Author: Will

1 Peter 4:3 – Wasted Pleasure

Posted on by Will

For the time of life having passed is sufficient for us to have worked out the will of the Gentiles, having lived in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and lawless idolatries.

Truth to Learn

We’ve wasted enough time; now let’s focus on serving God.

 

Behind the Words

“Lewdness” is translated from the Greek word aselgeia, which literally means “not having control.” It is used primarily with regard to sexual appetite and is sometimes translated as “wantonness.”

We saw the word “lusts” in the previous verse. It is the Greek word epithumia, meaning “excessive or uncontrolled desires.”

“Drunkenness” comes from the Greek word oinophlugia, which literally means “overflowing wine,” but by application it means “excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages.”

“Revelries” is translated from the Greek word kōmos, which means “carousing” or “reveling,” implying a “letting loose of control.”

The word translated “drinking parties” is from the Greek word potos, which means “getting together for the purpose of getting drunk.”

And finally, “lawless idolatries” comes from the Greek, athemitois eidōlolatreiais, which literally means “illegal image worship.” It refers to “the worship of anything other than God.”

 

Meaning Explained

Peter has just told us that we should no longer live for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. He now tells us that it’s time for change. We’ve spent enough time living like the ungodly to know that’s not the will of God. We did these things in the past enough to know that they don’t give us true happiness and certainly don’t give us peace. All they really do is produce amnesia, headache, and heartache.

We could probably sum up Peter’s description of these activities as illicit sexual activity, drunkenness, partying, and the worship of things instead of God. That’s how many of us lived before we were saved. Peter is saying that our past indulgences are to be put behind us so we can live unto God. None of these things is what God wants of us.

However, it’s easy for many of us to say, “I never committed any illicit sexual activity. I never got drunk, and I never went to wild parties, so this doesn’t apply to me.” What we often fail to see in this verse is that Peter groups “the worship of things other than God” in the same category as those other things.

Have you ever possessed anything that was so important to you that you would do anything to hang on to it, or that you spent so much time on that it made you forget about your commitments to God? These are all idols. I once had a car that was like that to me, and God had to tarnish my idol for me.

 

Application

As a Christian your life should not be characterized by the “party scene.” But remember, anything that distracts us from our focus on God is an idol, and our Heavenly Father considers that just as horrific as wild, sexual, drunken partying. Ouch!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 4:2 – Stop That Lust

Posted on by Will

no longer to live the rest of his time in the flesh in the lusts of men, but in the will of God.

Truth to Learn

He suffered and died for us, let us suffer and live for Him.

 

Behind the Words

In the previous verse Peter told us to “arm” ourselves with the same “mind.” Let’s look at these two words. “Arm” is translated from the Greek word hoplidzō, meaning “to equip with armament.” It is expressed in the imperative mood indicating a command. The implication of the verb is that we should start doing so right now.

The word translated “mind” is ennoia, which is a compound word made up of en, meaning “in” and nous, meaning “the mind.” Therefore this word means “that which is in the mind,” hence, “thoughts” or “understanding.”

In today’s verse, the words “no longer” are from the Greek word mēketi, made up of mē, meaning “not” and eti, meaning “anymore” or “yet.” Hence, it means “not anymore.”

“Flesh” is translated from the Greek word sarx, which refers to “the flesh of a living creature.” Hence, Peter is referring to the remainder of time that we are living on this earth.

The word “lusts” is one that we have seen before. It is translated from the Greek epithumia, which is made up of epi, meaning “over” and a form of thumos, which refers to “a violent motion or passion of the mind.” Hence, epithumia refers to “an overly strong desire of the mind.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Peter told us, “he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” This doesn’t mean that we will never commit a sin again. Rather, Peter is telling us that when we are suffering, though we have done nothing wrong, and we are doing so patiently, we are not letting our sin nature control us.

In the current verse, Peter completes that thought. Since we have the same understanding as Christ, that this suffering is God’s will, then each of us should:

no longer … live the rest of his time in the flesh in the lusts of men, but in the will of God.

In other words, for the remainder of the time that we are living our earthly life, we should not be living for the lusts of men but for the will of God. Well, what are these lusts of men? According to the Apostle John they are:

 the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16)

So it’s not just sexual lust we are talking about, but all those desires that we have that cause us to focus on ourselves rather than God. It includes the overly strong desire for food, for pleasure, for “stuff” like a new car or a new house, or a new kitchen, or a new boat, or the desire to be admired because of a position of prominence. It’s anything that focuses on “me.”

