This is a phrase I have heard in regard to our eternal hope..."already, but not yet"
We already have salvation, but not yet.
We already have the hope of living in peace with Christ, but not yet are able to experience the full effects.
We already have the security of Christ conquering our enemy, but not yet do we live in the fullness of that freedom.
I was reminded of that as I had the thought today, "I think I'll wait 'til Baby comes." The way I chose to word that to myself struck me, for she is already. She is here - very apparently here to me with the bulging belly:) She has come, she is with us, she is our daughter, she is already, but...not yet.
To be fully with us, to experience her fully in sight and smell and hearing and touch, she needs to be born, she needs to take a living breath.
It seems that we can have three lives to live...life from creation, where God knits us together in our mother's womb (Psalms 139) to birth, where God breaths into us the breath of life (Gen. 3) (our first physical impregnation to birth experience)...to new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) where we are reborn and the Holy Spirit breaths His ever-present life into us (our first spiritual impregnation, where we are in the dark not seeing the world as God intended it to operate until we experience our spiritual birth)...to creation redeemed, where we enter into the new heavens and the new earth (Rev.21-22) and experience God in all His glory and live in eternal peace and joy in the full reality of His presence!
Would this mean that our living the Christian life in this already, but not yet stage would be a second spiritual impregnation? Where we are alive in Christ, but in the dark to the fullness & experience of the eternal promises of salvation, peace, joy, the full glory of God. We are already, but not yet...we're in the pregnant stage? But do we live with that reality - the bulging, living and active reality of these already but not yet promises?
I walk around just as I did before but now with a bulging belly that gets head turns and smiles - seriously I had multiple random people just smile at me in Wal-Mart yesterday and I seriously think that it's because there's something about being pregnant - the eager anticipation of the hope and the joy of birth, it brings smiles! (John 16:21) Spiritually speaking, as we live in the "already" and wait in the "not yet", are we as the body of Christ bulging evidences of the eager anticipation of the hope and joy of birth into the Ultimate Kingdom of God, bringing smiles because it means there will be a no more pain, no more sorrow, no more sin, everything made right, reality of Creation Redeemed...as real and true as the little girl growing in the dark of this womb!
And as we live in the darkness of this world run by Satan, the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2), we can live out the reality of already, but not yet, grow in Christ and be the obvious, bulging, undeniable evidence that there is a hope worth smiling about - even in the midst of darkness, discomfort, pain, suffering!
Easier said than done, I know...But, she will be worth being joyful over amidst the discomfort & pain of pregnancy & child birth (Gen. 3:15, John 16:21) and so is HE!!!
Showing posts with label Suffering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suffering. Show all posts
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Lost and Lost
LORD, what is to be my lesson when my children lose things? It would be telling if I had a timer on to testify to the amount of minutes of a day spent looking for things that have wandered from their homes or are homeless and therefore harder to track down. Shoes, gloves, keys, phone, the empty ink cartridge that was set aside to refill...
Today it was the Ernie Elephant Awana patch and the little orange basketball.
I promised DS4 that I would get his Awana patches sewed on before his next Awana meeting - that was two days ago...I got 3 of the 5 sewed on. I asked for forgiveness. Today, I told him as soon as I got ready for the day I would sew those last two patches on right away. The kids were on the bed playing while I was getting ready. They helped themselves to tactiling the thread and patches. When I went to sew them on, Ernie was nowhere to be found. Turnover pillows, under bed, under dresser, out in living room where DD22mo may have re-homed it. Only 4 out of 5 patches sewed on...still...Ernie still lost.
Five pm, long day - DD very fussy, decided on only 1 hr. nap.
Inching past 40 degrees, I decided I could brave the chill and the fresh air would probably do all good. DS wants to go up to the basketball court...and bring our Little Tikes basketball hoop. I say I'll bring the hoop up from the basement and he can carry the ball.
