kguy Uncategorized

Our incomparable inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-6)

Note: This site will be following along with a group study of the book 1 Peter in the Bible. I invite you to read 1 Peter and follow along with us here as we dig into the beauty of God’s Word.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! (v. 3)  Peter starts in the place Jesus taught him, with praising and glorifying the Father, assigning God his rightful place above us all.  He is our Father in heaven, hallowed in name (Mt. 6:9).  When we bless him, we assign him our highest honor, declare him holy, and give him our praise and worship.  This is where we start, before anything else, remembering who we exalt.

Peter follows by recalling what God has done for us.  But what God has done for us is inextricably linked to who he is.  God is great in mercy (v. 3), choosing to not give us what we deserve.  What do we deserve?  “All have sinned,” (Rom. 3:23) and “the wages of sin are death” (Rom. 6:23).  If God chose to give us what is rightfully ours, we would all face condemnation for our sin and not just physical, but also spiritual death.  

Yet because of his mercy, God chose not to leave us for dead.  Instead he rescues us to new life (v. 3).  Our God is the God of life – of second birth, of living hope, of resurrection. He gave man life, breathing his own breath into Adam and handcrafting Eve.  He spoke all life on earth into existence.  He came in human form that we might have life abundantly.  We were made for life – abundant, rich, joyful, fulfilling life.  And although we chose death, God chases us down to offer us life.  Yes, this is his great mercy.

And this is grace. Not only does he rescue us from what we do deserve, he gives us what we don’t deserve – life, hope, resurrection (v. 3), and even more.  He has stored up for us an inheritance, a spiritual inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, unfading (v. 4).  It does not spoil nor decay over the passage of time.  It is never tarnished nor flawed, but remains pure and perfect.  It never loses its value or goodness, as it is without change.  Nothing in our world is imperishable, undefiled or unfading, except what is of God.

We are guaranteed that this inheritance is safe, kept in heaven for us.  It is ours, sealed for us until the time we receive it.  God uses his own power to guard me until I receive that inheritance (v. 5), guarding me for it and it for me.  Who else could safeguard such a treasure?  Who else is trustworthy to shield our eternal inheritance? His constant watch and powerful guard over us preserves and sustains us until we receive the prize. 

This incomparable inheritance speaks to the heart of who God is.  The measure of his mercy and grace for us is inestimable, the depths of his love for us unreachable.  He gives generously to us all things, even himself.  He is our irresistible God.  

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ indeed!

Father, you draw us to yourself by the very nature of who you are. In knowing you, we are drawn to love you.  You are most generous with your blessings, most generous with yourself.  You invite us in with your grace, mercy and love.  May we find the delight of our souls rests in you and you alone.  Amen.  

kguy Uncategorized

Grace in the now and grace in the becoming

John MacArthur calls Peter the disciple with the food-shaped mouth.  I identify strongly with this weakness of Peter’s, having a special knack for inserting my own foot squarely into my mouth on many occasions.  Although my verbal faux pas live on in my memory, Peter’s indiscretions were recorded for posterity throughout the Gospels.

I hear Peter say, “But if you say so,” when Jesus instructed him to cast the fishing nets again.  Peter, the professional fisherman, reluctantly followed Jesus’ instruction, doubtful that Jesus might know better than him (Luke 5:5).

I hear Peter blurt impetuously into the very face of the living God “You will never wash my feet!” as Jesus humbly kneeled before him (John 13:8).

I hear presumptuous Peter brag “Even if everyone else falls away, I will not” before he denied Christ three times (Mark 14:29).

But maybe most astonishing to me is when Peter told Jesus at the transfiguration, “It is good that we are here.” (Matthew 17:4). I imagine him saying it with an air of pride and importance and ignorance of what he is witnessing.  Here before him was the glory of God in human form, something many would dream of but few would witness.  And Peter, in the midst of all of this, couldn’t help but feel pride and say aloud his own importance at being there.  

Perhaps I’m misinterpreting Peter.  Maybe as he stood there, his heart was more aligned to submission and service than I give him credit for.  Many times the words emerging from my mouth do not come across in the way I intend them.  Maybe Peter suffered from the same problem.  

Peter’s foot in mouth syndrome revealed something important about his character.  Peter was bold in word and deed.  He was the disciple who asked the most questions of Jesus, more than the other disciples combined.  He was curious, inquisitive, seeking, and was audacious enough to ask of Jesus the things that he wanted to know.  He was also quick to answer Jesus’ questions.  He answered wrong many times, and yet rarely did Jesus rebuke him for it.  Jesus seemed to appreciate Peter’s boldness, his quickness with his words.  Or at the very least Jesus was not bothered by the way Peter responded to or asked questions. 

With Jesus being God and God knowing everything there is to know, we can safely assume Jesus knew Peter’s personality well before he called Peter to be a disciple.  It wouldn’t be a jump to conclude Jesus appreciated Peter’s boldness, even having plans for that boldness – to use it for his glory, his church, his kingdom. Maybe the things we are most concerned about in our own personalities are the very things that Jesus will mold and use as we serve him wholeheartedly in faith.  

Peter didn’t have to clean up his personality, squash his boldness, or keep his foot out of his mouth before God began to use him.  Jesus’ willingness to choose Peter showed confidence that Peter could glorify God both as he was and as the man he would become, both in the right now and in the future, as Peter matured and grew through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the right now, I’m a weary mom with a loud and strong personality who thinks and says the wrong things too often.  Yet Jesus delights in using me now, as the woman I am.  

At the same time, I am becoming.  Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus continues to transform me, to grow me, to sanctify me.  And in the becoming, I also glorify him.

Peter wasn’t always called Peter.  It was Jesus who changed his name from Simon to Peter, meaning “rock.” When Jesus changed his name, Peter wasn’t much of a rock.  He would still say questionable things, answer wrongly, have Jesus call him “Satan,” and deny Christ three times.  But Jesus knew how Peter would mature.  By changing his name, Jesus seems to call Peter into a better version of himself, to give him vision for the man he could become.  

This is the journey motherhood has been for me.  The moment that baby looked up at me the first time, I realized I was wholly unprepared and ill equipped to be a mother.  Yet all through this season, I have heard Jesus calling me into a better version of myself.  I sense the vision for the woman he wants me to become as he sanctifies me and grows me to look more like him.  That growth doesn’t happen smoothly, without pain, or without mistakes.  But it’s happening, just as it did for Peter.

God is big enough to use all of us, just as we are, for his glory.  He is great enough, powerful enough, and good enough to continue to grow us over time.  He loves us and delights in inviting us into his work and his glory always.

Even you.  Even me. Even Peter.  

Lord, you created us with these personalities, strengths, and even these weaknesses.  You delight in who we are and in who we are becoming, in and through you. Give us the desire to serve you faithfully and to glorify your name both now and forevermore.  Amen.

kguy Bible study, Uncategorized

Dear Friends

            What if we could confidently approach Scripture, knowing that when we sit down to read it, we will come away with exactly what God wants us to get in that moment?

            What if we didn’t need anyone else to help us understand our Bible?  Not a pastor nor a Bible study book, not even commentary nor that smart old lady at church.

            What if, every time we sat down with the Word, we knew that God was inviting us in, opening himself up to us, showing us the depth of his love and care and concern for us? 

            What if it wasn’t about checking Bible study off our list for the day?  

What if we were sure your Bible study (or lack thereof) had no impact on our standing before God, declaring us either a good or bad Christians?  

            What if?

            When approaching Bible study, so many of us are anything but confident.  Or maybe we actually are confident… confident we are doing it wrong, confident we aren’t understanding the Bible, confident there’s some secret we don’t know.  We might still read, but walk away unsure. We don’t trust ourselves, our wisdom, our understanding when it comes to the Word of God.

            But what if what we are really saying is that we don’t trust God?  

            As a believer in Christ Jesus, God has given you everything you need to read, study, and understand His Word.  

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.  The spiritual person judges all things… 1 Corinthians 2:14

            Before we believed, we lacked understanding of Scripture and were not even capable of it.  But now we have spiritual discernment, thanks to the Holy Spirit working in us.  

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.  And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:12-13

            One of the roles the Holy Spirit plays in our lives is that of teacher (John 14:26).  As we study the Word, the Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture, allowing us to understand what we read and to interpret what God means.  Through the Spirit, we receive spiritual discernment, not because of our own smarts, but because of God’s great desire to connect intimately with us.

            By giving us his Word and his Spirit, God is inviting us in.  He is beckoning us from the pages of Scripture.  Come, see me.  Understand me.  Know me. And in knowing me, love me.  It’s a beautiful picture of God’s desire for us, that he would give us this book full of himself and the power, access, and authority to know through its pages a holy God.  

            And if that wasn’t enough, God actually gives us himself in the form of the Holy Spirit, God himself living and residing in us. Who are we that we should receive such immeasurable grace?

            What God has not given us is the right to open His Word and make it about ourselves – what we like to do, what we think is right, what we want God to be.  When we have God’s Spirit in us, conviction will come when we lose sight of what Scripture is really about.  Being part of the larger church community is one way God keeps us in check.  If what I think I’m reading doesn’t stack up with what I am hearing in the body of Christ, I know it’s time to seek counsel. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is real.  It’s swift. And it’s unrelenting until we seek truth, confess and repent of our sinful desire to make the truth of God fit our mold. 

            But we don’t walk into Scripture in fear that we will mess this up.  We walk into Scripture with the confidence that God has designed his Word to be understood and has given us the very key to understanding in the Holy Spirit.  He has set this up for us to win.  

            And this Scripture comes with power – the power to change us, to transform us into the likeness of Christ, to root out sin and shed light in the dark places of our hearts, minds and souls.  It is alive and gives life.  It cuts away what is dead and grows what is right.  

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12

            Will you trust God?  Will you believe that his design is right and good and trustworthy? Will you believe with confidence that you can understand Scripture because he has given you everything you need to do so?  Will you step out in that faith?

            Lord, you long to show us the depths and riches of your Word.  You desire to meet us there in the pages, unleashing the power of your Word in us. May we be brave enough to come with our confidence in you, knowing you have given us all we need to study your Word. May we boldly seek you and know by faith we will find you.  Amen.