Satan seeks to rob, kill, and destroy. One of the key things he wants to rob you of is your identity. Knowing who you are is the foundation for living a powerful life and overcoming temptation. Backstory - In the first two chapters of the letter Peter gives some very specific encouragement to the new converts on how to live lives pleasing to God. In 1 Peter 2:11 Pete tells them to abstain from sinful desires. But a few verses before that he tells them how to do it. Knowing who you are will guide you in what you should do. WHO they are (vs 9a): “But you are a chosen people” - God chose you (He “adopted” you). “A royal priesthood” - you are a king/priest “A holy nation” - you are set apart and devoted as the “church.” “God’s special possession” - you are special to GodWHAT they’re called to do (vs 9b): “That you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” Then Pete reminds them of their former lives, lest they forget: Vs 10 - “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” Knowing who you were is the foundation for knowing who you are. It keeps us humble. Look back with gratitude, not guilt. Vs 11 - “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.” Pete went from who you are to who you were to who you are again! What we do should be born out of who we are. So when the devil comes with his tempting tactics we need to first remember WHO we were then remember who we are!Satan wants us to think about "doing" something. God wants us to think about "being" something. Get the "BE" right and the "DO" will fall into place!
1 Peter 2:9-11 (11/30/22)
How to Overcome Temptation
November 30, 2022 • Benham Brothers • 1 Peter 2:9–11
1 Peter 1:5-7 (11/23/17)
November 23, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* This verse makes me think of a power drill with a cord. * It’s capable of such good but not unless it’s plugged into the source of power. * We are the same - we are powerless unless we’re plugged into God through FAITH. * I was at a billionaire’s home and they had a big wall around their property. * So long as we stayed inside that wall his security team would protect us. * If we stepped outside we were not protected. * Our faith is what keeps us inside God’s boundaries - obedience proves our faith. * When we’re there we get his protection and His power. * vs 6-7 - our faith is built through trials.
1 Peter 1:10-12 (11/26/14)
November 26, 2014 • Benham Brothers
Disclaimer - We're not trying to be theologians with this study (that's not our gifting!), but to simply convey what we have learned through researching many books along with the Bible on the subject. Most of what we talk about below comes from a book entitled "The Gospel Of The Kingdom" by George E Ladd. When Adam sinned death entered the world and Satan was given authority to reign. God had a plan to deal with this - to bring His kingdom to the earth do destroy Satan, sin, and death. In the OT, through the prophets, God foretold the coming of His kingdom to the earth, but none of them knew exactly what it would look like. They did know this about the kingdom of God - it was: 1) The redemptive rule of God manifested in Christ. 2) The destruction of God's enemies (satan, sin, death). 3) The realm in which the blessings of God can be experienced. The mystery of God's kingdom, that which angels long to look into, is this: God's kingdom is here now, even though evil still exists. Here's why it's a mystery - the prophets prophesied that God would send a Messiah (Christ) Who would usher in His kingdom where God reigned supreme and that God's enemies would be destroyed and where God's people could enjoy it's blessings. Everyone expected a physical king with a physical kingdom. Then Jesus shows up: 1) He didn't look or act like a king and He didn't take a physical throne. 2) Satan, sin, and death still existed - God's enemies weren't destroyed. 3) It sure didn't "feel" like God's kingdom was here - the experience was different than they thought. People were like, "wait a second, you mean the Messiah came and died and rose again, and now God's kingdom is here but we can't see it?" "Yes," the apostles would reply, "but you can experience it." Here's what happened: 1) Christ was killed and shed His blood as the final sacrifice, thus redeeming all mankind once and for all. 2) Christ "defeated" satan, sin, and death by His ascension, but He hasn't destroyed them yet. 3) We can now experience God's kingdom in our lives where we can be victorious over satan, sin, and death. God's kingdom is here now in partiality but not in totality. God gave us more information about His kingdom in the New Testament, thus revealing the "mystery" of the kingdom. It will take place in three stages: 1) At the arrival of Christ (this is The Age To Come) - He came to set up God's spiritual kingdom in the hearts of people before God would set up His physical kingdom. 2) At the return of Christ (beginning of Millenium) - Satan is bound in the abyss, but he's not destroyed. 3) At the end of the Millenium - Satan, sin, and death are once and for all destroyed. If we just had the Old Testament we would have thought that at the arrival of Christ we would be at stage three, but it didn't work out that way and therefore was very mysterious! A mystery - they didn't have all the information in the OT times but now they did in the NT times.
1 Peter 1:13 (11/22/18)
November 22, 2018 • Benham Brothers
* Everything in your life rises and falls on the thoughts you think. * Peter tells us that the power of Christ in our lives starts with our thinking. * He’s telling us to “take control of your thinking!” * Whatever you think you will become. * Good thinking leads to life. * Bad thinking leads to death. * Brain science has caught up with this truth as we see the thoughts you think actually create physical cells in your brain. * Good thoughts look like flourishing trees. * Bad thoughts look like dead trees. * Good thoughts are based on truth. * Bad thoughts are based on lies. * vs 2:11 - lust takes place in the mind and wars against your soul.