Dealing With Inner Anxiety
Book of 1 Peter
Chapter 3:13-22
It can be said that
"anxiety" is the state of mind when we are so concerned
about someone or something, to our own harm.
1) This could be a
genuine concern:
The Apostle Paul
writing about his concern for the church at Philippi.
Php 2:20 For I have
no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
Php 2:21 For all
seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.
The Apostle Paul
writing about his anxiety for all the "Body of Christ".
2Co 11:28 Beside
those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the
care of all the churches.
2) This could be
concern about the distorted perspectives of life:
The Lord Jesus
Christ speaking of His concerns of teaching the Word of God.
Mar 4:18 And these
are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
Mar 4:19 And the
cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts
of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh
unfruitful.
The Lord Jesus
Christ did not prohibit genuine concern for one another nor for the
Church!
The Lord Jesus
Christ did teach us to keep all these things in perspective!
Mat 6:33 But seek
ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:34 Take
therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take
thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof.
Listen as we see how
Peter tries to help the persecuted church.
*****1Pe 3:13 And
who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is
good?
The primary sense of
these words is "if we are inoffensive in our Christian behavior"
the world will be less likely to injure us.
If we are anxious to
do good, we are less likely to suffer from doing evil.
God does not teach
us how to handle our troubles received from sinful behavior!
God does teach us
how to handle our troubles that come about from our righteous
behavior.
Neither is Peter
speaking of troubles that are just part of life itself, even though
godly principles will work in all situations in life or they would
not be godly principles.
As Christians we are
all going to suffer persecution, some much more and much worse than
others!
So how can we be
assured that we will stand up under persecution and still be counted
faithful?
How can we be sure
we will endure and still keep the hope of eternal life and still live
with the Lord forever?
There is only one
way! We must take our stand on the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what
is going on in our life!
We must be followers
of that which is good!
The only good we can
be sure of, is those things that are according to the revealed will
of God!
This means "for
it is written" or, "thus sayeth the Lord" or, "for
I the Lord" and other phrases had better be adhered to, when we
take the Word of God in the context that it is written!
Sometimes, the only
relief for those who are suffering persecution is when he or she
remembers the promises of God that cannot fail, and remember at death
we go immediately home to be with the Lord.
2Co 5:6 Therefore
we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the
body, we are absent from the Lord:
2Co 5:7 (For we
walk by faith, not by sight:)
2Co 5:8 We are
confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and
to be present with the Lord.
2Co 5:9 Wherefore
we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of
him.
One of the biggest
faults of the church today is that we walk by sight and not by
"faith"!
How did the Apostle
Paul put it?
Act 21:13 Then Paul
answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am
ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name
of the Lord Jesus.
Let's continue to
learn from the Holy Spirit.
*****1Pe 3:14 But
and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not
afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
1Pe 3:15 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:
1Pe 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.
Some would say "how
is it possible to be happy with any sort of suffering"? The
truth is when we are focused on Jesus Christ and the works, that He
did to cause us to be saved, then suffering in this world does not
really feel like suffering. It just feels like we have joined our
Savior in His suffering!
This is the key to
our own relief of mind!
If we have done some
good and then suffer because of it, we have just become aware of a
world that calls evil good and righteousness bad!
One of the greatest
truths in the Scriptures should keep us on the right path.
Rom 8:27 And he
that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,
because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will
of God.
Rom 8:28 And we
know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose.
Doing good and being
righteous are both conforming to the standard God has set for us!
2Co 4:11 For we
which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the
life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
The Lord Jesus had
no fear for what the world could do to Him, because He had come to
this earth to do whatever it would take, that you and I and all who
would believe upon Him would be linked once more to the Father of
life, and that life eternal. Meaning once again joined to our Father
in Heaven, in His place, even in His home with nothing in this world
that could cause this to not be true!
Really only one
thing is needed! We must sanctify the Lord God Jehovah in our hearts!
To be sanctified is
to be set apart for God's use and if we suffer because of this, then
we are being more like His So, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Notice Jesus was
always prepared to give an answer but at the same time, not all
people deserve an answer to certain questions!
Not all, but many
will see our hope in the Lord, and they will ask about this hope
seeking it for themselves, and this is what witnessing is all about!
Others, who see this
as something evil will never understand until they see the true
Christian and one day, they too will be ashamed of their actions.
Today the world sees
the make believe Christian and it is so easy to see they are
hypocrites.
Then the world will
say anything bad about them, using them as an example of the Church
to downgrade the Church founded by Christ Jesus.
The word church is
does not mean every group of people with religion, it means only the
"Body of Christ".
Religion is not the
answer, "faith" in the work of Jesus Christ is the only
answer!
When the world sees
the true Christian, who gives them nothing to speak bad things about,
they get mad and their hatred boils because the true Christian puts
them to shame!
Tit 2:7 In all
things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing
uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
Tit 2:8 Sound
speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary
part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
It is far better to
suffer for being a true Christian than to suffer for being a
make-believe Christian.
It takes much more
than being the child of Christian parents, or attending a Christian
Church, or raising your hand in a Sunday School Class or Vacation
Bible School. You must sincerely ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come
into your heart. Even this does not build perfection except in the
eyes of God.
It is the Holy
Spirit who will build perfection for the world to see all your days
as a Christian, until "perfection reaches glory" when we
come face to face with Jesus!
This is much better!
*****1Pe 3:17 For
it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well
doing, than for evil doing.
We could say, what
is the will of God for our lives? That we follow in the ways of
Jesus.
This is the will of
God for all people. There are not many ways to serve God but only one
and this is through His Son, Christ Jesus!
When we become too
afraid to go out into the world, just because we may suffer just for
doing so, and stay at home, we have gone against the providence of
God.
For instance, God
supplies the little birds their food, but they still have to go out
and hunt for it.
We must go out into
this world with the Word of God to reap the benefits of Christianity,
even if we have to suffer for it!
It is not the will
of God that we suffer!
It is the will of
God that we be more like His Son and He suffered just so we can be
saved and like the prodigal son, we are returned to the Father!
The world may not
punish us for evil doing or it may, but God will certainly punish us
for evil!
Jas 3:13 Who is a
wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a
good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
Jas 3:14 But if ye
have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not
against the truth.
Jas 3:15 This
wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
Jas 3:16 For where
envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
Why did the Lord
suffer to begin with?
*****1Pe 3:18 For
Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but
quickened by the Spirit:
Jesus Christ came to
our world to get His Father's children, and He had to suffer to do
this thing to be obedient to His Father.
The Holy Father of
all creation would never ask His Son to do this a second time!
It is the "Blood
of Jesus" that made atonement for our souls! There was enough of
that blood to save all in this world!
God has given this
one chance to every to every human being that has ever lived, all the
way back to Adam and Eve!
What did Enoch say?
Heb_11:5 By faith
Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found,
because God had translated him: for before his translation he had
this testimony, that he pleased God.
Jud_1:14 And Enoch
also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the
Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
How do we please
God? We accept His plan of salvation! There is no other way. This is
what our "faith" must be based upon!
We accept that we
are sinners in need of salvation. The "just" for the
"unjust". "Dead in sin, alive by the Holy Spirit"!
How did God preach
unto the spirits in prison? By Jesus in power the Holy Spirit, who
has all the character and the traits of God, because He is God!
Act 5:3 But Peter
said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy
Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Act 5:4 Whiles it
remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in
thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart?
thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
The Holy Spirit is
also God!
*****1Pe 3:19 By
which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
1Pe 3:20 Which
sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited
in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that
is, eight souls were saved by water.
Many believe that
the body of Jesus lie in that grave for 3 days and 3 nights because
it is the truth and it is but God the Holy Spirit, "the Spirit
of Jesus" was very busy and one of the things that He felt the
need to tell us was that He went to Hell and spoke to those who
rejected Noah.
Here is another
thing that the Holy Spirit did not have to tell us.
Did He go to give
them another opportunity to get to Heaven? NO!
He went to meet with
the man on the cross beside Him, He had made a promise to.
He went to gather
all the Saints of God in Paradise and take them to Heaven.
He went to get the
keys to Hell.
He went to preach to
all those in Hell, much as Abraham spoke to the rich man, telling
them their days of torment would never cease. After all this is a
part of what Hell is all about. An eternity of misery with no
opportunity to escape!
You see while Jesus
was busy about the things that needed to be done as promised, He also
proclaimed His victory over death to all those who were now
believers, but they had waited too long! They could only bow at the
feet of Jesus.
Luk 3:6 And all
flesh shall see the salvation of God.
One thing of
Catholic Doctrine needs to be cleared up. Christ Jesus did not offer
those in Hell a second opportunity because that would have violated
the truth of the Scriptures. There is no way to leave Hell once you
get there! There is not enough money in this world that can change
God's mind about His plan of salvation!
