Thinking with grace rather than justice, part 15; John 15:18.

Title: Thinking with grace rather than justice, part 15; John 15:18.

 

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised [literally: stop being shocked - meaning that Peter’s audience keeps on being shocked] at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing [peirasmos], as though some strange thing were happening to you;

 

1 Peter 4:13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing [in contrast to being shocked]; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation [excitement at the JSOC and not embarrassment as well as excitement in time in anticipation of that event].

 

Verse 14 shows the source of this power that enables the believer to rejoice, or to maintain God’s joy and happiness in the midst of sufferings.

 

1 Peter 4:14 If you are reviled [censored, insulted, shamed or disgraced] for the name of Christ, you are blessed [happiness to you], because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

 

“If you are reviled” is a first class condition, meaning that you will be.

 

1 Pe 4:14 If you are censored, reviled, insulted, shamed, or disgraced for the person of Christ, happiness to you, for the glory of the God even the Spirit refreshes you from above. (corrected translation)

 

1 Peter 4:15 By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer [ignoring the life of others], or thief [ignoring the property of others], or evildoer [ignoring the rights of others], or a troublesome meddler [ignoring the privacy of others];

 

God is always delivering us in His gracious way. The negative believer is blind to it and so he misses it and is not delivered. The negative believer chooses world viewpoint over divine viewpoint and as a result chooses misery in tribulation over refreshment.

 

Don’t look at adversity, sufferings, or tribulations as unfortunate obstacles to move out of way as quickly as possible. See them as privileged and fortunate training grounds for you and your doctrine so you can see the glaring light of God’s love and power.

 

There is nothing like it. There is nothing like being in adversity, undeserved suffering, and tribulation being truly tranquil, happy, and full of life. God’s power in grace is far greater than anything that presents itself against it.

 

The CWL is far, far more than morality or being good, or fulfilling some heavy handed list of rules or justice systems. That was the old life. That was the Mosaic Law, legalism, religion.

 

When you believed in Christ as your Savior you were born again and that is a new life. It is in statements like this that we see how unique the life of Christ is and how different it is from the world system and how much more powerful it is, fulfilling it is, supernatural it is, happy it is, prosperous it is, than anything that has ever been and as nothing that is in the world system of rules, merits, and false utopias.

 

2 Cor 5:17

Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

 

It’s one thing to take home with you a head full of doctrine and it’s quite another thing to take that doctrine home and conquer your life with it.  

 

By grace this is your life to take if you choose to.

 

Grace was never anything that I expected when I was first introduced to it and its possibilities.

 

One would automatically think that grace would cause believers to run amok in the devil’s world and to be disobedient, undisciplined, and unmotivated in regard to God’s plan when in fact:

 

Grace is the only policy that promotes true obedience, strong discipline, and proper motivation to execute God’s plan for your life.

 

Heavy handed justice systems only produce outward obedience and only when being watched.

 

1 Peter 4:16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian [rare use of this word this early in the Church-age], let him not feel ashamed [emotional shame, guilt, disgrace, feeling of penance, same word in ROM 5:5, “hope does not make ashamed or disappoint], but in that name let him glorify God.

 

1 Peter 4:17 For it is time [Peter’s time] for judgment [suffering and persecution] to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first [Jewish converts], what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God [God’s judgment of the unbeliever]?

 

Even though we suffer as believers, would you rather be an unbeliever and face the wrath of God? (which no believer will ever face)

 

The point being made is that after acknowledging Christian suffering the word of God anticipates the question as to why should anyone want to press on with the CWL? Think of the alternative.

 

At the moment of faith in Jesus Christ for salvation the believer is given eternal life. There is no greater achievement in life than this.

 

With this accomplished, Christ is the accomplisher and the achiever, then sober thinking leads us to see that nothing else I get in life afterward (wealth, marriage, family, success, approbation) can come close to it. Nothing wrong with these things, they are wonderful in their place, yet God has given us infinitely more in a moment of faith - eternal; the other things are not. God is asking:

 

 “You’ve trusted Me for eternal life, now how about trusting Me with your earthly life?”

 

1 Peter 4:18 And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?

 

Since it is not difficult for a person to get saved, this either refers the difficulty that Christ faced or to the difficulty of suffering and persecution after salvation in which we would have to indicate saved as delivered.

 

sw,zw[sozo] = to save, to deliver, to make whole, to heal. It can refer to deliverance from the second death (saved) or from suffering in time.

 

So again, Peter’s argument here is that your surprising, unexpected suffering is difficult because you are righteous as a believer and you have been called for this purpose, would you rather be an unbeliever? What will become of the unbeliever? Eternal judgment!

 

1 Peter 4:19 Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.

 

The point I wanted to bring out is that in our inevitable adversities and persecutions we can entrust our souls to a faithful God and so do His will with the calm assurance that we will prosper in our souls and in our lives.

 

The Tribulation is most assuredly the greatest time of persecution and yet God has a similar promise for His people.

 

ISA 26:8 Indeed, while following the way of Thy judgments, O Lord, We have waited for Thee eagerly;

Thy name, even Thy memory, is the desire of our souls.

 

ISA 26:9 At night my soul longs for Thee,

Indeed, my spirit within me seeks Thee diligently;

For when the earth experiences Thy judgments

The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

 

ISA 26:10 Though the wicked is shown favor,

He does not learn righteousness;

He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness,

And does not perceive the majesty of the Lord.

 

ISA 26:20 Come, my people, enter into your rooms,

And close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while,

Until indignation runs its course.

 

ISA 26:21 For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His place

To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;

And the earth will reveal her bloodshed,

And will no longer cover her slain.

 

Forgiveness:

 

Like a legal pardon, forgiveness is a personal pardon in which an individual is never penalized for their sin by the thoughts, words, or actions of the victim or anyone associated with the victim or a witness of the infraction.