Sheepscot Lake "in Christ" Conference Center, Palermo, Maine

Valley Baptist Church, Gaston, Oregon, 7/28/02 p.m.

"IN CHRIST' TRUTH AND ONE'S GOOD MANNER OF LIFE

Well, I'm back after a busy two weeks spent in Nevada and Maine. My daughter Debbie and her family (George and kids Justine and Morgan) and I spent a week with Pat's Mom. We were able to get some things done on her property to help her prepare for winter. George and Debbie really worked hard. We replaced a deck, cut down some dead or dying trees, pruned some trees, repaired and replaced some of her fence and such. It proved to be a good time of therapy for all of us. I flew back to Portland Thursday (7-17) and then flew out for Portland, Maine late Friday night (7/18) for a Bible conference focusing on when one is ready to be taught "in Christ" truth and how a believer can help another saint learn these important truths. Many Christians have no interest in "in Christ" truth and we discussed the impediments that keep them from desiring the very truths that will make their spiritual lives work. We spent a great deal of time discussing the greatest impediment, which is the sin nature. The sin nature is the greatest reason that the dispensation of grace ends in failure. It is opposed to "in Christ" truth. The trip was filled with divine appointments. Individuals at the Maine conference were ready for some of the truths because God had prepared them. An interesting appointment was lunch on the way to the airport for two of us to fly home. One of the men from California is a podiatrist and a lady in the restaurant (truly a Maine eating establishment) began choking and could not breathe. He was able to dislodge whatever was in her air passage and to get her breathing again. It is likely that she would have died before the paramedics arrived. The week spent in Maine was filled with many blessings. I taught for two hours for five nights and spent hours each day teaching in more informal situations. God was good and knows all that He accomplished in the week. I seemed to have more trouble with jet lag when I got home than going. Just today (7/31) I set my watch to Pacific Daylight Time. I appreciate the opportunity to share and the wonderful friends I have gained through the conference. Thank you all!

The material in this outline is essentially the third set of notes I shared in Palermo Maine. Many do not realize that "in Christ" truth is found in the writings of Peter. Sadly ultra- or hyper- dispensationalists deny that Peter's writings are valid for the practice of the Church which is His Body. There are four references to "in Christ" truth in the five chapters of First Peter. They are in 2:5; 3:16; 5:10, 14. The first is somewhat obscured by inaccurate translation in 2:5. "You also like living stones are being built up a spiritual house (cf. Eph. 2:18-22) into a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through the agency of Jesus Christ (my translation)." Most translations omit the eis ("into") preposition in the verse removing the link of the priesthood to the spiritual building described in Eph. 2. The other three references are clearly visible in the text. Since I recently covered the priesthood passage in Evening School and in the Me! A Priest? book, I simply mentioned this occurrence in the message with a quick review. 1 Peter focuses on the suffering of the grace believer for doing good. B. in the introduction lists the passages (15) that refer to suffering as well as the occurrences of "good" whether alone or in composite forms. The brackets at the end tie to the occurrences of kalos type of good while the rest deal with agathos good. When a believer is living in Christ and using his or her possessions in Christ, he or she may suffer. One of the possessions in Christ may bring physical suffering at the hands of others. That possession is "righteousness."

2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Cor. 1:30 and Phil. 3:9 tell us that righteousness is a possession of every grace believer because he or she is in Christ. There are five references to righteousness in 1 Peter. When one uses the righteousness that is in Christ, he or she acts right before God to God's glory. Men do not like this and will pressure and persecute the saint causing suffering. God keeps watch over the righteous ones who use their righteousness that is in Christ. I am reminded of the line of the song "clothed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne." The very righteousness that will permit us to be presented to the Father is available now as a possession in Christ for the believer. This possession is practiced by the spiritual believer. It is interesting that God the Father hears the supplication of those using this possession (3:12).

The ones who suffer for righteousness are happy ones (3:14). We are not to be afraid of the things that the evil ones do to bring fear or to let them agitate us. Our reaction is described in verse 15. "But set apart Christ as Lord in your hearts; always ready to provide a defense to the ones who are asking a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness (a part of the fruit of the Spirit) and fear." When one sets apart Christ as Lord of his or her life, one recognizes that God is perfectly in charge. That one is ready to give a defense to any, believer or unbeliever, who are asking for a word concerning the hope within the believer. That believer possesses a good conscience even though there are those who harass, insult or make lying accusations against him claiming that he is an evildoer. What do they harass the believer about? They harass because of the good manner of life that is manifested because one is using a possession in Christ. The Greek word order is important. It is "the good in Christ manner of life." When the believer uses his or her possessions in Christ, he or she has a good (making God and others happy) mode of life or occupation that is manifested to those who are nearby. As a result, he or she may suffer abuse, but only for a little while. "For it is better, if the desirous will of God desirously wills for one to be suffering doing good rather than for doing malignant evil (3:17)."

The next two verses have been used by God to sustain me in the last three months. It is "in Christ" where the believer shares in God's eternal glory – his full weight or clear opinion of Himself and His provisions. "But the God of all grace, the one who has called you into His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, you having suffered a little bit will himself thoroughly adjust you, make you mentally stable, strengthen you and will make you firm and unwavering (lit. put a foundation under you) (5:10)." When one is living in Christ, he or she is living in the realm a quality of God's glory. We so often speak of heaven as glory especially in our hymns. "O that Will Be Glory" and "Only Glory By and By" anticipate glory of that quality in the future. When one is living "in Christ," he or she is living in that sphere of glory in the here and the now in the spiritual realm. In Christ I am what I will be. When my frame of mind is where it ought to be and I am using my possessions in Christ in that condition, I am living in the realm where there is a manifestation of God's eternal glory. "To Him is glory and might into the ages of the ages: Amen!(5:11).

