Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 8

 Being Born Again to a Living Hope Part 6

1 Peter 1:10-11 Of which salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

It is an ever increasing crescendo that the Apostle Peter is manifesting in this beginning of his first letter ✉ to the scattered Jewish converts to our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter just finished telling them and we true believers today and of every era and generation that we (unlike Peter) have not seen our Lord Jesus in the flesh as he did, yet we love 😍 Him just as much as he does. Knowing that the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ is being answered in every century since His death on the Cross ➕, as He prayed, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." (John 17:20-23) (NKJV). The ever increasing crescendo that Peter continues onward and upward 👆 in this first letter ✉ is that the Prophets of old 🧓, such as Jerimiah, Daniel, Isaiah, Zechariah, Amos, Joel, etc. were so in awe and wonder about the prophecies that were given to them to speak to the children of Israel that they prayed and fasted and dug deep into the Scriptures and their very own prophecies like someone would work hard in digging up precious and valuable elements from the earth like diamonds or gold to understand the nature or the cause or the quality of this grace and what it meant for those who would receive it in the future dispensation, as it is written by Peter the Apostle here, "Of which salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:" (1 Peter 1:10) (KJV). The Apostle Peter says here that those Old Testament Prophets searched out and investigated and explored and carfully sought after the meaning of the things which were given to them to speak to the people of Israel. Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:10, "So far beyond all that was experienced under the Jewish dispensation. The very Prophets who prophesied long ago of the grace of God toward you - Of His abundant, overflowing grace to be bestowed on believers under the Christian dispensation. Inquired - Were earnestly inquisitive. And searched diligently - Like miners searching after precious ore, after the meaning of the prophecies which they delivered." Here also is what Adam Clarke had to say of 1 Peter 1:10, "The incarnation and suffering of Jesus Christ, and the redemption procured by Him for mankind, were made known, in a general way, by the Prophets; but they themselves did not know the time when these things were to take place, nor the people among and by whom He was to suffer, etc.; they therefore inquired accurately or earnestly, and searched diligently, inquiring of others who were then under the same inspiration, and carefully searching the writings of those who had, before their time, spoken of these things. The Prophets plainly saw that the grace which was to come under the Messiah’s Kingdom was vastly superior to any thing that had ever been exhibited under the law; and in consequence they made all possible inquiry, and searched as after grains of gold, hidden among sand or compacted with ore, (for such is the meaning of the original word), in order to ascertain the time, and the signs of that time, in which this wondrous display of God’s love and mercy to man was to take place; but all that God thought fit to instruct them in was what is mentioned." Note: Read Jerimiah 31:33-40.

Next the Apostle Peter declares to us that the Spirit of Christ who has regenerated, redeemed, and resurrected each of we true believers from spiritual death was likewise in the Prophets of Old 🧓 (just as He is in me and every born again true believer) declaring to them the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter says this, "Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." (1 Peter 1:11) (KJV). The Apostle Paul also wrote of this reality to the Galatians with these words, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) (NKJV). The majority of the Jewish people had misunderstood the manner of the coming Messiah and thought He would come the first time to the earth 🌎 as an outward conquering King to defeat, decimate, and destroy the enemy of Israel the Romans, however, those Prophets of old prophesied of Christ sufferings for the sin of humanity, as it is written for us with these words by the Apostle John, "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.'" (John 1:29-31) (NKJV) and also these words written by the 📝 writer of Hebrews, "For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." (Hebrews 9:24-28) (NKJV). Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:11, "Searching what time - What particular period. And what manner of time - By what marks to be distinguished. The glories that were to follow - His sufferings; namely, the glory of His resurrection, ascension, exaltation, and the effusion of His Spirit; the glory of the last judgment, and of His Eternal Kingdom; and also the glories of His grace in the hearts and lives of Christians." Here also is what Adam Clarke had to say of 1 Peter 1:11, "Not only the glory of His resurrection, ascension, exaltation, and the effusion of His Spirit; but that grand manifestation of God's infinite love to the world in causing the Gospel of His Son to be everywhere preached, and the glorious moral changes which should take place in the world under that preaching, and the final glorification of all them who had here received the report, and continued faithful unto death. And we may add to this the ineffable glorification of the human nature of Jesus Christ, which, throughout eternity, will be the glorious Head of His glorified body, the Church."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 7

