Month: March 2022

2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.

Our Lord Jesus has given us everything we need that relates to life and godliness. His divine power has granted all of it, so that we might have no doubt about this promise. The power of Christ overcomes all temptations to sin, all lies of Satan, and the looming shadow of death. It is not simple, natural, or even possible, for us to believe this promise, because we are inundated with sin and evil around us and in us.

That is what we see. 1) It is easy to agree with the accusations of the devil (I am a guilty sinner); we need the power of God to believe the overcoming Word: ”There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” 2) It is easy to give in to the temptations of the world (I go along to get along); we need the power of God to believe His present help: ”God is faithful, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape.” 3) It is easy to give up trying to change the sinful flesh (I can’t do it); we need the power of God to believe His victory: ”Who will deliver me? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 4) It is easy to resign ourselves to death (we’re all going to die): we need the power of God to believe the victorious promise: ”Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Incredibly, we can and we do live a life of godliness, because He has “called us to glory and virtue.”

1 Peter 5:10 But the God all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, afer that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.

The gospel promise, that God has called us to his eternal glory, carries both a present fulfillment and a future guarantee. ”Has called” is in the past tense, signifying something that has already been accomplished in our earthly lifetime. “Eternal glory” is obviously something in our future not yet seen. We have not yet seen the Glory of God, but we already have it and walk in it by faith. Faith sees the promise afar off and pulls it into the present moment. We are filled with joy and peace in believing.

The Holy Spirit has called us by the Gospel. A ”call” is compelling and urgent, though it is resistible, as witnessed by the number of unbelievers who have heard the gospel but rejected it. Nevertheless, a call is subtly powerful, not overwhelming, but it is so beautiful and reasonable that we want to answer the call and follow Jesus. The Spirit never forces His way upon us but bends and shapes our will so that we gladly say ”Yes.” Then we see by faith the glory to which we have been called.

The promise includes ”suffering for a while,” which all experience during earthly life, but afterward God promises to make us perfect, establish, strengthen, settle us. This He will do for sure, but for now we are a work in progress. The Lord uses life experiences connected to the Word of God to do this sanctifying work.

Christian ps use the term ”he was called to glory” when a believer dies, but in truth we are called to glory when we die to sin and self by faith in Christ.

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.

God will exalt the humble (and bring down the proud). This is a bedrock principle built into God’s universe. And it is a promise we need to remember. But the exaltation promise is conditional: if you are humble, then God will exalt you.

”To make oneself humble” is a hard, even impossible, thing for selfish, sinful human beings to do. We humans naturally seek attention, recognition, glory, fame, honor, prestige, and simply to be liked. We cannot “humble ourselves” by our own will and desire. It really is something that God must do in us. And He will. To ”humble yourselves” really means being willing to accept the discipline of the Lord with joy and thanksgiving. The Spirit uses the Word connected to the circumstances and experiences of life to convict of sin and unworthiness, bringing us to godly sorrow and genuine repentance.

Then we are ready to receive the grace of God in the Gospel. Through the gospel the Lord lifts us up to the highest places. By faith we identify with Jesus, and what happened to Him happens to us: He ”humbled himself…therefore God has highly exalted him [Philippians 2:8-9].” God ”raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places.” God’s exaltation is glorious; we don’t need the “glory of man.”

We humble ourselves (are willing to be humbled) by repentance and faith, confession and absolution. In this way God fills our craving: we are exalted ”in due time.” Wait for it in faith.

1 Peter 5:5 Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

A repeated theme throughout the Scriptures is that of the Great Reversal. God reverses the status of persons bringing down the high and lifting up the lowly. The Lord promises Grace to the Humble. We use this promise to keep our cool, stay calm, endure injustice, bear with false accusations, and accept the seeming unfairness of life. All things will be put to rights and justice will be served in the end. With this promise we can endure and wait patiently for it.

This sounds like a conditional promise: if you are humble, then God will give you grace. But in actuality, it is all God’s doing since He makes humble and grants humility. Then He gives Grace. The Spirit through the Word creates a heart that is humble and lowly, penitent and sorrowful, and ready to receive grace. The proud, self-righteous old man still living in us stubbornly resists the Word of God and the motions of the Spirit to break the hard and stony heart within. Then we hear these sad words: ”God resists the proud.”

We exhibit the humbling words and motions of God by repentance and confession of sin. We exhibit the gracious words and movements of God by believing the gospel, receiving Jesus, and confessing Him as Lord.

This grace promise is exemplified in the story of the rich man and Lazarus: ”But now he is comforted and you are in anguish.” So employ the promise to entrust ourselves in the Lord’s hand forever.

1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

You will receive a crown of Glory when Jesus makes His glorious appearance at the end of time. This crown is likely the same as the crown of Life promised to overcomers in Revelation. The Life of God that He shares with us, the life we have inside now by faith, will be revealed as Glory when we see it unveiled. We will share and see and be eternally amazed at the brilliant glory of God. We, our lowly, sinful selves, will be transformed to be like His glorious Transfiguration-looking Resurrection body.

