A New Life of Reverence

I'm not going to turn to reading the scripture today, because I think where I would start is where we left off last week. And I'm going to do my best to kind of summarize this in a very succinct manner. So the title was A New Life of Holiness. All right, number one, put your mind upon grace, which is brought about by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

As remember, we translated this more accurately as children of obedience, rather than obedient children. I think that's important. Because obedient children looks very paternalistic in terms of a set of legal responsibilities. But the children of obedience is to what? What's the obedience to? To the faith. That's where the obedience is and that's what we're called to.

Secondly, put former lust behind you as in ignorance. How are you doing at that? What's ignorance mean? Being naive? Yeah, or not knowing, right? But, I don't know, you know, the lust of the past, the flesh never changes, right? But still, what we're called to is forget about that stuff. I mean, it's an imperative. In ignorance, former lusts need to be left behind.

Again, that doesn't appeal to the day-to-day thoughts or to the sin nature, but yet it appeals to the new life we have in Christ Jesus. And ultimately, from the Old Testament, we're called to be holy, so therefore, get holy, everybody. And that holiness, I need to remind myself and you all that it begins with position. We're looked at by the Lord as righteous. And when we remember that, then the condition, I think by faith, increasingly is conformed to our position. We forget our position, then the condition ultimately gets unconsciously put under a legal system. So remember, God sees us as righteous.

That's a great place to start, to allow us to be holy. And Peter wouldn't have said that. I mean, he's first in Old Testament truth, for sure. He's a Jew who got converted and is now a believer. But nevertheless, be holy. But how are we going to be holy? We don't do that by getting the flesh somehow improved. All right, so let's look at today's verse.

1 Peter 1 17. And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear. Well, that is a expected verse from those that we just covered last week. So if you call on the Father, is that if?

Or is it since? And is that important here? What do you think? Is this a first-class conditional where since is a more logical translation? And by the way, I've looked at about ten versions of the Bible. Most translate this as if, and I think that's wrong. But what do you think? I think since. Because it's founded on the previous premise. were called to be holy than since, right?

And I think Weiss says it really very, very well. I think the fact that call is a present indicative helps to the extent that what precedes it leads to this making this sense. So what Weiss says is the, if, does not introduce a hypothesis, but a fulfilled condition. Since, or in view of the fact, is the idea in the word, he's got a lot more to say.

And I'm going to finish his kind of lengthy paragraph to say, they appealed to him as a child would appeal to its father. What a blessed thought to give us encouragement in our praying. So since, the obedience is to the faith, and the faith is our Heavenly Father, and because of our position, it should be since you call on the Father. That's really reflected, I think very importantly, the position of truth that we all really care so much about here. Bob? Yes, Tim. Could this be an if-then reasoning?

You know, could he be saying, and if you call on the Father and you do, then conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay in fear. So, if you call on the Father, then conduct yourselves in fear. But if you don't? If you don't, well, that's your problem.

But the rest of it doesn't matter anyway. And I like what you said first. And if you call on the Father and you do... Yeah. That's a whole different meaning than if you call on the Father well and maybe you do and maybe you don't. But I think what you said first is correct. He's not saying you're not calling on the Father. It's just an if-then reasoning, and Paul uses that a lot. So sometimes he doesn't when he says it, but it seems here that he is.

Well, you would agree with the majority of the translations. I happen to agree with least because I think he's calling us to the fact that we're children of God, right? Anyway, I don't think we need to necessarily prolong this conversation on this particular issue. There's much more to cover.

But nevertheless, interpret it however you want. If you don't, then, I mean, you could look at it that way, but I think we're being called as children of God, as a father would be calling his children. So that, I think, I like sense, but interpret however you want.

All right, so what follows that, who without partiality judges according to each one's work? Now, I think this indicates that really this idea of judging in context without partiality, according to each one's work, it indicates without respect of persons, it's really impartial. And by the way, it's interesting that judging this whole sentence, most of it, without partiality, judge, is really translated as one word, which means without respect of persons.

