II Peter
part 9 (step 8)
7a) “And in your brotherly kindness (supply) love.”
Mat.5:43-48 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ (Lev.19:18 – notice; there is no mention of hating in the commandment)
“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven;
for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
“For if you love (only) those who love you, what reward do you have?
Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”
(Even unbelieving sinners know how to love!)
“If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?
(You are not doing anything more righteous or praiseworthy than the rest of the world does every day).
Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”
(The implied answer is “yes, of course they do.”)
“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
(Be like your Father in heaven; let your love go beyond what is natural for man; more than the rest of the world).
This passage from the Sermon on the Mount contains the first mention of love in the New Testament. Jesus is introducing new spiritual insight into the Law;
He is illuminating the spirit of the Law.
These words of our Lord Jesus were radically new to Jewish ears; indeed to human ears!
The concept of love was not new;
the Hebrew language had a primary word to express love (aheb) including variations and several other terms and for nuanced meanings.
Indeed, I am sure it is safe to say that the concept of love was commonly understood and expressed in most if not all ancient languages.
And so too, the ancient Greek language employed several words to express the various kinds of love; much more specifically than modern English does for example.
Agape was used to express general preference for something or satisfaction with or acceptance of a thing or a person;
it was only one word among many more specific terms for love. (eros, philia, storge, ludis, pragma, philautia, etc.)
Today in modern secular Greek, the word used most commonly for love is agape.
The phrase “I love you” is pronounced “sagapo”; you can see the root agape is used.
But Jesus raised the word agape and the idea of the love that it describes, to an entirely new level of meaning;
a level that goes beyond the human capacity to love in the natural sense.
Jesus has taken an everyday word and made it special, for God’s own purpose.
And so, this new concept of Christian love has changed the definition of agape in the New Testament forever;
in fact, it goes beyond scripture; this enhanced meaning of love has been carried into all parts of the world where true Christianity has spread.
In review: For the ancient Greeks the word agape had no supernatural overtones; it carried with it no particular spiritual or religious connotations;
but that all changed forever when Jesus infused it with power from on high; when He filled it with divine overtones and deep heavenly volume and with the dimension of eternality.
Jn.13:34-35 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Jn.15:9 – “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
Jn.15:12 – This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
I Jn.4:8 – “God is love." – ho Theos agape esten (Gk.) – Deus caritas est (L.).
The Latin word caritas translates the Greek agape;
it is the source of the use of the word charity to describe agape in the KJV; charity is this special kind of love.
I Cor.13:1-13 – Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not;
charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth:
but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail;
whether there be tongues, they shall cease;
whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child:
but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part;
but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
This passage is the locus classicus for the definition of agape love for the Christian.
Please pay particular attention to the phrase “When I became a man.”
The thought is; when I became mature; we are studying Christian spiritual maturity.
In the Mathew passage above, we read that Jesus said that we are to be “perfect” as our heavenly Father is perfect.
He is talking about maturity in the Lord. This is to be our goal; we are to grow up in Christ.
Peter’s closing prayer is that we would continue to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Pet.3:18); so that we would become more Christ like.
Remember, God has given us everything that we need for us to grow in Christ;
II Pet.1:3-4 – seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
We are to become more and more like our heavenly Father;
just as Jesus was like His Father in every way;
and this is never truer than in the area of this attribute of love.
We have the Holy Spirit to help us and to guide us if we will but yield to Him and follow Him;
but we have need of personal diligence and we must practice these virtues (II Pet.1:5-11).
Eph.4:13 – until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
I Tim.1:5 – But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
We can gain valuable insight from Paul’s instruction to his young apprentice Timothy. Here we find three fountainheads of love that flow together to bring forth a steam of love.
1. A pure heart – is a heart in which the love of God can dwell; a heart through which the love of God can flow. A pure heart is a clean heart before God. This can only be accomplished through daily fellowship with God; through moment by moment awareness of God’s presence in ones life and a desire to love and obey Him. It is a heart that treasures the word of God and seeks to be transformed by it. A pure heart addresses our present walk.
2. A good conscience – is also necessary if the love of God is to flow through a person. Unconfessed sin will block the flow; therefore we need to keep short accounts with God and with others. This addresses our past actions. A tender conscience is sensitive to the affect that ones words and actions have upon others. A good conscience is one that is not hiding from God, but is open and honest before Him; a good conscience is ready and willing to receive instruction and correction from God through His Spirit and His through His word.
3. Sincere faith – addresses our future actions. Genuine faith is consistent faith; it is not hypocritical faith. If the love of God is to flow through us, we must first know it ourselves; we must love God and love others; we must speak the truth in love with conviction and sincerity. Sincere faith is a resting faith, a confident and contented faith in God.
Spiritual maturity is the last step on our chart
(page 4 of our outline).
Let’s consider the words that accompany this important culminating step on our chart.
Our persistence: the point here is that when we come to this step, we have only just begun. We have need of persistence and endurance in order to reap the full benefits of all that we have learned and come through. We need to put into practice what we’ve gained.
Repeating: we are to repeat all of the steps as we continue to grow in our maturity; remember no one will arrive at perfection in this life; we all must continue to grow in the knowledge of God, of Christ and of truth. This is our calling and this is our privilege.
An explosion of life: if we will apply all of these principles and add all of these virtues to our faith then we will be certain to experience a newness of life that will be dynamic and exciting; covering every area of our worship, our ministry, our service and our life!
Instruction: spiritual maturity means that one has reached the level of “father” in their growth (I Jn.2:12-14). At this level one is able to receive and accept instructions from God readily and then is able to instruct others with proficiency. A key characteristic of a good father is that he not only produces children, but that he instructs them as well.
Self – Control: this crucial fruit of the Spirit is evident in the spiritually mature Christian. We have already explored self-control as the virtue we were to add at the fourth step; in fact, this is only one of several aspects of growth that have been repeated throughout the process.
Others include kindness/ brotherly kindness, patience/ longsuffering, and of course love.
It is obvious that these are very important for our maturity.
Here we have the double emphasis of combining the fruit of the Spirit with the virtues that Peter has listed for us to add to our faith.
In summation, what is needed has been called Spirit control, and so it is. But I must hasten to add that we will only ever experience Spirit control if we exercise Spirit aided and Spirit directed self-control by the grace and provision of God.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
II Peter part 8
II Peter
part 8
7) ) “And in your godliness (add) brotherly kindness.”
I Pet.3:8 – Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
The seventh virtue listed for the believer to add in 2 Pet.1:7 is philadelphia / brotherly love.
The seventh step in our chart of spiritual maturity is sensitivity.
An increased sensitivity to God and to others is what is in view.
This is exactly what Peter has expressed in this passage above. (I Pet.3:8)
Unity of mind and sympathy go hand in hand with sensitivity.
A tender heart and a humble mind are definitely needed if one is to show brotherly love and kindness to others.
The seventh step is accompanied by several other helpful descriptive words and phrases on our chart including;
Our perception; reaching the needs of others; a tender life; intimacy; more hearing / helping; and meekness.
This aspect of brotherly kindness / love in the life of the Christian is very much dependant upon previous growth, commitment, experience and upon an increased level of understanding and application of all that has gone before.
A balance between suffering and satisfaction (steps 5+6) marks out one's capacity for sensitivity (step 7).
Patience and godliness (steps 5+6) are most helpful virtues that enable and empower brotherly love in the believer.
An advanced level of moral excellence (step 2) will greatly aid in developing sensitivity towards God and others.
A love for God and the desire to live a holy life before God (separation and submission steps 2+3) will motivate one to do the right thing concerning our brothers and sisters.
I Jn.4:19-20 –We love, because He first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.
For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
I Jn.5:1 – Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too (Christian brothers).
All throughout the scriptures we are encouraged to love our brothers in Christ; it is a sure way that we can know (step 3) that we have eternal life!
I Jn.3:14 – If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.
The Bible is loaded with examples of the importance of love within the community of believers; both in the Old and New Testaments.
Ps.22:22 – I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.
I Pet.2:17 – Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king.
We can readily see that there is to be a special relationship of love and family unity among God’s people; we are to share authentic brotherly love in the Church of God.
Now, we know that as God’s children our capacity for love is to go beyond the unique and special familial love that we share with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
That kind of love (agape) will be addressed in the next and final step on our chart, but for now we should just make sure of what Peter is talking about when he tells us to add brotherly love to our faith (step 1); he means mutual love for and among all of God’s children in His forever family.
Gal.6:10 – Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Heb.2:10-12 – For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons (members of God’s family) to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father (these are only those who are born again through the sanctifying work of Jesus Christ); for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
saying, “I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN; IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION (the exclusive gathering of God’s people) I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.”
Mk.3:35 – “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother."
Heb.13:11 – Let love of the brethren continue.
I Pet.2:22 – Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.
Ro.8:29 – For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Ro.12:10 – Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.
I Thes.4:9 – Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
It is this commitment to brotherly love that should motivate us to Christian service (step 4).
Lk.22:32 – “But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
The jewels in the crown of brotherly love are the souls that have experienced our love. We can never go wrong by adding brotherly love! This aspect of love is a growing thing that begins as we mature through the various steps. However, upon entering the realm of satisfaction, we will discover that the realm of sensitivity will begin to increase in new ways. It is at this point that our sensitivity of [sic] God is sharper, which in turn develops a sensitive spirit towards others. When acting under God’s direction, abundant blessings will be poured out on sensitive individuals. Eight Steps To Spiritual Maturity - pg. 451
The Apostle Paul expresses this spirit of brotherly love throughout his epistles, for example:
I Thes.2:19-20 – For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.
part 8
7) ) “And in your godliness (add) brotherly kindness.”
I Pet.3:8 – Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
The seventh virtue listed for the believer to add in 2 Pet.1:7 is philadelphia / brotherly love.
The seventh step in our chart of spiritual maturity is sensitivity.
An increased sensitivity to God and to others is what is in view.
This is exactly what Peter has expressed in this passage above. (I Pet.3:8)
Unity of mind and sympathy go hand in hand with sensitivity.
A tender heart and a humble mind are definitely needed if one is to show brotherly love and kindness to others.
The seventh step is accompanied by several other helpful descriptive words and phrases on our chart including;
Our perception; reaching the needs of others; a tender life; intimacy; more hearing / helping; and meekness.
This aspect of brotherly kindness / love in the life of the Christian is very much dependant upon previous growth, commitment, experience and upon an increased level of understanding and application of all that has gone before.
A balance between suffering and satisfaction (steps 5+6) marks out one's capacity for sensitivity (step 7).
Patience and godliness (steps 5+6) are most helpful virtues that enable and empower brotherly love in the believer.
An advanced level of moral excellence (step 2) will greatly aid in developing sensitivity towards God and others.
A love for God and the desire to live a holy life before God (separation and submission steps 2+3) will motivate one to do the right thing concerning our brothers and sisters.
I Jn.4:19-20 –We love, because He first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.
For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
I Jn.5:1 – Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too (Christian brothers).
All throughout the scriptures we are encouraged to love our brothers in Christ; it is a sure way that we can know (step 3) that we have eternal life!
I Jn.3:14 – If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.
The Bible is loaded with examples of the importance of love within the community of believers; both in the Old and New Testaments.
Ps.22:22 – I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.
I Pet.2:17 – Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king.
We can readily see that there is to be a special relationship of love and family unity among God’s people; we are to share authentic brotherly love in the Church of God.
Now, we know that as God’s children our capacity for love is to go beyond the unique and special familial love that we share with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
That kind of love (agape) will be addressed in the next and final step on our chart, but for now we should just make sure of what Peter is talking about when he tells us to add brotherly love to our faith (step 1); he means mutual love for and among all of God’s children in His forever family.
Gal.6:10 – Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Heb.2:10-12 – For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons (members of God’s family) to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father (these are only those who are born again through the sanctifying work of Jesus Christ); for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
saying, “I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN; IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION (the exclusive gathering of God’s people) I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.”
Mk.3:35 – “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother."
Heb.13:11 – Let love of the brethren continue.
I Pet.2:22 – Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.
Ro.8:29 – For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Ro.12:10 – Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.
I Thes.4:9 – Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
It is this commitment to brotherly love that should motivate us to Christian service (step 4).
Lk.22:32 – “But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
The jewels in the crown of brotherly love are the souls that have experienced our love. We can never go wrong by adding brotherly love! This aspect of love is a growing thing that begins as we mature through the various steps. However, upon entering the realm of satisfaction, we will discover that the realm of sensitivity will begin to increase in new ways. It is at this point that our sensitivity of [sic] God is sharper, which in turn develops a sensitive spirit towards others. When acting under God’s direction, abundant blessings will be poured out on sensitive individuals. Eight Steps To Spiritual Maturity - pg. 451
The Apostle Paul expresses this spirit of brotherly love throughout his epistles, for example:
I Thes.2:19-20 – For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
II Peter part 7
II Peter
part 7
6c) “And in your perseverance (add) godliness.”
The development of godliness in the life and character of the child of God is of great importance to God and is the ultimate purpose of God in the end for all believers.
Everything else, all of the virtues listed by Peter, which we have discussed prior to this step, in some way or another have contributed, or should contribute to the producing of godliness in a life.
Godliness is really the first outwardly recognizable aspect of Christian maturity in an individual.
It reflects and demonstrates the fact that one is growing up to be like his/ her Father, and the resemblance is more and more evident as the process continues.
This change is the result of one becoming more and more dependent upon God in every aspect of life and of a greater and more confident rest in God.
Less and less of the old self centered direction of a life will be evident and more and more of a yielded, contented, Holy Spirit directed life will be evident.
God is very patient and will wait as long as is necessary to develop this attitude and character in His beloved child. All else is actually secondary; in the end God’s purpose is for all of His children to be conformed to the image of His dear Son; and He will do whatever it takes in a life to accomplish His purpose.
