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1 PETER CHAPTER 4 KJV WEB See previous page 1Pet 4,1-5 (162i) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Bondage >> Being slaves of men >> Bad company >> Bad company will entangle you in their bondage (167a) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Lust of the fleshly mind (168a) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Do not conform to the world >> Do not let the world’s approval shape you to itself – The life we live we are slandered by those who don’t know God or understand us, for they don't go through the same inner joy and suffering that we experience as Christians. We seem foolish to them when they scoff at us and say, ‘What do you mean you’re not drinking in excess with us?’ They lead a life of excess and dissipation and are without hope, but Christians do have hope, and for this reason we do not need to live like the heathen. Those who refuse to serve the Lord have nothing in the end, no hope and no future, and when this life is spent, they will meet God, who will judge them for the poor decisions they made, and they will be without excuse. Yet, they slanders us. See also: Suffering; 1Pet 4,1-4; 8a (193f) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Repent >> Bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance >> Instruction to 1Pet 4,1-4 (8a) Responsibility >> Use time efficiently >> Use wisely what time you have – God may call us to wander in the wilderness, which is often associated with a lot of inner pain and turmoil, and in our wandering stumble on the reason He sent us there in the first place. This is usually how we find our calling, our direction and the manner of service to Him. Whether we should lead a life of dissipation is not an option as Christians. Prior to being saved we could choose the kind of life we wanted, but now God has purchased us from Satan with the blood of Christ, and He has enlightened us by the Holy Spirit. A lifestyle of drunkenness has been pulled from the repertoire of options, making it a little easier to decide. Coming to know the will of God is in a sense a process of elimination, and we often have no choice but to walk through the last door that remains open. Sometimes this is how God leads us. We are Christians; deciding between two doors is hard enough; often neither of them are the Lord's will. Making life decisions can be difficult, for there is a lot of dying to self that occurs, a lot of giving up and surrendering to God's purpose and calling. There are reasons God calls us to do certain things, and He often doesn’t inform us of His reasons, making it impossible to understand except by faith. See also: Suffering; 1Pet 4-1,2; 42k / Anointing of the Last days; 2Cor 6,16-18; 213g (77g) Thy kingdom come >> Humility >> Refusing the glory of man >> Rejecting their admiration (169j) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Seeking the glory of man >> Loving the approval of men rather than the approval of God >> Fearing their religion KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Pet 4-1,2 (42k) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Conform to the glory of Christ’s death – Peter says that doing the will of God causes suffering by default, the fact that we must sacrifice our will for His will, yet some people would rather whip themselves until they bleed before they bowed their knee to God. Surrendering to the will of Christ is traumatic in itself, but actually doing the will of God adds another level of suffering, which often invites persecution. We suffer the will of God for the hope of eternal life, yet the vast majority of people in the world scoff at us. The first step in doing the will of God is to be born-again, but if we are not born-again, anything we do beyond that is in vain. The love of God is our motive for serving Him, which again does not register with unbelievers. They don’t know how anyone could love God whom they have never seen. That is like having a long-distance relationship over the telephone or through snail-mail, except for one thing; God has given us His Spirit, so He does not just stand next to us; He dwells in us. See also: Suffering; 173g (56h) Paradox >> Opposites >> He must increase, but I must decrease -- These verses go with verses 5&6. There are decisions that the Holy Spirit leads us to make, often soul-wrenching decisions that are hard on our flesh, decisions that we would have never made without Him, such as choosing a career or choosing not to pursue a career, or whether we should get married and have a family, while the world never asks these questions. If unbelievers want to get married and have a family, they just do it; they don't check with God to see if it is according to His will, but Christians do. Part of the Christian walk is to surrender our will to God and let Him have an input in our lives as to what we do with our time and how we spend our resources. We are obligated to give God first choice in everything. Most of the time God commands us to do things that we don’t want to do in our flesh, yet He gives us the desire to do them. What we do with our lives is not just our decision, but the decision belongs primarily to God, because we belong to Him. (99b) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Enduring the will of God >> Enduring the death of your flesh (173g) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >> Unholy sacrifice (Penance) >> Offering sacrifice without God’s approval >> Sacrifice against the will of God – Some people seem to think they need to meet some self-determined quota of suffering before they feel right with God, and after they have finished torturing themselves, they can go on sinning, thinking masochistic penance will balance their disobedience. This does not accomplish the purpose of God, who wants us to walk on the path of His choosing and accomplish the works that He has prepared for us (Eph 2-10). He is displeased with us walking on any other path on principle, considering it idolatry and treason. God has an inherent distaste of us doing our own will, because we will invariably let our flesh dictate how we live, and everything our flesh chooses is in disregard of Christ by default. Peter said, “He who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin;” this is not in terms of penance but of obedience. Penance is self-inflicted misery, which Paul condemned in Col 2-23, “These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” It is not our decision how we suffer for the cause of Christ; there is no need to go looking for trouble; if we are doing the will of God, we will automatically suffer in the flesh. See also: Suffering; 188f (187ab) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >> The ministry of dying to self >> Die to self to minister to God >> Pick up your cross and follow Him (188b) Suffering (Key verse) -- The only suffering God acknowledges is that which we endure with Him through faith. If we turn away from Him, we will suffer alone, though He is always ready to resume the relationship whenever we are ready. (188f) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Suffering >> Suffering righteousness -- These verses go with verses 12-19. Doing God’s will in this life automatically brings about suffering, and for this reason Peter advised that we should arm ourselves with this mindset since it is unavoidable. As Christians, we are called to suffer in the flesh for the purpose of serving