Thoughts on 1 Peter – Part 2
1PET 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
To be pitiful is to be full of pity toward others. We should be full of understanding about what others are going thru. I am talking about really caring. Think about what if that was you. If you are truly full of pity for someone, then the natural result is that you will do something about it. Verse 8 also tells us to love as brethren. Love in the Bible is a love of action. Biblical love demands that we want what is best for the one we love and that we will help them out when needed. Verse 8 tells us to have some compassion. Telling someone I will pray for you and then walking off is not having compassion. If what they need is a shoulder to cry on, then give them that shoulder. If they need help, then give them that help. That’s the kind of compassion that makes a difference. The last thing mentioned in verse 8 is to be courteous. Sad to say, but it seems we live in a day when common courtesy has gone out the window. Even when we disagree with someone, we should still be courteous.
One thing that I believe will help us in all of this is to always remember how much Jesus Christ loves them. He loves them enough to go to the cross for them. He loves them even with all their faults, just like He loves you with all your faults. Love people because Jesus loves them.
1PET 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
When a man preaches or teaches for God it is to be thus sayeth the Lord. The term oracles of God is one of the terms that refers to the Bible. If a man is going to speak for God, he needs to realize that he actually has the very words of God in his hand. He has a rock of unalterable truth and he needs to speak like it.
Preaching thus sayeth the Lord is not popular today. Instead of accepting the Word of God that was preached or taught most people today get mad and attack the man of God. What they should do is change their wrong doings or their wrong thinking to be in line with what God says. They should be thankful for a man who has enough spirituality to stand up and tell them the truth.
1PET 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
You stand up for God’s Word and boldly declare it and fiery trials will come. You will be attacked. The Bible tells us to not think it strange. Standing up for God does not bring you a Lexus, it brings trial.
1PET 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1PET 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
1PET 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
When the trials come we are to rejoice. If suffering comes, you are not to be ashamed of your stand. Keep saying thus sayeth the Lord. You are to be happy when you are reproached for the name of Christ.
1PET 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1PET 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
1PET 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
We are not just to have charity to our brother and sisters in Christ, but we are to have fervent charity. Fervent is defined as hot; boiling; earnest; excited; animated; with great warmth. Our love toward the brethren is not to be lukewarm. We are not to have the attitude of, well I guess that I have to. No we should genuinely, honestly, fervently, care about fellow Christians. This kind of love makes it easy to have hospitality one to another and to do it without grudging. And as we minister to each other we should always remember that we have received the gift of the grace of God. We have received the greatest gift that will ever be given. Remembering this should make us great givers.
1PET 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1PET 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
After you get saved and are therefore in Christ, you should no longer live for sin. We should not live the rest of our days in the flesh to the lusts of men. Instead we are to live to the will of God. A God that died for our sin, would not have us live in sin.
1PET 4:3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
What a vivid description in verse 3 of the life of a sinner. And living in lust is the norm for our society. Lust is even portrayed as normal in prime time TV shows and in most all of our advertising. People consider it normal to tell dirty jokes, go out and get drunk, and idolize things and money. That is normal for the sinner. When someone gets saved, what is normal is that you leave all that. You take all that money that you wasted on lusts and give it to God’s work. If you ask me, a much better use of that money.
1PET 4:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:
When the sinners of this world who are living in lust see a Christian not partake in all that nonsense, they don’t understand it. Verse 4 says they think that it is strange. They think it strange that you don’t want to drink booze, and be an idiot. They think it strange that you don’t want to hurt other people with lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, and reveling. Mark it down sin is always hurtful and destructive and not only to you but those around you. They see someone who is truly living for the Lord and they think it is strange. They call us nut jobs and a whole lot worse. Verse 4 says they will speak evil of you. It is not enough to think us strange. No, they have to lash out and speak evil against us. I think it is because down deep they know that they are wrong and living in sin. Some will speak evil because they are under conviction.
1PET 4:5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
Those that speak evil against us will one day have to give an account to God for it. What they say and do does not escape the eye of God and judgment will be done in the end. We can take comfort in that and just let God deal with all the evil speaking in His way in His perfect timing. Our place is to take the evil speaking with grace. Take it in a way that honors our Lord.
1PET 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
The devil is real and he is active. If you are saved, the devil is your adversary. If you are not saved the devil is your father. If you have not been saved, then the devil already has you. The devil does not spend much time on the lost. He already has them.
There are many people who could tell you that the devil never bothered them until they got saved and started living for Christ. Once you are saved the devil has lost your soul. Once saved, the devil cannot take you to hell with him. So why would he bother you?
One reason is he hates Christ and everything that belongs to Christ. The devil hates you because you are a son of God.
Two the devil does not want you to take anyone else to heaven with you. The devil does not want you spoiling his kingdom by getting someone else saved.
Christian, the devil wants to get you to stop witnessing. The devil wants you to stop handing out tracts. The devil wants to ruin your testimony. He is like a roaring lion seeking to pounce upon you.
When a preacher stands up and preaches against booze and how a Christian has no business drinking the foul stuff. That has nothing to do with salvation. It has to do with pleasing God with your life, and it has to do with keeping your testimony before the lost. When a lost person sees you boozing it up at the restaurant and then later you try to tell him about Christ or hand him a tract all he is going to think is hypocrite. He is going to think your Christianity has not done much for you. He is going to think you are just like me. You have lost your testimony before that lost man.
It is a head scratcher to me how the lost know more about how a Christian is to live than most Christians do. It also is a head scratcher to me when a man of God starts preaching against sin that many start screaming law. Living right has nothing to do with getting saved. Preaching right living is about helping you keep your testimony so others can get saved. It is about showing forth a changed life. And preaching right living is about protecting you from the attacks of the devil. It has been well said that “All of Satan’s apples have worms”. Accepting any temptation that the devil brings your way will be harmful to you.
Any preacher who does not warn and exhort his people to resist the devils snares does not love his people. Preaching right living is done by a man who loves his people and does not want to see his people get hurt. He preaches right living because he wants to see his people grow closer to the Lord.
Scream law and legalism all you want but preaching right living is loving, preaching right living is God honoring, preaching right living is Biblical, and preaching right living helps to keep you from being devoured by your wicked adversary the devil.
1PET 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
We can cast all our care upon the Lord because He truly loves us. His love is perfect, unlike the love of man. Our love is tainted with pride, self-interest, and many other things. His love is genuine and true. It is complete and unending. People can say that they love you, but their actions show otherwise. We can say one thing and mean another. It is a different story with Jesus. He is without sin and He cannot lie. When He says He loves you, you can count on it. And with Jesus it is more than just words. He proved His love by going to the cross for us.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
He loved us when there was nothing in us worth loving. If you ever get a hold of the depravity of man and what Christ did for us on the cross, then you will never doubt His great love.
And since He loves us, then we can cast our cares upon Him. We know that He is concerned about us.
1PET 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
He cares for us in a way that we can only begin to fathom. We live in a day where we need to cast our cares upon Him.
The context of this verse is interesting. The verses before are talking about submission and humility, and the verses afterward are talking about being vigilant and steadfast. We need to cast our cares upon Him, but we also need to do it in humility. And casting our cares upon Him does not mean that we can then be spiritually lazy. We are to trust in Jesus, and at the same time be walking the walk.
1PET 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
A Pastor is to take the oversight of the flock. This means he is to be in charge. He is to oversee what goes on. The gossip ladies club is not to run the church. A board is not to run the church. The Pastor is the one who is to take the oversight thereof. And he is to do it for the right reason. He is not to be in it for the money. He should want the job because he loves God and loves people.
1PET 5:3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
A pastor is to be in charge. However, he is to walk a line. He is NOT to lord over God’s heritage. He needs to always remember that the people he is ministering to belong to God. God loves them and God pays close attention to how the pastor treats them.
The pastor is not to lead with threats, intimidation or bullying. He should not use tricks or shady tactics or embarrassment to keep people in line. A pastor is NOT to run a church like the military. So a pastor is to oversee and be in charge, but not by lording over the flock. Then how is he to lead? Verse 3 tells us, by being ensamples to the flock. If the pastor is firm but loving. If he leads by example, if his life backs up his preaching, then it sure is easier for people to follow. He needs to be a servant who truly loves people as well as a man who stands firm for the truth. This is a hard thing to accomplish. And quite frankly, it is impossible without the grace of God. I think that is part of the point. The pastor needs to be constantly completely dependent upon God for guidance and grace.
1PET 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
The word and in verse 4 is interesting. It connects the event in verse 4 with the job done in the above verses. And the job of pastoring was presented with very specific instructions on why a pastor is to take the job, his attitude toward the people he pastors and how he is to treat them and lead them. Then comes the word and. Then he gets the pastor’s crown. So what happens if a man holds the title of pastor, but instead of doing the job God’s way he is a tyrant? Will he still get a pastor’s crown for doing the job in a way that is rebellious to God’s commands?
I am of the opinion that he will get a rebuke at the judgment seat of Christ and not a Pastor’s crown. I am not saying the pastor has to be perfect. He will make mistakes, but he needs to have a real heart for the people and try to do the job the way the bible instructs him to get this crown of glory. That is just my opinion.