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By T. M. Moore|Published Date: September 02, 2010
1 Peter 1:4, 5
4…to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
The Story: It is characteristic of those who exercise leadership in God’s covenant people to try to draw them through their present circumstances into the future by holding out the precious and very great promises of God (2 Pet. 1:4). God, Peter reminds his readers, is keeping an inheritance for them in heaven. It is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. This is not some lascivious promise of vestal virgins awaiting our every pleasure. This is the promise of God Himself (Ps. 16; Jn. 17:3). What God is keeping in heaven for us is none other than Himself! Moreover, He is guarding His children, as they look to Him in faith, for that day when He will fully reveal Himself to them (1 Jn. 3:2) and their joy will be complete. Peter encourages His readers not only to remember who they are but also to dwell on what’s laid up for them. If they can glimpse the beauty, glory, holiness, and presence of God, beyond the horizon of their present sufferings, they will be able to bear up until the day that God makes His saving glory fully and completely known.
The Structure: What Edwards and others referred to as the “beatific vision” is an important component in the life of faith. We will forfeit real Christian joy if we focus only on our temporal circumstances or present condition of life. The Christian’s hope is to know the glory of God, and we pursue this hope, here and now, every day. But the fullness of that hope lies beyond all time and history in the new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells. “There and then” we will have no more sorrows and no more tears and unending bliss in the uninterrupted presence of our Savior and God. The challenge for these “last days” is to learn how to live the “there and then,” here and now. Crucial to this is focusing beyond our temporal horizons to what God has laid up for us.
Could you summarize your vision of our blessed hope? In other words, if someone should ask about the hope that is within you, what would you say?
For more insight to the 1 Peter, get the book, James, Epistles of John, Peter, and Jude, by Simon John Kistemaker, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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By T. M. Moore|Published Date: September 01, 2010
1 Peter 1:3
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…
The Story: Peter really knows how to encourage – not with sappy words and silly promises, but with the hard facts of who we are and where we stand as followers of Jesus Christ. Christians have been born again; we’re not the same people we used to be. We are a wholly different kind of people with an entirely new and eternal purpose in life (1 Pet. 2:9, 10). It only makes sense that the world will not understand and, on occasion, lash out at us harshly. But we have a living hope – a hope that Paul describes as “the hope of glory” (Rom. 5:1, 2). It’s not just that we “hope” we’re going to go to heaven when we die. We hope in glory, glory revealed to us by God’s Word and Spirit as existing in the living Christ Whom we love and Whom we serve (2 Cor. 3:12-18). We hope every day to encounter Christ in His glory, to be deeply and dramatically affected by that glory, and then to show the hope of glory to the watching world (1 Pet. 3:15). And not even persecution must be allowed to rob us of this hope!
The Structure: Hope is a powerful affection. Hope moves the Christian movement along through the course of history, as we are a people who, rooted in the past, live our present with a firm eye on the future. The Christian thus maintains a three-faceted approach to his existence: He is who he is by virtue of events accomplished in the past. He aspires to all that God has promised (2 Pet 1:4) by gazing firmly and confidently toward the future. And thus he finds meaning, purpose, and strength for living in the present by knowing who he is and where he’s bound. In the midst of persecution, though, it can be easy to lose sight of these verities. So Peter, a true pastor, offering true comfort to his people, doesn’t just give them some schmaltzy “this too shall pass” advice to tie a knot and hold on. No: he urges them to remember who they are and to cling to their certain hope!
How do you nurture the hope into which you have been born again through the resurrection of our Lord? How do you encourage other believers to live in that hope?
For more insight to the 1 Peter, get the book, James, Epistles of John, Peter, and Jude, by Simon John Kistemaker, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Sprinkling the Savior's Blood |
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By T. M. Moore|Published Date: August 31, 2010
1 Peter 1:1, 2
1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asian, and Bithynia, 2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
The Story: We need to explore a little further that idea of “sprinkling with his blood.” This is not actually what the text says. Literally, it reads, “unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” Our ESV takes some liberties here, I think, but a more direct translation reveals the resolute firmness which Peter intends to impart to these suffering Christians. Because we are the people of God, we must not deny the reality of our election, foreknowledge, and sanctification in the Spirit by caving in to pressure from angry unbelievers. This is who we are, and who we are comes to expression in obedience, come what may.
Part of that obedience involves “sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” – not literally, of course, but in a figurative sense. As the blood of Old Testament sacrifices was sprinkled on the altar and even the people at times, symbolizing their redemption, so believers are called to “sprinkle” the blood of Jesus around by proclaiming the Good News of His redemption and calling others to take shelter in Him from the judgment that is to come. We must not allow threats, intimidation, or persecution to deter us from this course.
