Spirit can
only produce fruit in our lives as we cooperate with Him. We do this by
listening to Him and then obeying what He teaches - in the Word and in our
conscience. We are not only to possess these qualities of a mature Christian,
but also to possess them in increasing measure. We should not be
satisfied with half measures or with being half-hearted about growing in
Christ. James 1:4
B. We need to keep practicing these 7
qualities of life that make us more like Jesus. Becoming mature in Christ saves
us from being ineffective and unproductive in the knowledge of the Lord. In
other words, as we obediently climb and add the various aspects of a deep
Christian life, we come to know Christ better and better and become more like
Him. Heb. 6:1; Eph. 4:13 If we
decide to just sit and rest on the first step – the new birth – we are either
blind or nearsighted and can’t see the big picture. We have forgotten what we
were saved from and what we were saved to!
B.
At our new birth we were rescued from sin,
hopelessness, and eternal death. But that’s only half the picture. Why did He
save us? It was so that we could be new creatures in Christ, bringing praise
and glory to Him and representing Him in this lost world. A baby Christian or
stagnant believer has forgotten that he was saved for a purpose – to radiate
Christ in this world. We were saved to a new life of holiness and
pleasing God and the hope of eternal life with Him whom we now love more than
anyone or anything. Anything less than this should cause us to ask ourselves
whether we were actually saved!
C.
Does the new birth guarantee that we will never fall? No!
Peter goes on to say that we should therefore be eager to make our calling and
election sure, so that we will never fall! Peter makes his statements
strong by using strong words: “make every effort” and “be all the more eager”.
In other words, we are to throw everything into our Christian lives, and not
just take things for granted. It’s interesting to me that Peter writes that we
have to make our calling and election sure. According to the Calvinists they
are already sure of their election. Peter says that we have to make our
calling and election sure by making every effort to develop the Christian
character God wants. We are not saved by our works, but our works prove that we
have been saved.
D.
He goes on to say that there is the possibility that we
could fall. I believe that we could fall if we do not cooperate with God’s plan
for us when He called and elected us. This is why adding to our faith and
climbing the mountain is so important. What is the final outcome if we are
faithful, make every effort, and are eager to become all that God has planned?
We will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. Here Peter reminds us that Jesus is not only our Savior, but also
our Lord. If we accept Him as our Lord now and obey His will and commands,
someday He will welcome us as our Lord into His eternal kingdom. What a blessed
hope!
Peter was not
the only one in the New Testament who wrote about the possibility of falling.
In His parable of the sower and the seed, Jesus described those on the rock as
the people who receive the Word with joy and believe it for awhile. Later, however,
when testing comes, they fall away. Luke
8:13 Paul wrote to the Corinthians, warning them that they might fall. I Cor. 10:12 We studied the scary words
of the writer of Hebrews who warned that true Christians can fall away, and if
they do, they cannot be brought back to repentance. Heb. 6:4-6 Peter gave a second warning to those who might be led
astray by the error of false teachers, and fall from their secure position. II Pet. 3:17 What should be our
response to these serious warnings? First of all, we must believe them
whether we like to hear them or not. All of God’s Word is to be believed
and obeyed if we call ourselves Christians. Secondly, we should not be afraid
that we may be lost if we are truly trusting Christ. But thirdly, we cannot be
proud and boastful that we are born again and therefore can never fall away.
Let’s never forget Lucifer’s boastful words before he, the highest archangel of
God, fell from his position and his glory to be forever lost.
Bible Studies
Peter
and His Letters (10)
True
Teachers and False Teachers
II
Peter 1:12-2:3
Peter has made it clear that we
need to make every effort to grow to maturity in Christ. To our faith with
which we were born again in Christ, we must add goodness, knowledge,
self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. If we have
these qualities of Christ-likeness, in increasing measure, we will be effective
and productive in our knowledge of the Lord and in doing His work. Therefore,
we need to be more eager to make our calling and election sure, so that we will
never fall. Paul wrote a similar thought in Phil. 2:12-13, where he made it plain that it is a cooperative
effort. We work out our salvation while God works in us according to His good
purpose.
I.
The folding up of the tent
A.
Peter promises to always remind his readers of these things,
even though they already knew them and were firmly established in the truth. We
people quickly forget what we are supposed to know. It seems that we need
reminders every day “while it is still today”. This is why it is so important
to study God’s Word daily even though we have already read it 100 times. Peter
promised to refresh their memories as long as he was living in the “tent” of
his body. He calls it a tent because it is only a temporary housing for his
spirit. The tent will fold up, but the spirit will live on. Peter writes here
in a way similar to Paul’s writing in II
Tim. 4:6-8. Peter knew that he would soon put his tent aside, because the
Lord Jesus Christ had made it clear to him. John 21:18,19 Perhaps He had shown Peter that the time was near. I
think that the Lord had prepared both Peter and Paul for their deaths, so what
they wrote in II Peter and II Timothy were like their last words to the Christians.
That makes these words even more important.
B.
Peter wanted them to remember these important truths after
his departure. So he was making every effort to refresh their memory of what
they had already learned. He wrote this letter for that purpose, and so we are
still reminded till today. Why was Peter worried about the Christians falling?
He is looking ahead to the primary subject of this letter – false teachers! He
reminded them that what he and other apostles had taught them were not
“cleverly invented stories”. It is so common today for false teachers to invent
clever stories that some critics of Christianity say that the Bible is nothing
but these invented stories. Unbelievers sometimes say that our faith is based
on nothing but “cleverly invented stories”. We must be wise about discerning
the difference between such stories and God’s absolute Truth. What a blessing
it is that we hold the very words of God in our hands! The Bible is not like
the Koran or the Book of Mormon, which are “cleverly invented stories”.
A.
Peter states that the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ was
real. How could he prove that? Peter
could attest to the facts because he was an eyewitness of His majesty. In a
court of law, the most important witnesses are the eyewitnesses who actually
saw and heard what happened. Peter not only walked with Jesus for 3 years,
heard His teaching and saw His miracles. He actually heard the Voice of God
from heaven! Peter, James and John were there on the Mount of Transfiguration
when God the Father spoke audibly from heaven. Jesus received glory and honor
from God the Father Himself when the Voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory.
The greatest honor Jesus could receive on earth was the voice of commendation from
the Majestic Glory. How could anyone doubt who Jesus was after hearing God the
Father speak?
B.