Being Born Again to a Living Hope Part 5

1 Peter 1:8-9 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

It is all about the One who has saved us, seperated us, and now shelters us our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love," (Colossians 1:13) (NKJV). When we are persecuted for Him and His sake we can be assurred that He is in complete control and not the enemy who delights in causing us physical and emotional pain. The Apostle Peter just finished writing that the trying of our faith might be found to the praise, honor, and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, it is natural for him to now 📝 write to us that our love for Christ Jesus our Lord keeps us in joy unspeakable and full of glory, as it is written, "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:8-9) (KJV). Remember, "We love Him because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19) (NKJV). Despite any of our outward circumstances or being surrounded by evil on every side as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church ⛪ with these words concerning himself and those brothers and sisters 'in Christ' who were with him, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." (2 Corinthians 4:7-11) (NKJV). Yet, all of this never diminished Paul's love 😍 for our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). Paul (who suffered great persecution for Christ sake) even wrote these words at the close of his first letter to the Corithian Church ⛪, "If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!" (1 Corinthians 16:22) (NKJV). The Apostle Peter uses the English word 'unspeakable' to define the joy of the Lord Jesus that we believers receive fron Him and that English word is translated by the Greek word aneklaletos (used this one time only in the New Testament) meaning not spoken out, i.e. (by implication) unutterable:--unspeakable. In other words, the joy of the Lord can so swell up in us that we are speechless and often express that unutterable and unspeakable joy with 😭 tears because our love for Christ at that moment is so strong we cannot speak but only weep.

Here is what Alexander MacLaren had to say of 1 Peter 1:8, "The Apostle has just previously been speaking about the great and glorious things which are to come to Christians on the appearing of Jesus Christ, and that naturally suggests to him the thought of the condition of believing souls during the period of the Lord’s absence and comparative concealment. Having lifted his readers’ hopes to that great Future, when they would attain to ‘praise and honour and glory’ at Christ’s appearing, he drops to the present and to earth, and recalls the disadvantages and deprivations of the present Christian experience as well as its privileges and blessings. ‘Whom having not seen, ye love,' that is a very natural thought in the mind of one whose love to Jesus rested on the ever-remembered blessed experience of years of happy companionship, when addressing those who had no such memories. It points to an entirely unique fact. There is nothing else in the world parallel to that strange, deep personal attachment which fills millions of hearts to this Man who died nineteen centuries ago, and which is utterly unlike the feelings that any men have to any other of the great names of the past. To love one unseen is a paradox, which is realised only in the relation of the Christian soul to Jesus Christ. Then the Apostle goes on with what might at first seem a mere repetition of the preceding thought, but really brings to view another strange anomaly. ‘In Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.’ Love longs for the presence of the beloved, and is restless and defrauded of its gladness so long as absence continues. But this strange love, which is kindled by an unseen Man, does not need His visible presence in order to be a fountain of joy unspeakable and full of glory." Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of 1 Peter 1:9, "The salvation of their souls (the more noble part being put for the whole man), which salvation is here called the end of their faith, the end wherein faith terminates: faith helps to save the soul, then it has done its work, and ceases for ever. He speaks of the present time: You are now actually receiving the end of your faith, etc. The word used alludes to the games at which the conqueror received or bore away from the judge of the contest a crown or reward, which he carried about in triumph; so the salvation of the soul was the prize these Christians sought for, the crown they laboured for, the end they aimed at, which came nearer and more within their reach every day. Learn, First, Every faithful Christian is daily receiving the salvation of his soul; salvation is one permanent thing, begun in this life, not interrupted by death, and continued to all eternity. These believers had the beginnings of heaven in the possession of holiness and a heavenly mind, in their duties and communion with God, in the earnest of the inheritance, and the witness of the Divine Spirit. This was properly urged to these distressed people; they were on the losing side in the world, but the Apostle puts them in the mind of what they were receiving; if they lost an inferior good, they were all the while receiving the salvation of their souls. Secondly, It is lawful for a Christian to make the salvation of his soul his end; the glory of God and our own felicity are so connected that if we regularly seek the one we must attain the other."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…




 

Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 6

 Being Born Again to a Living Hope Part 4

1 Peter 1:6-7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: KJV

It is with fervency, fierceness, yet in foolishness does the devil 😈 through his demons and the lost human beings constantly and continuously persecute or pursue we true begotten again or born again believers in Christ Jesus our Lord, therefore with these next couple of verses the Apostle Peter wants to reassure those scattered Jewish converts to Christ back then and us today and all true believers of every era and generation since the Cross ➕ (for the reason they were scattered far from their land of Jerusalem was because of the intense attacks upon their lives by those Jews still unconverted to Christ; many were not able to flee and were murdered or martyred for Christ). Remember shortly after Saul's (later known as the Apostle Paul) conversion to Christ on the Damascus road, as it is written, "And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this Name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket." (Acts 9:19-25) (KJV). So then we see that from the very beginning that all those who became true converts to Christ were immediately hated and persecuted and pursued to the point of trying to kill them and the devil 😈 has not changed his tactics today he still designs, desires, and determines to do the very same thing to everyone of us who are truly begotten again or born again by Christ Jesus our Lord, as it is written, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) (KJV). So, the Apostle Peter writes these words of edifying, encouragement, and exaltation, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:" (1 Peter 1:6-7) (KJV). The little English phrase 'ye greatly rejoice' is translated by the Greek word agalliao meaning properly, to jump for joy, i.e. exult:--be (exceeding) glad, with exceeding joy, rejoice (greatly). The little English phrase 'for a season' is translated by the Greek word oligos meaning of uncertain affinity; puny (in extent, degree, number, duration or value); plus long, a season, short, small, a while. The little English phrase 'ye are in heaviness' is translated by the Greek word lupeō meaning to distress; reflexively or passively to be sad: - cause grief, grieve, be in heaviness, be sorrowful. The English word 'manifold' is translated by the Greek word poikilos meaning of uncertain derivation; motley, i.e. various in character:-divers, manifold. The English word 'temptations' is translated by the Greek word peirasmos meaning (as used here) a putting to proof (by experience (of evil), solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication, adversity:--temptation, trying. The English word 'trials' is translated by the Greek word dokimion meaning a testing; by implication, trustworthiness:--trial, trying. In other words, Peter wants us to have joy in the midst of our persecution, even though we will be distressed, grieved, sorrowful and saddened by them, for to lose (in death, some even by murder) those whom you love 😍 very dearly can do nothing but sadden your soul, however, we can rejoice in hope knowing that the testing of our faith and the adversity we encounter through our pilgrimage will discipline us and strengthen us in our walk with Christ and cause us to cling tighter to Him in all divers or different trials.

Here is what Matthew Henry said of 1 Peter 1:6-7, "Every sound Christian has always something wherein he may greatly rejoice. Great rejoicing contains more than an inward placid serenity of mind or sensation of comfort; it will show itself in the countenance and conduct, but especially in praise and gratitude. The chief joy of a good Christian arises from things spiritual and heavenly, from his relation to God and to heaven. In these every sound Christian greatly rejoices; his joy arises from his treasure, which consists of matters of great value, and the title to them is sure. The best Christians, those who have reason greatly to rejoice, may yet be in great heaviness through manifold temptations. All sorts of adversities are temptations, or trials of faith, patience, and constancy. These seldom go singly, but are manifold, and come from different quarters, the effect of all which is great heaviness. As men, we are subject to sorrows, personal and domestic. As Christians, our duty to God obliges us to frequent sorrow: and our compassion towards the miserable, the dishonour done to God, the calamities of His Church, and the destruction of mankind, from their own folly and from divine vengeance, raise, in a generous and pious mind, almost continual sorrow. I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, Romans 9:2. The afflictions and sorrows of good people are but for a little while, they are but for a season; though they may be smart, they are but short. Life itself is but for a little while, and the sorrows of it cannot survive it; the shortness of any affliction does much abate the heaviness of it. Great heaviness is often necessary to a Christian's good: If need be, you are in heaviness. God does not afflict His people willingly, but acts with judgment, in proportion to our needs. There is a conveniency and fitness, nay, an absolute necessity in the case, for so the expression signifies: it must be; therefore no man should be moved by these afflictions. For yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto, 1 Thessalonians 3:3. These troubles, that lie heavy, never come upon us but when we have need, and never stay any longer than needs must. The afflictions of serious Christians are designed for the trial of their faith. God's design in afflicting His people is their liberation, not their destruction; their advantage, not their ruin: a trial, as the word signifies, is an experiment or search made upon a man, by some affliction, to prove the value and strength of his faith. This trial is made upon faith principally, rather than any other grace, because the trial of this is, in effect, the trial of all that is good in us. Our Christianity depends upon our faith; if this be wanting, there is nothing else that is spiritually good in us. Christ prays for this Apostle, that his faith might not fail; if that be supported, all the rest will stand firm; the faith of good people is tried, that they themselves may have the comfort of it, God the glory of it, and others the benefit of it. A tried faith is much more precious than tried gold. Here is a double comparison of faith and gold, and the trial of the one with the trial of the other. Gold is the most valuable, pure, useful, and durable, of all the metals; so is faith among the Christian virtues; it lasts till it brings the soul to heaven, and then it issues in the glorious fruition of God forever. The trial of faith is much more precious than the trial of gold; in both there is a purification, a separation of the dross, and a discovery of the soundness and goodness of the things. Gold does not increase and multiply by trial in the fire, it rather grows less; but faith is established, improved, and multiplied, by the oppositions and afflictions that it meets with. Gold must perish at last - gold that perisheth; but faith never will. I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, Luke 22:32. The trial of faith will be found to praise, and honour, and glory. Honour is properly that esteem and value which one has with another, and so God and man will honour the saints. Praise is the expression or declaration of that esteem; so Christ will commend His people in the great day, Come, you blessed of my Father, etc. Glory is that lustre wherewith a person, so honoured and praised, shines in heaven. Glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, Romans 2:10. If a tried faith be found to praise, honour, and glory, let this recommend faith to you, as much more precious than gold, though it be assaulted and tried by afflictions. If you make your estimate either from present use or the final event of both, this will be found true, however the world may take it for an incredible paradox. Jesus Christ will appear again in glory, and, when He does so, the saints will appear with Him, and their graces will appear illustrious; and the more they have been tried the more bright they will then appear. The trial will soon be over, but the glory, honour, and praise will last to eternity. This should reconcile you to your present afflictions: they work for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 5

