Ep. 137 - Love as Christ Loves - 1 Peter 3:8-4:11

[00:00:01] Hello, welcome back to Adorned Podcast. This is episode 137 and we are continuing our study in first Peter.

[00:00:09] Hi friends and welcome to the Adorned Podcast. We're your host Erin and Kacie. We would love for you to come join us each week as we discuss what it means to be made beautiful by God's word.

[00:00:23] Whether you are a college student walking to class, a mom folding laundry during nap time, or a boss babe sitting in rush hour traffic, we hope that we can encourage and inspire you to pursue a deeper understanding of the Bible.

[00:00:36] So Kacie, we said at the beginning of the study before we even jumped into first Peter that we would encourage everyone including ourselves to remember that as we're studying and like deep studying texts it's still important to think about other spiritual disciplines like prayer and meditation.

[00:00:56] And memorizing scripture and different things like that. So what has been kind of an encouragement to you as far as other disciplines or just your walk with the Lord recently?

[00:01:06] Yeah, I talked about it a little bit on last week's episode but I feel like prayer has just been a huge thing in my life lately.

[00:01:15] I feel like there's so much going on in the world that I can't tangibly help with and prayer has been just such a big part of doing something.

[00:01:28] And that shouldn't be the only time we spend time in prayer but it has really kind of driven me to that discipline more and more just pleading with God and begging God for mercy and for healing and for peace.

[00:01:41] And conversations with Him too. Like just I laid in bed last night and I was like, God, like I'm really struggling with these things.

[00:01:48] Like I need your comfort. I need direction. And He's been so faithful to answer those prayers. Not always exactly how I hope but I see His goodness every time.

[00:02:02] And there have been times when it's been very direct answers like within hours of what I've prayed for.

[00:02:09] And we're not to treat God like a genie, like that we just go to Him when we want something. Like that's not what I'm saying at all but just, God says in His word to pray and to bring these things to Him.

[00:02:20] And it's how we are supposed to converse with Him and have a relationship with Him.

[00:02:25] And it's something that I feel like I've kind of put to the side for a long time.

[00:02:30] And so doing this, I hope and pray that when things possibly calm down in our world a little bit, that it's a discipline that I continue to do even when things are good and not chaotic like they are now.

[00:02:44] But it's just been, yeah, it's been really great to kind of dive into that discipline more in the season.

[00:02:51] I've been memorizing and meditating on Psalms. Right now I'm doing Psalms 100.

[00:02:59] And I do that often through song, like find a song that has just the text.

[00:03:05] So I've been doing Psalm 100 to the corner room version of that song.

[00:03:09] And I found very similar to what you're saying is if I start to think about things or dwell on things that are going on in the world or if I get distracted and I'm like, Lord, I want to keep my eyes on you.

[00:03:20] Like how do I stop getting so distracted by the other things?

[00:03:24] And so I think like focusing on listening to memorizing scripture has really helped me to go, okay, I need to realign myself right now.

[00:03:32] So that's been a good one.

[00:03:34] It was good.

[00:03:35] It's a good reminder.

[00:03:36] All right, let's jump back in.

[00:03:37] We have a lot of text to cover as you've spent time in the homework of this past week.

[00:03:42] You are familiar with the fact that we're covering almost probably twice as much as next week at least.

[00:03:47] Yeah, for sure.

[00:03:48] And in this text in particular, there's a kind of like a shift that takes place in the flow or in the style of writing that Peters that we've been in.

[00:03:59] And so you probably noticed that and if you're a little like caught off guard or like, this seems kind of random here.

[00:04:05] Why is there some Psalms in the middle of this passage?

[00:04:08] I just hope that you were able to like we have encouraged like if something seems weird or you're not sure about something or have questions like really sit in it and really try and let the spirit speak to you.

[00:04:17] And so hopefully you had a chance to do that this week.

[00:04:19] But we just want to throw out there that we are aware that this this passage was a little different, had a little different style, I guess is the word.

[00:04:28] But we're kind of going.

[00:04:30] The progression was we were talking about submission and like Christ's like sacrificial love in the way that we live in the home and in the workplace and in the world.

[00:04:39] And then he's going to kind of take us to a little bit of encouragement about suffering well like Christ did and then just spend a lot of time talking about how Christ suffered and how we are to embrace suffering as well.

[00:04:53] So I think one good way to think about this is this in this passage, Peter is answering the question like we've said before.

[00:05:00] Okay, this is really kind of Peter to answer the question what do I do if my husband's not a believer or what do you know things like that how do I work now that I'm a believer.

