Book of 1 Peter - Ch. 2, Vs. 22-Ch. 3, Vs. 18 (10/14/2001)

Suffering as Christ’s Example and the Call to Righteous Living

1 Peter 2, 21 is where we're going to start, or even here unto, were you called? We were called to suffer. We were called for Christ. We were called by God. Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, leaving us an example.

It is an example that he suffered, that he died. It is our example, whether we take opportunity of it or not, that you should follow in his steps. For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Verse 13, it is God that worketh in you. It was God that worked in Jesus. Did Jesus have the Holy Spirit different than, no, was the Holy Spirit different that Jesus had from what we have? Was it any different?

There's only one. He had use of all of it. We have use of part of it. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Virge, what's guile?

All right.

Who, when he was revealed, reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. Now when he was reviled, how many of us would revile back?

Most of us would strike out. But we say we would, we'll never know until we're in that position. When he suffered, he threatened not. When he was suffering, he did not threaten anybody, which we would do.

But he committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, committed. There is a word that I want to be sure we understand. Committed. Jesse, to you, what does the word committed mean? All right, that's a good example, but what does the word mean?

John? All right. David, what does committed mean? All right. To hand over to someone else for use or for keeping. Isn't it good that we can refer everything to God? Who, his own self, bearing his own body on the tree, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed.

By his own self, he needed no help. By himself means by himself alone. There was no one that could stand with him. God even turned his back on him. What happened to the world when he turned his back on him?

Everything went black. There were thunder clouds, lightning, resurrections, everything. When God turned his back on Jesus, to me, that's what hell's going to be. God's not present in hell. We have a slight taste on this earth of what it will be when God's not there.

God is not in hell. The only thing he made of which he has no participation. Bear. The word bear here means to take up. He bear, he takes up, he took up our sins. In his own body on the tree, not a natural tree, but something made from a tree.

That we being dead to sins. When Jesus died on the tree, on the cross, he made it possible for us to be dead to sins. Now, if we are dead to the sin nature, certainly not the physical, but the sin nature.

Then Dennis, why is it that it bothers me so much? All right, we're still living in it. John, what is there about sin that even attracts me to it? All right, but we do have a carnal nature. I'm not making excuses for sin, but we need to look at it.

We sin because that's our old nature. Our new nature is born again. But he said that you being dead to sins should live unto righteousness. That's what we should do. We have the opportunity to live righteously.

To live righteously. Greg, what does righteous, righteously mean here? All right, how are we going to translate that into everyday living?

John, you want to say something? Justin, I remember Pearson Covington told us, you'll get up in the morning and sleep at day.

Spend time in the Word. If you don't have the Word, then quote it from memory. If you can't do that, get as close as you can to it. By whose stripes ye were healed. This has been misinterpreted so much.

They say that this means that you've already been healed. You're not to have any physical diseases or anything. But that's not what it says. By whose stripes ye were healed. By whose stripes, his beating.

The stripes that come upon him. Ye were healed. That is past, present, or future. Past. Were. A one-time action that lasts forever. Ye were healed. Now, this is spiritually. Ye were healed spiritually.

The healed spiritually refers to what action? The forgiveness of sin. Once and once only. And ye were healed. Not of diseases, or it represents the present tense. This is from the law. Ye were healed.

For ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls. He's the caretaker of your soul. Ye were sheep. Now, the were refers to what period of time? Past. Before the cross.

The cross changed everything. Ye were sheep going astray. Will sheep wander off by themselves? Unless you pin them up, or somebody keeps track of them. They'll just scatter forever. And are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls.

Are now returned is past or present. Or future. Present. Right now, you're returned. You can say that two o 'clock in the morning. Right now, I am returned. Now, this shepherd and bishop of your souls, the Jews had a shepherd.

They knew what that was. He was keeper of the flock. Bishop means overseer or keeper. And souls means your life. So the bishop of your life, the soul of your life, Jesus is our shepherd. He is looking after us.

He's the caretaker of our souls. And are now returned unto the shepherd. That's a good point. I overlooked that. Returned simply means coming back. You were once with him, and now you're with him again.

There was a space of time in there in which you were lost. You were not with him. But now we are. You are now returned to the shepherd. Chapter 3 changes subjects a little bit. He starts off by saying, Likewise, you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversion, conversation of the wives, or conduct of the wife.

Christian Subjection in Marriage and the Witness of a Wife

Subjection. Let's look at subjection. John, what does subjection mean? Bill, what does subjection mean? Clarence, what does subjection mean? I didn't hear. Yes, I missed it. Jesse, what does subjection mean to you?

It means subjection, but not like a child. We have dominion over the children. This subjection has to do with that which is voluntary. Women are responders. You love them, they love you back. You cut one short, they're apt to cut you short.

As the husband displays this behavior, the wife will respond to it. This is why the husband is told to love his wife, and she loves him back. After they have done all that they can, the wife and the lost husband, she is to leave it to the sovereignty of God.

This in no way means that the husband is saved, only that the wife has done all in obedience to God. The saving part becomes property of the Lord. If it was meant for him to be saved, and to be saved this way, then he will see to it.

While they behold your chaste conversation, coupled with fear. Now, if you go about the Christian life, talking about the wife, and continually respond with the Christian attitude, I don't mean just when I'm reminded of the wife that begged her husband to be saved.

Every morning she would fix his breakfast, and by the time it was finished she was crying, wanting him to be saved, be saved, be saved. Night the same way. Now, let me ask you husbands, how many of you would like to come home to a crying wife all of the time?

You wouldn't like that. That's not what it means. She's going at it the wrong way. She has to live the Christian life, but in subjection to her husband, so that he, in seeing her reaction, will himself become saved.

Who's adorning, let it not be that of outward adorning, of plaiting of the hair, and of wearing of gold, or putting on apparel. Now, who's adorning? When the Christian woman, or church, appeals to that that glorifies the totally depraved nature of the unsaved person, get that picture in mind, she is feeding that person's appetite for sin, instead of appealing to that person's concern for obedience to God.

None of you women do that. There are churches that they do. They dress, they act, they talk like the world, because that's where the husband is, and they think if they go there, they'll influence him.

That's not right. Christian people should take care that all of their external behaviors are answerable to their profession of faith, or you'll be a hypocrite. This does not prohibit all adorning, or it would prohibit all wearing of apparel.

Some women need painting, and some don't. But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible. Even the ornament of the meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

It is a great price to God to appear rational, normal. Normal changes I know, but you know whether you're godly or not.

Yes, that's right. I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for my wife. I'm sure I wouldn't be here.

The beauty comes from the inside, not from the outside. Romans 12, 2,. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

For after this manner, in the old time, the holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselves being in subjection unto their own husband, even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, little El, whose daughters you are as long as you do well and are not afraid with any amazement.

You're all a daughter of Sarah. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the graces of life, that your prayers be not hindered.

Now, notice that last part. What is it that will hinder a prayer? Yes, and what else? You cannot be not right with your wife and right with God. Now, to be right with God, it means you're right with your wife and all of those that dwell around you.

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge. Now, this doesn't just happen. It takes study. It takes knowledge. Giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, weaker physically, not spiritually, not morally, not intellect, just physically.

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous. That calls for unanimity. Finally, brethren, be all of one mind. Wouldn't it be great if we were all of one mind?

We are all of one mind, except we vary in lesser things, and that's the way it should be. But we are all of one mind in God. Love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous. Why did they put pitiful in here, Bill?

Be pitiful. It's a little hard to get the meaning out of it, but we would use other words. Tenderhearted. Who said that? Okay, thank you. Tenderhearted. That's good. Not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing, but contrawise blessing, knowing that ye are there unto called, that you should inherit a blessing.

Now, not rendering evil for evil. When some outsider speaks wrong of my wife or myself or our child, I immediately, before I can catch it, the hair stand up on the back of my neck, and I put up a defense.

Well, that's all right, but check it out first. Not to render evil for evil. Don't try to get even with them. God does that. He knows that you are there unto called. We're called to be Christlike. Now, that does not mean you let everybody run over you.

That does not mean that you take everything lying down. It means to stand for Christ. Let him do the work, but you stand. For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile.

The elixir of life. If we could love life and see good days. What's that mean, see good days?

All right, but it means something else too. David, that's what it means here.

If you would live long, if your life would be meaningful, if you do God's work, happy to do God's work, energetic to do God's work. Even when it goes against you, you do God's work. We are to love life.

We're to refrain his tongue and my how tempting that is to say something. And his lips that they speak no guile, that they speak no sin, iniquity. Let him eschew evil and do good. Let him seek peace and ensure it.

Eschew it. Ensue it. Let him eschew evil. Eschew means what? It's an old English word. I don't believe that's it. Stay as far away from it as you can. Yes. That's right. When will we know that there are good days?

All right, we know one day at a time. We know whether right now has been good or not. We will know as we go. We'll know as we are going through the day. Are you doing what you should? Let him eschew evil and do good.

Let him speak peace and ensue it. We're supposed to look for peace but not to let him run over us. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayers but the face of the Lord is against him that do evil.

Against them that do evil. Now, we have here anthropomorphic speech. There are no eyes to the Lord nor arms nor ears but it is that though he is the Lord does not have these. I taught once in another church where I come to this verse and the lady took me to task over it.

She said we were made in his image so he looks just like us. And she'd never thought of it before. But that tore up her whole philosophy, I guess. She never did see that God was not just a man. And who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good?

If you are followers of the good life, the Christian life, everything that represents Jesus in this life, who is he that can harm you? Nobody. Now, in our short-sightedness we may think that he's harming us.

We may think that I just shouldn't have this happen to me. But if we cover all of the bases, if we follow the rules, if we live our life as we're supposed to, and I don't mean that it's just a bunch of rules we have to keep because there's more than that, but we live the Christian life, who is it, John, that can harm you?

No one. Since God takes such good care of you, who can harm you? But, and if you suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye, and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled. You shouldn't be troubled.

I knew a lady once. She has gone to heaven now, but nothing upset her. It was almost as though she was simple-minded, but I knew she wasn't. Just nothing disturbed her. I could care if they dropped the atom bomb outside, it didn't shake her.

I have always wished I could be like that. Neither be troubled. You've got to appear simple-minded to do that. But sanctify the Lord God in your heart, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

What is the hope that is in you, Dennis? To those looking for the truth, not for those that are looking for an argument. All other religious systems are incapable of a rational explanation because they are all founded on some misconception of divine nature.

Other people, the lost, do not understand. They cannot. They do not see the new nature. We are to live like that. All other religious systems, and it's so prominent in our thinking now about the Mohammeds and all of that bunch, other religious systems, every one of them is founded on man.

Having a good conscience, that whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed and falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. Having a good conscience. What makes your conscience?

Why is your conscience, why does it convey a guilty feeling to you, Jesse? That's right. You know immediately, don't you? Now, who is it that really conveyed that feeling to you? God did. Bill, who is it that can remove it?

We need to ask forgiveness. Now, our relationship with God has not changed. It will not. It cannot change. But our fellowship with the Lord changes if we go around with a guilty conscience all the time.

Having a good conscience, that whereas they speak evil of you, even in your good they will speak evil of you. They may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. They may ultimately be ashamed, they may be now, but ultimately they will be, for it is better if the will of God be so that you suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing.

Now, Bill, tell me some way in which we can suffer for well-doing, doing well. Roger, should we do good in order to get the praise of man? What happens when we do?

What we do is our best cure for the praise of God.

That's right. And you may not receive it right now. You might receive it right now. It's totally up to him. For it is better the will of God, if the will of God be so that you suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing.

It's understood that we suffer for evil-doing eventually and what makes the difference between well-doing and evil-doing? Good and bad. Where's the difference, David? How good it looks. That's the key I was headed for.

It may look good to the world or to an individual, but unless it's of God, it isn't good, no matter how much money you make. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins. He does not deal with sins any longer.

He dealt with it one time and that was sufficient. The just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened of the spirit, being put to death in the flesh.

When he was put to death in the flesh, in what state was he? When he was put to death, what state was he? He was in the human state, which is what? He was in the state of sin. Do you see that? Sin cannot be in the presence of God, can it?

This is why he turned his back on him. For so far a few moments or days, I don't know how many, Christ was lost, just like we were lost. He had to come to where I was. He could not stand outside and pass it in.

He had to come. He became sin for us. Do you see that? Does everybody see that? It's hard to see a lost person, righteous person, becoming sin and separated from God. But he had to, if he's going to do what he said he would.

And what he said he would is our salvation. That's right. That's right, absolutely. He became sin so we wouldn't have to. So the righteous became sinful so that the unrighteous could become righteous.

I want to stop right there. Verse 18. Does anyone have anything they'd like to add? Well, let's stand and be dismissed then.

Purge, would you dismiss us? I carry over the Father, I carry over the Holy Spirit, and the Word of the Lord. He will reign for us. He will forgive us all our sins. That's all I've got.