God. Suffering is an integral component of Christianity to the degree that if we are not suffering, it is a sign that we are doing something wrong. For example, God often asks us to help those in need, which almost always causes us to suffer with them. It may not be physical suffering; there is much anguish that occurs beneath the surface living in a world of hopelessness, while we possess the answers to life and godliness; this in itself is a source of great spiritual anguish. We can preach the gospel and do what we can, but in the end, what we do will have very little bearing on the world, because most people’s minds are already made up; they know of no other way to live, and they can’t find the faith in their hearts to live for God as we do. They are already set on a course of destruction, and no one can lead them from it. These things bring about tremendous vexation of spirit in the Christian, being only one layer of suffering among many that God calls us to bear for His namesake. See also: Suffering; 1Pet 4,12-19; 188f (190b) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Masochism (Self-made martyr) >> Taking your sinful nature by force -- These verses go with verses 12-19. We should fully expect to suffer in this life; therefore, we should prepare for it and use it as a barometer for understanding His will. The more we suffer, the better indication we are doing His will. However, Peter was not endorsing masochism, which is the intentional harming of oneself with a motive of purification. Masochism doesn’t work as a purifier of the flesh. There is enough suffering in the world that we don’t need to go looking for it; rather, it seeks out the Christian. (233k) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seek His glory without wavering >> Seek His glory through hardship -- These verses go with verses 12&13 1Pet 4-1 (12m) Servant >> Jesus is our example of a servant (90l) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> God’s purpose for us is to fulfill His calling >> Our purpose is to do God’s will -- This verse goes with verse 7 (233b) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Seeking the goals of the kingdom >> Seek the goal of freedom KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Pet 4,2-4 (22f) Sin >> Lust (craving pleasure) >> Fleshly desire 1Pet 4-2,3 (1j) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> Carrying a false burden >> Weighs you down as you walk in the flesh 1Pet 4,3-5 (202b) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Running from God >> Running to your sinful nature >> Run from God by running to the world 1Pet 4-3,4 (242d) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Persecuting God >> Persecuting righteousness -- These verses go with verses 14-16 1Pet 4-3 (63f) Paradox >> Anomalies >> Sarcasm >> Minimize the truth to make a point (159i) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit God >> Counterfeit anointing >> Drunkenness >> Having a party spirit – This was one of the few times Peter wrote as it were to immature Christians, but Paul regularly wrote with a similar tone in hand to the Corinthian Church throughout both his letters to them, continually exhorting them to remain true to the Lord. In contrast, Peter considered any Christian who had a party spirit to be no Christian at all; He simply would not put up with this kind of Christianity; he wouldn’t cater to their immaturity, who wanted only to take from the charity of others as mere receptacles of God's grace without contributing anything to the Church. (194e) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Hate evil >> Condemning sin >> Hate evil by being innocent of it -- This verse goes with verse 15 (195g) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Worshipping men >> Worshipping the idol of pleasure – Paul spoke extensively about bondage and freedom. Yes, there is such a thing as Christians falling under bondage to sin. However, Peter was not talking about bondage but about reveling in the flesh. True Christians confess their sins and repent and continue in the freedom of Christ, but if they continually commit the same sin, they are in bondage and need to break their chains, because sin has an eroding effect on their faith. God’s people need to be free, so sin does not control us. There is no clause in the true doctrines of the Church that allows for licentiousness. Living in bondage to sin always does more harm than good. In a state of bondage, we are like a raspberry bush, bearing both thorns and fruit. Christians can live this way for a season, especially when they are new converts, until they get their feet on the ground, and the Holy Spirit has a chance to lead them in the right direction, but to continually live like a raspberry bush is not the will of God. It is actually a better sign to be miserable in bondage than to revel in sin (Jm 4,8-10). The person who considers himself in bondage understands that he is not living right, whereas the one who revels in sin does not have repentance in in his sites. The person who revels in sin knows he’s wrong but doesn’t care, and his conscience is in disrepair, but the Christian who lives under bondage is under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. A person whose top priority is to baptize his flesh in as much pleasure as possible is a heathen, a pagan and an idolater. 1Pet 4-4 (176j) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >> Extremes >> Truth is never found in your conduct on either extreme of any circumstance 1Pet 4-5,6 (25k) Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Dead in sin >> The human condition without Christ (45a) Judgment >> God judges us for not judging ourselves >> Preparing for believer’s judgment -- These verses go with verses 12&13. We who believe in Jesus are dying to the evil passions and desires of the flesh, and in this way we are judging ourselves so God won’t have to judge us, corresponding to Paul’s statement in 1Cor 11-31, “But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.” As a result, our spirit lives according to the will of God. This is the process of the Christian life; there are two opposing forces that are constantly at war against each other: the will of the flesh and the will of the Spirit. The more we walk in the flesh, the less we can walk in the spirit; conversely, the more we walk in the spirit, the less we will walk in the flesh, for we cannot do both at the same time, for they are in opposition to each other, so that we cannot do as we please (Gal 5-17). (56h) Paradox >> Opposites >> He must increase, but I must decrease -- These verses go with verses 1&2 (149c) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Three key messages in evangelism >> Righteousness, judgment and self-control – Peter is talking about preaching the gospel to unsaved people in the world, claiming that they are dead, as Paul also said, “The world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal 6-14). He viewed worldly people who did not possess the Holy Spirit as separated from the life of God, and for this reason he preached the gospel to them that they might be saved and live. Every person will be judged according to their deeds, whether good or bad; those who live in corrupt flesh and have sought God for His mercy and found Him, who now walk by the principles of compassion and have stopped sinning, their spirit will be preserved for God and live in His heavenly kingdom by faith in the cross. The ungodly