Study of First
Peter Chapter 2 Lesson 27
Review:
2:11-12 are
introductory to a new section which details some practical applications of what
it means to be God's people living in a hostile world.
Beloved, I urge you as
aliens and strangers VAgaphtoi,(
I urge parakale,w exhort, urge, encourage the present active indicative says Peter is consistently
exhorting them to a course of action
as aliens and strangers
- aliens pa,roikoj one who lives in a temporary residence - metaphorically, of a
Christian whose real home is in heaven stranger, one who lives for awhile on earth
- strangers parepi,dhmoj
temporary resident,
sojourner, stranger; used figuratively, of Christians as not
counting this earth as their home
If we
are to live in this world and are to bring honor and glory to our Savior we
must abstain from fleshly lusts avpe,cw to hold back from, to abstain from
fleshly lusts sarkiko,j evpiqumi,a
Peter
recognizes how destructive that the sin nature is when he continues which wage war against the soul.
This warfare is against the soul kata. th/j yuch/j
Since Peter is addressing
his exhortation to believers and by application to you and me it denotes our
inner being as animated by the new life in Christ.
Summary
1. Peter recognizes
the reality that there are 2 types of believers. Pneumatikos types
and sarkikos types.
- Pneumatikos = spiritual type
- sarkikos
= fleshly type
2. We know from our
past studies that each of us will be both, (not at the same time) the issue is
which is the dominant characteristic of the life.
3. Both are
"in Christ" but one doesn't show it!
4. We must come to
gripes with the reality that we choose which state or status we are in as
believers each day.
5. We choose which
is the ruler of life "the flesh" or "the spirit." Romans 8:5 points
this out.
- says we have a standard established upon which we base
our choices
- its either kata
the flesh or kata the spirit
6. All response to
external stimuli (5 senses) coming into our thinking, the brain computer, are
translated into responsive action through the sin nature into either sin or
human good [wrong motivation] on the one hand or through the indwelling Holy
Spirit into righteousness (DGP) on the other hand. Rom
7. Neither the
indwelling sin nature or God the Holy Spirit can usurp
authority over you apart from your choice, your volition's cooperation.
- Be warned!! Through alcohol abuse or drug abuse or any
other mind altering substances you can and will render your volition impotent
for a time.
8. Our distinctiveness
as believers among our neighbors is that we don't cater to the lust pattern of
our sin nature.
9. This
distinctiveness is potential in our life, it is
potential based on our positive volition to and application of truth under the
empowering ministry of the Holy Spirit.
10. We must always be
on guard because the sin nature is always standing ready seeking to regain the
rulership or dominance of your life.
11. The
antidote to the rulership of the Sin nature is given by Paul in Gal 5:16-17!
12. Must recognize
that all individuals have a sin nature (flesh) and do so through out their
life.
13. The 'fleshly
lusts' is not a part of the soul but can influence all input to the soul for
thinking and decision making when it rules.
- the soul is
invisible, immaterial but very real
14. The flesh/sin nature is not eradicated or
altered at the point of salvation; but since we died to it, we are
separated from its power and it no longer has
to rule or dominate our life.
15. Need to remember that both are resident in
that they dwell in the body that is the flesh and the Holy Spirit.
16. This opposition is
continual and fixed in that the flesh's desires are
set and the Holy Spirits desires and purposes are set.
17. Neither will
change the other.
18. The Spirit is not seeking to change the flesh/sin
nature, we're separated from its power but the Spirit does seek to influence
the thinking, the mind
of the believer with the truth of the Word of God so that wise
choices will be made.
19. The sin nature seeks to return to its
dominate, rulership role so that its lust patterns can be realized
through the body and therefore through the life of the believer.
20. As we grow and
mature in the Christian life we're not changing the sin nature, its not
diminishing it in any way,
the flesh will always be the flesh seeking to express itself
through the body in which it resides.
21. The issue in life,
our daily walk, goes back to some of the basic issues we noted in our study of
volition, and that is, which are you going to choose to respond to, the Word
and the Spirit or the desires of the flesh?
Which one influences your thinking and therefore the choices you
make?
22. The bottom line is that we as believers are not condemned to a life of servitude to the sin nature because the enabling power of the Holy Spirit has set us free from the ruling power of the sin nature.