1 Peter 4:9

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1 Peter 4:9


9 Use hospitality [philoxenos] one to another [eis] [allelon] without [aneu] grudging [goggusmos]. KJV-Interlinear


9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint. NASB


Hospitable means to be kind, courteous, polite, social and so forth, with family, friends, acquaintances and even with strangers.

But this hospitality is not limited to chance meetings or greetings, it is intended to be the attitude displayed to everyone all of the time. In other words, your demeanor day in and day out, everyday, throughout your life.

No good days and no bad days. No being nice only when you feel like it. And the tough one, being nice, even when others are not nice to you, or when others do not perform up to your expectations.

Children for example, can be a trying experience. Who picks up after them? Who reminds them? Who gets after them day in and day out? The mom (mostly), or both parents, naturally.

But as this is a learning and training experience for the kids, even if they do not realize it, it is also a trying or testing experience, established by God, for parents.

Have you ever known of the perfect child? No. And you cannot expect them to be perfect. So letting loose with a stream of comments or complaints is a failure to some extent, of the hospitality concept. However, reminding and issuing orders to clean up after themselves is perfectly legitimate.

As for friends and strangers. Do not treat any with one set of rules, and another group with another set of rules. Your personality while away from home, should be the same as it is when you are, at home.

Have you ever yelled at your spouse, and then answered the phone with the sweetest of voices? Ladies??

Ok, if I had a guy example I would certainly list it. But can’t think of one at the moment!!! But as most students are pretty bright, you’ll certainly think of better examples than I would.

Hospitable covers a wide range of behavior.

From not talking too loud, not dominating a conversation, not interrupting, the various forms of courtesy, to a ‘others first, me last’ attitude. If you think of yourself as your very own receptionist, representing yourself, with others being your paying guests, deserving the very best of service and courtesy, then you will have a behavior that conforms with this principle.

Life is tough, and being nice when under pressure is often difficult. We are all flawed and none of us are perfect, but with doctrine in our souls, then this personality behavior guideline can become much easier than you think.

Slip occasionally? Of course, but just confess (privately to God the Father) and re-gather yourself, and move on.

Remember, you are preparing yourself for your final review before Christ, which matters more than anything else.

1 Peter 4:8

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1 Peter 4:8


8 And [de] above [pro] all things [pas] have [echo] fervent [ektenes] charity [agape] among [eis] yourselves [heautou]: for [hoti] charity [agape] shall cover [kalupto] the multitude [plethos] of sins [hamartia]. KJV-Interlinear


8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. NASB


The activities of the sin nature stir up nothing but trouble. All of your life, when lived under the power of the sin nature (out of fellowship), is a source of trouble, and results in trouble, regardless of the activities of your life.

The activities of the spiritual life, serve nothing but good. By definition, the spiritual life is a life, which functions sin free, within the will of God.

The content of the Word of God is truth. The principles of truth, the sum total of the content of the Bible, make up the concept of love. Review our study of 1, 2, and 3rd John.

There are generally three terms used for love, 'phileo', 'agapao', and 'eros.'

The first refers to the emotional responses or reactions of ones life. The second, ‘agapao,’ refers to the principles of life, the rights and wrongs, the knowledge of good verses evil, the discernment of what one should or should not do. The third word is used in reference to intimate relationships between husband and wife, for example.

Fervent, is a word used for urgency, for something of huge importance, for something, right now, that takes precedence over all else. For example, when a person falls or is hurt severely with a life threatening injury, then the only thing that matters is medical attention, right now. That is what urgent means.

Peter calls the use and application of Bible doctrine in ones life, with respect to all things, with respect to relationships between people, with respect to ones relationship with God, as urgent. The love used here includes the concepts, the content, of the Bible.

You can only utilize that which you have learned, and learning requires the priority of, and being consistent in, ones daily study.

In other words, your spiritual life needs to be your highest priority in life. The urgency of your spiritual life means that each time you ignore your spiritual life, you are placing yourself at risk. Why?

Because time is short.

Time is short for your own personal life, because you do not know the details of tomorrow, nor do you know the details of the future of humanity.

And what is the significance of this urgency? Because you are going to be evaluated by Christ one day.

Everything you do in this life is irrelevant and meaningless if you ignore and do not advance in your spiritual life.

Therefore, your daily study, learning, obedience, prayer, etc, should all be high on your daily to-do list.

1 Peter 4:7

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1 Peter 4:7


7 But [de] the end [telos] of all things [pas] is at hand [eggizo]: be ye [sophroneo] therefore [oun] sober [sophroneo], and [kai] watch [nepho] unto [eis] prayer [proseuche]. KJV-Interlinear


7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. NASB


The, ‘end of all things,’ carries two meanings. The first is the generally accepted meaning, which refers to the end of the dispensation of our Church Age. This is commonly called the end of the world, as well.

The second meaning is the end of your own personal life here in this world.

Both meanings apply here.

Unless you are very old, then even the day and hour of your death is not known, but everyone knows that you are on the plank, and walking ever so slowly to its edge.

But for most of us, the date of our death is an unknown. Most of us will live to beat the old age averages. Some will be caught by surprise in some accident, or by some physical ailment, etc., and leave this world sooner than expected.

And as for the end of the world, Jesus said it best.

Matt. 24:36-39
36 ‘But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
37 ‘For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.
38 ‘For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. NASB

The deity of Christ, knows the date and hour, but the humanity of Jesus, does not know the fixed and certain date, that has been set by God the Father, in His divine decrees.

In Peter’s day, before Jesus revealed our current dispensation, the common knowledge of the end times was that:
the Messiah would come into the world at the end of the age of Israel,
that He would secure salvation,
that the Tribulation of seven years (Satan’s last rebellion) would occur,
and then Christ would promptly establish His Kingdom (which is the Millennium or one-thousand years of His rule),
followed by the final judgments and the eternal state.

What was hidden from the Old Testament, was the existence of out current dispensation, which is called the Church Age. Our dispensation was inserted into history and it interrupted the dispensation of the Age of Israel.

That dispensation (the Age of Israel) has seven years remaining in it. Those seven years have been postponed until after our dispensation is completed.

Our dispensation will end with the Rapture.

And just as the days of Noah were ignored as people kept on having parties, weddings and such as their final judgment was approaching, so too, in our current dispensation, the general population of the world will not take note of the many signs of the approaching judgment of the Tribulation.

We do not know the year, day, or hour of the Rapture, but it is really not relevant to our spiritual life.

We are supposed to live our life, in doctrine, growing in grace and spiritual preparation as though each day is going to be our last day here.

The Rapture could occur tomorrow, or it could occur a century from now. Your life could end tomorrow, or you could live for many more decades. In either case, the day of your final breath is irrelevant. What is relevant is whether you will be prepared for your eventual and certain evaluation before Christ.

Your preparation comes from your daily study of the Word for God, and your subsequent advance toward spiritual maturity. That is your priority and objective in life.

The signs that we are nearing the end, is as long as your arm. But, remember that all of those signs are mentioned in the Bible as trends, not specific events (increase in numbers of nations, increase in earthquakes, increase in apostasy, etc., etc., etc.). Most of these trends will occur over several generations, and therefore the date of the Rapture can never be specifically known.

Personally, I don’t think that the Rapture will occur until after the world population has grown to enormous numbers, perhaps fifty or a hundred billion of people, as opposed to the current population of seven billion. If that is correct, then the Rapture will not occur for a century or more. But then this is only a guess. None of us really knows, nor will we ever know.

But one thing is certain, and that is that the world will not have a nation upholding the banner of Christian principles, when the end finally does arrive. And we have seen movement to very anti-Christian philosophies in our own country and throughout the world, just in our own current generation.

Things were bad in the world when Noah was given his instructions, and then he had only a hundred and twenty additional years remaining before judgment. I would just bet that history will move a bit faster in our day, but then who knows!

All that this means is that there will be an end, of your life or of history, and that you will stand before the Lord perhaps sooner than you think. Will you be ready? Or, will you ignore all of this and continue in your ‘I’m doing all that I need to do,’ attitude, with no real sense of urgency for your own spiritual status.

