LETTERS OF PETER
Part Three: 1 Peter 4:12-2 Peter 3:18
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The Letters of Peter were
probably written around 62-64 A.D. to believers that were scattered
throughout what we now know as Asia Minor. These believers were not only
strangers in a foreign land they were also suffering for what it means to
be a Christian. The theme of the letters is hope. The suffering, scattered
strangers can have hope for the Lord will come and bring deliverance.
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LETTERS OF
PETER
LOVING LIFE AND SEEING GOOD DAYS
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Session Eleven:
Casting All Your Care
1 Peter 1 Peter 5:1-8
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"The LORD
is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea,
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no
evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou
preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou
anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the
house of the LORD forever."
In the moments of your life, do you find yourselves lying down in green
pastures and enjoying the still waters? Is your soul continually
restored walking in the ways of righteousness? Does the valley of the
shadow of death overwhelm you with fear? Can you sit down and eat in the
presence of those who are out to destroy you? Are you "jumping for
joy" in your walk of life? Do you feel that goodness and mercy are
following you around?
A god, who cannot walk with you through the valley of the shadow of
death, who cannot comfort you in the midst of the calamities of life, is
a god who is useless in life. A god, who cannot speak peace to your soul
when it seems all of hell is burning within, is a god who has no power
to quell the turbulent ranting of the mind. A god, who cannot provide a
path through the terrors of the night, is a god whose arm is too short
and his salvation too impotent. The question of questions should be
raised, "Who or what really controls your life?"
Where is the Lord God of the covenant? Who will not hide His face from
us but hide us in His face, His countenance. As Peter quoted David,
"I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right
hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my
tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou
wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One
to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou
shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance." Where is the Lord
God that is our strength, that enables us not to be shaken, that makes
our heart rejoice, that makes our tongue glad, that enables our flesh to
rest in hope? How does God put us and keep us in the right frame of
mind?
Jesus said of Peter that he would become like a rock by the continual
hearing of the revelation of God. The prophet said, through the Spirit
of Christ, that the Lord God of the covenant "will keep him in
perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on him." The mind that is
sustained by God walks through the valley of the shadow of death and
fears no evil. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most
High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." He "shall
not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by
day: Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the
destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side,
and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High,
thy habitation." Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
for ever."
Dwelling in the house of the Lord, it is only our eyes that see the
plight of the wicked. When the Lord is always before the believer’s
face, his mind will be sustained by the Lord himself. He will not waver,
will not be rocked or toppled. He will "be like a tree planted by
the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his
leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
In the "presence of the Lord is fulness of joy [and] at His right
hand there are pleasures for evermore."
You know that the exact same afflictions, sufferings, that you are
experiencing are experienced by everyone that is in the world, "But
the God of all grace, who hath called [you] unto his eternal glory by
Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect,
stablish, strengthen, settle you." It is to Jesus that all glory
and dominion is given for only Jesus can take you through the suffering
to be completed, affirmed, strengthened, and solid as the Rock of which
He is. Your name can also be changed, like Peter, from the one who is
hearing to the one who has become a rock.
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CD 11 Is An Exposition of Verses 5:1-8
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PART THREE NOW
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Session 12: The True Grace of God
1 Peter 5:7-14
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The earth and
the sky set the limits whether man lives or dies. Loving life is found
only in simple sighs. It is the struggle of every age, the search of
every sage. It is as close to you as when the baby cries.
It was there in the garden of Eden amid the great trees. It was there
when the first brothers decided to disagree. The flood came because of
it and Noah was saved through it. Abraham wandered through the land in
its control both in his seasons of greatness and his moments of
weakness. Moses identified it with his blessings and his cursings to
those of the promised land. David composed great psalms but also wept
bitter tears when overcome by it. Jesus fought with it in the wilderness
temptations. Paul was continually pricked by its thorns. Peter rose and
fell as he encountered it. Every man comes to his moment of destiny
through the essence of it.
The simple flower of the Morning Glory proclaims how this challenge of
life can be conquered. As the dawning rays of the sun penetrates its
surrounding, the petals of the flower open to the glow of the sunlight.
The increasing warmth and brightness of the sun causes the flower to
raise it head, spread its petals, and reach up to its source of life.
Through the power of the sun, the glory of the flower is perfected.
As the sun comes forth to bring the full glory of the flower, the
setting of the sun causes the flower to respond in diminishing shades of
glory. As the light of the day begins to fade, the petals of the Morning
Glory begin to draw in unto itself. With the passing of dusk and the
approach of midnight, the flower bends its head, gathers its petals, and
prepares for the night. Eventually, the flower will bow in perfect
submission.
Throughout the day and the night, the summer and the winter, the cold
and the heat, and the seedtime and the harvest, this simple flower lives
the duration of its life in perfect glory to God. The Morning Glory,
without the capability to observe and to make judgment on what is
occurring in its life, lives its entire existence in simplistic harmony
with its Creator. In the innocence of its being, it stands in the beauty
of which it was created.
