SPIRITUAL
DIARY FOR
4/2/2012
3:34:51 PM
As I was looking at my Spiritual
Diaries for the books of first and second Peter I noticed that some of them
were missing and so I have decided to finish the book of First Peter and then
fill in what is missing in Second Peter.
This is the first of those Spiritual Diaries.
Let me begin with stating that
Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on 1Peter is entitled “Be Hopeful, and in the
introduction to the tenth chapter in his commentary, which he entitles “Facts
About Furnaces and it covers 1Peter 4:12-19, he states the following in the
introduction: “Peter gave the believers
four instructions to follow in the light of the coming ‘fiery trial.” The first trial was covered in previous SD’s
which was entitled “Expect suffering” and then the next main point was entitled
“Rejoice in Suffering.” This SD will
begin with the next main point from Dr. Wiersbe’s outline which is entitled
“Examine Your Life.”
Examine
Your Life (1Peter 4:15-18): “15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a
murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is
not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the
household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for
those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18
AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL
BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?”
We must remember that Dr. Wiersbe
entitled this chapter “Facts about Furnaces,” and being an old foundry man for
35 years I do know a bit about furnaces too, so that will make it easier for me
to understand this section better. I
remember that Dr. Wiersbe has said that when we are in a fiery trial that it is
God who controls the thermostat. We will
see in this section that it talks about judgment and Peter writes that judgment
begins with the household of God. In the
9th chapter of the book of Ezekiel we can see an OT version of
judgment beginning with the household of God.
It is a short chapter of only ten verses that helps us understand better
what Peter is writing about.
Steve Green is a wonderful singer of
Christian music and one of his songs is entitled “The Refiners Fire and at this
time I wish to put those lyrics on this SD.
There
burns a fire with sacred heat
White hot with holy flame
And all who dare pass through its blaze
Will not emerge the same
Some as bronze, and some as silver
Some as gold, then with great skill
All are hammered by their sufferings
On the anvil of His will
Chorus:
The Refiner's fire
Has now become my souls desire
Purged and cleansed and purified
That the Lord be glorified
He is consuming my soul
Refining me, making me whole
No matter what I may lose
I choose the Refiner's fire
I'm
learning now to trust His touch
To crave the fire's embrace
For though my past with sin was etched
His mercies did erase
Each time His purging cleanses deeper
I'm not sure that I'll survive
Yet the strength in growing weaker
Keeps my hungry soul alive
Chorus
Why
am I suffering? (v. 15): 15 “Make
sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a
troublesome meddler;” We can look at
some of the more prolific saints in the Word of God and see that they suffered
because of disobedience to the Word of God.
Moses did not enter the Promised Land because of disobedience. David lost four sons because of disobedience. Peter was miserable because He denied the
Lord. Dr. Wiersbe writes “Let’s be sure
we are suffering because we are Christians and not because we are criminals.”
Am
I ashamed, or glorifying Christ? (v.
16): “16 but if anyone suffers as a
Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.” Not being ashamed is something that is
negative, while glorifying God is a positive.
Hebrews 11:16 states, “But as it is, they desire a better country, that
is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a
city for them.” “For both He who
sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which
reason He is not ashamed
to call them brethren (Hebrews 2:11).”
Hebrews 12:2 states, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter
of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Dr. Wiersbe writes “It was the
determination not to be ashamed that encouraged Paul when he went to Rome (Rom.
1:16), when he suffered in Rome (Phil. 1:20-21), and when he faced martyrdom in
Rome (2Tim. 1:12).”
Am
I seeking to win the Lost (vv. 17-18): “17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the
household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for
those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18
AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL
BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?”
I think that it is wonderful how
Dr. Wiersbe brings in witnessing from these two verses, for when one first
reads them witnessing does not seem to be what Peter is talking about. Dr. Wiersbe writes that “Instead of being
concerned only about ourselves, we need to be concerned about the lost sinners
around us. Our present ‘fiery trial’ is
nothing compared with the ‘flaming fire’ that shall punish the lost when Jesus
returns in judgment.” Now let’s take a
look at what will happen when the Lord returns from the writing of the Apostle
Paul as he writes to those in Thessalonica in 2Thes. 1:4-10, “4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you
among the churches of God for
your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and
afflictions which you endure.
“5 ¶
This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will
be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.
6 For after all it is only just for God to
repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7
and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the
Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,
8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and
to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the
presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints
on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed-for our
testimony to you was believed.”
John MacArthur writes the following
from his Study Bible on verse 18:
“Quoted from the LXX of Proverbs 11:31, and reinforces the point that if
the justified sinner is saved only with great difficulty, suffering pain, and
loss—what will be the end
of the ungodly?” The end of the
ungodly is described in the verses in 2Thes.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: It was
just last night in our church service that the guest Pastor was preaching on
verses in Hebrews 12:1-3 and then in 1Peter 4.
One of the things that stuck into my mind from his message was not being
ashamed of Christ for in Hebrews 12:2 it tells us that Jesus despised the shame
and as he was talking about that section of the verse it was as if I had not
seen that before, but I know that I have.
He went on to talk about as believers; we are not to despise the shame
when doing something for the Lord. I took
out of that, that we should not be ashamed in doing the work of God.
Today while visiting my sick mom
in the hospital, as I was leaving I saw an older man with his head bowed and
his mouth moving in what looked like he was praying. He was sitting outside a room with the
curtain closed and my first instinct was to stop and put my arm around him and
as if I could join him in prayer. I did
not do this and it bothered me all of the way home. I did pray for him and the situation that he
was in, but I was too ashamed or frightened to stop and I know I should have.
My
Steps of Faith for Today:
Not to be ashamed of Jesus Christ or the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Continue to learn contentment in a world that
seems to be falling apart.
4/2/2012
4:49:32 PM
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