Q4. Combatting Lies

[Neil NRG]

On 14/02/2004 at 1:22 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q4. (2:11) Read 1 Peter 2:11 carefully. The world tells us (1) to conform and (2) that sin won't hurt us. What does Peter tell us to combat these lies? How can this reminder help us?

Remember we are not of this world, so be not conformed to the world but to God.

Our behaviour will not be excellent and an example of God in us unless it flows from right desires. Allow God to give you good desires. Focus on Your purpose, to love others as you love God, to sow seeds that souls will be saved, to glorify God. Keep a focus on your purpose every moment of every day, for it only takes a moment for sinful desires to grab hold. Your hope is in God and His glory and not what people normally hope in - self, safety, money. So, show humble acts of love, righteous acts of courage or self denying acts of generosity.

When we focus our desires through God (in us) and find hope and contentment in His mercy and power and promises, then we start to show excellent behaviour - a humble love, fearless courage, self denying generosity, joyful simplicity and peaceful suffering. These behaviours point to God's glory.

[Sandtoad]

We are strangers in this world, to conform would mean we are friends of all that goes against our beliefs as a Christian.  Sin will harm us in many ways – by making us callous to that which goes against Jesus’ teachings; by making us a bad example to non-believers (and believers). Consistent reading of the Word can serve as a reminder that we are God’s children and are the recipients of His love and salvation. 

[haar]

Q4. (2:11) Read 1 Peter 2:11 carefully. The world tells us (1) to conform and (2) that sin won't hurt us. What does Peter tell us to combat these lies? How can this reminder help us?

A. Peter reminds that we are strangers here on earth and will go back to heaven to be judged and will go to either heaven or hell. He thus tell us not to relax and thus allow our sinful nature to win the war it is fighting us and  cause us to sin miss heaven.

We should heed this warning and always remember that the enemy wages war ageist us through worldly desires of worldly things that will make us fall. Remembering his motive and our desire to make heaven will motivate us to resist and fight back with the power that comes from the Lord God Himself.

 

[hanks]

Q4. (2:11) 
Read 1 Peter 2:11 carefully. 
The world tells us (1) to conform and (2) that sin won't hurt us. 
What does Peter tell us to combat these lies? 
How can this reminder help us?
Just as Christian values and beliefs are rejected by the world, so are we to live apart from the immorality and sinful desires that surround us today in this fallen world. Peter is warning us about these sinful desires. Desires in itself are not wrong, but Peter warns us that evil desires can give rise to sin, and this ultimately gives rise to death (James 1:15). He writes that these sinful desires will wage war against our soul with the sole purpose of destroying it. Later on in 1 Pet 4:3 he goes on to mention these sinful desires as “living in debauchery, ****, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry”. They constantly wage war against our spiritual well-being, they deter spiritual growth, and finally will destroy the fellowship we have with our Heavenly Father.  

Fully aware of the danger these desires hold we must stay away from them; they only give us temporary satisfaction but damage our soul. This should serve as a reminder for us to stay close to Jesus and let the Holy Spirit help us fight this evil. Our good deeds will help to keep us focused on our Lord.
 

[Tyreek]

Peter reminds us that we are strangers of this world and should avoid our sinful nature that rebels against God. How we live helps us, our friends, and neighbors to glorify God which leads to increased praise for Him.

[lighthouse2014]

On 2/13/2004 at 8:22 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q4. (2:11) Read 1 Peter 2:11 carefully. The world tells us (1) to conform and (2) that sin won't hurt us. What does Peter tell us to combat these lies? How can this reminder help us?

Peter tells us to combat the lies of the world because they war against our spirit.  We are to stay away from desires that cause us to rebel against God.

The reminder that Peter gives us as to saying no to lustful desires that are sinful and fleshly. His reminders keep us calling to mind that we are aliens and strangers in this world. 

 

[aliya721]

On 2/13/2004 at 9:22 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q4. (2:11) Read 1 Peter 2:11 carefully. The world tells us (1) to conform and (2) that sin won't hurt us. What does Peter tell us to combat these lies? How can this reminder help us?

1 Peter tells us to abstain from sinful desires (pride, desire to be right, things the world suggests are good, bending of morality...) and live such good lives that those who are watching will see and glorify God.

[bertha]

Peter reminds us that we are pilgrims, strangers in this land. Sojourners. Our citizenship is in heaven. We should not settle down, unpack our suitcases and make ourselves comfortable. So long as we are here on earth we will have a constant battle with the flesh. The prince of the world has declared war against the children of light(God) he seeks only to steal, kill and destroy. We must not conform to this world nor give in to the temptations it offers, instead everyday be transformed by the renewing of our minds. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
 

[JJ1950]

Peter tells us our values need to come from God, not from our culture.  Every time I feel pressured by someone and, more often, something, I stop and remember that things are so very temporary.  I turn to God which allows me to remember why I have been given precious little time on earth and how I must spend my time in devotion to others.  I am comforted by this. 