Only time that that's used in the New Testament. That's the good news. What? That's the good news. Yeah. All right. And it reminds us of some Old Testament truth and that's that but the Lord said to Samuel do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature because I have refused him for the Lord does not see as man sees for man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart. It's a nice Old Testament quote. We could find other New Testament scripture to support the fact that we're circumcised in the heart, not the flesh. I mean, we could carry that on from our study in Galatians to some extent.

So what's it mean to judge? Well, it's to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong. And this, I think, reflects the judgment seat of Christ. Is it not? Everybody OK with that? Remember, that we're calling on our Father is our position, and that's with Him there. And so ultimately, the ultimate judge of our earthly performance and our act of faith relates to this that follows. So let's look at a couple of verses that may support that position.

2 Corinthians 5.10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether that is good or bad. You know, Andrew, your father taught this extremely well, that the judgment seat is not penalizing. It's rewarding those things that have been done to His glory. So the judgment seat of Christ is not like the great white throne of judgment, which judges those who are unsaved versus the saved or already separated, right? But ultimately, this is the judgment seat we as believers will go through that relates to our earthly acts of faith.

First Corinthians 3, 12 and 13. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear, for the day will decide it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is.

I mean, I think the judgment can occur minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day, week-to-week, etc. Now, because the Holy Spirit, in fact, will judge our performance. And sometimes we ignore that. I mean, the Spirit may lead us in one direction and the old nature shows up and we make another decision. We ask forgiveness and get back in fellowship. But ultimately, the ultimate judgment of our path here, our walk, will be judged at this particular time. Your thoughts? Sometimes it's hard to see how all things work together for the good, you know, but hoping our position helps us go through things here.

A lot of things we don't see what we should, what's the good of it, you know. But that relates to what we've been teaching, what's been taught here in the main services, this idea of the Romans 8 truth of a spirit-led life is to conform us and transform us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But I see a lot of people stuck there. They can't see, they don't understand the living hope and the life And what do you think the major reason for that is? They're still stuck in the world. It's Christendom. Okay, and what else might be responsible for that, do you think? The Nicolaitans. What else besides the world system, its impact? Oh, the flesh. Yeah, I think so.

I mean, it's unfortunate, but I think there's a kind of a naive expectation that the flesh will get better as they get more into the Word and are more in fellowship and more in prayer. Those couple days of the Numb but the Hungry Heart really emphasize that. Andrew? Along Mike's line, I could see, maybe you're kind of saying that, is that you can get really focused on your reward or, you know, what's that B2C judgment. Right.

And get kind of focused on that, the wood, hay, you know, rolled silver. We're going to come back to gold and silver in a moment because it's part of the verse, but what's a work? And the work is a deed, something done. This is working at your real-time job in this earthly environment, although the work there could relate to a spiritual interpretation. But anyway, the work is an act or a deed.

So that's the best way to interpret that. All right. So we're told here to conduct ourselves throughout the time of your stay here. And a better interpretation of that is sojourning here. And we'll come back to that in a second. Interesting, conduct yourself is aorist passive imperative. Why is that in the passive voice? We had that come up last week too. It seemed like that's an active verb. Why would that be passive? Eris means it's related to something historic that has an ongoing fact that should be applied to our current condition. Imperative is do it. Conduct yourselves in this particular way. Why passive?

Well, I can read between the lines because the passage is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. And how does the Holy Spirit work in us day in and day out? It's by faith, the obedience of the children to our faith that what the scripture says is the way the life should be conformed and transformed on a day-to-day basis.

Bob? Yes, Chip? If it wasn't passive, then we would be responsible to conduct our life. I like that. And that puts us more in this old man getting better over time, based on more prayer, more hard spiritual living. I mean, we're not talking about activation of the flesh. Let's pretty up the flesh and get us working harder here, you know? But most of the churches, I mean that's most denominations, that's what they focused on. You can just do these things. Then you'll be a better Christian. That's why I go to this church. We're glad you're here, Mike. I think it gets back to something that we talked about last week and I mentioned here today.

