1 PETER 3:16, “Having a good conscience; that whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.”
How has your side-by-side walk been so for?
Do you feel secure in your salvation made possible and paid for by Christ’s blood!?? Has your baptism happened?? Have you accepted Jesus as your ROCK?? Have you been baptized with the HOLY GHOST and fire??? Have you accepted Jesus just because His Almighty Father gave Him to us?
Has your faith grown? Do you know that you are the temple of God and the Holy Spirit resides within your heart instead of stone? The promises of God are for you individually? Did you know that GOD WANTS TO GIVE you the Holy Spirit? Has it been made clear to you that God wants you to know the HOLY GHOST and His resurrection power??? Again, God desires us to seek wisdom and teach one another!!!! Can you withdraw yourself from all sin and disorderly conduct and walk straight for God? Do you know that the Lord Himself has given you peace? Do you know that controversy can take you to helllllllll???? Can you believe that ALL scripture is given you by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost? Can you pray for those who have heard God’s words and have fallen away? Again, confusion, strife and envying, can you believe they are evil??????
How has your walk been now, side by side with Jesus or have you had, like me, many detours??? Have you been tempted and led astray for awhile or for a long time as I was by hypocrisy??? Has your evil tongue kept those around you away from God, even while you have been sitting on the second pew? Has your evil tongue kept those on the fourth pew from their desires with God? Now, how has your walk been? TRUTHFULLY???
Now God is telling us in this 3:16 to hang on and is also asking us a question???? “And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 3:13. This witness has to go back to that frog, I didn’t jump, I didn’t follow man; but also, I didn’t know I was following God either!!! I just knew I wasn’t supposed to jump and bow down to man and his silly ways! Now I share this scripture with God, in Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise up against thee in judgment Thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.” THIS IS YOUR INHERITANCE AND WITH YOUR POWER OF ATTORNEY YOU CAN REBUKE AND CAST AWAY ALL THESE EVIL WORKS, EVEN TONGUES!!!!!
Peter tells us also, “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” 3:14 and 15. This is so self-explanatory and understandable, how can we not understand, if we suffer for righteousness’ sake, we will be happy in the Lord!!!! The rest of the scripture says what? With meekness and respect!!!
The whole gist of this chapter is in 3:16, God’s 3:16, KEEP YOURSELF AS PURE AS POSSIBLE SO AS NOT TO GIVE ANYONE REASON TO TALK BAD ABOUT YOU!!!!! “Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation with Christ.” 3:16. DO NOT GIVE THEM ANYTHING TO TALK ABOUT YOU WITH AN EVIL WORKING TONGUE! Keep yourself where you are supposed to be as a CHILD OF GOD!!!! No sin! No sin! For anyone to say anything about you!!!! It can be done by the Power of God, the Holy Spirit!!!!!
Why should you give this much sacrifice, no one else does? They do not want heaven, do you????? They are not responsible for your salvation; nor you, theirs!!!!! “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing.” 3:17. They also have a will of God in their life, but evidently they do not know it or they choose to ignore it!!! Is it the will of God for you to tell them of their will of God in their lives? Don’t know? Well, ask Him?
Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7:7 and 8, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” It is so simple to talk to God, Jesus, the Holy Ghost, it is not hard at all, just open your mouth and start talking! He understands slang lingo, Hebrew, Greek, Russian and even your new English!
ASK HIM, BUT FIRST IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY, AND IT WILL NOT HURT YOU TO ASK HIM AGAIN; FATHER, I AM A SINNER, I REPENT. Help me to grow in strength by faith to keep my mouth shut when it should be shut!!!! And open my mouth when it should be opened!!! Help me to have this good conscience, that no one, no weapon nor tongue can harm me and make me aware of it. I want to be in YOUR WILL, whatever it takes, whatever it is!!!! I am asking now, what is Your will in my life??? Forgive me, Amen. GLORY TO GOD, NOW THANK HIM, PRAISE HIM, LOVE HIM AND OBEY HIM!!!!! Don’t be one of those who ignore what God has told them to do! There are enough of them in church already, who obey what man says instead!!!!! Is your conduct befitting the kingdom of God???? HALLELUJAH, PRAISE YOU JESUS!!!! Just another closer walk, step by step, side by side, with Thee, JESUS CHRIST!
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2 PETER 3:16, “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”
We will start out in 3:11, but first let me put this thought in you. This scripture 3:16, 2 Peter, was by Peter inspired by God, interject the meaning ‘as also in all his epistles, meaning the Holy spirit, His epistles throughout the entire Bible, not just as Paul’s in this epistle of Peter. Peter is saying in 3:11 and 12, referring to 3:3 and 4, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”, that in, 3:11 and 12, “Seeing then that all things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all Holy conversation and Godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, where in the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”
BECAUSE, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise; and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” 3:9 and 10. DID YOU GET THIS MEANING, AS SOME IN MY OWN FAMILY HAVE SAID THE SAME THING, WHERE IS THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING! I HAVE HEARD IT ALL MY LIFE!!!!!! As the earth was flooded before so the heavens and elements will it be burned with fervent heat and dissolved and melted!!!
I pray that this book has helped and strengthened you in a way that if you are still here when the day of the Lord happens, you can be as a Peter urges us to always be. “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” 3:13 and 14. Remember in the last chapter, to give the evil ones no reason to speak evil of you?!
Look at 3:16 and try to see John 3:16 in a way that Peter is saying here!? In which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable and choose not God but their own destruction, see it as in John 3:16 that, Whosoever believeth in Me should not perish! It is and has always been your own choice. It is not guaranteed heaven to you, it is only guaranteed heaven to you through Jesus Christ and obeying Him!!!
Peter closes his epistle by telling us, “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 3:17 and 18.
Your walk with God, has it grown in knowledge and grace through the Holy Ghost who gives them to you???? It is still not too late, if you have not, but I do not know when the deadline is. One day and maybe soon, it will be too late and the scoffers will be burned and melt away as this earth! One more chance for salvation offered, how many more times will you have? You and I, neither one, knows that answer!!!! Now, while it is still time, repent, Father, forgive me, I am a sinner, I have been a scoffer, but no more, I believe, change me, help me to hold on and teach others!!!! Amen. GLORY TO GOD FOR EVER AND EVER.
AMEN.
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