sinner, converted and believing in Jesus' blood sacrifice for the remission of sin, will receive the life of the Spirit, yet he has not bypassed the judgment of God, for there is a believer’s judgment. God will judge the works of His own people, and He will be just as ruthless on us as he will be on the world of the ungodly. We who have trusted in Jesus and repented of our sins and lived a holy life for God to the best of our ability will be going to heaven, though stripped of many heavenly rewards that we could have enjoyed, but the unbeliever who did not trust in the Lord will find his place in hell. (187h) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >> Spirit versus the flesh >> Deny the flesh to walk in the Spirit >> More the flesh dies, more the spirit lives 1Pet 4-5 (48b) Judgment >> God judges the world >> Eternal judgment -- This verse goes with verses 17-19 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Pet 4-6,7 (82e) Thy kingdom come >> Three elements of prayer >> Our approach >> Be devoted to prayer – This was stated 2000 years ago, and look what Peter says is key to surviving the last days. Did he advise us to accumulate wealth to sustain us through hard times? No, he advised us to cultivate a life of prayer, and come to know God in a personal way. This will do more to prepare us for the last days than anything else. See also: Endtimes; 1Pet 4-7; 50c (187e) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >> Dying to receive the glory of God >> Die to self to be set free – This concept of dying to the flesh is a matter of ignoring or shunning our sinful desires. If we ignored the body’s appetite and quit eating food, we would soon get hungry, and if we continued in this way, we would eventually die of starvation. In a very similar way, we fast by cutting off our bodies resources as a simulation of cutting off the evil passions and desires of our sinful appetite that originates in the flesh. God wants us to deal with our body's impulses that rise against the will of God, that we should turn from our evil desires and walk by the inclinations of the Spirit instead. However, ignoring the will of our flesh is easier said than done, otherwise more people would be doing it. Simple observation in the world and in the Church tells us that most people do not deny their flesh, but serve it more faithfully than they serve Christ. It would take a long time and would cause much suffering to literally starve our bodies of food to the point of death, but this is what God would have us do to our sinful nature with its evil desires, until they weakened and eventually surrendered to the will of God in which we have an interest by the Spirit whom He has given us. In this way we become free to do the will of God without internal resistance of sin. We give control of our will to the Holy Spirit, suggesting that we cannot die to the flesh through our own power, for the flesh cannot deny itself. See also: Fasting; Rom 12,1-3; 190a 1Pet 4-6 (111j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Word and the judgment of God (247h) Priorities >> God’s priorities >> God’s interests >> God is interested in the gospel (254h) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Holy Spirit >> Holy Spirit is life >> Spirit of God is the life of Christ 1Pet 4,7-11 (138h) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Exhortation >> Exhorting the people to glorify God 1Pet 4-7 (50c) Judgment >> God judges the world >> These are the last days – It is one thing to say from God's standpoint that we are living in the last days, the last age before the millennium, referring to the 1000-year reign of Christ prophesied from the Old Testament. The age of grace that we are now living has lasted 2000 years and is not expected to last any longer, since all the ages before this have been approximate 2000 year periods! (From Adam to Abraham was about 2024 years, and from Abraham to Christ was about 1957 years.) It is quite another thing to say from a human standpoint that the end of all things is near; how much nearer is it today (09/15/2021)? Was Peter wrong when he said the end of all things was near? It’s a relative statement. If we choose God’s perspective, which is the Bible’s point of view along with his apostles and prophets whom He used to write His New Testament, the end of all things is indeed near. 2000 years is not a long time for God, since He is eternal and time is irrelevant, but for man it is a long time. From a human standpoint Peter was wrong, but man thinks God is wrong about everything, and this puts the exclamation point on our false reasonings! We are mortal and finite, while God is immortal and infinite, which are huge differences, big enough to get everything wrong about God if we don’t have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help interpret the word of God for us. See also: Endtimes; 79f (69l) Authority >> Righteous judgment (outcome of discernment) >> Judging yourself correctly (79f) Thy kingdom come >> Renewing your mind through prayer – What’s going on in the world today? People are either cultivating a sound mind, or they are losing their minds to a whirlwind of ideas, belief systems and lifestyles! All the choices that are available in the world today are overwhelming, and almost none of them are good. We are over stimulated, over entertained and over indulged in every imaginable way, and few of us have an inkling about what’s happening around them and where society is headed. No body seems to have any sense about themselves, just the opposite of what Peter said we should be doing in the last days. According to this verse, we should be cultivating a sound mind and “becoming sober in spirit for the purpose of prayer.” As we see the end of all things approaching, developing a life of prayer should be top priority. See also: Endtimes; 84a (84a) Thy kingdom come >> Be on the alert >> Remain on duty >> Stay awake – All things being equal, 2000 years after Peter said "the end of all things is near," from a human standpoint he was right. Therefore, how much more should we be dressed in readiness for his coming after so much time has elapsed, but what do we see in the Church today? Whole denominations refuse to discuss endtime prophecy, much less prepare for His second coming, whereas the saints in the first and second centuries focused on His second coming as the main thrust of their ministry. What an irony! See also: Endtimes; 1Pet 4,8-11; 13d (90l) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> God’s purpose for us is to fulfill His calling >> Our purpose is to do God’s will -- This verse goes with verse 1 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Pet 4,8-11 (13d) Servant >> Serve the body >> Promoting its health >> Building up the body of Christ – Essentially, it says to employ your gift as your ministry to serve one another, for the sake of glorifying God. How many churches do you know that allows you to employ your gift? There is at least one person who has this liberty in every church, the pastor, but the rest are expected to sit down and shut up, and listen to him. Now look at the condition of the world, and realize that it got this way because the Church lost its way and its salt that was designed to preserve the world from self-destruction. If the Church is ineffective, then perhaps we need to go back to the basics and find where we went astray, and make the needed corrections to give the ministry back to the people, give Jesus back in His Church and the world back on track, or we may find our selves starring down the barrel of the last days tribulation, unprepared. Are you ready for that? See also: Employ your gift; 129f / Endtimes; 1Pet 4,12-19; 49k (129f) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> love perfects unity >> Love is the mortar between the blocks – We should be developing a life of prayer through a sound mind and sober spirit, though we will always make mistakes, and what is the solution to our mistakes? “Love” covers a multitude of sins; in fact, love never sins; love does no wrong to a brother; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom 13-10). We commit sin during times we do not love, so we must go back to love. See also: Employ your gift; 234l (234l) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Be a blessing >> Freely give what you received from God – The ministry of helps is a common gift in most churches that is not persecuted and definitely has its place in the body of Christ, yet the gifts that correspond to the administration of God’s word is just as important to the body of Christ, and those gifts are persecuted. The ministry of helps pertains to cleaning toilets, setting up and taking down tables and chairs, vacuuming the floor and all the other menial jobs that “important people” who control the Church designate to little People. There is always room for these people and their gifts, but what about some of the more spiritual gifted people regarding the word of God? Those seem to be a little scarier and threatening especially to the leaders of the Church. Everyone has seen their quota of flakes and nuts, who have no idea what they believe yet spout at the mouth at every opportunity, so there is reason for concern, yet Peter is saying that what they are trying to do is the will of God. This is why it is important to become students of the word, so when we open our mouth to speak the oracle of God, the truth proceeds and not a lot of false teachings. There is potential for error, but that doesn’t mean we should suppress people who want to wield the sword of the Spirit, for in so doing we grieve the Spirit and suppress the truth, but at the same time we should maintain order in the Church. See also: Employ your gift; 1Pet 4,9-11; 85e 1Pet 4-8 (100d) Thy kingdom come >> Diligence >> Diligence in your service to others (113a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Heaven’s clothes >> Protection >> Covering (127k) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >> Rewards for doing good >> Doing good hides your shame (248j) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Values >> The Highest Values >> Top Priority 1Pet 4,9-11 (85e) Thy kingdom come >> Words that are spoken in faith >> Powerful when spoken by the Spirit >> by the anointing – We need to create the opportunity for people to practice their gifts to help build up the body of Christ. Doctors practices medicine and sometimes prescribe the wrong pill and people get hurt, yet we still have doctors, because we know we are better off with them than without them. People have not given up on the health system, and we should not give up on people who want to practice their gifts for the purpose of edifying the body of Christ. Church leadership tends to suppress spiritual gifts from fear and jealousy, preferring to be in total control, so those who are gifted and want to bless the body of Christ are not permitted. For this there is no solution, except to find pastors who are big enough and gifted enough, who have no fear of being overshadowed by others, who are not threatened by gifted people in the Church, so people can freely walk in the gifts to edify the body of Christ. Spiritually gifted people are oppressed in order for those who control the Church to appear important, otherwise if many gifted people were allowed to operate in the church, the pastor's ministry would seem less significant, but this is a lie of the devil. See also: Employ your gift; 1Pet 4-10,11; 115f 1Pet 4-9 (158b) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Divide and conquer >> Strife >> Grumbling (235g) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Giving (your inner self) >> Hospitality (providing a temporary home) >> Being a good host KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Pet 4-10,11 (35j) Gift >> God gives Himself to us >> Gifts from the Holy Spirit >> Spiritual gifts >> Knowing the mind of God (101k) Thy kingdom come >> Ambitious to promote the Kingdom of God >> Building up the body of Christ (115f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Through your ministry >> In your gift – Peter is teaching how we should conduct ourselves in the assembly. If anyone has received a special gift, he is to employ it in serving one another “as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” In practice however, we go to church and attempt to employ our gift and get put in our place in the name of preserving order in the Church, but there is a way to employ our gift while keeping order. There are those who don’t think we have a right to employ our gifts in the body of Christ, but it says here that we do; otherwise why are there gifted people in the Church? The Holy Spirit has gifted these individuals for the glory of God and for the sake of the body of Christ, that all may benefit from God’s work in each member. Therefore, the Church needs to make room for each person's gift. See also: Employ your gift; 234d (152j) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Prophets >> The Church holds the position of a prophet >> Church operates under a prophetic anointing >> Speaking a prophetic word from God (234d) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seeking the glory of the body of Christ – The pastoral job is meant to be overseer of the ministry; he makes sure that all runs well and that no heresy is introduced into the assembly. There is no occasion to be jealous of other people’s ministries and no need to suppress those who are gifted in the Church. The religion of suppressing the gifts and oppressing the people got its start from the Catholic Church, which essentially stole the ministry from the people and put it in the hands of the clergy, and told the people that their only obligation was to faithfully attend church each week, give their money and sit down and shut up, and for doing this the Church leaders promised to reward the people by managing their relationship with God for them, but according to the Bible, God never gave man this position or authority. On the contrary, it says, "There is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1Tim 2-5). Since the protestant movement broke away from Catholic Church, they unfortunately maintain some of their heretical ways, such as central leadership, and the general format of the church service. The pastor is usually the only one allowed to minister in the church, as though he represented Christ to the people, but again what did Jesus say about this? "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ." (Mat 23-9,10). If we put the ministry back in the hands of the people where it belongs, we will become the salt of the earth again as Jesus called us and preserve the world and possibly avert the last day’s atrocities of the coming Great Tribulation, but it is probably already too late for that. See also: Employ your gift; 1Pet 4,8-11; 13d / Catholicism (Silencing the word of God); Act 25-18,19; 163f 