1 Peter 4:6

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1 Peter 4:6


6 For [gar] for [eis] this cause [touto] was the gospel preached [euaggelizo] also [kai] to them that are dead [nekros], that [hina] they might be judged [krino] [men] according to [kata] men [anthropos] in the flesh [sarx], but [de] live [zao] according to [kata] God [theos] in the spirit [pneuma]. KJV-Interlinear


6 For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God. NASB


The gospel of Christ is the good news of the actual work of Christ after it had been accomplished on the Cross.

Prior to the first advent of Christ, all that people had to go on was the promise of a savior, a messiah, a deliverer.

One (God), who would come in the flesh as perfect humanity, pay the price demanded by sin and death, and in so doing, save each person who believes in the one doing that work. This promise and principle of salvation was taught and passed on from generation to generation, by word of mouth and by deed of sacrifices.

And, this principle of salvation (by word and sacrificial ritual) followed humanity from culture to culture, as man moved around the world throughout the ages. Even though many of the sacrificial rituals were distorted and bastardized into evil purposes (as all principles of truth are), their existence testifies to the existence of Gods first promises to Adam and Eve.

For each principle of truth, Satan (and man) has invented a counter principle for evil purposes.

Knowing that humanity would fall off course in life, and knowing that humanity would be judged eventually, before the throne of Christ, this then is the primary reason that the gospel of Christ (both the promise of a savior and the fact of His work) was prepared and given to humanity.

That though humanity would live in the flesh and suffer and live as is common to humanity, and that humanity would eventually all die during the normal course of human history (everyone dies eventually), so that all of humanity would have the opportunity to live in the spirit with God in heaven, and be judged accordingly for heaven.

In other words, knowing that everyone who would be born into life in this world, and that everyone would face judgment, the gospel was prepared and made available to everyone throughout history, regardless of their culture, regardless of the time in which they lived in history, regardless of where on planet earth they would live.

No one would be left out, and therefore no one would, or will, have an excuse of not knowing what is expected by God, and of what they should expect in their own personal future.

This includes you.

You cannot get through life without receiving in some form, the gospel of Christ, and/or the doctrines affecting your spiritual future.

Whether you acknowledge these things or not, is your decision to make. Whether you accept your responsibilities in life, is a decision you have to make daily. Whether you become obedient to the mandates of God and therefore function properly within your spiritual life, is a decision that only you can make for yourself.

In any case, you, only you, make or destroy your own future.

In this world, you will see religious fanatics running, sprinting, giving all that they have, to be obedient or true to their false beliefs. These are the quintessence of fools.

Conversely, in Christianity, you will see believers who live in constant hesitation, constant disobedience, constant indifference, constant reasoning as to why this or that does not apply to them, and yet they hold in their little hands the key to the most phenomenal future that will ever be available to anyone. They remain stubborn to the point of losing a vast fortune, when they are soooo close!

Peter was addressing people who were living under tremendous sufferings and pressures in their lives. No doubt many back then, were thinking exactly as you think, worried about the day to day details of their life.

Your spiritual life is yours alone to live or not live. You have no right to evaluate anyone else. Concentrate on your own life, for how someone else lives in really none of your concern.

God has a plan for you. And only you can choose to follow that plan, or try to skimp by. And who then, is the wise or the fool?

1 Peter 4:5

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1 Peter 4:5


5 Who [hos] shall give [apodidomi] account [logos] to him that is [echo] ready [hetoimos] to judge [krino] the quick [zao] and [kai] the dead [nekros]. KJV-Interlinear


5 but they shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. NASB


There are only two truths in life. The first is that if you have been born into life, then one day you will certainly die. And the second truth is, that at some point in the future, after your certain death, you will be judged by Christ.

Whether you are an unbeliever or a believer makes no difference. Whether you are an immature believer or a mature believer also makes no difference. Even if you happen to be alive in the Rapture generation, your separation from this world will be a form of death as your old body is instantaneously transformed into a resurrection body.

Everyone who has been born into life, will leave this life for eternity, and everyone will be judged (or evaluated) by Christ.

Most people, when they are faced with an examination, will try to prepare for it, in order to get a better grade. But of course there are those folks who do not prepare, and their final grade will be a poor one.

As you live through your life, in this life, as a growing believer, you will face many hardships. And, many of those hardships will come at the hands of folks that don’t happen to like you. Whether you are a peasant caught in the struggle for power by higher classes of folks, or a pawn in someone else's social struggle, or just a person who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, all makes no difference.

Your life depends on God, and your future evaluation depends on the amount of doctrine in your soul that you have learned, understood, applied to your life, and resulted in an abundance of spiritual production.

Everything else that you think, say, and do in life, if it is not a result of your spiritual life, amounts to absolutely nothing.

And the nice thing about all of this, is that this principle or rule, applies to everyone.

The elite, the privileged, the high and mighty, and so forth, are no different than the lowliest of the low, when it comes to the command of God, that they should stand before Him at their appointed time.

The first evaluation in history, will occur immediately after the Rapture. We believers of the dispensation of the Church Age will stand before Christ, in heaven, while the world is undergoing its phenomenal Tribulation.

At the end of their Tribulation, immediately after the Second Advent of Christ, all Old Testament believers will stand before Christ for their evaluation.

We call these judgments, the Judgment Seat of Christ, by the way. This is a good judgment to participate in.

At the end of the Millennium, then all of the Millennial believers will receive their evaluation, and that will conclude the judgments for believers.

At the end of the Millennium, and after all believer judgments, then all unbelievers will be brought before Christ at the Great White Throne, and there they will receive their judgment. This judgment will not be a good one for them. The will collectively and individually continue to reject Christ, and then they will be throne into the Lake of Fire, never to be heard from, or even seen, again.

The universe will then be destroyed, obliterated, extinguished into nothing, as though it had never ever existed, and then heaven will descend into a new universe, which between the two, will combine into our one great new and eternal playground and home. It will be so vast, that even in all of eternity, we will never be able to explore all of it.

The results of your evaluation, the blessings, rewards, privileges, honors, etc, that you receive at your judgment before Christ, will be yours and will become active and functional during this eternal state.

Therefore, your evaluation before Christ is the single most important evaluation that you will ever have. And the results of your evaluation, are totally determined by the doctrine, the spiritual production of your spiritual life. In this manner, you have some control over the design of your evaluation results.

You can either grow and live the spiritual life as God intends for you to live it, and become the recipient of the eternally permanent and highest honors in all of history, or you can ignore all of this Bible stuff, and lose out on those blessings and rewards.

Those rewards are totally dependent on your spiritual life, or lack of it.

So, remember when you are being maligned or used as a puppet by the people and systems of the world, that they will have to answer to God, just as you will. And that they, by their sin nature driven souls, are doing nothing to you, but totally destroying their eternal future blessings.

You may be hammered a bit for now, but then it is far better to suffer now for later blessings that will never end, than to have the good life, of the sin nature, now, and then suffer (lose out on blessings) for all of eternity.

1 Peter 4:3-4

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1 Peter 4:3-4


3 For [gar] the time [chronos] past [parerchomai] of our life [bios] may suffice [arketos] us [hemin] to have wrought [katergazomai] the will [thelema] of the Gentiles [ethnos], when we walked [poreuomai] in [en] lasciviousness [aselgeia], lusts [epithumia], excess of wine [oinophlugia], revellings [komos], banquetings [potos], and [kai] abominable [athemitos] idolatries [eidololatreia]:
4 Wherein [en] [hos] they think it strange [xenizo] that ye [humon] run [suntrecho] not [me] with them to [eis] the same [autos] excess [anachusis] of riot [asotia], speaking evil of [blasphemeo] you: KJV-Interlinear


3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. 4 And in all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you; NASB


You have five potential live phases. The first is as an unbeliever. This occurs from the moment of your birth to the moment of your belief in Christ.

Everyone lives this phase of their life.

The second phase of your life begins the moment of your initial faith in Christ. This is your second birth. Just as your first birth occurred in an instant of time (you exited the womb and inhaled your first breath of air), so too your second birth occurs in an instant of time (the moment of your faith in Christ). At the moment of your salvation, you are in fellowship with God.

The third phase of your life occurs while you are a believer and it oscillates back and forth between fellowship and your carnal life. It begins at the moment of your first sin, ends at the moment of your confession, restarts when you commit another sin, ends when you confess, and so forth.