 Being Born Again to a Living Hope Part 3

1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

Now the Apostle Peter puts a giant bow on this gift of faith from our Father in Heaven, whereby He has 'begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead' declaring that it is God Himself who keeps us from 'falling away' as will be the case for all false believers or false converts (2 Thessalonians 2:3) with these very reassuring words, "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:5) (KJV). That little phrase we mentioned above 'falling away' is translated by the Greek word apostasia meaning simply defection from truth. This is what we are seeing today in the visible world of Christendom. Actually what is taking place is the beginning of the 'falling away' apostasia by virtue of every false convert and false believer unmasking themselves by departing from the truth of the Word of God. The Apostle Peter writes to the scattered Jewish converts to our Lord Jesus Christ and to we true converts to Christ today and from every era and generation in verse 5 that we (unlike those who are hypocrites, that is, pretenders/actors) 'who are kept' and this little English phrase is translated by the Greek word phroureō meaning to be a watcher in advance, i.e. to mount guard as a sentinel (post spies at gates); figuratively, to hem in, protect:--keep (with a garrison). The English word 'power' in 1 Peter 1:5 is translated by the Greek word dunamis meaning force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself):--ability, abundance, power, strength, mighty (wonderful) work. In other words, those of us who have truly been begotten again or born again to a living hope by the resurrection of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ are preserved, powered, and protected by the Power of God through God the Holy Spirit from being deceived by false prophets who twist, tangle, and torture the Word of God for our remaining time ⌚ here on the earth 🌎, as it is written with these verses of Scripture from the Old Testament, "For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off." (Psalms 37:28) (NKJV) also "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me." (Jeremiah 32:40) (NKJV), likewise as it is written with these verses in the New Testament, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one." (John 10:27-30) (NKJV). Note: "Do we as believers disobey our Father and sin against His everlasting love for us, yes we do far to often, however, we can never depart from the faith because true 'saving faith' is the Gift 📦 we have received from our Abba through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and He keeps us walking 🚶 in repentance and faith, as it is written, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7) (NKJV), for we received Him by 'faith', therefore, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7) (NKJV).

Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:5, "Who are kept - The inheritance is reserved; the heirs are kept for it. By the power of God - Which worketh all in all, which guards us against all our enemies. Through faith - Through which alone salvation is both received and retained. Ready to be revealed - That revelation is made in the last day. It was more and more ready to be revealed, ever since Christ came." Here is what Alexander MacLaren had to say of 1 Peter 1:5, "The Revised Version substitutes ‘guarded’ for ‘kept,’ and the alteration, though slight, is important, for it not only more accurately preserves the meaning of the word employed, but it retains the military metaphor which is in it. The force of the expression will appear if I refer, in a sentence, to other cases in which it is employed in the New Testament. For instance, we read that the governor of Damascus ‘kept the city with a garrison,’ which is the same word, and in its purely metaphorical usage Paul employs it when he says that ‘the peace of God shall keep’—guard, garrison—’your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.’ We have to think of some defenceless position, some unwalled village out in the open, with a strong force round it, through which no assailant can break, and in the midst of which the weakest can sit secure. Peter thinks that every Christian has assailants whom no Christian by himself can repel, but that he may, if he likes, have an impregnable ring of defence drawn round him, which shall fling back in idle spray the wildest onset of the waves, as a breakwater or a cliff might do. Then there is another very beautiful and striking point to be made, and that is the connection between the words of my text and those immediately preceding. The Apostle has been speaking about ‘the inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,’ and he says ‘it is reserved in Heaven for you who are kept.’ So, then, the same power is working on both sides of the veil, preserving the inheritance for the heirs, and preserving the heirs for the inheritance. It will not fail them, and they will not miss it. It were of little avail to care for either of the two members separately, but the same hand that is preparing the inheritance and making it ready for the owners is round about the pilgrims, and taking care of them till they get home."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 4

