hanks

Q2. (5:8) What is it important to be aware of Satan's existence? What does this verse teach us about the devil? Why is this teaching important? There is no need to worry about Satan, but we have to be aware of his existence, and at the same time we have to take him seriously and be alert to his evil and devious tricks. This verse teaches us that he is like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. This means that we have to be constantly vigilant and prepared to meet every attack that he might have up his sleeve. No way can we have a light-hearted attitude to his tricks and lies. Sometimes he comes like a snake, seeking to lure people into moral corruption. Sometimes he disguises himself as an angel of light, attempting to deceive people in the spiritual realm. There are many ways we can be deceived. As long as we are strong in the Lord we will be safe. We must remember a Christian has the protection of spiritual armour (Eph 6:11-18). When a Christian is fully equipped, the devil is unable to penetrate this armour.

Q1. (5:7) According to this verse what should you do with your fears? What reason is given why you should do this? In what manner should you do it? How will you apply this verse's instruction in your own life? What a privilege we have as Christians. This verse teaches us that worry is unnecessary; there is no need for us to bear any burdens when He is willing and able to bear them for us. The reason we do this is that we know God cares and loves us as His children. We cast our cares on Him by earnestly praying to Him as our Heavenly Father. Being of an advanced age I can truly speak from experience - I know that worry is futile, and does not solve any problems. I also feel that worry is sin. By worrying I’m telling God that I don’t trust Him, and it denies my love for God. I’m also telling Him He does not care. We know from Hebrews 13:5 God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Q4. (5:5-6) What acts of humility are appropriate for church leaders? How can we discern a person's humility before putting him or her in a place of leadership in the church? What happens when we fail to do this? The key to unity and harmony in the church is humility. We read this in Philippians (2:3-8): “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!” Our leaders, and that includes us, could do well to emulate our Lord Jesus, and adopt an attitude of service. Once we realise there is nothing for us to be proud of – and that all we have, even our next breath, comes from God. Our church leaders do not only have to be humble towards God but also towards all their congregation. We all are to clothe ourselves with humility. We might remember that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Acts of humility that are appropriate for church leaders might include being obedient and submissive to authority. Also to be submissive to those that are older, and most definitely not becoming proud because of the power they have received. They are to submit their God-given authority self-sacrificially; submitting themselves to God in humble dependence, looking to Him for their eternal reward at the proper time. Each casts their cares upon Him who is the Great Shepherd, knowing their task is impossible in merely human strength. We most probably all have seen churches that suffer terribly from proud leaders.

Q3. (5:3) How can we best keep elders and pastors from being power-mongers? From limiting a pastor's authority? What's the danger here? From testing a person before bestowing authority? How can this be difficult? How can we deal with this serious problem properly? The world thinks of leaders as being confident, self-assured and assertive. In contrast Peter tells us that our leaders are to be humble and a servant of others. In our churches we often see Christians that tend to measure leaders in terms of their success, whereas in the Scriptures they were measured in terms of their faithfulness. When we introduce a Christian speaker, we boast of their educational achievements, their success in ministry (usually measured in numbers), and their acceptance by men. Even when we seek to recruit leaders, we appeal to men on a human level, according to human pride and ambition. We want them to think of leadership as an honour rather than a means of expressing humility. We speak to them about feeling fulfilled rather than of emptying themselves in service to others. So there is a vastly different way unbelievers lead and the way it should be in our churches. Our leaders are not to be self-seeking, self-serving, and self-sufficient but humble in their relationship to God and to men. We desperately need to embrace Peter’s view of leadership if we are to function properly as a church.

Q2. (5:2) What's wrong with the common practice in churches of "twisting a person's arm" to get him or her to serve as a church leader? What damage does this do to the church? What kind of leader does it produce? Unfortunately, I have seen this happen too often. Besides coercing someone to become a leader, I’ve seen leaders appointed from a ruling clique. No consideration is given to the qualification requirements we read in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and in Titus 1:6-9. As you can imagine, both with harmful results to the church. The church does not function as it should in many areas. This all has negative effects on the congregation who feel the shortcomings of leadership. Very often these appointed leaders are not to blame as they are out of their depths, and the lazy members of the congregation are to blame. I feel if you love the Lord you should be only too willing to serve Him in whatever capacity the Holy Spirit leads you.

