SWEPT AWAY BY GRACE—A STUDY IN I PETER (PART 5)—GRACE GIVEN HOPE TO STAND

Throughout this study in I Peter, we have seen “Grace” proclaimed.  God called, God saved, and God preserves.  He has given unto each of us who believe in Him the greatest gift of all, His Gracious presence as our heavenly Father. It has been evident that we could not earn this gift.  We could never be good enough nor wise enough with our own finite self-absorbed minds to be able to recognize His Glory and His righteousness.  We were created to be receptacles of His Love, His Joy and His Glory and in seeing we are to be always echoing back to Christ His own Glory, magnifying it like a mirror reflecting light. Yet, we somehow think that we are here to receive  earthly gifts and treasures. In our selfish natures we believe that our desires are of ultimate importance.  Our at times we become proud in our “accomplishments for God.”  We are incapable of doing anything for God unless He gives us that gift of Grace for that moment and then it is He who has accomplished the good through and in spite of me.  Peter was so aware of that very truth and we need remember that as we move to verse 13 which  on first appearance might seem a call to action on our part.   Let us look closely at these verses:

I PETER 1: ¹³ Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;¹⁴ As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:¹⁵ But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;¹⁶ Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

So, let me try to explain this further to help you understand. 

Peter now begins a plea for righteous living because of the Grace we have been provided and because of the burning light of hope that one day we will be fully clothed in Christ’s righteousness. For that reason, we must be diligent and alert to obeying God.

So let’s look at the three exhortations that Peter gives us in verses 13-14.

Continue reading GRACE GIVEN HOPE TO STAND →

Do you ever awaken some mornings and suddenly you feel the crushing weight of all your own unworthiness before God?  You look at your own failures and they loom before you, overshadowing and clouding all of who you are.  Those thoughts cause your hope to crash down around you, like thousands of pieces of fine crystal scattered at your feet.  You fear that if you step forward the pieces of glass will cut your bare feet into shreds; yet, you know the truth is God sent His Son to bleed and die to cover all your sins.  God did not leave Him there.  Indeed, Christ rose up from the dead and broke the chains of hell, death, and damnation forever to all who believe in Him.  In 2010, I wrote a book entitled “A Broken and Contrite Heart” that pleads God’s response to His children when they are faced with their own failures and sins.  There is nothing in my life that ever took God by surprise.  When He chose me He knew every time I would fail Him.  Neither does He wish I stay there grappling in the muddy mire.  Instead, He reaches forth His mighty hand to pull me out and as I cry forth, “How can you still love me after all the times I have failed you and this heart which can never fully love you as it should?”  His response, “Sin, child I do not see any sin—(as He looks through the blood of Christ which covers me).  “Come, child there is work to be done”  as He removes the last bit of mud upon me.  That is Grace, my dear friends—the same grace that David and Peter so richly proclaimed.  Each chapter of the book-“A Broken and Contrite Heart” ended with a poem-written by me and for me.  Today I needed to return and read what I wrote then as the final poem of the book—a reminder of who I am in Christ. 

The Grace in Which I Stand

 

Oh feeble heart, Oh fragile soul

Where is the hope on which you hold

With all the failures of your past

Where is the faith to make you bold

Where is the faith to make you bold

 

There was a King though blameless He

That came to pay my penalty

And in that act He set me free

To follow Him in liberty

To follow Him in liberty

 

It is His love that drew me out

And in His Grace I shall not doubt

That He who started this work in me

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

 

One day the finished work be done

That I might look then like God’s son

Sifted, shined just like pure Gold

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

 

And in this hope my faith conformed

I know my life will be transformed

I stand upon this future grace

So for His work my passion warmed

So for His work my passion warmed

 

So in this faith I firmly stand

That formed in me as God had planned

No force on earth can shake me free

My future held by God’s great hand

My future held by God’s great hand.

 

It is in His power and might that I continue to battle against sin and though I may not yet have attained—I know I will one day look like Jesus.  Oh, how I long for that day.  It is that truth that gives me hope once more and causes me to rise up above the ashes of my life to battle once more. 

