jeffmcl

Yes, I have pledged my faith in Jesus Christ and have promised to serve him as his disciple. The relationship of my pledge and my baptism (by immersion) is that it not only pictures the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, but it is my testimony to observers and witnesses of what has already taken place in my heart. As I understand early church history, converts to Christ from paganism did not "walk the aisle" of the church or respond to an altar call at the conclusion of a service. They obediently submitted themselves for baptism in a public forum as their "confession" of Christ and to demonstrate graphically the death and burial of their old way of life and a resurrection to a "new life in Christ." This newness of life was further evidenced from that point on by the fruit of the spirit that developed as they grew and matured in Christ.

3a. Re: 3:13a personalized to imagine-- (1) My sin is the willful disregard for God's law and the rebellion I hold in my heart against Him. I cannot dodge the truth of the fact that it is MY sin and I cannot blame it on my upbringing or a dysfunctional family or economic deprevation. I CHOOSE to sin because the heart is deceitful above all things...who can understand it? (2 My sin is encapsulated in Peter's use of the word "unrighteous", and I am among those for whom Christ died and shed his blood for the remission of my sin. If I had been the only one who sinned and was unrighteous, he still would have gone to the Christ to redeem me from unrighteousness and exchange his righteousness for my sinful condition. This does not make me innocent, but is a judicial sense in which I am "declared not guilty" on the basis of Christ's substitutionary atonement. (3) Therefore, on the basis of what has been done on my behalf by Christ as declared above, I am "reconciled" to God. That is, there is not just a cessation of hostilities between me and God, but there is a peace that "passeth all understanding" and I have joy in my heart. I have been adopted into the family of God. Further, because of this new status, I am empowered by the Holy Spirit to break the power of sin in my life (the habitual inclination to yield to fleshly temptation) and can walk in a new way! 3b. I suppose I remain overwhelmed by the aspect of this verse which states Christ's death for sins. Primarily because it is most humbling to imagine that he would do this for me because there is absolutely no merit on my part to support such a gracious act. (This opens up a whole discussion on grace which I still cannot completely understand, but accept it anyway.)

a. It is hard for us to be a witness when we're persecuted because, like Peter when he denied Jesus, we are often cowards, especially when confronted by a crowd. b. The answer to the question as to why it is easy to be the wrong kind of witness in "tough places" is the same answer to question number one. We are cowards and allow Satan to put fear in our hearts, when we should be focusing on Christ, as emphasized in point number one. We forget who has the final, ultimate upper hand in this conflict: God! c. Peter's instructions to focus on Christ rather than our fears is most needed in my situation, though the second (be ready to give an answer) would be a close second. I need to study more diligently and apply myself to knowing the Word so I can verbalize the truths in which I say I believe.

Overall, all of these qualities are evident in our church family, though one does not see what is in the hearts of people. I am sure that, for the most part, we are harmonious and free of strife; we are generally sympathetic, affectionate and compassionate. As far as being humble, grudge-free and full of blessing, we do exhibit these traits, but I am personally aware of instances where people are cool to others because of a past "history" or an unresolved conflict that occurred in the past. It is frustrating to be aware of these situations and the resulting tensions that result. It detracts from the strength of the Body. One thing me and my friends can do about changing the relational climate for the better is to pray about it, but also be sensitive to those opportunities to openly discuss relational difficulties when they arise.

Wrong treatment of another person is indicative of a heart in opposition to God and, if that person is unrepentant and refuses to confess his sin to God and ask forgiveness of the offended person, it creates a "sin barrier" that interrupts fellowship with God. Positively, 1 John 1:9 promises those who confess their sin are able to receive forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness. This restores the God-man fellowship that God desires and is best for all people--man or woman.

a. Because by attending to his wife's needs not only honors her as a person made in God's image, but it shows a sensitivity and sense of compassion and understanding about how she feels and thinks, and why she does the things she does. b. It indicates selfless love (agape) that shows he puts her needs above his own and this is what Christ commanded. c. Relating to his wife in this way strengthens the marriage bond and he finds that this kind of love will be returned to him a hundred-fold. d. Because of fear of loss of control, selfishness and ignorance about what it really means to be a man and a godly husband. e. Wives sometimes try to dominate their husbands because they are rebellious and refuse to be submissive as the Bible teaches. Others suffer from a dysfunctional upbringing and background and did not enjoy exposure to the proper pattern for the husband-wife relationship. Still others do so because they have no respect for their husband, a view that may be understandable, but does not lead to a healthy marital relationship. f. Such attitudes cause hard feelings, resentment and bitterness in the relationship, makine it more difficult for the marriage to survive. g. This is contrary to God's nature because God is love and the manifestation of that love in Jesus is seen in selfless, sacrificial living with the best interests of the other person always in mind. Domination of another does not reflect an interest in their well being.

a. A person cultivates inner beauty by allowing the Holy Spirit to have control of his/her life and pursuing the development of the fruit of the Spirit (Christlike character). b. Character is gained by yielding to the Holy Spirit as one goes through their daily life and encounters trials and tests that God allows to be put in our path to strengthen us. He teaches us first, then he tests us with trials. These build true character and are part of the process to mold us into the image of Christ, God's Son. It is precious to God because it is a family likeness! c. By building this kind of true character, a Christian woman's example will eventually influence an unbelieving spouse in such a way as to "win him over"--not only to that Christian spouse, but to Christianity. If the unbelieving spouse is converted, then the marriage is further strengthened and established in Christ.

