1 Peter (Program #22) -Christian Life and Its Sufferings (10)

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we have received as part of our full salvation, an escape from the eternal perdition that awaits the disobedient and rebellious.  But many believers mistakenly take this to mean that Christians face no manner of judgment at all from the righteous  and holy God.  Regardless of how popular such a thought might be, the Bible does just not support it.  Take for example Peter’s word in his first epistle in chapter 4.  In verse 12 he says “Beloved do not think that the fiery ordeal among you coming to you for a trial, is strange.”  Then in verse 17 he adds “For it is time for the judgment to begin from the house of God;”  These verses made very clear that our righteous and loving Father does judge, discipline and purify His children will never putting our eternal destiny in jeopardy.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 Peter (Program #21) -Christian Life and Its Sufferings (9)

The Old Testament record is one that includes many accounts of God’s judgment.  He not only judge rebellious and evil persons but even cities were condemned and judged by God.  Today many people believe that the time of God’s  judging has passed and that is New Testament believers we need to have no fear of God.  But this kind of thinking reflects not only an inadequate understanding of the truth of the Scripture but also a totally inaccurate one  as well.  In fact God is still judging.  But what is striking to know and most often overlooked in this age of comforting words is that His judgment in this age begins with His own household.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 Peter (Program #20) -Christian Life and Its Sufferings (8)

1 Peter 4:1-2 say “Since Christ therefore has suffered in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same mind (because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin), no longer to live the rest of the time in the flesh in the lusts of men, but in the will of God.“

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 Peter (Program #19) -Christian Life and Its Sufferings (7)

The apostle Peter said that the water of baptism saves us and he referenced the picture in the Old Testament of Noah’s family being saved in the Ark from the judging water and separated from the condemned world of that time through the water of the flood.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 Peter (Program #18) -Christian Life and Its Sufferings (6)

The apostle Peter encourages his fellow believers in Christ to suffer for righteousness by the will of God as Christ did.

We have some wonderful pictures of how we can sanctify Christ in our heart through suffering and also what happened when Christ’s Spirit was made alive in His death.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 Peter (Program #17) -Christian Life and Its Sufferings (4 & 5)

The Bible speaks about marriage and about the marriage life in many places.  It’s common for people to select their own favorite passages on this most personal of subjects.  How often, for example do husbands anxious to establish their authority quote such verses as Ephesians 5 :22 where the apostle Paul says “Wives, be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord;”  While many wives might prefer to remind their spouses of verse 25 in the same chapter; “Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”  But Peter also speaks of marriage and may in fact offer one of the most excellent passages in all of Scripture on the subject.  Speaking to the husband, he says in chapter 3 of his first epistle, “Husbands, in like manner dwell together with them according to knowledge, as with the weaker, female vessel, assigning honor to them as also to fellow heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.“

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 Peter (Program #16) -Christian Life and Its Sufferings (1 & 3)

The New Testament book of 1 Peter in chapter 2 gives us some marvelous and very experiential expressions concerning our relationship with Christ.  In verse 24 and 25 we see Him not just as our redeemer but also as the shepherd and overseer of our souls.  What does it mean “Christ is our shepherd and overseer?”  To understand these aspects of Christ, we should go back to verse 12 in the same chapter and see that this is Christ in His loving care for His people, even as He comes to inquire of them in the day of His visitation.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 Peter (Program #15) -Christian Life and Its Sufferings (2)

The word “grace” bears tremendous significance in the New Testament, yet like so many biblical terms, it has become almost a clichéd to many people and it’s been greatly devalued in the understanding of most Christians.  God’s unmerited favor has become the most common definition among believers.   While this does convey a certain  limited sense of the word, it’s obvious by considering Scriptures that this definition is grossly inadequate.

Consider Peter’s use of the word “grace” in 1 Peter 2:19-20 “for this is grace” he writes “if anyone, because of a consciousness of God, bears sorrows by suffering unjustly.  For what glory is it if, while sinning and being buffeted, you endure? But if, while doing good and suffering, you endure, this is grace with God.“

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 Peter (Program #14) -Growth in Life and Its Results (4)

The Bible in both the Old Testament and New tells us that man was formed of the dust of the ground and even as living creatures, we all are but clay in the hands of God. Yet the apostle Peter in his epistles boldly declares that we have become living stones useful in building up God’s house.  Chapter 2:5 of his first epistle says “You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  I think we can all easily relate to being lumps of clay but it may be more difficult for us to relate to being living stones, useful for God’s building and precious.   How is it that such a transformation from clay to precious stone is possible?  Peter in both his words and by example of his own spiritual progress gives us a marvelous pattern.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 Peter (Program #13) -Growth in Life and Its Results (3)

After establishing a marvelous, organic metaphor at the beginning of chapter 2 in his first epistle concerning our enjoyment of Christ in His word as the nourishing milk is to a new born babe, the apostle Peter suddenly changes the metaphor to something mineral; he picks up the thought of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah even quoting him in chapter 28:16 “Therefore thus says The Lord Jehovah: Indeed I lay a stone in Zion as a foundation, A tested stone, A precious cornerstone as a foundation firmly established; He who believes will not hasten away.”  Peter shows us that the same Christ who is the very milk in the word to the believers is also this stone; a tested, precious cornerstone for the foundation of God’s building.  But Peter then goes even further than Isaiah and points out that this stone chose by God and precious can also be a stone of stumbling or even a fence to those who don’t believe.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS