Monthly Archive for October, 1997

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1 Peter 3:18g

Published on October 21, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
 
 
being put to death in the flesh
 
The Romans put Jesus to death. Death was an experience that the Lord Jesus never knew from eternity. He constantly related to the other two members of the trinity until this point. At his death he personally represented every member of the human race in his death. Even in his death he brought good news.
 
“In the flesh” – the physical death of Christ on the cross. This defines that his death was a physical death. Here Peter transports us to the foot of the cross. It was the humanity of Christ that died on the cross, not his deity.
 
but made alive by the Spirit
 
“Made alive” comes from two words: to make and alive. This does not mean that Jesus was energized with a dynamic personality.  It means his human spirit returned to his body. He became alive in his human spirit and body (Mt. 27:46). 
 
At the resurrection the Father restored Jesus to fellowship. Jesus’ resurrection conquered death by his human spirit returning to his body lying in the tomb. Christ received resurrection. Jesus was in the grave for three days then the Holy Spirit raised him from the dead. 
 
Ac 2: 24 “Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”
 
“Made alive” means to restore physical life. God restored Jesus’ physical life at the resurrection.  Jesus restores our physical life for eternity when we come to him for salvation.
 
Ro 8: 11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” 
 
Note the contrast between “death in the flesh” and “alive by the Spirit.” We should not capitalize “Spirit” here. This refers to the human spirit of the Lord Jesus.
 
The resurrection of Christ is a major foundation fact upon which Christianity is built (I Cor 15:17). Five different times Jesus declared that he would die and rise again (Mt. 12:39-40; 20:17-19; 26:30-32; Lk 18:31-32; Jn 2:19-22). 
 
PRINCIPLE: The resurrection is the foundation fact upon which Christianity stands.
 
APPLICATION: The gospel consists in three parts: the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. 
 
I Cor. 15: 3 “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ 1) died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He 2) was buried, and that He 3) rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”
 
Without the resurrection there would be no gospel.
 
Ro 1: 4 “And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”
 
Do you believe that 1) Jesus died for your sins (took your hell) 2) was buried to confirm his death and 3) rose again to give you eternal life?
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1 Peter 3:18f

Published on October 20, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
 
 
that He might bring us to God,
 
The sacrifice of Christ brings us into audience with God. 
 
The words “bring us to” means lead into the presence of someone — to lead before, to bring into the presence of, to bring to. This carries the idea of the ceremonial sense of “presenting” at court. Since Jesus takes the initiative this is his saving work, not ours. 
 
At the court of kings in the first century there was an official called the Prosagogeus (the introducer). He gave access to the king. He decided those admitted into the king’s presence. He held keys of access to the king’s presence. The person who holds keys to go into the presence of the Father is Jesus Christ. He gives us access into the presence of God. Ro 5:2; Eph 2:18
 
Jesus’ suffering brings us into the audience chamber of the King (Ro 5:2; Ep 2:18; 3:12). This is the right of access to God’s presence. In secular Greek life an “introducer” would give access to the king. It was his function to decide who would be admitted into the king’s presence and who was kept out. 
 
PRINCIPLE: The ultimate purpose of the cross is to bring man to God.
 
APPLICATION: We will never find God by ourselves. We would not know whether to go north, south, east or west. Only Jesus knows the way. Only he can bring us to God. Someone brought us into this world now someone needs to bring us into the next world. Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God. Jn. 10:16; He 2:10.
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1 Peter 3:18e

Published on October 19, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
 
 
the just for the unjust,
 
One of the great titles of Jesus is the “Just.” Jesus is the “Just” person. As the Just one he suffers for the “unjust.” His suffering brings cleansing to us when we accept his death on our behalf. Christ’s person qualified him to suffer for sin. I Peter 2:2 says Jesus did “no sin.” He suffered for our sins not his sins. 
 
I Jn 2: 1 “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
 
“For” – instead of or in place of. Jesus’ work was vicarious. He suffered in our place. 
 
Heb. 2: 9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”
 
Jesus took my hell. He died instead of me. He died to pay for my sins, not his. There is no credit to us that Jesus forgave our sins. No glory to us – all glory to him. 
 
The object of Jesus’ sacrifice is to restore our lost relationship with God. 
 
Gal. 1: 4 “Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
 
I Cor 15: 3 “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” 
 
“Unjust” is a title for those without Christ. This means that those without Christ are unjustified.   They are not declared right in God’s eyes. They are not forgiven or pardoned. They do not have the benefit of Christ’s death for their sins. They must bear their own sin. 
 