[00:05:08] So Peter in this passage one of the questions he's helping us answer is how do I live faithfully for Jesus Christ in a time like this.

[00:05:16] And even though the time that this was written was a very different time than we are now like chronologically.

[00:05:22] But there's a lot of similarities and we'll see that as we kind of break down this text of it was somewhat chaotic during that time like it's somewhat chaotic now there was division like there is division now so there is a lot of similarities

[00:05:34] and we're allowed to not allowed to we're able to draw a lot of the same truths that would have been with the original audience as well.

[00:05:45] I got a new book this week which I'm nerding out on our friend Courtney Rizak who's been on the show a couple times and she's an author and she's a wonderful teacher.

[00:05:56] She posted the other day about this book on her Instagram and I was like oh my goodness I need to order that it's called the visual word illustrated outlines of New Testament books.

[00:06:04] By Patrick Shreiner and he has just some really helpful ways to think through themes of books.

[00:06:11] And so when he talks about this passage I think the way he just breaks it down is pretty helpful.

[00:06:16] So he says that we are to suffer for righteousness sake and we'll see that in verses 13 to 17 not for evil.

[00:06:25] We'll see that in verses one through six of chapter four and then live in light of the nearness of the end which we'll see in verses seven through eleven and ultimately with Christ as our example.

[00:06:37] Right, right it's good love it.

[00:06:39] My father-in-law bought us that book a few months ago and I keep forgetting about it it's in our living room but I forget that we have it.

[00:06:45] So now I'm like oh I should have used it.

[00:06:47] Yeah he uses like little picture logo things which if you're a visual person like me then that's really helpful.

[00:06:52] Yeah okay so we're gonna pick up chapter three verses eight and nine which say finally all of you have unity of mind sympathy brotherly love a tender heart and a humble mind do not repay evil for evil or rebelling for rebelling but on the contrary bless for to you that for to this you were called that you may obtain a blessing.

[00:07:14] And all those things sound like oh I could do that that should be easy but then when you actually get you know into life with people and you know it's like wait a second I'm supposed to be unified with you like that's really hard.

[00:07:29] That's really hard I'm supposed to have sympathy and a tender heart but look at how different you are than me like it gets it can be messy and I think one thing that's really helpful is Alistair bag had a great teaching on this passage and he said we have to remember the gospel here.

[00:07:48] And that's you know what we've been saying all the way from the beginning is if you were to just read that it could be crushing it could feel like oh my gosh how am I going to be unified how am I going to always show love and have a humble mind and not repay evil like you didn't see what they posted on my Facebook comments like you know I'm saying like it can feel very crushing but he reminds us he says.

[00:08:09] Peter isn't telling us that if we do these things we're going to earn points for heaven or that if we do these things we will earn heaven itself but instead he's saying you are chosen you are called you are powered by the spirit you're born again by living hope you're purifying yourself by obedience to the truth.

[00:08:27] These are all things Peter has said up until this point in the letter and he's saying because now all of that is true because you were born again here are the essential characteristics that will flow from your lives.

[00:08:40] The difference is vitally important because if we don't see that these things are going to flow naturally from our lives we're going to fall into despair because we cannot do it on our own right and that's such a good point right like that the saying you've probably heard before is like a tree can't force itself to grow fruit.

[00:08:56] But a healthy tree that is rooted is going to naturally grow fruit and it's the same thing in our lives he's saying these are the things that are going to flow out of your life you're going to grow in unity.

[00:09:08] You're going to grow in sympathy you're going to grow in love and humility and these are characteristics we will start to notice in ourselves and in other believers when we're being rooted in that living hope.

[00:09:19] Yeah and he stays in this theme kind of into chapter four of this what does being united to Christ like what does that naturally produce and so I think that's a very important thing to keep at the front of our minds as we go through this like Aaron said this is not something we have to force this should be natural fruit of being a believer.

[00:09:40] I love how Sproal Aaron kind of brought out the fact that unity is one of the hardest things listed here and I love how Sproal in his commentary talks about this he says this does not mean that the people are to set aside their own he's talking about the church he saw unity within the church that people are to set aside their

[00:09:59] own perceptions and viewpoints and slavishly embraced everything that everyone else in the concrete congregation believes that is what you expect to find in a cult not a church I was like ouch.

[00:10:12] We all come from different backgrounds and we are to bring to the church different perspectives discarding those differences is not required for unity.

[00:10:20] Peter's plea here is that believers have agreement on substantive matters.

[00:10:25] We are to share one Lord one faith and one baptism.