II Pet.1:3 – Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
As we have discussed previously (page 3, point 3) God has already provided everything that we need in order for us to grow into a mature Christian; to become more Christ like;
To attain unto godliness; Peter is saying that now we must do our part, we must willingly utilize what God has provided for us. We must receive and yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit as He seeks to direct and instruct our lives.
Three key concepts will help us to understand the word godliness as it is employed in the New Testament; they are holiness, love and faithfulness; together they produce a piety that is the natural consequence of yielding to, and resting in God.
I Tim.6:11 – You man (woman) of God ... pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.
I Tim.4:7b-9 – Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.
Here again we see Peter’s clear distinction between what we identified as Encratic asceticism (pg.12) which is the idea of meritorious self denial for the purpose of attaining or adding to our salvation; as contrasted with exercising spiritual discipline in order to grow our faith and to become more Christ like; more godly.
Titus 2:11 – For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age.
Satisfaction is the key word that accompanies this sixth step in the Christian life;
It is reflective of a peaceful / pious life.
This describes a life of contentment and trust for the believer; where one is resting in God and enjoying this much needed rest.
It is a life marked by goodness and faithfulness and it is a life that is influenced by God in all aspects and one that has a godly influence on others.
I Tim.6:6 – Godliness with contentment is great gain.
"In a world of continuous religious corruptness [sic.], godliness is to be sought and displayed by the believer. The world should be witnessing individuals who are devoted to God in all things. For this purpose, Peter exhorts each believer to add to his life godliness. The interesting aspect of godliness is what it reveals and produces. The one who is devoted to God is at peace with God and able to rest in Him, which indicates that he is satisfied with God. The reflection upon the word goodness produces the thought of satisfaction that displays a pious peaceful life. It is to be noted that the step of satisfaction comes after the painful ground of suffering. In fact, suffering opens the door to the final three glorious and productive steps of satisfaction, sensitivity, and spiritual maturity." Eight Steps To Spiritual Maturity - pg. 398.
Ps.107:8-9 – Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
When one is truly satisfied with God, then praise for God is natural and truly joyous!
It is then that God is able to pour into that soul goodness and joy and peace!
It is when one has reached the place of satisfaction with God that he is able to truly rest in God and cease from struggling and fighting with God.
Heb.4:1-3 – Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.
For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,
“AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,”
although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Jer.6:16 – Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
Rom.15:4–5 – For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Heb.4:10 – For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
Mt.11:29 – "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
Is.30:15 – For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength." But you were not willing.
"If we were to study every example in the Old and New Testaments, we would discover that God is more concerned about the character of His servants and how they live their lives than He is about their service. Each one in any ministry or service is to operate from a level of satisfaction with God and sensitivity to God and others. For this reason, God spends a lifetime shaping and molding His servants to bring them to the point where they are supposed to be. In many cases, this shaping included some form of suffering. God will do what is necessary to bring one to the place he should be and to the lifestyle he ought to be living. We can say that God is allowing the troubling events and people of life for the end of molding one to be PURE before HIM and at PEACE with HIM! The ones who are pure and peaceful in heart will reflect God’s unique work in their lives. As the troubled and contaminated waters of a lake will not reflect the beauty of its surroundings, so a troubled unsatisfied soul will not reflect the work of God in its life!"
"The development of satisfaction may take a long time and may produce many losses in order for us to be at the place that God intends. What we do not realize is that our tendency to be impatient increases suffering and postpones the development of a satisfied heart. We tend to fight the discipline and development of our lives by God, and in doing so; we forfeit what God calls 'The peaceable fruit of righteous.' "
Eight Steps To Spiritual Maturity - pgs. 406-407
The preceding passage from Pastor Hanson’s book should be read over several times and you need to meditate upon the deep truths that are contained therein. If you are not in the habit of meditating upon the truths in God’s word then you need to start; and this is a good place to do so.
These insights are gleaned directly from a lifetime of submission to God and a dedicated commitment to studying and teaching the Bible. They are nuggets of golden truth mined from the depths of personal trust, contentment and satisfaction with God. We would do well to pay close attention to these precious truths and to make these beautiful principles a permanent part of our lives.
Heb.12:11 – All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Jn.15:1-5 – “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away;
And every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
“Abide in Me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
We have previously discussed the virtue of patience and I pointed out the importance of the Greek word used in our text; ὑπομονή - hupomonae- -“to wait on God”. I want to reiterate what I explained during our discussion time concerning this word and its relationship to the words of our Lord in John 15 concerning our abiding in Him. The word abide in the text is μένω and it is the root of ὑπομονή. Here we find a great insight into how we can develop patience and godliness and arrive at satisfaction in our Christian life.
Everything flows directly from our intimate relationship of dependence upon and our resting in our Lord Jesus Christ.
part 7
6c) “And in your perseverance (add) godliness.”
The development of godliness in the life and character of the child of God is of great importance to God and is the ultimate purpose of God in the end for all believers.
Everything else, all of the virtues listed by Peter, which we have discussed prior to this step, in some way or another have contributed, or should contribute to the producing of godliness in a life.
Godliness is really the first outwardly recognizable aspect of Christian maturity in an individual.
It reflects and demonstrates the fact that one is growing up to be like his/ her Father, and the resemblance is more and more evident as the process continues.
This change is the result of one becoming more and more dependent upon God in every aspect of life and of a greater and more confident rest in God.
Less and less of the old self centered direction of a life will be evident and more and more of a yielded, contented, Holy Spirit directed life will be evident.
God is very patient and will wait as long as is necessary to develop this attitude and character in His beloved child. All else is actually secondary; in the end God’s purpose is for all of His children to be conformed to the image of His dear Son; and He will do whatever it takes in a life to accomplish His purpose.
II Pet.1:3 – Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
As we have discussed previously (page 3, point 3) God has already provided everything that we need in order for us to grow into a mature Christian; to become more Christ like;
To attain unto godliness; Peter is saying that now we must do our part, we must willingly utilize what God has provided for us. We must receive and yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit as He seeks to direct and instruct our lives.
Three key concepts will help us to understand the word godliness as it is employed in the New Testament; they are holiness, love and faithfulness; together they produce a piety that is the natural consequence of yielding to, and resting in God.
I Tim.6:11 – You man (woman) of God ... pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.
I Tim.4:7b-9 – Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.
Here again we see Peter’s clear distinction between what we identified as Encratic asceticism (pg.12) which is the idea of meritorious self denial for the purpose of attaining or adding to our salvation; as contrasted with exercising spiritual discipline in order to grow our faith and to become more Christ like; more godly.
Titus 2:11 – For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age.
Satisfaction is the key word that accompanies this sixth step in the Christian life;
It is reflective of a peaceful / pious life.
This describes a life of contentment and trust for the believer; where one is resting in God and enjoying this much needed rest.
It is a life marked by goodness and faithfulness and it is a life that is influenced by God in all aspects and one that has a godly influence on others.
I Tim.6:6 – Godliness with contentment is great gain.