a. Since we are made in God's image, the implication is that we have great worth and value. Accordingly, all people should strive to keep a clean, neat and attractive appearance without going to extreme measures that place an unhealthy emphasis on physical beauty. b. An unhealthy overconcern with a woman's appearance may stem from a prideful spirit and reveals that she places too much emphasis on the external and superficial aspect of her personhood. c. The balance can be reached by keeping clean, being neat and well-groomed, dressing modestly so as not to attract undue attention. It is more important to spend time in developing the inner woman rather than the outside appearance because the inner beauty of her spirit and character will remain when the physical beauty has faded.

a. Submission is so difficult for us because of our human pride. As used in the context of the present passage (3:1), submission requires us to subdue our pride, but we want to be our own God, just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden. Our sinful nature includes a propensity to rebel against any authority or rule over our lives. b. Submission as used here by Peter does NOT mean we have to be somebody's doormat, nor does it prohibit us from voicing our opinions or exercising basic human rights as creatures made in God's image. c. Submission to another ends when it requires one to violate God's laws by committing a sin, or to be subject to violent, abusive behavior. As our author of these lessons says, "our submission to Christ takes precedence over submission to any human being."

a. Paul describes how we still struggle (war) with our flesh and our Adamic nature, though Christ lives in us by the agency of the Holy Spirit. When we come to Christ, we also begin a lifelong journey toward a likeness to Jesus, which is called sanctification. b. We must yield to the Holy Spirit's prompting and leadership when dealing with temptation and sin. He will not deviate from God's Word, so believers have two sources to use as a check and balance to ensure that the internal promptings we receive are of God. In this way we are assured of being able to live in His will. c. We die to sin by refusing to give our selfish desires and appetites control over us when they tempt us to act contrary to God's commandments for living. We die by submitting to the will of the Father (His Word) and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. d. To live for righteousness is to earnestly seek God's will as revealed in the Bible and as led by the Holy Spirit. It means walking in the light of His Word on a consistent basis--to immulate Christ in our daily lives. Paul says to "strive for the mark."

The substitutionary atonement for my sin by Christ made it possible for me personally to come into a relationship with God, to be declared "not guilty" of my sin and to escape God's condemnation of those who reject Christ's sacrifice to an eternal existence outside the presence of the Father. Further, it means that I am now set free, not only from sin's penalty, but from the bondage of sin--the enslavement of my will to fleshly desires. Accordingly, I can enjoy a "right standing" before God and am empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk (live) in righteousness.

a. In OT imagery of the sacrificial system, only the "unblemished" animal's blood was acceptable and adequate to cover the sin of the worshiper. Hence, Jesus became the unblemished lamb that willingly gave his life so his blood could atone for our sin. It was his sinlessness that made his sacrifice acceptable to God's perfect justice. b. The Great Exchange of my sin for his righteousness no doubt caused great shock and mind-numbing pain to our Savior. The contrast of the filth of mankind's sin against the purity of Christ is too great to describe! c. No ordinary mortal man could have withstood this great shock of sin's corruption being poured into Christ, nor could an ordinary man withstood the physical punishment he endured. As the Roman soldier who witnessed the Passion of Jesus said, "Surely this was the Son of God!"

Jesus suffered for me personally in that he suffered the physical pain and torment of physical beatings, scourging and crucifixion. He bore shame and humiliation as he was unjustly betrayed, tried unjustly in a kangaroo court, spat upon, mocked and ridiculed in public. But he also suffered the greatest indignity and torment as he willingly bore my sins (and the sins of all mankind), though he himself was pure and sinless.

a. Fortunately, I am not currently being subjected to unfair treatment in my vocation (vocational ministry), but I do encounter it in my human relationships all the time, as we all do. Sometimes we encounter it even in our own homes or in our relationships with close friends and family. Christ's example serves me well when I successfully resist striking back, because often the situation is later resolved without harsh words, anger or hurt feelings. Then I am glad I did not retalitate. b. I must continually keep in mind this example of Christ's behavior in this passage and in a similar passage in Phil. 2:5-11 (The Kenotic Hymn) because if the King of Kings and Lord of Lords can so humble himself in obedience to the Father, then so must I!

a. By always remembering who we are (a holy priesthood), our behavior in the workkplace will be markedly different thanthose who do not know Christ. Eventually this difference in the way we act and react to unfairness must have an effect upon others, because the world responds with "an eye for an eye" and the right Christian response refrains from the impulse to get even. b. A chronic complainer reveals a wrong spirit--one that is basically in rebellion against authority and an inciter of rebellion among others. This would not be characteristic of Christians who elsewhere are exhorted to be "joyful" and to exemplify the fruit of the Spirit. c. While my personal response to prolonged, unfair treatment at work has not always been equal to the biblical standard, I believe that if a person absolutely cannot tolerate such a situation, we are fortunate in Western society to have the relative freedom to depart that place and find work elsewhere. For those who do not have that freedom, (just as the 1st century slaves did not) God's grace will be sufficient to endure it and He must have included that treatment as part of shaping that person's character.