The Structure: Peter wants to comfort and encourage his readers, so that they can bear up under their suffering. But merely “bearing up” under suffering isn’t the point; triumphing over suffering – that’s the point, for that’s what Jesus did; and the way we triumph is to receive our sufferings with joy and hope and to persevere in obedience and witness for our Lord. The Christian story has been able to proceed through the ages, in the face of stiff persecution in virtually every generation, simply because faithful believers understood this well and kept their testimony and obedience faithfully, even unto death.
Why do you suppose most believers today are afraid, or at least, reluctant, to share their faith with others? How can believers encourage one another to become more consistent witnesses?
For more insight to the 1 Peter, get the book, James, Epistles of John, Peter, and Jude, by Simon John Kistemaker, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Grace and Peace Multiplied |
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By T. M. Moore|Published Date: August 30, 2010
1 Peter 1:1, 2
1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asian, and Bithynia, 2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
The Story: Writing from Rome, somewhere near the middle of the first century, Peter is seeking to shore up the faith of the believers in the regions of Asia Minor which he mentions in his greeting. They are undergoing severe persecution which would continue on into the second century. Appropriately, Peter begins his letter by putting their sufferings in perspective. His readers need to remember that they have been chosen by God to be His holy people (see on, 1 Pet. 2:9, 10). In reminding them of God’s foreknowledge Peter is not merely reassuring them that God knew these troubles would come upon them; the sense of that word, “foreknowledge,” is more like “love from all eternity and loved even now.” A hint of development to come is found in his mention of the sanctifying work of God’s Spirit, which always proceeds through obedience to Jesus Christ and for the sprinkling of His blood. But their suffering is real, and these troubled believers need grace and peace to abound to them. Peter hopes to be an agent of these by his pastoral letter to them.
The Structure: Persecution of the faithful has been a theme of Christian history from the beginning. We are not merely appointed for salvation, but also to share in Jesus’ sufferings, as Paul reminded the Philippians (1:29). It’s part of the Christian story in the world to suffer at the hands of unbelievers; so we should not think it “strange” (1 Pet. 4:12) when such episodes arise. Rather, like the apostles, we must learn to rejoice in the face of our trials, that God would count us worthy to share in the sufferings of Jesus in such a way (Rom. 5:3-5; Jms. 1:2-4; Acts 5:41). These believers were suffering because their lives stood out as different from the unbelievers with whom they formerly consorted (1 Pet. 4:1-5), and it is this difference, this orientation to holiness and outspokenness for Christ that prompts the scorn – and worse – of many lost people.
What are some ways that your walk with the Lord leads you to suffer the scorn of your unbelieving friends?
For more insight to the 1 Peter, get the book, James, Epistles of John, Peter, and Jude, by Simon John Kistemaker, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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By Steven C. Wright|Published Date: August 29, 2010
Mark 10:3-11
3He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” 5And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8and they shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 10And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
The Story: In response to the Pharisees’ question about divorce, Jesus asks them what command Moses had given. They allude to the legislation found in Deuteronomy 24:1-7 when they say, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” A close reading of that passage will reveal that the only command given was forbidding remarriage of a divorced couple after an intervening marriage. This law was given to discourage divorce in an environment where easy divorce had become acceptable due to the “hardness of heart” of God’s people. The Pharisees and others in Jesus’ day had taken a passage meant to discourage divorce and turned in into a pretext for obtaining divorce! Jesus directs their attention to prior commands recorded by Moses that reveal God’s original intent for marriage to be an inviolable union. He explains to His disciples that a man or a woman who remarries after (illegitimate) divorce commits adultery.
This passage doesn’t record the full Biblical teaching on divorce and remarriage (see also, e.g., Matthew 19:9; 1 Corinthians 7:10-16). But Jesus escapes the trap set for Him by the Pharisees by exposing both sides of the debate in His day as lax on divorce and missing out on God’s purpose for marriage. With their fixation on divorce, the Pharisees approached marriage with a view to failure rather than success. The call of the Kingdom of God is to approach marriage with a view to success, understanding God’s plan for the lifelong union of husband and wife to be a means of divine blessing. In our own day when divorces are commonplace and healthy marriages are a rarity, solid Christian marriages are a powerful witness to the watching world of the presence and power of Christ in the lives of believers.
