WE SHOULD USE OUR GOD GIVEN GIFTS TO HELP OTHERS

PROCLAMATION

“The end of all things is near.  Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace …”  1 Peter 4:7-10 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Peter, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers who scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (1 Peter 1:1-2)  Peter began this fourth chapter by telling them that they should live for God.  They should have the same attitude that Christ had.  They should not be surprised when men verbally abuse them for walking away from the pagan lifestyle which they used to live and to now live a life following Christ. (1 Peter 4:1-5)  Then he tells them that the end of time is near and that they should be as Christ-like as possible.  They should use their God given gifts to the best of their abilities to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace. (1 Peter 4:7-11)  He ends this chapter by telling them that God’s judgment will begin with His people, and he quotes Proverbs 11:30-31 to them. (1 Peter 4:17-19)

 

APPLICATION

The Judgment Day is coming, and the end of this world is near.  Believers will be judged, not regarding their salvation, but to determine the rewards which they will receive in heaven. (Matthew 10:42, Colossians 3:24, Hebrews  11:6, Revelation 11:18, and Revelation 22:12)  Non-believers will be judged to show that they had the opportunity to accept Christ, but they chose to deny Him. (Matthew 10:33, 1 Peter 4:6 and Revelation 20:12-13)  Believers need to be careful and prayerful, loving and forgiving.  We need to use the talents, gifts, and abilities which we have been blessed with to help others, (Proverbs 11:25) and to show the world that we are faithful stewards of the grace of God. (Matthew 5:16) 

 

REPAY EVIL WITH A BLESSING

PROCLAMATION

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.  Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult.  On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”  2 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Peter, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers who scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (1 Peter 1:1-2)  Peter began this third chapter with instructions on how husbands and wives should treat one another. (1 Peter 3:1-7)  Then he tells them not to repay evil with evil, but to repay evil with a blessing because that is how they will inherit a blessing for themselves.  He goes on to quote King David from Psalm 34 (Psalm 34:12-16) telling them to avoid evil speech, to do that which is good, and to seek peace because the eyes of The Lord God are upon them. (1 Peter 3:10-12)  He ends the chapter by telling them to do what is good and to revere the name of The Lord.  For if they suffer for doing that which is right and good, they will be blessed. (1 Peter 3:13-17)  He reminds them that Christ suffered. (1 Peter 3:18-22)

 

APPLICATION

Once again, we are told in The Word of God that as believers, we are not to repay evil for evil. (Romans 12:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, and 1 Peter 3:9)  The Lord God has said that vengeance belongs to Him and He will repay those who do us wrong. (Romans 12:19)  We are to repay evil that is done to us with a blessing. (1 Peter 3:9)  We are to always exercise good Christian conversation and behavior, regardless of that which is shown to us.  If we really want to live life to the fullest and enjoy it, then we need to live in such a way as to do no harm to others but to do them good. (1 Peter 3:10-11)  Know that the eyes of The Lord God are always watching us. (Psalm 34:15 and 1 Peter 3:12)  It is to Him that we must give an account for our thoughts, words, and deeds. (Proverbs 23:7, Matthew 5:28, Matthew 12:36, and Revelation 20:12)

 

WE ARE A CHOSEN PEOPLE

PROCLAMATION

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”  1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Peter, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers who scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (1 Peter 1:1-2)  Peter began this second chapter by telling them to rid themselves of all malice and evil traits and to crave The Word of God like newborn babies crave milk. (1 Peter 2:1-3)  Then he told them that they were a special people, like living stones built into a spiritual house similar to Christ who is the spiritual cornerstone. (1 Peter 2:4-7)  He told them that they were also special because they were chosen by God to be His special possession.  They were part of a royal priesthood, a holy nation, called by God.  Then he urged them to abstain from sinful desires and to live good lives among the pagans of the world. (1 Peter 2:11-12)  He told them to obey the law of the land, as long as it did not conflict with the law of God. (1 Peter 2:13-17)  He ended by reminding them of the things that Christ went through and suffered before he bore all of their sins on the cross. (1 Peter 2:21-25)

 

APPLICATION

It is sometimes hard to see ourselves as a special people when we are suffering and going through the midst of a storm, but we are the elect people of God, chosen from before the beginning of time.  We have a special calling on our lives, we are His people.  Here we are reminded to crave The Word of God and to abstain from sinful worldly desires.  We are to live Christ-like lives as we walk among the lost in this sin-sick world.  We are the light of the world, (Matthew 5:14) a beacon light to lead to lost to Christ.  All of us may not be called to be preachers, but we all can live in such a way that others can see Christ within us.  We are a purchased people; Christ paid it all for us.  We ought to be grateful to Him and it ought to show in our behavior.

 

OUR GOD IS HOLY AND IS WITHIN US THEREFORE WE SHOULD BE HOLY

PROCLAMATION

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ ”  1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Peter, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers who scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (1 Peter 1:1-2)  After introducing himself and greeting them, Peter offered praise to God for giving them a new living hope through the resurrection of Jesus, The Christ. (1 Peter 1:3-5)  He told them that they may suffer for a little while, but their joy was coming. (1 Peter 1:6-7)  Then he told them to be holy and keep their minds on things which are good.  He also told them to keep their hope in Christ Jesus. (1 Peter 1:13-14)  He told them, as it is written in The Old Testament, that God is holy so they should be holy. (Leviticus 11:44 and 1 Peter 1:16)  He told them to live out their time on the earth as foreigners in reverent fear of God because they were not of this world and their Father was in heaven. (1 Peter 1:17)  Then Peter reminded them of all that Christ had done for them. (1 Peter 1:18-21)  He told them that they were to love one another because they had been born again. (1 Peter 122-23)  He then again quoted the Scriptures said that people are like grass and their glory is like flowers.  The grass withers and the flowers fall, but The Word of The Lord endures forever. (Isaiah 40:6-8 and 1 Peter 1:24-25)