 

Application

Let us not waste our few remaining years on this earth satisfying ourselves, that is, our fleshly lusts. Let us, instead, seek out ways to be obedient to the will of God so as to bring Him glory! After all, He suffered and died for us, let us suffer and live for Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 4:1 – Suffering With Him

Posted on by Will

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

Truth to Learn

Suffering for righteousness produces a keen sense of Christ’s suffering and enables you to more fully live for Him.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “suffered” is the from the Greek word pascho, which means to experience a sensation, usually painful (sometimes translated as “passion”). It is expressed in the Greek aorist tense, meaning that it was an action that took place at a point in time in the past, not continuous action in the past.

The word translated “ceased” is the Greek word pauō, which means “to stop, quit, or come to an end.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, implying a process that has come to completion in the past with a resulting state of being. The emphasis of this tense is on the resulting state.

 

Meaning Explained

According to Peter, he who has suffered in the flesh, “has ceased from sin.” Since Christ never did sin, this can‘t be referring to Christ. Some have argued that this implies that when we really and truly die to sin in our flesh we will have attained a state of holiness in which we sin no longer. I don’t believe that this is what Scripture teaches.

The Apostle Paul addresses this same issue in it the book of Romans:

For if we have been joined together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him that the body of sin might be done away with, that from now on we should not serve sin. For he who died has been justified from sin. (Romans 6:5-7)

In this passage it is pretty clear that Paul is talking about us putting our “old man,” a term which refers to our sin nature, to death, figuratively. He goes on to say:

knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, He dies no more; death no longer has dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died to sin once; but in that He lives, He lives to God. In the same way count yourselves also to be truly dead to sin, but alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:9-11)

It is clear that Paul is teaching that we haven’t really died, nor has our sin nature really died but that we should consider ourselves to be dead to sin and not let it control our lives.

Therefore, what Peter is telling us in today’s verse is that if we are suffering for righteousness, we can identify with the suffering that Christ went through. And, whereas His suffering culminated in his atoning death for us we can consider ourselves to have died with him (at least our sin nature) and we can live a fulfilled life, not controlled by our sin nature.

 

Application

If you are currently suffering and you have done nothing wrong, of if you are suffering because of your testimony for Christ, you can readily identify with His suffering which gave us everlasting life. As a result, you can now more readily live for Him instead of living to satisfy your own sin nature.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 3:22 – Our Exalted Example

Posted on by Will

who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven and, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

Truth to Learn

The result of Christ’s patient, faithful suffering is exaltation.

 

Behind the Words

The words “right hand” are translated from the Greek word dexios, meaning “the right hand” or “the right side.” The use of this expression is of extreme significance since a person of high rank who puts someone on his right hand gives him equal honor with himself and recognizes him as of equal dignity. Therefore, this word when used as it is here means that Jesus Christ has equal honor and authority with God the Father.

“Authorities” is translated from the Greek word exousia. This word is based on the word exesti, meaning “it is allowed” or “it is permissible.” Exousia, therefore, carries the meaning of “permission, authority, right, or power to do something.” Here it refers to those who have authority.

The word “powers” is from dunamis, from which we get our English word, dynamite. It refers to “power” or to those who have “power.” The expression “authorities and powers” refers to all, both earthly and heavenly, who have positions of power and authority.

The expression “having been made subject” is translated from the word hupotassō, which we have learned means “to place in an orderly manner under.” Hence, it refers to the submission of angels, authorities, and powers to the person of Jesus Christ.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we talked about baptism not being a means of, or requirement for, salvation, but rather an act of obedience demonstrating a faith that has already occurred. At the end of yesterday’s verse Peter stated very briefly what that saving faith is in,

the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Yes, our faith requires that we believe that Christ died for our sins, but the proof that He was sinless himself, the proof that He alone is God, is in His resurrection from the dead.

Peter now finishes that thought, declaring that Christ has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God (the position of preeminence and power) with all angels and authorities and powers having been made submissive to Him.

Remember what Peter has been telling us. He has been saying that we need to be patient under suffering especially if it is the result of us being obedient to God. Here, Christ is given as the supreme example. The result of His obedience was exultation to the highest position in all of creation. Those who have been His enemies will cringe when they see His exalted position. Those who have willingly submitted themselves to Him will glorify Him.

 

Application

Peter’s teaching here is that just as Christ was rewarded for His obedient suffering, so we shall be if we are faithful and patient during times of suffering. Are you suffering for Him today? Do it patiently and give God the praise.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 3:21 – Obedience From Faith

Posted on by Will

Which antitype now also saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Truth to Learn

Baptism does not save us. It is simply a picture of salvation.