[00:10:29] And I think that this is really a place where Satan's trying to attack our churches right now he's making us forget the main things he's he's causing this disunity over things that don't really matter not over doctrine or theology but these like cultural ideologies is what Aaron said before we started talking.

[00:10:50] And on the podcast and it's just it's heartbreaking and that's one of the things that keeps me up at night is that we're supposed to have unity as a church the Bible is very clear on that so this was very very convicting and very timely when I read that part.

[00:11:08] Yeah another translation for that word unity is harmony which I I just think that's so beautiful and I heard in a sermon they were saying if we only ever had two buzz I don't know why to became to mind but if we only ever had two buzz like if everybody in the church.

[00:11:25] Like you said set aside all the differences and try to be exactly the same that would not it would not sound as beautiful and as you know as much depth as if we are all different instruments creating harmony together like a symphony and I think that's just a beautiful picture and reminder to us that we don't have to cast aside all differences you know we are to find our identity in the fact that we are beloved children of God and then that's what we're going to do.

[00:11:55] But you know I think that's what unifies us and we're able to be unified with someone who looks different has a completely different experience.

[00:12:02] You know has a different job has a different neighborhood because the most important thing about us that we are children of God is the same.

[00:12:09] Yeah then everything else has less weight and we're able to join together.

[00:12:14] Well and you can take that example even further if you're thinking about it symphony like if you've ever been in like an orchestra or something like as a child or you know like in school the first few times you play altogether and you try to play as one.

[00:12:31] It sounds horrible.

[00:12:32] Right.

[00:12:33] That's a good point.

[00:12:34] Like it takes time.

[00:12:35] This time and that's one thing the Lord's really been teaching me over the past few years is like taking the long view of things and knowing that like the first time you do something it's not going to be perfect and really being able to invest in relationships in the long term.

[00:12:53] And it's like that at church like the first time you come to church things might feel awkward you might have some weird conversations but as time goes on as you do life together as you live together.

[00:13:05] As you live in community as you have those hard conversations it really does produce this like beautiful harmony.

[00:13:13] Yeah and so yeah it can be such a beautiful thing.

[00:13:15] Okay we've got to move on because we have so much cover but some of the other things that it talks about here are sympathy.

[00:13:22] Some translation says compassion that's being passionate about the same things saying I feel your pain and meaning it like when your child is hurt by another kid at school or whatever.

[00:13:35] And that pain that you feel for them.

[00:13:37] That is the pain that you should be feeling for your brothers and sisters in Christ.

[00:13:41] Brotherly love again saying I might not always agree with you but you're my brother or my sister and so I love you.

[00:13:47] I'm going to stick with you a tender heart opposite of rough kind of like what we talked about last week when we were talking about being meek and quiet.

[00:13:55] That doesn't mean being weak or not having strength but just being gentle.

[00:14:00] A humble mind and if you remember humility has been a huge theme throughout this whole book so far.

[00:14:07] It's just a reminder that the call to holy living is a call to humility and putting others before yourself.

[00:14:13] This whole thing is about putting others before yourself.

[00:14:17] And then when it says do not repay evil for evil like we tell our kids just because your sister hit you doesn't mean you should hit her back.

[00:14:25] Kill them with kindness.

[00:14:27] All these things that we tell our kids like be kind to them.

[00:14:31] On the contrary it says bless them.

[00:14:34] And this goes against what we want to do naturally.

[00:14:39] And it's really interesting because we actually had this conversation with the girls yesterday because we were reading about Hammurabi's code way back in BC times.

[00:14:48] And one of the things was an eye for an eye tooth for a tooth.

[00:14:50] And so we went to that passage which is actually in Leviticus but then Jesus comes back in Matthew and says you have heard it said this but I say turn the other cheek.

[00:15:00] And because of Jesus and the forgiveness that he's offered us we don't have to do eye for an eye tooth for a tooth.

[00:15:06] Like we can turn the other cheek and we can forgive people.

[00:15:10] We don't have to hit them if they hit us.

[00:15:12] Yeah and he even goes farther than that.

[00:15:14] He doesn't just say ignore it right like in this passage it says don't repay evil for evil.

[00:15:19] Reviling for running but on the contrary bless.

[00:15:22] Yes.

[00:15:23] Yes exactly if someone takes your cloak give them yours you know like or something like that it was something about a quote.

[00:15:30] Yeah yeah something like that.

[00:15:32] So yeah it's just again like the whole heart of this is putting others before yourself.

[00:15:39] Right right that's a good way to say it.

[00:15:41] Okay moving on verses 10 through 12.

[00:15:47] It says for whoever desires to live.