Luk 16:19 There was
a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and
fared sumptuously every day:
Luk 16:20 And there
was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full
of sores,
Luk 16:21 And
desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's
table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Luk 16:22 And it
came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels
into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luk 16:23 And in
hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar
off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luk 16:24 And he
cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus,
that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue;
for I am tormented in this flame.
Luk 16:25 But
Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy
good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is
comforted, and thou art tormented.
*****Luk 16:26 And
beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so
that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they
pass to us, that would come from thence.
Luk 16:27 Then he
said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to
my father's house:
Luk 16:28 For I
have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also
come into this place of torment.
Luk 16:29 Abraham
saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
Luk 16:30 And he
said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead,
they will repent.
Luk 16:31 And he
said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will
they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
This may be a
terrible truth to those whose loved ones rejected the truth of God,
but it is still the truth.
We need to
concentrate on those around us who are still living!
While we are living,
we may get many opportunities to come to the Lord or we may get only
one opportunity.
Everyone will get at
least one opportunity and most many opportunities!
At death all
opportunities cease and they all will be like the rich man in this
story of Lazarus the beggar!
In Noah's day there
were 8 souls saved by water because they trusted in the words of Noah
given to Him by the Holy Spirit!
What we realize is,
the worldwide flood of that day was an example of being baptized
after having that faith in the Word of God!
We also see the
wrath of God to those who rejected the truth of God!
*****1Pe 3:21 The
like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good
conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
We began our lesson
talking about anxiety and in the end, we see our minds are cleared
with a good conscience toward God that can come only by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ!
You see we are saved
by washing in water of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, who cannot do
His work until we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior,
and begin our personal relationship with Him.
Jehovah God is not a
faraway God who cares very little about His creation, but is an
up-close and personal God who treats each one of us as His child!
We are not saved by
ceremonies because ceremonies cannot affect our conscience toward God
through Jesus Christ!
How is our
conscience cleared by the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Our conscience is
clear, because if God the Father, raised God the Son up from the
dead, by the power of God the Holy Spirit, it means God is able to
save us from our sin and cause us to be "Born Again".
We can be delivered
from all our offenses if we accept the work of the Son, the Messiah!
Rom 4:25 Who was
delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification.
God has made this
thing to be so simple if we only have "faith" in what He
says!
Rom 10:9 That if
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved.
Rom 10:10 For with
the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.
There is no one else
we can call on and be saved except the Lord Jesus Christ!
Rom 10:13 For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
So who are we saved
from?
We are saved from
all who live under the authority of God the Father!
This means there is
nothing upon this earth and nothing in Heaven who has more power than
our God!
*****1Pe 3:22 Who
is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and
authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Where is the Lord
Jesus Christ right now? Jesus is in Heaven.
How did the Apostle
Paul say it?
1Ti 3:16 And
without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was
manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up
into glory.
We must clearly
understand that our conduct upon this earth must be based upon our
knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ!
We must also clearly
understand that that most of this world have a conscience that is not
of God and their conduct will never be of God!
1Co 8:7 Howbeit
there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of
the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and
their conscience being weak is defiled.
Tit 1:15 Unto the
pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and
unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is
defiled.
1Ti 4:2 Speaking
lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
We must clearly
understand that there are many people in this world who try to do
some things good, but because they possess no goodness, they cannot
understand the goodness of God.
At the same time
they have a witness of goodness that will not get them closer to
salvation, but is recognized by the world as greater than Christian
goodness. We live in an upsidedown world!
For instance a
certain rich man has spent much money to provide water to places who
had only polluted water. On the surface this looks like a good thing
and it could have been. In the end water companies were formed that
provides water only to those who can afford to pay for it. Those poor
who died without water before still die without water afterwards.
It would have been
good had it been free drinking water for all, but this is the way of
the world!
Does this have
anything to do with our lesson? No, but it does show the "conscience"
of the saved versus the conscience of the lost.
I believe next week
we will see the mind of Christ and it will give us a better
understanding.
For our minds to be
on Christ, we must know that there is no authority here on earth, nor
in Heaven, that can overcome the authority of the Lord Jesus
Christ!!!
When the Lord in
Spirit went to Paradise, He openly showed He was in control of all
power even the power of "resurrection" to new life, a life
they would never know because they had rejected this life.
Was the Lord rubbing
it in (so to speak) on those who were already in misery. No not
really, but Hell is a place of misery with nowhere to go to get away
from it!
Those who think they
have the power to overcome the Lord Jesus Christ already live in a
dream world that cannot be true!
Amen
Let's pray!