It's the children of obedience, not obedient children. I think it's really critically important to think of us being children of obedience and that obedience is to the faith. One is individual, the other is congregational. You know, in the three more modern versions that I use, they all say as obedient children. Yeah, but again, I think I supported this by one of the commentators that a better translation, I think it was Wiest actually, but I don't recall for sure.

Children of obedience, I think my interpretation, and I agree with him, is very different than obedient children. Obedient children is thinking kind of a small child whose dad says, do this, do that. And if you don't do this, here are the consequences.

And if you think about it, all children You people have been parents, you realize all children are under law up to a certain age. We had five children because Sharon and I said we had so many lessons to learn. But all that aside, of those five children that's transition from law to grace occurred in a different phase of their life and their growth and development. I mean, it was different for five.

So I think the idea of children of obedience isn't because dad said do something. The obedience is they get to adult years and have a better scriptural understanding instead of faith. That helps me anyway. Even the way mouth translation is a little bit better. It says, and since you delight in obedience, You know, that's really close. All three other versions say, as obedient children.

It puts the obedience on us, not on the way God designed us. And Jim, just back to where we began this additional conversation, conducting yourselves, being heirs, passive and imperative, is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is, yeah. And it's a life, it's a new life we have in Christ Jesus. And I think when we walk by faith, we don't necessarily have to be paying attention, are we bringing glory to God? We're walking by faith, we're lifted up, we are seeing that our walk is consistent with His Word. Anyway. Amen, brother. I'm glad you're in the congregation out there. All right, here's another question for the class. Sojourning. Sojourning relates to several things here. Sojourning could relate to the audience to whom Peter has written. Remember, this is the dispersion, right?

We've got all these Jewish believers who are living more in the Gentile world up north. Or is this potentially related to our new life in a foreign land? I mean, it reminds me of a sign that Sharon put up on the refrigerator when she was dying of cancer. It said, this is just my business address. This isn't my home. And I think, I'm not sure which commenter, it was Macaulay maybe, or it could have been Constable, that really related this to we're in a foreign land down here.

So you could interpret this either way. And I think Peter may have meant this more of the dispersion of the audience to whom he was writing. But I like the more spiritual interpretation. Or it could be both. We're in a foreign land out here. It could be both. Because I think he understood that concept. Are we going to have a vote? No. No vote. OK. All right. To continue.

You know, our walk here needs to be in reverence and respect, not in fear. I mean, fear, you know, we could interpret several different ways, and if you look at, like, Strong's, it divides how fear is interpreted. He's got half of it as actually being fearful. But much of the, maybe a significant majority of the interpretation is really one of reverence and respect, and I think that's the best. interpretation we have here.

Second Corinthians 7.1 addresses this a little bit.

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let's cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, preferring holiness in the fear of God. Well, we don't prefer holiness, being holy, I mean perfecting holiness. We don't perfect holiness by working on it. We perfect holiness by walking by faith, right? So I think the fear of God here is one of reverence and respect in terms of our position. It's not fearing that we're going to be punished if our works somehow fall short.

Everybody okay with that? All right. Verse 18, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold. We'll come back to that. Silver and gold, you know, we look at the first Corinthians three passage and we think silver or gold is probably some good things that we may be doing. Anyway, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers. Let me read it again. Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold. from your aimless conduct received by the tradition from your fathers.

I think let's look at the first part. Knowing here is yado. So knowing, you know, comes in kind of three translations. This is factual. You know, you know, you should know, we need to know that we're not redeemed with corruptible things. This is not experiential knowledge or the ultimate of experiential knowledge like Ganesha or Epic Ganesha. This is a fact. We know that we're not redeemed by corruptible things.

So what's redeemed? Well, it's again a passive, it's a factual being indicative. And it means to be liberated, often by a ransom or a price paid. So clearly the cross is the ultimate example of a price being paid for our redemption. So as usual, let's turn to some scripture to support that.

Being justified, Romans 3.24, being justified as a gift by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. foundational fact in the early part of the Book of Romans, and Titus 2.14, who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for himself a people for his own possession, eager for good deeds.

So that really fits to the verses we're studying here right now, doesn't it? Normally you don't think of silver and gold to be corruptible. Very good question, Marilyn. That's what we're going to talk about. Now, silver and gold are corruptible or perishable and not meritorious as in 1 Corinthians 3. What do you think about that?

The almighty dollar. People are swayed by Well, we used to have something to say about that, and I'm not sure I'm in agreement here, but we can discuss this. The words silver and gold are in a diminutive form referring to little silver and gold coins, which were used to buy slaves out of slavery. I don't know. I mean, I agree with you, Merrill.

Silver and gold seems to be, it's not incorruptible. I mean, silver and gold can be melted down, right? So in a sense, it can be corruptible. It doesn't last forever. But I don't know whether this is a correct interpretation. I didn't find anybody else who had anything to say about this. But look at our own culture, where the almighty dollar is, you know, void. Silver and gold becomes very corruptible when we leave these earthly bodies, doesn't it? You can't take it with you.

But I think in the 1st Corinthians context, Mary, I think you're correctly interpreting that to say that's probably good works, in other words, bringing glory to God. But it can buy eternal things. It can buy what, Mike? Silver and gold. It's not only bad, but it's good. if it's used to God's glory.

And whether the Greek interpretation, as Weiss states, is this a diminutive form, a small form of these coins, I don't know. I mean, I don't need that to really tell me that silver and gold is corruptible. It is ultimately corruptible, as everything is in this earth. Roy, you got a comment? Just as one translation may help us here, it says, not with perishable things like silver or gold. The contrast is between earthly wealth and heavenly wealth. Right. Thanks Roy, that's really good.

And I think these terms, in terms of perishable, I think 1 Peter has something to say about that in verse 23 of this verse, which we'll come to next week. For you've been born again, not of seed, which is perishable, comparing So we're going to the redemption we have in Christ Jesus. We're born not of a seed which is perishable, but it's imperishable that through the living and entering of the Word of God, again, children of obedience to the Word of God. That keeps reiterating itself in my mind. I trust that that's the Holy Spirit. All right, from your aimless, which means futile, conduct received by tradition. Tradition would suggest inherited from your fathers.

A verse, and we'll come back to discuss this, 1 Corinthians 3.30. And again, the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are useless in applying this kind of futile conduct that was really part of the flesh and the sin nature here exemplified in the Old Testament.

Alright, so the question here, how should we interpret received or inherited? Is this genetic? I should have had and or environment. What are traditions? Do mom and dad give you DNA that reflects these traditions? Is that possible? Or is in fact this entirely environmental influences?

I mean, this comes up in science and medicine all the time, when we see a person who's not well and trying to get a family history and trying to understand the nature of the disease. How much of this is genetic and how much of this is the environment? And, you know, I'll just go on a rabbit trail for a second. I mean, I've looked at some medical journals yesterday, late afternoon, and this whole issue of the impact of air pollution is becoming substantial in terms of our health. and that's scientifically reasonably well-documented.

Now, what are we going to do about it? Well, we can do something about it within our homes, but the pollution that exists in the environment as a whole, we can't do much about very quickly anyway. So all that aside, what are we talking about here as this futile conduct received by tradition? Patty, go ahead.

It's kind of like spiritual traditions, rituals, They think that's been earned them their salvation. They're kind of basing their... Can you give us a couple of examples? I just think sometimes there are religious rituals, maybe. I'm thinking whether people think they're saved by ways that their parents said... Not eating meat. Yeah, I mean, the various laws that are law-based, I guess, I'm thinking too. Well, think about it... Think about it within the church setting. I'm sure many of you have been, like we have been to mainline churches at times, where this kind of liturgy of the pastor says something and the audience responds. You know, the bullet print, the audience responds to what the pastor says.

I mean, those kinds of traditions just are futile, right, to put it into context. And, you know, the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, which we went to in Kansas City with one of our friends, he saved. There's no question. But why they're in an Anglican Church, I don't know. But we had to all walk up to the altar to get our communion.

