1 Peter 2:4-5—Living stones and a holy priesthood

Posted by Admin on Nov 8, 2015 in 1 Peter 2 | Comments Off on 1 Peter 2:4-5—Living stones and a holy priesthood

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-5

And coming to Him as to a living stone… choice and precious in the sight of God…

Like Father, like Son. Deuteronomy 32:4 declares emphatically that God is the Rock. Jesus— according to Peter—is the living Stone.

This Stone was chosen of God. This Stone was prized and held in honor. And this Stone was very much alive—and will be forever.

… which has been rejected by men…

When I think about the Stone that is precious and alive, I think of a strong tower to which I can run and be safe. I think about a refuge to which I can retreat in times of trouble. I think about an unshakable foundation under my feet looming up to thwart any foe that would seek to do me harm.

What I don’t think about is rejection. And yet, of all the Scriptures about Christ as a Stone, the majority of them emphasize that He—the immovable, unshakable Rock of Ages—was rejected by men. This absolutely baffles me…but more about that later in verses 7 and 8.

… you also, as living stones…

Not only is your Lord a living Stone, but you are a living stone as well. You reflect Him to the people around you; in your faith, they sense a stability which—although they may not understand or even believe it—makes them feel safe.

…you…are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood…

1 Corinthians 12:27 declares, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it” (NLT). Together, each believer is joined as the Body of Christ. All by yourself, you are still a part of that Body…a very vital part—a living stone.

God builds the Church; we don’t. We are living components of His Body which He fits together as He desires. Through us, He forms a beautiful house for the job we’ve been given—the job to which He’s called us.

That job to which you and I have been called is priesthood—a holy priesthood. Simply put, your job is to stand before men on behalf of God—and to stand before God on behalf of men.

… to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

In your calling as a priest before God, you offer sacrifices. The Old Covenant priests offered up bulls and buy viagra overnight shipping goats; you offer up spiritual sacrifices.

Five of the sacrifices you present to God are:

• Your body.
• Your love walk.
• Your finances directed toward the Gospel.
• Your praise and thanksgiving.
• Your good works and acts of sharing with others.

1 Peter 2:1-3—Longing for the nourishment of the Word

Posted by Admin on Nov 6, 2015 in 1 Peter 2 | Comments Off on 1 Peter 2:1-3—Longing for the nourishment of the Word

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. 1 Peter 2:1-3

Peter was writing to people who had been born again through faith in Christ by hearing the living Word of God. In this next section of his letter, he proceeded to delineate not only behaviors that corresponded to this new life in Christ, but also those that did not.

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander…

Malice. Deceit. Hypocrisy. Envy. Slander: Put them all aside. Get rid of them. Stop behaving this way! Here’s a brief description of each item on Peter’s dirty laundry list:

Malice: Malicious intent, ill-will, a desire to injure. Wickedness that is not ashamed to break laws or to cause trouble for others

Deceit: Craftiness, guile, trickery, lying to attain unfair advantage

Hypocrisy: Pretense, phoniness, fake, acting one way while thinking and being a different way, putting on a show to present a false appearance

Envy: Jealousy, ill-will born out of wanting what others have and feeling personally cheated and hurt by them because of it

Slander: Defamation, backbiting, evil speaking, words used to call into question or damage the good reputation of another

…like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word…

Instead of wallowing in the same muck you used to roll around in, this is your new plan of action: Long for the pure milk of the Word of God as newborn babies.

When you let go of old behaviors and thought patterns, they leave a void in your life. Since nature abhors a vacuum, something will quickly fill the empty space in your mind and habits. Let that void be filled with a longing for the Word of God. Let the Word of God become your nourishment and lifeline in the exact same way a newborn craves its mother’s milk. You are, after all, a baby in Christ, and even long after you first receive Christ, you will still need the nutrition found only in the Bible.

…so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation…

A baby grows with the proper nourishment. Throughout your life, you have need of the proper nutrients for your body to function in a healthy manner. And as a believer, you must also feed your spirit true food if you want to grow in Christ.

What exactly is the proper nutrition for an everyday Christian? Nothing less than the Word of God.

The spiritual thoughts and teachings of men and women in books and online (including this blog) are helpful, but nothing nourishes your spirit man as completely as feeding on God’s Word itself. The prophetic declarations of trusted ministries and prophets can indeed stir your soul and shed some light, but none of it can substitute for the true food of the Word of God found in the pages of the Holy Bible.