What were the words that Peter heard with his own ears? He
heard the voice of the Majesty in heaven say, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” Matt. 17:5 The Father was obviously not
talking to His Son, but He was endorsing Him to the 3 disciples who were on the
Mount of Transfiguration with Him. He made it clear when He said, “Listen to Him.” Later they would pass
on what they had heard just as Peter is doing here. First, the Father
identified Jesus as His Son. He was more than just a man. He was God and man.
Next, the Father proclaimed His eternal love for His Son. Third, He announced
His pleasure and joy in His Son – in who He was, and what He had done and would
do. Even though these words were meant for the listening disciples, they must
have brought joy to Jesus’ heart also. How I long to hear the Lord say words
like that to me some day. May we live each day to please the Lord so that someday
He can say He is well pleased with us!
B.
Some Christians believe that we don’t need the Old Testament
any more and should use only the New Testament. (Illus: In our meeting many
years ago in Pohnpei with the missionaries of another mission, I was insulted
for giving a devotion from Jeremiah.) Far from discounting the Old Testament as
irrelevant, Peter says we must pay close attention to it. The word of the
prophets is like a light shining in a dark place. I have certainly found that
true in the reading of the Psalms and Isaiah, as well as other Old Testament
books. This prophetic light is not a huge light, but it’s like a candle shining
to dispel some of our darkness. It’s like our small light of hope that guides
us until that glorious day when “the day
dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts.” This can refer to Jesus’
first coming and our salvation, or that great dawn when Jesus the Morning Star
comes to reign on this earth. Maybe it refers to both.
C.
There is more to prophecy than the predictions about Jesus’
first coming, like Micah 5:2 where
we learn that the everlasting One would be born in Bethlehem. How can an
everlasting Being be born? It can only happen in the Incarnation when God took
on human form. The prophets also predicted the Second Coming of Christ. In that
same verse in Micah Jesus is said to be the Ruler of Israel. The same is true
of Isaiah 9:6-7. Here we see the
virgin born Son of God who will reign over David’s kingdom forever. No wonder
the Jews of Jesus’ time were confused. They thought He had come to reign, not
to suffer and die. When we read those prophecies of Jesus’ coming again and His
millennial rule on earth, it’s like a light shining in this dark place called
our world. As it gets darker, it is even more important to look to the light
for our hope. The day will dawn and the glorious Morning Star whom we
love will rise! Oh, wonderful hope and joy!
D.
Can we trust these prophecies? Where did this prophecy come
from that is our candle in the darkness? Was it simply by the prophet’s
imagination or interpretation? Are the prophecies “cleverly invented stories”?
No! In fact, if you only consider the 300 prophecies which were fulfilled by
Jesus, you will see that it is a mathematical impossibility to invent so many
prophecies and then have them fulfilled. Peter wants us to know for sure that
the prophecies we find in God’s Word never had their origin in the will of man.
In fact, all of scripture did not originate in man’s will or mind. On the
contrary, “men spoke for God as they were
carried along by the Holy Spirit. ” Who is the Author of the Bible? God, the Holy Spirit! In fact, that
includes this letter that Peter was writing. Why is this so important in our
day? False prophets and false teachers are abroad who introduce destructive
heresies of their own or the devil’s making. (2:1-2)
IV.
False teachers
and their destruction
A. After clarifying the origin of both the writings of the apostles and the writings of the prophets, Peter launches into the primary theme of this letter: false teachers and their destructive heresies. Peter’s words of warning are very strong and direct. He uses “destruction’, “judgment” and “perish” a total of 6 times in the next 12 verses. In chapter one Peter has been writing about the origination of scripture. He writes that the apostles and early church leaders who wrote the New Testament were writing from personal knowledge, and often as eyewitnesses of the events of Jesus’ life and the early church. But what about the Old Testament? He has carefully explained that the prophets did not write from their own ideas or under their own interpretation. Prophecy did not originate in the will of man, but rather men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
B. The pivotal word in chapter 2 is “But”.
The problem was that not all prophets who spoke in God’s name were true
prophets inspired by the Holy Spirit. The true is always contrasted with the
false. Satan is eager to counterfeit the things of God in order to confuse and
lead astray many people. Some speak from Satan instead of from God, and they
are carried along by another spirit that is evil instead of holy. In the past
there had also been false prophets among the people, just as there were in
Peter’s day and there are in our day. What do we learn from Peter about these
false teachers and false prophets? First, they secretly introduce destructive
heresies. They are not open and honest, but are underhanded and hide the truth
in order to get people to believe their heresy. The heresy, instead of building
up the church is destructive. It destroys the faith of the one teaching it and
of those listening to him.
C.
Secondly, the heresies they introduce deny the sovereign
Lord – the very One who bought them with His precious blood! This indicates
that they were true believers at first. Now they actually deny the Lord
in their teaching and practice. An example of this is the teaching of “Word
Faith” teachers that we can demand things from God and order Him to do things
for us. This denies His sovereignty. Another example is when preachers “put the
Holy Spirit” on someone. This denies the sovereignty of God the Holy Spirit.
What is the result of such destructive heresies? Many will follow their
shameful ways. How true! In that way they bring the way of truth into
disrepute. The true gospel will be lost in the midst of all the false teaching
and practices, and unbelievers are disgusted with what they see and hear, and
have no desire to know “this kind of Christ”.
D.
Another characteristic of these false teachers is that they
are greedy. They care more about money than about people. In order to satisfy
their greed for money, they have to exploit people with stories they have made
up – of healings and miracles and risings from the dead. They tell of hearing
God’s voice and seeing Jesus in their rooms. These stories influence gullible
people to give them lots of money in hopes of getting healings and miracles for
themselves. What drives these tactics? Greed, which the Lord calls idolatry. Col. 3:5 What will be the end of these
false teachers? Does God see what they’re doing? Will God just pat them on the
back and say, “It’s O.K. You just made a mistake.”? Their condemnation has been
hanging over them and their destruction is not sleeping, but will be swift.
They will not be able to excuse themselves by reminding God that at some time
in the past they were “born again”.
These verses in which Peter
explains about the origin of the Bible are very important. Many people think
that some men just wrote up what they were thinking and it may not be true or
actually from God. The Bible is not a man-made book like all the other books in
the world. The Book of Mormon, the Koran, and other religious or cult books are
books made by men even though they claim to have been given by angels. Remember
that there are both good and evil angels! Only the Bible has been given by God
through the enlightening of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes we may wonder why God
allows these false teachers like Benny Hinn and Dr. Moon to continue to deceive
people. I believe it is a test for God’s children. Will we be like the Bereans
who carefully search the scriptures and so discern what is false, or will we
just go along with what sounds good and exciting? Asaph wrote Psalm 73 about this kind of problem.