"In a world of continuous religious corruptness [sic.], godliness is to be sought and displayed by the believer. The world should be witnessing individuals who are devoted to God in all things. For this purpose, Peter exhorts each believer to add to his life godliness. The interesting aspect of godliness is what it reveals and produces. The one who is devoted to God is at peace with God and able to rest in Him, which indicates that he is satisfied with God. The reflection upon the word goodness produces the thought of satisfaction that displays a pious peaceful life. It is to be noted that the step of satisfaction comes after the painful ground of suffering. In fact, suffering opens the door to the final three glorious and productive steps of satisfaction, sensitivity, and spiritual maturity." Eight Steps To Spiritual Maturity - pg. 398.
Ps.107:8-9 – Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
When one is truly satisfied with God, then praise for God is natural and truly joyous!
It is then that God is able to pour into that soul goodness and joy and peace!
It is when one has reached the place of satisfaction with God that he is able to truly rest in God and cease from struggling and fighting with God.
Heb.4:1-3 – Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.
For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,
“AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,”
although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Jer.6:16 – Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
Rom.15:4–5 – For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Heb.4:10 – For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
Mt.11:29 – "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
Is.30:15 – For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength." But you were not willing.
"If we were to study every example in the Old and New Testaments, we would discover that God is more concerned about the character of His servants and how they live their lives than He is about their service. Each one in any ministry or service is to operate from a level of satisfaction with God and sensitivity to God and others. For this reason, God spends a lifetime shaping and molding His servants to bring them to the point where they are supposed to be. In many cases, this shaping included some form of suffering. God will do what is necessary to bring one to the place he should be and to the lifestyle he ought to be living. We can say that God is allowing the troubling events and people of life for the end of molding one to be PURE before HIM and at PEACE with HIM! The ones who are pure and peaceful in heart will reflect God’s unique work in their lives. As the troubled and contaminated waters of a lake will not reflect the beauty of its surroundings, so a troubled unsatisfied soul will not reflect the work of God in its life!"
"The development of satisfaction may take a long time and may produce many losses in order for us to be at the place that God intends. What we do not realize is that our tendency to be impatient increases suffering and postpones the development of a satisfied heart. We tend to fight the discipline and development of our lives by God, and in doing so; we forfeit what God calls 'The peaceable fruit of righteous.' "
Eight Steps To Spiritual Maturity - pgs. 406-407
The preceding passage from Pastor Hanson’s book should be read over several times and you need to meditate upon the deep truths that are contained therein. If you are not in the habit of meditating upon the truths in God’s word then you need to start; and this is a good place to do so.
These insights are gleaned directly from a lifetime of submission to God and a dedicated commitment to studying and teaching the Bible. They are nuggets of golden truth mined from the depths of personal trust, contentment and satisfaction with God. We would do well to pay close attention to these precious truths and to make these beautiful principles a permanent part of our lives.
Heb.12:11 – All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Jn.15:1-5 – “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away;
And every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
“Abide in Me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
We have previously discussed the virtue of patience and I pointed out the importance of the Greek word used in our text; ὑπομονή - hupomonae- -“to wait on God”. I want to reiterate what I explained during our discussion time concerning this word and its relationship to the words of our Lord in John 15 concerning our abiding in Him. The word abide in the text is μένω and it is the root of ὑπομονή. Here we find a great insight into how we can develop patience and godliness and arrive at satisfaction in our Christian life.
Everything flows directly from our intimate relationship of dependence upon and our resting in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
II Peter part 6
II Peter
part 6
6b) “And in your self-control (supply) perseverance / patience.”
Lord, ... give me patience, ... But I need it right now !!!
Patience is a virtue that everyone wants, but unfortunately very few actually have it to the degree that they would desire to have it.
It is an attribute that we must cultivate, with the aid and instruction of the Spirit of God on an ongoing daily basis.
As Christians living in a hostile environment, particularly in these latter days, when we are surrounded by scoffers and false teachers, we have great need of perseverance.
This Greek word here is word hypomenēn. It means “staying under.” It is frequently used in the New Testament to refer to constancy or steadfast endurance under adversity, without giving in or giving up. We might say, “Hanging in there.”
As we look at our chart we see that the fifth step reflects this aspect of patience building. One of the tools that God uses to build perseverance into us is suffering.
Rom. 5:3–4 – And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.
Rom.15:4–5 – For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
II Cor.1:3-6 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;
II Cor.6:3-5 – giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger.
Col. 1:9-12 – For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
Through our trials God is developing Christ-like character in us. As we yield to Him and lean upon Him for strength we find we can endure and we gain the virtue of patience.
I Thes.1:2-6 – We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;
constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;
for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction;
just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
II Thes. 1:3-12 – We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;
herefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.
This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.
For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed. To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
James 1:3 – Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
II Tim.312 – Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Mat.5:10-12 – Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
It is obvious that God has a purpose and a plan for allowing suffering into the lives of His children. We have need of patient endurance and perseverance in our trials and when, with God’s help and by His grace, we have come through; our faith will be strengthened and purified and we will have added the virtue of patience along with
self control, knowledge, and moral excellence to our faith.
Let’s consider the deeper meaning of the Greek word translated as patience here; it is a very important word in the New Testament and it conveys significant insight into this particular virtue from a biblical perspective that could be missed if we only consider the English dictionary definition.
patience: n. [L. pati, to suffer] the state, quality or fact of being patient; specif.,
a) the will or ability to wait or endure without complaint.
b) steadfastness, endurance or perseverance in the performance of a task.
patient: adj. 1 bearing or enduring pain, trouble, etc. without complaining or loosing self-control. 2 refusing to be provoked or angered, as by an insult; forbearing; tolerant.
3 calmly tolerating delay, confusion, inefficiency, etc. 4 able to wait calmly for something desired. Webster’s College Dictionary
While these attributes are certainly examples of what it means to have patience in the everyday use of the word, the biblical sense takes on a more specific and significant connotation for the Christian. While courage and brave resistance in the face of hostile forces and difficult circumstances are commendable, they lack a crucial component of biblical patience; the God aspect.
ὑπομονή - hupomonae: the emphasis in the context of the New Testament is to “wait upon God” to bring about resolution to trials, tribulations, suffering, injustice and any other evil or difficult circumstance or situation in ones life; to endure with the sure and certain hope that God is a God of justice; a God who keeps His covenants; One who honors His promises. He is a God who possesses all power and all wisdom; One who is merciful and loving; a God who cares for His own. There is an ultimate eschatological aspect to endurance from the Christian perspective. Our endurance is based upon a confident hope and trust in the Lord and that our God will make it right in the end.
I Pet.1:3-9 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
For me, this passage sums up the concept and definition of Christian endurance, perseverance and patience. We can endure through difficulties because we know that our God reigns; we persevere because we know that our heavenly Father has a plan and a purpose in all things that He allows to come into our lives; we add patience to our faith because in doing so we become more like our blessed Savior who patiently suffered for us.
part 6
6b) “And in your self-control (supply) perseverance / patience.”
Lord, ... give me patience, ... But I need it right now !!!
Patience is a virtue that everyone wants, but unfortunately very few actually have it to the degree that they would desire to have it.