We bundle up and a few minutes later, daddy gets home! Oh, what a blessing, Daddy can take them! He changes, they get ready to go, and ... the little orange basketball is nowhere to be found.
DS was sure he carried it up from downstairs...our house is not that big...there are not that many places for a 7 inch diameter basketball to hide (that's an estimate on the size b/c I can't measure since the ball is still missing!)
Mom does two laps around the house, looks outside front, outside back, garage...DS can't remember where he had it last...
LORD, what is to be my lesson when my children lose things?
It happens to us all and I'm trying to learn to have homes for things - a place for everything and everything in its place - helps the time and emotional drain of searching for things that should be 'right there.' It's one thing when it's your own mindlessness; it's another dimension of feeling futile on the search when you have NO IDEA where the child would have mindlessly dropped "it."
Just found! Basketball in DD's room - I looked there twice!!
(Daddy found Ernie Elephant in his shoe a week later!)
Today it was the Ernie Elephant Awana patch and the little orange basketball.
I promised DS4 that I would get his Awana patches sewed on before his next Awana meeting - that was two days ago...I got 3 of the 5 sewed on. I asked for forgiveness. Today, I told him as soon as I got ready for the day I would sew those last two patches on right away. The kids were on the bed playing while I was getting ready. They helped themselves to tactiling the thread and patches. When I went to sew them on, Ernie was nowhere to be found. Turnover pillows, under bed, under dresser, out in living room where DD22mo may have re-homed it. Only 4 out of 5 patches sewed on...still...Ernie still lost.
Five pm, long day - DD very fussy, decided on only 1 hr. nap.
Inching past 40 degrees, I decided I could brave the chill and the fresh air would probably do all good. DS wants to go up to the basketball court...and bring our Little Tikes basketball hoop. I say I'll bring the hoop up from the basement and he can carry the ball.
We bundle up and a few minutes later, daddy gets home! Oh, what a blessing, Daddy can take them! He changes, they get ready to go, and ... the little orange basketball is nowhere to be found.
DS was sure he carried it up from downstairs...our house is not that big...there are not that many places for a 7 inch diameter basketball to hide (that's an estimate on the size b/c I can't measure since the ball is still missing!)
Mom does two laps around the house, looks outside front, outside back, garage...DS can't remember where he had it last...
LORD, what is to be my lesson when my children lose things?
It happens to us all and I'm trying to learn to have homes for things - a place for everything and everything in its place - helps the time and emotional drain of searching for things that should be 'right there.' It's one thing when it's your own mindlessness; it's another dimension of feeling futile on the search when you have NO IDEA where the child would have mindlessly dropped "it."
Just found! Basketball in DD's room - I looked there twice!!
(Daddy found Ernie Elephant in his shoe a week later!)
Monday, October 31, 2011
1 Peter - Old Testament Quotations
As I studied 1 Peter, a structure
of the Old Testament quotations stuck out to me. I am not educated in Greek and Hebrew enough
to know if there is any significant merit to my observation. If per chance there was a scholar educated in
this topic who happens across this blog, I would be interested in your humble
and gentle (Matt. 11:29) critique.
My observation is that in each
of the four chapters of the body of the letter (chapters 1 through 4, omitting
chapter 5 as a final farewell) Peter uses a direct Old Testament
quotation. It then seems that after each
one there is one sentence and then the text moves on to a new thought. It seems to me that the sentence following
each OT quotation is a summary of not only the quotation, but possibly pointing
out His main theme of the chapter, then echoed in the “summary statement” after
the quotation in chapter 4.
Our Sunday school class’s
outline structure, Grudem’s break down and my ESV bible has chapters 1, 2,
& 4 with a sentence after the quotations and then starts a new paragraph or
chapter. However, in chapter 3 it seems the
common break down is before verse
13. Verse 13 seems to be used as the
start of a new thought. Now I am not
claiming to divine authority on this matter, but if the other three chapters have
this one sentence afterward that seems to highlight the theme of those
quotations or even the whole preceding chapter, when one chapter differs, it
makes me ask, “Why?” and “Maybe it shouldn’t break there before the verse?”