Meanwhile, while we wait in the sure Hope of Glory we endure a ”crown of thorns,” a life of pain and suffering caused by Sin, our own sin. Once the sin is paid for, judged, redeemed, forgiven, and removed by Christ we receive a crown by faith. We still experience frustrations, disappointments, fears, doubts, failures, pains, afflictions during this life under the cross we bear. But alongside, we have been given a crown that rules over and overcomes the Evil Enemies of life. In the midst of the sin, curse, guilt, shame, death, emptiness, hopelessness, and despair in which we live in this world comes the Life of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

We wear this Crown now by faith in the promise and expectation of receiving it. We are kings and priests of God in the Kingdom overcoming now and forever. And all this will be revealed when the chief Shepherd appears.

1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Since we have the promise that God will keep our souls, we may confidently entrust our souls to a faithful God. We believe that the Holy Spirit will ”keep me with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.” We can most assuredly count on Him to take care of us completely. We daily commend our selves (our souls) into His hands for tender care and safekeeping. Thus we know that whatever happens is controlled by the will of God.

The suffering that may come our way, however, will be “according to the will of God.” This does not apply to suffering we undergo as a consequence of sin. Sins themselves cause various sufferings. So we “keep our accounts up to date” by daily repentance and faith. Then we know that the suffering is according to God’s will, it is under His control, and He will work it out together for good.

When we know that our experiences are under God’s control for our good, then we are free to live our lives in well doing, simply doing good works in the service of others. For we can trust the promise: the Lord will take care of us. ”Commit your way unto the Lord; trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass.”

1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

God makes a promise: you will be glad with exceeding joy when Christ’s glory will be revealed. God grants joy now and peace through faith in the gospel, but that is nothing compared to the abiding and exceeding joy that will be ours when Jesus returns in glory. Here on earth our joy is tainted with sin and mixed with sadness. The promise of pure and exceeding joy in heaven is enough to keep our spirits hopeful through the darker days of life on earth.

However, connected to this promise of joy is the truth that we are “partakers of Christ’s sufferings.” Remember that Sin, Death, and the Devil hate us and continually seek to make our lives miserable and full of pain and suffering. Remember also that through suffering we enter into glory. And remember that persecution is expected and predicted. ”We must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God.”

We remember and rejoice that God has interjected Himself in human history, into our lives, to bring us Good News of Great Joy. This fruit of Joy overcomes the pains, sufferings, and deaths we experience in this life. This inner joy and the hope of exceeding joy sustains and strengthens us daily

1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

God promises that each one of us has received the gift as a part of the grace of God. Grace was earned by Christ for all people; those who believe in Jesus have received that grace. If one believes he has grace; if one has grace he has the gift. Gifts differ, and they are distributed variously to different members of the Body of Christ. Each person who believes is a part of the Body and has received the gift of grace. No one has all the gifts, but everyone has at least one.

The Grace of God is manifold, or varied, and it looks a little differently when we see the grace of God in each individual believer. But we have a fuller picture of Christ when we see the whole Church.

The Church, and each member of it, is a Steward of God’s grace. A steward is charged with taking care of the property and affairs of another. As stewards, we minister to (serve, love) others with the unique distribution of the gifts of grace we have received. This our calling: to serve others with the gifts we have received. It is the Grace of God that works out through unique believers to bless others both in the church and in the world. I am called to serve, and I am promised the gift of grace to carry out that service.

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves; for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

The promise of God is that His Love will cover the multitude of our sins. Jesus sprinkled the blood of the Lamb on the mercy seat of God to make atonement for the sins of the world. God the Father, the Almighty Judge, sees the blood of Jesus instead of the sinner, and accepts us into His eternal kingdom. ”When I see the blood I will pass over.” When we see the Blood we are seeing the Love of God. Blood = Love. When we look at the Cross we see the love of God; when God looks at the Cross He sees no sin in us for it is covered. Sin is not only covered from view, it is also removed and forgotten. Because of the covering blood, when the Lord looks upon us He sees Jesus, not our Sin.

”Charity” is the King James English word for Love. The love of God for me put Jesus on the cross to shed His blood to “cover,” which means hide, remove, forget. Christ covers the multitude of our sins. ”Multitude” simply means our sins are many, from the past and the future. But we know that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sins, not one is left unforgiven. This is a promise and a guarantee.

Secondly, this promise also declares that the Christian’s love for others covers a multitude of their sins. Our love for others comes from God’s love for us. The believer prays daily: ”As we forgive those who trespass against us.” When Christians love and forgive and cover, the world is a better place. Covering stems the tide of strife from running rampant in our families and communities and our world. Thank God for this powerful promise. Use the promise to cover the multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:6 For this cause was the gospel preached unto them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

One of the mysterious Biblical truths that we must believe because we cannot fully understand it is that we are at the same time and all the time saint and sinner. The promise is that we are saints, holy people inside who never sin but only do good. We don’t have so much trouble believing we are sinners, for, unless we are prideful Pharisees, we can plainly see our selfish sinfulness. But the saint, the holy person inside, is not so readily apparent. Thus, God grants faith to believe it: “I am righteous, I am holy, I am a saint.” The saint lives according to God in the spirit.

That is the promise that is not often seen but yet is believed. Faith sees that I am a saint who only does good (for which God gets the credit), and I am a sinner who can only do sins (for which I am justly judged). When I do something bad I get the blame; when I do something good Jesus in me gets the credit. I can take no credit for any good work I have done.

The gospel preached to us who are dead in sin; the sinner is judged. If I believe the Gospel then my sin is judged in the cross of Christ. The sinner “dies daily” and the saint lives.