[00:15:50] No whoever desires to love life and see good days let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

[00:15:58] Let him turn away from evil and do good like him.

[00:16:01] Let him seek peace and pursue it 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.

[00:16:11] So this is from Psalm 34 and it was written by David when he was in exile running from Saul.

[00:16:18] So what an encouragement this would have been to the readers because they would have been familiar with this passage.

[00:16:23] They would have known who wrote it.

[00:16:25] They would have probably had it memorized and so it would have just been a reminder to them that they're not the first to live as an exile.

[00:16:33] David went through that too and this in this season of like we've said several times like chaos.

[00:16:41] That has been such a comfort to me reading the Psalms especially the Psalms when David was like running from his enemies and like hiding in the caves and just the way he cried out to the Lord the way he worshipped the Lord through all of that has been encouragement to me too.

[00:16:59] So I love that Peter was using his words to encourage the people in the early church and those words are still so encouraging to us in the church of 2021.

[00:17:09] Yeah, yeah I think that's right.

[00:17:10] I mean like you said they would have had it memorized and so even though he doesn't quote the entire thing like he's quoting verses 12 to 16 of Psalm 34 but they would have known all the whole thing which really makes a difference.

[00:17:25] I think that's the first few verses of Psalm 34 because I feel like it makes sense of the verses that are in this passage.

[00:17:31] So some of this will sound familiar to you probably says I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

[00:17:38] My soul makes its boast in the Lord let the humble hear and be glad.

[00:17:42] Oh magnify the Lord with me.

[00:17:44] Let's exalt his name together.

[00:17:46] I sought the Lord and he answered me.

[00:17:48] He delivered me from all my fears.

[00:17:50] Those who look to him are radiant in their faces shall never be ashamed.

[00:17:54] This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

[00:17:59] The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and he delivers them.

[00:18:03] Oh taste and see that the Lord is good.

[00:18:06] Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

[00:18:09] Oh fear the Lord you saints who fear him have no lack.

[00:18:13] The young lion suffer and want and hunger and those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

[00:18:19] So we're going to go into this passage that we just read and I think that helps us to understand what Peter's trying to do here.

[00:18:25] Peter is trying to show them like we said at the beginning like how to live faithfully.

[00:18:29] And he's saying one of the ways that we do that that we see in this passage is we want to we long to live a good life and a good life means avoiding evil

[00:18:39] and a way to do that is to first taste and see that the Lord is good and to have his praise continually in your mouth.

[00:18:47] You're constantly praising God and resting and tasting and seeing that he is good.

[00:18:51] You're not going to run after evil things.

[00:18:54] You're not going to be able to curse your brother at the same time you're quoting yourself Bible verses.

[00:19:00] You know what I mean?

[00:19:01] Like so it is it's a it's a very practical way for us even now like you're saying to to spend time in the Psalms so that we're like I said like the one that I'm memorizing right now.

[00:19:13] It's a serve the Lord with gladness is one of the verses.

[00:19:16] And so I'm constantly like whenever I don't feel like I'm serving the Lord gladness.

[00:19:20] I'm like Lord help me to believe this help me to do this.

[00:19:24] And so that's kind of what he's doing here is he's you know bringing to mind things they would have known and had memorized but maybe you're not remembering.

[00:19:32] That's good.

[00:19:33] That's good.

[00:19:34] One of the lines that really stood out to me of this passage was when it said seek peace and pursue it.

[00:19:42] And in the commentary I was reading the scroll commentary he was talking about that and how it wasn't saying just like let peace come to you.

[00:19:52] It was talking about how we have to actively pursue that piece.

[00:19:56] And one of my favorite verses is John 14 27 it says peace I live with you my peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give to you like not your hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid and I think part of the reason.

[00:20:11] Peter was saying you have to really pursue that piece is because it's not what the world offers like if you look at the world they're constantly trying to offer you like this false peace.

[00:20:25] But that's not the piece that Jesus gives us.

[00:20:29] And so I was thinking about that I was like what does peace look like to the world and I think we can see this a lot of places right now I think the world would say like peace can look like safety or health.

[00:20:41] Or normalcy or maybe even a perfectly clean house but for us as Christians like what should it look like and I had this song stuck in my head last week that I've got peace like river but it's I've got peace like a river in my soul.

[00:20:57] And that's so different than this like outside external peace of being healthy and feeling safe of all of these things like peace in your soul is truly finding rest in the sovereignty of God.

[00:21:11] And so this versus kind of made me pause for a minute and think you know the world is trying to offer us all this peace and it doesn't feel very peaceful and the only true piece is found in the Lord.