 Being Born Again to a Living Hope Part 2

1 Peter 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

The Apostle Peter continues on in his discourse to the scattered Jewish converts to Christ back then and to we converts to Christ today and all of His converted sons and daughters of every era and generation since His death, burial, and resurrection from the dead and ascension back to Heaven where He now sits upon a Throne of Grace ready to dispense that grace to any of us His children 🧒 and also ready to make any broken, battered, and bewildered sinner into a saint by that same grace. The Apostle wants them and all of us to know what is the greatness, goodness, and gloriousness' of the reality that He (God) 'begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead', and that we would know what that means and does for us and in us, first by what he declares in the next verse, as it is written, "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you," (1 Peter 1:4) (KJV). The little English phrase 'an inheritance' is translated by the Greek word klēronomia meaning heirship, that is, (concretely) a patrimony or (generally) a possession: - inheritance. The Apostle Paul wrote of this 'inheritance' of ours to the believers in Rome with these words, "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." (Romans 8:12-17) (NKJV). The Apostle Peter calls our inheritance 'incorruptable' and 'undefiled' and 'that fadeth not away', and this first English word is translated by the Greek word aphthartos meaning undecaying (in essence or continuance) and the second word is translated by the Greek word amiantos meaning unsoiled, that is, (figuratively) pure and the final little English phrase is translated by the Greek word amarantos (used this one time only in the New Testament) meaning unfading, that is, (by implication) perpetual. In other words, all of us who have been begotten to a lively hope, i.e. born again have been made eternal sons and daughters of God the Father through Christ resurrection from the dead and our situation, state, or status as such cannot ever be broken or severed by anything natural (done to us or against us by men) or supernatural (done to us by principalities and powers, that is, demons), for our inheritance reserved for us in Heaven is undecaying (in essence or continuance), unsoiled and pure, unfading and perpetual. Note: "This debate, discourse, and disagreement upon whether or not a True Christian can lose his or her salvation should have stopped a long time ago, for all the New Testament 📝 writers (inspired by God the Holy Spirit) have made it clear as Peter does here once again declaring us of being 'begotten again to a lively hope' that when a sinner is born again or born anew we can never lose our 'new birth' just as we can never reverse our physical birth by rewinding time and never being born to the earthly Father & Mother that begot us through their sexual union with one another. The problem stems from people calling and claiming themselves to be Christians and then denying the Word of God with their words and more importantly with their lives. When our Lord Jesus Christ says these thundering, titanic, and terrifying words, "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Matthew 7:21-23) (NKJV), He refers to spiritual or religious people who think in their own natural minds that they belonged to Him, yet they were never begotten again to a lively hope or born again by Him, so it was not that He did not know who they were or what they did in their lives because He is Omniscient knowing all things, but He never knew them in an intimate personal relationship of love 😍 and it is obvious by what our Lord says at the end, for they practiced sin as their way of life or lifestyle and even affirmed the practice of all types of sin which proves they had never been born again or born from above by our Lord Jesus Christ."

Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:4, "To an inheritance - For if we are sons, then heirs. Incorruptible - Not like earthly treasures. Undefiled - Pure and holy, incapable of being itself defiled, or of being enjoyed by any polluted soul. And that fadeth not away - That never decays in its value, sweetness, or beauty, like all the enjoyments of this world, like the garlands of leaves or flowers, with which the ancient conquerors were wont to be crowned. Reserved in Heaven for you - Who 'by patient continuance in welldoing, seek for glory and honour and immortality.'" Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of 1 Peter 1:4, "Through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus we now cherish the hope of that future inheritance in Heaven. Christians are regarded as the adopted children of God, and Heaven is spoken of as their inheritance - as what their Father will bestow on them as the proof of His love. It will not fade away and vanish, as that which we inherit in this world does. The meaning here is, that the inheritance will be imperishable, or will endure forever. Here, to whatever we may be heirs, we must soon part with the inheritance; there it will be eternal. And undefiled -The word does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. As applied to an inheritance, it means that it will be pure. It will not have been obtained by dishonesty, nor will it be held by fraud; it will not be such as will corrupt the soul, or tempt to extravagance, sensuality, and lust, as a rich inheritance often does here; it will be such that its eternal enjoyment will never tend in any manner to defile the heart. 'How many estates,' says Benson, 'have been got by fraudulent and unjust methods; by poisoning, or in some other way murdering the right heir; by cheating of helpless orphans; by ruining the fatherless and widows; by oppressing their neighbors, or grinding the faces of the poor, and taking their garments or vineyards from them! But this future inheritance of the saints is stained by none of these vices; it is neither got nor detained by any of these methods; nor shall persons polluted with vice have any share in it.' Here no one can be heir to an inheritance of gold or houses without danger of soon sinking into indolence, effeminacy, or vice; there the inheritance may be enjoyed forever, and the soul continually advance in knowledge, holiness, and the active service of God. And that fadeth not away - This word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, though the word occurs in 1 Peter 5:4, applied to a crown or garland. The word is properly applied to that which does not fade or wither, in contradistinction from a flower that fades. It may then denote anything that is enduring, and is applied to the future inheritance of the saints to describe its perpetuity in all its brilliance and splendor, in contrast with the fading nature of all that is earthly. The idea here, therefore, is not precisely the same as is expressed by the word 'incorruptible.' Both words indeed denote perpetuity, but that refers to perpetuity in contrast with decay; this denotes perpetuity in the sense that everything there will be kept in its original brightness and beauty. The crown of glory, though worn for millions of ages, will not be dimmed; the golden streets will lose none of their luster; the flowers that bloom on the banks of the river of life will always be as rich in color, and as fragant, as when we first beheld them. Reserved in heaven for you -The difference in the text and the margin arises from the various readings in mss. The common reading is 'for you.' The sense is not materially affected. The idea is, that it is an inheritance appointed for us, and kept by one who can make it sure to us, and who will certainly bestow it upon us."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 3

 Being Born Again to a Living Hope Part 1

1 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, KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

The Apostle Peter next gives praise and honor and Glory to our Father in Heaven for sending us such a marvelous, magnificent, merciful, and mighty Savior here to sacrifice Himself by taking upon Himself all of the wrath of God do to our sins and being our substitute for sin and making a way for us to be reunited with Him, as it is written, "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," (1 Peter 1:3) (KJV). God has been so gracious to man 👨, even the first man Adam who plunged mankind into sin and rebellion, yet we can recall that God the Father slew or killed an animal and clothed Adam with the skin of that animal hiding his discovery of being naked and being ashamed of his nakedness, as it is written, "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, 'Where are you?' So he said, 'I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.' And He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?'" (Genesis 3:7-11) (NKJV) and "Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them." (Genesis 3:21) (NKJV). The sin and disobedience of the first man 👨 Adam caused there eyes to be opened to good and evil 😈, as it is written, "Then the LORD God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever'— therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:22-24)(NKJV). In so doing they passed that sinful nature to every human being that was born from them and this is why every sinner runs from the truth of God or surpresses the truth of God to hide themselves from Him in one way or another (atheism, false spirituality, religion and rituals and other things to hide themselves from the shame and guilt of their own sin covering themselves with those spiritual fig leaves just as Adam and Eve did initially, as it is written by the Apostle Paul with these words, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:18-21)(NKJV), but God the Father being rich in mercy, as it is written, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us," (Ephesians 2:4) (NKJV) has made a way for any sinful human being to know Him and to love Him through the sacrificial death, ⚰ burial, and resurrection from the dead of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. God the Father has done so for us by the little English phrase in verse 3 'begotten us again' which is translated by the Greek word anagennaō meaning to beget or (by extension) bear (again): literally to be born again or born from above as our Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus with these words, "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" (John 3:3) (NKJV). The little English word 'lively' is translated by the Greek word zaō a primary verb meaning to live (literally or figuratively): - life, to quicken, as it is written by the Apostle Paul with these words, "Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)," (Ephesians 2:5) (NKJV). The little English word 'hope' is translated by the Greek word elpis meaning to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation (abstract or concrete) or confidence: - faith, hope. It is Christ resurrection from the dead that gives to each one of us who come to Him in repentance and faith wanting Him to save us from our sins and from hell that we are then given to our dead spirits His resurrection life, that is, the same resurrection power that raised Christ lifeless physical body back from the dead, as it is also written by the Apostle Paul with these words, "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Romans 8:11)(NKJV).

Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ - His Father, with respect to His divine nature; His God, with respect to His human. Who hath regenerated us to a living hope - An hope which implies true spiritual life, which revives the heart, and makes the soul lively and vigorous. By the resurrection of Christ - Which is not only a pledge of ours, but a part of the purchase - price. It has also a close connexion with our rising from spiritual death, that as He liveth, so shall we live with Him. He was acknowledged to be the Christ, but usually called Jesus till His resurrection; then He was also called Christ." Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of 1 Peter 1:3, "The idea is, that there was great mercy shown them in the fact that they were renewed. They had no claim to the favor, and the favor was great. People are not begotten to the hope of heaven because they have any claim on God, or because it would not be right for him to withhold the favor. See the notes at Ephesians 2:4.The meaning is, that as God is the Author of our life in a natural sense, so he is the Author of our second life by regeneration. The Saviour said, John 3:3 that 'except a man be born again,' or 'begotten again,' 'he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Peter here affirms that that change had occurred in regard to himself and those whom he was addressing. The word used here as a compound (ἀναγεννάω anagennaō) does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament, though it corresponds entirely with the words used by the Saviour in John 3:3, John 3:5, John 3:7. Perhaps the phrase 'begotten again' would be better in each instance where the word occurs, the sense being rather that of being begotten again, than of being born again. The word lively we now use commonly in the sense of active, animated, quick; the word used here, however, means living, in contradistinction from that which is dead. The hope which they had, had living power. It was not cold, inoperative, dead. It was not a mere form - or a mere speculation - or a mere sentiment; it was that which was vital to their welfare, and which was active and powerful. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the foundation of our hope. It was a confirmation of what He declared as truth when He lived; it was a proof of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul; it was a pledge that all who are united to Him will be raised up. On this verse we may remark, that the fact that Christians are chosen to salvation should be a subject of gratitude and praise. Every man should rejoice that any of the race may be saved, and the world should be thankful for every new instance of divine favor in granting to anyone a hope of eternal life. Especially should this be a source of joy to true Christians. Well do they know that if God had not chosen them to salvation, they would have remained as thoughtless as others; if He had had no purpose of mercy toward them, they would never have been saved. Assuredly, if there is anything for which a man should be grateful, it is that God has so loved him as to give him the hope of eternal life; and if He has had an eternal purpose to do this, our gratitude should be proportionably increased."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Peter Exhorts the Persecuted Believers Volume 2

 Peter's Greeting to the Dispersed Brethren & Sisteren Part 2

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

The Apostle Peter concludes his greeting to those Jewish brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ back then by declaring to them what their (and our union) with Christ Jesus means and by what manner, motion, and method by which they then and we true believers today and of every era and generation were made children of the One True Living God, as it is written, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied." (1 Peter 1:2) (KJV). First, the Apostle refers to them or calls them and we true believers today and of every era and generation 'Elect' and this English word is translated by the Greek word eklektos meaning select; by implication favorite: chosen, elect. This perhaps is the one word from God in His Book the Bible that has caused more craziness, confusion, and conflict than any other in all of the Word of God. First, let us be reminded of who our God truly is. He is Omniscient and that means all-knowing. What is there to be known that God does not know? Answer: NOTHING!!! So, with this truth at the center of everything, then we should realize that before God created Adam and then Eve, He knew they would sin in the Garden of Eden against Him and in so doing bring that disease of sin into the human race passed down from them to every single human being that came from their loins, which includes me and anyone reading these words right now. God did not create Adam as a programmed Android or Robot, but a spiritual being living inside a fleshly body that made him visible though the real him was invisible. Adam and Eve and all of us who come from them have been given by God 'free will' as defined by our dictionaries as the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies. God so created the Angels that live in heaven right now with Him with the same 'free will' and this is why right now there is a devil 😈 and demons because they exercised their 'free will' and chose to rebel against God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit and in so doing they got their ass' kicked and thrown out of heaven forever and so those angels then became the devil 😈 and demons. God has know programmed robot servants in heaven or in we redeemed humans on the earth 🌎, for all who serve Him do so because of our great love for Him and for what He has done for us in showing us such undeserved love and mercy. Love and gratitude to God is the reason for obedience and not merely duty or obligation. So, since God is all-knowing, then He knew before Adam was created who (in every era and generation of humanity) would desire to be reconciled to Him, that is, who would truly want a personal relationship with Him. This is why Abram was chosen over any other human on the earth 🌎 at that time ⌚ to be the Father of the Jewish Nation that God would make from Abram's loins with his wife Sarah. Here is what the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary had to say of Abram's election by God, "At the very beginning of Israel's role in salvation history is the call of Abraham to leave his homeland for a new one that would be shown unto him (Genesis 12:1–7). This directive came to Abraham from God who also promised to bless his descendants and all peoples on earth through them. While Abraham responded to this call in obedience and faith, his election was not the result of his own efforts, but solely of God's decision. (2) The central word in Israel's vocabulary for describing their special relationship with God was 'covenant.' This covenant was not a contract between equal partners, but a bond established by God's unmerited favor and love. The gracious character of the covenant is a major theme in Deuteronomy. 'For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.' (Deuteronomy 7:6–7 NASB)."