Your second and third phases oscillate back and forth between your carnal life and your spiritual life, but both occur during your life as a believer.

Your fourth phase of life begins at the moment of your physical death, and continues until you receive a resurrection body.

And your fifth phase of life will begin at the moment when you receive your resurrection body and will continue on forever without interruption.

Note quickly that each of these phase changes occur instantaneously. Only the second and third phase may be controlled by your own decisions. The decision to believe in Christ, and the decisions to confess.

Peter tells us here that when we have believed in Christ, then our first life phase, the time when we are totally under the control of our sin nature as an unbeliever, has passed away permanently. Once you believe in Christ, then you cannot return to your former state. Once born, you cannot unborn yourself. Once born again, you cannot unborn yourself.

But while you are a believer you can certainly imitate the lifestyle of the unbeliever, simply by ignoring doctrine. And if you do that then you will think and act just like any unbeliever, and you will be one of them, so to speak.

But, if you choose to ignore the call of your sin nature, and pursue the call of your spiritual life, then you will be ostracized, treated as an outsider, made fun of, shunned, ridiculed, even treated with contempt or violence.

You have a choice as a believer in Christ. You can live like any other unbeliever, cave in to the peer pressures of life, refuse to go against the tide of current or popular opinion, and in effect bow down to the god of the worlds’ philosophies, ideas, and beliefs.

Or, you can refuse to bow to the world, and take the hits that the world will throw at you.

The activities listed in verse three, are simply broad categories of the activities of the sin nature. We studied that yesterday. Whether criminal, human righteousness, lascivious, lustful, or asceticism, any activity sponsored by the sin nature is evil.

The world will demand that you conform to it, and any rejection of the world makes you an instant enemy.

And understand that the world, its philosophies, its religions, its beliefs, and so forth, make friends of no one, and sooner or later, enemies of everyone.

In doctrine, you will end up in life a winner, regardless of your circumstances.

In the carnal world, you will end up a loser, regardless of your circumstances.

Jesus Christ controls history, not man, not angels, certainly not governments. Jesus Christ holds you, the advancing believer, in the palm of His hand, and there you are under His protection, His perfect protection.

Whatever happens in life, and we are probably witnessing the beginnings of a difficult economic time in our history, just remember that it is Christ who will get you through it all, not the world.

So your best avenue of survival is to stick with your daily Bible studies, and in so doing, God will place the seeds of clear responsible thinking within your mind, so you can make the tough decisions and the right decisions that will help you get through life, regardless of what you may be facing.

Typically, the world that drifts away from truth, has to be hit hard, before enough folks get it, wake up, and get back to focusing on truth, God and their spiritual life. The more stubborn the population is, the more and harder the hits will become. So, as the Bible says, gird up your loins, prepare yourself.

1 Peter 4:2

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1 Peter 4:2


2 That [eis] he [bioo] no longer [meketi] should live [bioo] the rest [epiloipos] of his time [chronos] in [en] the flesh [sarx] to the lusts [epithumia] of men [anthropos], but [alla] to the will [thelema] of God [theos]. KJV-Interlinear


2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. NASB


The distinction here is whether you choose to live within the power of the sin nature that resides within your physical body, or to live within the power of the Holy Spirit (fellowship).

The sin nature is a genetic defect that passes down to all of humanity, from Adam, Rom. 6:6, 7:5, 18, Gen. 5:3. When a person is born, the sin nature is the target of the original sin of Adam, Rom. 5:12. This leads to spiritual death and the subsequent sovereignty of the sin nature’s control over the person’s life, Rom. 6:12.

The sin nature is the focal point of mans rebellion against God and truth, and is referred to by various terms – sin, Rom. 7:13, flesh, Gal. 5:16, old man, Eph. 4:22.

The sin nature has an area of weakness which is sin, Rom. 12:1, an area of strength which is human good, Isa. 64:6, a tendency toward asceticism, 2 Cor. 11:13, a trend toward lasciviousness, Gal. 5:19-21, and a lust pattern, Eph. 2:3.

The sin nature is in constant conflict – the law of God verses the law of the physical body, Rom. 7:22-23

And here we have the command of God to live the rest of our days, in fellowship, under the control of Gods laws, rather than under the control of the carnal laws of the body.

You are bound by one set of laws or the other. There is no third set of laws, no self defined laws, preferences, or beliefs, by which you can free yourself from sin, or from God. You live your life either by the sin nature or by Bible doctrine. And you make that choice all by yourself. You are a slave to the one or to the other.

And it is far better to be a slave of truth, than a slave of lies.

God expects you to choose truth, rather than subject yourself to the selfish lies of the flesh, its pleasures, its arrogant opinions, its enticements, its arguments, its reasonings, its logic, all of which are deceitful traps.

God expects you to live your life in fellowship, which is accomplished by the regular confession of your sins from day to day, or how ever often you need to confess to God the Father.

God expects you to grow up in truth, by learning Bible doctrine, developing an appetite for truth, by using it in your daily life, and by advancing to maturity in your spiritual life. This is the path of your life for a complete, and thorough, and successful life. One which will last you forever.

1 Peter 4:1

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1 Peter 4:1


1 Forasmuch then as [oun] Christ [Christos] hath suffered [pascho] for [huper] us [hemon] in the flesh [sarx], arm [hoplizo] yourselves [humeis] likewise [kai] with the same [autos] mind [ennoia]: for [hoti] he that hath suffered [pascho] in [en] the flesh [sarx] hath ceased [pauo] from sin [hamartia]; KJV-Interlinear


1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, NASB


Because Christ went to the Cross, because Christ came into this world and suffered in our place, because Christ performed the work of salvation making a path open to each one of us, because Christ did all of this and more, making available for each one of us a means for spiritual growth to maximum maturity and benefit forever, then ‘arm yourselves,’ says this verse. Because you have this wonderful opportunity, then take advantage of it.

This armor is a protective covering, both for offensive and defensive actions, as applied in a military setting.

Our armor is Bible doctrine, it is the shield for our soul, covering us over with Gods protection of discernment, for seeing and recognizing truth, for possessing the orientation to life, to people, to God, to understanding, to wisdom, to everything.

This armor is the armor of thought, the thinking of your mind. The same thinking that Christ possesses, which is the Word of God, the mind of Christ.

Because when you live outside of the fellowship of God, you by default live in the carnal realm of the sin nature. And whether you admit it or not, whether you recognize it or not, all life under the control of the sin nature, is a form of suffering.

Some folks will laugh at this comment, as they exercise their lusts and passions, never imagining their activities as suffering, but more to pleasure than anything else.

But suffering does not mean physical pain or mental pain only, suffering also means the repercussions of ones chosen lifestyle. And those repercussions of a life lived under the sin nature, will lead to loss of spiritual growth, and therefore loss of eternal blessings. These blessings will not become apparent until you actually see them and then lose them.

Imagine holding the winning ticket for gazillions, seeing the pile of money so high that you cannot even see the top, beginning your celebration for your good fortune, and then at the last moment, someone comes along and takes it from you. You lose. The disappointment overwhelms you. The jokes, the attitude, all suddenly have no meaning as they once did.

And so it is with people who just will not get with their daily study program, with people who will not buy into Gods plan, with people who never, or refuse, to see the importance of their spiritual life.

It is far too easy to ignore God and just live your life from day to day, but then no commitment means no reward. But making a commitment means ‘Ugh!’ having to read the Bible everyday, having to confess perhaps several times a day, having to monitor your thoughts constantly. It means no more fun … in the sinful sense. It means having to share with others, that which you have worked so hard for … Ugh! Such suffering! And for what?

1 Peter 3:22

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1 Peter 3:22


22 Who [hos] is gone [poreuomai] into [eis] heaven [ouranos], and is [esti] on [en] the right hand [dexios] of God [theos]; angels [aggelos] and [kai] authorities [exousia] and [kai] powers [dunamis] being made subject [hupotasso] unto him [autos]. KJV-Interlinear


22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him. NASB


At the first advent of Jesus Christ, He came into this world to render sin and death, impotent. He accomplished this on the Cross.

Throughout history, humanity has invented various other deities and faiths, as substitutes for a better divine destiny, and one that is more to mans liking and convenience. And in this, Jesus Christ was ignored, rejected, or replaced.

However, truth stands on its own, and invented deities, invented standards, convenient beliefs, which originate from mans imagination, filled with lies, never stand, but collapse under their own false weight.

By the same token, truth elevates the one and only means of access to God (the Father), which access is through Jesus Christ, who was rejected by arrogant humanity, to the highest possible position in existence.

God the Father is the highest ranking being. Satan wanted to be like the most high, but resented having to go through someone else.

Humanity in his arrogance seeks to elevate itself to the level of God (the Father), but resents having to go through someone else.

It seems that arrogance refuses to be relegated to rules, thinking themselves greater than the rules. And so the rule, the gateway, the only means of access, is Himself elevated to a position even higher than that of the Father.

The right side is traditionally the position of authority. When a general rides in a vehicle, walks down the sidewalk, sits at a table, he is always seated on the right, with all subordinates seated or positioned to the left. When you walk your dog, the dog is on the left with you the human positioned on the right. That is the relationship of authority to subordinates.

When you function in life, you may want to keep this in mind, for it reflects on how you view life, and on how you view Gods rules.

Jesus Christ is seated currently at the right hand side of the Father, in heaven, Psa. 110:1, Rom. 8:34, Col. 3:1, Eph. 1:20, Heb. 1:3. Jesus Christ, who is the one being rejected by evil, is in fact the highest authority in all of the universe and in heaven. There is no other realm in existence but heaven and our universe.

This position does not make Jesus better than the Father or the Spirit. They are all three co-equal, co-infinite, and co-eternal. They all three possess the same and identical attributes and essence. However, since man will attempt to approach God the Father, through their own efforts, then the plan of God (the Father), singled out the Son as the only means of access to the Godhead. Arrogance cannot stand being ordered about or told what it can or cannot do.

And since Gods plan is extremely simple, it becomes a stumbling block for sin, which rejects any suggestion that it is subordinate to anyone or anything.

If Jesus Christ has all the ability, resources, and power in existence, then He can do anything. There is nothing too difficult for Him. He is able to create a universe right down to it smallest detail. He can destroy the universe and recreated another one with different rules of physics and function.

If Jesus Christ holds us in His hands, then there is no one and nothing, that can take us out of His hands.

If you pursue your spiritual life, if you obey Gods mandates, if you subscribe to the principles and rules of the spiritual life as well as your temporal life, as God would have you, then it is He who watches over you and takes action on your prayers.

Don’t forget that all legitimate prayer is directed toward the Father, through the name of Christ, but it is Christ who executes your prayers and makes them come into reality.

With Christ on your side, then losing in life is an impossibility. Victory is certain.

By the same token, if you compromise your spiritual life, then you do not have Christ on your side, and winning becomes your impossibility. Loss becomes your certainty.

Peter has been addressing people who have been living under stressful conditions. Peter has pointed out that many folks in history have lived under even greater stresses, and have come out of it all in great shape. The difference between the winner and the loser in life, is Jesus Christ, in their life.

You just have to decide when it is that you are going to adopt and live by Gods mandates, setting your own personal standards or convenient beliefs, aside. Which view in life is more important?

1 Peter 3:21

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1 Peter 3:21


21 The like figure [antitupos] whereunto [hos] even baptism [baptisma] doth [sozo] also [kai] now [nun] save [sozo] us [hemas] (not [ou] the putting away [apothesis] of the filth [rhupos] of the flesh [sarx], but [alla] the answer [eperotema] of a good [agathos] conscience [suneidesis] toward [eis] God [theos],) by [dia] the resurrection [anastasis] of Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos]: KJV-Interlinear


21 And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you — not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience — through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, NASB


This is one of the most confusing verses in the Bible, as most folks look at the baptism aspects rather than the cause or purpose of the baptism.

The verse begins clearly with the statement that this is a ‘figure,’ a representation, a symbolism, an anti-type of a type, an example or illustration of the real thing. The real thing being salvation.

Remember that the Bible is a long series of parables. Filled with symbolisms and representations of real life experiences that teach spiritual phenomena.

The baptism is an immersion or the complete covering of a thing (your life) in such a manner as to wash away, or wipe away, or identify with, a greater reality (salvation).

Christ’s work on the Cross is the actual work of salvation. When a person believes in Christ, the Holy Spirit regenerates within the person, a human spirit, which is a vessel (the third vessel component of the person), and into which eternal life is inserted. This makes the person trichotomous (body, soul, and spirit). Unbelievers are body and soul only or dichotomous.

Using the flood of Noah, Peter illustrates the suffering Noah and his family endured when surrounded by extreme evil. That was the state of his world then, and is representative of the state of the current world now, and always has been.

They were not delivered by the water, not delivered by the ark, but delivered by means of their good conscience, which means that they believed in God, His instructions, and were obedient to His commands. And in this case, they were to build an ark.

Without the ark, they would have died in the water, along with everyone else. The water was the agent of judgment. The ark was not submerged in the water, but road up and above the water. It was the agent of deliverance. Neither Noah nor any member of his family were made wet (from the judgment), but were kept dry (in fellowship), within the confines of the ark (Gods protection). And their whole picture of this series of events, points to their faith and trust and obedience in God. For without that, they would have nothing.

Baptism is a washing. It is depicted as the washing away of filth and dirt and stench off of the external body. But washing the body in water is not salvation and it saves nothing. This is representative of the washing of the soul in salvation. The Holy Spirit’s baptism is the actual and real baptism, which washes away the stench of sin, from the persons soul.

In salvation, the individual is washed and immediately placed in fellowship. But then we do not go to heaven immediately. We still have to live our life, and grow up in our spiritual life. And as we are still confined to our physical bodies, which are riddled with the sin nature, we must cleanse regularly (confession), in order to maintain our spiritual cleanliness (fellowship) throughout our daily life.

All of this we do in obedience to Gods mandate for obtaining and keeping a relationship with Him.

The good conscience is the maintained soul. Maintained with the proper foods (Bible doctrine) and the proper care (confession). A proper diet (doctrine) and the proper exercise (application of doctrine to ones daily life), make for proper and healthy growth in ones spiritual life.

The rituals of life, do not save. The daily shower, the weekly or monthly sprinkle of water, do not save, or even contribute in any way to ones spiritual life.

The only thing that saves is faith in Christ. And in this, faith has only to be expressed one time in ones life. Once you believe you cannot undo, that belief.

The only thing that promotes growth and health, is obedience to Gods commands.

The answer, ‘eperotema,’ (Gods answer), to faith (your good conscience response), is salvation.

The answer, ‘eperotema,’ (Gods answer), to obedience in your spiritual life (your good conscience response), is spiritual growth to maturity.

The Holy Spirit is the agent of both of these accomplishments. Jesus Christ, is the source of both of these accomplishments.

1 Peter 3:19-20

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1 Peter 3:19-20


19 By [en] which [hos] also [kai] he went [poreuomai] and preached [kerusso] unto the spirits [pneuma] in [en] prison [phulake];
20 Which sometime [pote] were disobedient [apeitheo], when [hote] once [hapax] the longsuffering [makrothumia] of God [theos] waited [ekdechomai] in [en] the days [hemera] of Noah [Noe], while the ark [kibotos] was a preparing [kataskeuazo], wherein [eis] [hos] few [oligos], that is [toutesti], eight [okto] souls [psuche] were saved [diasozo] by [dia] water [hudor]. KJV-Interlinear


19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. NASB


After Christ’s work on the Cross was finished, He pushed himself forward, exhaled His last breath, and died physically, in the same manner as every other human being on this earth has died.

At that moment several miracles and events took place. The storm, the earthquake, some Old Testament believers rose up and walked the streets for Jerusalem, the curtain dividing the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies in the Temple, was torn top to bottom and so forth.

But there was another set of events that occurred that living humanity did not see. When He died, Jesus’ body was placed in the grave, His soul went to paradise (one of the compartments in the underworld called Hades), and His spirit went to heaven (but His spirit made a quick stop in Tartarus, first).

In any other death of a believer, the soul and spirit never separate. They will remain together forever, never to be separated, ever. But in Jesus’ case, there was an exception, as well as a demonstration.

In death, the unbeliever who consists of body and soul only, leaves this world, resides temporarily in Torments (another of the compartments in the underworld called Hades), and remains there until they are called for at the end of human history, to stand before Christ at the Great White Throne. There, they will then be formally sentenced to the Lake of Fire, and that judgment formally executed.

When the believer died in Old Testament days, then their soul and spirit, both eternally united, went to paradise and there awaited the victory of the cross. They were often referred to as captives. Not that they were in jail for wrong doing, but because and until Satan’s accusations had been formally dealt with by the Cross, they had a place to go to while awaiting Gods victory.Cross.


Acts 2:27
27 Because Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, Nor allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay. NASB

Eph. 4:8-9
8 Therefore it says, ‘When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men.’
9 (Now this expression, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? NASB

Psa 68:18
18 Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captive Thy captives; NASB

Once the victory of the Cross had been historically accomplished, then those believers from Old Testament times, were led by Christ, out of Paradise, and into heaven. Therefore, since Paradise in now empty, this means only that Christ has accomplished, successfully, His work on the Cross and had descended (His soul that is) into Paradise (Hades).

Prior to the advent of the human race, angels lived in this universe. They were led in a rebellion by Satan, were given a chance to return to God, refused and some were judged to the Lake of Fire. Those rebellious angels, fallen angels or demons, or devils as they may be called, are currently awaiting their sentencing orders from God.

But there is another category of creature that came into existence at the time of Noah.

In Genesis six, we have the story of angels breeding with human women, producing many strange, strong and powerful hybrid creatures. They were evil to the extreme. And as the Bible states, these people were the source of the stories of the great men of old, which today we call Greek mythology.

When the ark was built they were evangelized by Noah, but rejected the salvation call. The word for disobedient, ‘apeitheo,’ means the disobedience of a belligerent kind. They were not only indifferent toward the gospel, but they openly and deliberately opposed God, Noah, and everything that smacked of truth. Their evil was never repeated in history, that is, until the end times of the Tribulation, when life will get evil and horrible to the extreme. That comparison is made in Matthew 24.

When Noah and his family (Noah, Noah’s wife, Noah’s three sons and their three wives), of only eight people, entered into the ark, then the rains and underground waters came and the entire population of the world died.

Those half-breed creatures, half-human, half-angel, were sent to Tartarus, where they remained and will remain until the end of human history and their judgment.

Their belligerent attitude was so great, that with their fate now sealed because of the victory of the Cross, Christ, in His spirit, went into Hades, to Tartarus, to announce the victory of the Cross and that their fate was now sealed.

The fallen angels have already been told their fate, and humanity will find out their fate in a formal trial at the Great White Throne. These creatures were evidently the worst of the worst of living creatures, and defiant to the maximum.

Their belligerence, their defiance, their evil was so great, and yet they lost everything. Only eight people were delivered because of their faith.

In the end days, the world will again turn evil to the maximum, and likewise there will be few by comparison, who will not follow the popular beliefs, but will remain faithful to the very last moment before the Second Advent.

Noah and his family suffered because of their faith and faithfulness. They worked on the ark for one-hundred and twenty years. That is a long time to bear the brunt of the worlds criticism. Most folks would cave in and turn away from God, because of the social pressures and treatment.

At the end of history, a few people, will stick it out, even to the point of hiding in caves with absolutely no comforts for home, when they could easily leave their caves and go with the popular opinions of the world.

And by the way, if the Tribulation does not occur for another hundred years, just imagine the comforts that people will have a century from now, and imagine leaving all of those conveniences for the extreme hardships of life in a cave. Could you do that today? It will be doubly hard for future generations. Generations who may not even know how to boil water, let alone make a fire, catch game and cook it, while at the same time hide and keep from being discovered, in an even further advanced technological age of the future.

And of course, after three days in the grave, Christ was reunited with his soul, and spirit, and a resurrected body, and then ascended into heaven and so forth. It was then that He led all of the captives out of Paradise and into heaven.

A huge parade, and huge celebration, one that we can only find a comparison in the Old Testament in 2 Sam. 6. You can read that story at your leisure.

Judgment on the Cross, blasted Christ apart into His three components, body, soul and spirit. And yet the work of the Cross was so thorough and complete, that death could not keep Him dismembered.

1 Peter 3:18

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1 Peter 3:18


18 For [hoti] Christ [Christos] also [kai] hath once [hapax] suffered [pascho] for [peri] sins [hamartia], the just [dikaios] for [huper] the unjust [adikos], that [hina] he might bring [prosago] us [hemas] to God [theos], being put to death [thanatoo] [men] in the flesh [sarx], but [de] quickened [zoopoieo] by the Spirit [pneuma]: KJV-Interlinear


18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; NASB


Jesus Christ went to the Cross and suffered in order that we may not have to suffer. Christ was nailed to the Cross in the mid morning hours and hung there until noon on the day of the Passover feast, a single day celebration.

At noon, when the sun was high and the day was bright, the skies darkened with a supernatural darkness. The first of two supernatural darkness's that will occur in history. The second will occur immediately before the Second Advent, at the end of their tribulation.

When darkness covered the world, then for three hours, Jesus screamed and screamed in the most horrible suffering beyond human imagination or perception. His physical suffering prior to all of this, the beatings, the mental torture, and so forth, were nothing by comparison.

For three hours, Jesus died a spiritual death, while he was still physically alive and hanging on the Cross, receiving the punishment for all of mankind's sins.

He died once. He went to the Cross once. He paid the price and penalty once, and only once, for that was all that was necessary in order to clear the slate of charges for the sins of all of humanity.

Jesus did not die daily, or even several times during His life. He did not come back and keep on coming back to earth in order to clean up mans continuing mess. Christ died once and He died for everyone, believers and unbelievers alike. All sins were paid in full. None were left out or forgotten or overlooked.

Jesus did not do anything in order to deserve this judgment and suffering. He is the just. Man has failed miserably throughout his life and all of history. Humanity is the unjust.

Being failures in life, man has no future whatsoever. Mans destiny would be eternal separation from God. God is truth, God is life, therefore man was at risk of being separated from truth and life, forever. And that is the Lake of Fire, which is an environment of uncontrollable chaos. God controls all of history, but leaves the Lake of Fire to mans’ and Satan's control, which results in no control.

Therefore, Christ went to the Cross in order to give each one of us an opportunity for restoration to life, which is also a relationship with God, who is life. Apart from Jesus, there is no other means of attaining this restoration.

Jesus went to the Cross and died a spiritual death when He received the punishment of all of mans sins. They were poured out on Him. Then He died a physical death, in the very same manner as every other human being dies. His soul and spirit left the body.

But unlike humanity, who lacks the ability or power to restore themselves, their soul and spirit, back into their physical body, Jesus, in faith, looked to God and was restored back to life.

‘Made alive again,’ means to be restored to life, made alive, recalled to life, reanimated with the affect that He would never lose life again.

And so, we as humanity, who believe in Christ, and living in this devils world, may very well suffer in varying degrees. In our suffering in life, we associate ourselves with the suffering that Jesus endured prior to and during the time He hung on the Cross. Likewise, in our physical death, this suffering as it may be called, because it is the event of separation of oneself from the physical body, is also an identification of Christ in his physical death after the events of the Cross.

So in life and in death we identify with Christ, and likewise being identified with Christ, we will be called back to life and restored just as He was.

There is our eternal guarantee of eternal life and the elimination of any possibility of having a second death or the Lake of Fire. This promise and guarantee belongs to each person who has believed in Christ, and therefore in believing in Him, identified with Him in His work (not our own pathetic attempts at works).

1 Peter 3:17

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1 Peter 3:17


17 For [gar] it is better [kreitton], if [ei] the will [thelema] of God [theos] be so [thelo], that ye suffer [pascho] for well doing [agathopoieo], than [e] for evil doing [kakopoieo]. KJV-Interlinear


17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. NASB


In life there are only two forms of suffering. There is suffering for unbelievers and suffering for believers.

For unbelievers there is suffering for pain, suffering for death, and suffering by means of Gods control over history.

In suffering for pain wherein the unbeliever suffers due to the many difficulties of life that bring pain into the unbelievers life, demonstrating their inability to control their own life, and thus (hopefully), seek a solution that is greater than they, and that solution is faith in Christ, or the salvation message.

So life's suffering is a form of judgment against the unbeliever with the objective of getting their attention and getting them to listen to the gospel with the result that they believe in Christ and thus become saved and not lost for all of eternity.

Suffering by death is the only result of a hardened stubborn attitude against truth. If the unbeliever rejects Gods grace in the gospel and refuses to believe in Christ. The only recourse then is to remove them from history by death. This leads to their eternal judgment or second death, which will be the Lake of Fire.

In life, the unbeliever can expect only judgment from God. Any blessing they receive is merely because of their association with believers who happen to be living on the same planet as the unbelievers. By having believers here on planet earth, is the only thing that gives the unbeliever any form of blessing.

While the Ark was being built, Noah and his family were the only ones receiving blessing. Unbelievers enjoyed life only while Noah was constructing the Ark. Once they entered into the Ark, that blessing enjoyed by the unbelieving population, ceased and they all died.

When the Rapture occurs, all believers will leave the world, leaving only unbelievers. The world will deteriorate rapidly and were it not for folks recognizing their circumstances and coming to Christ, then the Tribulation would not last its designated seven years, but would end in a much shorter time.

The last judgment related suffering for unbelievers comes for God Himself. Jesus Christ controls history. And despite that it is Satan who currently rules the world, it is Christ who controls the flow of history.

Evil despises evil. There is no honor among thieves. One tyrant hates another tyrant. One unbeliever hates another unbeliever. And Christ allows these evil components to destroy each other. One evil nation may be allowed to rise up in order to destroy another evil nation. And so history moves along with Gods guidance, not mans.

As for believers, there are two forms of suffering. The first is for punitive purposes, and the second is suffering for blessing.

Of all the suffering categories just mentioned, the very last is the best form of suffering that one could have, because it is God who controls all aspects of it, and its objective is to aid and accelerate the believer in his spiritual growth.

Punitive suffering comes from Gods discipline toward the individual for the bad choices the believer has made. These bad choices are all related to not living in the fellowship sphere and not living in accordance with Gods mandates and will, for the individual. Simply put, when you do not live within your spiritual life, then suffering from discipline will occur.

There is a fine line that differentiates suffering from discipline and suffering for blessing. One person can lose their job and if they do not have a functional spiritual life, then their suffering is disciplinary purposes. Another person who lives within their spiritual life, can lose their job, and that becomes suffering for blessing.

The first looks at life and probably for excuses or blame. They should learn from the experience and begin to look to God through doctrine. The second person, looks to God and knows in his heart, that another job will become available, that God will not let him down. They advance in their faith and trust in God.

In either case, the mental attitude and stresses on each individual will be different. Much easier for the spiritually mature person than the immature person.

They both will have to go look for work, etc. Responsibility and the methods for finding solutions will not differ for either. The only real difference between the two, is Gods blessing or lack of it in their respective lives, and the intent that God has for each of them as a result of the suffering.

The negative person receives suffering in order to get their focus on God, doctrine, and their spiritual life. The positive person, receives suffering in order to strengthen their spiritual life and advance them even further in their faith.

If a person endures suffering and does not respond as God intends, then what have they gained by their suffering? Nothing.

If a person endures suffering and then responds positively toward God, then they stand to gain immensely in their life.

It is far better that God should be the one coordinating your suffering (resulting in a better spiritual life), than your simply stumbling along in life with no real solution forthcoming (no advancement or effect in your spiritual life).

This is the devils world. Satan rules and evil is his policy. Therefore, suffering will occur, because that is the only result that evil can produce. If you subscribe to satanic policies, then suffering is all that you will ever receive. All of the rhetoric for change, for the children, for humanity, for peace, for whatever, will make no difference. Rhetoric, intentions, or sincerity have no power to alter or improve evil.

The unbelievers only hope is the change that accompanies salvation.

The negative or immature believers only hope is the change that accompanies their positive response to doctrine.

The mature believers only hope is in the confidence that they are advancing in their spiritual life, and that God has given them an opportunity to see life without the fears and anxieties that suffering normally produces. God is in the drives seat and their confidence through their enhanced faith, strengthens their spiritual life to even greater levels.

1 Peter 3:16

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1 Peter 3:16


16 Having [echo] a good [agathos] conscience [suneidesis]; that [hina], whereas [en] [hos] they speak evil [katalaleo] of you [humon], as [hos] of evildoers [kakopoios], they may be ashamed [kataischuno] that falsely accuse [epereazo] your [humon] good [agathos] conversation [anastrophe] in [en] Christ [Christos]. KJV-Interlinear


16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. NASB


A good conscience, is one that is clear of all that is phony, insincere, or hypocritical. A good conscience is one, which is backed up by credible scruples, principles, a pattern of life that supports, or is evidence of, the principles that you profess to live by.

It is not enough to be sincere in your opinions or beliefs. It is not enough to say all the right things to fit the convenience or opportunity of the moment. Anyone can make promises, or offer apologizes, or make appearances. It is quite another thing to back up those comments with credible actions in ones life.

Your objective in the spiritual life, is to advance to a level of understanding such that your life fits the guidelines prescribed by God.

We all falter from time to time, but the important thing is that we recover our spiritual stability and move on from our failures.

None of us are perfect. And there will be folks out there who will happily remind us of our flaws, especially any past failures you might have. People are unforgiving, in general.

Forgiveness means to forget. To forget just as though the deed had never occurred.

When God forgives, He wipes the sin out completely. He blots the sin out in such a way that is may as well have never occurred. Unfortunately, people do not do this.

And so, Peter teaches us to pursue our spiritual life no matter what confrontations we might run into. People will hate you. People will gossip against you. People will try to discredit you. But your best reaction to this is to keep on, keeping on in your spiritual life.

In so doing, you will advance yourself in your spiritual life, advance yourself in the eyes of God, and as for those who will try to ruin you, they will be discredited in due course. They may never acknowledge it until they reach heaven (assuming that they are believers), but discredited they will be, sooner or later.

And you will be vindicated by virtue of the fact of your spiritual advancement, by virtue of your spiritual production (established by a consistent life in fellowship), and by virtue of the fact of your blessings you will receive in heaven.

Do not let the world get you down. Even if you have been wrong in your life, even if you have failed miserably during your life, even if you have been a thorough jerk at some point in your life.

Then change yourself in doctrine, and keep with doctrine. Your objective is not to convince others. That may be impossible. But your objective is to gain Gods recognition by means of your consistent and legitimate spiritual life, and by your maintaining a steady (despite any stumbles from time to time) and consistent pattern of life, in your spiritual life, which proves the actual content of your soul.

What others think of you is of no consequence. They cannot evaluate and they cannot bless. Only God can do that, and only Gods opinion counts.

1 Peter 3:15

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1 Peter 3:15


15 But [de] sanctify [hagiazo] the Lord [kurios] God [theos] in [en] your [humon] hearts [kardia]: and [de] be ready [hetoimos] always [aei] to [pros] give an answer [apologia] to every man [pas] that asketh [aiteo] you [humas] a reason [logos] of [peri] the hope [elpis] that is in [en] you [humin] with [meta] meekness [prautes] and [kai] fear [phobos]: KJV-Interlinear


15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; NASB


To sanctify, means to make holy, to bless, to consecrate, to purify, and therefore means to transform your soul from the sin nature state that it is in, to a holy state that it should be in, through doctrine.

Peter quotes from Isaiah 8.

Isa. 8:13
13 ‘It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread. NASB

Here he replaces ‘the Lord of Hosts’ with ‘the Lord God’ as his reference to Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the living word. When we take into our souls, the word of God, through study and application to our daily lives, then we are in effect taking in Jesus Christ into our souls. A living source as opposed to a dead thing in the sin nature.

Bible doctrine is the truth, and truth is life. Anything else is not life and therefore a dead thing. If you have ever seen something or someone who is dead, then you understand that the dead have no life, and are empty, totally empty of everything. Anything from this world is dead, and therefore amounts to grand total of nothing.

Of the many reasons for you to grow up in your spiritual life, one certain reason is so that you will be able to answer any questions that may be asked of you. People may challenge you in doctrine, or they may simply ask a question out of curiosity.

