UNLEASHING YOUR SPIRITUAL VITALITY/Vigor-II—1Peter 1:13-21
Vitality Born of Privilege
Attention:
There is a huge market in our country for chemicals, substances(vitamins, wrinkle creams, testosterone, estrogen), non-invasive(injections) & invasive(surgery) procedures that will restore our vitality/vigor...in every realm imaginable. All these in hopes of a return to some degree of youthfulness.
Need:
Due to the preciousness of the extreme privilege which we have before us—in having lived in & after the time when the gospel of salvation in Christ by faith has been plainly revealed—we are thus to display a particular degree of vitality in action.
Being well aware of ‘What’s So Great About God!’(:3-12) that knowledge is displayed in a personal attention to one’s mindset(:13a, b, c).
Peter guided/exhorted the Christian aliens of Asia in their work.
Peter steered the Christians of Asia into the vitality born of their privilege in Christ.
The vitality born of the extreme privilege in Christ possesses a certain character.
What characterizes/Looses/Releases the vitality born by extreme privilege in Christ?
Previously we found...To unleash the privilege of spiritual vitality in Christ, We must....
1. PREPARE THE MIND(:13a)
2. PROTECT/SENSITIZE THE MIND(:13b)
3. SECURE THE MIND(:13c)
Furthermore...
4—To unleash the privilege of spiritual vitality, Commit to....
The PATTERN(:14-16)
Explanation:(:14-16)
:14—“As obedient children, not conforming to the former lusts, as in your ignorance,”
“As Obedient children”
“Not conforming”
“Conformed”—suschmatizw—To conform one's self (i.e. one's mind & character) to another's pattern, (fashion one's self according to). To shape one thing like another & describes what is transitory, changeable, & unstable....As opposed to summorfov which describes what is the essence in or durable, not merely a form or outline.
“The former lusts”—
1Jn. 2:15-17—“Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh & the lust of the eyes & the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, & also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.”
“Former”—proteron—Before, prior.
“Lusts”—epiyumia—Desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, lust. Represents the active side of vice in ungovernable desire. It denotes any natural desire or appetite, usually with the implication that it is a depraved desire.
“As/Which were yours”—Added interpretational from context
Personally ‘owned’ by & responsible for!
I immediately think of boys playing baseball in the yard & hitting the ball thru a window & they all scatter!
“In your ignorance”—
Acts 17:30-31—““Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, “because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.””
“Ignorance”—agnoia—Lit.—‘Without the mind/perception’—Lack of knowledge, ignorance. To err or sin thru mistake, To be wrong; Not to understand, Unknown.
We can just as easily become re-conformed to our ‘former lusts’ thru dis-obedience.
:15—“but as He who called you is Holy, you also be holy in all your conduct;”
:16—“because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
From....
Lev. 11:44—“‘For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, & be holy; for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth.”
Lev. 19:2—““Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel & say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”
Lev. 20:7—“‘You shall consecrate yourselves therefore & be holy, for I am the LORD your God.”
?What is Holiness?—Separation from sin & the tainting of sin(thru personal inward deception & outward association with sin).
Mat. 5:20—“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes & Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Mat. 5:48—“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Argumentation:
Php. 4:4-9—“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue & if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned & received & heard & saw in me, these do, & the God of peace will be with you.”
1Cor. 10:31-11:1—“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”
Thess. 2:10-16—“You are witnesses, & God also, how devoutly & justly & blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; as you know how we exhorted, & comforted, & charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom & glory. For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus & their own prophets, & have persecuted us; & they do not please God & are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.”
Php. 3:17—“Brethren, join in following my example, & note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.”
2Tim. 3:16-17—“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, & is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
BF&M(2000)—‘I. The Scriptures—‘The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired & is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, & truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true & trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, & therefore is, & will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, & the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, & religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.’