So, this is my best attempt
at unpacking my thoughts in written form, whereas verbal explanation might be
more concise or “smooth.” The words used
in the OT quotations are highlighted in yellow and then the corresponding words of the “summary
sentence” are then highlighted in green with my explanation following in red.
CHAPTER ONE
24 for
“All
flesh is like grass
and all
its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass
withers,
and the
flower falls,
25 but
the word of the
Lord remains forever.”
And this word
is the good news that
was preached to you.
One theme of chapter one is Peter establishing the imperishable word
of God as the foundation to build one’s hope and life on. So he uses an OT quotation to emphasize that
and summarizes the quotation and chapter with that theme.
CHAPTER TWO
6 For
it stands in Scripture:
“Behold,
I am laying in Zion a stone,
a
cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes
in him will not be
put to shame.”
7 So
the honor is for you
who believe, but for
those who do not believe,
“The
stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,” [fn1]
8 and
“A stone
of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
The quotation of verse 6 seems to be summarized by highlighting the honor
(no shame) being the one who believes
the chosen cornerstone (who is the WORD (cf. 1:25) of God, Jesus).
The quotation of verse 7, in contrast, describes the one who rejects the cornerstone as the one who disobeys
the word. Thus, this disobeyer will not be honored and
by inference “be put to shame” and therefore the one who believes the word should obey the word. (cf. James 2:19).
So, thus far Peter has established and highlighted – believe and obey the imperishable Word of
God, Jesus!
CHAPTER THREE
10 For
“Whoever
desires to love life
and see good days,
let him
keep his tongue from evil
and his
lips from speaking deceit;
11 let
him turn away from evil and do
good;
let him
seek peace and pursue it.
12 For
the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his
ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13 Now
who is there to harm you
if you are zealous for what is good?
It seems
this question may be bringing up the idea that suffering causes harm – what harm will you really suffer if God’s eyes are on you and His
ears open to your prayers and His face being against those evil doers who are
trying to cause you harm you with suffering?
“Now” seems
to be an acceptable follow-up word to this paragraph and not necessarily a word
that starts a new thought. One may argue
that verse 14 starts with “but” and therefore would be a conjunction with verse
13 rather than starting a new thought.
However, the new paragraphs succeeding the quotations of chapter 1, 2,
& 4 start with the words “so”, “but”, and “so” respectively, so verse 14
starting the new thought with “but” after the OT quotation and potential
summary statement would even mirror the other transitions.
So as a
summary thus far we would have something like: Believe and obey the imperishable Word of God to do good, for none can
harm you as you suffer
CHAPTER FOUR
18 And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” [fn3]
19 Therefore
let those who suffer
according to God’s will
entrust their souls to
a faithful Creator while doing
good.
“Righteous” reiterates “doing good/right” (which is portrayed in the
context especially of suffering) and “saved” underscores “salvation”. And thus the
summary statement that summarizes the summary statements essentially says: Believe and obey (entrust; cf. Ch. 2:6-8
– believe, not reject/disobey) God’s will
(His imperishable Word, Jesus; cf. Ch. 1:24,25) to do good in the midst of your suffering unto salvation (cf. Ch.
3:10-13; 4:18,19 - “saved”, “souls”).
And to tie it with the previous summary statement we were building: Believe
and obey the imperishable Word of God to do good, for none can harm you as you
suffer unto salvation.
And with one side note (because detail oriented people can rarely be
briefJ) to include the phrase “God’s will”: Believe and obey the
imperishable Word of God: (which is God’s will, which is to be like Jesus, the
Word of God who did good while suffering unjustly) do good, for none can harm
you as you suffer unto salvation.
