Submission to Government

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.  For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—  as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bond servants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.--1 Peter 2:13-17

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

The previous two verses of 1 Peter chapter 2 speak of living before the world in a way in which unbelievers will see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.  This next section (through vs 25) addresses a believer's submission to government, to masters and wives to husbands.  Further on in Chapter 5, Peter addresses a younger believer's submission to elders. He gives specific instructions to each one but the bottom line is if we are submitting to our Lord Jesus Christ and serving Him in love, we are fulfilling the law and will as much as depends on us put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.  The best answer to persecution and accusation of wrong doing from unbelievers is to live a life blameless before them....to be not of the world but to be a good citizen who is above reproach submitting to our government as unto the Lord.  We are to do this "for the Lord's sake"—so that His gospel and His people will be respected. If we are to be persecuted, it should be for obeying God, not for breaking moral or civil laws. (Romans 13:1-7, Matthew 22:21)

The verse that spoke to my heart was this one:

"For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—  as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bond servants of God."

 Whenever, I see "for this is the will of God" I sit up and pay attention.  My behavior should be above reproach for my Lord's sake.  It is about Him.  The bottom line of this life for each and every one of us is what we do with Jesus.  Do we believe and accept His free gift to us or do we reject it.  Jesus came so that we might have life in His name.  Whatever else we might think is important is not in light of Jesus. We need to become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation so that we can shine His light to a lost and dying world.

A transformed life dedicated to Him is a supreme witness in this world.  We are His hands, feet and mouth here and are to share His good news with as many as we can.  Our lights become dim, however, when our own fleshly desires get in the way. That is why we are not to use our liberty in Christ as a cloak for vice but as bond servants of God.  Galatians 5:13 says this:

"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

The key to that verse is but through love serve one another. The kind of love that links us to Jesus is the love that sacrifices.  The love that does not seek its own.  The love that  puts the other first.  Jesus when He walked on this earth did nothing from selfish ambition or conceit.  He esteemed  us as the joy that was set before Him and endured the suffering, humiliation and death of the cross so that we could have the opportunity to believe and be delivered into His kingdom of Light.  He was despised and rejected by men...He was despised and we did not esteem Him.  Jesus came not to seek His own will but the will of Him who sent Him....His Father in Heaven.  We are to imitate Jesus who submitted to His Father in heaven in everything and in humility served us and made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men, humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Serve one another in love...love fulfills the law.

Love
Mom

Let Love be Without Hypocrisy. ..Romans 12:9

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.--Romans 12:9

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,


Romans 12...one of the most practical chapters in the Bible.  Verses 9 through 21 are filled with practical exhortations that touch all areas of life and can be used to guide us in our moment by moment journey through life.  Paul begins in Romans 12:9 with an exhortation to let love be without hypocrisy. We will not get to the other two in the triplet for this study...abhor what is evil and cling to what is good. Starting here with love makes so much sense to me.   It all flows from love.  Christians are to live lives of love.  They are to owe no one anything but love and are to put on love.  The first fruit of the Spirit is love and all the rest follow.  When we love, the bible says, we fulfill the law. We know we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. Paul tells us in Corinthians that love is the more excellent way and if  we do not have love we are a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  He goes on to say even if we have faith enough to move mountains but have not love we are nothing.  Peter tells us we are to love one another fervently.   Christians are to abound in love. Are you getting the picture?  Loving is basic to our Christian walk.  Love is the greatest thing.  Our genuine love for one another will draw others to Jesus. 




The Bible tells us clearly how we are to love.  Our love is to be self-sacrificing....Jesus Christ Himself being our prime example.  It is not to be phony, feigned or pretended.  Our love for others is to be genuine, free from flattery and deceit and without any hidden motive. Our words and deeds should match. We are to meet others at the point of their need in love and service.

1 Peter 4:8  And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

I love this verse because it really gives me no excuse not to love and it is very clear on what is required. Here is what John MacArthur has to say regarding this verse:

"Fervent means to be stretched to be strained.  It is used of a runner who is moving at maximum output with taut muscles straining and stretching to the limit.  This kind of love requires the Christian to put another's spiritual good ahead of his own desires in spite of being treated unkindly, ungraciously, or even with hostility.  Moving on to the next part of the verse "for love will cover a multitude of sins"...is quoted from Proverbs 10:12.  It is the nature of true spiritual love, whether from God to man or Christian to Christian to cover sins.  This teaching does not preclude the discipline of a sinning, unrepentant church member.  It means, specifically that a Christian should overlook sins against him if possible and always be ready to forgive insults and unkindness." 


Wow...think how we would look as a body if we all loved one another fervently and covered sin.  Think how many marriages would not end in divorce if one of the partners did not take offense and instead responded in love. Think of the examples that we would set for our children.


1 John 3:18-20 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.  And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.  For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 

Genuine love displays itself not in empty words but in deeds. Genuine love is patient, kind, without envy and not showy or boastful.  Genuine love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.  Genuine love bears all things, hopes all things and endures all things.  Genuine love never fails....it always has an effect. Put your name in the place of "genuine love" and see how far you fall short.  Now put Jesus' name there.  God is love...His name alone fits. 
 