It is an attribute that we must cultivate, with the aid and instruction of the Spirit of God on an ongoing daily basis.
As Christians living in a hostile environment, particularly in these latter days, when we are surrounded by scoffers and false teachers, we have great need of perseverance.
This Greek word here is word hypomenēn. It means “staying under.” It is frequently used in the New Testament to refer to constancy or steadfast endurance under adversity, without giving in or giving up. We might say, “Hanging in there.”
As we look at our chart we see that the fifth step reflects this aspect of patience building. One of the tools that God uses to build perseverance into us is suffering.
Rom. 5:3–4 – And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.
Rom.15:4–5 – For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
II Cor.1:3-6 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;
II Cor.6:3-5 – giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger.
Col. 1:9-12 – For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
Through our trials God is developing Christ-like character in us. As we yield to Him and lean upon Him for strength we find we can endure and we gain the virtue of patience.
I Thes.1:2-6 – We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;
constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;
for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction;
just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
II Thes. 1:3-12 – We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;
herefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.
This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.
For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed. To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
James 1:3 – Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
II Tim.312 – Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Mat.5:10-12 – Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
It is obvious that God has a purpose and a plan for allowing suffering into the lives of His children. We have need of patient endurance and perseverance in our trials and when, with God’s help and by His grace, we have come through; our faith will be strengthened and purified and we will have added the virtue of patience along with
self control, knowledge, and moral excellence to our faith.
Let’s consider the deeper meaning of the Greek word translated as patience here; it is a very important word in the New Testament and it conveys significant insight into this particular virtue from a biblical perspective that could be missed if we only consider the English dictionary definition.
patience: n. [L. pati, to suffer] the state, quality or fact of being patient; specif.,
a) the will or ability to wait or endure without complaint.
b) steadfastness, endurance or perseverance in the performance of a task.
patient: adj. 1 bearing or enduring pain, trouble, etc. without complaining or loosing self-control. 2 refusing to be provoked or angered, as by an insult; forbearing; tolerant.
3 calmly tolerating delay, confusion, inefficiency, etc. 4 able to wait calmly for something desired. Webster’s College Dictionary
While these attributes are certainly examples of what it means to have patience in the everyday use of the word, the biblical sense takes on a more specific and significant connotation for the Christian. While courage and brave resistance in the face of hostile forces and difficult circumstances are commendable, they lack a crucial component of biblical patience; the God aspect.
ὑπομονή - hupomonae: the emphasis in the context of the New Testament is to “wait upon God” to bring about resolution to trials, tribulations, suffering, injustice and any other evil or difficult circumstance or situation in ones life; to endure with the sure and certain hope that God is a God of justice; a God who keeps His covenants; One who honors His promises. He is a God who possesses all power and all wisdom; One who is merciful and loving; a God who cares for His own. There is an ultimate eschatological aspect to endurance from the Christian perspective. Our endurance is based upon a confident hope and trust in the Lord and that our God will make it right in the end.
I Pet.1:3-9 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
For me, this passage sums up the concept and definition of Christian endurance, perseverance and patience. We can endure through difficulties because we know that our God reigns; we persevere because we know that our heavenly Father has a plan and a purpose in all things that He allows to come into our lives; we add patience to our faith because in doing so we become more like our blessed Savior who patiently suffered for us.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
II Peter part 5 cont,
II Peter
part 5 continued
Service – Following are some excerpts from “Eight Steps to Spiritual Maturity”
regarding Christian service, the fourth step on our chart.
First, the Holy Spirit has given each believer a gift (I Cor.12:7).
Second, gifts are not based on the spirituality of an individual. That is evident as Paul tells the very corrupt church of Corinth that they were also given gifts (I Cor.1:7; 3:1-3).
Third, gifts are not the same as the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is to be part of a person’s character (Gal.5:22-25).
Fourth, it is possible to have a gift and not use it.
Paul warned Timothy about this (I Tim.4:14; II Tim.1:6).
Fifth, gifts are never intended for personal benefit but for blessing others.(I Pet. 4:10; I cor.14:12) (Note: exception I Cor.14:2, 4).
Sixth, gifts are not talents or ability. One’s talent or ability may be exercised along with the gift but they are not Spirit given gifts.
Seventh, one is to operate his gift in the realm of faith provided him (Rom.12:3).
Eighth, one can know his Spiritual gift in two ways. If one is being filled or controlled by the Spirit, he will know his gift because he will be exercising it. The issue is not the gift with its related power, but the full control of the Holy Spirit (Note: complete yielding to the leadership of the Spirit).
Furthermore, one can discern his gift by that which motivates him. Specifically, what is the thrust or drive provided by the Holy Spirit? (pg.339)
Ezra 1:5 – Then the heads of fathers' households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.
Ro.12:6-8 –Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Prophecy: The word prophecy means to speak forth. The term was used of Aaron who was to be the spokesperson in behalf of Moses. The word prophecy contains two forms or aspects of prophecy called foretelling and forthelling [sic]. Foretelling is the predicting of truth beforehand. Coming from divine revelation. Forthtelling is the proclamation of truth already given and can be referred to as preaching.
(See I Cor.14:2 for a biblical definition of prophecy).
Ministry: Ministry can be rendered as practical service. Interestingly, the word ministry is the word for servant or one who serves. The term could address any spiritual or physical ministry. Nothing inspiring or miraculous is related to the work of ministry. The work of ministry is just plain hard work! As a servant, one should not be afraid to get his hands dirty or to do the undesirable task.
Teaching: Teaching addresses the instruction of others. This gift provides one with the joy of making the Scriptures clear and understandable. The stress is not on proclaiming or preaching as in prophecy [sic], but on explaining the truth. The one with the gift of teaching is able to understand, organize, and explain the truth. Here the emphasis is on a special gift because all believers are obligated to teach to some degree (Mt.28:19-20; II Tim.2:2).
Exhortation: The thought of exhortation is comforting or encouraging. The word means to call or summon to ones side, in the sense of encouraging, comforting, or consoling. This individual stirs others positively. Perhaps the greatest example is Barnabas, whose name means son of consolation. He took to his side Paul and John Mark to encourage them in the ministry (Acts 9:26-27; 15:39).
Giving: The gift of giving speaks of those who share earthly possessions. The imparting of substance to others in need without receiving recognition marks these folk. These people live to give and give. They do it with simplicity or liberality. They have no ulterior motives; in fact, they are free from hypocrisy or pretense. They just love the thrill of giving!
Ruling: The word rule speaks of governing or administrating. Coming from a Greek word meaning to set or stand before, this is one who is placed in front as an authority. The term is not addressing the function or office of an elder, but those who have the God given gift to organize and lead others. These folk rule with diligence, which means they put forth the effort to get the work done. They are not lazy, nor do they do the job halfheartedly.
Mercy: The gift of mercy is the ability to express compassion towards those in misery. These folk are able to express sympathy to those who are hurting the most without dragging them further down. Showing mercy with cheerfulness, these folk can bring a smile to a room and happiness to a dark situation. They freely give of themselves in love and cheerfulness.