Why was God allowing sinful people to get away with so much? Asaph understood
when he went into God’s house that these false people were facing the
destruction that Peter mentions here. Psa.
73:16-20 God will judge them in His time and way.
Bible Studies
Peter
and His Letters (11)
The
Lord Knows How to Rescue & to Judge
II
Peter 2:4-12
Peter has made it clear that
there were false prophets in Old Testament times, there were false teachers in
the church in Peter’s time, and we can expect false teachers in the church in
our times. But God is not to be trifled with. If they, or we, deny the
sovereign Lord who bought us and bring the way of truth into disrepute, they,
and we, will have to face the consequences. To prove his point, Peter uses
several examples of how God has brought judgment in the past, and how He has
delivered His faithful ones.
If God…
A.
The next section in Peter’s 2nd letter is the “If God..” section. Verses 4-9 are one
long sentence – all connected. This chapter is very similar to the letter by
Jude. Peter reminds us of what God has done in the past. If He acted in certain
ways then, He will do so also in our day. The first “If God…” happened at the beginning of creation, before the
creation of the earth and mankind. God’s first creative act was evidently the
creation of angels. Then some of the angels, along with Lucifer, rebelled and
sinned against God. Isa. 14:12-15 What
did God do? He put many of them into gloomy dungeons in the abyss to be held
there for judgment. They will not be delivered because they rebelled in the
face of the Sovereign Lord. Others roam the earth but will also end up with
Satan in the Lake of Fire. Jude 6
B.
The second “If God…” has
to do with the flood. God did not spare the ancient world, but brought the
flood on its ungodly people – a second example of judgment and destruction. But
then Peter expands this discussion to add a new dimension with “but”. In the midst of His judgment of
sin, God did not destroy the righteous with the wicked. A loving God protected
Noah and preserved his life and the lives of his 7 family members. God
protected Noah because he was a righteous man. Gen. 6:9 Peter calls Noah “a
preacher of righteousness”. This informs us that during the 120 years when
he and his sons were building the ark, he was busy preaching righteousness,
calling people to turn to God. Nobody believed him, but Noah was faithful to
preach anyway. We must faithfully fulfill God’s calling to us whether people
pay attention to us or not.
C.
The third “If God…” is
the story of the condemnation of Sodom and Gomorrah. God could no longer
stomach the evil of those people just as He could no longer stand the evil of
Noah’s day. He burned them to ashes because of their sexual immorality and
perversion, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly
who will suffer in eternal hell fire. Jude
7 Unfortunately, people have mostly chosen to ignore this example. But even
in burning the cities and everyone in them, God did not forget Lot, the one
righteous man. Lot doesn’t seem very righteous to me, but God said he was.
D.
I don’t understand why he chose to live in Sodom when he was
so distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men. But somehow, though he didn’t
seem to help anyone else, at least he managed to stay righteous. I can only
imagine the torment that he suffered living among those wicked people. Our world
is turning more and more that direction.
In spite of Lot’s foolishness, God chose to spare him because in his soul
he was righteous, and because Abraham, God’s friend, pled for him. We see how
important it is for us to pray for those who are in evil situations. However,
unlike Noah, Lot lost his family: his wife to lust and greed (and salt!), his
daughters to immorality, and his sons-in-law to ashes. That’s the price he paid
for living in Sodom. His righteousness could only protect himself, not his
family or others, because he didn’t bring them to the Lord.
A.
Peter concludes this “If
God…” section by stating two opposites – both true at the same time. God
knows how to rescue and He knows how to judge. The God of grace is also the
Judge of all. We can be encouraged by the fact that the Lord knows exactly how
to rescue godly men from trials. He may rescue them to continue serving Him
here on earth, or He may rescue them to heaven. But we can count on the rescue!
God is also the Judge, and He holds the ungodly for the terrible Day of
Judgment even while punishing them now. The people of Sodom were punished, but
their judgment has not come yet. An even worse judgment is coming. It’s like
Hitler and other tyrants who killed so many people. They were physically
punished by being killed themselves, but their eternal judgment will be far
worse. Meanwhile, they are being “held” in Hades. This is made clear in the
story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke
16. The rich man died and was in torment in Hades, the holding place for
unbelievers until the Day of Judgment.
B.
This especially applies to those who follow the corrupt
desires of the sinful nature. That’s exactly what Lucifer and the angels did.
The people of Noah’s day and of Sodom followed the same evil rebellion. They
were living in corruption following the desires of the flesh. Why would God
destroy every person on earth except Noah and his family unless they were
hopelessly wicked? Gen. 6:5 Besides
that, they despised authority. Being bold and arrogant, they despised the
authority of God and of His chosen representatives. In Sodom they were not
afraid to slander the angels God sent as messengers. How dare they put their
corrupt lusts onto the holy, celestial beings sent by God to rescue Lot? Gen. 19:4-5, 9 Those who despise
authority and are bold and arrogant are not afraid to stand against God, His
angels, and His human messengers. They don’t respect any authority.
A. Peter says that the false teachers are guilty of slander and blasphemy. The dictionary defines slander as: a malicious, false and defamatory statement. It is an attempt to ruin someone’s reputation out of malice and hatred, using false information. Blasphemy is defined as: the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God. Let’s see how those definitions fit the history that Peter has quoted. Lucifer blasphemed God by saying that he would be higher than God. He assumed the rights and qualities of God which did not belong to him. We don’t know what the people of Noah’s day said to him and his sons as they built the ark on dry land for 120 years. Since they didn’t repent, we can assume that they slandered Noah and his family and laughed at God’s prediction of a flood. We know how the men of Sodom slandered Lot and the angels.
B. Peter writes that the false teachers in his day were not only following the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despising authority. They were bold and arrogant, and not afraid to slander celestial beings. Jude writes the same thing in Jude 8. Peter may have been referring back to the incident in Sodom when the men of Sodom slandered the holy angels. However, I think it refers as well to people who think they have the power to slander and control Satan and mighty demonic beings. That is taking the place of God. God never gave us the right to slander demons. Who do they think they are? Even Jesus didn’t slander Satan or demons. He overcame them but He didn’t slander them. Even God’s angels, although they are far stronger and more powerful than men, do not bring slanderous accusations against celestial beings in the presence of the Lord.
