The SUPERIOR VALUE Of A SANCTIFIED HEART-II—1Peter 3:13-17
Attention:
“An Alabama sixth-grade teacher said he learned a valuable lesson on kindness with a special note from one of his students this week.
Price Lawrence, who teaches at Highlands Elementary in Huntsville, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that his students could tell he wasn't himself.
When prompted about why he was "a little off," Lawrence told his students that his father-in-law passed away over the weekend & that he was worried about his wife.
"They all said they were sorry & then we got started on our work," he wrote.
When the students were leaving the class to go to their next period, Lawrence said one little girl stopped & put something in his hand.
"She told me: 'This is for your wife. I know it was real expensive when my daddy died & I don't really want ice cream today anyways,'" he wrote.
The little girl handed him three quarters & a note that said: "Ms. Lae[w]rence, I'm sorry."
"I wish the world would pay more attention to children. We could learn a lot from them," Lawrence concluded in his post.
Such loving & experiential concern must have helped the Lawrence family tremendously.
When your heart is set apart(‘sanctified’) to discovering & living out God’s will, then others, who have never heard or have merely ‘heard of’ God’s truth, will hear it from & thru you & thru the ministries in which you are involved.
Need:
Our society must realize that the Church does not gather to be entertained, nor to celebrate their own achievements, nor to merely socialize with their friends—Which are all too common misperceptions & misconceptions.
Rather the Church gathers together regularly & repeatedly in order to prepare themselves & their world for the return of Jesus & for the final judgment of God upon the earth...In that, we experience personal growth in holiness by the Holy Spirit, & due to that growth we also share the good news of salvation by grace thru faith in Christ alone.
Peter causes his audience to examine the superior value of a sanctified heart.
Peter’s audience is brought to examine the superior value of a sanctified heart.
The superior value of a sanctified heart is exposed.
How is the superior value of a sanctified heart evaluated/measured/determined?
5 means/ways of evaluating the (superior)value of a sanctified heart:
We’ve found previously that, The (superior)value of a sanctified heart is evaluated thru...
1. Your Relationship With HARM(:13)
2—The (superior)value of a sanctified heart is evaluated thru...
Your Relationship With BLESSING(:14)
Explanation:(:14)Sway/Influence
:14—“But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.””
If there is any thought that :13 might mean God’s people will be kept from any suffering, then this verse dissolves & resolves that false idea.
There is a definite probability that the ‘committed’ Christian—one living their life under God’s governance—will indeed “suffer.” The born-again believer will indeed “suffer”, but the “suffering” they face will be only “for righteousness sake.”...At the hands of those who will not appreciate or accept God’s objective righteousness.
This is no guarantee that all Christians will suffer in the same way. We all live in different societies & cultures, & have different stations in life, & different giftedness. Each of these in turn, present very different challenges to Christian living.
Example:—Asian churches—excerpted from an IMB article-‘Christmas in Asia: Finding the Heart of the Holiday’ by: Eliza Thomas--Dec. 25, 2017:
“Asia is the continent where, for the most part, Christmas hasn’t come. I’m not talking about Santa Claus or garland & lights. I mean real Christmas—the arrival of God Incarnate, the completion of every prophesy & the very hope of every nation for all time.”
“Asia is the continent with the highest percentage of people with no access to the gospel in the world. This is the continent where Islam, Buddhism, & Hinduism eclipse Christianity in sheer numbers of believers. It’s the place in the world where Jesus is least likely to be known & worshiped.”
“Celebrating Christmas here[in Central Asia] is astronomically different than in the States. Literally 100 percent of our children’s friends are Muslim, & most of our adult friends as well. We live in a city of more than two hundred thousand people & almost no one here worships Jesus.”
“There is no church to advertise a Christmas program, there are no lights, no trees, no Christmas music, no Santa Claus, no decorations of any sort anywhere. There’s not even access to a Bible if someone wanted to learn about the Christmas story.”
“When we wake up in our country on Christmas morning, everyone goes to school & work as if it’s just another day. It’s eerie. The good news is that this has helped refocus our heart on what really matters.”
“I really love celebrating Christmas in [South]Asia. While I miss spending time with our extended family, I enjoy the simplicity of celebrating Christmas here. We have purposefully kept our Christmas celebrations focused on Jesus & don’t include other stories that can overtake the true meaning of Christmas.”
