Swept Away by Grace—A Study in I Peter 2 (Part 11)— For the Joy that is set Before Us

Chosen, redeemed and left on this pilgrimage journey here on earth that we might be transformed into the image of Christ as we are being prepared to fully enjoy Christ as our greatest treasure. We are commissioned to live our lives in such a manner that others will see us and desire Christ. We were not left here to go after and seek our own self-fulfilling desires. Has this not been the message that Peter is writing? Because of the magnitude of Grace we have been given, our hearts should be overflowing with Christ and a desire to please Him. We have been given the opportunity of an eternal relationship as Child of the creator and joint-heir with Christ of all things. As we near the end of Chapter 2 we see that Peter is urging us to live outwardly the life we have been so graciously given through humility, love and even enduring ridicule, rejection and suffering so that we might be like Christ.

So, what are we to do when storm clouds surround us and we feel oppressed? We are to look to Christ as our example for He is our light to show us the way out of darkness. As we cling to Him we recognize that He is truly our Joy in the midst of diverse tribulations. (James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3) That is why we can rejoice, knowing we are His dearly beloved.

Look what Peter wrote.

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Every Sunday morning I try to post a poem for you. Oftentimes it is a new poem; however, some weeks there are no new poems forming in my head.  Poetry for me is not something I can just sit down and write—the beginning words must appear in my mind and only then it can take shape.  This week I have nothing new; but, wish to share a poem from last year that many of you have not seen.  I wrote this poem as I was leaving Florida where I had lived for 10 years.  For me, I consider myself so blessed with all the directions and places God has led me.  So many people I have met in my travels and friends that will last a lifetime.  What a marvelous grace God has shown down upon me that I have such friends who have been there for me, graciously forgiven me when I have been wrong, encouraged me when I have been down, and played such a role in who I am today.  Thank you, all this is for you. I have felt Christ’s love displayed through each and every one of you.  I pray you see His hope, His love and His Joy through my life.

I’d Traveled Far
By Effie Darlene Barba

I’d traveled far across this land
Unto the eastern shore
Uncertain of what God had planned
Alone, I stood once more
I’d heard Him bid for me to go
Twas all I needed know

And then I saw, as time did pass
His plan begin unfold
I had been placed within His class
To learn His love untold
And as I saw His Glory Shine
His joy, His love now mine

I met dear friends along this way
That helped me as I grew
And others stumbling blocks did lay
God used to guide me too
That I might see His Grace His might
With Christ my guiding light

And Now I know that I must go
To leave these all behind
I wonder if my life did show
A Glimpse of God’s dear mind
And did my life His Glory shine
Within this mirror of mine

Oh, Lord I have this one request
When memories of me rise
That they might see how I was blessed
Your grace my greatest prize
You took this broken, selfish heart
To fill Your Love Impart

So, can you Lord, use all I’ve done
Though blend of good and bad
To point them Lord to your dear son
His Grace, His Love did clad
A simple person such as I
With righteousness on High

© 2014 Effie Darlene Barba

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to any brands, products or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides regarding the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Swept Away by Grace—A Study in I Peter (part 10)—A Life’s Testimony

Peter, the rough and rugged fisherman became an eloquent writer and teacher of the gospel. As we have noted in I Peter, he reminds us over and over again that it is by grace alone that we have been saved and called to be set apart in this pilgrimage journey. He tells us that in Christ we are set free from the chains and bonds of sin that surround us. Yet, as we noted in the previous verses; he does not want us to forget that God is righteous and God hates sin. God knows that our self-centered, pride-filled, pleasure seeking hearts draw us toward counterfeit joys that cannot fill the void within. He is the only one who can fill that void. Peter also knows the perils; after all, he was the one who after pride fully boasting to follow after Jesus had then denied Christ. Peter had also felt the grace of Christ’s forgiveness.

Artwork used by permission of Ronald Barba who owns the copyright—for further information on obtaining please click on the link

Peter’s heart had been broken of all the self-exaltation and had wondered if he would ever be “worthy” of being a teacher. Ahh, truth is: he knew he wasn’t worthy; but, was chosen anyway. Peter knew that it was Christ who could do the work through him and not himself.

That is the Peter who now writes:

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Swept Away by Grace- A Study in I Peter (part 9)—Firm Foundation-now and for Eternity

Peter has been confirming and reminding the people of the marvelous wonder of the grace they have been given. Grace which reaches out, takes hold, and transforms lives. He realizes that there is a truth which they must also know—a truth without which grace has no significance. That truth is that God is a righteous and just God as well. For that reason, he refers back to Isaiah where it was written: (Isaiah 28) “¹⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lay in Zion a stone, a^[q]tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. He that believeth, ^[r]shall not make haste. ¹⁷ Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. “Judgment will come—that is a certainty and judgment will pour out from heaven only that which mankind deserves as a result of his rebellious and self-absorbed heart. Many who built their lives on their own “self-righteousness” and on anything other than the truth of the gospel will watch their lives crumble beneath the hailstorms that try the faith.

portrait used by permission of Ronald Barba who owns the copyright.  Please click on the picture if you wish to obtain information on purchasing

Christ is the only foundation on which we may build that will stand when the trials of our faith come on the earth. Furthermore, when we stand before Him in judgment all our humans works and wisdom will be burned away; yet, our salvation will stand firm only if we have built upon the foundational stone of Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 3: 9-15). For all who have not believed on Jesus Christ, there is no foundation and they will be eternally condemned—by their own choice to have denied the only means of righteousness that was purchased at a great price to the Father and Son.

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Swept Away by Grace—A Study in I Peter (Part 8)—Because You have Tasted that He is Good

It had been a simple question.  It was meant to be a word of flattery, a friendly gesture to uplift, I am certain.  Any other moment, I would have immediately known the answer—in a split second; because I know the truth.  After all, I know the gracious beauty and wonder of God’s love.  I know He is good and is Sovereign over my life.  Then why, oh why did that question split open the scars of my past?  Hadn’t God already healed that wound so long ago?  Perhaps it was timing that made it lethal or perhaps I had let down the wall just enough to allow the question in with all that it could imply, or maybe I had turned off the alarms because I though I was safe. There it was the question,  “So, who takes care of Super Woman?”   At that moment my heart split in two and all the desires for human love I had long ago laid aside rushed in, along with all the fears of rejection, feelings of loneliness, and those feelings of inadequacy.  For that moment, all the truth of who I am in Christ faded into the background as Satan’s lies became so loud within my heart and mind.  Then I began the process over the next 24 hours where my own fear would destroy any hope of friendship, thus relinquishing me from being vulnerable anymore. Not the smartest way of handling the situation, I know.  I should have run to God; but, unfortunately, once those walls are broken we tend to try to hide those feelings from even God.   Of course my fear was not only will this friend find out that I am not superwoman; but they will discover my weakness as well. Don’t tell me you have never done anything similar.     I had been there before.  So, this was nothing new—only I did not expect  this particular emotional stumbling block.  It had been so many years since I had felt this kind of loneliness. I  believed that God had closed that wound forever—or, so I had thought.

photography courtesy of Dr. Rene Sullivan and used by permission

In this journey we are surrounded by a dark sea of turmoil from the evils surrounding us in this world.  Illness, disappointments, sorrows, violence, death, financial turmoil, and job performance demands all press in from outside us.  Then from deep within is all the brokenness of our hearts, our longing for acceptance, our pride, our feelings of mediocrity, and our sense of inadequacy.  There would be no hope were God to have left us in our broken state; but, He did not.

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