SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
6/2/2012 10:56:37 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Be Hopeful
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 1Peter 5:10-14
Message of the verses: The title of Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on 1Peter is “Be Hopeful,” and so that is what he has entitled the last main point found in 1Peter. We will also look at several sub-points as we attempt to finish the book today. I mentioned earlier that I began my study of 1Peter on 11/24/2003, but for some reason, reasons known only to God, I did not finish it or have lost the commentaries from my computer files, and so it was because that our Pastor is preaching through the book of 1Peter that I desired to finish my commentaries on it. I can surely say that it has been a blessing from God to do this.
In finishing this letter Peter again looks at being hopeful because he knows that God is always in control, even when we have doubts and fears that He is not, He still is. Peter will give several reasons for having hope and having a hopeful attitude. “10 ¶ After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. 12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him),I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! 13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ.” (NASB-95)
“10 ¶ In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All power to him forever! Amen. 12 I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. 13 Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet each other with Christian love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.” (NLT)
We have God’s Grace. The grace of God is most important to those who have accepter Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 shows us that we have been saved by grace through faith and it also shows us that this is a gift from God that was given to us by God. 1Peter 1:10 says something similar: “As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries.” When we look at 1Peter 1:2 we will find out that God called us before we called on Him, and this to was grace: “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.” Notice that all persons of the trinity are evolved in the salvation process. Now let’s look at another aspect of God’s grace: “If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” We have tasted the graciousness of God (1Peter 2:3 (AV). “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” In 1Peter 4, Peter speaks of spiritual gifts and in verse ten he states they come about by the manifold grace of God.
Now there are times when we think that we need more grace because of situations that we are going through. Let us remember that grace is God giving us something that we do not deserve, and something that we can never earn. If we go back a couple of books to the book of Hebrews we will learn that “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. There are days when we need more of God’s grace and this passage from Hebrews 4:16 shows us that God will give us the grace that we need to get through the situations that He leads us into. Now let’s look at James 4:6, “But he gives more grace. Why he said, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” There are two more verses on grace that I want to look at: “12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him),I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!” This is part of our text from today’s SD, 1Peter 5:12. “1 ¶ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2 also shows us along with 1Peter 5:12 that we must stand in that grace.”
We know we are going to glory. This also comes from 1Peter 5:10 where Peter writes that “He has called us into His eternal glory by Christ Jesus.” Dr. Wiersbe writes “This is the wonderful inheritance into which we were born (1Peter 1:4). Whatever begins with God’s grace will always lead to God’s glory (Psalm 84:11)”: “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” If we depend on God’s grace when we suffer, that suffering will result in glory (Peter 4:13-16). The road may be difficult, but it leads to glory, and that is all that really counts.”
Our present suffering is only for a while. This is also found in verse ten. When I think about this suffering being only for a little while I have to think about the Lord Jesus Christ and the example that He has set for us. We know from Philippians 2:5-11 that Jesus emptied Himself in order to come to earth to become a man that He might do the will of His Father in order to provide salvation for the lost. There is a song that we used to sing that speaks of this and I want to place it in this Spiritual Diary at this point:
“My Lord has garments so wondrous fine,
And myrrh their texture fills;
Its fragrance reached to this heart of mine
With joy my being thrills. Refrain:
Out of the ivory palaces,
Into a world of woe,
Only His great eternal love
Made my Savior go.
His life had also its sorrows sore,
For aloes had a part;
And when I think of the cross He bore,
My eyes with teardrops start.
His garments, too, were in cassia dipped,
With healing in a touch;
In paths of sin had my feet e’er slipped—
He’s saved me from its clutch.
In garments glorious He will come,
To open wide the door;
And I shall enter my heav’nly home,
To dwell forevermore.
I think that this song says much about what Jesus Christ did for me in coming from heaven, leaving the ivory palace, to come into this world of woe in order to take my place on the cross of Calvary, taking my sin upon Himself and then giving me His righteousness to that I may someday enter the ivory place where He is again. His example to me is that His trials brought glory and so when I go through trials that God has ordained me to go through then there will be glory later on as Peter writes.
We know that our trials are building Christian character. Dr. Wiersbe writes “The Greek word translated ‘make you perfect’ means ‘to equip, to adjust, to fit together.’ It is translated ‘mending nets’ in Matthew 4:21. God has several tools which He uses to equip His people for life and service, and suffering is one of them. The Word of God is another tool (2Timothy 3:16-17, where thoroughly furnished means ‘fully equipped’). He also uses the fellowship and ministry of the church (Eph 4:11-16). Our Savior in heaven is perfecting His children so that they will do His will and His work (Heb. 13:20-21).”
We will next look at three words that Peter uses to describe the kind of character God wants all of His children to have.
Established: This word is found at the end of verse ten and it means “to fix firmly, to set fast.” When trials and temptations come we must be firmly in our stand for Jesus Christ. How is this to happen, how are we to be established so we do not move when troubles come? 11 ¶ Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; 12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; 13 so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” (1Thes. 3:11-13) Be you also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near.” (James 5:8 AKJV) Dr. Wiersbe writes “The believer who is established will not be moved by persecution, or led away by false doctrine (2Peter 3:17)
Strengthen: This word is also found in verse ten and it means just that: “God’s strength given to us to meet the demands of life.”
Settle: We see this word translated “a firm foundation” in the ESV. Hebrews 1:10 says “And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands.” (ESV) When Jesus spoke of the house built upon a rock we see the same usage of the word there (Matthew 7:24-27). Dr. Wiersbe writes, “A believer who is equipped by God will ‘continue in faith grounded and settled’ (Col. 1:23). He will not be ‘tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine’ (Eph. 4:14). When unbelievers go through sufferings they loose hope, but we as believers are to be hopeful when we go through trials: “2 ¶ Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-3) “3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 3:3-5)
Dr. Wiersbe writes near the end of his commentary on 1Peter these words, “Paul always ended his letters with a benediction of grace. Peter closed this epistle with a benediction of peace. He opened the letter with a greeting of peace (1Peter 1:2), so the entire epistle points to ‘God’s peace’ from beginning to end. What a wonderful way to end a letter that announced the coming of a fiery trial!”
“Peter has given to us a precious letter that encourages us to hope in the Lord no matter how trying the times may be. Down through the centuries, the church has experienced various fiery trials, and yet Satan has not been able to destroy it. The church today is facing a fiery trial, and we must be prepared.
“But, whatever may come, Peter is still saying to each of us—BE HOPEFUL! The glory is soon to come!”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: As I see more and more attacks upon the Church in the U.S. and around the world it makes me think that the Lord Jesus is ready to come and take His bride out of the world to be with Him in heaven. I believe we are on the doorstep of what the Bible calls the Tribulation Period. I have never been a date setter, and never will be, but I am not the only one who believes we are close to the end of the world as we know it now. If this is not true I am to continue to be faithful to the Lord who called me unto His salvation.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Abide “Remain” in the Vine in order to do what God has called me to do for His honor and glory.
6/2/2012 12:34:41 PM
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