 

Behind the Words

The word “antitype” is translated from the Greek word antitupon, which is a compound word made up of anti, meaning “against, opposing, or resisting” and tupos, meaning “hard or solid.” This word originally meant, “resisting a blow or impression.” In the New Testament, however, it is used in a different sense. Here it means “a similar type” or “a model.”

The word translated “saves” is sōdzō, which, indeed, means “to save.” It is expressed here in the present tense, active voice, and indicative mood, which indicates current action. In other words, “it is now saving us.”

 

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse is another very difficult one and one that has been misinterpreted by some who try to espouse the idea that one must be baptized to be saved. Similar to other supposed proof texts for false doctrines, this verse actually argues against baptism being a means of salvation.

Peter has just made a reference to the spirit of Christ who was proclaiming to the unbelievers during the time that Noah was building the ark. Today’s verse starts off with,

Which antitype now also saves us …

There is significant disagreement by scholars about whether the former “antitype” was the ark or the water. In either case it was simply a model of salvation to which baptism is compared. Noah did not receive spiritual salvation through the ark or the water, he received it the same way Abraham did and the same way we do today, through faith; he believed God. The building of the ark simply demonstrated his faith, just as baptism is our act of obedience after salvation that demonstrates our faith.

You see, Peter could not have been saying that we are saved by baptism. Otherwise, he would have been saying that our salvation is based on works, not faith, which is quite contrary to Peter’s and the other apostles’ teaching regarding salvation through faith alone.

Peter goes on to address just such a misunderstanding in the following phrase, as if he knew that what he was saying was likely to be misinterpreted. He says that baptism has nothing to do with the putting away of the filth of the flesh (it matters not whether you interpret this as physical dirt or the filth of sin on our souls), but that of a clean conscience toward God. And where does a clean conscience come from? It comes from obedience.

Peter is saying that baptism is like the building of the ark; it is an act of obedience that demonstrates something which already occurred (faith unto salvation). The act of obedience is not the saving thing itself, just the evidence.

 

Application

Perhaps you have been taught that you have to be baptized to be saved. That would be a situation where you have to obey to be saved. In reality, however, you have to be saved to obey.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 3:20 – The Message Proclaimed

Posted on by Will

who formerly were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

Truth to Learn

Salvation comes through believing the message we proclaim, that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for our sins.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “disobedient” is apeitheō, which is made up of a (called a privative), meaning “not” or “without” and a form of peithō, meaning “to persuade.” Hence, apeitheō means “not persuaded” or “not believing.” This word is expressed as an aorist participle, indicating continuous action occurring at a time before the main verb (“preached” in the previous verse). Hence, Peter is saying that these who were preached to had been previously disbelieving.

The word “ark” comes from the Greek word kibōtos, which means “a box” or “a wooden chest.”

The word translated “saved” near the end of this verse is the Greek word diasōdzō, which is a compound of dia, used here as an intensifier and sōdzō, which means “to save.” Hence, it means “to thoroughly save.”

 

Meaning Explained

Continuing on from the previous verse, you will recall that it said Christ preached to the spirits in prison. These spirits are identified in today’s verse. They are the people who were disbelieving in the days when Noah was building the ark.

There are those who contend that there was no word for boat at the time of Noah so “box” was a reasonable word to describe it. I find that argument lacking in that there were rivers before the flood and likely were boats of some kind. Also, since this book was written by Peter (a fisherman), if he had intended that the vessel was a boat, he would have used the word for boat. Instead, he used the word for a box. A further reason that I believe the ark was a box not a boat, is that marine architects have demonstrated that a boat with curved sides and hull as we see in depictions of Noah’s Ark would not have held together under the stress of the turbulent flood waters. They have also demonstrated that the most stable craft in a turbulent ocean is a box of the approximate proportions of Noah’s Ark.

Not only did Noah accomplish physical salvation for himself and his family by building the ark, but his faith (his belief that God really was going to bring a flood), which was demonstrated by his construction project, was a saving faith. And, it appears that all the time that he was building the ark, Noah was proclaiming that God was about to bring a flood, but no one believed.

Therefore, Peter is saying, the spirit of Christ in Noah was proclaiming a message to unbelieving people all the time he was building the ark to the saving of his soul and those of his family. The spirits who were preached to are now in the prison of Hades awaiting the Great White Throne Judgment of the unsaved, which we read about in Revelation 20:11-15.