C. Satan is the great slanderer who brings slanderous accusations against God’s people to the Lord, as seen in the Book of Job. Job 1:9-11 But we have no right or authority to do such things. In fact, it is very dangerous for little men to take this kind of position against celestial beings. Jude adds that even the archangel Michael, probably the greatest of the angels, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against the devil when disputing with him over the body of Moses. What did he do? He simply turned the authority of accusation over to the Lord by saying, “The Lord rebuke you.” Jude 9 These false teachers blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are trying to take the place of God. Blasphemy seems to be their major sin. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, who will be caught and destroyed like those beasts. Jude 10 is almost the same as verse 12 in Peter. They have reverted to animal instincts, and like animals they will be caught in Satan’s trap and destroyed by the very one they supposedly are overcoming.
A. So we have the historical background of this serious subject given to us by Peter, all the way from before the creation of the earth and mankind, up to his day. But what about the false teachers and false prophets of our time? Do they slander? Yes! They put down the work of God in the past, saying that they now have new revelations. They slander the missionaries of the past who brought the gospel around the world. They say that they didn’t bring the people to the spiritual heights of being slain in the Spirit and anointed by them. They are the “new apostles” who now lead the church toward its goal of conquering the world and its governments. When others point out how they have departed from the scriptures and gone a different direction, they slander those who try to help them and even curse them to hell.
B. Are the present day false teachers guilty of blasphemy? Yes! I take the following points from a paper written by Sandy about this subject of blasphemy.
1.) Those who do not hold onto faith and a good conscience are blasphemers. I Tim. 1:19-20 They have gone beyond the scripture into new revelation and heresy, and have allowed their consciences to be seared.
2.) Those who bring slanderous accusations against demonic beings are blasphemers. (v. 12) On the TV and in churches false teachers bring accusations against demons and make fun of Satan. They go to the tops of mountains to “bind” all the demons in a certain area.
3.) Those who claim to be God are blasphemers. John 10:33 Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland claim to be “little gods” or “messiahs”. Sun Yung Moon says that he is Jesus Christ returned to the earth.
4.) Those who persecute true Christians are blasphemers. I Tim. 1:13 This is what happens to people who try to correct the false teachers. They are called “devils” and “Satan” and are threatened with lawsuits.
5.) Those who defiantly sin are blasphemers. Num. 15:30 When confronted with their false prophecies, they just say they made a mistake. They raise money from the poor by dishonest means. They never repent of their evil ways.
6.) Those who rule and mock are blasphemers because God’s people are taken away. Isa. 52:5 Because of the heavy shepherding that goes on in the third wave churches, God’s people are taken away to follow heretics.
7.) Those who forsake God are blasphemers. Ezek. 20:27 The Bible is not studied in context by false teachers. Instead, they forsake God and His Word by following their own ideas and using verses to prove their points.
Conclusion
We must train ourselves to be discerning so that we can identify these false teachers whom Peter is describing. It is very serious to follow one who is going down the wrong path, because you will end up with him in the wrong place! Peter’s words about false teachers and false prophets are very strong. He says that they introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them. Those destructive heresies will bring destruction on them. (2:1) Though they seem to be bold and arrogant – sure of themselves – they will perish like brute beasts. (2:12) We don’t want to perish with them, nor do we want our loved ones to go that way, so we must stay on the right path and help others to also see the truth.
Bible Studies
Peter
and His Letters (12)
Springs
Without Water & Mists Driven by a Storm
II
Peter 2:13-22
Peter has taught us several
things about false teachers and false prophets. They secretly introduce
destructive heresies. They even deny the sovereign Lord who bought them. Many
follow their shameful ways, which cause a blot on the way of truth. They
exploit people because of their greed. They do this by telling stories they
have made up, about miracles and healings. They are bold and arrogant, not even
afraid to slander celestial beings. Their greatest sins are their slander and
their blasphemy. Now Peter continues his expose of false teachers.
A.
The indictments of the false teachers are mounting. But
first, he pronounces their condemnation. “They
will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done.” How great that
harm or judgment will be we can tell from Peter’s 3 examples: the evil angels,
flood on Noah’s world, and Sodom and Gomorrah. This is the serious part about
false teachers. They not only lose their way. They cause others to lose their
way. They do great harm by infecting the whole body of Christians like gangrene
in someone’s foot. If the gangrene is not cut out, it will cause death to the
whole body. Their sin is more serious than the sins of worldly drunkards or
prostitutes. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Matt. 7:15 They come in among the believers to confuse, harass, and
cause destruction. It is a very serious thing when someone purposely turns a
child of God away from the truth to lies!
B.
These so-called Christians find their pleasure by carousing
in broad daylight. They don’t even wait for the cover of darkness. Some of
their carousing is done in churches – dancing, crawling around like
animals, falling down, lying on the floor, writhing like snakes, barking like
dogs and even taking off their clothes. This is the kind of ugly thing that is
done in occult rituals to the worship of Satan. The worst part is that they
pretend to be followers of Christ and say that they are under the influence of
the Holy Spirit! What a shameful thing to do. I don’t know what kinds of things
they did in Peter’s day, but you only need to visit certain churches or watch
certain TV programs today to see them carousing in churches. In God’s eyes they
are “blots” and “blemishes”, that, like acne, spoil the face of true
Christianity. This is why Peter wrote earlier (2:2) that they bring the way of truth into disrepute. They cause
outsiders to question the truth and validity of the Christian faith – a very
serious thing!
C.
With all their carousing and reveling it’s no surprise that
their eyes are full of adultery. Whether this refers to physical or spiritual
adultery, it is equally serious. Their actions arouse lust in others. They
never stop sinning. In other words, their way of life is in sinning. It’s their
habit. And they seduce the unstable. II
Tim. 3:6 They may seduce these weak-willed people sexually or
intellectually & emotionally with their ideas and stories. Probably they
seduce them in order to trap them in their decadent way of life. Their
instability makes them open targets. It also shows the shallow nature of their
Christianity. Maybe this is referring to spiritual adultery, similar to what
the Lord accused Israel of in the Old Testament. If they are going through all
this carousing and outward show, which is obviously not true worship of the
Lord, then whom are they worshipping? They have replaced their love and
loyalty to the Lord with love for themselves, and maybe even worship of demons.
They have become so adulterous that they never stop sinning.
A.
Another aspect of their spiritual adultery is their greed.