Unpacked and repacked for your summary pleasure. I still like my original overview based on
the “calls” of 1 Peter ("Be holy while you suffer and bless with the hope of eternal
glory!"), but they complement each other, so I’ll “proclaim” them both!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
40 Days of Surrender - Day 13
Saturday, October 22, 2011 - Surrender Ease, Comfort
This morning - email that Mother in Law may have lung cancer for the third time...in laws' dear Christian neighbor in her late 70's lying weak & bed-ridden with bone cancer...the timing of my morning not going as I thought it would...none following the "smooth" plan we plan for ourselves...all suffering to (very) varying degrees. All calls to surrender our striving for ease and comfort. We don't need to go and look for suffering; living in the Post Eden World is enough to live with suffering (whatever varying degree it might be that life is not matching up to your "smooth" plan.) Does anyone plan out their course to be intentionally difficult?
My study of 1 Peter is continually reminding me that we are exiles in this Post Eden World and we shouldn't feel comfortable. Maybe when we feel comfortable we should ask "What's wrong?" instead of when we face suffering.
For the first 5 years of my marriage, it would rock my world when my DH would (unintentionally) do things that made my life "not easy." My perspective was that having a husband would make my life more comfortable, rather than adding difficulty to it. Grace would be slow because his action (or lackthereof) was an assault on my striving for ease and comfort. In this last year, the LORD has been refining that perspective and I am starting to learn how to surrender the striving for ease and comfort. This morning I was reminded that life is not so much about "smoothness" but about SUFFERING WELL, and that involves surrendering ease and comfort and ABOUNDing IN THANKSGIVING.
For a list of all the daily lesson titles in the 40 Days of Surrender in one place, Click Here.
This morning - email that Mother in Law may have lung cancer for the third time...in laws' dear Christian neighbor in her late 70's lying weak & bed-ridden with bone cancer...the timing of my morning not going as I thought it would...none following the "smooth" plan we plan for ourselves...all suffering to (very) varying degrees. All calls to surrender our striving for ease and comfort. We don't need to go and look for suffering; living in the Post Eden World is enough to live with suffering (whatever varying degree it might be that life is not matching up to your "smooth" plan.) Does anyone plan out their course to be intentionally difficult?
My study of 1 Peter is continually reminding me that we are exiles in this Post Eden World and we shouldn't feel comfortable. Maybe when we feel comfortable we should ask "What's wrong?" instead of when we face suffering.
For the first 5 years of my marriage, it would rock my world when my DH would (unintentionally) do things that made my life "not easy." My perspective was that having a husband would make my life more comfortable, rather than adding difficulty to it. Grace would be slow because his action (or lackthereof) was an assault on my striving for ease and comfort. In this last year, the LORD has been refining that perspective and I am starting to learn how to surrender the striving for ease and comfort. This morning I was reminded that life is not so much about "smoothness" but about SUFFERING WELL, and that involves surrendering ease and comfort and ABOUNDing IN THANKSGIVING.
For a list of all the daily lesson titles in the 40 Days of Surrender in one place, Click Here.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
40 Days of Surrender - Day 7
Sunday, October 16, 2011 - Cut It Off!
The sermon text this morning was Matthew 5:27-20.
Lust.
"You won't say, 'No!' to lust, until you say, 'Yes!' to something you love more." ~My Pastor
3 Words to be "Cut off" from Lust:
1) Transparency: Live your life in such a way that people can see it - live in the light and invite others in
2) Community: You were not meant to fight sin battles alone
3) Love: You won't say, 'No!' until something else is more appealing; until your love for God is greater than your love for your sin. The Gospel will become more sweet when your sin becomes more ugly.
The seriousness of sin: If you could fix it by mutilation, it would be worth it!
Cutting off that which is most dear to you for the sake of righteousness! (The right eye and hand would have been of utmost value in a culture where life depended on it: archery using primarily the right hand & the right eye and the soldier swinging his sword in his right hand, looking on with his right eye while his shield is mainly covering his left eye).
If your computer causes you to sin, cut it off!
If the route to work causes you to sin, cut it off!
If the game causes you to sin, cut it off!