 

APPLICATION

Peter quoted from The Old Testament Scriptures when he told them, and believers today, to “be holy” because our God is holy. (Leviticus 11:44, 11:45, 19:2, 20:7, and 20:26)  Today we need to be careful with our thoughts, our words, and our actions.  We should keep our minds on things which are holy, good, and Christ-like, and not on the evil desires that we had before we were saved. (1 Peter 1:13-14)  If we think right, there is a good chance that we will talk right and act right.  We need to be holy because He is within us and He is holy.  We ought to exhibit Christ-like behavior in good and bad times.  Weeping may endure for a night, but joy is coming in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)  We may be going through stormy times now, but we need to keep the faith because our day of rejoicing is coming. (1 Peter 1:6 and Revelation 21:4) 

 

THE PRAYERS OF THE RIGHTEOUS ARE POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE

PROCLAMATION

“Is anyone among you in trouble?  Let them pray … Is anyone among you sick?  Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them … the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; The Lord will raise them up … The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”  James 5:13-16 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by James, the half-brother of Jesus, The Christ, (Galatians 1:19) under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers who scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (James 1:1)  He begins the fifth and final chapter of this letter by telling them that the rich people, who lived in luxury, hoarded their wealth, failed to pay their workers, and made innocent people suffer, will themselves suffer. (James 5:1-6)  Then he urges the believers to be patient.  They that persevered in the face of suffering will be blessed. (James 5:10-12)  He encourages them to pray for themselves and to ask the elders of the church to pray for them.  The prayers of the righteous are powerful and very effective. (James 5:13-16)  If a believer falls into sin and backslides, whoever turns him from the error of his ways will save a soul and cover a multitude of his sins. (James 5:19-20)

 

APPLICATION

As believers we are encouraged to always pray, and to pray about all things. (Matthew 21:22, Luke 18:1, Luke 21:36, and Ephesians 6:18)  We are also encouraged to pray for one another. (James 5:16)  The prayers of the righteous are powerful.  Prayer changes things.  If all is going well with you, then thank God and sing psalms or songs of praise. (James 5:13)  If all is not well, then pray, and ask the righteous to pray for you. (James 5:13-16)  If you see a believer who is engaged in sinful behavior, pray for them, and encourage them to return to the true way. (James 5:19-20)  Remember, none of us is perfect, and we all need prayer and God’s help.

 

SUBMIT TO GOD AND RESIST THE DEVIL

PROCLAMATION

“Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and He will come near to you … Humble yourselves before The Lord, and He will lift you up.”  James 4:7-10 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by James, the half-brother of Jesus, The Christ, (Galatians 1:19) under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers who scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (James 1:1)  He wrote this letter to provide them with practical advice on Christian living.  He begins this fourth chapter by telling them that they desire things which are for their pleasure.  They pray and ask for the wrong things and that is why their prayers are not answered. (James 4:1-3)  He said that they act like worldly people and that those who like the world are enemies of God. (James 4:4)  He tells them that they need to submit themselves to The Lord God and resist the devil.  If they humble themselves before The Lord, He will lift them up.  He ends by telling them that to know what is right and to choose not to do it, is to commit a sin. (James 4:17)

 

APPLICATION

Most believers like this verse because it says that if we resist the devil that he will flee from us.  There are two problems with this; first, we do not have the power to resist the devil on our own.  Second, the devil is not afraid of us and we can’t make him leave us alone.  We missed the first part of this Bible verse which says that we need to submit ourselves to The Lord God.  If we would first submit ourselves to God, then He will give us the power to resist the devil and cause him to flee from us.  We need to keep in mind that we by ourselves are nothing and powerless.  It is only by the grace, strength, and help from The Lord God that we are able to accomplish anything.  We need to humble ourselves before Him.  We should not even talk about the things that we are going to do, or are planning to do, without acknowledging Him.  We should say that we will do whatever it is if it is The Lord’s will. (James 4:13-16)

 

NO ONE CAN TAME THE TONGUE

PROCLAMATION

“All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”  James 3:7-8 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by James, the half-brother of Jesus, The Christ, (Galatians 1:19) under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the Jewish believers who were scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (James 1:1)  He wrote this general epistle to provide them with practical advice on Christian behavior.  He begins this letter by telling them that most of them should not become teachers because those who teach will be judged more strictly and will be held to a higher standard. (James 3:1)  Then he tells them that the tongue is a small part of the body, but it can do a lot of damage. (James 3:5-6)  He continues by saying that no man can tame the tongue.  They praise God and curse each other with the same tongue, and that should not be so. (James 3:9-10)  He ends this chapter by telling them that the wise men will live a good life and their good deeds will reflect their wisdom. (James 3:13-18)

 

APPLICATION

Our tongue can get us in a lot of trouble.  Frequently we have said things that we should not have said.  What we say can defile us. (Matthew 15:11)  Sometimes the less we say, the better off we will be. (Matthew 5:37)  We should refrain from profane conversation and vain boasting. (Timothy 2:16)  We will be judged on every word that we speak and by our words we will be justified or condemned. (Matthew 12:36-37)  We need to pray for God’s help to teach us to hold our tongue and be quiet. (Job 6:24)  We should pray that our words will be “seasoned with salt” and helpful to those that hear us. (Colossians 4:6)  We should also pray that God will create within us a clean heart, because that which comes out of our mouth reflects that which is in our heart. (Matthew 12:34)  Good clean Christian conversation requires the help of The Lord.