Perfected - Part 1

This week, Michael writes: An important theme of 1 Peter 5:5-11 is in verse 10: “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” The context of this verse starts in verse 5: Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

God is a God of grace and wants to lift us up. The requirement is that we humble ourselves ... that we be clothed with humility. The story of Job is a story of humility. Job suffered and never knew the reason why. However, he never stopped believing God, even in the midst of tribulation, distress, pain, and suffering.  Throughout his painful ordeal, Job's confession was, "the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord." Our sinful nature has been propagated ever since Adam's original sin. Because of our sin nature, we'll be pushed to the limit of our earthly nature.  At such times, our prayer will be like Jehoshaphat’s, "We have no plan and we don't know what's going on, but Lord our eyes are upon you."  This is a foxhole prayer that God will honor when we acknowledge that we are powerless.

1 Peter 5:6-8 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour:”

Trials will show us what we're really made of. We all have adversaries. To understand our true enemy, we must first humble ourselves. Our resentment bank will keep us from humbling ourselves. Our fallen nature wants to get revenge. It thinks that justice means seeking "just retribution." However, God says that we must humble ourselves to stand in His power and not our own. The key to resisting the devil is to stand firm in the faith.  According to 1 Corinthians 13, the love of God beareth all things, hopeth all things, and endureth all things. Everyone needs God's help.  Tribulation in this world is designed by God so that we can understand that we can' make it on our own...that we are powerless in our own strength.

1 Peter 5:9 “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Let's continue Michael's message on "Perfected" in tomorrow's post.

In Christ, Brian