They are not just greedy. They are experts in greed! In verse 3 Peter pointed out that greed is
behind their exploitation of others. Peter here makes a startling statement: “an accursed brood!” By writing this, he
makes it clear that the whole lot of false teachers are like a brood of
chickens that are cursed, or ready to be slaughtered. Some would explain this
by saying that these false teachers were never Christians, but it appears that
they were. Peter writes that “they have
left the straight way and wandered off”. They left the straight and narrow
way and are now in the crooked way, described as “the way of Balaam”. What was Balaam’s chief sin that caused him to
leave the straight way and wander off? Peter tells us. Balaam “loved the wages of wickedness”. Jude 11 says that the false teachers “rushed for profit into Balaam’s error”. Greed
is once again behind their failures. I
Tim. 6:9-10
B.
Imagine being rebuked and scolded by a donkey! King Balak
sent men to get the prophet of God named Balaam to come and curse the
Israelites so that he could defeat them. God told Balaam not to go. But he
wanted that big reward from Balak so badly that when they came the second time,
he went. On the way, the angel of the Lord stood in the path and would have
killed him except that the donkey stopped. When Balaam beat the donkey, God
gave it a voice. In spite of this double warning, Balaam went forward and tried
unsuccessfully to curse God’s people 3 times. The God who made a donkey speak
also made Balaam’s words a blessing instead of a curse. Did Balaam back off?
No! He was determined to get King Balak’s money somehow, so he advised Balak to
have his women seduce the Israelite men and so bring curses on them. Remember
that all of this was from a “prophet of God”! By the way, Balaam died with
Balak and his people at the hands of God’s people. What a picture of today’s
false teachers and prophets!
III.
They are
heading for blackest darkness
A.
Peter goes on to describe the false teachers in more
unflattering terms. They are springs without water. They promise much, but
deliver nothing. It’s hard to imagine a spring with no water. The very word
“spring” indicates water springing up from the ground. Jude describes them as
clouds without rain. Jude 12 Like
springs and clouds they promise water. And so men look to them for refreshing
life-giving water, but no water comes from them. They appear to be godly men
but they have nothing godly to offer in their teaching. So today the words “man
of God’, “prophet”, and “apostle” seem to indicate those who have the living
water, but you cannot be refreshed spiritually by them or their teaching,
because it is devoid of truth.
B.
Besides that, Peter describes them as “mists driven by a
storm”. They seem to be substantial, but mist gives no real moisture, and
quickly evaporates. The false teachers seem to be substantial, but actually
they are like filmy mists with nothing real in them. And they themselves are
driven by the dark storm. I think this refers to Satan and his demons. Jude
describes it as being blown along by the wind. This wind is the “wind of
teaching” that Paul warns about in Eph.
4:14. Instead of being founded on the Rock Christ Jesus, they are blown
about by the words of men’s ideas or the doctrines of demons. What they don’t
seem to realize is that they are facing the judgment of blackest darkness.
Satan is driving them into the darkness where he lives. He wants others to
share in his condemnation. Their condemnation will be more severe than the
judgment of others. We find out why in the following verses.
A. The first reason why they will be more severely judged than others is that they speak empty, boastful words. The words are empty but they sound important: “We are all little gods”; “I can anoint you”; “I will put the Holy Spirit on you”. They are big talkers, speaking the prophecies that they say the Lord has given them. They even claim to have seen Him often in their rooms. Secondly, their teachings appeal to the lustful desires of sinful human nature. All men long to be gods. People like to feel superior to others – to have a “special anointing”. The Word Faith people appeal to our greed for new cars, lots of money, etc. They claim that they can “speak things into existence” as if they were the Creator God! In appealing to people’s lustful desires, they entice them to follow them. The really sad thing is that many of those people are just now escaping error as they turn toward the Lord. It is so sad that people longing for a better life and a relationship with God are enticed into greed by the promise of holiness from and unholy, false prophet.
B. What a terrible falsehood this is: They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves to depravity. How can they help others to be free when they are prisoners? The very ones who offer freedom to others are controlled by their lust for money and power. They have believed the original lie of Satan to Eve, “You will be like God.” Can you become like God by disobeying Him? These false teachers have believed Satan’s lie for themselves and now offer it to others. Why are they called “Slaves of depravity”? Peter explains that a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. Behind these theories and this obsession with lust stands the devil, gloating in his victories. Now Peter gives a severe warning, similar to the warnings in Heb. 6:4-6 & 10:26-31.
C. These verses speak for conditional security. These empty springs were once Christians! They were true Christians who have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. That’s a clear definition of a Christian. The sad fact is that they are again entangled in the world’s corruption. It reminds me of Heb. 12:1. We have to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. The world is corrupt. Those who become entangled in its corruption may be overcome. It’s almost like sinking into a bog. If no effort is made to pull out of it, the bog will eventually overcome the one in it and drown him. The awful part is that they started out well. But the beginning is not the ending. If they are overcome by their entanglements, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. When they first came to Christ they were part of the world’s corruption and He rescued them. They escaped. Now they have gone back to the world and are worse off than they were before they knew Christ.
V.
A dog and a pig
A. The fact of the matter is that it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness at all. Their guilt and their coming judgment would have been less if they had never known the way of righteousness. Why? Because to know and then turn our backs on the sacred command that was passed on to us is to invite terrible judgment. God the Father holds us accountable for what we know. If we have known His Word and followed Jesus His Son, we are accountable for that knowledge and that blessing. To turn our backs on Him is then the ultimate rejection of our Loved One. King Saul is a good example of this. He received God’s command through Samuel, but chose to disobey it. Samuel told him that because he had rejected God’s word to him, God had rejected him! I Sam. 15:22-23 The Lord’s Spirit departed from Saul and an evil spirit tormented him.
B.
This can only be described by animal behavior, so Peter
quotes Prov. 26:11 to illustrate the
condition of those who do that. They are like unreasoning, foolish animals! A
dog is stupid enough to return to its vomit and eat it. But what man is that
stupid? Who wants to eat vomit? Who wants to turn back to the old garbage of
this world that he has been delivered from? A pig that has been washed doesn’t
have sense enough to stay clean. So it goes back to wallowing in the mud. What
a picture of those who have been cleansed by the blood of Christ, but then
return to their “mud”. Don’t they have sense enough to eat only good food and
keep their bodies clean? If we don’t die to self, self will lead us right back
to all the garbage and filth that we escaped. Rom. 6:6-7
Conclusion
The false teachers who have known Christ and then returned to their vomit and their mud are in serious trouble. Could that happen to us? Yes, it could if we choose to believe them and follow them. How can we protect ourselves from this bog that drowns? The world presses in on us all around. In Rom. 6:11-13 Paul gives us a formula for success to escape the traps of the world.
