We Are Not Who We Were

 ¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, ¹⁹ by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. ²¹ There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

 ¹ Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. ³ For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. ⁴ In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. ⁵ They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (1 Peter 3:18-4:6, New King James Version)

Christ's sufferings bring us into the very presence of God.  Our servitude to our flesh has ended and we are made alive by the Holy Spirit to live new lives.

This same Spirit, in an act that remains somewhat of a mystery to us, is how Jesus went and preached the gospel to those souls in prison.  Those Old Testament people who lived even before the establishment of God's covenant with the people of Israel, before even the flood, were now presented the gospel so that even though they had suffered the judgment of death on earth, they might have the chance to take part in eternal life. (verses 3:19 and 4:6)

Just as Noah and his family demonstrated their faith by going into the Ark, and so were saved, we by faith choose to take part in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, and we demonstrate that decision with baptism.  The act of baptism itself, the act of dunking our flesh into the water the water  is not what saves us, otherwise taking a bath would have the same result, the death and resurrection of Christ is what saves us.  It is the cleansing of conscience by His resurrection that we need, not just the cleansing of our flesh.  Baptism is simply how we show our decision to take part in the resurrection.

Because Christ died and rose again for us, and because we have symbolically taken part in that death, burial, and resurrection through baptism, we should no longer live in sin.  When we decided to follow Christ, we decided to die to sin, this death is represented in baptism by our body being dunked under the water, just as a dead person is placed under the ground.  However, we didn't stay under the water!  We didn't just decide to die to our old life of sin, we were also making a choice to live anew for God!  This resurrection to new life is represented by our rising back up out of the water, just as Christ rose up from the grave.  So now, having died to sin and risen again to a new life in Christ, we should not live to please our flesh, but should live to do God's will.

Enough of our past lifetime was spent in sin.  We now live a new life, who wants to waste time in this new life by walking in sin? 

Those who knew us in our past life think it is strange that no longer live as we used to.  They may speak evil of us, but we can rejoice because we know that we have life in Christ.  Our judgment for sin is finished.  The penalty has already been paid.  So we can rejoice over that rather than be worried about what others say about us or do to us. 

In fact, rather than hating them, we can pity them, for unless they choose in this life to judge their own sin and accept Christ's payment for it, unless they choose to begin a new life in Him, their sin will be judged in the next life, and they will have to pay their own penalty.  We can pity that, because we too were deserving of judgment, no better than they, the only difference being that we have recognized that and have accepted the free gift of salvation.

So we should pray for them and try to live lives that point them to Jesus.

Lord, I praise you that you have given me new life in You.  I thank you so much for this free gift Lord.  I did nothing to earn it, could do nothing to earn it if I tried.  I am saved, and can't become more saved or less saved by my works, praise you for that Lord, because surely I'd mess up and end up "less saved" if that were the case! However Lord, Your word does teach that my works matter, not in the sense of earning my salvation, but in the sense of glorifying You, and being used by You to draw others to Your Kingdom.  Help me Lord to glorify You today in all that I do, all that I think, and all that I say.  I pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Where We Belong

 ¹ Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ² as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.   
⁴ Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵ you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

      “ Behold, I lay in Zion
      A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
      And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

⁷ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,

“ The stone which the builders rejected
      Has become the chief cornerstone,”

 ⁸ and

      “ A stone of stumbling
      And a rock of offense.”

   They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:1-10, New King James Version)

Because we are born again through the precious, incorruptible blood of Jesus and the eternal word of God, we now need to lay aside all of those things that are not suited to our new nature.  Malice, or ill intent, has no place in our new life.  We must reject every form of deceit and dishonesty, and hypocrisy which is that tendency to say one thing and do another, to pretend that we something other than what we are.  We need to stop envying each other for their possessions, their talents, gifts, relationships, whatever, because this is often the source of malice and hypocrisy.  We must continue to be careful not to speak evil of others.  We must stop making excuses for all these things and make a choice to lay them aside, rejecting them as behavior not suitable for a new creation in Christ.

We need to feed on God's word and not resist the things it says, but rather  let it do its work to change us and cause growth.

Indeed our Lord is gracious and precious to us who yielded our lives to Him.  He is the solid Rock on which we stand and base our lives, but to hearts bent on rebellion He is a stone which trips them.  Having been offered a free pardon and then choosing to reject it, they heap more condemnation on themselves.