[00:21:23] That's good. That's good. All right versus 13 through 17.

[00:21:28] Now who is there to harm you if you're a zealous for what is good but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake you will be blessed have no fear of them nor be troubled but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you yet do it with gentleness and respect having a good conscience so that when you are slandered

[00:21:53] those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame for it is better to suffer for doing good that if it should be God's will then for doing evil.

[00:22:03] So the first thing I thought when I read this passage as well as that first passage that or one of the first passages we read was oh like this could easily be interpreted as like prosperity gospel or workspace gospel.

[00:22:17] And so I think it's a good reminder and Aaron already brought that out before I had even said anything about that but that it's not about points it's not earning our salvation being in Christ leads to this desire for holy living.

[00:22:32] And then there is blessing because because of that sometimes here on earth in the life we live now but the blood the true blessing is going to come when Jesus returns.

[00:22:43] But like Aaron said earlier that there should just be this natural fruit this desire that comes from being in Christ it's not it's not about points or anything like that we're not earning anything.

[00:22:58] And verse 15 where it says but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord is holy always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asked you for a reason for the hope that is in you yet do it with gentleness and respect.

[00:23:11] So this is kind of the basis for a lot of like apologetics where people start talking about being able to defend your faith and it's funny because I mentioned that last week without really thinking about what we were talking about this week.

[00:23:26] And I said that last week sometimes the answer is just because the Bible says so and it is.

[00:23:34] But what if the person comes back and says but why do you believe the Bible is true.

[00:23:39] Like what does it matter that the Bible says that do you believe it's the inspired Word of God do you believe it's infallible.

[00:23:45] And so it's important to be able to defend the basic foundations of our faith.

[00:23:52] Yeah.

[00:23:53] And that's what Peter saying here like we need we need to be able to be ready to defend these things there were a lot of in this time and there were a lot of false things being said about Christians and so it was important for those Christians to be able to say no we don't sacrifice our children.

[00:24:11] It's not part of the Christian life.

[00:24:13] No we don't do this or do that.

[00:24:16] And so it's so important for us to have just a foundational understanding of our beliefs.

[00:24:24] Vodibachem has great stuff on this.

[00:24:26] I also love the book Mama Bear Apologetics.

[00:24:29] Even if you're not a mama bear, if you're not a mom, if you're still such a good just like foundational apologetics book.

[00:24:38] Yeah, I think Tim Keller's Jesus the King is really good to he has a couple different.

[00:24:44] The reason for God is good.

[00:24:46] Yeah, yeah, he has a few good ones.

[00:24:48] Yeah, he has really good stuff on this too and it's just you can go down a bunch of like rabbit holes with apologetics and you don't want to spend all your time you know it's important to be in the word and and not get like consumed by studying a specific thing but it's

[00:25:06] biblical and it's good to be able to defend your faith.

[00:25:09] Yeah, you're right.

[00:25:10] It's reason for God I said the wrong title Jesus the King is also a good book by Tim Keller but that's about the gospel of Mark so sorry.

[00:25:16] But the one of the most important things about this is okay when you defend your faith to do it with grace and gentleness.

[00:25:26] It's like it's funny that he I'm glad that he says that 100% but it's funny that he feels like he has to say that again when the entire time he's been saying be gentle, be kind, be Christ like and then he's like y'all still are not getting it.

[00:25:40] So even when you're doing good, even when you're defending your faith, still gentleness humility. Let's remember those things friends because of the mean you shared with me.

[00:25:54] So there is this meme and it's talking about when people with two different ideas come together they can be like Mentos in a diet soda and explode over some specific passages.

[00:26:07] Yeah, and it really should not be that way but that's the reason here he's like okay maybe you have like your daily living like with with grace and brotherly love and humility but when you start talking doctrine you might get fired up.

[00:26:23] Yeah, so remember remember gentleness and I mean I've probably been I grew up in the Bible belt. I kind of had the very wrong assumption that most people knew what the Bible was and most people believe that it's true and so it was a wake up call when I went to a call to a Christian college.

[00:26:42] It was a wake up call and there were times when I was probably pretty arrogant and not kind of not gentle and the Lord's still working on that with me.

[00:26:52] I don't always say things out loud but I have lots in my heart so this is definitely a point of conviction for me and then just again at the end of this he says when you are slandered we have seen this over and over and over so when you see something repeated you need to pay attention and this could have been encouraged

[00:27:11] to the people reading this to persevere either even when people are questioning their intentions like maybe that was something that was going on a lot so maybe that's why Peter was driving that home.