Man, with his capacity to observe and pass judgment, often finds himself
not in the simplicity beauty of his creation but in the intricacies of a
fallen nature. This challenge for man is always the ". . . bearing
about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of
Jesus might be made manifest in [his] body. For we which live are always
delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might
be made manifest in our mortal flesh" (2 Cor. 4:10-11). As God uses
the circumstances of life to bring to an end any physical dependency, he
brings all men to the moment of judgment--the germination of new life.
Every man finds himself at this judgment seat of Christ in which his
soul is bought into the balance of heaven or hell. By not resisting the
dying of the old existence, the judgment of Christ will always bring
newness of life. As Peter stated, "But the God of all grace, who
hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye
have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle
you" (1 Pet. 5:10). In a world of trouble, perplexities,
persecutions, and being put down, the believer can be solid as a rock
(completed, confirmed, strong, and have a firm foundation) because he
has experienced the heavenly. He has been raised to newness of life.
Refusing or resisting what God is doing by the circumstances of life,
the judgment of Christ will always bring damnation to life. As Peter
stated, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1
Pet. 5:8). Once the mind begins to escalate its worrisome thoughts over
current circumstances, the soul becomes intoxicated with anxiety. The
mind runs out of control and "sleep won’t come the whole night
through." Instead of living in the peace and rest of a sound mind
controlled by the Holy Spirit, the soul is being devoured by the
imaginations of the mind. It is overwhelmed by its own created world of
destruction.
The circumstances that bring the good and the circumstances that bring
the bad are the same circumstances. The living of life will always
produce in everyone the ". . . bearing about in the body the dying
of the Lord Jesus . . ." and everyone will always be
"delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake." "But the God of
all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish,
strengthen, settle you." By the true grace of God, the believer can
come through this moment of destiny, the germination of new life, with
the cry, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy
victory? The sting of death has been conquered by the grace of God in
the innocence mind.
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CD 12 Is An Exposition of Verses 5:7-14
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PART THREE NOW
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Session 13: Making Your Election Sure
2 Peter 1:1-11
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Just about a
thousand years ago there was a flourishing empire in Central America.
The native Indians had reached a level of civilization few have achieved
even today. A strong core of religious creed and ritual served them well
as a bond of unity and of strength for several hundred years. As the era
progressed, the fervency of their beliefs and practices gradually
subsided. Today, all that is left of a once prosperous people is a
massive, open-air temple--the empty, lifeless remains of once their
focal point of civil life and spiritual worship.
Like the Coliseum in Rome, the modern college football stadium, and the
colossal cathedral of today, the physical temple of this vanished people
speaks volumes to all who desire to hear. The oval shaped grounds
surrounded by huge blocks of chiseled stone was divided lengthwise by a
great wall. It served as an imposing barrier to set apart the meeting
place of the common people from the dwelling place of the holy
ones--their god and his servants.
With a continual rhythmic beat of music, the typical service consisted
of two main events: the appearance of the presence of their god and the
ultimate act of dedication and commitment of man. As the music played
the emotions of the people, the grand entrance of their god was being
prepared. For throughout the towering wall of separation were cleverly
designed tunnels that permitted the presence of their god to materialize
seemingly from nowhere. When the worship of the people had reached a
sufficient level of reverence or frenzy, there would be a loud noise, a
puff of smoke, and suddenly a man would appear near the top of the wall
dressed in all the grandeur of godly garments. The presence of god had
come into their meeting and immediately the people fell prostrate to the
ground.
Now, the service of man could begin. Over the period of years, a unique
form of the ultimate act of commitment had evolved. The true believer
had to win the right to give his life to his god. The prize would go
only to the one who had demonstrated among his peers superior talent and
zeal.
Superficial rights of passage, ritualistic observances, which have often
being used by man to differentiate the good from the bad, had given way
to a more simplistic form of dedication. During the course of the actual
religious meeting, the final two participants, who had already
eliminated all other aspirants, would engage in an athletic contest of
skill and endurance. Only the most perfect specimen of their culture
could make it to this moment of glory.
In the atmosphere of religious fervency, fanatical adulation, and
emotional ecstasy, the thrill of that victory would be indescribable to
lesser mortals. The ego of the winner would be pushed to its ultimate
glory. With his god looking down upon him and the people chanting his
name, the victory march must have been a triumphant hour of ultimate
exaltation.
It is not known how long the frenzy would last. Eventually, the victor
would be led to his destiny. Probably, at the signal of his god, he
would be placed on a gently sloping table with his head resting in its
cradle. With the rhythmic beat of the music and the chanting of the
people, the final moment of dedication and commitment had come. The
strong, swift slice of the sword separated his head from his body. The
life blood of his being gushed downward by the still beating heart into
a cup--a chalice prepared especially for this moment.
The priest, taking the chalice, turns and raises it to his god as the
ultimate act of worship--the ultimate sacrifice of man to appease his
god. They prayed that it would be sufficient so their god would bring
the rain and make the crops grow. They hoped that it would be sufficient
so their god would protect them from their enemies. They had given their
all to invoke his blessing.
