Exposition of 1 Peter 4:1-6

This is todays's teaching at Trinity.

Expositon of 1 Peter 4:1-6

Verse 1-2
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, 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.
Therefore: Look again what have been told previously
Since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind : Jesus is an example of a true suffering (for doing good) and He was determined that He wouldn't step back from the decision that He made, and thus the bible tells us to arm ourselves with the same mind. Part of Christians' calling is to suffer. (We – servants can't be more than our Master). If our Lord suffered, we should suffer also. MATTHEW 16:24 says that we are to take up our cross, which means once we make a decision for Christ there's no looking back! (Sadrach, Mesach, Abednego) No matter what comes our way, we say I will keep moving forward. There are battles in our lives that force us to stop moving forward but just as Jesus was determined we also must be determined to fight and walk in His victory – our war is now against the wickedness that wrap themselves in pleasures and desires.
He who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin : When we suffered in the flesh we have no interest to sin anymore.

Verse 3-6
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. 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. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 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.
We have spent enough time with sin : One trick of the devil to get us trapped in the pleasure of sin is by saying in our mind "This will be the last time I do it, after this I quit", because the devil knows "that one last time" that you mean is just another rope you give him to bind you even tighter. But the bible says you have spent enough time. This tells us and reminds us that sin has power to bind us when we keep giving it a rope. One sin is enough to bring us to hell. Stop giving the devil the rope to bind you!
Lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, abominable idolatries (It all deals with pleasure)
They think its strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation : Everyone likes pleasure, but when those pleasures bring us to wickedness and away from God, STOP IT!!! There's many people who can't stand the battle against pleasure of sin, they finally decide to quit the battle. (Personal testimony) But when they see the life of the believers who can enjoy live even without participating in sin, they will be amazed and will have this question in their head "how can this man says no to pleasure?" That is when our lives start becoming a living bible.
Speaking evil of us : When they look at our lives they most likely to say "stupid Christians" because for some of them, we are nothing but religious freaks. But did you know that when they say that , deep in their hearts they want to be free. (Liz and Even's story), that is why we need to shine the light of God in wherever we go and stop becoming secret agents. (Just a matter of time and one day they'll receive the truth)
The gospel is preached to the dead : Those who had been faithful to God in their lives.

i. Peter has already told us that Jesus preached to the spirits in prison, preaching a message of judgment (1 Peter 3:19). Apparently during this same time, Jesus also preached a message of salvation to the faithful dead in Abraham's Bosom (Luke 16:22) who anticipated the work of the Messiah for them.
ii. This preaching to those who are dead was not the offer of a second chance, but the completion of the salvation of those who had been faithful to God under their first chance.
iii. In doing this, Jesus fulfilled the promised that He would lead captivity captive (Psalm 66:18; Ephesians 4:8) and would proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound (Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18).

God bless you all
-Jack-
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KNOW WHAT YOU ARE REDEEMED FOR

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" (1 Peter 3:18).

Today at Trinity I did exposition of 1 Peter 3:16-22 where we talked about suffering from doing good.
I didn't really prepare the message as I was preoccupied (don't imitate that), but as I read through the word of God and looked at the bible commentary I found something that God wanted His people to know. For me personally, the word of God came to me as a reminder.

We learned today about our relationship with God and about our fellowship with Him.
Not many people really understand that God desires a relationship with us.
In the bible God is pictured as a Father and as a Bridegroom. He desires a relationship with us. When Jesus came to this earth, He introduced a new perception of our relationship with God. In Mathew 6, Jesus teaches us to call God as Father. He even used the prodigal son parable to show us the love of the Father.
It is more than enough to assure us again that God desires a relationship.

He created us that He may show His perfect love. He wants to live with us but since Adam and Eve fell into sin we lost that opportunity, because He is holy and cannot compromise with sin. We lost our relationship with Him since then.

Men used to walk with God in the garden of Eden and enjoyed a wonderful fellowship with Him, but its all gone when men fell into sin. Men were separated with God.
But amazingly, God, because of His great love, He had already planned the day when He would send Jesus to redeem us, to sanctify us and to bring us back to Him.

God wants us to be with Him forever. And what a great price He had to pay just to get us back to Him. He sacrificed His only begotten Son just for us.
Because the cost of sin is death, men should die for their sins but the bible says in John 3:16 Because of His great love He sent Jesus so that we won't perish but has eternal life. Jesus took our place that we might be made righteous before God and live with Him forever.

