The Ohio Independent Baptist, March 1960

March 1960 ~ _____ _ ___ THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST Page Nineteen STUDIES IN FIRST PETER X0\\ 7 tl1at ,vc l1 a,· i11tr dt1 cl T P et er a11 l cal1gl1t a bi1--cl. '. e)' v iew of the de, relop111 e11t of it. theme ,,·e . l1all taJce t1p a 11101~e cletailed a11aly i . The f i1· t poi11t of our ba . i ot1tli11e ,va. ' ' Ince11tives to faitl1ful11e.. . nder thi ,ve ~ aw f i1~ t of all he Ble edne of it goal. ' ' !Jet u analyz t hi. in t he f ollo,,·ing ,vay : 1. It 11a tt1re 1 :3-5 a. livi11g hope b. n i11 01~rl1ptil)l e inherit – ance c. \ ce1 .. tai11 cl e. ti11ation 2. I t. valt1e 1 :6-12 a. A 1no1~r tha11 j11. t r ecom– pe11c f 01~ pre. e11 t 11££ er - • 1ng b. A trea. 11r . ear h d 011t by prophet and a11gel. 3. I t . eff ·t on att itt1de ancl life 1 :13-16 a. 0 bedie11ce 1). Iloline. . . eparatio11 \\T]1at i t l1e lJle . eel goal of our faithft1l11e, . to hri. t 1 F i1-. t of all jt i cl e. cribecl a a lively or liv– i11g hope. \Vhe11 ,,Te wer e begotten th e fir~ t time of ot1r earthly par– r11t : ,,,e r eceive 1 phy ical li.fe . Yet we we1'e dead i11 tre. pa e and : i11. . ( Eph. t:J :1 ) We had 110 hope, l>P ing ,vit]1out }od i11 thi. ,vorlcl. ( Eph. 2: 12 ) But 110,v od ha. .be– gott e11 llS again or a11ew to a 11, 1 - l,\" li,·i11g, life o·iving h oJ?e: ~ e <lr ) alive 110,, 1 et r11ally l1v111g 111 1 l1e 1)1e.. rd hope of the r t11r11 of ..J PSlts 1 h rist to tal{P us unt o 1 I im– sel f ! rJ }1 is goal is alsc> cl rs<'l'l lJecl a a11 i11 c,orruptilJ]e i11l1eri t a11ee . IIo,v <>f1 :) 11 fl o \\' (l lJr<·<> 111P c:1 11, 1 i <) tts of the <)lJC 1 \\1 110 j i-,, ]1r it· 1<) ll ll g'P PHrtl1)) 7 J)C) , SP. ~ i (J)lS ~ ,,rp \ \ ' ()l tl cl (l <·li µ:ht 1() 1l1i11l< <Jf: l l<' i11 cr al>l c~ to l<)oJc f'or,,,a1·d P"" • • 1 o s 11 c I I a 1 > <> 1 t 1, t } o 11 :-,, J> r < > , , 1: 1C>11 • ( 1 l1l' i.· t . }ticl. ' I1a ,~ 1101 111> f c) r j 7 0ltr . ] ' i (' ) \ T (' s 1 l' (l <l 8 l l I' p s l l 1)() l ) ( I cl )• t I . ( I at1. (j: 1 !) ) '1'}1pse1 s l1c1l I .l)~ss ,t\Vfl \ 7 , t11 cl t }1P11 , , 1,a1 r>r <>\' IS JC)Jl \ \' j ) l . 1 <) l l ] 1 cl \ ' p ~ \ } ~ l 1 t ) H y U l) f O r . . 1 ' ' ) ' (ll lJ 'SP ] \ , P 'i tl'PH :-i lll '< 1 S J l l IPH\ ' <111 . 