Something that is so very true, yet so overlooked, is that Satan is alive and well and is "walk[ing] about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (vs. 8). Satan is here. This is his domain. This is him place. This is his home. And he is not too happy about us Christ-followers intruding on hi turf. Satan does not spend much time on the non-believers. Yeah, his little imps work on them just enough to keep them, but it is the believers whom he keeps close tabs on. It is us whom threaten his kingdom. It is us whom are trying to take away from his "flock". He wants to take us down, not because he can get us back, but because he doesn't want us to take any more of whom he considers his own.
Peter approaches this and tries to show us just how real this spiritual battle is. He calls for us to be sober and be vigilant. Basically, what he is saying is that we must be on guard. One thing that is interesting about the armor of God is that there is no armor on the back. I think this is God's way of saying not to turn our back on Satan, because as soon as we let our guard down, he will take us down in a second. We have to always have our armor on, and ready to resist the devil.
One exhortation Peter gives us is that we are not alone (vs. 9). These same sufferings are being felt by every genuine believer yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Satan uses the same tricks, just with different masks. Feel comfort in knowing that others are experiencing this and that is the reason for the Church - to confide in each other, and to lift each other up. Just do not forget that it is ultimately God that gives the power to continue on. Satan must submit to God because - well, God is God! If we stick close to God, He will protect us. He will show us His grace? Does this mean that the closer we are to God the less pain we will feel? Couldn't be less true! In the very next verse, Peter says that while the pain is hard, just remember that it is necessary so that Jesus can "perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle" us. The pain is just part of the road to get us where we are going.
If you have ever seen even a piece of military action (even on TV or in books), you know that basic training is not a fun place to be. In training for the military, the recruits are put through gruesome tasks, hard-nosed action, and downright painful stuff. This is because the leaders know that war is rough and that when they see battle, they are going to need to be tough as well. In the same way, God has called us into a battle field. He wants to send us into the enemies territory to try and gain other people to "our (His) side". This is rough, just like any war! So, to be ready for it, we are going to have to endure somethings.
Does this mean that once we get past "basic training", things are smooth sailing? Well, does a soldier quit training after basic? No, not at all. They keep conditioning and trying to get better. True, it gets a little easier, but it doesn't quit. And neither does it stop while you are in the Christian battlefield (Earth). It gets easier as you mature in faith, but it is still battle nonetheless. You become better at it, and maybe even become the "Rambo" of the spiritual war, but you still are going to face the roaring lion, and so it is still going to be painful.
I don't tell you this to dishearten you, I tell you this to encourage you. This should be exciting to be a part of God's war against the Evil One. It is a privilege to be called one of God's own, and so it should encourage you to live up and live worthy of the calling. It should make you want to be a better "soldier" and to fight for God. It will continue until the end of the Earth as we know it, and a matter of fact, the Bible says the war just gets rougher and rougher. Are you ready for battle? If not, you better get that way soon because Satan probably already has his sword drawn and pointed straight at you! God has given you the power to tame the lion. Do it!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Oh, for the love of (the glory of) God! - 1 Peter 4:7-19
This chapter covers two main themes with one main ending: Serving and Suffering for God's Glory. Peter covers the fact that no matter what we do, we should be doing it solely for the glory of God for the declaration of salvation to the whole world. Or in laymen's terms - we do it to try to show people God.
The first speaks of serving for God's glory. His main point is in verse 8 where he says, "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins'". This is probably one of the most defining verses of the Christian faith! It is God's love that covers our sins, and it is the love of others that allows us to look over their sins and live in harmony. Period. Love is what allows us to carry on. Love is what gets us by. We love to serve. We love for the glory of God.
Love is not the only way we serve, however. We also serve by using our spiritual gifts. The Bible teaches that everyone who is saved recieves the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has a special gift designed for that person. The purpose is for that person to use that gift in God's ministry. No, I do not mean full-time, pastoral service as it is for some; no, God's ministry involves everyone who proclaims His Name! If you are in the Body of Christ, then you have a job to do. God wants you to figure out the gift the Holy Spirit gave you, and use it for His glory. It's your responsibility! (Hey, no one ever said this is going to be easy! And if they did, they lied!)