 

Application

Things are not much different today than they were in the days of Noah. Many in the world do not believe the message that we proclaim. But, like Noah, we must not give up proclaiming the truth, for Christ is coming back soon!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 3:19 – No Second Chance!

Posted on by Will

by which also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,

Truth to Learn

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!

 

Behind the Words

The grammatical construction of the beginning of today’s verse can suggest either “in which” or “by which.” After having studied many interpretations of this passage, I am convinced that Peter’s intent is “by which,” meaning “by which spirit he went …” Whether this means the spirit of Christ or The Holy Spirit (which has been the subject of much arguing) I don’t know; I don’t think it really matters, for it is the Spirit of God in either case.

The word “preached” is translated from kērussō, which means “to herald forth, to proclaim, or to announce publicly.”

The expression, “preached to the spirits in prison” can be translated as, “proclaimed to the spirits in the guarded place.” It is not likely that this was an evangelistic message else Peter would most likely have used the verb euangellō (good news declaring) rather than kērussō (proclaiming).

 

Meaning Explained

Though it is one of the shortest verses that we have looked at, this is a very difficult one to understand. It is the sole verse upon which the Roman Catholic Church bases its doctrine of purgatory (a temporary place of suffering from which some may be released). But before looking at this verse we must look at the end of the previous verse.

In the end of the previous verse Peter said that Christ was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. Some believe that this is referring to Christ dying in the flesh but living in the spirit. In fact, the Greek grammatical construction of the end of the previous verse suggests that it was “by the Spirit” that Christ was made alive again (in the flesh). The word translated “made alive” in the previous verse is the Greek word dzōopoietheis, which means “to make alive.” It can mean either giving initial life or giving life again after it has been lost. But either way, it can’t refer to Christ’s spirit being made alive since His spirit is eternal.

Finally, to get the full meaning of the current verse we have to join it to the next verse. The construction of this verse and the one following implies that the proclaiming occurred at the time when God was waiting in the days of Noah, but that the imprisonment of the spirits was contemporaneous with Peter’s time. In other words, Peter was saying that Christ proclaimed to the spirits who are currently in prison but the proclaiming occurred in the time of Noah.

We will get into this a bit more when we look more closely at the next verse. What I want you to come away with today is that this verse is in no way saying that Christ preached to the unsaved in purgatory giving them a second chance to be saved. There is absolutely no basis for the notion of purgatory in today’s verse … or anywhere else in the entire Bible.

 

Application

If you believe that you have to earn the right to be in heaven with God, and you believe that in purgatory you will have a second chance, or that you can work your way out of purgatory, you are in for a rude shock. You cannot earn salvation. You can only receive it as a free gift when you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins. Once this life is over, your choice is made … for eternity!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 3:18 – Obedient Suffering

Posted on by Will

For Christ also died once for sins, for us all, the just for the unjust, that He might bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

Truth to Learn

Jesus Christ suffered! He suffered quietly, for your sake.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “once” is hapax, meaning “one time.” This declares that Christ suffered and died only one time for all sins.

“Being put to death” is translated from thanatoō, which means “to kill.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, implying past completed action with a continuous ongoing effect, but the emphasis is on the ongoing effect (for you and me).

 

Meaning Explained

Peter has told us in a number of different ways that it’s a good thing for us to suffer unjustly. He has also said that not only is it pleasing to God but sometimes it is what God has determined. He now tells us that our Father, who has adopted us, is not asking us to do anything which his own Eternal Son has not already done. According to this verse, Christ died for sins. Did He commit any sins? No! So whose sins did He suffer and die for? Obviously, He suffered and died for yours and mine and for those of all mankind from the beginning of time until the great judgment day. Is that fair? No, but it is what God determined.

But why would God determine that to happen? Peter answers this in the following part of this verse, “that He might bring you to God …” God determined that this was the way that He could make himself approachable by sinful mankind. Christ Himself can now bring us to the Holy Father. In theological terms this is known as “substitutionary” death. That is, the one who did not deserve to die did so as a substitute for us. And, since He didn’t need the death applied to his account to pay for His sins (since He didn’t have any), his death was applied to our accounts as payment for our sins.

Now, for just a moment, let’s look at this from Christ’s perspective. He didn’t have to die. He didn’t have to go through the agony and suffering that He did, nor was He personally desirous of doing so. Here’s what He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane just before being taken by the crowd to be tried, tortured, and crucified,

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray.”  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me." And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." (Matthew 26:36-39)  [NASB]

Christ knew what was coming and He didn’t want to go through with it, but He willingly did so because He knew that God the Father wanted Him to do it. He was obedient, even unto death.