1.) We choose to count ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Because we are dead we can no longer eat vomit or play in the mud.
2.) We do not allow sin to rule our bodies. We refuse to obey its evil desires.
3.) We do not offer the parts of our bodies as instruments of wickedness. This would include our eyes, our feet, our hands, etc.
4.) We do offer ourselves to God as those who were dead and are now alive only to Him.
5.) We do offer the parts of our bodies as instruments for His use – to do good things instead of bad things.
Bible Studies
Peter
and His Letters (13)
The
Day of the Lord
II
Peter 3:1-10
Why is this chapter entitled “The
Day of the Lord” in my Bible? Does it refer to only one day? We could say that
it refers to only one of the Lord’s days as measured in verse 8: “With the Lord a day is like 1000 years and 1000 years as a day.” This
is important in this chapter which refers to the “last days”, Christ’s coming,
and the fiery destruction of the heavens and the earth. All of this spreads
over some time with Christ’s millennial reign in the middle. Men are very shortsighted
and are impatient to see everything take place in a hurry. The Lord is patient,
and we need to bear in mind that “the
Lord’s patience means salvation.” (v.
15) If not for His patience He would have given up on us and those we pray
for long ago.
I.
The Word
already spoken
A.
What was the purpose of Peter’s 2 letters to God’s elect in
Asia Minor – Turkey of today? He wrote to stimulate the believers. We can see
how his first letter was used and is still used to help and encourage people
who are going through suffering. But some would remind us that this second
letter is negative – full of warnings and judgment. But that is what many
people need to stimulate them to think rightly. Does Peter speak from his own
wisdom or with some kind of new “revelation”? His purpose was to remind them of
the word already spoken. It was spoken in the past by the holy prophets,
and in Peter’s day it was spoken by the Lord, mostly through the apostles who
carried on His work, and led people to the Savior.
`B. Here then is our foundation: The Word of
God as found in the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Epistles. This is our
job – not to look for new “revelations”, but to remind people of what God has already
spoken in His Word. Cults like Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormonism claim
to have had “new revelations” given to them by their founders. Today when you
hear false teachers say, “The Lord said to me..” or something like that, they
are claiming to have “new revelations” not found in God’s Word. Now a whole
movement has arisen that is led by so-called “Apostles” who depend on so-called
“Prophets” to give them the latest revelation from the Lord. God says that if
we do not stick to His law and His testimony, we have no light in
us. Isa. 8:20
II.
The scoffers
speak
A.
Peter turns next to the endtime scoffers. Scoffers are those
who laugh at and ridicule God and His Word as well as those who follow Him.
Instead of following God’s holy Word, they follow their own evil desires. They
are like the scoffers of Noah’s day and Sodom. They scoffed at righteous men
and even angels. They scoffed at God’s prophecy of a coming flood and
destruction by fire. They continued in their sins and evil desires in the face
of impending disaster. They are doing the same thing today. The impending
disaster today is first of all the coming of Christ. Of course, for us that’s
an anticipated joy and blessing. But for the scoffers and all those who have
not acknowledged Jesus as their Lord it means judgment and disaster. Rev. 1:7 So they are scoffing at God
and His Word – promises of blessing and judgment.
B.
Some of these scoffers will ask, “Where is this ‘coming’ He
promised?” In other words they want to know, “Where is He, this supposed Savior
and Creator?” The evolutionists teach that the world has gone on as it is today
for millions of years, with evolutionary processes slowly taking place.
Supposedly it all started with a “Big Bang” explosion. From there millions of
chance mutations took place, finally resulting in the myriad of creatures we
see, and even mankind. It is a totally ridiculous theory! Nothing about it has
been proven. It is the myth or fantasy that men have created because they
wanted to push God out of their lives. They don’t recognize God’s hand in
creating all there is, or in sustaining everything every moment, or in someday
judging His whole creation.
A.
Peter does not excuse these men for their ignorance, but
accuses them of deliberately forgetting what they actually know! They claim
that it never happened when all the time they have 3 clear evidences. They know
from what they see around them that God had to create it. They know in their
inner beings that there is a God who made them. And they have the evidence of
the scripture. Paul says in Romans 1:18-21
They are “without excuse”. Peter says here that they deliberately forget.
All their theories and myths are an attempt to forget what they actually know.
Why? Because they are trying to escape the knowledge of God and their
accountability to Him. What do they deliberately forget? That long ago only by
God’s word “the heavens existed and the
earth was formed out of water and by water”. Gen. 1:6,9; Psa. 24:1-2; Heb. 11:3 It was by God’s Word, not a Big
Bang or an evolutionary process.
B.
They not only deliberately forget that it was God’s Word
that created all there is. They do the same with the record of the flood. It
was by those same waters out of which the earth was formed that the world of
that time was “deluged and destroyed”. It was not just the people and animals
who were destroyed in the flood. It was the earth itself that was changed. All
of the evidences of the flood like the Grand Canyon and fossils of fish on the
tops of mountains are supposedly explained by the evolutionists. But their
explanations don’t hold up to the facts. Every so-called evidence of a long
term evolutionary process over millions of years can be explained by one
catastrophic flood as described in Genesis. They choose to “deliberately
forget” or are “willingly ignorant” of what doesn’t fit into their theories and
instead proves that there is a sovereign God.
C.
They choose to follow their evil desires and proudly
proclaim their theories as if they were facts. In the schoolbooks the children
learn from in our schools, evolution is taught as if it is a fact and creation
is ignored as a myth. These men and all who choose not to believe in God are in
for a big surprise. It is by the same word of God that the present heavens and
earth are reserved – or still here. Even the scoffers are alive because of the
sustaining word or power of the God they scoff at. What are the heavens and
earth being reserved or kept for? They are “reserved
for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” It
is all by His word and His will. He keeps His promises, whether they are
promises of salvation or judgment. The God who made has the right to destroy
what He made. The only reason that He doesn’t destroy everyone is that some
respond to His grace and love Him more than they love themselves and their
world. Noah is our example.
A.
