The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, we’re living in an amazing time. We’re reminded of that today on Through the Bible. Welcome to our study of God’s Word with our teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee. I’m Steve Schwetz, your host, and as we make our way through 1 Peter 1, we’re reminded early on that this amazing time is like the valley between two mountain peaks. One peak represents the suffering of Jesus Christ, which is past, and then the other, the glory of Jesus Christ, which is in the future. In this special time, we’re ministered to through God’s Holy Spirit indwelling us so that he can teach us and comfort us as well as convict us of sin and stir faith in us. One of my favorite sections of this study looks at the specific ways that the Holy Spirit ministers to us. Isn’t it curious that 1 Peter 1.12 also mentions that this ministering is something which angels desire to look into. In other words, we’re enjoying something from God that makes the angels wonder. Isn’t that incredible? I think you’re also going to enjoy when Dr. McGee playfully suggests that the angels would want him to pass the microphone over to them because he wasn’t putting enough into it. That Jesus really is far more wonderful than he describes. And isn’t that really the truth for all of us? Let’s make it our mission to tell the world how wonderful Jesus is. This listener from Canada is committed to that goal. Nothing more is sweeter to my ears than the name of Jesus. Next is Deborah from Tempe, Arizona, who emailed this. It is a joy to have seen Jesus in places of the Bible I never have looked. Please keep praising his name, and I will keep listening and sharing this program with others. Now we have Waleed from Egypt who says this, I’m Muslim by birth, but I believe in Jesus Christ now, as he is more lovely than I can even imagine. When I first heard your programs, I was unsure, but the beauty and peace I found in God’s word has completely changed my mind. Thank you for helping me to know the truth. My only hope is that my family and friends will also know this truth and join me in surrendering their lives. And then Jonda from Albania shares this. I work as a social worker in a community center. I was brought up in the church. A while ago I had a car accident and after that day I was not the same. I started to face difficulties physically but also spiritually. I couldn’t go to church. The radio at that time was my only source of hope. Your program has been a friend to me for a long time and has given me a foundation in my life. For many months, I studied the Bible alone in my room while listening to the program, and each day I fell more in love with my Savior. While I still face some physical difficulties from my accident, my spiritual life is better than before. Jesus is more precious to me, and I endeavor to share that in my job every day. Well, has our time in God’s Word helped you to understand how wonderful He is? Well, you know we’d love to hear from you too, so why don’t you leave a note using the feedback tool in our app, or you can email us at biblebus at ttb.org, or you can reach us at Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. In Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C 6B1. You can also leave a voicemail message at 1-800-65-BIBLE. Now let’s pray for each other as we begin our study of his word. Heavenly Father, there is no sweeter name on earth than that of your son Jesus. So thank you for your word and that it invades our hearts. Help us to listen to your spirit as he teaches us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Here’s our study of 1 Peter 1 as we go through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
SPEAKER 01 :
Now friends, we are coming today to this section in 1 Peter. It actually begins at verse 10, goes through the remainder of chapter 1, verse 25, suffering and the Scriptures. What the Word of God means to people and what it can do in time of trial, it is God’s method to use His Word now for those that are His own as they face life down here. Now, I want to begin again and just read verse 10 to get the connection, and then on through verse 11. And I’m reading now 1 Peter 1, verse 10. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you. Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them did signify when he testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. Now, we’re told specifically here, that the prophets in the Old Testament wrote by the Spirit of Christ. That is the way they wrote. This is one of the many statements you have in the Word of God that the Old Testament is inspired of God. These men wrote by the Spirit of Christ. And there were some things that they did not quite grasp. And they searched, we’re told here, for it very diligently, searching what or what manner of times. the Spirit of Christ who was in them, when he testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. Now, as we mentioned last time, you have many places in the Old Testament that speak of the sufferings of Christ. And you have other places where it speaks of the sovereignty of Christ, of the kingdom. Grace and glory are combined, and it was difficult for them to understand it. They wrote, as Isaiah did in the 53rd chapter, there is the sufferings of Christ. Then in the 11th chapter, he sees the Messiah coming in power and glory to the earth to establish his kingdom. And all the prophets saw that. And it caused them a bit of searching to discover how both could be true. Now, you and I today live between the sufferings of Christ. That’s in the past. And the glory is yet in the future. so that we’re really in a unique position. Now, those of you that have my notes, you have a chart that we have drawn there that we trust make it much clearer. I can use, I think, an illustration, a very homely illustration, that I think might clarify this for you. Here in Pasadena, we have as a backdrop for this wonderful area here, that which is known as the Sierra Madre Mountains. And right back of where I live, and I say right back, it’s quite a few miles back, is Mount Wilson. In fact, if you take the road and wind your way up there, it’s 25 miles. But I would think as the crow flies, it’d be about five miles as you look up there. And many a morning since 1940, I’ve gone out, looked up at those mountains. Now, Mount Wilson is approximately 6,000 feet high. Back of it, and when you get in a certain position, you see another mountain, Mount Waterman. And it looks like it’s the same height, but it actually is above 8,000 feet. Now, when you stand down here in this valley, they look like they’re right together. But I’ve been up there to Mount Wilson, and I’ve driven through those mountains, and frankly, they’re not together. There is a tremendous valley that is between 25 and 35 miles, if not 50 miles, from one mountain to the other. And I’m sure that it would be 50 miles if you went from the top of one and Went down and then up the other one. Now you have that distance. They look like they’re right together. Now the prophets look down in the future. They saw two mountain peaks. They saw the suffering of Christ. They saw the glory that was coming. It’s right together. It looked like it was together. And it caused them to search. and to wonder how both could be true. And I’m of the opinion that there were skeptics and higher critics in that day that said, now look, this looks like a conflict in Scripture. It’s a contradiction. You can’t have it both ways. Either he comes suffering or he comes to reign. Which is it? Well, the fact of the matter is both are true. And you and I live in this valley today between, and that’s the church age. from the suffering of Christ till the time he comes again. You see, you have this tremendous valley that is between. Now, this is the message that the prophets give. And now the apostle. are saying the same thing. They speak of His sufferings. They speak of the glory. And the Scripture says that in the mouth of two witnesses a matter is established. And so we again are brought back to the Word of God. So this section here begins with the Word of God. When we get to the end of this section, we’ll be still talking about the Word of God. But in between here now, we are going to see what the child of God should do, how he should live down here where we are today. In other words, the important thing that we have here, as one commentator has put it, the challenge is to live differently here. And now, because of this salvation that you and I enjoy, Why, he goes on to say in verse 12 now of chapter 1, “…Under whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you, with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into.” Now, the apostles are saying, we’re preaching the same thing that the prophets did. The only thing is, they didn’t make the distinction. The apostles were in a unique position. They could make that distinction. And you and I live even farther along than the apostles did. And we can see there’s a big wide gap between two tremendous mountain peaks experiences, episodes in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. And today we can see that it’s a wide gap between both of those. Now we are told here again that this is something that the angels desire to look into. Did you know, friends, that the angels, that God’s created intelligences, are just standing up yonder around looking at you and me and wondering why we don’t get busy and give out this message today. They desire themselves. They’d love to come to make an announcement. Now, I’m going to repeat something that I’ve said before. And believe me, I’ve had a lot of letters on this of people who have been very gracious in the way they’ve written. But they say they believe in angel ministry today. And some have gone so far as to say they’ve seen an angel. I haven’t. You’ve certainly had a privilege that I haven’t had. I do not believe that angel ministries for today, they would like to come down as Gabriel did. Gabriel came and made the announcement, a marvelous announcement of the fact that Jesus was going to be born. And he told Zacharias about the fact that he was going to have a son named John the Baptist. And I’m sure Gabriel would love to come down today and take this radio broadcast and say, move over, McGee. You’re not putting into it all that you should put into it. This thing is lots more wonderful than you’re making it. And he’d like to come down, which you know God won’t let him. He says, I’ve got to use that. Poor vessel down there, McGee. And that means it looks like the Lord’s bad off, but he’s really not because today he’s using human instruments because we’re not living in the day of the ministry of angels. We’re living in the day of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And friends, if you’re indwelt by the Spirit of God, and you are, if you’re a child of God, we’re told, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he’s none of his. So that if you are Christ, you’re indwelt by the Spirit of God. Now, do you think that an angel could do something for you that the Spirit of God could not do? No. We’re living in the day of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the day of grace, when the Spirit of God, indwelling believers, is today taking the things of Christ and showing them unto us. Now, what are we to do because of that? Because the Word of God is here to comfort us and to help us because it reveals Jesus Christ. He said that the Spirit would take the things of Christ and show them unto us. Now, what are we to do today? Verse 13, “…wherefore gird up the loins of your mind.” Now, that is an expression they understood in that day. It’s an idiom, and I’d like to bring it down to good old Americana today, and I think that it would mean get with it. That would be the expression. Or I think that another expression that’s being used today, another common colloquialism of the present moment is we need to be turned on by the Word of God. Great many folk today talk about getting turned on. They take drugs and they talk about sex and all that. They get turned on. My friend, what the child of God needs today is to be turned on by the Word of God. And now he says here, gird up the loins of your mind. Get with it, boy. Get with it, girl. Now he says, be sober. And that, my friend, says that you won’t need drugs and you won’t need alcohol. You’re to be sober and let the Word of God turn you on and hope to the end. Now, this is the great epistle of hope. Why? We’ve already seen, should the child of God be willing to endure trials? Because we’ve got to hope, friends. And that hope rests in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now, at the time that the Lord Jesus comes to take the church out of the world, there’s a judgment. It’s called the judgment seat of Christ, the Bema judgment. And it will be to see whether you’re going to need a reward or not. Now, every believer will be taken out because of the grace of