Study of First Peter Chapter 2 Lesson 32
Review:
Back to summary! 1 Peter 2:16; Gal 5:13
3. Paul begins with what is ours as
a result of faith in Christ and flowing from our position in Christ, freedom,
liberty.
4. There is a sense that this
freedom is a trust to be guarded and enjoyed and not abused.
5. Ultimately this freedom is not an
end in itself but a means to an end that is, the benefit of the body of Christ,
the good of the believers in your periphery, mainly the local assembly.
6. This freedom is always linked to
the ministry of the Spirit. 2 Cor
7.
Paul warns the Galatians against the distortion and false application of
this freedom in Christ that they have.
8. His point is that this freedom is
not a license to pursue the sin natures' desires.
9. For some when they come to understand that
law performance living is an invalid way of life for the Believer, overreact and swing
the pendulum to the other extreme, that of antinomianism.
10. This freedom is
not to become in our life an opportunity, a base of operation, a pretext to
pursue the lusts of our sin nature .
11. This freedom is designed for us to love God and to
serve one another.
12. Therefore this freedom in Christ is a license to serve
not to sin.
13. Freedom always demands responsibility and authority
orientation (to the word of God) or it will quickly degenerate into anarchy
(doing our own thing).
14. God has established and laid out in the Word of God
His righteous requirement (Rom. 8:4)
which is the acceptable means to live out this freedom by His standard and
therefore to love God and to serve others.
15. True freedom for the believer is God's enablement to
live out His will in your life!
16. The body of Christ is not designed to function where
the tyranny of legalism or the anarchy of antinomianism exists.
17. Both of them, legalism and antinomianism, pervert
freedom and enslave the Believer and therefore negates any spiritual growth an nullifies the experience of freedom.
Peter gives us 4 imperatives that lay out for us
4 more increments of RFHC for Church age believers.
#1. Honor
all people,
- we must deal with them on
the basis of honor, integrity and that is regardless of how they deal with
you; that is the hard part some times.
#2. love the brotherhood, - avdelfo,thj figuratively, as a group of fellow
believers brotherhood, community of
believers
- this is the second time we have been exhorted by Peter
to love the brethren, the first was in 1:22 which points out to us God's
priority related to this command.
#3. fear God, [pres. mid imp. fobe,w] this is not
referring to MAS type of fear but to have awe and respect for God, to be
occupied with Christ all of which will be reflected by each of us as live day
by day dealing with the various pressures and tests we all face by applying the
principles of the Word to them.
- How can we have an
attitude of awe or respect for God if we have no knowledge of Him or desire for
an ongoing relationship with Christ??
- So for this kind of an
intimate relationship which the CWOL is to be it takes both parties being on
the same page, operating from the same viewpoint.
- the resulting discernment
gives us the ability to view life and the circumstances faced seeing God's
provision at every step.
#4. honor the king
- king
basileu,j one with authority, would include his
bonifide representatives, remembering that all authority is ultimately from
God. Rom 13:1
Summary
1. Peter concludes this
paragraph of strong exhortation to authority orientation in the sphere of civil
authority of the national entity (NE) with 4 commands that should flow out of
this that summarize our responsibilities related to citizenship.
2. Honoring everyone
includes your dealings with those you would consider your enemies. Mat.
3. The command to love the
brethren includes:
a. an absence of MAS
- hatred, bitterness, jealousy (messes with your thinking)
b. an absence of S/T - slander, verbal attacks
c. absence of any overt sin - stealing
d. bearing one another's burdens, that is providing
comfort and encouragement as you have the opportunity (must have the ability or
where withal) Gal
e. a willingness to forgive as Christ forgave - Eph 4:32
4. Fearing God or the Lord
speaks of having respect for the authority of who He
is but must also include authority of His Word, His message to us.
5. This fear then becomes
the basis or foundation of true wisdom and wise behavior.
Rabbit Trail
- Look at Prov 1:2-3
What
is the knowledge of the Word, an understanding of Doctrine to provide us? Why is it so Important for us?
1.
To develop the Believer's moral skill
1:2a
"To know wisdom and instruction";
* The wisdom, chokmah, as seen
in the OT is quite distinct from all other cultures of the ancient world. (stands in contrast)
* There at least 4 things that make OT intelligence
distinctly different from everybody else.
1.
First of all chakam is based on revealed truth in
language.
2.
It revolved around a personal God who is holy and just.
3. The followers were to reflect that holiness; be like
their God; to reflect His character.
4. Wisdom of the OT was not theoretical, or
speculative. It was practical, based on
revealed principles of right and wrong that is to be lived out in the daily
life.
Where do we get this wisdom? From our own innate
ability? No!
Thru
His commandments - Ps 119:98 hw"c.mi which refers to the authoritative
declarations of God
2.
Second Purpose: To help the believer develop mental skill.
"To discern the sayings of understanding."