From my Book, A Broken and Contrite Heart published 2010.

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And if you still don’t understand, please watch this video of the incredible hymn “Upon the Throne of God” with excerpts from the movie about Martin Luther included.

© 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 with the exception of my own book. 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 4)—Blessed Dispensation of Grace

Consider the truth of how blessed we are to be in this dispensation of Grace. The prophets of old spoke of the Messiah to come, longing and yearning for that day. It was by faith that they looked forward to His arrival. They told of His coming to suffer and die that we might be saved; yet, they did not know when or how this great act of salvation would come to the earth. So it is Peter, crying forth:

“Rejoice, for what the prophets of old foretold has come to us all—Salvation. That which is foretold is now completed—what was merely a shadow to come—is ours to accept. Even the angels can’t truly understand the Grace of being forgiven as we do. “ Are you beginning to understand what it is to be swept away by such Amazing Grace when all the mystery and chaff is swept away so that we see Christ’s Glory Revealed?

Continue reading Blessed Dispensation of Grace →

Swept Away by Grace—A Study in I Peter-part 3: Broken for Joy

I think for us to understand Peter’s letter, we need to remember for a moment who Peter was and is. Here was a man who was a self-reliant, strong, rugged fisherman who knew how to work hard, get things done through the storms, and who had a loyal heart. He was amazed by the truth that Christ called him to be a disciple. He had left everything that he knew and trusted in to follow after Christ without a moment’s hesitation. For three years he had followed Christ and he had grown to love Christ; although, there were moments he didn’t fully understand what was happening. Many times along that part of his journey his faith had been tested and at times he had failed. Christ had confided to his apostles the plan was that he would die and would rise again to new life so that all might be saved; yet, Peter didn’t want to hear that. All Peter could see was the moment before him and did not understand the reality of eternity until later—but at that moment in the garden Peter rose up to defend Christ and Christ had said no.

Original Artwork used by permission of Ronald Barba and is protected by copyright—for information on obtaining copies please click on the picture or follow the link below.

Peter so believed that he was strong, courageous and would die defending His best friend and master; but, then the most painful thing that could ever happen did. He, Peter, denied Christ three times. Christ had even warned him that it would be so; but, the horror of coming face to face with his own failure was almost more than he could bear. Peter suddenly knew he was not worthy of God’s Grace.

He was not worthy to be called as a child of God. Christ was beaten, tortured, ridiculed and hung on a cross to die. Christ was then buried and rose from the grave on the third day. Now for a moment imagine the agony of Peter’s heart those three days. Even then, he

Continue reading Broken For Joy →

Swept Away by Grace-A Study in I Peter part 2—Born Again Into this LIVING HOPE

I Peter 1: “³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

photo courtesy of @istockphoto.com

Are you not overwhelmed by the truth of the Gospel of Christ?  Is your heart not overflowing with rejoicing over being alive in Christ?

  Think of this, we who are dead in our own sin are raised to a new life—we are born again to life eternal with Christ. Are you alive as a Christian or merely existing with a long sour face? Think of this, born again into a living, lively hope. If you do not feel like rejoicing over that truth, then do you really understand the gospel? God chose me, this broken, self-exalting heart that was dead to God. He gave me new birth into His family—the family of the King of the Universe and provided for me the promise of an inheritance in heaven with Him. Why would I ever weep or mourn over trivial losses here on earth? I am alive because He lives. Furthermore my salvation is secured and kept by the power of God. He not only provided the grace that saved me—He has provided the Grace I need today for whatever I face and the Grace that will lead me all the way home. So again, are you ALIVE and living forth Your LIVELY HOPE in Christ Jesus?

Imagine the magnificent joy that arose in Peter’s heart when he realized the truth of Christ’s resurrection and then Christ came to him and called him with the mission to preach the gospel despite his own failures. Peter knew the truth of what was Grace.

Listen to this song. He’s Alive with David Phelps

 

© 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.”