0 ( ~Iat 1. (; ;~() ) . ' l )1PS< 1 sh ,111 lJP rc ,1· ) , c,t1 a1 1 P\' Prlast i11 g· 1>1'<,,·i. i c, 11 . I I <>\\' 11111 t·J1 ei<· J1, 1 1·, l' t1ll c·r, Hl t< I ttl<Jl'< 1 VI INCENTIVES TO FAITHFULNESS b o t 111 t i fl l l ,1 r r ,v r 111a 1<: i 11 !!' o t Lr ' ' i 1, - • c·o1·r11ptibl r i11 h e1-- itanee ' ' l)y 011r f',1i111f1t111r .•, to t l1e f1ord fJe. 11. 1 Not 0 11 ly i 8 011 r g-oa 1 a living expe tatio11 a11ti ipatio11 or hope, 11 t 0 11 ly i., it a 11 i11corr111)til)le i11 - l1e1--ita11ce lJ11 t it i~ al. o a cer tain rl C'st i 11 a tio11. T t i.· r e. e1·ved in l1 ea,,e11 fo r \ "Oll. W r tal<r 011t a • .· at 1' r8e1'va tio11 011 a pa enger t r ai11. Th at J)a rtic11la1~ eat i. helcl .- p e c: i a 11 J' for l t: . E ,re 11 . o o 111~ in- ro1--rupt il1le i11herita11ce i. r e. erved for u s. ot 0111 v j s it 1·rservrcl f 01· u: • b11 t ,,,e a r l{f ]) t f <> r it b ~ t h r po,,rer of rO(l. ,J e. 11.. • aid MJr .·l1eeJ) l1 ear :\f y voi 1 e a1 d I lcno,v t hem, a11 cl they follo, v 1\Te, a11d T givr 1111to t l1em eternal life a11d thry sl1all 11c, rer peri. h 11 eit l1er : }1al l a11)' 111 a 11 p111el( them ot1t of l\Ty ha11 l' (J oh11 10 :27 2 ) . The .-a.fet)' of tl1 e . heep 11 ever cl p 11<.l: on the .~heep. If it did they ,voulcl ,1 ll ,,,a11clcr aHtr ay a1 d 11 d , ,011 r cl 1 ) 7 a bclast of prey or die of thir t 11 t1 11ge1· or expo. 11re. Th h ep – l1r r 1 i ,11,,,ay. re. po11. il)le to pro– t eet t h en1, to lead th en1 be ·ide the . t ill ,\~ate1-. a11cl malce t l1 in lie clo,v11 i11 gree11 pa. t11re. . Does it 11ot e11cot1rage yot1 to live £01· (;l1ri. t ]c11ovvi11g· t hat Ili. almighty T>O\\' Pl~ is lceeping· yOll i11 a li,,i11g 1101 c f 01· a t1 i 11co1·1·11 pti l>le i11 hf ri t– a11ce ,Yhi ·h i. r e. er,,ecl for yoll ? II o,, 1 cr1~e at is t l1e ,ral1te of this r goal ? l >eter . ay.· t l1a t t h P JJ1~ov- i 11 o' of ot11" fait l1 i. mtl ·h more p1,,;ciol1 , 01· valual)l <? thc111 of g"ol_ll ,~.rhi •11 p ris11 e: ( , rr 11 t}10 11 f?:l1 1t is 1 r i e c] i 11 t l t P fire a 11 cl re.- finc)cl i1 t o t l1e pur s1, 1110 1 pi~ 1- 011 8 gol c1 . \\rhy 1 '~ ' l'l1c1t it 111i gl1t l)e fo1111 cl l111to 1 1·c1i . e a11 cl h o1101· clll(l o·lc) l'\r at til l) HPl)C'ara11ec\ of r . 1 ,J e: t1 s ( 1 }1l'ist . , ,,r11at n1Hl(es t 1r t 0sti11g· or JJrc>, 1 i11g· c1f 11r fcti111 ~t) 1>rt\(•i o11 s ? \\ l1at gi,·<1s it s11el1 H l1j g h ~1,t111 1 (>f' \ 1 , tl11 P. 