[JanMary]

On 2/13/2004 at 6:22 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

 

Q4. (2:11) Read 1 Peter 2:11 carefully. The world tells us (1) to conform and (2) that sin won't hurt us. What does Peter tell us to combat these lies? How can this reminder help us?

1. The world tells us how to live our lives, how to eat, communicate, love, sleep, grieve, and celebrate. The problem is, the world's values, and viewpoints don't mesh with God's ways.  As beloved children of our Father, we are aliens in exile and are  pilgrims passing through and are not of this world. We are told not to seek the approval of others, but instead to satisfy God. Remembering this we are to crucify our fleshly desires...pride of life, cravings of the eye and of the flesh....in surrender to Jesus. "It's not by might nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord." Peter said: sins wage war against our soul, enemies of God. We are to instead, love Him and to be joyful in His Presence, reflecting His love and beauty to a fallen world.

 2  The reminder that we are the righteousness of God in Christ, and that as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17), changes our focus to Him and His power in us to deny our sin nature. We are blessed by being obedient to the Word. When we try to conform to the world and seek it's approval, we look like them, and lose our "saltiness" and ability to share Christ with them.

 

[Debra Grant]

Q4. (2:11) Read 1 Peter 2:11 carefully. The world tells us (1) to conform and (2) that sin won't hurt us. What does Peter tell us to combat these lies? How can this reminder help us?

1.We are to be as strangers or aliens passing through this world  because it is not our home.We should abstain from fleshly desires which is sin.The desires of the flesh and sin is not of God. Our values need to come from God.The desires of the flesh and the sinful nature that inspires them is at war with our soul.

2.It reminds us that God does not like sin and will not put up with it. Therefore, if we want to go to heaven, we need not to have    sin in our life.

[Cigarshaped]

The challenge of marriage is to balance physical and spiritual co-existence. It is not a sin to love your wife, and you need to maintain a healthy partnership. You have to know where the 'abstinence' line falls!

Agreed we will ultimately lose our gender and escape the cares of this life, submitting to our Almighty Father.

[Zilka]

Q4. (2:11) Read 1 Peter 2:11 carefully. The world tells us (1) to conform and (2) that sin won't hurt us. What does Peter tell us to combat these lies? How can this reminder help us?

I believe to understand that we are the strangers, we are the children of God then we walk not alone in the world. Amin.

[WinstonY]

Q4. (2:11) Read 1 Peter 2:11 carefully. The world tells us (1) to conform and (2) that sin won't hurt us. What does Peter tell us to combat these lies? How can this reminder help us?

"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." (2:11)

we are not part of the world. We are separate from the world, as Christians we are to live our lives according to a standard that is higher than that of the world. The ancient world in which Peter and Paul lived had many desires which were put before the people and many or most of these were evil desires. In today's world the situation is very little different than that of the ancient world. Frequently in the television and in the internet and in the bookstore we are confronted with evil desires of **** and these war against your soul. There there is a constant War between the evil and the good and we are to put on the whole armor of God to stand against The Wiles of the devil. If we even let these evil desires have a foot hole upon our soul they will often squirm their way into being greater desires and one may not be able to stand against them. Paul realized that there was a spiritual warfare that was going on when in the book of Ephesians he wrote suggesting we put on the whole armor of God so that we can war against evil and be on God's side.

[charisbarak]

We are strangers/aliens here on earth.  We are in a spiritual battle & we need to choose our actions carefully.

Remember Whose you are!!

[Commissioned]

Q4. (2:11) Read 1 Peter 2:11 carefully. The world tells us (1) to conform and (2) that sin won't hurt us. What does Peter tell us to combat these lies? How can this reminder help us?

Peter tells us that we are not to conform to the world, not to sin because this conforming and sinning will rob us of eternal life with God; it wars against the soul.

[Krissi]

The problem, to be honest, is that I know that sin DOES pay off on earth -- the problem of why wicked people seem blessed in their lives is very real, to me. So, for some very sinful people, their sin doesn't seem to hurt them -- and, conversely, for some Christians, avoiding sin has a real cost.

In an eternal perspective, sin costs one's life, but those who do not believe, and many Christians whose faith is flagging under the pressure of the world, simply cannot see this. What Peter is doing in this passage is reminding us, once again, that we have to take an eternal perspective on our suffering, that this world is temporary and fleeting. In the end -- the eternal "end" -- goodness does "pay off," and sin is punished.

At times, this seems difficult to swallow. Why can't God reward those who strive to do good NOW ... or at least protect them? Why do good people suffer so much and bad/sinful people thrive?

In the next verse Peter tells us to live exemplary lives to win over anyone who observes us. This is the "priestly work" or the high calling we have on our shoulders. We speak for God and do His work.