2 Peter (Program #10) – The Divine Government (3)

No doubt we have all heard and said that one day to the Lord is like a thousand years.   Actually, this is a rough quotation from 2 Peter 3, a chapter that speaks both of the Lord’s second coming and the righteous and just judgment that will occur at the time of His coming.  Of course, to us it seems as if the Lord has delayed His coming already for two thousand years, but to Him, it’s just a couple of days.  Actually Peter tells us that this delay is not motivated by the Lord’s indifference or because He is arbitrary about the timing, but rather because He is long-suffering  towards us.  That means He is mercifully granting us more time, more time to be mature and to be prepared for His coming so that none will unnecessarily perish.

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2 Peter (Program #8) – The Divine Government (1)

The apostle Peter had a strong reaction to the apostasy that were spreading into the church near the end of his life.   In fact he wrote his two epistles largely as an inoculation against the heretical teachings that were gradually corrupting the  faith of the saints.  Especially regarding the matter of the Lord’s second coming in glory.

In 2 Peter, he first gives an eye-witness account of seeing the Lord Jesus revealed in glory as a foreshadow of His promise return .   Then he points the believers to the word of God, specifically the Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ, as he says in chapter 1:19 “and we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;”   But after these two strong encouragements he goes on to speak of the coming judgment of the righteous God especially on those false teachers who were defiling the saints and leading them astray.

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1 Peter (Program #23) -Christian Life and Its Sufferings (11)

1 Peter 4:17 say “For it is time for the judgment to begin from the house of God.”  If first from us, what would be the end of those who disobey the gospel of God?  The judgment spoken of in this verse surely cannot be the judgment for eternal perdition reserved for those who disobey the gospel.  What then does the judgment of the believers spoken of in the New Testament refer to?  We will explore this and the big topic of God’s depositional judgment in our life study of 1 Peter.

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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.

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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.

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Hebrews (Program #23) – The Remaining Sabbath Rest (6)

Today we look again at the Sabbath rest and how it is related to God’s dealing with His people and His judgment upon them that they could enter into that rest.  Hebrew is a book of warnings.  Warnings to believers.  We know that in our salvation we are spared God’s judgment on our sins.  But what does it mean that “judgment begins at the House of God?”  We will look at how God will judge His children in the coming age.

We are going to begin today’s life study of Hebrews by looking at a verse in 1 Peter 4:17 “judgment begins at the House of God”.  Surely this refers to us, the church.  Yet Christians don’t typically think of judgment having any implication for us once we are saved.  What is the context that God will judge His believers?

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1 Timothy (Program #5) – Overseers and Deacons for the Church’s Administration

In Chapter 3 of the apostle Paul first epistle to Timothy, he comes to the crucial and the highest point in the whole letter. But before he does, he first gives Timothy the important requirements or prerequisites for proper leadership in the Church.  Listen, as Paul details these necessary attributes:

“Faithful is the word: If anyone aspires to the overseership, he desires a good work. The overseer then must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, of a sober mind, orderly, hospitable, apt to teach; Not an excessive drinker; not a striker, but gentle; not contentious; not fond of money; One who manages well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity (But if one does not know how to manage his own house, how will he care for the church of God?); Not a new convert, lest being blinded with pride he fall into the judgment suffered by the devil. And he also must have a good testimony from those outside, that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Deacons must similarly be grave, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for base gain; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.“

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