Charismatic Bible Studies - 2 Peter 1:5-11

[Hidden In Him]

3. Food for thought: Do you feel the advice to reinforce their faith with spiritual evidence could be skewed and turned into a law?

No! LoL.

Well, I suppose it could be. But only by people like the hyper grace crowd, who believe that absolutely nothing is required. How could one argue against the need to produce spiritual fruit? I know the Calvinists have their OSAS doctrines and all that, but even they would never back away from the need for a genuine child of God to produce genuine fruit.

4. For the sake of viewers who might like to see testimonies of the work of Christ in us and how this teaching applies, what fruit of the Spirit do you feel the Lord has manifested through you the most?

Knowledge. In fact, I know more than I am usually able to apply. But the more you build one into your life the more it encourages you that others can be as well, and I am especially working on the last two in Peter's list... as well as self-control and endurance. I've had periods in my life where I have brought the flesh under, and quite severely, but I now want it to become increasingly more of a lifestyle.

 

[JLB]

How could one argue against the need to produce spiritual fruit?

Unfortunately there are those who do.

 

[JLB]

I've had periods in my life where I have brought the flesh under, and quite severely, but I now want it to become increasingly more of a lifestyle.

Yes.

Spirit led habits that lead to a Spirit led lifestyle.

It’s a process.

Crucifixion is a slow and painful death.

 

[RandyK]

2 things this study reminds me of.
1) If we claim to be a Christian, our conversion should be evident. Christ should be seen in us, despite the fact we are not always consistent in following him during the difficult times.
2) We show Christ most effectively when we add to our obedience the kindness and grace of Christ. To reach others we have to empathize with them and be honest with them. We're all in the same boat and all of us need to paddle for our spiritual lives!

 

[Hidden In Him]

2 things this study reminds me of.
1) If we claim to be a Christian, our conversion should be evident. Christ should be seen in us, despite the fact we are not always consistent in following him during the difficult times.

I used to be influenced by that theory that if we are truly converted we would never sin again. It's only a theory of course, but it made me wonder. Then one day I stopped and did what this study was actually talking about: I thought for a second how I would be living if I had not become a Christian. My, what a disaster I would have been. And I never would have taught and written in-depth Bible Studies, never would have served on worship teams, never would have fasted and prayed, never would ave devoted thousands of dollars to churches... I realized just how much evidence there is that my life changed, and dramatically belongs to Him now.

It pays to put things in the proper perspective sometimes. The truth is born out by the facts, and the facts tell the real story of it God is in your life or not.

 

[RandyK]

I used to be influenced by that theory that if we are truly converted we would never sin again. It's only a theory of course, but it made me wonder. Then one day I stopped and did what this study was actually talking about: I thought for a second how I would be living if I had not become a Christian. My, what a disaster I would have been. And I never would have taught and written in-depth Bible Studies, never would have served on worship teams, never would have fasted and prayed, never would ave devoted thousands of dollars to churches... I realized just how much evidence there is that my life changed, and dramatically belongs to Him now.

It pays to put things in the proper perspective sometimes. The truth is born out by the facts, and the facts tell the real story of it God is in your life or not.

Yes, the 1st think that hit me as a young Christian was when in 1 John it was said that "no one born of God sins, or practices sin." I came to understand that our nature has changed and we no longer want to sin.

We practice righteousness as a general rule, having made Jesus' word lord over our life. It is certainly not a perfect performance, but as a general rule we want to and do show that we're following Jesus' word.

The 2nd thing that has hit me much later in life, though I probably already understood it to some degree, is seen in 1 John 2. There is much there that indicates who is a real Christian and who is not.

Those who regularly display the righteousness that was seen in Jesus are true Christians. Those who simply claim to follow Jesus, but actually only follow Christian rules, are not real Christians.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Yes, the 1st think that hit me as a young Christian was when in 1 John it was said that "no one born of God sins, or practices sin." I came to understand that our nature has changed and we no longer want to sin.