God required the shedding of blood for the remission of sin and because none of the people on earth whose blood is able to cover sins, it takes the blood of Someone who is without sin to be shed for the world and that blood cannot be found in any other men but God Himself through Jesus Christ.

We are made new in Christ, He redeem us and He sanctify us so that we may obtain what we have lost, which was our relationship with God.
He opens the way for us through His life and His righteousness that we may get a direct access to God's presence.

Now, since Jesus suffered to bring us back to our fellowship with God, how wrong it is to not to come to the Father for a fellowship and for relationship.

I personally admit that I've been slacking a lot with my devotional time with Him lately and always get myself busy with things that are not necessary, even things that are not pleasing to Him. I've been disobedient and I learn today that it grieves the Lord.
I decided to start a new beginning with my Dad in heaven and I beg your prayers for that.

I also encourage you to give a special time for Him. Because when we don't fellowship with God, we under estimate Jesus' suffering.

My friend, know that this is what we are redeemed for ; "To have a relationship with God"

I hope you are blessed by this note.

Your brother in Christ,
-Jack Loloin-
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One Day in His Return

Hi everyone, thanks for always reading all my posts. Thanks to everyone who always looks forward to read my notes through the group The HOPE (The House Of Prayer), Jesus/Testimonies, FAITHbook and my blog www.jack-online.co.nr . I hope you are blessed with all the articles I've posted so far.

Well, let's jump right in to today's revelation.

I've always asked God to help me making people understand His deity, and to share the gospel in a way that even those who are not believers can accept as truth. I met many people who try hard just to find a way to share Jesus with others, even when it seems impossible.
It has been my prayer that I can reach out to those who are unbelievers and share the gospel in a simpler way that they can understand, but I end up finding that even Christians don't know what and who they believe in and when the unbelievers ask them they just change the topic and embarrassed because they cannot give a good answer and so I always ask God to help me to know Him more and to make Him known.

Sometimes people ask me about so many things dealing with my faith, they ask about The Godhead, about resurection, Holy Spirit, rapture and of course about Jesus. "How can He becomes God and man?, How can He redeem all the sins of the mankind? How can He died and rose again and will come back again in the end times?" All these things are beyond human knowledge and so these will be the things that make people cannot receive Jesus, especially the non-christian.

I live in one of the largest moeslim countries in the world and you know, those who don't believe will question your faith everyday, so I always ask God how can I tell them about Jesus and how can I make them understand? But one day in my devotion, Jesus revealed the truth which for me is a great promise. Here we go :

"WE CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND GOD UNLESS HE REVEALS HIMSLEF TO US".

One greatest revelation of God is His word. That's why the only possible way to understand Him is by reading and studying it.
Not even pastors can understand God, nor apostles nor prophets.

"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it."
(Psalm 139:6).

In the book of Colossians, the apostle Paul said that there is a mystery that not everyone can understand, the mystery of Jesus.
Someone told me one day; in sharing your faith with others, your job is simply to share, the Holy Spirit will make them understand. You're not responsible for their response. They will believe it or not, its not your business. God will take care of everything. Sometimes we will be mocked for our faith, even killed, sometimes people call us freak, they might despise our faith in Jesus but its ok, because at the end in His return, we will appear with Him in glory. Check it out,

"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:4).

What a promise! :) Can you see the promise inside that verse? What does it mean "shall ye also appear with him in glory"? Christ will bring you and I (His witness on earth) and have us standing side by side with Him when He comes back and guess what, everyone will see that we are not liars, we are not mis-leaders. I believe Jesus will declare that day "These are My servants whom you despised, the ones you called liars, the ones you called mis-leaders, the ones you called freak, the ones you killed. I set them forth before you as a prove that their faith is real. Here I am, Jesus, the One they spoke about, the Savior they preached about. Now you see that their faith is evident and is as real as I am real"

And then, the scripture will be fulfilled ;

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11).

How I'm looking forward to that day.. God is fair, isn't He? :)
Today we become His witnesses, but there'll come a day when He returns, He will become our witness to the whole world that what we believe is true.

One day in His return, we all will share in His glory forever.

So I encourage you, not to grow weary in sharing the gospel. Know the truth that Jesus is right there by your side.
And when you think you can't understand Him, HAVE FAITH IN HIM!

In sharing Jesus with others, use your faith, not your brain!

May God bless you all.

-Jack Loloin-
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