By His word the earth was formed out of water. By
His word the earth was deluged and destroyed by that same water. By His
word the present heavens and earth are being kept. And by His word in
His time they will be destroyed by fire. Those who think there is no God or
that He is not involved in history are badly mistaken. It is His word and His
hand that have made history and caused the rise and fall of nations. But as we
look back at the scope of history: the creation, the flood, the present world
and its future destruction, we have to remember one thing. Though it has taken
thousands of years in our time, it has only taken days in God’s time. Psa. 90:4
B.
But how is a day like 1000 years? God is able to accomplish
in one day what others would think should take thousands of years. The
evolutionists teach that the earth was being developed over millions of years,
but the Bible says that God did it in 6 days! The Day of Pentecost accomplished
more for God’s kingdom than hundreds of years had. But Peter uses this
explanation of God’s time to help us know that He is not slow about keeping His
promises. So why is God waiting? Heb.
10:37 First, His time is not measured like ours. So when we think it is
past time for Christ to come, we need to remember that with the Lord the 6000
years that have passed are like 6 days.
C.
Secondly, God is not slow; He is patient! We tend to think
of Him as slow from our time perspective. That’s how we understand slowness. He
will keep His promise, we can be sure of that! His supposed slowness is
only an evidence of His patience. If we were the Judge, we would have long
since wiped out mankind and started over. The scoffers don’t understand that
the very slowness they despise is because of God’s patience. He is patient with
us because of His nature. He is not only a patient God, but a loving God as
well. He doesn’t want anyone to perish. His heart’s desire is for everyone to
come to repentance, even the scoffers. So He patiently waits for men to repent.
Rom. 2:4 Will they? Not everyone
will; in fact, most will not. But they can never blame God. He has patiently
waited for them, but they proudly went on their way, scoffing and turning their
backs on Him! How sad!
A. The day of the Lord will come! Man’s doubt and scoffing cannot hold back the hand of God. Man can only hold back his own soul from eternal blessing. While many men scoff at the idea of Christ’s return, and others deliberately forget, God patiently waits for them to repent. He is not willing that they should perish. If they don’t repent, the day of the Lord will shock them like an electric charge. The scoffers and those with short memories will be suddenly caught up in something they’re not prepared for - like a thief breaking into their house at night. To those of us who believe His Word and know His power, it will be no surprise. No matter what men think, these heavens and this earth are destined for destruction. Matt. 24:35 They are not the solid, permanent things the evolutionists imagine. They have not been here for millions of years.
B.
All of this reasoning leads to self-assurance and
complacency. And when environmental issues arise, men feel that they are well
equipped to “save the planet”. It’s all a myth, a fantasy! God created and God
will destroy in His time and way. The heavens will actually disappear with a
roar. It’s hard to imagine all the galaxies disappearing with a mighty roar.
The elements – which are the basic building blocks of all matter – will be
destroyed by fire. The earth and everything in it will be burned up. One
wonders if this description is of a nuclear war or if God will make even that
look pitiful. However God decides to do it, it will be God’s decision,
not man’s! It will be one mighty inferno that reaches far beyond the earth in
to the heavens. That will be the real Big Bang!
When we look
around us and realize that everything we know will go up in flames, it should
help us set our proper priorities. If we are seeking the kingdom of heaven and
His righteousness (Matt. 6:33) we
will be ready and waiting for that day when Christ comes. Jesus told a parable
in Mark 13:32-37 that reminds us
that we need to be on our guard, alert, and watching. Christ has put us, His
servants, in charge of our assigned tasks. We don’t know when He, the Owner of
the house, will return to His house and His world. “If He comes suddenly, do not let Him find you sleeping.” May that
be a glorious day for us as we welcome Him back and meet Him unashamed!
Bible Studies
Peter
and His Letters (14)
What
Kind of People Should We Be?
II
Peter 3:11-18
Just as God interrupted the
course of history before with a great flood, and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah
with fire and brimstone, so He will end the history of this present heavens and
earth. That final day of the Lord will come as a thief to those who are
unprepared. The heavens will disappear with a roar and the earth and everything
in it will burn up. When we fully comprehend that all we know around us in the
universe will be destroyed in God’s Big Bang, it should give us a different
perspective on life and things. It should help us to adjust our thinking and
our lifestyle when we see that all that seems important now will be gone.
I.
Look forward
to the Day of the Lord
A.
The universe that we know is transient, not permanent. And
we are merely pilgrims passing through this world. The Amplified Bible says, “Since all these things are thus in the
process of being dissolved…” They will be dissolved like salt in water
until nothing is left of what was. In the light of this alarming destruction of
everything material that we know, Peter asks an important question: What kind of people ought you to be?” Should
we be entangled in the things of this dying world? How foolish that would be! I Cor. 7:31 Peter answers his own
question by writing, “You ought to live
holy and godly lives.” Wise people will live for the only permanence there
is: God and His kingdom. Psa. 90:12 We
ought to live for Christ and for eternity. We ought to remember that our
example and our words can make a difference in people’s lives, so that they,
too, can wait eagerly - instead of with fear - for the Day of the Lord.
B.
Once again Peter emphasizes that that day will bring the
destruction, not only of the earth, but of the heavens as well. And the fire
will be so hot that the elements will melt in the heat. That’s the really bad
news for those who reject Christ and love the world. It’s the
really good news for those who love Christ and reject the world.
So we look forward by faith to the fulfillment of God’s promise – a new heaven
and a new earth. It will be the home of God and of righteousness! Even Isaiah
was looking forward to this new creation. Isa.
65:17 Isaiah says that in that wonderful home where there is only
righteousness, the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. And
this new creation will not be temporary but will endure. Isa. 66:22 John saw this wonderful place! Rev. 21:1-4 He wrote that there God will wipe away every tear and
there will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain. Why? Because the
old order of things has passed away and everything is new, beautiful and holy.
A.
For those who love and belong to the Lord, the end of this
present creation doesn’t signal the end of all things. It will, however, be the
end of sin and death – something to rejoice over. So we look forward! Who knows
what glories are in store? If God could create this beautiful universe in which
we now live, just think of what glories He will create in the new one! Are we
looking forward to this? Peter assumes that we are. He writes: “So then, dear friends, since you are
looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and
at peace with Him.”
B.
We will be “found” by Christ when He returns to this earth
for His millennial reign. How will He find us? Will we be spotless and
blameless? Once again Peter urges us to “make every effort” as he did in 1:5. Remember that we learned there
that we need to keep climbing the mountain. We need to make every effort to
develop the fruits of the Spirit, to stay clean, and to be at peace with God.