God. He’s going to bring plenty of grace with him. And he’s going to bring plenty of grace with him because of the fact that at that time he’s going to judge us. And we’re going to need grace at that time, let me tell you. By the way, another wonderful thing is the Scriptures also are going to lead us, if you please, to obedience here. Why? because of the fact you and I are going to be judged someday. This is another incentive to endure the trials of this world because of the fact that he’s going to judge us someday of how we’ve lived down here. That’s very important. And the challenge is this writer that I’ve quoted says, it’s a challenge to live differently. And because of the salvation which we are called upon today, believers in Christ are confronted with a demand to live transformed lives that only the Word of God can produce in us. And one of the reasons he lets us go through these trials and troubles down here is because he wants to fashion us. And we’re to yield to these troubles. Verse 14, as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, Now, we need to recognize down here that the Scriptures also lead to obedience. That’s what James says. Don’t be hearers of the Word only, be doers of the Word. And therefore, the Word of God brings us hope, And it leads us to obedience, and we’re not to fashion our lives according to the world. And that word fashion has in it the thought of that which is temporary, that which is passing, that which is transient, that which is superficial. We are to live a life that reveals that we’ve been transformed from the inside. We’re not to walk around today like a flow walker at Macy’s with an artificial smile on our face saying, Madam, can I help you? When in reality, the corns are killing the poor fella and he’ll be glad when the store closes and he can go home. But he acts like he’s delighted to help you. God doesn’t want his children to live artificial lives like that or like the full of brush man. He always comes to my house with a big smile on his face. And I don’t know, maybe his mother-in-law has come to visit him for my hour and he’s not too happy about it, but he sure doesn’t let on. But the child of God is being an obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the form of lust in your ignorance. And the word of God, you see, is to be obeyed and we’re to yield to that sort of thing. When I was six, I received again some very wonderful poems. One that was sent to me when I had cancer and it was a great comfort. And I’ve received several copies of it now since I’ve been sick again. And I want to pass it on to you because I have experienced this now. I didn’t the first time maybe, but I sure have this time. Will you listen to this? It is Alice Mortensen’s poem. I needed the quiet, so he drew me aside into the shadows where we could confide. Away from the bustle for all the day long I hurried and worried when active and strong. I needed the quiet, though at first I rebelled. But gently, so gently, my cross he upheld and whispered so sweetly of spiritual things. Though weakened in body, my spirit took wings. to heights never dreamed of when active and gay. He loved me so greatly, he drew me away. I needed the quiet, no prison my bed, but a beautiful valley of blessings instead. A place to grow richer, in Jesus to hide. I needed the quiet, so he drew me aside. How? That I might spend time in the word of God, friends. How important that is today. Now, will you notice verse 15? But as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of life. Now, here is something that is really misunderstood. Holiness today to the average person means assuming a very pious attitude, means to go around in a very dignified way. and become almost abnormal in the life that you live. It’s a sort of a put-on thing. It’s a superficial sort of thing. Do you know that the Lord wants you to be a fully integrated personality? He wants you to enjoy life. He wants you to have fun. There are too many Christians that are not having fun today. And I don’t mean the kind of fun in the world, but I mean today a holy life. A holy life means a well-integrated life, a well-integrated personality, one that’s living a normal life, one that’s healthy and robust. And holiness, will you listen to this very carefully now? Holiness is to the spiritual life what health is to the physical life. Now, you like to see a fine, robust, healthy individual physically. Well, holiness means you’re healthy and robust spiritually. My, how we need folk like that today. And that’s what he’s talking about here. Now, listen to him. Because it’s written, be ye holy, for I am holy. Now, is our holiness like God’s holiness as an attribute? No. Our God is absolutely perfect. We’ll never reach that state down here, although I’ve met several people who thought they had reached it. But I couldn’t find anybody that would agree with them that they had reached that exalted level. What does it mean to be holy as he is? Well, God is a complete, wonderful personality. Now, you and I are just human beings, but we can be full grown. We can reach maturation. And as we’ve said before, it’s all right to be a little baby in a crib and win a blue ribbon. But 17 years later, and you’re still a baby in a crib, something’s wrong. You ought to be a 17-year-old young fella, young old, healthy, running around. And spiritually, you ought to be growing like that. Now, that’s the thing that he’s talking about here. What can produce this? The Word of God. He’s coming back to that, my friend, before we finish this chapter. And we’ll have to wait until next time to see it. And until then, may God richly bless you, my beloved.
SPEAKER 03 :
We’re going to learn more about how holiness can be produced in our lives next time. Join us, and as always, invite a friend along for the journey. If for some reason you missed one of these studies, the easiest way to catch up is by listening on our app or online at ttb.org. And by the way, the chart that Dr. McGee mentioned today is included in his notes and outlines for the book of 1 Peter. You can get them in our app or at ttb.org or call 1-800-65-BIBLE if we can help you find it. Again, you can connect with us by clicking on Feedback in our app or calling 1-865-BIBLE or visiting ttb.org. Well, our journey through God’s Word continues. I’m Steve Schwetz, and as always, I’m going to save you a seat on the Bible bus.
SPEAKER 02 :
Jesus gave it all All to Him I owe Sin had left the crimson stain Be washed in white as snow.
