Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Peter is urging his Readers, he's appealing to them. And as he does so, he uses a military term. Waging War, prison tense. No?
These passions of the flesh which attack us. They are not a skirmish. This is not an occasional battle. It is a war. Welcome to The Verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe.
Previously, we dealt with Peter's urgent warning about the war believers face against the internal enemy of our own sinful desires. Today we continue with this positive command. not only must we abstain from fleshly passions, but were called to action through honorable conduct and good deeds.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe with the conclusion of his message: waging war. Last time we learned that Christians have three enemies. the devil, the world, and our flesh, which is waging war against us. This is what Peter is describing in 1 Peter chapter 2, verses 11 and 12. Peter exhorts us to abstain from the passions of the flesh.
It's essential we recognize that these passions and sinful desires are our enemy. Our sinful desires often make us feel very uncomfortable. and they're very insistent that they be satisfied This is a fundamental mistake. Scripture says abstain. have a zero tolerance policy.
Now these passions certainly include sexual sins, but these passions are more than that. Listen carefully as Peter continues to give us motivations to help us as we wage war against our flesh. First Peter chapter 2 Uh verses 11 and 12. Two sharp verses we're looking at. Beloved, I urge you.
as sojourners and exiles. to abstain from the passions of the flesh. which wage war Against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable.
So that when they speak against you as evildoers, They may see your good deeds. and glorify God. on the day of visitation. This is the word of God to us. Today.
First, he gives a negative command in verse 11. and then a positive command in verse 12. First, the negative command in verse 11. What is it? Abstain.
from the passions of the flesh. Passions of your flesh. are waging war against you. What's your response? Abstain.
And you say, John, well. I found this pretty tough. How do we do this? It's interesting that. Peter does not directly tell us how we are to abstain from the passions of the flesh.
But as we follow Peter's arguments. I think he gives us a clue. A motivation, two motivations.
so that we can abstain from the lusts of the flesh. Notice how he addresses his readers in dealing with this very tough subject. He addresses them as Beloved. That's wonderful, isn't it? He's going to talk about this nasty subject of the passions of the flesh, but he reminds his readers that they are beloved.
It's the word agape. which is love. They are beloved. And an understanding, what do you think with me on this? An understanding of the love of God.
is a great motivation to abstain from the passions of the flesh. Peter is reminding us. As followers of Jesus Christ, that were greatly loved. Above all, we're loved by God. That God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.
That God commends his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. His God is a God of love, a God who loves me, his love has flooded my heart. And this is divine love. And this is the very opposite of the lusts, the passions of the flesh. Think also of how you're loved by others.
Beloved. True love. As followers of Jesus Christ, you have experienced The pure love of God. That sacrificial love whereby you have been redeemed. Think of that.
What do the passions of the flesh do? What does lust do? Lust demands, lust takes, lust uses, love manipulates, it's self-centered, it's never satisfied, it's always demanding, insistent, impatient, and selfish. That's the passions of the flesh. Never satisfied, always demanding.
going back to it over and over and over again. I deserve to be happy. It's time to take care of myself over here. And that seems to be an excuse. for living contrary to the will.
Yeah. True love. is the opposite of lust. Love gives. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.
And so, when you're tempted by these fleshly lusts, meditate on Calvary's love. Meditate on the Lamb of God who loved you and gave Himself for you. And an understanding, I think, of the love of God is a great motivation. To abstain from these fleshly lusts, these passions of the flesh. But there's another motivation.
Note also how he addresses them. Chapter 2, verse 11. Beloved, I urge you, I'm appealing to you. as sojourners and Exiles. Isn't that interesting?
In dealing with the passions of the flesh, he's appealing to them as sojourners and exiles. Yes, an understanding. of the world to come is a motivation to abstain from these passions of the flesh. An understanding that I am a pilgrim, I'm a sojourner, I'm an exile, helps me to resist these passions of the flesh. He's begun his epistle.
In chapter one, verse one. referring to his readers as Elect exiles.
Now they are sojourners and exiles. They're strangers in the world. They're pilgrims in the world. We are people living in a foreign country is the point. And a proper relationship with the world begins with the understanding that we, as followers of Christ, do not belong to this world.
This world is not our home. Our alien world out there, the culture out there, you know. has different values. has different standards, have different desires. advocate a way of life Which is very different from those of us who are following the Lord Jesus.
So we are bombarded by the media. By the culture. telling us to live a certain way. Telling us that certain behavior is acceptable, and Peter is reminding them: no, you're a sojourner, you're in exile, therefore. Abstain.