If my pride causes me to sin, cut it off! Selah...pause...hmmmm...how does one go about cutting off their heart!?!
Ah, tis the ambition of this Fast...to have the scales cut off day by day by day...
This much, O LORD, I want You, this much!
The pain is worth it because YOU are WORTHY!
(Note: Most of these thoughts are from My Pastor)
For a list of all the daily lesson titles in the 40 Days of Surrender in one place, Click Here.
The sermon text this morning was Matthew 5:27-20.
Lust.
"You won't say, 'No!' to lust, until you say, 'Yes!' to something you love more." ~My Pastor
3 Words to be "Cut off" from Lust:
1) Transparency: Live your life in such a way that people can see it - live in the light and invite others in
2) Community: You were not meant to fight sin battles alone
3) Love: You won't say, 'No!' until something else is more appealing; until your love for God is greater than your love for your sin. The Gospel will become more sweet when your sin becomes more ugly.
The seriousness of sin: If you could fix it by mutilation, it would be worth it!
Cutting off that which is most dear to you for the sake of righteousness! (The right eye and hand would have been of utmost value in a culture where life depended on it: archery using primarily the right hand & the right eye and the soldier swinging his sword in his right hand, looking on with his right eye while his shield is mainly covering his left eye).
If your computer causes you to sin, cut it off!
If the route to work causes you to sin, cut it off!
If the game causes you to sin, cut it off!
If my pride causes me to sin, cut it off! Selah...pause...hmmmm...how does one go about cutting off their heart!?!
Ah, tis the ambition of this Fast...to have the scales cut off day by day by day...
This much, O LORD, I want You, this much!
The pain is worth it because YOU are WORTHY!
(Note: Most of these thoughts are from My Pastor)
For a list of all the daily lesson titles in the 40 Days of Surrender in one place, Click Here.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Not JOY in spite of work, but in the midst of it
JOY.
I've been praying for it specifically since January 2010. New year. New year resolution: Peace and Joy. January 2011. New year. Same Resolution: Peace and Joy. August 21, 2011. Peace? Joy? Access...Peace, yes, most of the time. Joy, no. I've been seeking, striving, and sad.
James: joy in trials. 1 Peter: joy in suffering. 1 Thessalonians: rejoice always.
I know this in my head, why don't I/can't I feel it in my heart!?!
I so often FEEL only the longing for what I KNOW to be true: The joy of my salvation, the joy of our hope in Christ, the calling: Be Joyful.
So, it was that Sunday afternoon in August as I sat with pen in hand to process with the LORD - when have I experienced joy, when and why did I lose it, how do I live it again?
Now for some of you theologians this may seem unorthodox, but at this stage of my maturity in Christ, this is my personal revelation.
I wrote out stages of my walk with Christ and accompanying emotions. I read old journals and summarized themes I read. And this was my conclusion:
At the point in which I "lost my joy" was an extremely busy, overwhelming, life-changing point in my life - new job, newly engaged, planning a wedding, and buying a house in 4 and a half months time; then trying to figure out how to live day in and day out with my sin rubbing against this other sinner (a.k.a. my husband) whom I have now "become one" with. I got overwhelmed with LIFE, it sucked the life from me, and I have not recovered.
Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, LORD! (Psalm 51:12a)
Your Salvation.
Your Gospel.
Being in relationship with others in order to point them to Jesus. (Believer of Nonbeliever)
This is what matters.
This is what is life giving.
My conclusion:
~Life sucked the life out of me (and I have not recovered).
~Life is work, thus there needs to be joy IN work.
~Simplifying life makes room for joy (so life is not so overwhelming).
~Being in relationship with others in order to point them to Jesus is life-giving to me - this promotes joy!
This was revolutionary for me. Thank you, LORD, for how you speak to your sheep (John 10:4).