The blood of a life willingly sacrificed to his god is the best that man
can offer. What more can he do but give his life for his god. It is the
supreme act of any religion.
Has there ever been a group of people more dedicated to their god? Has
there ever been a more appropriate and worthwhile sacrifice to god?
What is it that separates one religion from another? Is the level of
dedication and commitment a religion demands the distinguishing mark? Is
it the object or the god that is worshiped that separates the various
religions?
Since all men are in some way religious (religion being defined as what
man does to and for god, be it humanistic or deistic, knowingly or
unknowingly), it is impossible for man, without the revelation of
Christ, to grasp anything but a religious view of life. The mind of man
has to be transformed completely before the Christian’s view of man’s
relationship with God can even begin to be understood. The focal point
of Christianity is uniquely different from all religion systems in the
world.
The realm of God can be experienced by man but man has absolutely
nothing to do with the production of it. There is not any responsibility
or part to play in the production of the good life. Like the tomato
plant, the rose bush, and the apple tree, man simply experiences what it
means to be a human being by the outworking of the grace of God.
Unlike the tomato plant, the rose bush, and the apple tree, man can
think about what is occurring to him. Because man can think about it, he
can fall from the abundant life given to all. In his mind, and only in
his mind, man can frustrate the grace of God prohibiting him from
experiencing the good life. He can do nothing to produce it, but he can
fall from the glory of experiencing it.
Peter’s second letter explains this profound mystery of God. It will
challenge ever religious practice set forth by man. It is how man
experiences the kingdom of God.
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CD 13 Is An Exposition of Verses 2 Peter
1:1-11
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PART THREE NOW
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Session Fourteen: Destruction of the Error
2 Peter 1:12-2:22
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Six million Jews
went meekly to their death in Nazi prison camps. Thousands of Christians
were burned at the stake or mauled by wild beast in the Coliseum submissive to a demented Caesar. Jesus Christ Himself was led as a lamb
to his death. There seems to be something uniquely embedded in the
Judeao-Christian belief that enables this uncommon resolve to be
exhibited.
It goes back to the original formation of man. Adam, enjoying the beauty
and pleasure of Paradise and yet somehow limited in experiencing the
fulfillment of that glory, was put to sleep by God. The world of his
experiences was temporarily taken from him. Out of that death came the
opportunity for the greater glory.
Although created a physical creature and placed in a natural world, his
soul could now ascend beyond the material to the spiritual. He now could
rise above himself and experience the ultimate glory for man. The
benevolence of Adam, through the knowledge of God, created the
opportunity for the fulfillment of his life--charity.
It was there in the original covenant that God extended to his people.
By the outworking of God’s grace, the people of God would become a
great nation. Abraham, the father of all believers, was told that his
descendants would not only be greatly blessed but that they also would
be an immeasurable blessing to others. They would have the opportunity
to spend the days of their lives in the domain of this blessedness.
Moreover, God informed Abraham that this supreme realm of living would
be maintained by the continual working of His grace. The inner
operations of the blessed life would not rest upon the ingenuity and
strength of Abraham but solely upon the power of God. He would
"bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee."
The covenant relationship brings the believer into an understanding that
he lives his entire life in the providential care of his God.
The mystery that enables the Judeao-Christian belief to respond to life
in such an extraordinary way is manifested also in the revelation of the
name of God. When Moses told the Pharaoh of Egypt, "Thus saith the
LORD God of Israel, Let my people go . . . ," Pharaoh said,
"Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I
know not the LORD . . ." (Exod. 5:1-2). Although Pharaoh did not
know the Lord God of Israel nor His name, Moses and the people of God
knew. They understood the significance of the name of God and what it
meant so much so that they would never pronounce that name but say
instead "my Lord."
This name of God comes from the verb "to be," it means simply
but profoundly, "I am who I am," and "I will be who I
will be." The "I am" expresses the fact that God is the
substance of all things. The "I am who I am" designates that
nothing can define who God is but God Himself. He is what He says and
what He does.
Pharaoh would come to know the Lord God of Israel because he would come
to experience His power and His action. He would be forced to recognize
what the people of God already knew--this name of God was not a title
but rather an action. It is the sovereignty of God at work in the world.
The people of God who understands the working of God in the creation of
their world, the commitment of God to His covenant with them, and the
providential power of God in His name for their life rest in the simple
trust of their faithful Creator. Knowing the mystery of His will,
according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself before
the foundation of the world, the people of God continually pray:
"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may
give unto [them] the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
him: The eyes of [their] understanding being enlightened; that [they]
may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the
glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding
greatness of his power to [them] who believe, according to the working
of his mighty power . . . ." They are of the persuasion that Jesus
Christ is life. Resting in Him, they meet the common challenges of life
with an uncommon resolution. They are Christians.
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CD 14 Is An
Exposition of Verses 2 Peter 1:12-2:22
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PART THREE NOW
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Schedule