A life nourished solely on the thoughts, teachings, and prophetic declarations of others will never reach full maturity. Only when you crack open the Book for yourself and soak up its Truth, allowing yourself to be taught by the Holy Spirit, will you be fully fed. The Master Chef will set your table with precious, flavorful nutrition, custom-prepared just for you. And as you feed, you grow in respect to salvation.

… if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

The Lord’s kindness leads us to repentance. If you have tasted that kindness—the sweet conviction that leads you to forsake your sin and embrace Christ—then feasting on the Word of God will not only become nourishment to your spirit, but it will also become the joy and rejoicing of your life.

Dorothy

Your words were found, and I did eat them; and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by your name, O LORD God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16, American KJV

© 2015, Dorothy Frick

1 Peter 1:23-25—The imperishable Seed

Posted by Admin on Nov 5, 2015 in 1 Peter 1 | Comments Off on 1 Peter 1:23-25—The imperishable Seed

…for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:23-25

“All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off…”

Humans are familiar with flesh and with grass. Both are beautiful in their prime; both eventually fade, wither, and die. Flesh may live longer than the flower of grass; however, neither will retain their beauty forever.

“…But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

Nothing that is produced from the earth or born upon the earth will remain forever. Our culture is obsessed with retaining their youthfulness; nevertheless, each one of us will eventually lose that fight and face life’s end.

Only one thing is permanent, and it alone will endure forever. Generations rise up, grow old, and die, but the Word of the Lord existed before each one of them, and it will remain long after they are nothing but dust.

…for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

Perishable vs. imperishable seed

Seeds are uncanny. They can survive for generations in the right conditions. In fact, in the Arctic, off the coast of Norway is a cold-storage vault for seeds called the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Up to 2.25 billion seeds are being kept in sealed, cold dormancy against doomsday scenarios.

And yet, even doomsday seeds are destined to one day perish. They are temporary, made of organic matter susceptible to decay and destruction.

There is a Seed, however, that will not perish. This Seed, present before time began, is not dependent upon human ingenuity to stay viable against the day of destruction. This Seed formed the heavens and the earth; this Seed has been found throughout the centuries by those who sought diligently for it; this Seed has provided the framework for the connection between every man and his God.

This Seed became flesh and dwelt upon the Earth. Satan thought he had destroyed the Seed—in his mind, it was indeed finished and the throne of God had been toppled.

But this Seed was imperishable. It was indestructible. And like a natural seed planted in the earth, this Seed rose up from the grave, never to die again.

Now you and I have access to this Seed in written form—the Holy Bible. You were born again through the living and enduring Word of God, and you have received from Him unparalleled, indestructible everlasting life.

And this is the word which was preached to you.

It’s that simple. You heard somewhere that Jesus was the Word of God made flesh. And now, by faith, you have made a dwelling place for Him in your heart. And just as the grave could not keep the Seed captive for long, so too, the circumstances you face are no match for the imperishable, indestructible Word of God.

His Word endures forever.

Dorothy

Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89

© 2015, Dorothy Frick

1 Peter 1:22—Sincere and fervent love

Posted by Admin on Oct 30, 2015 in 1 Peter 1 | Comments Off on 1 Peter 1:22—Sincere and fervent love

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart… 1 Peter 1:22

This reminds me of one of my favorite Scriptures, James 1:21: “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” Here’s why:

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls…

You cannot be obedient to the truth and at the same time allow filthiness and all that remains of wickedness to continue unchallenged in your thought life or behavior. When a man or woman is obedient to the truth, one of the actions they will embrace is to lay aside all filth and any wicked thing that may be hanging onto their life.

Receiving the truth of the Word of God into your heart and holding it fast has a profound effect on your soul. James said that such humble receptivity of Scripture on your part is able to save your soul—it brings life, stability, and wisdom to your mind and emotions. Peter declared that obedience to the truth actually purifies your soul. And Jesus told us, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Saved, purified, and free—this is what abiding in the Word will bring to your life.

