Good morning, all!
Father, we pray this weekend that as the world reflects on its significance, they experience the wonder of Your love and promise. That You in all sovereignty sent Your Son from heaven to touch mankind, to provide a way out of all the chaos and confusion and give us a gift like none other, Amen.
1 Peter 4
6 For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit.
This is the reason the gospel was preached to those who are DEAD because to judge a person by the flesh is pointless, but we live according to God by His spirit.
7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer.
But the end of man living by the flesh is NOW; so be sober minded and NOT self-absorbed being prepared to pray before we act.
8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
And most of all having a burning passion to love because with this frame of mind we will COVER many sins and NOT crucify each other like they did our Lord and Saviour.
9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
Be generous to each other without complaining about it.
10 As every man hath received the gift, [even so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Each of you should use the gift given you by God to serve each other as FAITHFUL servants of God’s grace which should be shown in as many ways possible.
Bottom line
So the world will recognize the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ this weekend, and for this reason He came down from heaven so that the world could judge one another based on the things said and done in the flesh, right? WRONG!!! The exact opposite, Jesus came to provide and higher standard, a better standard, one that far exceeds the standards of the world, the standards of religion…that’s a big one. Did you notice who the gospel was preached to? The DEAD! You don’t think they we’re preaching in cemeteries to actual dead people, do you? The dead He’s speaking of is you and I when we live by the flesh, that is death also known as the opposite of faith.
[Rom 7:5 KJV] For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. Two things we should notice in this verse, first it says “WE were” meaning
WE ain’t NO more in the flesh…called resurrection. Two, when we judge one another, we bring forth the fruit of DEATH…same thing as asking someone to eat a rotten piece of fruit…we have nothing to offer God or anyone else for that matter. So, what is the higher standard if NOT the flesh? He tells us in this passage, it’s to love one another half-heartedly…oh FERVENTLY…the Greek word means without end. When our love has ended for someone, we have lost sight of ABOVE all, also known as the higher standard that Jesus has shown us. The higher standard of love doesn’t JUDGE my sin it COVERS it, think about it can you love and judge someone at the same time? We think we can, but you can’t, this is the point that He’s calling our attention to in this passage. The only judgment we should come to is the same as Jesus, which is to COVER the sin so you and the world can’t see it anymore…this is love!
[Zec 7:9 KJV] Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: The Lord of the world tells us that TRUE judgment is when EVERY man…same as don’t leave anyone out…forgives and has compassion. Not sure how we can confuse what true judgment looks like? And what enables us to judge like that? Well, according to verse 10 EVERY man…same as all…received the gift…and what’s the gift? GRACE!!! The grace of God has NO restrictions, it has NO boundaries, it sees NO sin and it has NO end, it’s a life lived by the high standard made available unto EVERY man…this is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
[Gal 2:21 NIV] I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! We shouldn’t set the gift of grace to the side, we should be good stewards and use it whenever we can. I mean what other option do we have? It’s not really an option, it’s a lie we live which is to say Jesus died for NOTHING. You want to truly celebrate Easter, execute true judgment and cover the sin and love em’ anyway…this is the gift of grace.
Point to Ponder
What about the fruit? [Pro 18:21 KJV] Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. The fruit you EAT is totally up to you, choose grace it will taste a whole lot better…just ask Adam and Eve.
Let’s all live by His grace, In Him Phil
Faith – Family – Friends