Our responsibility to God is to fulfill His task assigned to us. Part of that task is to use our God-given gift(s). If we neglect to exercise our gift(s) then we have broken the circuit and have cut off the purpose and power of God.
The purpose and power of God can only effectively operate through a yielding or submissive person. Furthermore, through neglect, we will forfeit possible future rewards and recognition by our Lord.
Paul reveals the future Bema Judgment, which every believer will face. The believer’s works will be judged for their quality and the believer for his faithfulness to his Lord’s commands.
I Cor. 3:13-15 – each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.
If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
I Cor.4:2 – Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
Every believer needs to understand that there are future consequences to present actions. The sins of neglect or disobedience will reap the loss of future positions of service with the Master. We are to remember that one is not saved to sit but to serve Him who saved us!
The submissive one not only places himself in a position of being used by God, but of being developed by God for the fullest use.
It is one thing to do the bidding of God and another to be molded by Him for the message He intends to display.
The bidding of God to a ministry is revealed in the use of gifts and other related tasks. The molding of God is laid before us in conformity to the death of Christ, and in the Sermon on the Mount. (Mt.5 – 7 ) (Eight steps to Spiritual Maturity - pgs. 340-342)
part 5 continued
Service – Following are some excerpts from “Eight Steps to Spiritual Maturity”
regarding Christian service, the fourth step on our chart.
First, the Holy Spirit has given each believer a gift (I Cor.12:7).
Second, gifts are not based on the spirituality of an individual. That is evident as Paul tells the very corrupt church of Corinth that they were also given gifts (I Cor.1:7; 3:1-3).
Third, gifts are not the same as the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is to be part of a person’s character (Gal.5:22-25).
Fourth, it is possible to have a gift and not use it.
Paul warned Timothy about this (I Tim.4:14; II Tim.1:6).
Fifth, gifts are never intended for personal benefit but for blessing others.(I Pet. 4:10; I cor.14:12) (Note: exception I Cor.14:2, 4).
Sixth, gifts are not talents or ability. One’s talent or ability may be exercised along with the gift but they are not Spirit given gifts.
Seventh, one is to operate his gift in the realm of faith provided him (Rom.12:3).
Eighth, one can know his Spiritual gift in two ways. If one is being filled or controlled by the Spirit, he will know his gift because he will be exercising it. The issue is not the gift with its related power, but the full control of the Holy Spirit (Note: complete yielding to the leadership of the Spirit).
Furthermore, one can discern his gift by that which motivates him. Specifically, what is the thrust or drive provided by the Holy Spirit? (pg.339)
Ezra 1:5 – Then the heads of fathers' households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.
Ro.12:6-8 –Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Prophecy: The word prophecy means to speak forth. The term was used of Aaron who was to be the spokesperson in behalf of Moses. The word prophecy contains two forms or aspects of prophecy called foretelling and forthelling [sic]. Foretelling is the predicting of truth beforehand. Coming from divine revelation. Forthtelling is the proclamation of truth already given and can be referred to as preaching.
(See I Cor.14:2 for a biblical definition of prophecy).
Ministry: Ministry can be rendered as practical service. Interestingly, the word ministry is the word for servant or one who serves. The term could address any spiritual or physical ministry. Nothing inspiring or miraculous is related to the work of ministry. The work of ministry is just plain hard work! As a servant, one should not be afraid to get his hands dirty or to do the undesirable task.
Teaching: Teaching addresses the instruction of others. This gift provides one with the joy of making the Scriptures clear and understandable. The stress is not on proclaiming or preaching as in prophecy [sic], but on explaining the truth. The one with the gift of teaching is able to understand, organize, and explain the truth. Here the emphasis is on a special gift because all believers are obligated to teach to some degree (Mt.28:19-20; II Tim.2:2).
Exhortation: The thought of exhortation is comforting or encouraging. The word means to call or summon to ones side, in the sense of encouraging, comforting, or consoling. This individual stirs others positively. Perhaps the greatest example is Barnabas, whose name means son of consolation. He took to his side Paul and John Mark to encourage them in the ministry (Acts 9:26-27; 15:39).
Giving: The gift of giving speaks of those who share earthly possessions. The imparting of substance to others in need without receiving recognition marks these folk. These people live to give and give. They do it with simplicity or liberality. They have no ulterior motives; in fact, they are free from hypocrisy or pretense. They just love the thrill of giving!
Ruling: The word rule speaks of governing or administrating. Coming from a Greek word meaning to set or stand before, this is one who is placed in front as an authority. The term is not addressing the function or office of an elder, but those who have the God given gift to organize and lead others. These folk rule with diligence, which means they put forth the effort to get the work done. They are not lazy, nor do they do the job halfheartedly.
Mercy: The gift of mercy is the ability to express compassion towards those in misery. These folk are able to express sympathy to those who are hurting the most without dragging them further down. Showing mercy with cheerfulness, these folk can bring a smile to a room and happiness to a dark situation. They freely give of themselves in love and cheerfulness.
Our responsibility to God is to fulfill His task assigned to us. Part of that task is to use our God-given gift(s). If we neglect to exercise our gift(s) then we have broken the circuit and have cut off the purpose and power of God.
The purpose and power of God can only effectively operate through a yielding or submissive person. Furthermore, through neglect, we will forfeit possible future rewards and recognition by our Lord.
Paul reveals the future Bema Judgment, which every believer will face. The believer’s works will be judged for their quality and the believer for his faithfulness to his Lord’s commands.
I Cor. 3:13-15 – each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.
If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
I Cor.4:2 – Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
Every believer needs to understand that there are future consequences to present actions. The sins of neglect or disobedience will reap the loss of future positions of service with the Master. We are to remember that one is not saved to sit but to serve Him who saved us!
The submissive one not only places himself in a position of being used by God, but of being developed by God for the fullest use.
It is one thing to do the bidding of God and another to be molded by Him for the message He intends to display.
The bidding of God to a ministry is revealed in the use of gifts and other related tasks. The molding of God is laid before us in conformity to the death of Christ, and in the Sermon on the Mount. (Mt.5 – 7 ) (Eight steps to Spiritual Maturity - pgs. 340-342)
Thursday, February 13, 2014
II Peter part 5
II Peter
part 5
6a) “And in your knowledge (add) self-control.”
This virtue of self control, within the context as Peter intends it, requires some qualification and exposition to avoid taking it the wrong way.
While this is the case with each of the concepts and each of the words chosen to express them (as we have seen), I think that we need to exercise a little more caution here; especially considering the “self help” atmosphere that we live in our world today.
It seems that everywhere you turn, whether in written media, on radio or on T.V. we are inundated with self help programs; be they exercise regimes, or exercise devices and apparatus’ promising to transform our bodies in 30 days or your money back, dance and self defense videos that will develop “six pack abs”, brain games to forestall the onset of memory loss (or worse), diets of every description imaginable, organic foods and supplements to reverse the aging process and eliminate disease, water filters, electric juicers and blenders to help us to live to 100, and seemingly absolutely no end to new age Gurus and “Doctors” offering to guide us into “spiritual nirvana, completed self realization, unhindered self expression and total self awareness” (just turn on P.B.S.).