Such “suffering” in the context of it’s being “for righteousness’ sake” is a sure sign of God’s “blessing.” It is a sure sign that you are being faithful to God!
Those not allowing God’s governance or only allowing God to have minimal governance in their lives, may interpret any “suffering” undergone as ‘cursing.’ These would have an aberrant view that life in Christ is meant to bring all pain to an end in this life.
Believers in such nonsense will be in for a real shock if they were to decide to fully commit themselves to God. If these were to live life so that God is honored above all else, even above pain, then their lives would be “blessed” as is promised.
Isa. 5:18-21—“Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, And sin as if with a cart rope; That say, “Let Him make speed & hasten His work, That we may see it; And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near & come, That we may know it.” Woe to those who call evil good, & good evil; Who put darkness for light, & light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, & sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!”
Food for thought:—Those who would attempt to cause the truly faithful to “suffer”, in a sense, actually have no ability to bring that “suffering” because their “suffering” is overridden by God’s “blessing” upon those suffering.
Thereby the faithful are encouraged to not be “afraid” of the “threats” or rather ‘fears’(fobov) that others attempt to draw us into. Likewise, God’s people are encouraged not to be “troubled.”
The outward pain of “suffering” may indeed come your way...& with it may also come a ‘potentially’ debilitating anticipation & dread of the “fears” or “threatenings” laid upon us by unbelievers.
But being “troubled” is NOT a given for the Christian. So that being “troubled” CAN but DOES NOT HAVE TO BE a guiding force in the life of the Christian. Rather, God’s “blessing” is available to remove & replace inward & outward fears that have ‘potential’ to wear us down, & take us out of God’s will.
Jn. 14:26-27—“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, & bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled[tarassw], neither let it be afraid.”
Js. 4:7-10—“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you. Draw near to God & He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; & purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament & mourn & weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning & your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, & He will lift you up.”
Christians know what it is like to have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding(Php. 4:6-9). And they know what it is like to not have it. When we do not have God’s peace in a situation we feel alone & are incapacitated by “fear” & remain “troubled.”
Php. 4:6-9—“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.”
Peter quotes from Isa. 8:12 & calls us to consider the following verses there(Isa. 8:11--9:7). Isa. 8:13 bolsters Peter’s quote by stating, “The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread.”
“But”—alla—Conjunction—1) But—1a) Nevertheless, notwithstanding, 1b) An objection, 1c) An exception, 1d) A restriction, 1e) Nay, rather, yea, moreover, 1f) Forms a transition to the cardinal matter. Strong—neuter plural of allov[else, i.e. different]; properly--Other things, i.e. adverbially--Contrariwise(in many relations). RWP—Perhaps, "nevertheless," in spite of the difference just noted.
“Even/And/Also”—kai—
“If”—ei—Conjunction—1) If, whether. Strong—a primary particle of conditionality; If, whether, that, etc.
“Suffer”(See :17, 18)—pascw/payw/penyw—Verb—1) To be affected or have been affected, to feel, have a sensible experience, to undergo—1a) in a good sense--To be well off, in good case, 1b) in a bad sense--To suffer sadly, be in a bad plight—1b1) Of a sick person. Strong—used only in certain tenses for it; apparently a primary verb; To experience a sensation or impression(usually painful).
“For The Sake Of/On Account Of/For What Is”—dia—Prep.—1) Through—1a) of place—1a1) With, 1a2) In, 1b) of time—1b1) Throughout, 1b2) During, 1c) of means—1c1) By, 1c2) By the means of; 2) Through—2a) The ground or reason by which something is or is not done—2a1) By reason of, 2a2) On account of, 2a3) Because of for this reason, 2a4) Therefore, 2a5) On this account. Strong—a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; Through(in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional).
“Righteousness/Right”—dikaiosunh—Noun Fem.—1) in a broad sense:--State of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God—1a) The doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God, 1b) Integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, & acting; 2) in a narrower sense--Justice or the virtue which gives each his due. Strong—Equity(of character or act); specially(Christian)--Justification.?From—dikaiov—Equitable(in character or act); by implication--Innocent, holy(absolutely or relatively).