Q1. (5:1-2) What do you learn about the responsibilities of an elder from the definitions of "elder," "pastor," and "overseer"? What stood out to you as you considered these words? I see them all primarily in a teaching and leadership position in our church today. They must of course be of mature Christian character, qualified by the Holy Spirit to provide spiritual leadership. They should share in fellowship, and besides instructing us, be caring as well. Because of the great responsibility they are to be judged by the fruit of the Spirit. What stood out for me was the fact that they are to be humble, and not greedy for money or power.

Q4. Why is a willingness to die, if need be, essential to healthy Christianity during persecution? What happens when we aren't willing to die, when we are afraid to "take up our cross daily" (Luke 9:23) and follow Jesus? What does this have to do with "committing ourselves to a faithful Creator"? Our natural tendency is to save our lives by our own selfish existence. We may have all the comforts, pleasures and luxuries of modern living. Yet with all this we can still lose our lives, that is, we can miss the true purpose of life and the intense spiritual pleasure that should go with it! People think us mad if we first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and yield unreservedly to Him, before our own selfish ambitions. But it is this life of abandonment that is genuine living, with a joy, and a deep inward satisfaction that defies description. This would mean denying ourselves and taking up our cross. To deny self means willingly to recognize His lordship in every area of our life, and finding a reason for our existence. We instinctively recoil from a life of cross-bearing. Our minds are reluctant to believe that this could be God's will for us. Yet the words of Christ “If anyone desires to come after Me” mean that nobody is excused and nobody is excepted. We have to remember He is our creator, and as such are the objects of His love and care. It is only reasonable that we should entrust ourselves to the One who made our souls and who saved them.

Q3. (4:14) If we are never persecuted, what does that say about how people view us? In what way should persecution make us happy? Perhaps they view us as ‘one of them’. It could mean that we are not the shining light we are supposed to be for Jesus. It could be a cause for us to think about our Christian walk. Knowing that we have been specially selected to suffer for Christ, and what a privilege it is, should make us happy. Just knowing that the Holy Spirit will be there to help us is another comforting thought. Also we know we will be rewarded in heaven for any suffering we did for Jesus – but this is not a motivating factor.

Q2. (4:13) When you meditate on the idea of partaking of or being a sharer in Christ's sufferings, what perspective does it give you on whatever persecution you may experience? I feel we are not to question God, and look negatively upon sufferings. He is in control and everything He allows is done for a purpose. He may be perfecting me, or testing my faith; but I know that when I’ve been tested and gone through hard times, I’ve drawn much closer to my Lord. Jesus identifies with His people; when they suffer He suffers. I’m just so grateful that I did not have to suffer the same that our Lord went through – and to think He did it all for me, and you!

Q1. (4:12) What's the danger of trying to avoid persecution and suffering for Christ? Have you ever been distracted by persecution from what you should have been doing? Have you ever observed this in other Christians? The danger of trying to avoid persecution and suffering for Christ is that we try to blend in with society and thereby do not stand up for Jesus. The unbelieving world hates His followers. And as true Christians, and not hypocrites, we have to defend Jesus against attack or criticism, even if it means being ridiculed. Sometimes we need to be tested – to see whether our faith is genuine. Fortunately, my answer to the second question is no. But, unfortunately I have observed this in other Christians – the best is for me is to pray for them.

Q4. (4:10-11) If people are always promoting themselves and pointing to how God is using them, what does that say about them? Their sense of self-worth? Their maturity? Their realism? Their humility? What spiritual gifts has God given you, and how are you using them to his glory? By promoting themselves, they perhaps, do not realize that the gift/s they have did not originate by their own effort, but was given to them by our Lord. We have to give God all the glory and recognition, acknowledging that it is God who empowers us. All the glory belongs to God. We should never become proud no matter how highly gifted we are. We have to remember that the gift did not originate with our effort. In fact, everything, that means everything, we have come from Him. I like to think I have the gift of discernment, hospitality and to serve Him. I definitely have not got the gift of teaching. I am actively involved in my church serving Him in various capacities; all background activities. I do this to serve Him and am grateful for the opportunities given to me by our Lord. Amen.