I Cor. 6: 9 “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites.” 
 
PRINCIPLE: Jesus substituted for our place in hell by going to the cross.
 
APPLICAITON: This is the substitutionary work of Christ in our place. We should have died on the cross for our sins. Jesus took our place there. The holiness of God demands that he reconcile his perfect righteousness with our sin. Jesus’ death on the cross meets that demand.
 
Are you an “un”? Are you unjust? “Un” means no, not, negative. If you do not know Christ’s death for your sins you are a big negative in God’s eyes. What will alert you to your condition? An accident? What will it take to awaken you to your actual status before God as an “un”? 
 
If you try to save yourself by operation bootstraps, you insult the integrity of God who made it clear that only Jesus’ death on the cross can save us from sin. If we try to pay for sin ourselves with our religious pennies, we do not realize that we are totally bankrupt in God’s eyes. In our bank there are no assets. We have nothing in the checkbook to barter with God. 
 
In God’s bank (Jesus’ death on the cross) we have all the assists we need to hold eternal status before God. Have you come to the place where you are ready to stand solely on the finished work of Christ on the cross for eternal salvation?
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1 Peter 3:18d

Published on October 18, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
 
 
for sins
 
“For” – The death and resurrection of Christ are the ground for what we do what we do. The word “for” carries the idea on behalf of. Jesus died on our behalf. Jesus death on the cross is our substitute for suffering for sin. Jesus is the only sacrifice that could ever take away sin. His sacrifice was once for all.
 
The word “for” explains Christ’s example of suffering for doing right (2:14). Jesus was not exempt from suffering. His perfect life outraged people. This did not intimidate him because he put his case in the hands of God. This should motivate the Christian to place our situation in the hands of God.
 
“Sins” interrupt the relationship between God and man (I Co 15:3; Gal 1:4; I Jn 2:2). Christ’s sacrifice for sin resolves that broken relationship. He stood in our place of suffering for sin (Gal.3:13). By Jesus’ offering of himself as a sacrifice for sin, he vicariously took our place. He died once for all sin. The whole object of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is to restore that lost relationship. 
 
Jesus’ sacrifice was substitutionary. The Father appointed Jesus to take the place of our suffering for sin. Jesus was God delegate for hell. He took our hell that we might have his heaven. This is a great interchange at least for us, not him. 
 
PRINICPLE: Jesus was our stand-in for sin
 
APPLICATION:. Jesus’ work on the cross was vicarious. God’s holiness demands sacrifice for sin.
 
When we receive a receipt marked, “Paid in full” it is a great feeling. Jesus paid in full our sin debt. 
 
Heb. 10: 12 “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”
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1 Peter 3:18c

Published on October 17, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
 
 
once
 
“Suffered once” — once for all. Jesus suffered for sin once for all. There is no need for anyone else to suffer for sin. His suffering holds perpetual validity, not requiring repetition (Heb. 6:4; 9:28; 10:2).   The word “once” means a single occurrence — one time.  Jesus’ suffering was a single occurrence to the exclusion of any other similar occurrence – once and for all, once and never again.
 
The word “once” shows Christ’s suffering was conclusive in God’s eyes (Heb 9:26,27,28; 10:10,14). Jesus’ death for sin was unique because he suffered once for sin. This is in contrast to Old Testament sacrifices which were constantly repeated (Heb. 7:27; 9:28; 10:10, 12, 14). Priests brought sacrifices repeatedly to the altar but Jesus died once for sin to give us access to God.
 
In the New Testament Jesus is the sacrifice for all sin for all time. Unlike the Old Testament sacrifice, his death occurred once. Christ’s suffering for sin never need be repeated. He eliminated any further sacrifice for sin. He paid the price fully.  Now God can fellowship with us with integrity.
 
Ro 6: 10 “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.”
 
Jesus defeated all sin for all men for all time. Jesus finally defeated sin in his death. There is not need for any repetition of his sacrifice because his sacrifice was sufficient for everyone for all time. 
 
He 9: 25 “Not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— 26He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
 
He 10: 10 “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
 
PRINICPLE: Jesus death for sin was totally efficacious (effectual). 
 
APPLICATION: On the cross something happened that never needs repeating. He suffered for sin and no one needs to suffer for sin again. Sin was finally defeated. On the cross God dealt with man’s sin in a way that is satisfactory for all sin, for all men, for all time. No one ever has to sacrifice for sin again. 
 
Jesus’ death eliminated any need for further sacrifice for sin. He paid the price for sin fully so we do not need to suffer for sin at any point. His sacrifice was the utter sacrifice. He fully paid the price for sin. 
 