I have learned and believe that the WORK in the Garden of Eden was a GIFT from God to man. However, in the mundaneness of "homemaker" with the challenges of a husband with a chronic illness, I've struggled not to be dragged down and to truly live in joy. I have looked for joy in spite of the mundaneness and the challenges. Ah, but life IS work! My work IS a gift! Being a wife to the man God brought me to and being a mother to the children God entrusted to me and all the other details are working out just as our Sovereign LORD wants them for my good and His glory. The mundaneness and challenges that I have as a wife and mother are just what God wants for me to be sanctified as HIS Daughter reflecting the image of His SON! And THAT is what I am to choose to be joyful about in the midst of it all...not in spite of it!
Other recent connects that are promoting JOY for me in my new journey of joy:
http://www.aholyexperience.com (just poking around Ann Voskamp's website helps you slow down and focus on the joy and beauty in the mundane)
www.gitzengirl.blogspot.com (the blog "Choose Joy" whose young author was homebound with a chronic illness that took her life - wow - her Christ-focused devotion to joy in the midst of such pain and suffering is inspiring!)
Thank you, sisters in Christ!
I've been praying for it specifically since January 2010. New year. New year resolution: Peace and Joy. January 2011. New year. Same Resolution: Peace and Joy. August 21, 2011. Peace? Joy? Access...Peace, yes, most of the time. Joy, no. I've been seeking, striving, and sad.
James: joy in trials. 1 Peter: joy in suffering. 1 Thessalonians: rejoice always.
I know this in my head, why don't I/can't I feel it in my heart!?!
I so often FEEL only the longing for what I KNOW to be true: The joy of my salvation, the joy of our hope in Christ, the calling: Be Joyful.
So, it was that Sunday afternoon in August as I sat with pen in hand to process with the LORD - when have I experienced joy, when and why did I lose it, how do I live it again?
Now for some of you theologians this may seem unorthodox, but at this stage of my maturity in Christ, this is my personal revelation.
I wrote out stages of my walk with Christ and accompanying emotions. I read old journals and summarized themes I read. And this was my conclusion:
At the point in which I "lost my joy" was an extremely busy, overwhelming, life-changing point in my life - new job, newly engaged, planning a wedding, and buying a house in 4 and a half months time; then trying to figure out how to live day in and day out with my sin rubbing against this other sinner (a.k.a. my husband) whom I have now "become one" with. I got overwhelmed with LIFE, it sucked the life from me, and I have not recovered.
Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, LORD! (Psalm 51:12a)
Your Salvation.
Your Gospel.
Being in relationship with others in order to point them to Jesus. (Believer of Nonbeliever)
This is what matters.
This is what is life giving.
My conclusion:
~Life sucked the life out of me (and I have not recovered).
~Life is work, thus there needs to be joy IN work.
~Simplifying life makes room for joy (so life is not so overwhelming).
~Being in relationship with others in order to point them to Jesus is life-giving to me - this promotes joy!
This was revolutionary for me. Thank you, LORD, for how you speak to your sheep (John 10:4).
I have learned and believe that the WORK in the Garden of Eden was a GIFT from God to man. However, in the mundaneness of "homemaker" with the challenges of a husband with a chronic illness, I've struggled not to be dragged down and to truly live in joy. I have looked for joy in spite of the mundaneness and the challenges. Ah, but life IS work! My work IS a gift! Being a wife to the man God brought me to and being a mother to the children God entrusted to me and all the other details are working out just as our Sovereign LORD wants them for my good and His glory. The mundaneness and challenges that I have as a wife and mother are just what God wants for me to be sanctified as HIS Daughter reflecting the image of His SON! And THAT is what I am to choose to be joyful about in the midst of it all...not in spite of it!
Other recent connects that are promoting JOY for me in my new journey of joy:
http://www.aholyexperience.com (just poking around Ann Voskamp's website helps you slow down and focus on the joy and beauty in the mundane)
www.gitzengirl.blogspot.com (the blog "Choose Joy" whose young author was homebound with a chronic illness that took her life - wow - her Christ-focused devotion to joy in the midst of such pain and suffering is inspiring!)