 

Application

Now compare the suffering that you may currently be going through (or that you may go through in the future) with His suffering. He was willing to do so for the Father … and for you. Are you willing to do so for Him? Even though it isn’t fair?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 3:17 – Good Suffering

Posted on by Will

For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Truth to Learn

Sometimes God chooses to have us suffer even when we are doing what we know is right.

 

Behind the Words

“Better” is translated from the Greek word kreitton, which is the comparative form of kratus, meaning “strong.” So, kreitton literally means “stronger.” However, used figuratively as it is here, it refers to something that is “better.”

The word translated “will” in today’s verse is thelēma, a form of thelō, which refers to what God has determined. There are two words that are commonly translated as “will” in the Bible. They are boulomai (desirous will) and thelō (determined will). It’s like a child going into a store to buy candy with a limited amount of money. There is his desirous will (to have all the candy) and his determined will (the specific candy purchased with his limited funds).

If we look carefully we see that Scripture refers to God’s will in both ways. An example of God’s desirous will can be found in 2 Peter 3:9, where it says:

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

This is a use of boulomai in reference to God’s will. Hence, God does not desire that any should perish.

 

Meaning Explained

Peter has not been talking about our suffering as being discipline, though it sometimes feels that way. Let us not miss the truth that he is teaching us. When we suffer for doing good, we have a tendency to turn to God and say, “Hey, wait a minute, God! I did the right thing! Why am I suffering for it?”

In today’s verse, the use of thelema indicates that God has determined that in some cases we will suffer for doing what is right and good. Peter is telling us that even if that is the situation for you or me, it is better than suffering for doing evil. When we suffer for doing good we can, with a good conscience, turn our hearts toward God and give Him the glory for our suffering, knowing that it is part of His plan. When we suffer for doing evil, we can only hang our heads in shame and wish we hadn’t done something so stupid.

In the next chapter of this letter, Peter will say a similar thing about suffering:

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this matter. … Therefore those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. (1Peter 4:16, 19) [NASB]

Incidentally, the word translated “will” in 1 Peter 4:19 is also thelēma; that which God has determined.

 

Application

Are you suffering right now because you have done what is right and you can’t understand why? If so, get on your knees and thank God for finding you worthy to suffer for Him. Then, be ready to give a reason for the hope that you have in Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 3:16 – A Good Conscience

Posted on by Will

having a good conscience, that when they slander you as evildoers, those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

Truth to Learn

Having a good conscience allows us to be a powerful witness.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “conscience” is suneidēsis, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and a form of eidēnai, which means “to know.” The fundamental idea of this word is “knowing together with oneself.” Hence it denotes the conscience, that part of our being that knows what is morally right or wrong for us to do.

 

Meaning Explained

Peter has been talking about our attitude while we are suffering for doing what is right and has just said that we should “be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason of the hope in you, with meekness and fear;” The reason we should be ready to give this answer is because we are, in this case, suffering wrongfully; therefore, we have a good conscience. He goes on to say that even though we are suffering for having done good and there are those who will speak against us as evildoers and who will falsely accuse us for our good behavior in Christ as though it were evil, they will someday be ashamed of it.

The point is that we should always be ready to give the reason for the hope in us because our witness in times of persecution and of suffering and our patient suffering without retribution is the type of behavior that the world doesn’t understand. It appears supernatural to those who don’t have it and, in some cases, may be used by God to open the eyes of others in order to bring them to saving faith in Christ. It was Christ’s patient suffering that paid for all our sins, and it is our patient suffering that shows our own conformity to Him.

The Apostle Paul had this to say about suffering for Christ:

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, … that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death (Philippians 3:8, 10) [NASB]

Do you want to know Christ as completely as Paul did? If so, you should be ready to suffer for it, and in the midst of that suffering be ready to testify regarding the hope that you have.

But whether suffering or not we should all be living a life that is a testimony to the One for whom we are ambassadors. Our manner of life should be such that others will see Christ in us, and when they ask us about it we should always be ready to give them a reason. The reason is Christ and what He did for us. The reason is a God who loves us so much and wants to have such fellowship with us that He provided a way for that to occur, if we will but humble ourselves and believe.

 

Application

Most Christians in the western world today have not had to suffer false accusations and defamation just because they are believers in Christ, but there are many in the world who are undergoing such persecution. Let’s take a moment to pray for them right now that they might be good witnesses for Christ.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved