9 hours ago
Peter ends the previous chapter with Christ in Heaven at the right hand of God. But before He ascended, He lived in the flesh, tolerating the weakness. He knew from the start that the suffering would end on the Cross. Peter encourages his readers to commit themselves to the same sense of purpose, knowing that their lives would probably end in some nasty fashion. It requires dismissing the fleshly existence, taking up a full otherworldly sense of purpose and calling. This allows you to nail your fleshly nature to the Cross and live for the glory of Christ (AKA, "the will of God").
Prior to their coming to faith in the Messiah, these Hebrew believers as Jews served the flesh. In moral terms, there was no useful distinction between Jew and Gentile, since it was just a different flavor of serving the fleshly lusts. Now, having turned away from such a worldly life, the world around them is instinctively offended by the inherent message of holiness that condemns their sin. That judgment against them will eventually be manifest when they stand before God.
Most English translations are clumsy with verse 6. The point is that by this time in history, some of the earliest followers of Christ had died. Having received the gospel message while they were still alive, they agreed with the wrath of God against fallen flesh and judged their own flesh as worthy of death. Because they were in a position to reject the fleshly nature, they chose to walk in the Holy Spirit, by Whom their own spirits were given eternal life.
Peter offers a Hebrew expression in Greek about "the end is near" in the sense that, once you have declared your allegiance to God and sided with Him in judging fallen flesh, you are never more than a step away from Eternity. Being aware of this should make you joyful, for sure, but not in the sense of mindless revelry. Rather, you'll never lose the sense of doom on the flesh, and you'll be constantly praying for guidance and power.
With such a mindset, you realize you can't afford to waste a single moment focusing on your fleshly self. Instead, you'll make the most of the remaining days in loving each other as Christ loved. This is the best way to put our human weaknesses in context and forgive. Indeed, be rather indulgent with each other, as fellow believers are our only real treasure on earth. Each one is a jewel of God's provision, granted for the blessings of His Covenant people. Everything we do should serve the divine calling of Christ's Law. This is how we glorify the Lord we serve.
Don't be surprised when your fleshly self is abused to see if you really are committed to Christ. Your flesh is not the real you; rejoice that the Enemy can tell you belong to Christ and feels it worth his time to provoke persecution through his human lackeys. What a privilege it is to be treated as our Savior!
During times of tribulation, the Lord comes to sift first His own people. This is what we pray when we call on Him to judge sin: "Lord, start with me!" But then He turns to deal with those who rejected Him; what will it be like for them? If we come through these times of trial stripped bare of our human failings, what will it be like for those who have nothing else but human failings? This knowledge should drive you into the arms of the Lord whenever life gets difficult.
Prior to their coming to faith in the Messiah, these Hebrew believers as Jews served the flesh. In moral terms, there was no useful distinction between Jew and Gentile, since it was just a different flavor of serving the fleshly lusts. Now, having turned away from such a worldly life, the world around them is instinctively offended by the inherent message of holiness that condemns their sin. That judgment against them will eventually be manifest when they stand before God.
Most English translations are clumsy with verse 6. The point is that by this time in history, some of the earliest followers of Christ had died. Having received the gospel message while they were still alive, they agreed with the wrath of God against fallen flesh and judged their own flesh as worthy of death. Because they were in a position to reject the fleshly nature, they chose to walk in the Holy Spirit, by Whom their own spirits were given eternal life.
Peter offers a Hebrew expression in Greek about "the end is near" in the sense that, once you have declared your allegiance to God and sided with Him in judging fallen flesh, you are never more than a step away from Eternity. Being aware of this should make you joyful, for sure, but not in the sense of mindless revelry. Rather, you'll never lose the sense of doom on the flesh, and you'll be constantly praying for guidance and power.
With such a mindset, you realize you can't afford to waste a single moment focusing on your fleshly self. Instead, you'll make the most of the remaining days in loving each other as Christ loved. This is the best way to put our human weaknesses in context and forgive. Indeed, be rather indulgent with each other, as fellow believers are our only real treasure on earth. Each one is a jewel of God's provision, granted for the blessings of His Covenant people. Everything we do should serve the divine calling of Christ's Law. This is how we glorify the Lord we serve.
Don't be surprised when your fleshly self is abused to see if you really are committed to Christ. Your flesh is not the real you; rejoice that the Enemy can tell you belong to Christ and feels it worth his time to provoke persecution through his human lackeys. What a privilege it is to be treated as our Savior!
During times of tribulation, the Lord comes to sift first His own people. This is what we pray when we call on Him to judge sin: "Lord, start with me!" But then He turns to deal with those who rejected Him; what will it be like for them? If we come through these times of trial stripped bare of our human failings, what will it be like for those who have nothing else but human failings? This knowledge should drive you into the arms of the Lord whenever life gets difficult.