From the fleshly lust which made war against your soul. These passions of the flesh are totally inconsistent with those who are bound for heaven. Why are you living that way? When you're a sojourner. Why are you so coming?
So these passions of the flesh which are destroying you. which will destroy the relationships around you when you are bound for heaven. We are to be characterized not by the values of the world, but by the values of the world which is to come. Today I say to you. Don't keep looking within.
Don't focus on these passions of the flesh. Don't look out to the world. Look up. Look up to Christ. Get your eyes on Christ.
Get your eyes on the man of Calvary. Keep looking up. A couple of months ago. one of the members here at Calvary. who likes cars as I do.
He invited me and a couple of other men from Calvary to go to the M performance BMW. in South Carolina. BMW have cars and performance.
Some of you know that.
Some of you don't have a clue and are not interested. But I'm going to tell the illustration anyhow.
So We went. The BMW for M performance.
Now, when I accepted the invitation, I thought this is good. There's going to be some of these M cars, and we're going to drive around, and we're going to have a great time. But we go in There's fourteen of us, this classroom. There's the instructor. And he says, now if you're just here to dabble around in the cars, go home.
I thought, whoa, well, that's me. He says, we're going to teach you. to drive fast. It was rather more intense than I thought. And so we are with these magnificent powerful cars Going around the track as they try and help us to drive at speed and handle these wonderful machines.
And one of the things he told us And most of us don't do it. As we're driving, Look up. He said, so often you'll see a a pothole in the road. And although you see it, you still go through it because your car follows your line of vision. He says, when you're driving, look up.
And there are various obstacles that we had to maneuver. And he says, don't just focus on the front, look up. And as I'm driving at speed, there's a walkie-talkie there. And the instructor, who's in a car on a hill, he sees me and he shouts at me, John, look up. Keep leaving up.
Good advice when you're driving. Good advice when you're following Jesus Christ. What do we do? We look within. We have difficult circumstances, and fear, and worry, and anxiety, and temptation happen when we look down at our circumstances.
And that fear. And these passions of the flesh distort us and distract us. As followers of Jesus Christ, Peter is saying, listen, You're a sojourner, you're an exile. Don't Go into these fleshly passions. Abstain from them.
You're different people. He's told us: we have a wonderful inheritance in heaven. It's undefiled. It's imperishable. It's unfading.
Remember that. Keep looking up. Because End of verse 12.
Soon there'll be the day of visitation. That's the day of the Lord's return. At any moment, Our Lord Jesus Christ will come. He's already referred in chapter 1 to the revelation of Jesus Christ, the apocalypse, the time when our Lord Jesus Christ will come in his glory. This is the day when God is going to intervene in human history.
It's coming. Your passions belong to this world. Don't indulge them. Don't look down. Look up.
Look up to Christ. Your passions Are fleeting. Listen to the Apostle John. as he writes about these passions. These desires, 1 John 2.
Verse sixteen. He talks about the desires of the flesh. It's the same word epitome, it is the passions of the flesh. And the desires, the passions of the eyes, and pride of life is not from the Father. God never ever tempts you with these things.
It's from. The world. and the world is passing away. Along with its desires, along with its passions, along with its lusts. But whoever does the will of God abides.
Forever. You're a sojourner. You're an alien. Therefore abstain from the passions of the flesh. Our Saviour, is returning.
Now, Peter, As he explains. And he urges us to abstain from the passions of the flesh. He's not advocating that we live in an isolated spiritual cocoon. wrapped off And cotton wool, as it were, separated from the world. No, having dealt with the negative command, abstain from the fleshly lusts, which made war against your soul.
He now gives a positive command regarding how we are to relate to the external world. But I got to deal with my internal enemy first. And now I am to shine for Christ. in this alien world. Look again at verse Twelve.
1 Peter 2 verse 12. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles. Honourable.
So that When they speak against you as evildoers, They may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. What am I to do? I am to abstain from these fleshly laws. Yes, but I am to display good. Dates.
I'm to have a good testimony before Unbelievers, the Gentiles, the pagans. We are to display good deeds. This word good It's a word used for beauty. Word use for being winsome. The believer, you and I, we are to display to the unbelieving world.
good deeds. Not ugly. Conduct. to unbelievers. You say, well, I thought we weren't saved.
Uh by good deeds, that's right. You're not saved by your good deeds, but we are saved for good deeds. Yes, we're saved, Subu reminded us, entirely of God's grace. It's all of God's grace. I come with all of my sin to the cross, and I look up to Christ, who paid the price for my sin.
I receive Him as my Savior, and now I am saved. It's entirely of the grace of God. But now that I am following Christ. I'm to display these good deeds. Good works are not the condition of my salvation, but they are the consequence of my salvation.
