John Weir

Q1. (4:1-2) When the scripture says "arm yourselves with the same attitude" as Christ had, how should this attitude help keep you from sin? What attitude are we talking about? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.ph...;f=40&t=177 We are born sin-free into a 'sinfilled' world as a result of our original forefathers, Adam & Eve. Sin is thus all around us and we cannot but be influenced by this sin. So we become sinners, and the pull of fleshly desires, that lead us into sin, is very strong. Christ's main purpose in coming to this earth was to save us from our sinful ways and give us a chance to come to Salvation. But this atoning for our sins depends on our attitude, which has to be the same as Christ's. Christ's attitude, to show us what our's should be, was one of complete obedience to His Father, God. In this, he was prepared to pay the ultimate price for a sinless life in a debauched world full of sin. He was ridiculed, maligned, criticised, forsaken by friends, spat upon and finally murdered unjustly. But through it all, He was obedient. Are we prepared to accept the same? We should be prepared to endure the same as Christ did. We should be prepared to pay the ultimate price as He did, for His Father. So we should be prepared to pay the same price for Him. And forsake the comfort and pleasures of this world, to glorify and be obedient to His commands. Our 'gate is narrow and few enter it'. In today's world we justify and compromise our sinful ways. To live as Christ lived, in this world today, is a huge challenge with many temptations, but in His strength, we can overcome. Thanks be to God.

I was baptised as an infant without any understanding of 'faith in Jesus Christ'. So I felt it was right to be baptised a second time in my early 60's, with full immersion, and this I did. I have pledged my faith in Jesus Christ, and promised to serve Him as His disciple through this visible sign of my allegiance to Him.

Q3. (3:18a) Meditate for a few minutes on this verse: "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." Now personalize it to imagine (1) your sins, (2) your unrighteousness, and (3) your reconciliation with God. Each of these ideas is awesome! Which of these three aspects of the verse has God impressed most strongly on you today? Select one of the three and share it. It seems to me that God's devised plan of Salvation for mankind was for Christ, the re-incarnated One, to come to earth, live and teach and perform miracles amongst us, and to then die the way He did, for us. If He had not died and been resurrected, there would be no redemption of our sins. So, because of this, I know my sins were washed away and I was forgiven my sins by Jesus' blood on the cross. My total 'unrighteousness' was made 'righteous' through Jesus' obedience to His Father's plan. By accepting this sacrifice and Jesus' obedience, and believing it, and living it out in my life now, I am reconciled and have a relationship of 'Abba, Father' with God. Being 'reconciled' to God is the most amazing aspect for me. This is despite my 'unrighteousness' and sin, which I still have, yet God is the God of '2nd chances'. I strive to be acceptable in God's sight, and I do receive His blessings daily. These blessings and revelations are 'wondrous' to behold, and I humbly thank God daily for them.

We focus on ourselves rather than on God. Our fear is for ourselves rather than a fear for God and what He will think of us. God will bless us when we are persecuted for His sake. The best example of this is Paul and all the persecution he suffered, and Jesus Himself. We compromise what we believe to save our own skins. It is easier to be compliant than to stand up for Christ and face whatever the consequences. Focussing on Christ, rather than our fears is the most difficult and needed for me. The fears in the world, and particularly material provision, are the things that tend to overwhelm us. But faith in Christ, and His promises, is what keeps us going.

Q1. (3:8-9) Which of the qualities Peter mentions in 3:8-9 are most evident in your congregation? Which are most needed? What can you and your friends do to change the relational climate at your Church so it is more Christ-like? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.ph...;f=39&t=173 There is brotherly love and compassion in our Church, but generally it is more a question of each to his own. We are so wrapped up in our own problems and concerns, and the stress and worry of the world around us, that we tend to become introspective and more subjective than objective towards our fellow man. Interest in and concern for others are what are most needed. We tend to judge by appearances and from first impressions. This is a very shallow approach to relationships while we are called to ' be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.' Relationships with others, start with our relationship with God, and how we view Him. Do we see Him as ' Abba, Father' i.e. with an intimate, loving, close relationship? Or are we fearful, apprehensive, guilt-filled with a distant relationship. 'live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble' To do this is not easy for us. We have been brought up to look after ourselves and regard ourselves as 'no. 1'. To be outward looking, with genuine concern for others, as we would have for a brother, is what we are called to do.

Q1. (3:8-9) Which of the qualities Peter mentions in 3:8-9 are most evident in your congregation? Which are most needed? What can you and your friends do to change the relational climate at your Church so it is more Christ-like? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.ph...;f=39&t=173 There is brotherly love and compassion in our Church, but generally it is more a question of each to his own. We are so wrapped up in our own problems and concerns, and the stress and worry of the world around us, that we tend to become introspective and more subjective than objective towards our fellow man. Interest in and concern for others are what are most needed. We tend to judge by appearances and from first impressions. This is a very shallow approach to relationships while we are called to ' be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.' Relationships with others, start with our relationship with God, and how we view Him. Do we see Him as ' Abba, Father' i.e. with an intimate, loving, close relationship? Or are we fearful, apprehensive, guilt-filled with a distant relationship. 'live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble' To do this is not easy for us. We have been brought up to look after ourselves and regard ourselves as 'no. 1'. To be outward looking, with genuine concern for others, as we would have for a brother, is what we are called to do.

The book ' Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus' sets this out well. We are very different. Women are far more emotional and want their needs attended to, solutions, not advice, about their problems. Men go ' into their caves' i.e., the recesses of their minds to solve their problems, and musn't be disturbed while there. This knowledge is essential and it is unwise to be unaware of this. Womens' spiritual needs are approached the same way. Men want more practical spiritual answers to their questions. We demonstrate love towards one another by respecting each others needs and being considerate. Jesus showed us how to do this through patience, concern, understanding, compassion and consideration for one another. Self-interest in this respect is loving the other partner for our own sake. Our interest should be genuine spiritual concern for the other partner. Men are by nature controlling and assertive and will try to dominate the other partner, the wife. This leads to major problems in the marriage and often to split ups. Both parties need to show restraint and consideration. Wives need security and love or will try to dominate their husbands. God's nature is one of loving kindness. Domination is not showing this. Genuine love and concern towards the other partner is what God is asking for. Self-interest in the wrong sense will negate this.

Having the 9 fruits of the Spirit is how we cultivate inner beauty. In the world in which we live it is most difficult to have these fruits because of the pace of our lives, our assertiveness and wanting to be in control. Only a strong relationship with our Lord, a daily time with Him of studying His Word and prayer will produce these fruits. 'We sow thoughts, and reap action, - we sow action and reap habits, - we sow habits and reap Character.' What we think about determines our feelings and we tend to act on our feelings. If the habits we have are pure and righteous, we will have a Godly character. True character or our inner beauty and truth and righteousness will mean that we have respect and fear God. We will then praise and glorify His name and this is what he wants from us. A husband needs the support of his wife but only where there is mutual trust and Godly love. Her character, of respect, submission and love will win his love for her.

Most women have an inherent beauty about them that makes them attractive and appealing to males. God made them this way for a purpose, that they would be desirous to their male counterparts. So it is that they try to look their best. My wife has no ulterior motive in trying to look her best at all times, but to show her pride in her appearance. If their attitude is wrong, and the motive is for the wrong relationship with a male, this will divert them from their relationship with God. The balance is to please God by taking care of one's appearance, and at the same time doing it to honour God and not to please and draw attention to oneself for the wrong motives

We are assertive and controlling by nature. This makes it very difficult for us to be submissive and in any way subservient. Our words speak louder than actions in many cases when it should be the other way around. It is wrong to submit to something that goes against God's commands and Christ's teachings. We are to be obedient at all times. If this means taking a verbal stand against something, or just walking away, we ought to do it.

Because we are 'in the world' but not 'of the world'. The ruler of this world is Satan and he looks for any opportunity to influence us. Although we have free choice, Satan's way looks very appealing, and we can easily succumb to it. Through obedience to God and living a righteous way of life, and being 'in Christ' we deal with sin. We die to sin when we are baptised and come up out of the water. Our old life passes away and a new life begins. We strive to live for Christ, with Jesus in us. We follow His example of 'righteousness'.

I was born into a world full of sin, and all the sin and shame and guilt in my life is atoned for by Jesus bearing my sin in His body on the cross. More than this by bearing my sin He is assuring me of my Salvation on into eternity after my death here. Through the cross and all it stands for, I have salvation.

Christ is our role model here on earth, sent for our Salvation by God, His Father. As God incarnate he is sinless and as the only sinless man on earth, we know we can safely follow His example for our Salvation.' No-one can come to the Father but through me' He said. He became the redemption for our sins on the cross. This terrible suffering was His obedient way to take all of mankind's sins, present and future on Himself, so that we could be forgiven for our sins. He knew that after the passion and suffering on the cross he would be resurrected. But first He had to endure the suffering and pain and humiliation. He also knew that by doing this it would be a victory over Satan and all His enemies.

He took our sins on Himself when He went to the cross. He didn't have to endure all that humiliation and suffering, but did it for our sake. We see the atonement and redemption in this act of His.

I see the mindset of a priest, of whom I am one, in the New Covenant, as bringing people to God. It is the idea of ministering to people, to present them as holy, sanctified to God. We are all a ' Royal Priesthood' once we have accepted Christ into our hearts, and it is up to us to have others understand that Christ is the 'cornerstone' of His temple, this being the body of believers. It inspires me to : 1] Set a righteous and holy example. 2] To have others see my obedience to the Gospel 3] To live in such a way that others can find no fault in me. 3] to actively proclaim the Gospel to others. 4] To love 'my neighbour' as Christ commanded me to do.

