Examine yourself 112212

Examine yourselves ----

Are you "on board" with examining yourself?  It is quite clearly commanded in the Word and hence not some optional undertaking.

What would keep us from engaging in this command?

Do we fear we will find our faith to be false?  Then run to Christ in open and honest confession and need.

Do we fear we will find our faith ill-informed and or un-biblical?  Then run the the Word for clear and godly instruction.

Do we fear we will find our faith weak?  Then run to the duties and obligations of the faith which will strengthen it mightily.

Do we fear we will be overcome by our littleness in our faith?  Then run to the Spirit who is God's power in us for serving Him.

Do you not see that what ever the condition or quality of your faith it is none-the-less faith?  

Do you not know that be it but a mustard seed in comparison to others, it is enough to begin?

Do you not know that He knows well the condition of our faith and that His great desire is to strengthen, inform and use it?

Do you not know that nothing - not even a small and wavering faith which needs instruction, perhaps correction is enough to separate you from His love?

Have you not realized that Christ is not a cookie maker?  He does not spread the dough and simply stamp out identical cookies?  No!  As He knit you uniquely in your mother's womb so He would shape you and mold you as that unique creation the only same-ness being that we all be conformed to His likeness.

Has no one told you that you, weak faith, twisted faith, struggling faith - have a unique place and role in His will?  Has no-one told you that regardless and even perhaps because of your limitations, struggles, condition or circumstance you are no less His child even His servant in working out His will?

Have you not seen, in the very Word of God, that He takes all kinds and all conditions and makes then magnificent when they serve His purposes?  Do you not get the lesson that is there for you?

What have you to lose by self-examination except pride and sin and the distraction of baseless and fruitless worry?

Indeed, we have nothing to lose in self-examination except that which has hindered our confidence and comfort until now.  And could that be a bad thing?

Oh but you say, "I am a weak child of God!"  "I am a lazy child of God!"  I am an ignorant child of God!"  I am a blind, lame, depressed, bi-polar even schizophrenic child of God!" "I am an unworthy child of God!"

Let me ask you, "What part of child of God isn't good enough?"

There is the "faithful" child of God and the "unfaithful" child of God.  The only difference is dependent focus.  The faithful child of God dependently focuses on God and what pleases Him.  The "unfaithful" child of God focuses on themselves and others.  But - both are children of God.  Once His child - the choice is yours.  He paid the price for you to be made His child - don't let the small cost of living as His child cripple or hinder you.

Do not let your doubts about your salvation worry you overmuch.  If you do they will paralize you and keep you from making use of His great provision for your confidence and comfort.  Feelings are not facts - they are our responce/reaction to things.  What "so called" fact has wounded your confidence and stolen your comfort?  It is either God calling you to your next adventure in Him or it is Satan up to his old distractions and traps.

The "proof" of our faith is indeed in the pudding.  It is in the practice of the dutied and obligations of the faith that our faith and hence our confidence and comfort grows.  As we grow - it all grows.  But to grow we must be fed (by the Word) exercised (by the duties and obligations) and guided (by the Spirit).  which of these is missing in your life?  Reclaim is and use it!!

Peter's Pen 1st Peter 4:17-19

1st Peter 4:17-19

17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

 “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.   ESV

Some key points:

Judgment begins with the household of God.

That being the case, consider the plight of the ungodly and the sinners.

If you suffer here and now - according to God's will - trust God and keep serving Him.

A powerful contrast for us to consider.  Judgment of us and judgment of "not us."  

Judgment is a scary thing - period.  Well it should be.  Having known the conviction of the Spirit concerning out condition outside of Christ we can extrapolate what it will be like at the throne.  

Note Peter writes:  "If the righteous is scarcely saved . . . ."  That ought to get our attention.   "Scarcely" means "with much work," "with difficulty."  Let me give you a picture of this:

Eph. 2:1-10

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.    ESV

We can never rightfully conceive of the cost God paid for our redemption.  Certainly He chose a manner of death for His Son that demonstrates the pain and horror of that price but we will never comprehend the true meaning or the agonizing experience of those moments when Christ called out:

Mark 15:34

“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  ESV

One has to wonder how hard it was for God to put His Son through that.  I know, I can't know the mind of God - and I don't want to humanize Him - but though the suffering of crucifixion is mind boggling - being abandoned - even for a nano-second - by God with whom He had experienced intimacy and glory is utterly beyond my ability to comprehend - or even attempt to comprehend.