Q3. (4:5-7) Why don't non-Christians like the idea of giving an account of their actions? Why don't we Christians like it? What should the realization that we must give an account of our actions inspire in us? With what attitude should we live as a result? Non-Christians do not want to be disciplined by a judgmental God, they are self-centred and want their so called freedom to do what they like. We as Christians do not mind for we know we have received forgiveness for our sins. I would think the thought of standing before God and giving an account of our actions must be a most daunting prospect. The realization of this should change our whole attitude to sin. It should help us try to live a sinless life, dedicated to our Lord and Saviour.

Q2. (4:3-4) Why do non-Christians try to get you to sin with them. Why are we tempted to do so? How can we resist this temptation? They feel a sense of guilt, and also that we, as so called religious fanatics, are judging them. Once we join them, we become part of them and are no longer seen as a threat. It is when we abandon God, that our moral standards drop, and we are tempted to join them. It is then that we start engaging in all sorts of sinful pleasures. We, as Christians, are new creatures and our old sinful desires should have been abandoned. As a new creation, in Christ, we should not be focusing on old habits, evil thoughts, or lustful looks, but rather our remaining years should be spent in fellowship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and living a life in obedience to God. We should be living in the power of the Holy Spirit who will help us in our fight against temptation, and ensure that we are not controlled by human passions but by the will of God.

Q1. (4:1-2) When the scripture says "arm yourselves with the same attitude" as Christ had, how should this attitude help keep you from sin? What attitude are we talking about? The same way Jesus had nothing more to do with sin, after He had died on the cross, is the way we are to turn our backs on sin - having nothing more to do with it. It is this attitude that will keep us away from sin. Of course we will sin, but we will be immediately aware of it and ask for forgiveness. Since being indwelt by the Spirit, we live by the power of the Spirit, and He will help us to persevere in living a life that will bring glory to our Heavenly Father. The thought of Jesus dying for my sins, hurts me terribly, and I have tried to live a life that is dead to sin. This is the attitude we are talking about. It is now not all about me but rather all about Jesus.

Q4. (3:20-21) Various Christian traditions have different practices of baptism - the mode (sprinkling, pouring, immersion) and the age (infant vs. an age when a person can profess his or her own faith). Let's not argue about that in this forum. Let me ask you the crucial question for you - Have you pledged your faith in Jesus Christ and promised to serve Him as His disciple? How does this pledge relate to your own baptism? (Remember, no criticism of another's understanding of baptism in the forum. No fighting. No setting people straight - seriously!) My salvation is a gracious gift from God. God chose me, before creation, out of His love for me. Jesus died to pay the penalty for my sin. I am so grateful and rejoicing in my salvation, full of praise for my Heavenly Father. Yes, I have pledged my faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour, and promised to serve Him as His disciple. I trust Him fully and have surrendered my life to Him. I acknowledge that there is nothing I have done or can do to earn my salvation. It is a gift of God which I gratefully accept. Thank you Lord!

Q3. (3:18a) Meditate for a few minutes on this verse: "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." Now personalize it to imagine (1) your sins, (2) your unrighteousness, and (3) your reconciliation with God. Each of these ideas is awesome! Which of these three aspects of the verse has God impressed most strongly on you today? Select one of the three and share it. When I think back on all the evil actions I’ve done as well as all the improper thoughts I’ve had, I feel totally ashamed. Ashamed that I could ever have done such things and grateful to our Heavenly Father for His mercy and grace shown to me. To add to my sins are all the things I should have done and didn’t do. While Jesus Christ was on the cross, the wrath of God was poured out on Him. In the midst of this condemnation, He cried out, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?" When Jesus breathed His last, the veil in the Temple that stood for the separation of God and man was torn. The work was done; Christ died for all sins once for all. The righteous for the unrighteous! It hurts me to realize that He suffered so severely because of my sins - Jesus who was innocent died in my place for my sins! But even this was not all. Just as my sins were put to His account while He was on the cross, so in the same way, the righteousness of Christ was put to my account when I repented and put my trust in Him. I was credited with the righteousness of Christ. Here I am, justified - declared to be righteous - for all eternity. I stand in awe – what a sacrifice! - what a gracious God we serve!!!