… for a sincere love of the brethren…

One of the most impressive things I experienced when I was newly saved was the sincere love that characterized the motley crew I joined when I started my walk with Jesus. I heard no backbiting, saw no posturing for attention, and sensed no superior attitudes among the young believers in that dorm Bible study. I felt accepted, 100%. Although Jesus Christ was the main attraction, everyone in that little group received plenty of positive, happy interaction. I look back on those days and realize what we were experiencing was koinonia—true Christian fellowship. We were totally real, totally accepting, always pressing on to the upward call, and full of the love of the Lord, life, and one another.

… fervently love one another from the heart.

I realize now what a rare privilege I had been a part of in the early days of my Christian walk. The potential for koinonia is always present where two or more are gathered in His name—but the actual operation of it is not always apparent.

Peter admonished his friends to fervently love one another from the heart. If koinonia was a “given” whenever believers gathered, surely they would not have needed the reminder. Today the Church is no different. The “stuff” of koinonia is present within all of us who in obedience to the truth have purified their souls for a sincere love of the brethren—but there are many adversaries blocking the way to its free flow.

How do we allow the sincere love of the brethren residing within us to pour forth as fervent love?

Paul offered a list of behaviors and attitudes native to all of us who are born again. Instead of complaining that others aren’t playing nicely, I’m going to let these power points from God correct and readjust me however I need. I’m ready for true koinonia again, and I’m willing to do my part. *[Note: The following confessions are qualities and behaviors I am reaching toward in God; not all of them describe my normal daily behavior. I am still growing. 🙂 ]

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

1. Love is patient. [I am patient with other believers; I listen to them without anxiously looking around or impatiently waiting for an opening for me to continue talking.]
2. Love is kind. [I am not terse or harsh. I consider how I would like to be treated if I was in the other person’s shoes.]
3. Love does not envy. [I am glad for others who live blessed lives. I rejoice sincerely for them when they receive what I wish I had.]
4. Love does not boast. [I am sensitive that others may not have what I have, and I do not make a big deal out of my own advantages. I don’t seek to make anyone jealous of me.]
5. Love is not arrogant. [I realize each one has God-given talents, skills, abilities, or attributes—not just me—and I also realize that I’m not the only one who has a unique place in God’s plan and God’s heart.]
6. Love does not act unbecomingly or rude. [I choose to be aware of how my words, actions, facial expression, and body language impact others, and I seek to be in control of what I am communicating. I am not only as shrewd as a serpent, but I am also as harmless as a dove in regard to other peoples’ dignity.]
7. Love does not insist on its own way. [I don’t have to have things go my way to be content or happy. I don’t push my own preferences or agenda as more important than others’.]
8. Love is not provoked or easily angered. [I use self-control when I feel I’m about to be provoked and I let go of things easily. For example, if I get served last at a restaurant or my order is mixed up, I don’t blow a gasket.]
9. Love does not keep a record of wrongs. [I don’t hold grudges against those who have hurt me. I don’t bring up past wrongs or flaws of those with whom I’m in relationship when they do or say something I don’t like. I don’t pull out the things they once repented of or confided in me about to make me look better than them.]
10. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness. [I am heartbroken, not giddy, tickled, or ready to dish out the “juice” when a fellow believer with whom I am not “in sync” stumbles or falls.]
11. Love rejoices with the truth. [I am glad whenever truth prevails, miracles happen, bodies are healed, and souls come to Christ—even if it’s through someone whom I perceive as odd, cocky, or a bit off.]
12. Love bears all things. [I am able to press on in Christ and to remain kind-hearted even when no one else believes in me or cares much at all about me.]
13. Love believes all things. [I believe the Word. I believe in God. I believe in the Son who died for me. I also believe that the same Spirit who lives in me and convicts me also lives in everyone else called by His name…and therefore, I believe He is working in them just as much as He is working in me.]
14. Love hopes all things. [I hope in Him, and my hope fixed on Him purifies me. It is an anchor for my soul, bringing me stability and hope for good to come.]
15. Love endures all things. [Nothing will separate me from the love of Christ—not tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword (Romans 8:35). I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).]
16. Love never fails. [I can fail; but the love of God never fails, and His love is poured out in my heart. As I lean heavily on that love, then I will not fail.]

Again I ask, how do we allow the love that is in us to pour out with sincerity and fervency?

We go to the Word and receive His living truth which will transform us day by day—and we act on it as we endeavor to put others first.

May the Lord direct us all in this.

Dorothy

…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 5:5

© 2015, Dorothy Frick

1 Peter 1:20-21—Before the foundation of the world to now: Why He came

Posted by Admin on Oct 29, 2015 in 1 Peter 1 | Comments Off on 1 Peter 1:20-21—Before the foundation of the world to now: Why He came

For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:20-21

For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world…

The spotless Lamb of God was foreknown before the foundation of the world. According to John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). In other words, before creation, Jesus was; before the world was founded, Jesus’ calling as the Lamb of God was established.

A second time, later in his ministry, John spoke of the pre-existent nature of Christ. As the now elderly apostle was revealing the deceptive following of evil in the last days, he wrote, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [the Antichrist], whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8; emphasis added).

… but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God…

The early church believed that they were alive in the last times. Perhaps the apostle John, as he neared the end of his very long life, realized that the last days would be further on in history; but Peter certainly called his day the last times. This was not inappropriate; the Messiah Jesus had appeared after more than a thousand years of prophetic anticipation to bring “whosoever will” to newness of life through faith in Him. For Peter, the hour was late; it was essential that men and women turn to faith in Christ—who appeared, not for His own glory, but for the sake of redeeming men and women back to God.

… who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory…

You know the history. Jesus was brutally beaten and crucified. He hung on the cross at Calvary for hours, His blood draining from His body to the ground below. When Justice was satisfied and His life was expiring, He said with His last breath, “It is finished.”

He died and was buried. Three days later, after all hope had faded of any miraculous intervention, and after the forces of darkness had declared total victory over the life of the humble Son of Man, God acted. Against all human odds, God, the Creator of all things, reached through the grave into the realm of the dead and raised the Messiah from death. The humble Son of Man was now the resurrected Son of God crowned with glory.

… so that your faith and hope are in God.

Throughout the millennia of earth’s existence, men and women have placed their hope and faith in a multitude of causes, dreams, beliefs, deities, and traditions. And yet sadly, all their misplaced trust ended in futility, heartbreak, hopelessness, and despair—that is, “until He appeared and the soul felt its worth” (“O Holy Night”, circa 1847).

Simply stated, Jesus came to die so that you and I could live. Now your hope in Him is an anchor for your soul; now your faith in Him is the substance of things you have hoped for and the evidence of the things you’ve not yet seen.

Because your hope is in Him, you are no longer drifting anchorless in the world; and because your faith is in Him, you will live forever in the presence of God.

Dorothy

© 2015, Dorothy Frick

1 Peter 1:18-19—Redeemed

Posted by Admin on Oct 28, 2015 in 1 Peter 1 | Comments Off on 1 Peter 1:18-19—Redeemed

…knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1:18-19

Peter had just written that our Father judges according to each one’s work, and because of that, we should conduct our lives in fear—the fear of the Lord.

And just in case anyone still thought they could treat their salvation as a “gimme”, Peter stressed his point further with a sobering reminder of the price of their redemption.

…knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold… but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

Back in the days of the early church, Roman citizenship was highly valued. It was so prized that many non-citizens would save up for a lifetime to purchase it, qualifying them to all the privileges that accompanied citizenship. Even Paul the apostle avoided a lashing by asserting his natural-born Roman citizenship; the commander in charge of Paul’s punishment admitted that he had purchased his citizenship with a large sum of money (see Acts 22).

This well-known method of attaining privileged status was nothing like redemption from God. Unlike Roman citizenship, you can’t buy your redemption. No amount of silver or gold will ever be able to purchase your soul from hell. How could it? Your soul is eternal; silver and gold are perishable.

Only one commodity exists which can redeem your soul from eternal destruction—the precious blood of Jesus the unblemished, spotless Lamb of God. And that blood did not just magically appear before the throne of God in exchange for your sins—no, Jesus had to allow His body to be broken first—marred more than any man, according to Isaiah—before His blood could be presented as the purchase price for your redemption.

… you were… redeemed… from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers…

Jesus redeemed you from something—a futile way of life. No matter how talented, gifted, skilled, intelligent, or charismatic you may have been, your days were spent in futility before God’s intervention.

You were redeemed from constantly having to measure up to the unattainable mandates placed on you by others who themselves live in futility. You were redeemed from sin, hopelessness, and destruction…and your redemption was paid in full by the Savior of your soul.