So what does Peter mean by self-control? Let’s look at the original Greek word used in our text. We can check out how it is used in some other scriptures, and we can compare some passages that explain the benefits and reasons why it is good for us to exercise self-control from the perspective of having a more effective ministry in our service in the Church.
The word used by Peter is – ἐγκράτϵιαν – encratian, from the root ecron which means – control over oneself, or lordship which one has over oneself or over something else; and so it is correctly translated as self-control, but that doesn’t help much yet.
The problem is that many within the greater Christian community, over the centuries and even still today, have tried to promote the idea of meritorious aestheticism (monasticism for example) and self denial as a means to attain salvation, under the rubric of Encratia.
In addition to the problem of Encratic asceticism; there is also the very serious error of autonomous ethics (carrying the idea of self control to complete self mastery and moral self determination); that we discussed in our previous study concerning moral excellence.
This concept ultimately leads to ethical utilitarianism (the standard is; whatever produces the most desirable results for the individual is the ethic to be followed);
And consequentiallism (the standard is derived from whatever seems to produce the greatest good for the greatest number).
There is no place within Christian orthodoxy for either Autosoterism (self salvation through self effort, self denial or self control);
Or for autonomous ethics (establishing and living by ones own personal ethical standards rather than submitting to those established and revealed by God).
It is when we explore some New Testament passages where the idea of our exercising self-control for the sake of others is expressed that the picture of what Peter is promoting comes into view more clearly. This aspect is vital for our correct understanding of the idea and for our proper performance in Christian ministry and service.
Gal 5:13-15 – For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Rom 14:1-23 – Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. (Herein lies the key to understanding the need for exercising self-control, the welfare of others who are affected by your actions)
Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written:
"As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God."
So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this,
Not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.
I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself;
but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love.
Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.
Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace
And the things by which one may edify another.
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God.
Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
I Cor.8:7-13 – However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.
But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.
And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble,
I will never eat meat again,
So that I will not cause my brother to stumble.
I Cor.9:19-27 – For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;
to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.
To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
So we see that it is primarily (all though not exclusively) for the sake of others that we are to add self-control to our faith. As I said, I think it is very important that we understand this first. Remember, we have already added moral excellence.
Now concerning the personal benefits of adding self-control to our Christian walk; this is certainly a very important aspect for our growth into Christian maturity and now that we have put it into the proper perspective regarding our salvation and our ethic; we are ready to explore this aspect of self-control.
I Cor.9:24-27 – Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?
Run in such a way that you may win.
Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.
They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable (rewards/crowns – 3:14-15).
Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim;
I box in such a way, as not beating the air;
But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others,
I myself will not be disqualified (obviously not from salvation but from rewards – II Jn.8).
It is easy to see how a complete misunderstanding of this passage could be had if we did not consider it within the context of the rest of the New Testament teaching concerning self-control.
So we see that there are two aspects to our adding self control to our faith, moral excellence and knowledge.
1. We are to consider the needs and reactions of others that look to us for instruction and guidance and to restrain ourselves from giving offense to a weaker brother or to anyone to whom we may be ministering to
(I Thes.2:10-12).
2. And we are to continue to be careful to walk in a manner worthy of our calling (Eph.4:1; Col.1:10) so that we do not jeopardize our testimony or our rewards.
Both of these considerations also weigh heavily on the effectiveness of our service to God.
Our primary job, as Christians in this world, is to be servants and instruments in the hand of God to be used as ambassadors of reconciliation to the lost, to the troubled and to the backslidden; and to encourage, equip and empower the Church to do the same.
II Cor.5:18-20 – Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,
not counting their trespasses against them,
and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God were making an appeal through us;
We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Now there are all kinds of service that we can be called to in the Church and they all contribute in some way to the effective ministry of the Church;
Some more obviously or directly than others, but all to the glory of God; and all serve to accomplish His purpose in reaching out with the offer of reconciliation.
I Cor.12 – 14 – Spiritual Gifts and Ministries:
12:4-11 – Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.
There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;
to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
12:27-31 – Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
14:1 – Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
14:39-40 – Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.
Eph.4:11-13 – And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Ro.12:4-8 – For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly:
if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching (a separate gift from pastor);
or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality;
he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
It is God Himself who equips the saints for service and He prepares the good works they are to perform ahead of them for them to walk in.
Eph.2;8-10 – For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Heb.13:20-21 – Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
But we must willingly offer ourselves for service, without reservation or double mindedness; and we must put to proper use the gifts and callings to ministry that God has ordained for us.
Mt.6:24 – “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
Mt.10:37-39 – “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”
“He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”
part 5
6a) “And in your knowledge (add) self-control.”
This virtue of self control, within the context as Peter intends it, requires some qualification and exposition to avoid taking it the wrong way.
While this is the case with each of the concepts and each of the words chosen to express them (as we have seen), I think that we need to exercise a little more caution here; especially considering the “self help” atmosphere that we live in our world today.
It seems that everywhere you turn, whether in written media, on radio or on T.V. we are inundated with self help programs; be they exercise regimes, or exercise devices and apparatus’ promising to transform our bodies in 30 days or your money back, dance and self defense videos that will develop “six pack abs”, brain games to forestall the onset of memory loss (or worse), diets of every description imaginable, organic foods and supplements to reverse the aging process and eliminate disease, water filters, electric juicers and blenders to help us to live to 100, and seemingly absolutely no end to new age Gurus and “Doctors” offering to guide us into “spiritual nirvana, completed self realization, unhindered self expression and total self awareness” (just turn on P.B.S.).
So what does Peter mean by self-control? Let’s look at the original Greek word used in our text. We can check out how it is used in some other scriptures, and we can compare some passages that explain the benefits and reasons why it is good for us to exercise self-control from the perspective of having a more effective ministry in our service in the Church.
The word used by Peter is – ἐγκράτϵιαν – encratian, from the root ecron which means – control over oneself, or lordship which one has over oneself or over something else; and so it is correctly translated as self-control, but that doesn’t help much yet.
The problem is that many within the greater Christian community, over the centuries and even still today, have tried to promote the idea of meritorious aestheticism (monasticism for example) and self denial as a means to attain salvation, under the rubric of Encratia.
In addition to the problem of Encratic asceticism; there is also the very serious error of autonomous ethics (carrying the idea of self control to complete self mastery and moral self determination); that we discussed in our previous study concerning moral excellence.
This concept ultimately leads to ethical utilitarianism (the standard is; whatever produces the most desirable results for the individual is the ethic to be followed);
And consequentiallism (the standard is derived from whatever seems to produce the greatest good for the greatest number).
There is no place within Christian orthodoxy for either Autosoterism (self salvation through self effort, self denial or self control);
Or for autonomous ethics (establishing and living by ones own personal ethical standards rather than submitting to those established and revealed by God).