The word here for answer, ‘apologia,’ means to answer formally before a judge. But Peter is making this response a general response, and therefore making it a casual answer in casual circumstances, but an answer from preparation, not from guesses.

You are not expected to quote scripture, or to list the ten points of a subject and identify each and why. That is too formal. Most folks, when they ask questions, are not interested in the nitty-gritty details or proofs of your aanswer, all they really want is something that makes sense.

Think of a child, when he or she asks a grown-up type of question. The simple answer is the best answer. The child cannot understand a PhD type of dissertation on a subject, and so too, a spiritually young individual just needs the basics, not some complicated answer.

If you have been studying doctrine for a while, then you are prepared, even if you do not know it.

In your lifetime, you will no doubt be challenged or inquired of, by many different folks, and the simple answer is usually the best answer.

And as Peter here suggests, answer in humility and respect (gentleness and reverence/meekness and fear). This is accomplished without arrogance and not challenging the beliefs of the other person. If more information is sought, then you can invite them to your study group, online study, or church, or wherever you assemble for your own personal study. There, they can begin their own study, and hopefully find the answers they are seeking.

Never close the door on a potentially positive person. Remember that Paul was a murderer before he became the primary writer of the New Testament. Jacob was a chiseler before his name was changed to Israel, the father of a nation. Moses committed murder before he ran off into exile, and later returned for the deliverance of a nation. Solomon was a womanizer. David had many wives, and made many mistakes.

None of us are perfect. Look in the mirror and you’ll see your own flaws. Perhaps they are not as dramatic, but you have flaws and you are not perfect.

God made room for you, therefore you have no right to prevent someone from doctrine, even if they challenge or ridicule you. Their eternal life is at stake even if they do not understand it.

But you understand, and God may well use you some day, for the purpose of bringing someone to doctrine and their spiritual life, and that is something that has eternal repercussions. What you say will impact them forever.

Therefore, promote doctrine, as God would want you to, not by defensiveness, not by arrogance, not with reservations, but with humble confidence and certainty.

Famous people of history have an impact on history, but that impact is transient and temporary. You could and probably will, have an impact through doctrine, on someone's life, and that impact will have eternal consequences.

Do your best to do it right. And if you study daily, then your preparation will help you to succeed.

1 Peter 3:14

This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:

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1 Peter 3:14


14 But [alla] and if [ei kai] ye suffer [pascho] for [dia] righteousness' sake [dikaiosune], happy [makarios] are ye: and [de] be [phobeo] not [me] afraid [phobeo] of their [autos] terror [phobos], neither [mede] be troubled [tarasso]; KJV-Interlinear


14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, NASB


This is the devils world. Nothing good will ever come out of this world. Only bad.

Therefore, forewarned, you will be the recipient of many difficult times in your life. Some may be as annoying as insect bites, others may be massively distressing. But not to worry, because your future is safe and intact in Christ.

What the world cannot do, is remove your spiritual life and blessings from you.

The world therefore becomes only a testing ground for the believer. It cannot define a destiny. It cannot control history. The world cannot manage anything, really. So the world has nothing to offer anyone.

Since the world cannot guarantee or articulate a destiny, its only purpose is to intimidate and destroy, if at all possible. And it does this by means of intimidation, distraction, and deception.

There are four sources of distractions and trouble – your own thoughts, other people, the bureaucracies of the world, and natural phenomena. And folks without doctrine will be totally inundated if not disillusioned by the world.

You will be hammered with things that are popular. Things in the media will hit you with tremendous repetition. The world has an endless array of enticements, and things to draw out your wants and desires.

On the other side of the coin, the world can hammer you with the most unfair of situations to exacerbate your fears and anxieties. The world can make you feel small and without control over your own life or destiny. The world can take from you and keep on taking, then toss you off to the side and forget you. For that is its purpose.

The world follows the pattern of Satan, which draws a future only for himself, at your expense. You will never be in Satan’s plans, not even the angels that followed him into rebellion are of any concern to him. He gladly sacrifices any and all, for his own advantage. And that is what the world has for you.

Isa. 8:12-13
12 ‘You are not to say, 'It is a conspiracy!' In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it.
13 ‘It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread. NASB

Matt. 5:10
10 ‘Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. NASB

But, you have one thing that the world does not, nor ever will have – a future in heaven.

The world is temporary and will soon cease to exist, and then it will be totally forgotten, by all who will live in heaven.

Therefore, align yourself with God, with Christ, with doctrine, with your spiritual life. And as Peter emphasizes here in this book, be obedient to your faith and God, and do not risk or compromise the wealth of your future, for something that is going to disappear from history.

1 Peter 3:13

This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:

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1 Peter 3:13


13 And [kai] who [tis] is he that will harm [kakoo] you [humas], if [ean] ye be [ginomai] followers [mimetes] of that which is good [agathos]? KJV-Interlinear


13 And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? NASB


Peter has previously quoted Psalm 34, and then continues with a question. If you pursue the details of the psalm, then who can stop you, who can bring harm to you? And the inference here is simply this, ‘What harm can you suffer if you comply with the requirements of Psalm 34? What is the real cost to you?

And the quick answer is, ‘None.’ There is no real cost to anyone, no cost of any kind, whatsoever, to those who pursue and comply with Gods mandates. There is only gain.

But when people read or hear these requirements, then they become defensive. They wish to think about it for a while. They begin to disagree with the interpretation. They begin to build up their arguments as to why they should not fall under these obligations, or that they do not apply to them.

And that is why most people do not advance in their spiritual lives.

Just as Jobs friends came up with arguments and opinions galore, most of which were totally out of left field and unrelated to the facts at hand, so too, people who simply do not want to comply with Gods mandates, comes up with their own arguments, which to them, seem more than reasonable. After all, God is not here to counter their disagreement.

But then, doctrine is here, and rational thought is here, and most folks know, deep down inside of them, that they have responsibilities and obligations, but they simply do not want to do them. One excuse becomes two, and then the whole realm of Bible doctrine becomes easier to compromise and transform into whatever a person wants it to be.

And that is the objective of arrogance. Selfishness is the result of not wanting to do what God demands, but doing what you want to do, or not doing what you do not want to do.

And the question asked here is, ‘What is the real cost to you?’

Seeing that God provides you with everything and you provide yourself with nothing. Hummm! Did you give yourself life? Did you choose the time in history in which you were going to be born? Can you control the weather, or the economy, or anything in life? Can you force or persuade anyone to do whatever it is that you want?

And the answer is, ‘No.’

Jesus Christ controls history. He placed you into history, just as He placed every detail of your life into history along with you and everyone else.

How did humanity survive for so many thousands of years without antibiotics or a simply bandaid? For that matter, how did humanity survive without grocery store deli’s, a television, a cell phone, a microwave, or an mp3 player?

You may read, or listen to, or learn Bible doctrine, but it is the Holy Spirit within you, that makes all of the spiritual ingredients function. You cannot control the beating of your own heart, but it is Jesus Christ, who put together the biological functions that keep your heart beating.

So, if it is God who provides you with everything, and He does, then where is the danger in complying with His mandates? Where is the disadvantage of pursuing truth? Where is your argument that justifies your non-compliance? What is it that you can have that is better, than that which God provides?

Truth overwhelms all other opinions, and yet the world’s populations will reject it, without blinking an eye.

Isa. 50:9
9 Behold, the Lord God helps Me; Who is he who condemns Me? Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; The moth will eat them. NASB

Rejecting God and embracing the world, makes you the victim of the moth, and the moth is virtually nothing. So what would that make you?

1 Peter 3:10-12

This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:

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1 Peter 3:10-12


10 For [gar] he that will [thelo] love [agapao] life [zoe], and [kai] see [eido] good [agathos] days [hemera], let him refrain [pauo] his [autos] tongue [glossa] from [apo] evil [kakos], and [kai] his [autos] lips [cheilos] that they speak [laleo] no [me] guile [dolos]:
11 Let him eschew [ekklino] [apo] evil [kakos], and [kai] do [poieo] good [agathos]; let him seek [zeteo] peace [eirene], and [kai] ensue [dioko] it [autos].
12 For [hoti] the eyes [ophthalmos] of the Lord [kurios] are over [epi] the righteous [dikaios], and [kai] his [autos] ears [ous] are open unto [eis] their [autos] prayers [deesis]: but [de] the face [prosopon] of the Lord [kurios] is against [epi] them that do [poieo] evil [kakos]. KJV-Interlinear


10 For, ‘Let him who means to love life and see good days Refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile. 11 ‘And let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 ‘For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’ NASB


This is a quote from Psalm 34.