“Blessed”—makariov—Adj.—1) Blessed, happy. Strong—a prolonged form of the poetical makar(meaning the same); Supremely blest; by extension--Fortunate, well off. (CONT...)2—The (superior)value of a sanctified heart is evaluated thru...
Your Relationship With BLESSING(:14)
“Not/Never”—mh—Particle—1) No, not lest. Strong—a primary particle of qualified negation(whereas ou, ouk, ouc expresses an absolute denial); adverbially--Not, conjunctionally--Lest; also(as an interrogative implying a negative answer[whereas ou expects an affirmative one])--Whether.
“Afraid”—fobew—Verb—1) To put to flight by terrifying(to scare away)—1a) To put to flight, to flee, 1b) To fear, be afraid—1b1) To be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm—1b1a) Of those startled by strange sights or occurrences, 1b1b) Of those struck with amazement, 1b2) To fear, be afraid of one, 1b3) To fear(i.e. hesitate) to do something(for fear of harm), 1c) To reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience. Fobew denotes “to fear”, the general term; often used of a protracted state. Strong—To frighten, i.e. passively--To be alarmed; by analogy--To be in awe of, i.e. Revere.
“Threats/Terror/Intimidation”(See :15—“Fear”)—fobov—Noun Masc.—1) Fear, dread, terror—1a) That which strikes terror; 2) Reverence for one's husband. Strong—from a primary febomai(to be put in fear); Alarm or fright.
“Nor”—mhde—Particle—1) And not, but not, nor, not. Strong—But not, not even; in a continued negation--Nor.?From—mh—1) No, not lest. Strong—a primary particle of qualified negation(whereas ou, ouk, ouc expresses an absolute denial); adverbially--Not, conjunctionally--Lest; also(as an interrogative implying a negative answer[whereas ou expects an affirmative one])--Whether.—&—de—1) But, moreover, and, etc..
“Troubled/Frightened”—tarassw—Verb—1) To agitate, trouble(a thing, by the movement of its parts to & fro)—1a) To cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, disturb his equanimity, 1b) To disquiet, make restless, 1c) To stir up, 1d) To trouble—1d1) To strike one's spirit with fear & dread, 1e) To render anxious or distressed, 1f) To perplex the mind of one by suggesting scruples or doubts. Strong—of uncertain affinity; To stir or agitate(roll water). Used 17X.
Argumentation:
Mat. 5:1-12, 13-16—“And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, & when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth & taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile & persecute you, & say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice & be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out & trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp & put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, & it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works & glorify your Father in heaven.”
Mat. 19:29—““And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My[Jesus’] name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, & inherit eternal life.”
Mk. 8:34-38—“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, & take up his cross, & follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake & the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, & loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me & My words in this adulterous & sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.””
Lk. 6:22-23—“Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, & cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day & leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.”
*2Tim. 1:7-11—“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power & of love & of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us & called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose & grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death & brought life & immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, & a teacher of the Gentiles.”
To what end, work, purpose have YOU been ‘appointed by God.
Illustration:
I know of a young man who was ‘blessed’ with parents who encouraged him, in the Lord, to go in the way he should go/Upon graduating high school, he had shunned the thought of extending his education beyond high school/He was content to make a few dollars at a dead-end job/At that time, he had no apprenticeship, no job he really liked, & no idea what he wanted to do career-wise/Because he threw away the option of being educated toward what he had a passion for, before life got complicated as an adult, he now—as an adult—struggles with wanting a professional career, all the options of which require an education beyond high school!/Relationship With God’s BLESSING
We can dutifully/blindly/heartlessly sing the Hymn: ‘Count Your Blessings’:
1—When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Refrain.
2—Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.
Refrain.
3—When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—*money cannot buy[wealth can never buy]
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
Refrain.
4—So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
[And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.]
Application:
?What is your RELATIONSHIP With God’s BLESSING?...
...?Does it limit or enhance your ministry potential?
?What Value do You place upon a Sanctified Heart?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Mrs. Lawrence’s card & money from her husband’s student.
Action:
The (superior)value of a sanctified heart is evaluated thru
Your Relationship With...
2. BLESSING(:14)
1. HARM(:13)
Pt# 2 only! Presented 12/30/2018pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