We can not afford to ever view our redemption as a minor thing.  If we ever do we must know that our hearts have grown hard and calloused.  Somehow we must keep in the front of our minds the fact of the cost of our redemption.  Think brother and sister, He suffered the punishment for our sin - indeed He became sin for our sake and took upon Himself the whole wrath of God that was rightfully ours to bear.

While Peter's "therefore" is to admonish us to trust our souls to God when we are suffering it is also to turn our minds from our suffering to the great grace and mercy of God poured out for us through Christ.  It is a, "remember," admonishment.  If indeed God has saved us from His wrath why would we doubt Him when we suffer?  Why would we "go on strike," or cease our exercise of our duties just because it's hard?  

The truly "hard part" involves another - we are just the blessed recipients.  We could do nothing and were not asked to do anything in order to be redeemed.  Not only that but we are not required (as if it were possible) to do anything to stay redeemed.  We are simply admonished to trust God and continue to do good (His good).  Certainly - not the hard part!!!!!!!  

2 Cor. 4:17-18  For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 

Peter’s Pen 1st Peter 2:16

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.   (1Pe 2:16)

Free!

Free?

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.   (Rom 6:22)

This is the whole of our freedom.

Whether Peter is referring to a freedom from the Law is not certain, but we know that Paul references it:

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.   (Gal 5:13)

We are free from the bondage of sin and free from any pretense that we can in and of ourselves resolve the conflict we had with God when we were still unredeemed. 

We are free but it is not a wide-open freedom rather it is a freedom in Christ, by Christ and for Christ.  What we undertake, that we cannot undertake in His name, is never an act of freedom.

Jesus said:

Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  (Joh 8:34-36)

Sin and freedom are mutually exclusive.  We are free from the imposed rule of sin but when we sin, we are submitting to that which has no rights over us.  When we sin, we are re-shackling ourselves – binding ourselves to that from which we have been loosed.

We receive our freedom for we have been redeemed, forgiven, saved.  But though the grace of God has no limits for us, to abuse and misuse it, to rebel against His rightful authority over us, is to bring into question the surety of our redemption. 

Consider:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,   (Heb 12:1)

Forgiven we may be – free of sin’s bondage we may be – but free of Christ, never. 

It is sometimes the way of believers to see themselves so utterly apart from the “world” that they may do or say what they will for they are “saved.”  Yet this is a freedom, a salvation that is defined by the One who provided it, the One into whose hands God has delivered all things.

Many use their freedom to vilify unbelievers.  Many use their freedom as a red cape to a bull.  Many use their freedom as an excuse to disassociate from those to whom they are called to witness.  Many use their freedom to – just go along as they have – only avoiding the grosser types of sins.

But this verse has a catch.  We are free – free servants of God.

But – that word “servants” is troublesome.  The “authorities” I regularly consult in my studies hold that it is more accurately translated slave.

One reason for this is quite simply:

for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.   (1Co 6:20)

and 

For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.   (1Co 7:22-23)

We were bought out of our bondage to sin to be the slaves of Christ.  In this we have great freedom – freedom from sin and freedom to serve God as His.

Though it may irritate some, our freedom in Christ is far beyond any freedom a document written by man can give – anyone.  The tough side of our freedom is that we are free to be oppressed, harassed and even killed because of it. 

In chains, on the rack, in dungeons, on desert islands, and even in the flames we are free.  We have to keep in mind that this freedom is not of man and indeed is often opposed by man.   With this freedom we need to accept:

Luk 21:17  You will be hated by all for my name's sake.