The only excuse for someone not serving is for them to be suffering. However, they still do this for the glory of God. As a matter of fact, the Bible teaches that this is an even greater privilege to suffer for Christ than the serve for Him. There is a special place for those who have to suffer for the name of Jesus, and it is not overlooked in the least bit. If you experience a time when you are suffering for the name of Christ (and it doesn't have to be martyrdom, it can simply be missing out on the pleasures of the flesh, being talked about, etc.), God says to do it with joy because through it His glory is revealed (vs. 13) and that by glorifying Him in time of suffering, you are doing a great work for the Kingdom.
So, these are the two main ways in which we glorify God. They cover just about everything we do in the Christian life. If you're not serving, you better be suffering; and if you're not suffering, you should be serving! Are you doing either one?
The first speaks of serving for God's glory. His main point is in verse 8 where he says, "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins'". This is probably one of the most defining verses of the Christian faith! It is God's love that covers our sins, and it is the love of others that allows us to look over their sins and live in harmony. Period. Love is what allows us to carry on. Love is what gets us by. We love to serve. We love for the glory of God.
Love is not the only way we serve, however. We also serve by using our spiritual gifts. The Bible teaches that everyone who is saved recieves the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has a special gift designed for that person. The purpose is for that person to use that gift in God's ministry. No, I do not mean full-time, pastoral service as it is for some; no, God's ministry involves everyone who proclaims His Name! If you are in the Body of Christ, then you have a job to do. God wants you to figure out the gift the Holy Spirit gave you, and use it for His glory. It's your responsibility! (Hey, no one ever said this is going to be easy! And if they did, they lied!)
The only excuse for someone not serving is for them to be suffering. However, they still do this for the glory of God. As a matter of fact, the Bible teaches that this is an even greater privilege to suffer for Christ than the serve for Him. There is a special place for those who have to suffer for the name of Jesus, and it is not overlooked in the least bit. If you experience a time when you are suffering for the name of Christ (and it doesn't have to be martyrdom, it can simply be missing out on the pleasures of the flesh, being talked about, etc.), God says to do it with joy because through it His glory is revealed (vs. 13) and that by glorifying Him in time of suffering, you are doing a great work for the Kingdom.
So, these are the two main ways in which we glorify God. They cover just about everything we do in the Christian life. If you're not serving, you better be suffering; and if you're not suffering, you should be serving! Are you doing either one?
Monday, February 25, 2008
Why We Try - 1 Peter 2:11-3:17
The freedom we attain from Christ is amazing. It completely separates us from sin, and that in itself is the most freeing of experiences. However, some take that a little too far and wonder why even bother. I think we are all guilty of this at some point. It's those moments when you think "well He'll forgive me for it". It's a moment of weakness, and one that you know you shouldn't even be thinking about, but you do it anyway. But when you look at it vertically, one can't help but wonder why we go about not sinning when it is going to be forgiven anyway? Peter attempts (and does, actually) answer this question in 1 Peter 2-3.
He takes us through many scenarios so as to try and include all believes. These include Jews and Gentiles, wives and husbands, children and parents, and workers and bosses. I think that pretty includes everyone! The basic theme that runs through all of these scenarios, however, is simply to refrain from sin.
What Peter teaches, and it is quite basic when you look at it, is that the reason we try not sin is so that we can spread Christianity and bring others to belief. When a redeemed person is seen sinning by a non-believer, then that person may have a hard time believing that the redeemed one is truly free from sin. They see no difference in themselves and the redeemed. So, they wonder why even bother because it doesn't show them anything. The only reason God leaves us on this Earth after we are saved is to tell and show others Jesus Christ so that they too may be saved. It is our job - our responsibility! It is God's purpose and Will that we show others Him by our basic living. This is why He does not want us to sin anymore!
Every time we sin, we could be helping determine someone else's eternal fate. That is a big thing! I do not want to know that because of my actions, someone may never get to see Glory. I don't want that on my conscious, and I know you don't either.
It's a basic lesson, but a powerful one. Resist temptation and run from evil because God's not the only one watching - everyone else is too!
He takes us through many scenarios so as to try and include all believes. These include Jews and Gentiles, wives and husbands, children and parents, and workers and bosses. I think that pretty includes everyone! The basic theme that runs through all of these scenarios, however, is simply to refrain from sin.