Thank you, sisters in Christ!
Monday, September 19, 2011
1 Peter 1:1-12
Black = Me; Blue = Sunday School Teacher, John; Green = Insight from someone else in class
Summary sentence:
"Peter is telling the dispersed that they are elected by the foreknowledge of God the Father to suffer through various trials for the sanctification of their faith in order to obey with holiness and with a joyful hope that their faith will lead to a salvation of a glorious, imperishable inheritance kept in heaven for them."
In short: Obediently suffer with holiness and hope and glorious joy!
Other "neat" insights: (well, neat to me, but that's what this blog is for writing:))
v. 1 - People from 4 of those places were present at Pentecost when Peter spoke, so he probably had previous relationship with them.
"Exile" is term used of Israel, but Peter is speaking to Gentiles (all Roman cities) of the Church. An exile lives in a land opposed to his God and living unholy. Peter is expecting them to live like God expected Israel to live while in exile. Do we feel like we are in exile? How comfortable are we in "this land"?
v. 2 - "foreknowledge"...God foreknew they were going to be exiles. God foreknows our various trials. It was helpful for me to have that perspective when facing my trials.
John asked us to look into the word "sprinkled". I thought that it was just a word connecting to the death of Jesus Christ. But upon further cross referencing, the blood sacrifice sprinkled in Leviticus was to set apart His people. Cleanse from sin in order to be in God's presence! This struck me as it fits with the "Call to Holiness" (See 1 Peter Overview).
The PRIESTS were "sprinkled with blood" for work in the temple (cross reference us being called priests in 1 Peter 2)!
v.4 - I thought putting difference words to describe our inheritance was helpful as we often get read over something we've read a lot without really pondering it. Our inheritance remains forever (imperishable), is holy (undefiled - like we're called to pursue!), and glorious (unfading)!
v. 5 - "Last Time" is a term of present and future. In Old Testament "Last times" started when Messiah appears. So the "last times" starts in Matthew and goes through Christ's second coming. This was a helpful explanation of "last times" for me because I've tended to get tripped up when I've come across that term.
v.6 - "if" in great can be written to assume "yes" or "no". This "if" assumes "yes" it WILL be NECESSARY for you to have trials (not a contingent "if"...if you happen to come across a trial.) The way we will survive suffering is to focus on the future hope. The future propels the Christian from the uncomfortable present because the present is NOT going to be comfortable for the person living in exile.
v. 7 - I have this verse memorized in NIV and I'm studying it in ESV. We were encouraged to read through 1 Peter in different translation and when I read it in NASB I was really struck! NASB reads, "so that the [fn]proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which [fn]is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" (from www.blueletterbible.com) For some reason, the phrase "proof of your faith" struck me. It occurred to me that HOW I handle "this trial" is proof of my faith. What kind of faith do I have? Does this trial prove that my faith is more focused on myself and my comfort or does this my response to this trial prove that I am trusting God. Does it prove I am worrying about money more than I am putting faith in the faithfulness of God. God has brought that phrase to mind more than the other translations...what I am proving about my faith (and my God) by how I am responding to these inevitable trials!
v.8 - To be continued...
Summary sentence:
"Peter is telling the dispersed that they are elected by the foreknowledge of God the Father to suffer through various trials for the sanctification of their faith in order to obey with holiness and with a joyful hope that their faith will lead to a salvation of a glorious, imperishable inheritance kept in heaven for them."
In short: Obediently suffer with holiness and hope and glorious joy!
Other "neat" insights: (well, neat to me, but that's what this blog is for writing:))
v. 1 - People from 4 of those places were present at Pentecost when Peter spoke, so he probably had previous relationship with them.
"Exile" is term used of Israel, but Peter is speaking to Gentiles (all Roman cities) of the Church. An exile lives in a land opposed to his God and living unholy. Peter is expecting them to live like God expected Israel to live while in exile. Do we feel like we are in exile? How comfortable are we in "this land"?
v. 2 - "foreknowledge"...God foreknew they were going to be exiles. God foreknows our various trials. It was helpful for me to have that perspective when facing my trials.