Q2. (3:15-16) Why is it so hard for us to be a witness when we're persecuted? Why is it easy in tough places to be the wrong kind of witness? Which one of Peter's four instructions do you find most needed in your particular situation? It is hard because we focus on our fears instead of focusing on our Saviour. What can happen? The worst that can happen to us is physical death, and this we should not fear. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). We must remember that our persecutors will face a far worse punishment – eternal death in hell. If we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and King and remain focused on Him, our fears will definitely diminish. It is only by trusting Jesus fully that we discover others may hurt us, but in no way can they harm us. In difficult situations we are urged to suffer for righteousness' sake without retaliating. We are not to repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse. Instead we are to bless those who mistreat us, and to repay insult with kindness. As Christians, we are not called to harm others but to do them good, not to curse but to bless. It is this behaviour God expects from us, and it is the type of behaviour He will reward with a blessing. When we bring blessings to others, we are blessed ourselves. Reply with gentleness. I find that when I’ve been done an injustice, my immediate response is to retaliate. I must remember I belong to Jesus and as a true believer I am to bring blessing wherever I go and through whatever I do. Living in a world in which one is continually confronted by evil, my natural response is to strike back or try to get even; to seek revenge. Thank you Lord that you have helped me to mostly overcome this. I notice that by acknowledging you in everything I do and by remaining in fellowship with you Lord, am I better equipped to reply with gentleness and respect. But I still have a long way to go.

Q1. (3:8-9) Which of the qualities Peter mentions in 3:8-9 are most evident in your congregation? Which are most needed? What can you and your friends do to change the relational climate at your Church so it is more Christ-like? Most of the qualities mentioned are found, in varying degrees, in my congregation. There is harmony, and compassion for each other. Most people are humble and I’ve never heard of any quarrels at the church. I feel the most needed are love and less of selfishness and self-centeredness. There is a tendency to form cliques, but this is human nature. However, we must strive for unity – we are to live in harmony with each other. God desires that we grow continually into unity of faith, as well as unity in the knowledge of Jesus. It is only then that we will be mature Christians and become completely like Him (Eph 4:13). Me and my friends must guard that we are not found guilty of not displaying these qualities. We must love each other more irrespective of whether we like them or not. We must be sensitive to the needs and feelings of our brothers and sisters. Try to put others first by looking for opportunities to serve them. We are to focus on Jesus and try to emulate Him.

Q5. (3:7) How can treating one's wife wrongly hinder a husband's prayers. How can treating a husband wrongly hinder a wife's prayers? God has told us He does not listen to sinners, but only to godly men who does His will (John 9:31). He does not accept prayers that a husband and wife offer in an atmosphere of strife and contention. So, if a husband is treating his wife wrongly, his prayers will not be heard. The same applies to the wife. There has to be mutual love and respect. Both husband and wife will then be able to pray together in peace and harmony and enjoy untold divine blessings.

Q4. (3:7) Why should a husband relate to his wife with knowledge and wisdom? In what way does this demonstrate love? In what way does this demonstrate self-interest? Why do men sometimes try to dominate their wives? Why do wives sometimes try to dominate their husbands? What harm does this do? How is domination of another person contrary to God's nature? We are to love our wives in a Christian manner, demonstrating the love of Jesus in our marriage. As husbands we must love and respect our wives in harmony with God's Word. This means being considerate and understanding, putting her interests before ours. It is very easy for us to dominate the marriage because we are mostly the income earner and also stronger physically. This is all wrong, she is our equal partner in life and deserves to be treated with the respect she deserves. God’s Word tells us to love our wives and treat her as our equal, (for example, Eph 5:25-33; Col 3:19).

