The"American
Wisdom Series"
presents
Pamphlet #5112 KC1Peter12
They
come in His name, as representatives of Jesus Christ, saying that Jesus
is Lord, Jesus is the Messiah, but then they teach for doctrine the traditional
commandments of men and NOT the oracles of God!
The Book of Peter was written to God's elect, even the
watchmen of the final generation, some of whom get so busy "watching" they
forget something of great importance.
Peter has just told us that because "the end of all things
is at hand" we need to get our act together and be sober, sober minded,
and watchful unto prayer, but then for goodness sakes, above all things,
be kind and gentle and love another.
1 Pet.
4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity
shall cover the multitude of sins.
The word translated "charity" is: agape, Greek #26:
love,
i.e. affection or benevolence, and is most often rendered
"love" except in 1 Cor. and the books of Peter and Timothy where it is
usually rendered "charity".
Personal Note: I always force my mind to convert the word "charity"
to "love" in the New Testament because my concept of charity has been corrupted
by The United Way. Please don't be offended if you're a big contributor.
It's not that they don't do some good things, like provide a $400,000 per
year benefits package to their head honcho, but asking businesses to give
"pep talks" and then solicit payroll deduction charitable contributions
somehow loses the concept of what charity is all about, which is "giving"
not "taking". (Maybe it's just me.)
Nevertheless, we all know that flesh is sinful, don't
we?
Well, Peter is saying that if a person has a lot of love
in his or her heart, that love will overshadow many of the sins and weaknesses
of the flesh.
And the same applies to a group or a church, such as the
body of Christ.
Where there is the love of Christ, there is patience and
sacrifice and understanding, which is why Love is a commandment [precept]
of Jesus Christ for each one of us.
John
13:34-35
A new commandment
I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye
also love one another. [35] By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another.
You see, love is more powerful than any other "force"
in the universe because it totally eliminates the need for "force".
Where there is love there is voluntary compliance to the
natural laws of God!
If you love your spouse you will not cheat on him or her.
Why?
Because you DON'T WANT TO be unfaithful.
If you love your boss you won't steal from him or her
or from the company.
Why?
Again, because you don't want to cause harm or injury
to your boss or company!
Can you force people to obey the command not to steal
from the company?
Yes you can.
You can have cameras and security measures in place to
force compliance.
But if it is not in a person's heart not to steal, you
must always have the cameras turned on, because when you turn them off,
there goes a three-hole punch or maybe a laptop computer.
Now, since love is far more powerful than law and the
enforcement of law, it cannot therefore be brought into subjection by either
of the lesser two.
In other words, you cannot make a law that says you will
love your boss and by that decree make it so, nor can you force someone
to love you.
Love must come from within a person and be generated from
their "free will", their "own" desire to love.
Now you know the problem our Father has with His children
who were all created with "free will".
He can't [read "won't" if you have a problem with "can't",
though "can't" is correct] force His children to love Him anymore than
you can force your children or your employees to love you.
If you understand that and think
about it, you can begin the see the purpose and the incredible wisdom of
this flesh age whereby in sinful vessels that do sin we can experience
the love and grace of our Father and grow to love Him ever so much that
our hearts cannot contain the pouring out.
And so it is that there is nothing so important and powerful
and wonderful as love.
Consider the perspective in which the apostle Paul placed
it, in what has come to be known as the "love chapter" in 1 Cor. 13.
1 Cor.
13:1-4
Though I speak
with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become
as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. [2] And though I have the gift
of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though
I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity,
I am nothing. [3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and
though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth
me nothing. [4] Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not;
charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Notice that Paul places charity [love] as the greatest
of all gifts just as Peter said "above all things" have fervent charity.
1 Cor.
13:13
And now abideth
faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
One more thing!
Charity [love] does not expect anything in return, neither
gain nor recognition.
Would you like to test your gift of charity?
Here's how.
Do something "good" for someone [other than yourself]
for each of the next 7 days.
That's not too difficult, is it?
But here's the catch: DO NOT under any circumstances
let anyone, including the recipient of your kindness, know about it! Got
it?
That means NEVER! (Few can pass this test.)
Let's return to Peter's wise instructions concerning our
attitudes.
1 Pet.
4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
Grudgers, i.e. grumblers and murmurers, always let
someone know about it, don't they?
They are the same as whiners.
Peter says DON'T DO IT!
[10]
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another,
as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
"As every man hath received" implies that we need
to be realistic and recognize which gifts God has given to us.
We all have different gifts, abilities and talents, etc.
Nevertheless, let's put our own gifts, the things we know
we are good at, to good use as our Father would have us do.
After all, He gave them to us.
James 1:17 says "Every good gift and every perfect gift
is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is
no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
Here's an example of how to use a gift from God as a good
steward.
1 Pet.
4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man
minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in
all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and
dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
The word "speak" as used here
means to "preach", so if you "come in His name" preaching or teaching people
on behalf of Jesus Christ, especially in this final generation, it had
better be according to the oracles of God, which is the logion,
the Word of God.
Most of the preachers in Christianity
today teach the traditions of men which people perceive as truth, when
they are not even close!
Thus the many are deceived.
My opinion, you say?
No, it is the #1 sign of the times,
the first warning given by Jesus Christ when asked by His followers what
will it be like just prior to His second advent.
Read it for yourself:
Mark
13:4
Tell us, when
shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things
shall be fulfilled?
[5] And Jesus
answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
[6] For many
shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;
and shall deceive many.
That's right!
They come in His name, as representatives
of Jesus Christ, saying that Jesus is Lord,
Jesus is the Messiah, but then they teach
for doctrine the traditional commandments of men and NOT the oracles of
God!
And how does Jesus view their churchianity?
Mark
7:7
Howbeit in vain
do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Do the multitudes of main stream
Christianity think they are being taught false doctrines and are worshipping
Christ in vain?
Of course not!
They believe it's the truth.
That's what deception is!
Again, it is the many, the multitudes, who follow traditional
churchianity.
I know this is hard for some to
understand concerning their traditions, but even when Christ confronts
them at His return, here's is what He says:
Matthew
7:21-23
Not every one
that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
They worship Him and say Lord, Lord, but they worship
in vain, for the will of the Father is to teach the oracles of God, not
traditions.
[22]
Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?
and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful
works?
Hey, we did all these things in your name, Lord!
We prophesied about your return
and condemned immorality and boycotted Disney products and took up collections
for this missionary and that missionary and had bake sales and gave non-perishable
food items to the shelters for the homeless.
How can you say those things are
bad?
[23]
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye
that work iniquity.
And there is "nothing new under the sun".
Whenever people hear from a true
servant of God who teaches the oracles of God, they are astonished, just
as they were at Christ's doctrine!
Why?
They've never heard the oracles
of God.
Remember what we just read?
Those who claim to represent Him
teach for doctrine the commandments of men.
Ever hear of the rapture theory?
How about Easter sunrise services?
How about the wicked are going
to be tortured with fire for ever and ever?
How about Adam and Eve ate
an apple?
How about everyone but a Jew
is a gentile?
How about the law was done
away with?
How about the mark of the
beast is a tattoo or a computer chip?
How about you need to be baptized
in this name or that name?
And on and on it goes!
All traditions of men without
any oracles of God to back them up!
Here is what Jesus said to some main stream religious
leaders who had just ask Him a question any preacher should be able to
answer: Do angels marry?
Matthew
22:29
Jesus answered
and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power
of God.
You see, they didn't know the
oracles of God and therefore weren't teaching them.
They were too busy having
church services and collecting tithes to find time to study and teach the
scriptures!
So Christ gave them the simple, direct answer from the
oracles of God, right in front of the multitudes who were astonished at
His doctrine!
Matthew
22:33
And when the
multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
"Well I never heard tell of
such a thing!
You mean there are no female angels?"
Finally, Peter directs us to remember that whether we
are preaching the oracles of God or serving in any other capacity to give
all the glory and the credit to Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion
for ever and ever, because it is He who has made all things possible!
1 Pet.
4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as
the oracles of God; if any man minister,
let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things
may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for
ever and ever. Amen.
Amen.
To study the Bible is the noblest of all
pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, you accomplish both.
1 Corinthians
10:11 Now all these things happened unto them {the
ancient Israelites} for
ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends
of the world are come.
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