The last occurrence is in the last verse of the book (5:14). "Peace is to you all the ones in Christ Jesus." "In Christ" is the perfect environment for the fruit of the Spirit of God and especially for peace, the unruffeldness of mind in any circumstance. A believer without understanding of "in Christ" truth has great difficulty having or directing the fruit of the Spirit. In fact, it is nearly impossible. We can study the fruit of the Spirit for years and years but without a rudimentary knowledge of "in Christ" truth it is impossible to experience it. As a result, many Christians speak about the fruit of the Spirit having only experienced it immediately after salvation and rarely (if ever) after they have become carnal. I cannot overemphasize the importance of "in Christ" truth for the Christian life. Without "in Christ" truth, it is impossible. With it, the potential is great in the sphere of a quality of God's glory. This is why these truths are so important.

Tasting eternal glory in Christ,

DKS

"IN CHRIST' TRUTH AND ONE'S GOOD MANNER OF LIFE

The Lordship of Christ and One's Conduct in Christ

Introduction

A. The Communication of "in Christ" Truth in 1 Peter

1. Movement Into a New Location – 2:5

2. Location in Christ – 3:16; 5:10, 14

B. The Context and Christian Suffering for Doing Good

1. Suffer Forms in the Book – Verb (2:19, 20, 21, 23; 3:14, 17, 18; 4:1, 15,

19; 5:10) – Noun (1:11; 4:13; 5:1, 9)

2. Good and Doing Good Forms (2:14, 15, 18, 20; 3:6, 10, 11, 13, 16 [2x],

17, 21; 4:19) [2:12 (2x); 4:10]

C. The Conduct of the Believer "in Christ" May Bring Suffering

D. The Consequences of Setting Apart Christ as Lord

TRANS: It is most interesting that Peter addresses the fact that suffering can be brought upon a Christian for simply using one of his or her possessions "in Christ." That possession is righteousness.

I. SUFFERING RESULTS FROM THE RIGHTEOUS PRACTICING A POSSESSION "IN CHRIST" – WHAT YOU KNOW AFFECTS HOW YOU BEHAVE – PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS – 1 Peter 3:16

A. Righteousness Is a Possession "in Christ"

1. 2 Corinthians 5:21:

2. 1 Corinthians 1:30:

3. Philippians 3:9:

4. References to Righteousness in 1 Peter (2:24; 3:12, 14, 18; 4:18)

B. The Attention of the Lord Is Upon the Righteous – 1 Peter 3:10-12

1. Those Using the Possessed Quality of Righteousness

2. His Hearing Their Supplication

C. The Attitude of Believers Suffering Because of the Quality of Righteousness –

Blessed or Happy Ones – 3:14

D. The Affirmation of the Need to Set Christ Apart as Lord – 3:15

1. His Role as Lord – cf. Acts 2:36 & Rom. 14:9

2. His Relationship to the Body of Christ

3. The Recognition of His Importance to "the Christ"

4. The Reality of Hope Based on "in Christ" Truth

5. The Response Based on Meekness and Fear

E. The Association with a Good Conscience – 3:16

1. What Is Conscience?

2. What Is the Good?

F. The Approach of the Opponents Toward the Christian

G. The Abuse of the Believer for Good Conduct in Christ – 1:17 – [passive]

1. The Word Order in the Greek = the good in Christ manner of life

2. The Way the Believer Is Using His or Her Possession in Christ –

Righteousness (3:12, 14)

PRINCIPLE: Believers need to set apart Christ as Lord in their hearts in order to respond to "in Christ" truth. As Lord He is the Head of the Body (on earth and in heaven) and effectively relates to position and possessions "in Christ."

II. SHARING IN GOD'S ETERNAL GLORY "IN CHRIST" IN SALVATION – WHERE YOU ARE GIVES YOU OPPORTUNTIY IN GOD'S ETERNAL GLORY – PROMISED RESULTS – 1 Peter 5:10, 11

A. The Identification of the Father as the God of All Grace

B. The Implementation of God's Call to Salvation

1. Into His Eternal Glory

2. In Christ Jesus

C. The Importance of Suffering for a Little While

D. The Involvement of the Father in One's Existence in Christ

1. He Will Thoroughly Adjust You

2. He Will Make You Mentally Stable

3. He Will Strengthen You

4. He Will Make You Firm and Unwavering

E. The Indication of the Fact Concerning God the Father

1. To Him Is the Glory

2. To Him Is the Power

3. Into the Ages of the Ages

III. THE SHARING OF PEACE AVAILABLE TO ALL WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS – WHAT YOU HAVE "IN CHRIST" PROVIDES A BASIS FOR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT – PERSONAL UNRUFFELEDNESS OF MIND – 1 Peter 5:14

A. Peace Is to You – Fruit of the Spirit (cf. 1:2, 3:11)

B. All the Ones

C. "In Christ Jesus"

Dispensational Theological Seminary

Valley Baptist Church

P. O. Box 99

Gaston, Oregon 97119

503-357-5795

spurbeck@coho.net