[00:27:22] I like that he's driving that home because it's a reminder to me because I feel like as Christians like we're hearing a lot a lot of things that aren't true about our faith and so just to remember to persevere through that is is a good reminder.

[00:27:36] That's good.

[00:27:38] Okay verses 18 through 22.

[00:27:41] For Christ also suffered once for sins the righteous for the unrighteous that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison because they formally did not obey when God's patients waited in the days of Noah while the Ark was being prepared in which a few that is eight persons were brought safely through water.

[00:28:05] Baptism which corresponds to this now saves you not as the removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels authorities and powers having been subject to him.

[00:28:22] I'm sure everybody got this one really easy and like the homework was no problem and you just like read it and you're like I know exactly what that means.

[00:28:28] Yeah, it's just so crazy to me because I feel like Peter's been so like cut and dry about things like you know I mean even though it's not easy to live out what he's been talking about it's been fairly easy to understand.

[00:28:40] Okay, I know what sympathy is know what brotherly love is hard to do these things but I get it and then all of a sudden he's talking about proclaiming to the spirits in prison and the flood and like what is going on here.

[00:28:54] So there are a lot of different interpretations of this of this text talking about like Jesus going back some people think that like his spirit did go back in there was in the time of Noah proclaiming to the people.

[00:29:08] You get into the Apostles Creed with descending into hell and when did that happen did that happen you know like does the Bible mean this literally I mean there's just so many things.

[00:29:23] But once again, our buddy sprawled just always sums things up so perfectly.

[00:29:28] He says the context in which Peter writes these things is to encourage us that are suffering is used by God as a testimony for righteousness and is accompanied by the Holy Spirit to bring about the spirit's purpose of redemption in the same manner by which our Lord who was raised by the spirit went and preached and saw so much fruit.

[00:29:48] So again keeping the main thing the main thing the whole point is that the Holy Spirit is with you and helps you spread the gospel like share the good news.

[00:29:59] He did it for Jesus he'll do it for us and then sprawl at the end of this part and in the commentary he says he will be quick to ask Peter when he sees him and glory what he meant by these words because I was like I don't know that I'm interpreting it right so I'm going to ask Peter when I get to heaven what he means

[00:30:17] and then my first thought was I wonder if he asked him like I wonder if Peter and sprawl or up there like having coffee and then I'm going to push Peter out of his seat so I can join sprawl for coffee.

[00:30:30] I love that you'd rather say was pro that actually Peter well you know.

[00:30:36] I'm not wrong but I'm not wrong.

[00:30:40] So yeah so that's a really hard piece and then you get into the baptism thing which I am when you break it down I feel like it's a little bit easier to understand the important part here is that Bab to baptism is not what provides justification it's easy to misinterpret that because it says baptism which corresponds to this now saves you.

[00:31:01] It is not what gives us our salvation and that's actually part of what the whole like Protestant Reformation was about because the Catholic Church was saying that this like sacrament of baptism was with salvation.

[00:31:13] And we know that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone.

[00:31:18] It's a symbol of what Jesus has done by washing away our sins in his in his death and resurrection.

[00:31:25] And then my Bible notes said baptism symbolizes judgment on sin and the death of Christ and then also renewal of life.

[00:31:33] And so it's this idea it's really interesting idea because this water in the days of Noah it was judgment it's what killed so many people it's what wiped away the earth but then it's also what saved Noah and his family got bringing them through the water.

[00:31:49] So I thought that was really fascinating.

[00:31:51] Yeah, I think like you're saying that the water is kind of a theme that we see throughout scripture as kind of those two things right like judgment but also life.

[00:31:59] But we also see water as like a symbol of chaos and then so we see that in creation where it says the spirit of God was hovering over the waters like there was chaos and God always brings order in life through that chaos and we see that in Moses when he was put in the river.

[00:32:17] Yeah, we see that like you're in Noah.

[00:32:19] We see that we see that often throughout scripture.

[00:32:22] There's more examples but so we that that kind of would have they would have noticed that right they would have caught onto that language of understanding what water symbolized but also one of the things I read talking about where you just said that was as baptism now saves you not as removal from dirt from the body.

[00:32:41] That was kind of correcting some maybe theology is not the right word but some misbelief about devaluing baptism almost like to them they're like, well really it's just like literally watching you physically and they didn't fully grasp the fact like no this is what God is using.

[00:33:02] This is an important symbol.

[00:33:03] Yes, yes of what's your outwardly showing what God has done inwardly and so kind of correcting some of that misbelief may be misbelief isn't the right word but misvaluing of of of baptism.

[00:33:17] Yeah, yeah, that makes sense.