The Structure: Just prior to this episode, Jesus had issued a call for sacrificial living on the part of His disciples (11:49-50). He doesn’t completely depart from that theme here. Lax approaches to divorce look for an easy way out to avoid the sacrifices that are always called for in marriage. In fact, marriage is a context in which discipleship if often tested and displayed. Without a spirit of sacrifice, there can be no success in marriage.
In a time when the very institution of marriage is under attack, pray for the health and perseverance of marriages in your church family. Ask the Lord to make such marriages a powerful witness of His presence and love.
For more insight to the Gospel of Mark, get the book, Mark, by J. C. Ryle, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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By Steven C. Wright|Published Date: August 28, 2010
Mark 10:1-2
1And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. 2And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
The Story: Jesus has continued His trek southward and is now in the region of Judea and Trans-Jordan teaching the crowds. Once more, Pharisees arrive on the scene “in order to test him.” In testing Jesus, they are following in the footsteps of Satan (1:13) as they have done previously (8:11). Whenever opponents ask Jesus a question to test Him, the implication is that any answer He gives will displease some party and bring condemnation upon Him. The Pharisees are setting a trap. How does their question bait such a trap? It is helpful to see the fuller version provided by Matthew: “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” (Matthew 19:3).
All Jews recognized the legitimacy of divorce in some situations, but they disputed among themselves as to what reason could justify divorce. The conservative school of Shammai taught that unchastity or adultery were the only grounds for divorce, while the more liberal school of Hillel taught that anything in a wife that displeased her husband could provide legitimate grounds for divorce. The differing viewpoints were based on differing interpretations of Deuteronomy 24:1. It would seem that any answer Jesus gave to their question would alienate some party within Judaism. The Pharisees hoped to skewer Jesus on the horns of this dilemma.
The Structure: Now that Jesus is outside of Galilee where He had focused on teaching the Twelve privately, He once more engages crowds in public teaching. How is it that crowds come out to Jesus the first time He enters this region? People from Judea and beyond Jordan had been among those that earlier flocked to Jesus around Capernaum (3:7-8). One pattern we see in Mark’s gospel is Jesus going to the places from which people had come to Him. He has already been to Tyre and Sidon (7:24), and now He reaches Judea and Trans-Jordan. Those who had traveled to hear Jesus on that earlier occasion had likely returned to their homes with word about Him on their lips. Their testimony has elicited curiosity about Jesus that brings crowds out to hear Him. People had also come from Jerusalem to hear Him (3:8), and that remains His ultimate destination.
Responses of unbelievers to Jesus still run the gamut from curiosity to animosity. Do you know someone in each of these categories? Pray that God would use you to interact appropriately with each so that you might be instrumental in bringing them closer to Jesus.
For more insight to the Gospel of Mark, get the book, Mark, by J. C. Ryle, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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By Steven C. Wright|Published Date: August 27, 2010
Mark 9:49-50
49“For everyone will be salted with fire. 50Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
The Story: This is among the more enigmatic sayings of Jesus. What is all the talk of salt and fire about? We find the answer when we look into the Old Testament at the sacrifices commanded by God to be observed by His people, Israel. Consider Leviticus 2:13: “You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.” When the sacrifices burned in the altar fire, the smoke ascended as a pleasing aroma to Yahweh. He liked His sacrifices seasoned with salt! God’s people are those who had made covenant with Him by sacrifice (Psalm 50:5). In the New Covenant, our bodies are to be offered up as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1).
Both Jesus and Paul portray the life of discipleship in terms of a sacrifice whose smoke ascends to the Lord. To be pleasing to Him, it should be seasoned with the salt of the covenant. What makes disciples salty? The very things Jesus has been commending – humbling themselves, receiving the lowly, looking out for the interests of fellow believers, doing battle with sin. This sacrificial living is the way of life in the Kingdom of God. Such faith-filled living pleases God and transforms relationships such that believers are “at peace with one another.”
The Structure: This saying brings us full circle in Jesus’ response to the disciples’ discussion about their own greatness (v. 34). They had been disputing with one another on the way about who would be the greatest. Jesus has corrected their faulty thinking about discipleship by showing them that the way of the Kingdom is the way of sacrificial service. If they will walk this path, they will have “peace with one another.” There will then be no more need for arguing about who is to be the greatest.
Have your lost your saltiness in your relationship with a fellow believer with whom you are not at peace? If so, pray that the Lord would direct you to add salt back into the relationship through sacrificial service for the glory of God.
For more insight to the Gospel of Mark, get the book, Mark, by J. C. Ryle, from our online store.
The Worldview Bible examines the teaching of Scripture according to the Story and Structure of Truth – the Framework of Christian Worldview – using only other Scriptures for illumination. Information about The Framework of Truth is available on this site. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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