I have a poster on my wall that says ' Believe that your life is worth living, and your beliefs will help create the fact' - to remind me of the times in the past when I was lost in my belief of Jesus and His promises to me. Christ 'redeemed' us, i.e. He paid the price for our sin on the cross. If He created us, our worth to Him because of this is far greater than all the treasures of the world. God's love for me is worth so much that he allowed His only Son to pay the ultimate price, death by crucifixion. Material things here on earth have no long-term value. They are 'but for a season'. They bring some joy and often a lot of unhappiness. Our Long-term investment is the wealth and worth we create through our 'preparation' here on earth for our eternal lives. Eternity is a long, long time. It is beyond our comprehension as we are so tied down to our time factors here in this world. But it is a worthwhile investment for we will have all the promises of God in Heaven. And they are worth striving for.

People in the world feel they ' are sufficient unto themselves ' and don't need advice or rebuke from others. They are in control of their own destinies and don't need judgement from others. This would upset them as they are filled with pride and are hurt when others criticise or question their judgment. Until they face the consequences of their wrong decisions. Final judgment is our reward for our righteousness here on earth. Conversely, final judgment is the time when some come face to face with the result of their unbelief and are condemned. But God loves His people, and is kind and forgiving and gives us all a 2nd chance right up to the end of our lives, to repent and accept Jesus into our hearts. Our Salvation and eternal life in His Kingdom is the essence of His final judgment. If we have accepted Him into our hearts, repented and been baptised in the name of the Holy Spirit, and into a life with Jesus, this is at the core of the Good News and the final judgment. The Gospel news of Christ is fulfilled. Christ said He would say to those who had rejected Him here on earth, meaning that they had rejected the Gospel message, ' I don't know you '. By doing this He would leave them out and ignore them as far as their Salvation was concerned.

'Holiness' is a state of being consecrated to God. It is living in obedience and conforming to His commands. I am not holy now. I am trying to achieve a degree of holiness. This is through spending time with Him, to learn and obey His statutes as well as spending time with fellow Christians. In every way we must follow His commands as set out in His Word, the Bible. It is very difficult not to follow the ways of the world in which we live but fully adhere to what He wants of us. This means hearing His still quiet voice through the Holy Spirit and then acting on it.

Our very Salvation depends on our being prepared for Christ's 2nd coming. Preparation is the state of mind, soul and spirit we have at this time. We must prepare now for this time. The preparation that we are experiencing inspires hope as it convicts us of the fact that even if we die physically in Christ, we will be raised up. We will go into His Kingdom with Him. Self-control and sobriety are commands that are part of this preparation. Our way of life here on earth is closely linked to our beliefs. It has been said, ' Sow thoughts and you reap actions, Sow actions and you reap habits, Sow habits and you reap character'. Christ can come at any time. What will our character be like when he comes.

I like the idea that this joy is constant in all circumstances, both good and bad. It is hard to experience this but what you are saying is so true. God has a plan that is revealed to us in His time, and then we realise our joy was well founded.

We love Him even though we do not see Him. We believe in Him even though we do not see Him. It is our faith in Him, and what He means to us that gives us this joy. It is a deep-rooted joy not superficial and momentary. It is more than an emotional feeling, it is a conviction. It is not counterfeit as we know that through it we are in the process of receiving the 'goal of our faith' i.e. the Salvation of our Souls. It is a glimpse of what it will be like in Heaven.

Severe financial stress for the last 16 years have really tried our faith and endurance. This has matured me and taught me to put my trust in Him. I am at peace about it and wait patiently, while working hard at the opportunities He has provided, for His Provision. Will we 'Praise and glorify Jesus when He returns'. We can only do this as time after time as we are refined by the trials and tribulations, we put our trust in Him. The example used is in the refining of gold, where, after being heated, the 'dross' is removed from the top. The 'pure' gold remains. We will become more like Jesus as we are refined.

Q3. (1:5) According to 1 Peter 1:5, what is God's part in securing your salvation? What is your part? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.ph...;f=33&t=148 We are to keep the faith, And God will reveal the Salvation.

Q2. (1:2) Why do forgiveness (sprinkling) and obedience come together as a package? Why is it deceptive to think you can have one without the other? Extra credit: If true faith requires obedience, how can we say that we are saved by grace rather than works? (Ephesians 2:8-10) http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.ph...;f=33&t=147 'Sprinkling', - forgiveness and repentance, are not enough for our Salvation. We need to also be obedient. ' Faith without works......'. Faith alone in our world today would not result in any fruits that we are asked to bear. We need to put our faith into action. Grace is God's free gift to us. His grace alone allows us to put our faith into action. This grace is necessary first for us to have the faith and obedience to put our belief system into action - thus we are saved by grace rather than works.