[00:33:18] I just really like verse 18.

[00:33:21] I don't think I've slowed down and read it but I think it's such a really clear gospel presentation.

[00:33:28] I'm just gonna read that verse again and just like let it sit for a minute but it says for Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but being made alive in the spirit.

[00:33:45] I mean, there's Trinity language there which you know I'm always going to point out but also like that's the truth for us.

[00:33:52] That's what everything hinges on that his suffering once for sins is what brings us to God and that his death to the flesh and his coming alive in the spirit is what's true for us.

[00:34:05] Yeah, right.

[00:34:06] We lay down our lives and we get to be in dwelt with the spirit because of his suffering the righteous for the unrighteous.

[00:34:13] Yeah, his death was sufficient which was a new idea for them because they had they had been under a sacrificial system.

[00:34:22] Right brought up believing that every time they send they had to make a sacrifice.

[00:34:26] So this idea that his once sacrifice was enough for not only them but for future generations.

[00:34:33] That's just that's huge.

[00:34:35] Yeah.

[00:34:37] Okay, moving on to four one chapter four verse one through six.

[00:34:44] Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh arm yourselves with the same way of thinking for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

[00:34:51] So as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God for the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do living in sensuality passions drunkenness orgies drinking parties and lawless idolatry.

[00:35:05] With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery and they malign you but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead for this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead.

[00:35:19] That through that though judged in the flesh the way people are they might live in the spirit the way God does.

[00:35:27] I was reading you know I've said on here before I've been going through first Peter with my kids and I was like how is this going to translate in their Bibles.

[00:35:34] I'm like I don't want to have to explain what an orgy means but it just said like parties and very evil bad parties or something like that.

[00:35:42] Very evil bad parties dodged a bullet there.

[00:35:48] But in the commentary I read that this as we open up chapter four.

[00:35:53] Peter again is returning us to Christ suffering but this time like with a different angle.

[00:35:58] So often what we'll see in scripture or in any writing really is kind of bringing us back to a different theme bringing us back to a different point but kind of viewing it from different angles for different purposes is saying that now.

[00:36:11] So in the end of chapter three he was encouraging us with Christ's vindication through suffering and now he's writing about Christ's suffering to call us to embrace it.

[00:36:25] And I liked those two words together like he was encouraging us and now he's calling us to embrace it.

[00:36:31] So that's kind of just a little helpful lens on where he's going with this.

[00:36:36] But again some kind of tricky things.

[00:36:38] Yeah.

[00:36:39] Want to help us break that down maybe.

[00:36:41] So we see at the very beginning this is similar to how Paul tells us to put on the armor of God and Peter's telling us again to go into battle.

[00:36:49] And the way to do that is by first thinking like Jesus.

[00:36:54] And it's funny because I was reading in the scroll commentary and he basically said Jen Wilkin has said before that she gets her quote.

[00:37:05] The heart cannot know what the heart cannot love with the mind does not know she is said before she gets it from scroll and I can't remember where it was I underlined it but he basically said the same thing just is just how important our thinking is.

[00:37:19] And how we are to have a mind like Jesus.

[00:37:24] So again, like it's kind of that put off put on thing so the other things he was telling us to put on.

[00:37:34] And then now he's telling us all of these things kind of to put off.

[00:37:39] And once again when we're regenerated we desire to not sin just like we desire to live in that holy way we desire to also not sin.

[00:37:48] We no longer want to live in the ways of the world.

[00:37:51] And so if you're saved at a young age like I was you probably didn't turn from like drunkenness and I always thought I didn't have a great testimony because I couldn't say like I stopped doing drugs or I you know some huge thing.

[00:38:08] But the truth is we're still having to reject those things each and every day like yeah maybe when you were little you didn't have to turn from that.

[00:38:17] But now we're still having to choose to not live in the way of the world and we're still having to reject those things.

[00:38:25] And so yeah this is just what that what it's saying is the world's going to want you to live this certain way but don't like this is what holy living looks like this is what.

[00:38:36] Living for Christ looks like and you need to reject these things it's not going to be easy because people aren't going to understand they'll malign you.

[00:38:46] But they'll have to give account for it someday and then and so will you like they will be judged and you'll be judged by either not so good works or your good works.

[00:38:57] Yeah that makes sense.

[00:38:58] Yeah yeah yeah yeah.

[00:39:00] Okay versus seven through 11.

[00:39:04] The end of all things is at hand therefore be self controlled and sober minded for the sake of your prayers.