It is when we explore some New Testament passages where the idea of our exercising self-control for the sake of others is expressed that the picture of what Peter is promoting comes into view more clearly. This aspect is vital for our correct understanding of the idea and for our proper performance in Christian ministry and service.
Gal 5:13-15 – For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Rom 14:1-23 – Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. (Herein lies the key to understanding the need for exercising self-control, the welfare of others who are affected by your actions)
Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written:
"As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God."
So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this,
Not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.
I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself;
but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love.
Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.
Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace
And the things by which one may edify another.
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God.
Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
I Cor.8:7-13 – However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.
But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.
And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble,
I will never eat meat again,
So that I will not cause my brother to stumble.
I Cor.9:19-27 – For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;
to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.
To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
So we see that it is primarily (all though not exclusively) for the sake of others that we are to add self-control to our faith. As I said, I think it is very important that we understand this first. Remember, we have already added moral excellence.
Now concerning the personal benefits of adding self-control to our Christian walk; this is certainly a very important aspect for our growth into Christian maturity and now that we have put it into the proper perspective regarding our salvation and our ethic; we are ready to explore this aspect of self-control.
I Cor.9:24-27 – Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?
Run in such a way that you may win.
Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.
They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable (rewards/crowns – 3:14-15).
Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim;
I box in such a way, as not beating the air;
But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others,
I myself will not be disqualified (obviously not from salvation but from rewards – II Jn.8).
It is easy to see how a complete misunderstanding of this passage could be had if we did not consider it within the context of the rest of the New Testament teaching concerning self-control.
So we see that there are two aspects to our adding self control to our faith, moral excellence and knowledge.
1. We are to consider the needs and reactions of others that look to us for instruction and guidance and to restrain ourselves from giving offense to a weaker brother or to anyone to whom we may be ministering to
(I Thes.2:10-12).
2. And we are to continue to be careful to walk in a manner worthy of our calling (Eph.4:1; Col.1:10) so that we do not jeopardize our testimony or our rewards.
Both of these considerations also weigh heavily on the effectiveness of our service to God.
Our primary job, as Christians in this world, is to be servants and instruments in the hand of God to be used as ambassadors of reconciliation to the lost, to the troubled and to the backslidden; and to encourage, equip and empower the Church to do the same.
II Cor.5:18-20 – Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,
not counting their trespasses against them,
and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God were making an appeal through us;
We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Now there are all kinds of service that we can be called to in the Church and they all contribute in some way to the effective ministry of the Church;
Some more obviously or directly than others, but all to the glory of God; and all serve to accomplish His purpose in reaching out with the offer of reconciliation.
I Cor.12 – 14 – Spiritual Gifts and Ministries:
12:4-11 – Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.
There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;
to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
12:27-31 – Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
14:1 – Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
14:39-40 – Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.
Eph.4:11-13 – And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Ro.12:4-8 – For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly:
if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching (a separate gift from pastor);
or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality;
he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
It is God Himself who equips the saints for service and He prepares the good works they are to perform ahead of them for them to walk in.
Eph.2;8-10 – For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Heb.13:20-21 – Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
But we must willingly offer ourselves for service, without reservation or double mindedness; and we must put to proper use the gifts and callings to ministry that God has ordained for us.
Mt.6:24 – “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
Mt.10:37-39 – “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”
“He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”
Friday, February 7, 2014
II Peter part 4
II peter
part four - add knowledge:
5c) “And in your moral excellence, (supply) knowledge.”
Like the virtue of moral excellence that we just considered, this virtue, knowledge, which we are to add to our faith, is an attribute that was enjoyed perfectly in the beginning by Adam and Eve before they sinned.
Our progenitors were created with the capacity for perfect knowledge; not infinite knowledge, that is something that only God can ever posses,
but completely correct knowledge.
The Apostle Peter is saying, that by the power of God and through the glorious gifts that He has bestowed upon those who are partakers of the divine nature (born again ones), we can and should now begin to seek to attain a more perfect knowledge of God and of truth.
Adam and Eve shared a common language between themselves and with God.
And so it is with us; we share a common language with God by virtue of the fact that we have the “mind of Christ” and are able to understand God’s truth (I Cor.2:16).
So, what is the beginning of knowledge for the born again believer?
Ps.46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth!”
Prov. 1:7 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Jn.10:14 – "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me.”
Jn.17:3 – “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Jn.20:28-31 – Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe (know for certain - Heb.11:1) that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God;
And that believing you may have life in His name.
Jn.21:24-25 – This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.
Eph.3:14-19 – For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend (know completely) with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
And to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge (worldly and human knowledge), that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Phil.3:7-11 – But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Col2:1-3 – For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea,
and for all those who have not personally seen my face,
that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love,
and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
The knowledge we are to add is godly knowledge found in the Word of God.
It is knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ and if we continue to grow in such knowledge we will certainly grow on our journey toward Christian maturity. (II Pet.1:8)
The third step on our chart, in conjunction with knowledge, following after salvation and separation is submission.
It is a submission to the truth of God’s word; submission to the leading of the Holy Spirit and submission to the will of God as He reveals it to us through His word and by His Spirit.
As I stated before, I believe there is a natural flow to the steps as Pastor Hanson has outlined them on our chart.
The step of submission to God’s word and His will follows naturally after separation to God and from the things that used to keep us from Him.
I cited Ro.12:1+2 previously in the context of our new life in Christ; now I want to emphasize the concept of submitting our minds to God in order for us to receive this most precious knowledge of which we have been speaking.
Ro.12:1-2 – Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
You see, as stated on page 267 of “Eight Steps to Spiritual Maturity”;
Now that our spirits have been regenerated and we are born again as new creations before God, our minds need renewing also.
This is accomplished through study, memorization, and life application of God’s word; and daily seeking and submitting to His will.
This renewal process concerning the mind is not automatic or instantaneous. No, we must seek it, through the power of the Holy Spirit and when we are lead by the Spirit to the place of renewal, we must submit and yield to it and apply it to our lives.
Ro.6:16 – Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
Ro.6:18-19 – and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
“If one is serious with God then he has to put himself in a position where God can deal with him. In other words, in a spirit of submission one has to submit to the exposure of God’s light, which is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and in the Word of God.”
(E S T S M - pg.270)
I Pet.1:13-16 – Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”
Eph.4:22-24 – that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
One very important principle that we should always keep in mind is this;
“The key to future or further knowledge lies in the application of knowledge received.”
It is a matter of good stewardship as with so many of God’s gifts, blessings and answers to prayer.
As we grow in the knowledge of God and of Christ we come to see the greatness of God’s love for us and of Christ’s love for us; as we do we grow in our love for God and for our Savior. Our desire to please God and to be close to Him increases with our knowledge.
Augustine called it irresistible grace and while I do not agree with the concept as he defined it (irresistible on the unwilling), I do believe that the gracious love of God when understood by a willing recipient of that love is indeed irresistible.
An old Jewish proverb says:
“To know God is to love God and to love God is to desire to obey Him.”
And so we see that by adding knowledge to our Christian journey of faith we grow in our ability to submit to God, which will put us in the right place for our next step; service.
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