'l'l1r bl~~s i11 g ,,,r r r er i, 1 P at t!1 . ,t1>1~tlnr1!1 g of ,J t1s11 s ( 1 hri "'t . ' f J11s ,,111 lar 11 1<>l' <' 1l1a11 rPJ> ,l)' 11s l'or 011r 1>resL•111 s 11 rr p r i 1, g· r <) 1· <• 1 11 · i "t . ' l'l1i s l)l<·s~<'< l o·c>itl ,, lti (• li i s (> \l l''-i , ,1 111(' t· 11 cl <)r ~ r,1it l1 J' 11I ~ir(' r( r ( 1 }1ri s1 \\ HS ('() JI Si<l <' l'('tl S<> l'l(• h ;111<1 \ ii I II ii I)I( I H l 1' l \ H ~ l l I' l I l).)' t l 1(. I) l' l) I) J l l Ii s cl ll l a11g 1 .. t h at t h y l1a,r pllt t }1eir ,,,l1olr hrart a11cl 80111 j11t o a 11 a11 - (> ltt HP<t1·e h i11to the ,vealth of our . alvati 11 a11cl the marv 1011: grac whi. h haH l>re11 • ho,,,n to 11. ' . Ye even the a11gel. of tocl mt1. t . toop i11 ,vonde1~ to lJehold a marvel ,vhich they tl1em. elv annot ex– pe1·ir11 e l)tl t ,vb i h i. lJeing be– :to,vecl t1po11 11. ! Ilo,,r i. thi. to affe t Ollr atti- tt1de a11tl life ? P et r .~a,r. t hat • th i. b ing . 0 ,,re a1~c to tak 11p th loo. e ga rment. ( of ,vorlclly thot1ght and living ) that would bi11d ot1r feet ancl r e1 der our ,var– f ar for ~h ri t ineff ecti, , . W e are to gird them about the loir1 of 011r mi11 ]. (,vitl1 t r11 t h ) be .·eriou -min cle 1 and look forward ,vith expe tat.ion to t he , ,er y end £01~ thi. mar,,elou grace which . hall ft1lly 111aterializ whe11 J e u come.. . We are the r ef or e to be ol1cclie11 t hiJdret1 not pouri11g our- lve. i11to the moulcl of our former te1npo1 .. al . e 11 . 11al de. ire a , v l1 e11 ,,~c ,v r e ignorant of the e ter11al t1~uth . Thi l)ei11g o w ho11ld be ho1j 7 or . epar ated fro1n the tl1i11g of t l1i. ,,,01'1 l to the thi1 g... of a11- otl1e1-- ,vorl 1- ._ epar ated from the icl latry of ·o,,eti11g t e111poral t hi11g. to the t1·11e piritua l ,,yor– ship of . ocl . ,, e . l 1 a 11 ta k u l) t l 1 ' 11 x t i 11 - t r 11 ti ,1 et fait l1f11l 11e. : i11 011r 11ext Rt11d1p 011 tl1e i11corruptibility of it. origi11. ' ' i, rr 11 r }l,"('rag-e fi ,,e - Y<.' Hl~ - >lcl RJ) f ttcl. ~ l1c)11r8 a ,,·er1{ ,,,at ·l1i11g ' ['\ , c1 11 cl lr8. tha11 0110 l1 0 11r per , , P <'l( i11 ~1111<lcl \" He 1100 1. l) ()t' ~ t l1is • -- ,J n 111 t\ s \ ". I{ t' 1111 t' t t • l ~. l ~ t 1 r l \ ,1 t1 ( )r l)l'l ~()ll~ ~a, !"\ th,lt t ilt' • 4 }}lll(l t 18 ' . <> 1> l' ra11(li ' ' ~tl tt' ,,H~ 7 t l1t\)- 1 gt> at it ) <>r , lll ill l' l 't 1 HS ltl g ' 11 \ ll tlllt' l ' (lf .i 11 , t • 11 i I <, <• 1 · i 111 i 11 n Is t • I<, "t ' l ., 1 I> ar n11 t \ls ' I' \ ' s I l l,,, s 11 t t • \ T l 1, t \ 7 l' ~ l' l ' l l . •