1Pet 4-11 (9j) Responsibility >> Strengthen one another >> Bear one another’s burdens (111k) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Living and active word of God (115a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Working God’s grace through Christ >> Worship God through Christ (150i) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Speak the word of the Spirit >> Speaking the words that God has spoken to you (213c) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> God is all powerful >> The creation is subject to Christ (244c) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> There shall be no end to his increase >> Jesus shall be glorified forever – Peter was thinking about boldness when he wrote this passage. Boldness glorifies God, being one of His attributes. We can identify a man of God not just by what he says but also by how he speaks. Those who are our enemies may mistake our boldness for arrogance, the difference being that arrogance seeks the glory of man, whereas boldness seeks the glory of God. We speak with confidence in the truth that transcends human faith. For example, they whipped Jesus to ribbons until almost dead, but not for one moment did He think twice about what He was doing after His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane when He sweat drops of blood in asking the Father for another way to make humanity acceptable to Him. Jesus knew what was good and right and true, and He knew He was in His Father’s will. Those who are His disciples possess this same divine attribute of boldness in their manner of speaking about God, confidence that transcends arrogance, boldness that causes people to believe in God after they hear the word spoken through the Spirit. It engenders faith they never had until they heard the word preached in the boldness of Christ. Boldness enrages our enemies, because they know it is from God, and Peter said this is how we should conduct our ministry. We are not to apologize for our boldness, because we know our motive is to glorify God, and we are not to retract our stand just because we offend people. If they tried to walk in our boldness without God, it would just make them arrogant, being why they accuse us of being arrogant. (253g) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Father and Son glorify each other >> Holy Spirit honors the Son through the Father >> Father glorifies Himself as He glorifies His Son KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Pet 4,12-19 (5f) Responsibility >> Discipleship tested >> God tests your faith through hardship (43a) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Conform to the Resurrection of Christ’s death (49k) Judgment >> God judges the world >> The last days >> The day of judgment (Armageddon) – There will be much bloodshed; many millions of people will die between the Seals and the Trumpets, not just Christians. The Bible teaches that in the last days there will be persecution and martyrdom, and God will use the world’s persecution during the tribulation to purify and prepare His people for His second coming, and when He is finished using the world, He will turn on it and judge the world for persecuting His people. This frames the judgments of the Seals and Trumpets in the book of Revelation. The Seals depict a failing global economy and the world will blame both Jews and Christians for it, and their persecution will cause the Jews to believe in Jesus, which will spark a spiritual revolution that will change the tapestry of life on earth, having a greater impact than the Fist Century Church. The Trumpets depict God's judgment on the world for persecuting the Church. See also: Endtimes; 1Pet 4,17-19; 40l (98l) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Endurance invites the Holy Spirit into your life >> Endurance invites the glory of God (124i) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love your enemies >> Loving your enemies leaves room for God to Work >> Leave room for the wrath of God (188f) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Suffering righteousness -- These verses go with verses 1,2. The Christian experiences things that are completely foreign to the world; what is happening to us is indeed strange, but the fiery ordeal that comes upon us for our testing is not strange to Christians, but is common to us all. We need to come together and talk about our spiritual experiences in the world, otherwise we will feel singled-out. Peter is referring to persecution; we are persecuted because of our faith in Jesus; Peter wants us to know that this is common among the children of God. Therefore, when we suffer as Christians, we are blessed, and when we meet God face to face, we will have cause to rejoice in His presence. We have cause to hope when we meet God, after faithfully serving Him since the day of our spiritual birth. We will treasure the moment throughout eternity, the moment we fully realized He was worth the wait and the suffering we endured and the sacrifices we made for our faith in Jesus. See also: Suffering; 229ia (190b) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Masochism (Self-made martyr) >> Taking your sinful nature by force -- These verses go with verses 1&2 (229ia) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Partaking of Jesus’ suffering >> Suffering as a Christian – Suffering doesn’t scare us; suffering actually makes us feel like Christians. It brings out the faith in us like nothing else, and if we can sense our faith stronger, it motivates us to serve Him all the more. What scares us is the sacrifices we make of this life to better enjoy the life to come. That is, one of the most difficult things Christians do is train their minds to perceive the suffering of self-denial as a blessing in disguise. Some of the things that our flesh craves represent the hardest part of Christianity. We feel that we are betraying ourselves when we die to the evil passions and desires of the flesh, showing just how intrinsic our sinful nature is to us. It brings about conflict, requiring tremendous faith, and there is usually no confirmation in what we are doing. We have to stop sinning and hope to somehow benefit, not knowing the substance of the reward. See also: Suffering; 1Pet 4-15,16; 194e 1Pet 4,12-16 (102l) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Tried and true >> Faithfulness – Heaven will be a place for “spirits of righteous men made perfect” (Heb 12-23). We will be made perfect so that rebellion is no longer feasible. Both willingness to do righteousness and inability to do evil will become our reality. Not just our body but also our soul will be made perfect; this is significant in that God will superimpose our resurrected body over our soul so that it takes on the contour and expressions of our underlying spirit. Ironically, we can understand our resurrected bodies made perfect easier than we can understand our souls made perfect, meaning we will never again have another evil thought. It is so easy for us now to sin that we can hardly imagine it one day being unfathomable to us. Somehow God will make it impossible for us to sin; in fact, John says He has already done this, “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1Jn 3-9). John obviously said this within certain parameters, the key word being “practice”, since we know we can still sin. John was reiterating Rom 7-17, “no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.” See also: Purified; 103l / Jesus was perfect; Heb 2,14-18; 227g (103l) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Purified by circumstances >> Purified Through hardship – Hardships and difficulties are common to both Christians and non-Christians alike; the difference is our perspective on evil. We see rebellion against God as ghastly, but we see adversity as something we must endure. God has His reasons for allowing us to suffer. Difficulties come to us for the purpose of testing us, not just to see if we are worthy of eternal life, but also to see if we are worthy of the many rewards that He will shower on us in heaven. Therefore, to the degree that we are tested in this life and are found faithful is the degree that we will be rewarded. God allows hardship, because there won’t be hardship in heaven to test us, meaning this is the only time God has to show us what we are made of and to show us the caustic effects of sin. One day God will round up all sin and cast it into hell, so nothing evil can harm us again. He can test us and we can fail, and we can get up and forge ahead without being hurt. We are not evil for failing, but we are rewarded when we remain faithful. At the end of the age, God will cast our failures into the pit of forgetfulness and burn our faithfulness into our resurrected bodies and make them permanent features of our physical expression for all to see. The ultimate lesson for us is that sin is a complete waste. The consequences for doing evil will not follow us, but the rewards for obedience will remain forever. This will help us understand in eternity why we serve Him. See also: Purified; 102l / God allows suffering and evil to test us like He tested Job; Mat 6-13; 227g (242d) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Persecuting God >> Persecuting righteousness -- These verses go with verses 3&4 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Pet 4,12-14 (113h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Anointed through obedience – If we are being persecuted, it is because of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us; but more than that, we are persecuted for permitting the Holy Spirit to remain with us. Jesus spoke in detail about the Holy Spirit who would come to dwell in the believer, defining our salvation, but there is a difference between that and the Holy Spirit “resting on us,” which is the outward expression of our salvation. God earnestly longs for us to manifest the Kingdom of God through the members of our bodies, not just in the form of good works, but also through the spiritual unction of the anointing. We should smear the anointing on all our good works, though the anointing is the main cause of persecution. The Bible testified at Jesus' baptism that the Spirit rested upon Him like a dove; Jesus never did anything to chase away the anointing throughout His 3 1/2 year ministry, so when the world sees that we are hosting an anointing, they will persecute us for it. 1Pet 4-12,13 (45a) Judgment >> God judges us for not judging ourselves >> Preparing for believer’s judgment -- These verses go with verses 17-19. Peter is reminding us to make sure that our suffering is not a consequence for doing evil. God takes credit for our persecution, considering it a form of judgment that purifies His Church, and at the same time He uses it to calibrate the degree of judgment that He should impose on the world for persecuting His people, for if judgment “begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (108k) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelation of Jesus Christ >> Revelation of the glory of God (114f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Obeying the Holy Spirit >> Receiving a revelation from God through obedience -- These verses go with verse 19 (121c) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Hope >> Expectation >> Hope is the expectation to receive >> Expectation based on hope – There are multiple levels of faith. There is one level of simply believing a chair would support us if we sat on it. Then there is a higher level of believing that obedience will lead to fellowship with God. Until we obey Him, our believing is just mental ascent. Finally, there is the faith that we believe through the Holy Spirit. We start with human faith and end with divine faith, and in the middle is obedience that acts as a catalyst. We obey the Scriptures in an environment of prayer, until we receive a revelation of His word that if we obey it, will give us God's faith. See also: God replaces our belief with His faith; 2Pet 3-17; 181f (125c) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Joy >> Joy is the result of investing in the kingdom >> Investing in a life of adversity – We serve God to prepare for the moment we first meet Jesus; his life of service will be worth all his trouble and heartache. This makes the Christian and the drug addict mirror images of each other. That is, the drug addict thinks just the opposite of the Christian; he throws away everything for his drug of choice and spends the rest of his life chasing the feeling he had with his first high, and he will never find it again. In contrast, the Christian takes the best of himself and offers it to God in order to secure that first moment with Him in eternity. The drug addict takes his moment now and faces the consequences later, while the Christian sacrifices this life for the life to come with the promise that his euphoria will never end. (175k) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Ignorance >> Ignorant of what God means >> Ignorant of the meaning of God’s works (230h) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Mystery of godliness >> Mystery of the trinity >> Obey the mystery of godliness like Jesus did (233k) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seek His glory without wavering >> Seek His glory through hardship -- These verses go with verses 16-19 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Pet 4-13 (226h) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of heaven >> Levels of reward >> God rewards us to the degree of our faithfulness 1Pet 4-14 (67j) Authority >> Jesus delegates authority >> Glorifying the name of Jesus -- This verse goes with verse 16 (112j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Light >> Being in the presence of truth – “Glory” is another word for light. If we are persecuted for the name of Christ, we should make sure there are plenty of people who can see and hear everything that is said and done, and allow the Spirit of glory and of God rest upon us. We do nothing in a corner, and we do not allow our enemies to corner us or lead us into their darkness but expose them, and God will produce the fruit and guide the situation and create the circumstances for salvation to occur. If we remain faithful, He will make sure the events surrounding our persecution will lead to salvation for those who are called and chosen, so our enemies understand that there is nothing they can do against the gospel (2Cor 13-8). The Spirit of God is our comforter and comforts us in our persecutions while we are working for Him. When we are busy doing His will, proclaiming the gospel and are persecuted for it, the God of heaven will set His glory on us, and we will know exactly what to say and do in that given moment, and He will comfort us in whatever suffering entails. He will set the Spirit of truth upon us so we can speak the word of God in power to those who will inherit eternal life. 1Pet 4-15,16 (194e) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Hate evil >> Condemning sin >> Hate evil by being innocent of it -- This verse goes with verse 3. God thinks about everything in relation to how it will reflect on Himself in eternity. He cares immensely what His creation thinks of Him, even the devil, not that He has a fragile ego but that He is God, and He means to subject all things to Himself, proving that He is worthy of His creation's worship. Therefore, before He forever rids the creation of sin He wants to test us and show us what we are capable of doing and unwilling to do for His glory and honor, not that He needs to know but that we do, also for reasons of the devil. We forget about him, yet the devil plays a critical role in creation: if he is not involved in the testing process, then he is involved in the results. God uses us to condemn the devil. He was tempted many ages ago and condemned himself trying to take God’s throne. Ever since, God has been teaching him that he shouldn't have gone that direction, and in the process He is teaching His creation a lesson about rebellion, that it is not worth it. Nevertheless, the devil believes that he didn’t have a choice; he wants to place the blame on God for his own actions. What does that say about extreme Calvinists? God uses us to prove to the devil that he actually did have a choice, and that he made the wrong one, and that what he did was his fault, and he needs to own it. God is a master educator and is teaching everyone about Himself and uses the devil to do it, making an example of him to the rest of all creation. While He proves Himself to the devil, He proves Himself to all creation, who is watching, so everyone can learn from the devil about his poor choices. For the same reasons God tests us too. He tested Job and now we have his example to encourage us to remain faithful in trying times. Likewise, God uses us to teach all creation the consequences of rebellion and the rewards of faithfulness. See also: Suffering; 1Pet 4,17-19; 98m / God is committed to proving the devil wrong; 2Pet 2-4; 46h 1Pet 4-15 (24k) Sin >> Poverty (Forms of fear) >> Anger >> Unforgiveness (25h) Sin >> Poverty (Forms of fear) >> Thief >> Stealing from some one (84h) Thy kingdom come >> Words of your mouth >> Gossip >> Attacking a person’s character 1Pet 4,16-19 (233k) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seek His glory without wavering >> Seek His glory through hardship -- These verses go with verses 1&2 1Pet 4-16 (67j) Authority >> Jesus delegates authority >> Glorifying the name of Jesus -- This verse goes with verse 14 (122j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Boldness in adverse circumstances >> Do the will of God in the face of adversity KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Pet 4,17-19 (2o) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> Get out of His way >> Quit sinning (11c) Servant >> Standard for a servant >> Freedom – The Church throughout the centuries has known very little of Christ’s freedom, mostly because people have never understood it; in fact, without comprehending freedom they never understood the gospel. Part of the problem is incentive. There is such a cost to freedom; they don’t know why they would pursue it. Freedom is like buying a cruise ship; it costs tens of millions of dollars; and what would we do with it if we had one? It is the same with freedom; if we don’t have plans on using it, why bother owning it? The same is true with unity! Hence, without unity there is no cause for freedom. Unity hires all the hands and performs all the necessary duties and attracts all the customers to this luxury liner. Therefore, before anyone seeks freedom they need to know beforehand what they would do with it, but when they see the Church in a heap, they decline the offer. We see the application to freedom in unity, but where unity is lacking there is no vision of freedom. We use our freedom to minister to people for the cause of unity, but we can’t go to church and expect to minister to anybody. That privilege is delegated to a select few theoretically to protect their doctrines, yet their doctrines are just as skewed as their concept of freedom. We can have a church full of heaven-bound Christians who believe in Jesus well enough, but if they are not united, they are more like individual bricks strewn about the ground, disconnected from each other, not fitted together to make a church. We need to seek unity, because in that state we will find the application to freedom. Paul said in Gal 5-1 that freedom is the goal of our faith, even as unity is the goal of Christ (Jn 17-23). See also: Unity: 3Jn,2-8; 115g (21d) Sin >> Disobedience will condemn you to hell (39k) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death >> Jesus defeated the law of sin (40l) Judgment >> God is glorified >> God defends His righteousness through judgment – Peter said that judgment must begin first with the household of God. This pertains to every generation that has ever lived, including this one, and it especially applies to the last days in terms of endtime prophecy when judgment is prophesied to fall on the Church and on the world in that order. God intends to judge his Church first, and that judgment will happen during the first five seals of Satan’s wrath, suggesting that when Jesus called us the salt of the earth, a preservative that also enhances taste, He was implying that the main purpose of the Church was to keep a lid on sin in the world, while seasoning their message with grace. Satan’s wrath will come to pass from the Church's complacency, from their unwillingness to become the salt of the earth and from their godless religion. Therefore, every person who dies as a result of the first five seals, God will charge their blood against the Church. This is the degree to which God intends to judge His people in the last days, allowing Satan to take peace from the earth that men should slay one, and allowing abject poverty and starvation to the point of death. This will come after the world economy crashes and people will not be able to buy food for themselves, and from sword and famine and pestilence and from the wild beasts of the earth. All these plagues will cause death to millions, and their deaths will be charged against the Church by the number of Christians who deny the faith, constituting the five foolish virgins, half the known Church today. The five wise virgins, in contrast, are those who wake up and participate in the great endtime revival led by the Jews, and God will add to their numbers a massive influx of souls. Those who refuse to assimilate into this endtime revival will label it the work of Satan, and they will blaspheme. Consequently they will lose their souls and their hope of eternal life; they will take the mark of the beast for a bowl of soup (Heb 12,15-17). See also: Endtimes; 45a / Sequence of endtime events; Rev 2-9,10; 50f (45a) Judgment >> God judges us for not judging ourselves >> Preparing for believer’s judgment -- These verses go with verses 5&6. Peter said that in the last days judgment will come to the Church before it comes to the world. This flies in the face of the grace teachings that we hear today. They say, ‘God will not judge us because of His grace!’ What is Peter saying then? The grace of God itself is a type of judgment. God judged the sin of the world through His Son, and by that He has forgiven us and set us free from the sentence of eternal damnation. If grace has its roots in judgment, then it shouldn’t surprise us if God judges His people through His grace. He will require us to seek freedom and pursue unity in the last days. Freedom has always been God's standard throughout the centuries, yet bondage has always been the Church's condition. God intends to judge His people to repentance and impart His gifts that we might effect unity. This was the way of the Church in Peter’s day; there was genuine unity and incentive for freedom, but after 2000 years of disobedience, the freedom of Christ and its incentives have eroded to a nub. In the last days God will demand that we obey Him and seek freedom from our fleshly bondage, and if we refuse to work with Him, He will pass over us. When God judged the Egyptians, the angel of death passed over the houses with blood on the doorpost, but in the last days He will pass over those who have rejected His purpose of freedom and unity. See also: Endtimes; 98m (48b) Judgment >> Eternal judgment >> God eternal judgment on the world (88h) Thy Kingdom Come >> Fear of God >> Fearing the judgment of God is the beginning of wisdom >> Fear the sovereign hand of God on your life (98m) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Endurance invites the Holy Spirit into your life >> Endurance invites the judgment of God – ‘Suffering the will of God,’ and "entrusting our souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right," will be God’s expectation of us in the last days. We will need to trust Him, for if we try to save our own lives, we will end up losing everything as Jesus said in Mat 16-25, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” In the last days these words will take on a literal meaning; those who seek to live in this world will die-trying. God has a plan to protect His people. We can dig our doomsday prepper holes in the ground and live like animals, but it will unlikely protect us for 3½ years. We cannot have endurance without suffering any more than an ocean can exist without water. We need to surrender our ideas to God and integrate into His plan and recognize from the start that Peter promises suffering if we do it God’s way, and we will get through it without a scratch (Lk 21,16-19) and in the end inherit eternal life, but if we go with our plan, we will be judged along with the world. See also: Suffering; 1Pet 4,1-5; 168a / Endtimes; 103k (103k) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> God purifies His church >> Jesus purifies His people – The last days will be hell on earth for the sinner, but God has a plan to protect His faithful ones, though there will be martyrs. There always were martyrs throughout the ages, and in the last days there will be more than ever, yet they will only represent a small fraction of Christians alive on the earth at the time of the end when the antichrist unleashes his rage on the earth. God has a plan to protect us, just as He had a plan to protect Israel during his judgments against the pharaoh of Egypt by commanding them to remain in the land of Goshen. Had they left this land, their blood would be on their own hands. In the same way, if they failed to paint the doorpost with blood of the Passover lamb the night God smote the firstborn in the land of Egypt, their blood would be on their own hands. This land of Goshen is the wilderness, mentioned in Revelation chapter 12. There God will nurture His people for 3½ years from the presence of the serpent at the same time that God’s trumpet judgments will blow in the devil’s ear and rattle his kingdom to its foundation. At the sixth trumpet there will be little left of his kingdom, and at the last trumpet He will Rapture His Church. See also: Endtimes; 209f / Wilderness (Place of safety and protection); Rev 4,1-11; 224b (136j) Temple >> Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of Christ >> Body of Christ is the temple of God (157e) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of being hell-bound >> Being displeasing to God >> Walking in disobedience (209f) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Righteous saved with difficulty >> Righteous saved with hardship >> Righteous saved with grief – God demands that we show Him a little reverence and endurance, and when He sees us enduring our trials and temptations, in due time He will impart to us a supernatural ability to endure them. 1Pet 5-10 says, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” However, If we refuse to relinquish our fetish sins to Christ, He will judge us along with the world. 1Cor 11-31,32 says, “If we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.” So we see that there are two judgments that are coming in the last days: one to the Church and another to the world. The Church will not receive the judgment that God will impose on the world; instead, those who believe in Jesus will receive the judgment of God’s grace; He will demand that we become free, but if we don’t accept His freedom, He will judge us along with the world. This flies in the face of grace teachers who think their doctrines make them immune to God’s judgment. God’s expectation upon His people in the last days will increase exponentially. For the last 2000 years God has demanded the Church's obedience, while we have given ourselves freedom to choose not to obey Him, believing there will be no consequences because we are Christians and beloved. Most people would prefer to simply believe in a set of doctrines rather than obey Christ. However, the Church will receive an ultimatum in the last days to either do what He says or else lose His protection from the antichrist that is coming. The Church has played Patty-Cake with its many false gods for 2000 years, and now it is time to finally learn His true identity. He wants to use us to help topple the devil’s empire. He has plans to reveal Himself to the world through us in the last days so millions of people can be saved from the darkness that is coming. See also: Endtimes; 1Pet 4-6,7; 82e (218b) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> You cannot control the judgment of God >> You cannot control how God responds to rebellion KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Pet 4-17 (214j) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God’s time is soon >> God’s time is always now (250g) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Sequence of priorities >> Spiritual then the natural (anointing then miracles) 1Pet 4-18 (209c) Righteous Saved With Difficulty (Key verse) 1Pet 4-19 (92a) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> Trail of good works >> The good works that He prepared for us (102h) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Trustworthy >> Loyalty (114f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Obeying the Holy Spirit >> Receiving a revelation from God through obedience -- This verse goes with verses 12&13 (127h) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >> Rewards for doing good >> Doing good is the will of God (144b) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The Church bears witness of Jesus >> It bears witness of the cross (212a) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> He is the creator >> The creation glorifies God >> The creation exemplifies God’s sovereignty (247k) Priorities >> God’s priorities >> The will of God >> We play our part in the will of God >> Doing the will of God See next page