"True love leaves the stage and walks the path of real life."---Dr. Donald Barnhouse    I love that...

James 2:15-16 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,  and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

Love meets another at the point of their need.


Insincere love...hypocritical love is the opposite of genuine love.  It is ugly and destructive.  It takes something precious and uses it for its own evil, destructive purposes.  John MacArthur says this about hypocritical love.

 "The greatest sinner who ever lived  because of the profound depth of his hypocrisy was Judas. Hypocrisy is the most distasteful and ugly of all sins for it feigns affection and is filled with hate. No sin is worse than hypocrisy. No vice is more destructive than hypocrisy. And no virtue is more wonderful than love. So hypocritical love is an unbelievable combination of which the theologian John Murray says, "If love is the sum of virtue and hypocrisy is the epitome of vice, what a contradiction to bring the two together." Christians are commanded to live a pure, true, genuine love."

Here are some  examples of hypocritical love in Scripture...see the contradiction and betrayal wrought when hypocrisy and feigned love are brought together...

2 Samuel 20:9-10 Then Joab said to Amasa, “Are you in health, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.  But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab’s hand. And he struck him with it in the stomach, and his entrails poured out on the ground; and he did not strike him again. Thus he died.

Joab drew Amasa close feigning a brotherly kiss but instead he twisted a knife into his gut.  

Proverbs 26:25 When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart;
Psalm 55:21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, But war was in his heart; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords.

People who flatter and deceive for their own gain whose motives are deadly.


Ezekiel 33:31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.

They speak the right words but their hearts are not loyal and are far from you.

Matthew 26:47-49 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.”  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

Diabolical....


Love
Mom

A Right Relationship - John 21

 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.  But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish.--John 21:5-8

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

I love these verses because they show where Peter's heart truly is!  Make no mistake, Peter had trouble  maintaining a stable relationship with His Lord but he so wanted it, didn't he?  His desire was for the Lord.  even though many times it did not penetrate his will.  Peter was overconfident about his spirituality but  Jesus looked at his heart and loved him, because he saw where that desire would lead him as he matured. Jesus' kindness to Peter and to us reminds me of Isaiah 42:3:

"A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth."

As soon as John told Peter that it was the Lord, Peter jumps up and puts on his outer garment and plunges into the sea.  No hesitation...just took time enough to get properly dressed to meet Jesus and threw himself in the water.  The other disciples reacted a bit more sedately and waited til the boat arrived on the shore, but not Peter.  Yes, Peter was impulsive.  Yes, he was arrogant even to telling Jesus that if everyone else forsook Him, he would not, but you could not fault his fervor...His desire was for His Lord.  Peter's love for Jesus is always an encouragement to my faith.


When the time of testing came, Peter's will had not quite caught up with his  fervent desire to follow His Lord and  as John MacArthur says, he collapsed in a heap of denials. The restoration of Peter's relationship with the Lord occurs here in Chapter 21. As He goes about righting the relationship, we really get a window into what Jesus wants from us in our relationship with Him. 

The first thing He wants is that we love Him supremely. He wants us to love Him more than anything else.  I love that.  He demands all of our love.  I remember asking my dad when I was young and even when I got much older how much he loved me.  His answer was always the same.  With all my heart and then he would ask me the same question and I would reply, "I love you will all my heart, Daddy."   This is what Jesus wants from us...hearts that are completely surrendered to Him.  The extent of our surrender and love will be revealed in our obedience to Him. 

The next thing he discusses with Peter is sacrifice. Here is what he says to Peter in chapter 21.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”  This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God."


He wants us to be willing give our all even our lives in His service.  To be...as it says in Romans 12... living sacrifices wholly acceptable to Him which is our reasonable service. Loving Jesus supremely means taking up your cross and following Him.  It means obeying Him at any cost...even death. If there's anything in your life that you sacrifice for Christ, that's evidence of your love. If there's anything in your life that you will not sacrifice for Christ, that's the evidence of the shallowness of your love.

The final thing Jesus wants in our relationship with Him is that we follow Him.

He said to him, “Follow Me.”Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”  Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”--John 21:19-22

If we are going to be in right relationship with Jesus,we cannot be concerned about other people.  Our job is to be obedient and  follow Him.  We belong to Him.  Our eyes are to be on Him.  We are set apart to do His work.  Our lives are to reflect His wants and desires...what others are doing or getting or not getting  is irrelevant and not important.  If we focus on them, then they become distractions and get in the way of our service.  Peter turned his eyes away from following Jesus to look at John almost immediately after Jesus told him to follow.   Keep your eyes on Jesus.  Follow Him no matter the cost   It is never about you...it is always about Him and doing His work.  Love Him supremely, live for Him sacrificially, and follow Him completely


But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life--John 6:68


Love
Mom

Lead Me to the Cross

Savior I come
Quiet my soul remember
Redemptions hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I
Tempted and trialed
You are
Te word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now you're risen

To your heart
To your heart
Lead me to your heart
Lead me to your heart

Hillsong...