Psa 34:12-16
12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves length of days that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth. NASB

There are only two types of people in this world. The first group consists of those who desire and pursue the opinions of God, and the second group consists of those who desire and pursue the opinions of the world.

The second group consists of perhaps 99% of the entire world. And though most of that second group are unbelievers, there is a huge percentage of believers, also in this second group, who are lax in their spiritual life and therefore have their eyes on their beliefs and comforts from the world.

Peter cites four pursuits in these verses. There are those who love life, refrain the tongue, turn from evil, seek peace, and then there is the response from God with respect to the mature believer who establishes these attributes in his life.

The first is really a question. ‘Who is it that loves life?’ Who is it that desires life in such a way that he can enjoy life, regardless of his circumstances? It is only the person who pursues their spiritual life, as God would have them to pursue it. It is the person who does not make up their own rules, who does not mix in their own standards, the person who does not compromise Gods principles with their earthly conveniences or excuses.

And as for the refraining of the tongue? This is the selfish desires of the individual for whatever it is that they currently have or want. The word for refrain, ‘pauo,’ means to cease sins against charity, and therefore comes to mean selfishness in thought, expressed by ones refusal to give. This type of person takes but never gives.

We all have financial burdens in our lives, but most folks disregard the fact that it is God who gives us all of our finances, whatever they may be. God gives us life from the very moment of our birth and then gives us various means to live that life. This includes the presentation of circumstances where we are faced with giving up what we have , so someone else can have something. Whether it is charity giving, or support for doctrine, both are in view here.

Often times God will place people in situations in which they cannot make a living, or have obligations such that receipt of a gift from someone else is necessary for them to have a life.

And selfishness, greed, and an indifferent attitude will always come up with an excuse as to why giving is not required from you. ‘They have enough, they don’t need anymore.’ ‘They got themselves in that mess, they can get themselves out of it.’ ‘They are rich already, why give to them’ ‘Someone else can give, I don’t have the money right now.’ ‘My situation, my needs are more grim than theirs.’ ‘It’s free. Why should I pay for it?’

And so the first requirement of spiritual maturity, is cancelled out by ones excuses which are used to veil his selfishness.

God set out an economic system, by which financial support, though everything comes from Him, is funneled through people. And whether the need is for a bit of food, or for some massive enterprise, God allows people to either become a part of it, or refuse to be a part of it.

The third expectation of the spiritual life is to turn ones back on the ways of the sin nature. The old self must die, in order for the new self to live. Life in the carnal sphere and life in the spiritual sphere are mutually exclusive. Each cannot cross over into the sphere of the other.

He who lives his life in both, in an inconsistent manner, takes a step or several steps backwards for every step forwards. They get nowhere. An inconsistent spiritual life gains you nothing. You must establish a long term (for the rest of your life), pattern of living, and that lifestyle must be inside the fellowship sphere, or living within your spiritual life day in and day out.

Again, most folks simply do not pay attention, moment to moment, day after day, to their spiritual status. All believers are soldiers and a part of their duty is to mind their post, or to stand their watch for the enemy. Your life is always on duty, and you either have a watchful eye out for the enemy in your life (sin), or you go to sleep at your post and fall into the enemies grasp (the sin nature).

And finally, you must seek peace. This is the ultimate goal of the spiritual life – spiritual maturity.

From spiritual infancy (the moment of faith in Christ), to spiritual maturity, when Bible doctrine so saturates your thinking process and lifestyle, you grow up through daily study, learning, application, advancement in your spiritual life, slippages backwards in your spiritual life, recovery of your forward motion, and so forth, until you arrive at a point when the problems of life no longer bother you. Your faith in Christ is so great, that the storms of life seem as nothing, because you trust in His good judgment and help for your life.

Peter has long been addressing our eternal future, in these chapters. Peter has been addressing people who live under horrible conditions, and yet if they focus on their daily Bible study, their living conditions will become less and less of a burden in their lives. Life will actually become a fun adventure.

But in order to achieve this level of spiritual life, you must set aside selfishness, recognize that everything comes from God. You must make a commitment to live inside the spiritual sphere of life, monitoring your own life moment to moment, day after day, for the rest of your life in this world. You must decide to pursue Gods word everyday, listen, read, learn, and use what you learn, and develop a professional attitude toward wanting to learn and grow in your spiritual life, and actually want it more than anything else in the entire universe. Your leap of faith, as it were.

That is the love of life at its best. Anything else is merely a convenience for sin.
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And it is this person, as set out in these verses, that God focuses His attentions on. It is from this person that God actually listens to their prayers, and answers. Anything else, any other type of lifestyle, is an illusion and amounts to nothing as well as a huge waste of ones time.

The mature believer, is the person who pursues doctrine because he loves it, can’t get enough of it, can’t even visualize a day going by without it. It is this person that God uses in His divine plan, and for whom He even established a plan in the first place.

Anyone else, is nothing more than historical filler.

Which are you?

1 Peter 3:9

This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:

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1 Peter 3:9


9 Not [me] rendering [apodidomi] evil [kakos] for [anti] evil [kakos], or [e] railing [loidoria] for [anti] railing [loidoria]: but [de] contrariwise [tounantion] blessing [eulogia]; knowing [eido] that [hoti] ye are [kaleo] thereunto [eis] [touto] called [kaleo], that [hina] ye should inherit [kleronomeo] a blessing [eulogeo]. KJV-Interlinear


9 not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. NASB


You were placed in this world for one reason only, and that is to inherit. But not just any inheritance, our inheritance is going to be the new heaven and universe for all of eternity.

We have covered the many blessings of being a Christian. There is a blessing list on the web site that you may want to review from time to time.

At the moment you believed in Christ, your future potential shot off the charts. With spiritual growth to maturity, your life in eternity in heaven, will be infinitely better than all of the successful people of all of human history, combined. Your future is so vast, you cannot even begin to calculate it all.

As a believer, you are in union with Christ. As a believer you are indwelled by all three members of the Trinity. You possess joint rulership with Christ. You share in His sonship, in His inheritance, is everything that belongs to God. You are a member of the family of God. That makes you a member of the highest royal family that will ever exist. You are a member of the longest lasting dynasty (forever) that will ever exist. You are a royal high priest, a royal ambassador, a chosen ‘first born’ son of God in including all of the rights and privileges that traditionally belong to a first born, and crown prince no less.

Your position in Christ is permanent and cannot be lost. Your blessings, however, are potential, and subject to your advancement to spiritual maturity and remaining there.

Since your blessings are beyond value, then, your loss likewise, is also beyond value, if you decide to disregard Gods Word. And since Adam and Eve’s time, most likely trillions of people have been born into this world, and trillions have disregarded Gods mandates. Very few, perhaps just a few million (or one-millionth of everyone), throughout all of human history, will step forward and seize their inheritance at its fullest. That is a very small percentage of the human race that will enjoy their inheritance in full. And that places you in the smallest minority in all of history, the minority of mature believers.

So, what sin are you willing to commit and trade away your vast blessings?

You were not placed here on this earth to grow up and retire in life, with nothing beyond that. Humanity was not placed here on this earth to advance in his human endeavors, and to rule the galaxies. Mankind was not placed here on this earth to restore the Garden of Eden. You were not placed here on this earth, to accumulate earthly things.

In the coming days or decades, you will pass away from this life just as generations before you, have done. The real questions are:

What are you going to take with you when you stand before Christ, divine production, or worldly production?

How are you going to live your life now?

What principles are you going to live by, and are you going to obey Gods mandates (all of them), or are you going to pick and choose among them, or simply ignore them?

Are you going to make an effort yourself, or are you going to expect someone else to do things for you?

Are you willing to stick it out (spiritual growth), for the rest of your life, even (and especially) if you don’t get the things out of this life that you want.