Something happened on the cross that never needs to happen again – no one has to suffer for sin again. On the cross God ended any further need for suffering for sin. The cross is sufficient suffering in God’s eyes for all men, for all sin, for all time.
 
The work of Christ on the cross finished suffering for sin. We have a finished salvation, an accomplished redemption. Nothing we can do can add to the finished work of Christ upon the cross. 
 
We need not do penance for sin. Jesus is the only person who has the coin that God Almighty will accept in payment for sins because he was the only “just” person who ever lived. The good news is that he paid for our sins fully. 
 
No further enactments of Calvary are necessary. No further sacrifice of the body of Christ is necessary because he suffered “once” for sin. He suffered once and for all. Any attempt to react to add to the price he paid on the cross discounts his finished work on Calvary. To reenact that work is blasphemy. 
 
Have you accepted the finality of the suffering of Christ for your sin?
 
Heb. 10: 12 “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”
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1 Peter 3:18b

Published on October 16, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
 
 
suffered once
 
“Suffered” – Jesus died on the cross innocently and undeservedly.   This is the point of bringing Christ’s suffering into this passage. Jesus suffered undeservedly and we suffer undeservedly. 
 
At the cross God the Father poured all of the sins of the world upon Christ. Jesus and he died for all sin there. No more dying is necessary for sin. No one needs to pay further penalty than what he paid. Now God is free to save those who believe in Jesus but only by way of the cross. He is satisfied with the suffering of Christ. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Only Jesus’ suffering holds efficacy before God for our salvation.
 
APPLICATION: I submit to you the Bible fact of the eternal efficacy of the death of Christ. We cannot add to the finished work of Christ on the cross. Christ plus nothing equals salvation. If this good news reaches your heart, you will enter into right relation with God eternally. God will completely eliminate your sins eternally. You will know emancipation from paying for sins yourself. Christ’s death eliminates all sins of all time. 
 
Christ’s death for sin is the opposite of good works salvation.  Good works gospel is spurious, counterfeit and an imitation of the real thing. Joining a church, baptism, trying to do good and being nice to your neighbor is not the gospel of the Bible. The finished work of Christ accomplished our redemption forever. The split second we accept this message God puts to our account in the bank of heaven all that Jesus is. This cannot happen apart from the cross. When we come to the cross this takes place. 
 
Have you mutually exclusively accepted Christ’s death for your salvation?
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1 Peter 3:18

Published on October 15, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
 
 
Even though I Peter 3:18 is one of the greatest verses in Bible, Peter introduces it incidentally while dealing with the broader issue of Christian suffering. This superb section of Scripture sets forth the wonderful work of Christ on the cross. 
 
For Christ also
 
 “For” —  The previous verse declares that it could be the will of God that we suffer for well doing. Now Peter sets before us the great Example for suffering, the Lord Jesus himself. By connecting this “for” to verse seventeen we see the connection between Christ’s suffering and our blessing.  This “for” guarantees our eternal blessing. 
 
“Also” – Jesus, like us, suffered for well-doing. Jesus is not an example of suffering for those without Christ.  We cannot imitate Rembrandt and we cannot perfectly follow the example of Christ. That is why his example slams heaven’s door in our face. That is why we need a Savior. Only the death of Christ on the cross saves sinners. We cannot perfectly keep the ten commandments. We do not have it in us. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Only Christ can sufficiently suffer for sin in God’s eyes.
 
APPLICATION:  Some people complain “What have I done to deserve this?” This implies that all suffering is from sin. They gain satisfaction from this thought, “O.K., I had this coming. I’ll stand up and take it like a man.” When the pain is over they say, “There! I’ve paid the penalty. I’m square with God.” This is double suffering because now they grieve their Lord by suffering for sin rather than accepting the finality of Christ’s suffering for sin. 
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1 Peter 3:17

Published on October 14, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
 
 
For it is better,
 
It is axiomatic that Christians will suffer in God’s plan. The only option is whether we will accept that suffering as the will of God for us.
 
There is a suffering of higher rank – “better.”  It is better to suffer for “well doing” than for “evil doing.” It is better to suffer for a just cause than to suffer for deserved discipline. All suffering is good for the Christian but undeserved suffering makes us partners in Christ’s suffering.
 
if it is the will of God,
 
“If” – in the Greek, this “if” is a wish. It is Peter’s wish that Asia Minor Christians suffer in the will of God for well doing.  “I wish it was true that you suffer for ‘well doing’ but it isn’t true.” Obviously it is not the will of God that we suffer for wrongdoing. It is better for us to suffer in the will of God than out of it.
 