What Peter teaches, and it is quite basic when you look at it, is that the reason we try not sin is so that we can spread Christianity and bring others to belief. When a redeemed person is seen sinning by a non-believer, then that person may have a hard time believing that the redeemed one is truly free from sin. They see no difference in themselves and the redeemed. So, they wonder why even bother because it doesn't show them anything. The only reason God leaves us on this Earth after we are saved is to tell and show others Jesus Christ so that they too may be saved. It is our job - our responsibility! It is God's purpose and Will that we show others Him by our basic living. This is why He does not want us to sin anymore!
Every time we sin, we could be helping determine someone else's eternal fate. That is a big thing! I do not want to know that because of my actions, someone may never get to see Glory. I don't want that on my conscious, and I know you don't either.
It's a basic lesson, but a powerful one. Resist temptation and run from evil because God's not the only one watching - everyone else is too!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Oh, the humanity! - 1 Peter 1:6
I believe the true mark of humanity is the fact that we are sinners. Period. Even though our spirit is saved, at salvation, from sin, our flesh is still a byproduct. We still have to live in a world fraught with peril, and is in all reality, the Devil's Domain. So, as Peter states in 1 Peter 1:6, we are going to face trouble. Imagine being an American living in the heart of Iraq right now. You are indefinitely going to face some hardships. In the same way, we are "pilgrims of the Dispersion" (1:1) in this world that is not our home. Living in the heart of the enemies barracks, he is going to try everything he can to bring us down and get rid of us.
I am reading a book called "An Arrow Pointing Toward Heaven", which is a biography on the life of Christian recording artist Rich Mullins. There is a chapter in the book about sin and temptation, in which it talks about how Rich believed that it was the mark of a Christian to be tempted. If we are not being tempted, that means Satan is not worried about us. We aren't a threat to him. It is when we grow closer to God that he starts to get worried!
He comes to us in many forms, which is where he gets his name, "The Great Deceiver". Some of the troubles that we can run into is feelings of inadequacy, hardships in relationships, and just good ol' fashioned temptation to run wild and sin. Whichever may be the case, Peter is showing us five very important things in this one verse.
The first is that trouble isn't going to last very long ("though now for a little while"). Whatever the situation is, it is fleeting. It may last an hour, a day, or a month, but it is inevitably going to end. The Bible teaches that if you resist Satan, he must flee. I think this is one of the most comforting aspects of what Peter teaches here.
The second is that when trouble comes, it has a purpose ("if need be"). We learn in Job that God has to give Satan permission to start picking on one of His children. Now, you may ask why in the world God just doesn't give Satan permission anymore! But the reality is that, just as stated, our flesh is still worldly, and the only way that we going to grow spiritually so as to beat it is to face trouble in life to grow from it. Although God gives Satan permission, He promises us in His Word that He is never going to give us something we can not handle. So, if you are facing something and you think it is just too big for you, remember that even if you do not believe in yourself, God believes in you because He is allowing it to happen. The bigger the issue you are facing, the bigger reason you are facing it.
Thirdly, and almost without even mentioning, trouble brings grief ("you have been grieved"). We don't like trouble, and when it hits we aren't too happy about it. Plain and simple. More on this in the fifth section.
The fourth thing he teaches we have already touched on, so I'm only going to mention it: trouble comes is all shapes and sizes ("various trials"). We know that Satan brings it on us in more forms than we can imagine.
Lastly, and the most important, trouble should not take away from your joy ("greatly rejoice"). All throughout the Bible, we find verses praising God for distress and grief. It is one of the paradoxes of the Christian life. When it all boils down, we are still God's beloved children, and nothing is going to take that away from us (see Romans 8:38-39). We have salvation, and that in itself should give you more joy than anything.
No matter what you are facing, know that you are not facing it alone. I know that no matter what I go through (and it is a lot everyday), that in the end it is going to bring me closer to God as long as I keep my eyes on Him. I'm going to level with you - Satan has been knocking on my door a lot here lately. I don't why, but he has been attacking me almost more than ever lately, so when I read this verse, it really helped me out and opened my eyes. I must look back at the spiritual markers in my life, much like Joshua said to do in the Old Testament when he set up a marker of a rock on the path to the church. These markers (salvation, rededication, call to the ministry, deep spiritual moments, etc.) are all there to reflect upon to prove to me that God is right here with me, and He will never leave my side even when I try to turn my back on Him. The markers show me where God has brought me thus far, and its His little reminders that I shouldn't fear, and face the trials with gladness, for He still believes in me!
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