Peter’s Pen 1 Peter 1:3-5

1Pe 1:3-5  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  (4)  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,  (5)  who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Repetition in the bible is intended to draw our attention to the importance of what’s being said.  Here Peter re-states what he said in verse 2.  There’s a little different twist but it’s the same good news!

c        1.  according to his great mercy,

h        2.  he has caused us to be born again

3        3.  to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4        4.  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for 

y             you,

5       5.  who by God's power are being guarded through faith

6       6.  for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Let’s look at two things.  The passage begins with:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Praise is important.  It doesn’t have to be excited or loud or even joyous – it just has to be praise.  And that’s what Peter is doing here.  This “blessing” is typical of traditional Jewish prayers.  “Blessed be . . . “  It simply means, “well spoken of,” “honored,” with an element of gratitude and happiness.  I know we all believe God is worthy of being well spoken of – even or especially when we see our battle with sin and our stumbling.

The second thing is, “who by God's power are being guarded through faith.”  Please notice it doesn’t quantify “faith.”  It doesn’t say a strong faith, a mighty faith, an un-disturbed faith of even a happy faith.  It just says faith.

Remember what Jesus said?

Luk 17:6  And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

Gill writes:

"for such a tree to be plucked up by the root at a word speaking, is very wonderful and miraculous, and beyond the power of nature; and much more for it to remove into the sea, and plant itself there, where trees grow not; and to believe this should be done, and such a word of command obeyed, one should think required very great faith; and yet, if it was but as a grain of mustard seed, which is very small, it might be done. The design is to show, what great things are done by faith, and what an increase of it they should have."

This isn’t about horticulture, it’s about faith. 

Jesus uses the mustard seed another time.  He says concerning the Kingdom of God:

Mar 4:31-32  It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,  (32)  yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."

The Kingdom of God is “in” you, Jesus said that.  It starts like a little bitty mustard seed but Oh how it grows – remember – all trees don’t grow the same!

By God’s power YOU are being guarded through – faith!  Our faith isn’t perfect but it is being perfected. 

Remember who guards you – could you ask for better?  

Joh 10:27-28  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  (28)  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand

Peter’s Pen 1st Peter 1:2

(1Pe 1:2)  according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

You’ve heard the saying, “He said a mouthful.”  Well, Peter says several mouths-full in this verse.

Peter gives us a box in which we can see something about our lives in Jesus.  Our lives in Christ are:

1     1.  according to the foreknowledge of God the Father

2     2.  in the sanctification of the Spirit

3     3.  or obedience to Jesus Christ

4     4.  or sprinkling with his blood

Look at each point this way:

1     1.  You are His and that is no surprise to God He knew it and if He knew it He brought it to pass.

2     2.  You are His inside and out, over and under and His “seal” of the relationship, the Spirit, is in you an        

             upon you – and that Spirit works in you making you like Him.

3     3.  We couldn’t and wouldn’t obey without 1 and 2.  Now we can and do.  Don’t go all legalistic on me 

            now - !

4     4.  Huh?  This means you are His forever.  His blood has cleansed you and made you His dear child – and 

            this blood will always have its effect. 

I would love to launch into a lot of information about the broad and deep meaning of this passage but I won’t.  What Peter is telling you and I is that we are His – period – not questions on His part and that ought to help us when we question it on our part.  He did it – it is done!

One little – kool beans part.  Notice that Peter tells us 1 and 2 were done for obedience and then he mentions the sprinkling of the blood.  For me that’s a comfort.

When I read “for obedience,” my flesh is very quick to tell me how poorly I obey.  I get this big spreadsheet of all the rebellious and unthinking ways I disobey.  I’m sure Peter knew all about this.  I wonder how often his flesh reminded him of his sins (see Peter in the Gospels). 

So knowing that we would iinstantly default to our weak and struggling obedience Peter with the Spirit’s guidance brings up the blood of Jesus which cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

This knee jerk to our weakness/sin is what I call a “Romans 7 moment.”  Get your Bible and read Romans 7.  Ouch!  But please do not skip verse 25!!!!! 

From there Paul writes:

There is therefore now

no condemnation

for those who are in Christ Jesus.(Rom 8:1)

There we are – this are us.  This is YOU!

Brothers and sisters, “in Christ,” no failure is ever final.  No one and nothing can undo what God has done.  Our hope here and our hope for heaven is secured by Him – not by us.

“Walk behind Him leaning forward.  If you fall, fall in His direction.  If you smack the ground, crawl towards Him.” MS