[00:39:09] Above all keep loving one another earnestly since love covers a multitude of sins show hospitality to one another without grumbling as each of you has received a gift use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's

[00:39:23] grace.

[00:39:24] Whoever speaks as one who speaks oracles of God's whoever serves as one who serves by the strength that God supplies in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to him belong glory and dominion forever and ever amen.

[00:39:39] So verse seven is another one that is debated and there are several interpretations I feel like there's a lot in this in this section section.

[00:39:49] Actually all of first Peter really let's all like debated but some of the different things people say it might mean is the destruction of the temple which comes after this is written in 8070 which would have been huge like it would have basically been like the end of all things for them.

[00:40:10] It would have seemed like it the final consummation when Jesus returns maybe he was talking about that or maybe just the fact that death is imminent and certain for all of us like we don't know when we're going to die but we do know that our flesh will die.

[00:40:24] But the point here is to make the most of our days and to live for the Lord just that our days are numbered and we are not the one that numbers them God is the one that numbers them and just to keep that in perspective.

[00:40:36] I like that he says self controlled and sober minded because it kind of comes back to that tension of like your head heart and hands like you okay maybe your head is thinking okay you know keeping eternity in mind but your heart and your hands are not living that way or vice versa.

[00:40:52] Maybe you're kind of acting out knowing that the end is at hand but your mind is constantly dwelling on things of this earth always calling us to both like both of my heart and your hands all need to remember that you know eternity is at hand and like let's live for that.

[00:41:09] Yeah, yeah that's really good and I think your point earlier about like putting away those distractions.

[00:41:13] I think that's one of the best ways we can be sober minded because there's so much coming at us right now so much information and so focusing on God's word focusing on the truth focusing on our family right around this.

[00:41:26] I think that's one of the ways that that we can be sober minded.

[00:41:29] Yeah, where it says love covers a multitude of sins.

[00:41:35] That kind of took me back to where first Corinthians says it keeps no records of wrongs.

[00:41:42] That's what that means it means love doesn't harp on every little thing it doesn't mean that our love of people is what like covers their sins in terms of salvation, but it means that we're not keeping records of wrong and we should be the ones as brothers and sisters in Christ to say point them to the truth yes,

[00:42:01] but not to call out their every sin not to put their sin on display.

[00:42:05] Our love should cover that.

[00:42:08] Yeah, I asked Harper after we read this I said what's kind of like your big takeaway from this and she said she was thinking about verse nine where it says show hospitality to one another without Gremlin.

[00:42:18] She's like, I think what I think of is like when someone comes into our new house and their shoes are dirty.

[00:42:24] We like we shouldn't get upset at them for bringing dirt in our house but we should just welcome them into our home and I was like, that's like a really good practical takeaway of how to apply that passage is like show hospitality without Gremlin.

[00:42:37] That was good.

[00:42:38] Yeah.

[00:42:39] And then the end of this.

[00:42:42] I loved in once again in the commentary this commentary is really good.

[00:42:46] Like, Spurl talked about what does it mean to him be the glory and dominion forever and ever like what does the fact that God is glorious. What does that mean?

[00:42:56] And he really focused on just attributes of God, like his eternality, the fact that he is self existent. These are some big words and big concepts that you can look at but the fact that he's omnipresent omniscient omnipotent.

[00:43:14] And these big things, all of these things are what encompass the glory of God. And so I love how this section right here it ends with just reminding us of who God is and how and reminding us that the reason we are living all of these things that Peter is telling us to live is in light of the glory of God.

[00:43:40] There are so many good things that we could talk about from here that are so practical like where it says in serve by the strength that God supplies. So we're not serving out of our own strength.

[00:43:52] We're not serving because we're really good at serving this way and I'm just going to try a little harder and be better like we're serving by God's strength in the gifts and the grace that he has provided for us.

[00:44:03] So I mean we could think about how that practically applies to our life. But I also really like how it talks about if you've been given this gift, serve with that gift in this way for God's glory.

[00:44:13] So if you've been given the gift of a beautiful voice and you can bring, you know, serve your church in the worship like I'm not going to do that. That's not the gift God has given me.

[00:44:24] So it's like a good call to reminder, which we used to say all the time we haven't said it all in this series is like stay in your lane.

[00:44:30] Like God has supplied you with a specific gift. And so if you're going to spend time being jealous of someone else's gift or trying to live out someone else's gift, like the most you can glorify God is by using the gifts he's given you by his strength for his glory.

[00:44:45] And praise him for those things. They are good gifts. They're good gifts.

[00:44:50] Yes. All right, next week we'll be back.

[00:44:53] Yes, we'll be back with I believe the rest of the world.