Sunday, July 5, 2020

Free to Love – Part 2


Continuing Pastor Kyle's message, In verses 4-6 of 1 Peter 4, we see the Apostle explain that we are going to see people judging Christians because they live life differently in a spiritually free lifestyle in obedience to God. The Apostle Peter encourages us not to worry about them because those people will one day have to give an account of their life to God, their sovereign Maker. That is why the Lord Jesus preached to unbelievers about the kingdom of God.  In verse 7, the Apostle says that “the end of all things is at hand”. Whether we are living in the last days right now or not, we are living in our last days. We are one breath closer to eternity and the Apostle wanted us to understand that there is an urgency that Christian needs to have in being obedient to Christ when it comes to living a spiritually free life. Too many Christian lose their sense of spiritual urgency. 

What should Christians be urgent about? (1) We are free to be self-controlled and sober-minded. Anyone who has an addiction background knows that every single day of the self-control expressed through their sobriety is vital in their life. People are powerless over their addiction and always one day away from falling back into it. The moment that they lose their self-control, they are back in the bondage of that addiction again. It is true with sin also. Many they in this world would associate freedom with being wild and untamed, doing whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it, with whoever you want to do it with, wherever you want to do it. But, that is not freedom; that is actually slavery to your sinful self. True spiritual freedom is about sober-mindedness and self-control is doing what God wants you to do, whenever and wherever God wants you to do it. If you want to have freedom in your life, that is where you are going to find it. Jesus set us free, so are we exercising our spiritual freedom through sober-mindedness and self-control, or are we letting something other than God’s freedom rule in your life right now? This is a heart check on how much of God’s peace are we allowing into our life these days and how much of the God-rejecting secular world distractions are getting into our hearts. It is a daily struggle to stay out of a place of anxiety and in a place of peace. God has made true sober-minded self-control, freedom and peace available to us through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

In the second half of verse 7, the Apostle says that “for the sake of your prayers”. The implication is that if we are not living in true spiritual freedom, then it has a direct effect on how God hears and answers our prayers. This is consistent with what we hear in the rest of the Bible. James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” The point is that we live out spiritual freedom by self-control and sober-mindedness, the more God hears our prayers. 

1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

If there is one thing to remember above all else, it is that we are free to love. Don’t give up on love, love one another earnestly. We are to be genuine in our love towards each other. To love one another includes forgiving one another. We like and appreciate when other people forgive us for our offenses against them, but find it harder to forgive others ourselves. Matthew 18:21-22, this same Apostle Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” The point that the Lord Jesus was getting at was that we need to just keep loving and forgiving one another. Immediately, following in Matthew 18:23-35, Jesus tell a parable about a man that borrowed ten thousand talents ($7 billion by today’s standards) and couldn’t pay it back when due. He pleaded for patience to the master and out of pity released and forgave his debt. But, that same man went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii ($12 thousand by today’s standards) and couldn’t pay him. The fellow servant pleaded for patience, but he refused and had him thrown into prison. Others saw this and reported it to the master, who in him and said: ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. What is the lesson of the parable? Our sin debt against God is (like $7 billion dollars) unable to pay off and yet He forgives our sin debt. The debt that others owe us in life is next to nothing compared to the sin debt we owe God. Should not we have had mercy on your fellow man, as God had mercy on us? Forgive others!

At some point in every human relationship, we will come across an offense that has to be covered. The way to cover an offense is not to just “sweep it under the rug”, pretending it never happened, but cover it with loving forgiveness. Forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting or that we do not establish new boundaries as trust is rebuilt. Yet, the Believer’s default is not to hang onto the offense and replay it over and over. The default is to “let it go” through loving forgiveness as love covers a multitude of sins. The principle is: the more that we extend love and forgiveness to others when we are offended, then the more likely they are to extend love and forgiveness to us when we offend them. Is there someone you need to forgive right now? Is there someone you need to apologize to and seek forgiveness from right now? 

1 Peter 4:9 “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

All of us are witnessing social division unlike anything we have ever seen in our lifetime. Everyone is a little extra on-edge and anxious these days with what is going on in our nation and the world. Much has been taken away, civil unrest and disobedience creates chaos and fear, and not much to look forward to on the horizon these days. We are all struggling for stability and normalcy in our daily routine of life. But, remember that you have been freed to love and know that love covers a multitude of sin. Seek unity, love your neighbor as yourself, see people as God sees them and practice the Golden Rule of doing to others as you would have them do to you. We have been freed to leave certain situations in God’s hands. We have been freed to love as Jesus loved. God says in 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We need to accept the consequences for our actions, but seek God’s love, mercy grace continually. May we align our thoughts, words and actions with the Lord’s as the Holy Spirit leads daily. We are free to love.

In Christ, Brian

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