The Essence Of Christianity: 1Peter 1:2

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Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:2‭-‬5 KJ
The Apostle Peter sums up the essence of what it is to be a Christian in a few sentences. Each word is heavy. Each is carefully chosen and profound in themselves.
You will notice that God himself is the active force in the believer’s spiritual birth–it’s HIS POWER from the beginning to end!
What Peter is doing is impressing on their minds the fact that God himself has chosen them. I am spiritually alive and able to spiritually perceive Him and understand his message, because he has brought his power to bear on me. (check the text again)
This new birth, in this dangerous, fleshly world, is kept secure by faith. You will notice the believer is passive (i.e., he is kept, he doesn’t keep himself)—The POWER of God keeps the Christian.
The means of that security is through faith/belief in God word. The means is not the power, it is the channel through the power reaches its destination. Your faith is important in this transaction, but it’s NOT the mighty force which sustains or delivers the salvation. We are Dependant on GOD’s power. Faith is what RELIES on His Power.
 
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. –1 Peter 1:7‭, ‬9 KJV
 
The testing of that faith is not for God’s knowledge, but for ours. It’s purifies that faith, making it stronger, more firm. Thereby increasing the saint’s confidence in its power to keep, overcome, and to deliver the inheritance promised at the end this journey.
So when you look around after overcoming the “manifold trials” you have faced, and your faith in God’s providence is still in tack and stronger than ever, you know that THE POWER OF GOD IS PRESENT IN YOUR LIFE! Next stop? The marriage supper of the Lamb.

What Does It Mean To Take God’s Name In Vain?

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Deu 5:11  Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

This warning is often taken to mean “do not use/speak the name of God by swearing”. Vain then means to curse or swear disrespectfully.

The context however is the Covenant between the Lord their God and the children of Israel. In that covenant they pledged by oath to TAKE that covenant between themselves (to be literally married), OBEY His commands, and worship Him; and in turn the Lord would bless them like no other people on earth.

To take his name in vain simply means to call themselves God’s people but not obey him or keep their part of the Covenant.  VAIN means FALSELY. It’s hypocrisy, it’s a lie.

Here is the NT equivalent spoken of professing Christians:

2Ti 3:1ff  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a FORM OF GODLINESS, but DENYING THE POWER THEREOF (vain/fruitless): from such turn away.

Marriage Love: Assuring a Strong One Flesh Union Part 1

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The command to Love for the husband is from a leadership position. For the wife it is from a supportive position.

Why aren’t wives specifically instructed to love their husbands in the same way husbands are instructed love their wives? Wives are however  instructed to submit to their husbands?

  1. The Bible is concerned with truth, and what is primary and important. It is concerned with building a solid foundation and structure in a fractured world with wayward humans. So it addresses the positive essentials, the fundamentals, and the negative dangers.
  2. The truth is, submission to God is a demonstration of love: Jesus said “if you love me obey my commandments.” So, the focus for the wife is on the critical aspect of love necessary for a strong union between her and the man God tied together with her. That critical labor of love is submission. “In like manner, you married women, be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on them, and adapt yourselves to them], so that even if any do not obey the Word [of God], they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of their wives, When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence [for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him–to honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband]. –1 Peter 3:1‭-‬2 AMPC.  So submission to your husband in love to God is equal to loving your husband.
  3. Why was Peter led to say “IN LIKE MANNER, YOU WIVES…” Like what? Answer: a. Like he has just described in the previous paragraphs (Read previous chapter): like the Christians submission to the gospel (contrasted with the world’s rejection of it.) b. Like servants subjection to their masters out of submission to God’s providence in their lives. c. Like Christ’s submission to suffering to save his lost sheep.
  4. The Spirit gives Paul the very same instructions for the married: “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:” –Ephesians 5:21‭-‬26‭, ‬28‭-‬29 KJV
  5. The husband’s love, care, protection, nourishment, honor, cherishing, of His his wife, demonstrates submission to and love for God. But, the focus is on care and sacrifice, which is the critical aspect of love necessary for a strong union with the woman God has tied him to.  Love in all leadership is demonstrated by CARE, NOURISHMENT, PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT: “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. –John 21:15‭-‬17 KJV

    Notice that love to Jesus must be given to others: his sheep who need care and nourishment. This was to be Peter’s PRIMARY FOCUS from that day forward. His leadership would be a position defined by love and care for those the Lord desires to care for.

Wives don’t have this burden of leadership and care for the husband; their burden is to demonstrate their love to God and love for their husband by honoring his leadership and submitting to it, in the same way the Church submits to Jesus. So, both the husband and wife have a command to love, albeit from different directions so as to assure a strong one flesh union.
God know how he has designed and equipped men and women. The one who wants to please God humbly submits to his wise instructions.

God’s Love Floods!

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God’s Love Flooding The Core Of My Soul.

 …And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. —Rom. 5:5
  • Hope: Is the SURE EXPECTATION of the final glory, promised by God to the faithful. HOPE is the structure left standing after we have overcome all of the necessary trials which purify our faith.
  • It’s the final stage in the 4 stage construction project of The Glory of God. (tribulation, patience, endurance, hope.)
  • The monumental structure of CERTAIN HOPE in turn fortifies us, banishing any sense of inadequacy. Because the victory through the trails is proof of God’s love for me. He has lavishly poured out his love in the core of our being, through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us who believe.
  • Our unshakable belief and the circumstances surrounding its creation, prove the presence of the Holy Spirit and love of God for us.
There’s much more. Check out Romans 5 for the full story.

How to Prevent Brainwashing?

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So I’m sitting down with a fellow teacher who has a title in front of his name. He’s trying to convince me to accept and obey his point of view. (He doesn’t know how long I’ve been studying the Bible. It happens to be longer than him.) But I take it he assumes his “position” puts everyone else in a submissive posture and an open head. Don’t get me wrong, I’m hoping for some nuggets of truth I can add to my file of knowledge and beliefs—that’s why we were having this conversation:-)

The Open Mind

The LAST thing you want is an “open mind”. (The kind brain washers love.) As students we must learn from experts/authorities. We should be EAGER to learn valuable new information and take instructions. However, all information and instructions must be filtered by The Word of God if you are a Christian.

The danger is to accept the “title”, “position”, or “reputation” of the would-be teacher as proof of the accuracy of their teachings and instructions. “This is Pastor, Dr. So and So, so whatever he tells me I will believe and do.”

The Closed Mind

The truth is: Let no one pour information into your brain without consulting God Almighty to confirm this man/woman has been taught by The Master Teacher Himself. (1Tim. 3:16)

Eagerness to learn, but not an open mind. The mind is closed until God’s truth fills it. Check with God before you let some teacher or expert fill your head with what they claim to be right.

Even the Apostles had to pass this test!

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. -Act 17:11

The Multitude of Counselors

If you are still have doubts consult more authorities from diverse positions. Don’t consult the questionable teacher’s students or partners. I would examine those who are likely to differ and weigh all of their interpretations and teachings.

Pro 11:14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.