I mean, that's tradition. But there are many other examples that we could think about. I think the traditions that are spoken of here are not so much genetically determined, but ultimately the environment in which they exist. And so Paul, I mean, Peter's writing mostly to the Jewish church. It's, again, dispersed. What do you think here? Does this refer only to the Jewish traditions or to others, too? In a sense, we've kind of just answered that, didn't we? All right. Need to keep going here. But with precious blood is of a lamb unblemished and spotless. What makes his blood precious? Well, how do we define precious? Precious is defined as being costly, it's held in honor, or esteemed, or especially dear.

So, I don't think we have any argument here about his blood. It's all of the above, is it not? And it's of a lamb unblemished and spotless. And why the comparison here with the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt? What do you think? Well, it's looking back to the first Passover, right? The night before they left on the journey. Passover meal with the blood of the lamb on the doorpost.

Again, this would be particularly relevant to the body of believers that Peter is writing to. Now, I'm going to extend that to the idea that when we're called to walk, as our position declares, it needs to be unblemished and spotless. I mean, in context, Peter's writing to the church. He didn't understand at the time that 2,000 years later we're going to be studying his text here in this Sunday school class. But nevertheless, I think this idea of walking unblemished and spotless relates to the new life we have in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 9.14 How much more would the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? and 2 Peter 3.14 says, Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace without spot and blameless. So we're being called to this same kind of position in our condition. Carolyn? Is that kind of like being holy? Being unblemished and spotless? It fits. It fits very nicely. All right. The last couple of verses we'll get to succinctly here.

For he was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times, or of some translations, at the end of the times, for the sake of you. So for he is foreknown before the foundation of the world. We could discuss this at length, but how profound and perplexing this is to understand. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world.

I mean, thus, you know, the question that came up to me, thus Christ and the triune God must have had no beginning. And we turn to the first verse of the Bible. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Wow, I mean, can you conceptualize? It's pretty hard to get your brain around that.

For he was foreknown before the foundation of the world. So meaning Christ and his responsibilities to come to earth as a man, be crucified for all the sin of the world and be resurrected, is ultimately, was known before anything was ever formed. I mean, that is so profound and totally inexplicable to a world system or world intelligence. but has appeared in these last times. And, you know, I think Hebrews verse 2 suggests that in these last days, meaning now, He has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

These end times are not something we're looking forward to in the future. We are. These are the end times. Because the next dispensation or age, in fact, will be the rapture, right? Okay, and notice who that's for. It's for our sake. Let's spill all three of these at once. Ephesians 1, 4, just as he chose us in him before this foundation of the world, isn't that unbelievable? That we would be holy and blameless before him in love.

1 Corinthians 10.11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come, meaning now.

1 Peter 1.2 According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ. and that he sprinkled with his blood. May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure." And that's the times. We are in the times that Peter is relating to.

And the last verse for today is 1 Peter 1.21, "...who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." And I point out here that it's only through his death, resurrection, and glory that we respond in faith and hope in God. And it comes back to a very basic fact of Christianity. If there's no resurrection, we have no faith.

And Martyr, honey, love your Galatians 2.21. What's that say? Well, because if there's no resurrection, then Christ died in vain. What was the purpose? His whole life is worthless unless there's a resurrection. And by the way, all of these passages in the Bible are worthless. If his resurrection, if he hadn't been resurrected, And that's what Peter is saying, who raised him from the dead. Again, the resurrection is so critically important.

And what follows that is a call to obedience to the faith and love. I'll just end with a verse from Acts, which seems kind of unusual, but I like this one. And on the basis of faith in his name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know. And the faith which comes through him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all. Who's speaking here? Acts 3. That's Peter, isn't it? Peter. It's Peter himself. All right.

Interesting text, and I think next week we're kind of going to get into a little bit more detail in terms of what folks. So anyway, you're ending thoughts, comments? Andrew, close us in prayer, will you please? Heavenly Father, thank you for these verses in 1 Peter in that we're purchased with the blood of Christ, as you say, and that we have all this positional truths to rely on for our daily walk. We thank you for that in His name, Amen. Amen. Thank you.