This means living right every day, being repentant when we sin, and being in
close fellowship with the Lord at all times.
A.
Sometimes we get impatient and wonder why God doesn’t act.
Why doesn’t He rescue the righteous now? In some countries Christians are
suffering terrible persecution and death. It may come to us someday. Why
doesn’t God step in and judge evil men now? Of course, sometimes God does
rescue the righteous and judge evil. But we must remember that God is patient. v. 9 His patience means salvation for
some who will yet repent. When we think that God is waiting too long, we just
need to remember our friends and loved ones who will be judged in hell if they
don’t repent. While we would like God to act now and deliver us from this
sinful world into the new heavens and new earth, what would happen to them?
B.
Paul wrote about these things, and Peter obviously read
Paul’s epistles. Peter mentions that Paul had written about these things in all
of his letters. One example is I Thess.
5:1-11. I think that Peter was letting them know that Paul and he were of
one mind. He acknowledges that Paul wrote with the wisdom that God gave him. He
admitted that Paul’s letters contain some things that are hard to understand,
which is true. With the help of the Holy Spirit we can understand even those
hard teachings. It was also true that ignorant and unstable people were
distorting Paul’s letters. People have been distorting scripture all down
through the ages. If you don’t want to face the truth you have to find a way to
change it.
C.
It’s interesting that Peter included Paul’s letters with the
“other scriptures”. It seems that Peter recognized at this early date that
Paul’s 13 letters were part of scripture, though just written. Peter was clear
that people who tamper with God’s Word do it to their own destruction. Don’t
ever fool around with God’s holy Word! It’s God-breathed! II Tim. 3:16-17 False teachers add to and subtract from God’s Word
and take verses out of context, thus distorting what God has said. How serious
is this? Rev. 22:18-19
A.
Once again Peter addresses his readers as “dear friends”.
It’s the third time in this chapter. (vs.
8, 14, 17) Peter begins his conclusion to this chapter with “therefore”,
connecting it with all he has written about the Day of the Lord and the
destruction of this whole universe. He has told us already to “make every
effort” to be people of God, growing in Christ, and maturing in the fruits of
the Spirit. Since we already know the future and the danger of the present –
false teachers – we must be “on our guard”. We must be alert, watchful,
informed and discerning guardians of our own faith and the faith of others. The
danger is imminent. Like a dead fish, we can be carried away on the tide. Like
a negligent boatsman we can be thrown on the reef or carried far from land. We
usually are carried away by carelessness and neglect. So we must be awake and
alive “making every effort” to stay on the right path.
B.
Since this letter is written to Christians, we must ask:
What is it that carries Christians away? It is the “error of lawless men”. This
is not just some mistake that can be excused. These men teach error –
unbiblical things. These are intentional errors taught by those outside of the
law of Christ. A lawless person acts according to his own desires and lusts,
ignoring what God says. King Saul was rejected by God for doing this. I Sam. 15:22-23 So we can be carried
away and we can also fall. If there are stumbling blocks in our way, we can
fall over them. What do we fall from? “Our secure position”. We are like people
standing on a rock overlooking the Grand Canyon. Our position is secure, but
there is still the potential of falling. This is an apt description of
conditional security. We are absolutely secure in Christ. But if we are
careless, don’t listen to the warnings, don’t follow the signs, and ignore our
guide, we can still fall.
C.
So what should we do? The alternative is to grow in grace.
We have to keep growing in God’s grace, climbing the mountain, going from fruit
to fruit. And we must grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. The closer we get to Him and the better we know Him, the more secure we
are. Phil. 3:10-11 Of course, we
stand in His grace, but we can become separated from Him through rebellion, disobedience,
or just carelessness. I agree with Peter’s doxology: To Him – and Him alone –
be glory both now and forever.
A. Peter was a rough, undisciplined, and fiery person when Jesus found and called him. He learned many of his lessons the hard way. He had to leave behind his pride and self-assurance before God could use him in a great way. The good thing about Peter is that he did learn from his mistakes and sins and he never gave up and stopped following Christ. Peter finally became a great preacher, one of the main leaders in the early church, and a mature teacher of the truths of God. So we benefit from all he learned and taught in his two letters. He stands side by side with Paul and John as valued instruments of the Holy Spirit in the writing of the New Testament.
B.
First Peter is an important resource book on what to do when
suffering. There are many kinds of suffering. Those to whom Peter wrote, and
we, often suffer from physical or emotional problems. The early Christians and
many Christians today around the world also suffer from the persecution of men.
Peter urged us to remember that we are strangers in this world and can expect
these trials. He teaches us that God has a purpose in them. One purpose is to
test our faith and prove whether it is genuine or not. I Pet. 1:6-7 Another purpose of our suffering is to separate us
from sin, so that we stop living for evil human desires, and instead live for
the will of God. I Pet. 4:1-2 Peter
wrote a lot about the will of God, even teaching us that it may be His will for
us to suffer. I Pet. 4:19 But he
gives us a wonderful promise that after we have suffered for awhile, He will
make us strong. I Pet. 5:10
C.
Second Peter deals primarily with the danger of false
teachers. They and their judgment
are described in vivid detail. Peter
also gives us a clear picture of the end time, including God’s Big Bang in
which He will burn up the heavens and the earth. Peter is very honest with us
that we are in danger of being carried away or falling from our secure
position. II Pet. 3:17 He urges us
to make every effort to climb the mountain of maturity in Christ, and to be
found by Him at His return spotless and blameless. II Pet. 1:5-7;3:14 In that way we will make our calling and
election sure. I think that Peter was a good person to write about this since he
personally came so close to being carried away and falling from his secure
position.
I think a good way to end this
study is to meditate on I Pet. 5:6-9. Peter
has a lot to say about submission in his first letter. The best way to endure
suffering is to be humble and submissive under God’s mighty hand. God has a
purpose for our suffering, so it is important to trust Him in that. Instead of
worrying about what may come to us personally or to the universe as a whole, we
need to give Him all our fears and worries because He cares for us and can do
what no one else can. But we need to be aware that the devil is still a roaring
lion, even though sometimes in the sheep’s clothing of false teachers. So we
must resist the devil and them. The Holy Spirit through Peter has given us a
lot of very important information in these 2 short letters. So let us live holy
and godly lives as we look forward to the coming of Jesus and the new heavens and
new earth - God’s home of righteousness.