1 Peter 4:15-19

But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

In 1 Peter 4:19, Peter tells us that we should “commit the keeping” of our souls to God. This phrase here literally has the idea of “depositing for safekeeping.” It is a phrase that would bring up the image of a bank vault. Imagine every month that I get paid $2,000 in cold, hard cash. I then take that $2,000 and drive it to the bank to deposit it in my account. The only difference between my bank and your bank is this: my bank is the vault at Ft. Knox. After I stop at the guard shack and am escorted with armed soldiers to the inner chambers of the vault, I am able to place all $2,000 in the vault for safekeeping. As I leave, I can hear the pistons hissing as giant bolting doors seal airtight behind me, securing my money. As I exit out the back of the building, I notice snipers on perches all around the complex. A warning placard indicating explosives buried in the ground surrounding the building greets me as I turn to walk up the road past the three tanks and a dozen or so .50 caliber rifles sweeping back and forth across the compound. I feel pretty good about my bank. I don’t have that “somebody’s gonna steal my money” feeling. I have “deposited for safekeeping.” I can go home and sleep that night, not wondering whether or not my money will be stolen tonight. It is in Ft. Knox, that makes it safe. Peter uses this same idea of safekeeping when speaking of committing our souls to God. He is in control and He will take care of us. Whether we are facing problems on the outside, or fears on the inside, we can rest secured in Him. He is stronger than any foe, internal or external. He will not allow us to be destroyed. He will not allow us to be overcome. We must trust in Him. We can trust in Him, because He is a good God. So, commit the keeping of your soul to God, He will be faithful to care for you.

Food For Thought: What does the phrase “commit the keeping” mean? How can we do this everyday with our souls?

1 Peter 4:12-14

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

Constantly we are reminded by sermons, by hymns, and certainly by the Scriptures that we should be giving God glory, but at times the “how” of giving glory to God seems a bit hazy at best. In our striving to “do” the specific thing of “giving glory to God,” we skip over the much more God-designed way of giving glory to Him. We are beings who instinctively worship and fawn over things. We allow our perceptions to determine our attitudes. It is this very nature that God has designed to be the avenue for His glory. It is not on a checklist of things like “get the oil changed, clean the house, glorify God.” Rather, we are to glorify God while doing all other things. Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:31 that it should even be something that happens while we are eating and drinking. It is an outlook that results in outbursts. It is a mindset that results in attitude. It is a view of God as utterly in charge of all things, and hence praiseworthy of His wisdom even when it is far beyond our understanding. That in joy and in sorrow, God is our satisfaction, not circumstances. Pastor John Piper says it this way, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” It is the idea that in the most blessed experience we can see God as the giver of good gifts. Conversely, it means that God is glorified in our deepest darkest valleys when we see Him as a God Who is in control and Who longs to comfort us as His aching child. That even when we get punched in the deepest part of our soul, we can turn with eyes of faith to a Sovereign God who knows all and holds all. And that in that moment, we can say through the deepest possible pain with tears in our eyes, “God knows me, God loves me, and God will not forsake me.” It is then, that He is truly glorified in us.

Food For Thought: We saw today that glorifying God isn’t typically an action in and of itself. Give the circumstance from 1 Peter 4:12-14, that Peter mentioned that God can be glorified through.

1 Peter 4:8-11

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth:  that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

As I read Scripture, Peter comes across as an “all-in” kinda guy. We see this when Jesus mentions that His disciples will fall away, and Peter emphatically says,  “Forget about all the other guys, I would die for you, Jesus.” In the garden, when the temple guards come to take Jesus into custody, Peter is the one who pulls a sword to protect Jesus. When Jesus comes walking on the water, it is Peter who literally goes overboard to walk on the water with Jesus. Based upon his enthusiasm in Scripture, I think if Peter were a modern day sports fan, he would be the shirtless guy with his chest, face and hair painted the colors of his team. He would have the foam finger, megaphone, and air-horn. He would be “that guy.” So, in verse 8, Peter tells his readers that “above all things,” they should have “fervent charity.” My mind goes straight to tackle football. Peter is admonishing his disciples to literally have “full-contact charity.” We don’t need any “two-hand-touch” charity. We need “body-parallel-to-the-ground”-tackle charity. He is telling us that we should be crazy about the way we love those around us for Christ. It isn’t good enough that we have kind thoughts. I think that Peter is telling us that as Christians we should be the most-intensely loving people that exist. Our very actions should be dripping with care and concern for the souls around us. Every opportunity we have to point people towards their greater satisfaction in Jesus should be leapt at. With the intensity of a cheek-painted, fourth quarter, linebacker we should be actively, constantly sweating and striving to love others, and to love them towards Jesus.

 Food For Thought: What phrase of intensity did Peter use today? In what ways can you do this in the following areas: home, school, work, sports, in the hood?