Q3. (3:4-6) How does a person cultivate inner beauty? How does one gain character? Why is true character so important and precious to God? How can character help a Christian woman win and hang onto her husband? It is by joining our life to the life of Jesus that the Holy Spirit will start producing the character traits found in Jesus (John 15:4-5). We must know Jesus, love Him, and imitate Him, then the fruit of the Spirit will grow in us and give us that inner beauty. It is not possible to do this on our own, we need His help and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Being like His Son is important and precious to God. We will be putting all our faith in Jesus, we will be living a righteous life of obedience to Him. Any husband will count himself most fortunate and will want to hold onto such a precious jewel.

Q2. (3:3) Why should women try to look their best? How can trying to look their best divert women from what is more important? What is the balance? Out of respect for themselves and their family Christian women should always try and look their best. At the same time, they must keep a proper balance, recognizing that beauty and adornments have their place, but knowing that the key to lasting beauty is what is inside them. They must not necessarily conform to social pressures. Christian women should rather let their beauty come from within, others should see an unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. The Christian women will have been transformed by the Holy Spirit, and their beauty is seen in their personality, their attitudes, their thoughts, and their motivations. Her inner faith and character will shine through reflecting the light of Christ; drawing attention not to herself but to her Lord.

Q1. (3:1) Why is submission so difficult for us humans? Does submission require you to be silent when you don't agree or feel something can be improved? When is submission wrong for Christian? In married life, a husband is expected to give leadership, exercise authority, and obey God. This authority which God has given him must be used lovingly for the wellbeing of his wife, and family. His wife should strive to uphold her husband and help him in his task. With her talents and abilities, she is God's servant in fulfilling her role as her husband's helper. So within the family we observe that both husband and wife are equal as human beings, but the differences are in their respective functions and roles. But in practice this does not always work because of our selfishness and the tendency of one partner trying to dominate the other. It being all about ME, instead of the marriage. Marriage is about team work not about submission. Submission would be wrong when required to disobey a plain command of Scripture. Here we are to take a stand against breaking any of God’s moral laws.

Q4. (2:24b) If Jesus died to set us free from sin's power, why does sin have such power over us still? According to 2:24b, how must we deal with sin? In practical terms, how can we "die to sin"? In everyday language, what does "live for righteousness" mean? Sin still has power over us since we all were born with a tendency to sin; not only in our individuals acts but also in our attitudes. We are all sinners and it is only by the grace of God that we are saved. When we become believers the Holy Spirit helps us in our fight against sin. We will still sin but not so often, and when we do, we immediately repent and ask for forgiveness. Jesus Himself bore our sins so that we might ‘die to sin’ and live to righteousness. We live for God; our old nature is dead. Live for righteousness means we live by faith on the righteousness of Christ. In this world we obliged and should live a godly, good, and moral life if we fully appreciate the precious blood our Lord and Saviour spilt for our sins – for our salvation. Righteousness becomes the rule in our lives, and we sin less and less.

Q3. (2:24a) This may seem like a simplistic question, but give it thought before you answer, and then answer thoughtfully. What is the significance to you personally that Jesus bore your sins in His own body on the cross? I cannot even begin to imagine the suffering Jesus must have gone through for my sins alone, never mind the sins of the world. It can only be because of His love for me, and His obedience to His Father, that He endured this inexpressible punishment. This is the ultimate act of love – to give one’s body, one’s very life, for the unrighteous. To think Jesus bore all of my past, present and future sins. I am now dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. I can now approach our Heavenly Father clothed in His righteousness. I am forever grateful to my Lord and Saviour! Thank You Lord! I was thinking that perhaps Peter may have had in mind the idea of a ‘scapegoat’ (Lev 16:20-22). Where Jesus is seen as carrying our sins to the tree (cross) and thus dismissing them, as they were dismissed in the wilderness by the scapegoat.