SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/2/2012 3:34:51 PM
As I was looking at my Spiritual Diaries for the books of first and second Peter I noticed that some of them were missing and so I have decided to finish the book of First Peter and then fill in what is missing in Second Peter. This is the first of those Spiritual Diaries.
Let me begin with stating that Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on 1Peter is entitled “Be Hopeful, and in the introduction to the tenth chapter in his commentary, which he entitles “Facts About Furnaces and it covers 1Peter 4:12-19, he states the following in the introduction: “Peter gave the believers four instructions to follow in the light of the coming ‘fiery trial.” The first trial was covered in previous SD’s which was entitled “Expect suffering” and then the next main point was entitled “Rejoice in Suffering.” This SD will begin with the next main point from Dr. Wiersbe’s outline which is entitled “Examine Your Life.”
Examine Your Life (1Peter 4:15-18): “15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?”
We must remember that Dr. Wiersbe entitled this chapter “Facts about Furnaces,” and being an old foundry man for 35 years I do know a bit about furnaces too, so that will make it easier for me to understand this section better. I remember that Dr. Wiersbe has said that when we are in a fiery trial that it is God who controls the thermostat. We will see in this section that it talks about judgment and Peter writes that judgment begins with the household of God. In the 9th chapter of the book of Ezekiel we can see an OT version of judgment beginning with the household of God. It is a short chapter of only ten verses that helps us understand better what Peter is writing about.
Steve Green is a wonderful singer of Christian music and one of his songs is entitled “The Refiners Fire and at this time I wish to put those lyrics on this SD.
There burns a fire with sacred heat
White hot with holy flame
And all who dare pass through its blaze
Will not emerge the same
Some as bronze, and some as silver
Some as gold, then with great skill
All are hammered by their sufferings
On the anvil of His will
Chorus:
The Refiner's fire
Has now become my souls desire
Purged and cleansed and purified
That the Lord be glorified
He is consuming my soul
Refining me, making me whole
No matter what I may lose
I choose the Refiner's fire
I'm learning now to trust His touch
To crave the fire's embrace
For though my past with sin was etched
His mercies did erase
Each time His purging cleanses deeper
I'm not sure that I'll survive
Yet the strength in growing weaker
Keeps my hungry soul alive
Chorus
Why am I suffering? (v. 15): 15 “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;” We can look at some of the more prolific saints in the Word of God and see that they suffered because of disobedience to the Word of God. Moses did not enter the Promised Land because of disobedience. David lost four sons because of disobedience. Peter was miserable because He denied the Lord. Dr. Wiersbe writes “Let’s be sure we are suffering because we are Christians and not because we are criminals.”
Am I ashamed, or glorifying Christ? (v. 16): “16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.” Not being ashamed is something that is negative, while glorifying God is a positive. Hebrews 11:16 states, “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren (Hebrews 2:11).” Hebrews 12:2 states, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Dr. Wiersbe writes “It was the determination not to be ashamed that encouraged Paul when he went to Rome (Rom. 1:16), when he suffered in Rome (Phil. 1:20-21), and when he faced martyrdom in Rome (2Tim. 1:12).”
Am I seeking to win the Lost (vv. 17-18): “17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?”
I think that it is wonderful how Dr. Wiersbe brings in witnessing from these two verses, for when one first reads them witnessing does not seem to be what Peter is talking about. Dr. Wiersbe writes that “Instead of being concerned only about ourselves, we need to be concerned about the lost sinners around us. Our present ‘fiery trial’ is nothing compared with the ‘flaming fire’ that shall punish the lost when Jesus returns in judgment.” Now let’s take a look at what will happen when the Lord returns from the writing of the Apostle Paul as he writes to those in Thessalonica in 2Thes. 1:4-10, “4 therefore, 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.
“5 ¶ 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. 6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 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, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 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.”
John MacArthur writes the following from his Study Bible on verse 18: “Quoted from the LXX of Proverbs 11:31, and reinforces the point that if the justified sinner is saved only with great difficulty, suffering pain, and loss—what will be the end of the ungodly?” The end of the ungodly is described in the verses in 2Thes.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: It was just last night in our church service that the guest Pastor was preaching on verses in Hebrews 12:1-3 and then in 1Peter 4. One of the things that stuck into my mind from his message was not being ashamed of Christ for in Hebrews 12:2 it tells us that Jesus despised the shame and as he was talking about that section of the verse it was as if I had not seen that before, but I know that I have. He went on to talk about as believers; we are not to despise the shame when doing something for the Lord. I took out of that, that we should not be ashamed in doing the work of God.
Today while visiting my sick mom in the hospital, as I was leaving I saw an older man with his head bowed and his mouth moving in what looked like he was praying. He was sitting outside a room with the curtain closed and my first instinct was to stop and put my arm around him and as if I could join him in prayer. I did not do this and it bothered me all of the way home. I did pray for him and the situation that he was in, but I was too ashamed or frightened to stop and I know I should have.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Not to be ashamed of Jesus Christ or the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Continue to learn contentment in a world that seems to be falling apart.
4/2/2012 4:49:32 PM
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