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Knowing the Desirous will of God – Suffer for our consistent testimony

1 Peter 3:17 For it is better while doing good if he desirously wills the desirous will of the God to suffer than while doing wrong.

1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore also the suffering according to the desirous will of God, as to a faithful Creator, while entrusting our souls in doing good.

In the first epistle from the apostle Peter, he writes to the saints that have been dispersed due to persecution throughout the Roman Empire into primarily Gentile regions (1 Peter 1:1). In this letter he writes concerning the persecution they will face and how to overcome it. Today, these words still hold true. When we as Christians are in areas that are primarily governed by unbelievers, living out our salvation will bring suffering.

We are not to follow in the ways of the unsaved, for they live a life of futility and are completely focused on satisfying their own depraved desires. They corrupt everything they touch, even the concept of love. Rather, we are to be of one frame of mind, suffering together, friendly, compassionate, and humble, not paying back wrong for wrong or verbal abuse for verbal abuse (1 Peter 3:8-9). We are called to inherent a good eulogy, for the Lord already speaks well of us in all spiritual things in the heavens (Ephesians 1:3). Therefore, knowing we are called to this, let us speak well of others by speaking with grace, not considering if they deserve for us to speak in a good manner towards or about them, but because of who we are in Christ, as we refrain our tongue from wrong while turning from what is wrong to do what is beneficial while pursuing peace (1 Peter 3:9-11). However, this type of […]

Knowing the Desirous will of God – Suffer for our consistent testimonyLuther Walker2023-11-25T07:53:03-08:00

Knowing the desirous will of God Being Thankful

1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks for this is the desirous will of God in Christ Jesus unto you.

Thankfulness is an attitude of gratitude due to a favorable disposition towards someone. Within the Christian life, thankfulness comes from being filled by the Holy Spirit, while speaking psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to yourself, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, which results in giving thanks in all things to God (Ephesians 5:18-20).

Because humans were not thankful, did not have a favorable opinion of God, even during a time when they all knew God, we see the impact today of the mind turning to futility with theories that are preposterous being presented as factual, such as evolution and false religions, along with the rejection of truth in every aspect of life. These all come from a lack of appreciation for what God provided for them (Romans 1:21). In the same way, when we are not seeking to fulfill the desires of the Spirit, we forget to be thankful for what God provides for us and lose sight of the fact that we have been washed from our sins while going back to wallowing in the filth of the old man like a dog returning to its vomit (2 Peter 1:9; 2:22).

It is a thankful thing that even though we still have a sin nature, that will manipulate us into doing wrong if we seek to live by law, because we live out from faith we have freedom from it in Christ and therefore with the mind we serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of the sin nature (Romans 7:25). Now there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus (Romans […]

Knowing the desirous will of God Being ThankfulLuther Walker2023-11-25T07:54:00-08:00

Knowing the Desirous will of God – Using Your Spiritual Gift

We are not to be ignorant of Spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1). Each person who is placed into the body of the Christ is given a Spiritual gift that is to be used to edify the body (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:22-23). There are two specific areas in Scripture that state this is a single gift, along with basically the entire twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians discussing the members of the body who are not the same as other members. In 1 Corinthians 12:11 Scripture states that the Spirit distributes to each an individual gift according to His determination.

But the One and same Spirit works all these things dividing each one individually just as He determines, 1 Corinthians 12:11

The Apostle Peter also discusses this gift, stating we each receive one and are to distribute it for the edification of the Church as stewards.

Each one just as he receives a gift unto himself also while serving as a proper steward the manifold grace of God, 1 Peter 4:10

The Holy Spirit is the One Who chooses which gift we receive, and God the father is the One who set each member within the body according to His desirous will.

1 Corinthians 12:18 But now the God set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desirously willed.

After the completion of the Scriptures, we are informed that the revelatory and confirmation gifts cease to be active, and now the focus is on the gifts that edify the Church.

Love never falls, but whether prophecies, they will be rendered ineffective, whether tongues, they will cause themselves to cease, whether knowledge, it will be rendered ineffective. For out from a part we experientially know and out from a part […]

Knowing the Desirous will of God – Using Your Spiritual GiftLuther Walker2023-11-25T07:55:10-08:00

2 Corinthians How We Present the Truth

but in all while commending ourselves as ministers of God in much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in distresses in wounds, in prisons, in disturbances, in toils, in sleeplessness, in fasting, with purity, with knowledge, with longsuffering, with kindness, by the Holy Spirit, in an unhypocritical love, in a word of truth, by inherent ability of God, through the armor of righteousness of the right and left hands, 2 Corinthians 6:4-7

2 Corinthians How We Present the TruthLuther Walker2023-12-14T08:14:47-08:00

Foreknowledge (πρόγνωσις)

The English word “Prognosis” comes from this Greek word and still carries its basic meaning. A prediction of an outcome based upon prior knowledge. Typically used in the medical field, where the prior knowledge of the physician is called upon to determine the best course of action to heal a sickness, injury, or disease.

Paul uses prognosis in his defense before Agrippa, calling upon the Jews who all have a previous knowledge of Paul’s lifestyle as a Pharisee (Acts 26:5). After Peter discusses the new heavens and new earth, he encourages us to be on our guard because we have a prior knowledge that what is now will be totally destroyed (2 Peter 3:17).

When it comes to God and His prior knowledge, this same word is used. God marked off the bounds to be conformed to the image of His son, those He foreknew (Romans 8:29). The foreknowledge goes back to the plan God determined before the creation of the universe, in which He determined to set a specific group aside to be conformed to His Son. This foreknowledge is not looking at the individual, but the council that the Godhead determined to fulfill.

Speaking concerning Israel, Paul explains that God has not rejected the people that He foreknew. Israel was set aside to God as a nation and God will not cast them off but will fulfill His Word to them. Elijah learned this while thinking he was the only one left. No, God had seven thousand men who had not bowed the knee to Baal, even though it appeared that all others had. (Romans 11:2-4).

Prior to the foundations of the universe, God the Father determined that God the Son would be wrapped in flesh and […]

Foreknowledge (πρόγνωσις)Luther Walker2023-11-25T08:03:34-08:00

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