What I learned was that 1 John was written as a defense against Gnosticism, which is the very religion we are about to cover more in the next few studies, and in that context it becomes very clear he was not talking about failing from time to time or committing a few sins here and there, he was talking about giving oneself over to a religion that advocates practicing fornication and witchcraft in the name of Christ, LoL.

Context is king. Too many people get way off track when they lift things out of their context and then reinterpret them in entirely new light that was foreign to the one the NT letters were actually written in : )

 

[RandyK]

Yes, John begins with the oddest of beginnings, "that which we have heard, seen, and touched concerning the word of life." This was aimed at Gnostics who wanted to avoid the implication that God became flesh.

Our righteousness must be visible in our physical lives, in the deeds we do, as well as in the things we say. Our lives shoud epitomize a follower of Christ, and not reduce Christianity to something overly "spiritual."

We don't need another Eastern mystic--we need a carpenter who knows how to swing a hammer! ;) We don't need someone with a reputation for being "holy." We need someone who gets dirty to help someone.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Yes, John begins with the oddest of beginnings, "that which we have heard, seen, and touched concerning the word of life." This was aimed at Gnostics who wanted to avoid the implication that God became flesh.

Wow! I knew the letter was refuting Gnosticism, but I had never noticed that particular detail before. That's kind of amazing. I learned something today, LoL.

 

[Guardian Angel]

2. I’m not sure I would know what to say. I might sympathize in a way. So many get discouraged. I have seen Christians, especially young Christians, be on fire for God and everything is going good, but then they see some other Christian sinning. Maybe someone in church, and they become disillusioned. Then they fall back into the world. I suppose I would tell them to study the word for themselves, and to be forgiving of other Christians who fail, because we are all human.

 

[Guardian Angel]

3. No. We are saved by faith, not by works.

 

[Guardian Angel]

4. Love everyone, and accept people as they are. The 2nd greatest commandment is to love them as yourself. We are not supposed to judge each other. I hear terrible testimonies sometimes, and you almost don’t want to hug them because the awful things they have done. But if they repent to you you have to forgive.

My husband takes it hard when people do not forgive him, because he is very forgiving of others and does not condemn them for sin. But my pastor once told our congregation that if anyone comes to him and confesses sins to him, he does not tell anyone in church because most people are not like that. If they find out what someone did, they will never forgive or overlook it, and they will never view that person the same way again. I have learned to forgive.

 

[Guardian Angel]

5. I receive dreams, and my dreams come right. Sometimes God tells me things are going to happen and they come to pass. I just know they will. Sometimes they will be small things, but I just know things are going to happen and then they do.

 

[RandyK]

5. I receive dreams, and my dreams come right. Sometimes God tells me things are going to happen and they come to pass. I just know they will. Sometimes they will be small things, but I just know things are going to happen and then they do.

Wow, that is really cool! Though I don't get guidance this way, I can identify with it. God has a way of letting you know you're walking in His light. It may be dreams, or it may just be living right. But it is definitely supernatural because God is Himself supernatural.

I do learn by dreams, however. I have a lot of dreams working my old job that I'm now retired from. I learn what I no longer have to do! ;) But I know that God uses dreams to rest my mind because we worry about so many things--we just need to let it go sometimes.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Wow, that is really cool! Though I don't get guidance this way, I can identify with it. God has a way of letting you know you're walking in His light. It may be dreams, or it may just be living right. But it is definitely supernatural because God is Himself supernatural.

I do learn by dreams, however. I have a lot of dreams working my old job that I'm now retired from. I learn what I no longer have to do! ;) But I know that God uses dreams to rest my mind because we worry about so many things--we just need to let it go sometimes.

Actually Randy, those dreams could have more meaning than you think. I have a friend who receives work dreams a lot, and they refer to his spiritual work.

Just saying, if the Lord prompts you to share, there might be more going on there than you think