Suffering is the sovereignplan of God – “the will of God.” If it is inevitable that we suffer in God’s plan, we need to make sure it is because of a good testimony rather than a poor testimony.  
 
I Pe 2: 19 “For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.”
 
Suffering never comes to us except by the will of God. 
 
I Pet 2: 15 “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” 
 
I Pet 5: 10 “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
 
to suffer for doing good than for doing evil
 
Some people are surprised that they suffer for doing the “good” yet that is precisely the will of God at times.  If we growl, grumble and accuse God of injustice in our lives, this sabotages living in the will of God for us. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Nothing is as important to the life of the child of God as the will of God.
 
APPLICATION: Suffering comes by the will of God. Nothing is more important than the will of God for the child of God.
 
What God ordains for us is his will. We are not only in the will of God but we are to live to the will of God. We live an exciting life because God has something planned for us tomorrow and next year. Maybe tomorrow we will be in heaven. We do not know the future but God does. Therefore, we need not fear the future. We now live to God. 
 
I Pe 4: 2 “That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”
 
What God ordains for us is the best for us. Child of God, if you face difficulty and are at wit’s end’s corner, come to rest in the will of God.
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1 Peter 3:16b

Published on October 13, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“Having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”
 
 
that when they defame you as evildoers,
 
They speak evil of us as wrongdoers. Even though non-Christians may detract from us, we bear witness to them with a consistent testimony. A changed life gets their attention.  
 
The previous verse referred to the Christian standing before the courtroom of those around us who know not Christ. As we stand in the spotlight of this courtroom our conduct must match what we testify. 
 
those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed
 
Conduct is the basis for Christian testimony. Conduct justifies our testimony. 
 
Immoral conduct of a few Christian leaders can cast a pale over all Christians. This can blunt our testimony until we can establish our own character of conscience. In this way our conscience is no obstacle to our affirmations. 
 
Acts 4: 13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 14And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.”
 
II Cor. 1: 12 “For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.”
 
PRINCIPLE: The best way to stop criticism is through a consistent life.
 
APPLICATION: We cannot escape criticism in this life. This is especially true for Christian leaders.  
 
If we claim to be a Christian and we live carnal lives, who will give a dime for what we have? Whom will we persuade to come to Christ? We meet criticism with changed lives that are beyond reproach. This will silence slander. It will disarm the critics of their criticism. The only unanswerable argument for Christianity is a consistent Christian life.  
 
Does your life recommend Christ? Nothing we say with our mouth will undo the damage we do with our life.
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1 Peter 3:16

Published on October 12, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“Having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”
 
 
Having a good conscience,
 
The phrase “having a good conscience” develops “with meekness and fear” (3:15). We meet criticism with a life beyond reproach. 
 
The Greek word “conscience” is wider than the English word. It is not so much the intuition by which we discern between right and wrong as the soul measuring itself. 
 
Literally, conscience means to know with. We are witnesses to ourselves. We testify to our own conduct. This is especially true of the consciousness we have of ourselves in our relation to God. This is self testimony. It is the result of our application of the Word to experience. 
 
Our conscience will never condemn what we believe to be right. This is a conscience that springs from a “faith unfeigned” (I Ti. 1:5). A good conscience is knowledge that we do right and are well-pleasing to God. It is a mind free from liability to itself. 
 
Acts 24: 16 “This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” 
 
A “good conscious” is the best way to set forth a testimony. “Having a good conscience” means holding to norms of the Word of God. These are God’s standards, not ours. If we hold these standards we can handle any witnessing situation. When people detract from us, our standards speak to the situation. This does not mean that we never fail but that we operate with consistency and integrity. 
 
PRINCIPLE: Consistency in conscience establishes credibility with non-Christians.
 
APPLICATION: Unjust suffering puts the Christian on the stand for all to witness. When asked to testify in court, we speak with the credibility of our conscience. If we do not have a good testimony we will not bear witness properly. 
 
Our conscience is our internal monitor that establishes our standards for comportment. If we violate our conscience, the monitor lights up. We grieve the Holy Spirit. A carnal Christian will not bear suitable testimony to the wonder of Christ. We discount what we say with how we live.  
 
Our conduct must not give lie to our confession. We uphold our witness with our conscience. We show the slander against us a lie by the authenticity of our lives. 
 
The Christian is both defendant and attorney. We defend our faith with our mouths and back it with our lives. Life and lip must match for a powerful testimony.
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