P C S and E
(4-25-04)
1Pet.5:8-11
Stand Firm! Ok?
On what do I take my stand? On Truth! Yours
or mine? God’s! 1CO
15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand
firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully
to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1CO 16:13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 14 Do everything in love. (Psl.33 – read)
PR 10:25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,
but the righteous stand firm forever.
Peter tells us something vastly important for us to take to heart – God will even
when we no longer can. 1Pet.5:8-11 (10) “And after you have suffered for a little
while, the God of all grace, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” We are called to
1. Be of sober spirit (1Pet.1:13, 4:7)
2. Be on the alert (Mk.13:35;
1Thes.5:6)
3. Resist the devil (the adversary) firm in your faith (Zech.3:1-7)
·
Comforting
thought – its not just you who suffers, don’t take it personally.
We have been called by God, and our Lord Jesus for their purposes, not ours. They have
a plan that includes you. God’s word confirms this. (1Pet.2:20-25) (1Pet.3:8-12)
We are called to stand firm in what God has done and is doing in us and through us. 1Pet.1:3-9 Notice God’s work
·
Caused us to be
born again
·
Caused us to obtain
an inheritance which is…
·
Who protects by
His power
It is a God thing we have entered into and if we would see Jesus and the Father glorified
as they so richly deserve we must stay yielded to their purposes.
2PE 1:3 His divine power
has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and
precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world
caused by evil desires.
2PE 1:5 For this
very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge,
self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they
will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if
anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
It is God who has given us what we need for the moments of our live. It’s God’s answered promises that
have provided our participation in His Divine nature and it is His hand that has rescued is us from this present evil age.
It is because of what He has done that we are compelled to build upon that sure foundation. What he asked us to build with
he has already given, we are asked to do. We are called to be effective and productive
in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus.
P C S and E - 1Pet.5:10 (NAS) “And after you have suffered 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.”