Think about this: If you were kidnapped, tied and duct-taped by evil souls, and a ransom was paid and lives were lost to attain your release—would you consider your rescue to be no big deal once it was behind you and in the annals of history? Would you seek to return to the lifestyle that brought you into captivity in the first place? Would that be attractive to you? When Peter contrasts the depths of futility to the immeasurable value of redemption, he exposes the folly of such attraction.

That which man could not do for himself, and that which gold and silver could not purchase, God settled, once for all, in the redemptive death of His Son Jesus Christ.

Everything else pales in comparison.

Dorothy

For thus says the LORD, “You were sold for nothing and you will be redeemed without money.” Isaiah 52:3

© 2015, Dorothy Frick

1 Peter 1:17, Part 2—Facing the Father on that Day

Posted by Admin on Oct 27, 2015 in 1 Peter 1 | Comments Off on 1 Peter 1:17, Part 2—Facing the Father on that Day

If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth… 1 Peter 1:17

Our Father will one day judge each one’s work impartially. As Peter wrote about that sober event awaiting every believer, he admonished each one of us to conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth.

Peter was not commanding Christians to live lives of paranoia or terror; he was, however, calling our attention to the gravity of that moment when each one of us will stand before our Father and our works will be judged. In light of that sober time to come, Peter urged all of us to conduct our lives with fear—the fear of God. This kind of fear kicks in when temptations arise; this is the type of fear which convicts you when self-control, charity, or faith start to waver.

Conducting yourself in fear—in the fear of the Lord—is the wisest and safest thing you can do in your allotted timespan here on the earth.

I can’t help but be sobered when I look back at wasted opportunities or trysts with sin and self-centeredness in my life. If you, like me, have had a spotty batting average, here are two Scriptures which I have found to be extremely powerful and recharging. They remind me of His mercy which endures forever.

1.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

First, I believe firmly that all those missteps, missed chances, and downright mean or malicious thoughts, words, or behaviors in which I’ve partaken were nailed to the cross of Christ, judged as despicable, and the punishment I deserved, Jesus bore. If I catch myself sliding into any of those things again for which Jesus was crucified, I have the right and the responsibility to stop, step away, and run to Him for forgiveness and cleansing. And according to John, those things are washed away when I confess them. That means that they—once confessed—will not re-appear on that Day. I praise God for that!

2.  For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

The sacrifice of Jesus was for all of my sins, and yet the Word is clear in 1 John 1:9—you and I will need to continue to confess our sins and receive forgiveness and cleansing when, as believers, we miss the mark and fall short of the glory of God.

Peter also made it very clear—the Father will impartially judge according to each one’s work. I don’t know about you, but I am seriously sobered by this fact.

Enter mercy.

You and I were born again as sons and daughters of God because of His great mercy, and fittingly enough, mercy will be the common denominator at the judgment seat of Christ.

You see, His mercy was poured out upon you when you professed your faith in Christ. This has made you His own treasured possession (see Malachi 3:17) and will usher you into your eternal home.

And there you will be—born-again you, who experienced struggles and failures at times—maybe often—standing before the Father, the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work.

But that’s not where it ends—the mercy that you have shown others throughout your life will be a key component on that Day—and according to James 2:13, perhaps your mercy will be the most important work in your life!

If, in your life, you were quick to show mercy to others, here’s what God will see on that Day: You were one who walked in mercy toward others, even through the struggles. You strove to bless people, to help them, to smile and give a good word when others ignored them—and you purposed to believe the best of those God placed in your path. Even when your dreams seemed to shatter and all that you had hoped for seemed to wither away, you showed mercy to others. You chose kindness over backbiting and forgiveness over grudges. In small ways and large, mercy not only followed you, but you allowed it to express itself freely in your character.

And because you were merciful as a believer, the impartial Judge—your Father, who is Love—will cause you to triumph over judgment on that Day.

When you are disappointed with yourself—perhaps you messed up with your behaviors, attitudes, words, or thoughts—you have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ Himself (1 John 2:1). Turn to Him with your whole heart and allow His love and forgiveness to wash you. But remember, freely you’ve received His mercy; now freely extend it to others as well (Matthew 10:8).

And as you do, when you arrive before His throne, the mercy you have shown toward others will cause you to triumph over judgment.

Dorothy

© 2015, Dorothy Frick