John asked us to look into the word "sprinkled". I thought that it was just a word connecting to the death of Jesus Christ. But upon further cross referencing, the blood sacrifice sprinkled in Leviticus was to set apart His people. Cleanse from sin in order to be in God's presence! This struck me as it fits with the "Call to Holiness" (See 1 Peter Overview).
The PRIESTS were "sprinkled with blood" for work in the temple (cross reference us being called priests in 1 Peter 2)!
v.4 - I thought putting difference words to describe our inheritance was helpful as we often get read over something we've read a lot without really pondering it. Our inheritance remains forever (imperishable), is holy (undefiled - like we're called to pursue!), and glorious (unfading)!
v. 5 - "Last Time" is a term of present and future. In Old Testament "Last times" started when Messiah appears. So the "last times" starts in Matthew and goes through Christ's second coming. This was a helpful explanation of "last times" for me because I've tended to get tripped up when I've come across that term.
v.6 - "if" in great can be written to assume "yes" or "no". This "if" assumes "yes" it WILL be NECESSARY for you to have trials (not a contingent "if"...if you happen to come across a trial.) The way we will survive suffering is to focus on the future hope. The future propels the Christian from the uncomfortable present because the present is NOT going to be comfortable for the person living in exile.
v. 7 - I have this verse memorized in NIV and I'm studying it in ESV. We were encouraged to read through 1 Peter in different translation and when I read it in NASB I was really struck! NASB reads, "so that the [fn]proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which [fn]is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" (from www.blueletterbible.com) For some reason, the phrase "proof of your faith" struck me. It occurred to me that HOW I handle "this trial" is proof of my faith. What kind of faith do I have? Does this trial prove that my faith is more focused on myself and my comfort or does this my response to this trial prove that I am trusting God. Does it prove I am worrying about money more than I am putting faith in the faithfulness of God. God has brought that phrase to mind more than the other translations...what I am proving about my faith (and my God) by how I am responding to these inevitable trials!
v.8 - To be continued...
1 Peter Overview
I am currently in a Sunday School class that is doing and in depth study of 1 Peter. We also did a brief overview of the General Epistles (as opposed to the Pauline Epistles) this summer, so I have a bit of background from that as well. I had spent some time in 1 Peter a few years ago and found that there were three callings in 1 Peter.
1:15, 16 - called to be Holy
2:20,21 - called to Suffer
3:9 - called to Bless
Through the General Epistles Sunday School class, it was emphasized that those epistles in particular have a very strong focus on our future inheritance and to hope in that above current circumstances. So, as I was going through 1 Peter, I recognized a FOURTH CALLING! We are CALLED to Eternal Glory (5:10)!
So I have established my summary statement for 1 Peter to be:
"Be holy while you suffer and bless with the hope of eternal glory!"
What a calling as Christians! We WILL suffer. We will image Christ when we are holy and bless others WHILE we are suffering. This is all possible because we have a hope of a glory that will not fade and lasts forever!
So, SUFFER RIGHTLY, my fellow Christian!
1:15, 16 - called to be Holy
2:20,21 - called to Suffer
3:9 - called to Bless
Through the General Epistles Sunday School class, it was emphasized that those epistles in particular have a very strong focus on our future inheritance and to hope in that above current circumstances. So, as I was going through 1 Peter, I recognized a FOURTH CALLING! We are CALLED to Eternal Glory (5:10)!
So I have established my summary statement for 1 Peter to be:
"Be holy while you suffer and bless with the hope of eternal glory!"
What a calling as Christians! We WILL suffer. We will image Christ when we are holy and bless others WHILE we are suffering. This is all possible because we have a hope of a glory that will not fade and lasts forever!
So, SUFFER RIGHTLY, my fellow Christian!
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