The English word 'foreknowledge' is translated by the Greek word prognōsis meaning forethought: - foreknowledge, that is, knowledge of an event before it occurs; precognition. Abram's response in obedience and faith was known by God before Adam and Eve were ever created by Him. Listen 👂, this is the heart of what election is and what it truly means to be chosen by God. Here also is what the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary had to say concerning Election and the New Covenant, "Predestination does not negate the necessity for human repentance and faith; rather it establishes the possibility of both. God does not relate to human beings as sticks and stones but as free creatures made in His own image. (2) If salvation is based on election, then why preach the Gospel? Because God has chosen preaching as the means to awaken faith in the elect (1 Corinthians 1:21). We should proclaim the Gospel to everyone without exception, knowing that it is only the Holy Spirit who can convict, regenerate, and justify." The Apostle Peter also referred to them then and to us now as those 'through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ', meaning that is all the work of God the Holy Spirit in regenerating our dead spirits and making us now alive to God the Father through the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ shed for us on Calvary, Amen!, as it is written for us by Paul the Apostle to the Ephesian believers with these words, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:1-10) (NKJV). Here again is what Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary had to say of Election and the Christian Life, "Does not belief in election result in moral laxity and pride? Paul says that God chose us 'for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit' (2 Thessalonians 2:13 HCSB). We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, even though to be sure, it is God who is at work within us both to will and do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12–13). The proper response to election is not pride but gratitude for God's amazing grace that saves eternally. Election, then, is neither a steeple from which we look in judgment on others, nor a pillow to sleep on. It is rather a stronghold in time of trial and a confession of praise to God's grace and to His glory."

Here is what John Wesley had to say of 1 Peter 1:2, "According to the foreknowledge of God - Speaking after the manner of men. Strictly speaking, there is no foreknowledge, no more than afterknowledge, with God: but all things are known to Him as present from eternity to eternity. This is therefore no other than an instance of the divine condescension to our low capacities. Elect - By the free love and almighty power of God taken out of, separated from, the world. Election, in the Scripture sense, is God's doing anything that our merit or power have no part in. The true predestination, or fore - appointment of God is, He that believeth shall be saved from the guilt and power of sin. He that endureth to the end shall be saved eternally. They who receive the precious gift of faith, thereby become the sons of God; and, being sons, they shall receive the Spirit of Holiness to walk as Christ also walked. Throughout every part of this appointment of God, promise and duty go hand in hand. All is free gift; and yet such is the gift, that the final issue depends on our future obedience to the heavenly call. But other predestination than this, either to life or death eternal, the Scripture knows not of. Moreover, it is. Cruel respect of persons; an unjust regard of one, and an unjust disregard of another. It is mere creature partiality, and not infinite justice. It is not plain Scripture doctrine, if true; but rather, inconsistent with the express written word, that speaks of God's universal offers of grace; His invitations, promises, threatenings, being all general. We are bid to choose life, and reprehended for not doing it. It is inconsistent with a state of probation in those that must be saved or must be lost. It is of fatal consequence; all men being ready, on very slight grounds, to fancy themselves of the elect number. But the doctrine of predestination is entirely changed from what it formerly was. Now it implies neither faith, peace, nor purity. It is something that will do without them all. Faith is no longer, according to the modern predestinarian scheme, a divine 'evidence of things not seen,' wrought in the soul by the immediate power of the Holy Ghost; not an evidence at all; but a mere notion. Neither is faith made any longer a means of holiness; but something that will do without it. Christ is no more a Saviour from sin; but a defence, a countenancer of it. He is no more a fountain of spiritual life in the soul of believers, but leaves His elect inwardly dry, and outwardly unfruitful; and is made little more than a refuge from the image of the heavenly; even from righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Through sanctification of the Spirit - Through the renewing and purifying influences of His Spirit on their souls. Unto obedience - To engage and enable them to yield themselves up to all holy obedience, the foundation of all which is, the sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ - The Atoning Blood of Christ, which was typified by the sprinkling of the blood of sacrifices under the law; in allusion to which it is called 'the blood of sprinkling.'"

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…