We are back! It’s been flu month in our home. WOOT WOOT! One gets sick and then the other one, it’s like that game we play with dominos where we make a cool design and hope that they all fall down in order.
Today, we are in 1 Peter 2:18-25
“Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live in righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
First question we must ask ourselves as we start this text is: who are we serving? what our hands and feet going to? where is our time being used? when we answer these questions honestly we are then able to soberly answer the question, who are we serving?
Second question we must ask ourselves after answering the first one is, are we living in such a way where who we serve draws others in to serve? But the importance of this question is crucial, is we are not serving the great and mighty God who created the heavens and the earth, spoke all into existence, than who are we serving and who are we showing others to serve? Are we leading people around us away from serving the true and living God or are we leading them to serve and worship Him?
Okay, so as servants of God, we are still here on earth to represent and mirror Him to those who don’t know him. We are to show His characteristics in everything we do and not just to those who are good and gentle but to those that are unjust. When you look at the definition of unjust it means, not based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair. Unjust looks like someone going against you just because they don’t like you and step further they don’t agree with what you agree with so they will do anything to break you and hurt you. What would it look like if you looked at that person that is not fond of you, whether boss or not, to show respect instead of ignoring or disobeying, or just doing things in spite of how they treat you? It would feel weird at the beginning, but the beautiful thing about relationship with God is that he is patient with us and has already given us everything we need to walk in such a way where it will cause those that look down upon you to break their neck by how fast you respect, how fast you are quick to love and be generous. God tells us it is a gracious thing to show respect to those who don’t show it back. God tells us that Christ did the same thing, showed grace instead of a punch in the face or harsh word. We always forget those harsh words don’t we, especially if its words that come out of anger towards them. Because there are moments where hard words need to be spoken for our sanctification and transformation. We can’t stay where we are and expect change if we aren’t hearing the hard things. It was the hard nos, the hard moments, to be where I am today with God, and I am not at all saying I am perfect, I strive for it, but I am thankful for God’s grace in my life!
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” — Matthew 5:38-42
Every time I read this passage I just can’t even put into words where my mind goes. Go the extra mile, give my other cheek, my coat, to someone that has already hurt me and talked bad about me to others? But what is crazy is that this is exactly what we did to Jesus, we spit in his face, we slapped him, we crucified him! Yet, he turned his other cheek, he walked the long road to that rugged cross on calvary, he was obedient to his Father despite the pain, the betrayal, the denial, the hate, and the knowing that at the end of the age there would still e those who deny him but he endured for those that will endure till the end, for those who know without doubt that He is our Savior, Redeemer, Our Future for Eternity.
He did not sin.
He did not revile.
He did not threaten.
He entrusted himself to His Father.
He suffered for me. He suffered for you. He suffered for the world.
Will we suffer for His name to be glorified and magnified?
There is nothing gracious about suffering without it being attached to see lost souls know Christ, see Christ, believe Christ. Why would we endure suffering if there was nothing to look forward to? You wouldn’t. You would just enjoy and stay away from the hard because it wasn’t worth it. But we endure suffering because we know that this, where we are, is not the final destination. We await glory. We await eternal rest. We await everlasting joy and everlasting peace. We await new bodies. Christ endured because He knew that this life would be only temporary.
As believers of Christ Jesus, are we enduring suffering because we know that this is not it? Are we choosing to follow in the his steps? He showed us the way, are we walking in it?
One of the things that gets me in the verses we read today are that HE DID NOT SIN despite being treated like dirt and not the son of God! If we are to follow in his steps and be perfect as he is perfect, why don’t we? why do we hesitate? why do we think we have the right to judge or think we know the best punishment to give someone that doesn’t treat us with honor and respect. He gives us the power to choose forgiveness instead of revenge.
WE ARE IMPERFECT HUMANS. AS BELIEVERS WE STRIVE TO BE HOLY AS CHRIST IS HOLY but we will not be perfect until the day our King returns and takes us home, where we will be made entirely new. So, for now daily that is why we must remain sitting at his feet, bowing down before him, pleading for His Spirit to take over, without His spirit we could do nothing that pleases the Father.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. –Ephesians 6:11-12
THE PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU IS NOT YOUR ENEMY, THE ENEMY IS YOUR ENEMY. YOU ARE CALLED AS A SON AND DAUGHTER OF GOD, AS A DISCIPLE OF JESUS, AND A SPIRIT FILLED BELIEVER, YOUR CALLING IS TO ENDURE SUFFERING FOR THE SAKE OF THE LOST TO COME TO KNOW GOD, TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL AND BAPTIZE THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT AND TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST.
Remember He left the 99 for the one.
The angels will rejoice for the one.
It is time to put the full armor of Christ on that we may go into the battle ready to be hated, ready to be slandered because of our love for God and our desire to see all come into saving grace.
‘For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ — Matthew 5:43-48
“DO NOT EVEN THE GENTILES DO THE SAME?”
If we are to turn the world upside down, we start by really practicing the way of Jesus. It takes discipline. When we see our flesh starting to take over, we pause and let the Holy Spirit fill us up to be able to mirror Christ to those around us the love of the Father, the kindness of our Savior and the power of His Spirit in us, that they may fall to their knees and repent and take hold of salvation.
‘For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!” ‘ — Isaiah 30:18-22
It is time to say be gone to our flesh, to the idols that keep us from being fully surrendered to Christ. It is time to say be gone impatience, to say be gone to what we think is right and allow the Spirit to lead us to do what will glorify God.
We were all disrespectful to the King until the King came and set us free.
If you know that you have been healed, delivered, set free, filled with peace that surpasses all understanding, why would you keep silent at a time where we see the prophecy of Scripture being fulfilled everyday?
Cafe Enciende 