But those of us who know Jesus as our Savior and our Lord are chosen.  We are a royal priesthood.  Royal because we are children of the King of Kings, and a priesthood because we are God's servants and ministers.  We are His hands and feet, going and reaching out to those around us, a light in the darkness that so heavily hangs over this world of ours.

We are a holy nation, we no longer claim citizenship in this world, but our citizenship is in heaven, and we are strangers and visitors here on earth.  We are God's chosen and special people, set apart to proclaim the praises of  God bring glory to the One who called out of the thick choking darkness we once walked in and into His marvelous light.

Once we were not a people, once we did not belong, we had no place or people to which we truly belonged, but now we belong to God Himself, we are His people, on which He has chosen to show His incredible love and mercy.

Lord, I thank you for your mercy.  I thank you that now I truly have a place I belong, in Your loving arms.  I praise You, Lord, for choosing me.  I don't understand why you did, there was nothing in me to warrant or be worthy of  Your choosing, yet You chose me as a vessel to display Your mercy.  I can only respond with humble thanks.  I ask Lord, that You will help me to lay aside everything that would hinder my usefulness to You, anything that would stop other people from seeing Your glory.  Praise You LORD.

Mysteries Even Angels Wish to See

⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, ⁸ whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, ⁹ receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

¹⁰ Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, ¹¹ searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹² To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into. (1 Peter 1:6-12, New King James Version)

We rejoice that Jesus holds us and keeps us, knowing that any trials or tests we face will pale in comparison to the glory we will have at the revelation of Jesus Christ in the last day.

We have not seen this day, and we have not seen Christ, but we love Him without seeing Him because His Spirit dwells in us who have received salvation by God's grace.

It is interesting to note the prophets who in the past proclaimed this grace that was to come did so through the same Spirit, that is, the Spirit of Christ (vs 11). These prophets did not fully understand what they prophesied in the messianic prophesies, but they put their faith and trust in God based on what had been revealed, even though that revelation was as yet far from complete. It was okay that they didn't understand it all, because the things they prophesied and wrote were not really for their benefit, but for ours. They were part of a bigger picture they could not even imagine, a piece of God's plan.

We put our faith in Him based on so much more revelation than they had. We (the church) have mysteries revealed to us that even angels desire to know and understand. Mysteries which God did not reveal directly to His angels, but instead revealed to His church, and through His church revealed them to the powers and principalities in heavenly places. (See Ephesians 3:9-11)

So much more has been given to us than to the prophets of old, our revelation is so much more complete. It is a wonder we do not explode for joy over the knowledge of God that has been given to us!

We have even been given so much more than the angels in heaven, have been given, for Christ did not die to save fallen angels, but did die to save fallen human beings.

We should always be rejoicing at the sheer miracle of the gospel, both what Christ actually did for us, and that we have had it revealed to us so completely.

There are things that still have not been fully revealed to us, (1 Corinthians 13:12) and will not be fully revealed to us until Christ returns and we become like Him, but surely if the prophets could walk in such faith with the little that was revealed to them, we can do so with the abundance of revelation and grace given to us.

Lord, I praise You for Your Mysteries that have bee revealed through Your word, thank You that you have chosen to reveal to Your church things that previously You did not even reveal to the angels in heaven. I praise You also Lord for the glory that will be revealed in the last day, for the day when we will behold You face to face, and know You in ways we cannot fathom now.
Praise You Jesus!

Who Holds Us and Keeps Us

¹ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ² elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
(1 Peter 1:1-5, New King James Version)

We must never forget that although scripture contains many exhortations and encouragements for us to live righteously, and we certainly should heed these, our rebirth is only because of God's abundant mercy. It is He who saved us, He who begot us again.

Not only is it He who saved us, it is He who keeps us. No matter how often, or how badly we fail, He never abandons us. There are consequences in this earthly life for our failings, often serious consequences, and there will even be loss of some reward in eternity, but our eternal salvation is kept in Him, by His grace and love. (See 1 Corinthians 3:11-15) It is He who reserves our share of Christ's inheritance, and it is He who keeps us by His power.

We can never take pride in being saved, because we did not do any of it, God did it all.

The book of James made it clear that we are to watch our actions and make sure we are walking as we should. (See "Useless Religion", "Pure Religion", "Dead Faith", "Who is at the Helm", "More on Wisdom", "Watch Your Own Step", "Whose Plan", and "What to Do"). Putting James together with this and many other passages of the New Testament makes it clear: we are responsible for our actions, but God is responsible for the saving of our souls, we simply need to trust in Him to do that.