Illustration:
Momma’s sewing exploits/Pattern on the table—Tools of the trade(pins, scissors, measuring tape, bobbins, needles, etc.)—Purchase cloth—Hours at the sewing machine/Pinning & measuring/Much involved in following that pattern/PATTERN
Street repaving/What would happen should they decide to sleep while running the paving machine?/The Pattern would not be followed—It would be a huge mess & waste of resources!/PATTERN
Church fellowship
Application:
?You committed to the PATTERN?
?Your spiritual vitality been unleashed ?
5—To unleash the privilege of spiritual vitality, Commit to
The CONFESSION(:17)
Explanation:(:17)
:17—“And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth;”
“If you address as Father...”—
*A father is looked to for Love, Protection, Provision, Direction, Stability, Integrity.
“Father”—pathr—Generator or male ancestor. Metaph.—The originator & transmitter of anything.
“Who Impartially judges”— Fairly!
“Impartially”—aproswpolhptwv—Without respect of persons, impartial.
“Judges”—krinw—To separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose; To approve, esteem, to prefer; To be of opinion, deem, think, to be of opinion; To determine, resolve, decree; To judge.
“According to each man’s work”—
*By your choice!—
1Cor. 3:11-15—“For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; & the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.”
Rom. 2:3-10—“And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, & doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, & longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness & your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath & revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, & immortality; but to those who are self-seeking & do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation & wrath, tribulation & anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first & also of the Greek; but glory, honor, & peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first & also to the Greek.”
“Work”—ergon—Business, employment, that which any one is occupied; Any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind; An act, deed, thing done.
“Conduct yourselves”—Personal choice!
“Conduct/Pass the time”—anastrefw—To turn upside down, overturn; To turn back; To turn hither & thither, to turn one's self about, sojourn dwell in a place; Metaph.--To conduct one's self, behave one's self, live.
“In fear”—
Lk. 12:4-5—“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, & after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!”
*Fear Of—Disappointing Dad(whom I love & he, me)....Dad’s wrath.
“Fear”—fobov—Fear, dread, terror; Reverence for one's husband; Alarm or fright:-- be afraid, exceedingly, fear, terror.
“During the time of your stay upon earth”—Our time is limited here & our future is determined here!
*1Pet. 1:1; 2:11—“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, & Bithynia, who are chosen”....“Beloved, I urge you as aliens & strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.”
“Time”—cronov—Time...either long or short. A space of time.
“Stay/Sojourning”—paroikia—A dwelling near or with one; A sojourning, dwelling in a strange land; Metaph. the life of a man here on earth is likened to a sojourning.
Argumentation:
Jn. 5:22-23—“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”
1Jn. 2:22-24—“Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father & the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son & in the Father.”
Rom. 10:6-11—“But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or,” ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth & in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, & with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
Heb. 3:1-2—“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle & High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.”
Heb. 10:19-23—“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new & living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, & having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience & our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
Heb. 11:13—“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them & confessed that they were strangers & pilgrims on the earth.”
This confession is given both vocally & thru lifestyle!
Illustration:
Bookie—‘a person who takes bets(on races, games, etc.), calculates odds, & pays out winnings’/Never mentions his business before others/Hides his trade(from authorities as it is illegal)—Yet knows something is wrong with his involvement in it—It is illegal!/He does not openly advertise his trade, but only cautiously!/Uncommitted to the CONFESSION
Likewise...
Witness to a murder/Unashamedly officially tells all he knows about what was seen &/or heard/The witness is respectful of human life & fearful of having innocent blood on his hands/Committed to the CONFESSION
Application:
?You committed to the CONFESSION(of Christ as your Savior & Lord)?
?Your spiritual vitality been unleashed ?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Chemicals, substances, surgeries, etc seeking to restore our youthful vitality/vigor.
Action:
To unleash the privilege of spiritual vitality in Christ, Commit To The....
4. The PATTERN(:14-16)
5. The CONFESSION(:17)
Pts. 4-5 Presented 08/23/2015pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(A Ave. SE)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pt. 1 Presented 05/23/04pm to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Road
Whigham, GA 39897