And where there is true, I'm emphasizing true. Where there is authentic saving faith, good deeds follow. Acts of kindness. Consideration? Honesty, helpfulness, purity.
Generosity. Compassion. and love. We are to conduct ourselves well towards the unbelieving world. The unbelieving world See, some Christians As judgmental, as harsh.
even hateful people. We're not to be harsh or hateful. We are to shine Christ's Love. We are to be good. Excellent.
Honourable.
in our behavior. I'd love. If someone could say that truthfully at my funeral. But John Monroe. was a good man.
What a wonderful description. That's what Peter is saying. You are to be good. man, a person of character, a person of integrity. A person of honor, a person who is genuine.
A person who's good. who reaches out to people with goodness and they see our good deeds. What about you? Why would someone say at your funeral? What about your relationship with your neighbors?
What what about people at work? Or they know you're a Christian. But What they say You're characterized by good. Did you are you a good person? Doing good deeds.
Are you someone who's going around? Either isolated from people or telling people the wrong.
Now, we are to expect criticism from unbelievers. Peter says that. when they speak against you as evildoers. Yes, even when we're doing good deeds, people speak against us. That may be true in your family, you're trying to live for Christ in your family, and you're still being criticized.
Certainly the first century Christians were persecuted. They were slandered.
So we shouldn't be surprised when unbelievers in our family circle. Perhaps at work in society, criticize us and slander us. After all, they hated Christ without a cause, we read.
However, In spite of that, They have to recognize that we are Characterized by good deeds, and says Peter, they will glorify God. When they see our good deeds on the days of visitation. Isn't that wonderful? Look at verse 15. For this is the will of God, that by doing good You would put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
Be good. Verse twenty-two. For what credit is it when you sin and are beaten for it and endure? But if when you do good, And suffer for it, you endure. Our Saviour went about doing good.
Perfect goodness. Of course we come short. But still, as you live and as you interact with people. Portray Christ. Be a good person.
Our actions speak much louder than our words, display grace. Display display beauty. Display goodness and compassion, shine for Christ. Our impact on the unbelieving world is by holy living and good living. Not by strident protests.
Not by ugly judgmental words on social media. Isn't it sad? that professing Christians go on social media and their language and their attitude to people with whom they disagree is ugly. Harsh. That's not good.
You may disagree. And you may be right to disagree. But your tone, how you communicate, is not to be like the unbelieving. We're to be different. We're beloved of God.
We're sojourners and exiles. And we are to display good deeds so that even when people disagree with us, they can glorify God on the day of visitation. That's what Peter is saying. Shine Christ lights. And God will be glorified.
Convicted today, yes. What is Peter saying? How are we going to win this war? raging against us, abstain. Brother?
You're involved. The passions of the flesh. You know it's wrong. Will you today before God? I ask for his help.
and for a fresh filling of the Spirit. to abstain. Live a life not of the passions of the flesh, not of lust. Live a life of love. A life of holiness, a life of goodness, a life of purity.
Such a life. In this sleazy world. will mark you as different. and will be a powerful witness to unbelievers. We're called to be different.
Salt, says Jesus, permeating the corruption. You're the light of the world, illuminating the darkness. and as you live a holy life. And as you live a life characterized by good deeds, a wonderful thing will happen. In spite of the criticisms against you.
Some Well glorify God. and say, I see in this woman something of the beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ. What am I saying to you today? Abstain from the passions of the flesh. And shine.
Christ Light. abstains from the passions of the flesh. and shine. Christ-like. Let's pray.
Father. This is very convicting. On both counts. Help us, we need your help. We realize these passions of the flesh are very alluring.
They come as friends. Make us feel good. And yet there are enemy May many today Students, men and women. be doing business before you now. And ask you for your help to abstain.
And may we. Be known. not as people You were harsh. who are judgmental. Or even hateful.
Help us to be people. who display Christ. People of grace. People of elegance. People who are winsome.
in this corrupt society. And for all of this, Father, we know. We have to put on the armor of God. Against the devil. against the world, against our own flesh.
Help us, we ask. In Christ's name. This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe and the conclusion of his message titled Waging War. This practical teaching reminds us that the Christian life requires both defensive strategies and offensive actions that shine Christ's light to the world. To strengthen your faith and continue building your eternal perspective, we're offering John's helpful booklet for the time is near.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? I think you understand that the Christian life is not just abstaining from certain things. although there are certainly are times when we need to abstain. but we also have to be characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. such as love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, Self-control.
and to display good deeds.
So there is the negative and the positive. How are you doing? Be steadfast. Win the war against your flesh. and be known as a good person displaying the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