Weekend Nugget

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:12 about the type of people who think that the best measuring stick for themselves is other people. Paul goes on to say that when they use each other as a measure of spirituality or of gospel maturity, they “are not wise.” You see, when we compare ourselves to others to find our level of spirituality, we almost always do so in a biased way. The one who is mildly spiritual will compare himself to the one who is barely spiritual, and the one who is barely spiritual will compare himself to the one who is carnal and worldly. The one who is worldly and carnal goes one step further and plays the “at least I’m not as bad as Hitler” card. This “I’m better than you” game is exhausting and completely foolish. When God looks down from heaven, he doesn’t give a letter grade. He’s a pass/fail kind of God. He has a standard of perfection, and He holds all of us up to that standard. He doesn’t put us in order from tallest to shortest and pick the top five tallest. No, He looks and sees us next to the pass/fail scale. The sad thing is, all of us fail. According to Romans 3:23, we all have fallen short of God’s standard. But that is not the end. Just because we failed the semester grade, doesn’t mean that we failed the eternal grade. The point of the gospel is that we fail, but that Jesus doesn’t. And that if we rely on His work, and not our own, we don’t have to worry about our failing grade, because God will pass us based on Jesus, not based on ourselves. A crucial part of the gospel is that we compare ourselves to God’s standard, not to other people who have already failed. A key to being able to trust Christ and the work He has done for us. We have committed the most epic fail, but Jesus has saved us from that failure and given us a new hope and eternal life.

Food For Thought: Why is it unwise to compare ourselves among ourselves?

1 Peter 4:4-7

Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the entire country. As the “supreme” court, it has the privilege of being over all federal courts in the country. If a lower court passes a ruling that the Supreme Court disagrees with, the Supreme Court has the power to overturn that ruling and establish a new ruling. The nine justices on the Supreme Court have the ultimate say-so in all federal rulings. That is a lot of power to be had.

In contrast, Psalm 62:11 says, that “power belongeth to God.” As much review over legislation that the Supreme Court wants to do, they will never be able to match the eternal check and balance that the Sovereign of all things has over every thing He has created. The Supreme Court as powerful as it is in this country is child’s play when placed on a scale with the power of God. When we read 1 Peter 4:4-7, there is a reminding that judgment gets passed here on earth. Here Peter is talking explicitly about persecution and false conviction in courts based upon a person’s faith, but the scope of this principle is farther reaching than just persecution. When we are judged by anyone wrongly, God promises that the day will come when He will exercise “Supreme” review of all previous cases. If you are wrongly accused, or if you are scorned, if you are attacked, or if you are mocked, you can rest in the fact that the judgment passed here by this “lower court” will one day give way to the ruling of a Higher Court. God is the one who judges all things, and He will vindicate the righteous and the ones who have been unjustly treated. Now rest in Him. He sees all and knows all. An omniscient judge is the best judge because He is never lacking in evidence. He sees and knows all the facts and He will vindicate the ones who have been unjustly treated. He is a good Judge.

Food For Thought: What is the highest court of the United States called? Who sits as Judge for the highest court of the Universe? Whose ruling bears the most weight?

1 Peter 4:1-3

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

Too often the Hebrews 11:25 verse referencing “the pleasures of sin for a season,” is used to excuse why sin seems like so much fun. Someone will say, “Well you see, it is really fun…for a season.” As if the idea that since the fun is only temporary somehow that makes it less fun. Cupcakes bring me happiness for the eleven seconds it takes me to one. I still eat cupcakes. I like cupcakes alot. The duration of the fun is not the point. The type of fun is the issue. According to verse 3 today, living a life of sin and impurity is living after the “will of the Gentiles.” This should stand in stark contrast with the “will of God,” which is to do right, and live holy and pure. You don’t have to be duped into thinking of sin as the thing that you don’t want to do, only because the pleasure doesn’t last forever. No, the reason you don’t do sin is because it stands as a direct affront to the perfect design of God the Creator, who made all things a specific way, including you, and knows exactly how they should work. Furthermore, the reason you shouldn’t sin according to verse 1 is that Jesus died so that you wouldn’t have to sin anymore. Before His death and your salvation, you were a slave to sin. You didn’t sin because you liked it, you sinned because you had to. You couldn’t help it. Now Jesus has died and in His death bought you forgiveness. He has risen from the dead, in His resurrection we can now have victory over sin. The reasons for not sinning are legit, not based in the fact that sin “is only fun….for a season.” No, the reasons for not sinning are this: sin is wrong; sin is against God; sin no longer can control you if you are in Christ. Now, go eat a cupcake and stop sinning.

Food For Thought: According to today’s devo, what isn’t the reason we don’t sin? Give three real reasons why we shouldn’t sin.

1 Peter 3:18-22

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: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

We sin. We have sinned. We are sinners. We were born in sin. By nature and by action, we are sinners. This presents us with a massive problem: our sin separates us from a Pure and Holy God. He hates sin. The very word that describes who we are is the very word that describes everything that He hates. Because of sin, we cannot come to God. It is impossible. No amount of work can be accomplished with our sinful hands, no series of words can be uttered from the impure fountain of our mouths, no amount of feeling can be poured out from the sepulcher of our hearts, that can ever reconcile this shortcoming. We are fully incapable of fixing this in problem, and because of that, we must be separate from God and from the blessings and joy that are found in Him. But “Christ suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” He was perfect and sinless. He was pure and holy, and he took our place. He took our punishment, so that we could take His place of fellowship. He became sin so that we could become His righteousness. Now, we don’t have to be a slave to sin anymore, but we can now find victory through Christ. Now, we don’t have to succumb to the filthy ways of a corrupt heart, but out of a new heart and a love for our God, we can live in a way that brings purpose and meaning. Whereas before we lived at enmity with a Holy God, now we live at peace with Him as His children. We always lived in a way that He disapproved, but now, in faith, we please Him daily. What a change! The gospel of Jesus has drastically changed our situation. He fixed what we never could. Through His selfless love, we now have hope.

Food For Thought: According to this text, why did Jesus suffer for our sins? What does that mean?