The book of Jude

Jude was the brother of James, who was the pastor at Jerusalem.  James and Jude were the physical brothers of our Lord Jesus.  The book of Jude is very similar to the second chapter of 2 Peter, which we have covered previously.  In fact, some of the wording is almost exactly the same.  It only makes sense that their writings might be very similar.  James, Peter and Jude were all elders in the church at Jerusalem. 

Most of the epistles are amplifying or expounding upon the truths set forth in the parable of the sower and the seed in Matthew 13 and Mark 4.  This is Jesus' core teaching about the kingdom of God, which is in us when we are born again.  It tells us how the kingdom of God works in us.  I wrote about this earlier.  The seed is the gospel or the word of grace, that all sins have been paid for by Jesus.  If we don't understand or reject this, Satan comes and steals the Word and we are not born again. God does not come to live within us.  The second soil Jesus speaks about is the person who receives the Word of grace, is born again, but stumbles back into a works mentality.  He is not rooted and grounded in the love of God.  The third soil is the person who receives the gospel and is born again, but the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires or lusts of the flesh choke out the Word and he becomes unfruitful.  In other words, the cares and the pain from sinning choke out the fruit of love, joy and peace that we are meant to experience.

Jesus has just described the ditches on either side of the Christian walk.  The central truth of the gospel is that all sins have been forgiven, past, present and even future sins, or the sins of our entire lifetime.  When Jesus died 2000 years ago, any sin that you and I would ever commit were future sins.  Jesus died for all of us, and all of our sins, even future sins that we commit.  To go back to the law, or to try and add any of our good works to what Jesus has already accomplished for us becomes legalism.  That is one ditch.  The other ditch was that false teachers entered into the church and turned this grace of God into lewdness or into an excuse to sin and run wild and do whatever felt good to them.  In their twisted thinking, all sins are paid for, so sinning does not matter.  This is the error that the book of Jude is addressing.  Some of the language in Jude is strong and condemning, but it is directed toward these false teachers, not to Christians who are struggling with some sin or habit.  Jude tells us to reject the ideas of these false teachers and walk in holiness and love.

Jude 1-2   "Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ.  Mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you."  We are called to walk in holiness and sanctification by our Father God.  We are to be like Him.  This process begins through accepting what Jesus did for us in paying for our sins.  This is how we are born again.  Then God leads us to sanctify and cleanse our thoughts and actions so that we walk in holiness.  This is the mercy and grace of God for us.  When we understand His mercy, peace and love will be multiplied to us.

Jude 3-4  "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to all the saints.  For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."  These false teachers had entered into the church and turned the teaching of grace into an excuse to sin and fulfill the lusts of the flesh.  These false teachers also denied or rejected the Lord Jesus Christ and were not born again.  But their teaching had infiltrated the church and was leading immature believers astray.  It is imperative to understand this.  From verse 5 to verse 16, Jude is discussing this error and the ultimate end of these false teachers who had rejected the Lord Jesus Christ and were not born again.  He is not condemning believers who are struggling with sins or habits. 

Jude 5-9  "But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.  And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.  Likewise also these dreamers (the false teachers who are not born again) defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said "The Lord rebuke you!"

These verses contain Old Testament examples of where unbelievers and angels were judged and condemned. This can be confusing or condemning for Christians who are struggling with sin and are not established in the central truth of the gospel, that Jesus paid the penalty for all of our sins.  Christians should learn from these examples and stop sinning.  Jude says that these believers already understood these examples at one time.  They were taught to walk in holiness and not to fulfill the lust of the flesh.  But the false teachers had deceived them into error.  So these verses are directed toward these false teachers and the error that they are propogating in the church.  There are three Old Testament examples listed here.  They correspond to the three errors that these dreamers or false teachers are spreading within the church.  They are saying that we should defile the flesh or fulfill the lust of our flesh, that we should reject authority and do whatever our flesh leads us to do, and they are speaking evil of angels or the messengers of God.  We as believers should reject these ideas and follow our Lord in sanctification and walking in holiness and love.  If we have accepted the Lord, our sins are paid for and we will not face eternal judgment.  But we should learn that sin still hurts us and those around us.  We must learn to walk in holiness and love.  Just for reference, verse 9 about Michael the archangel may be referring to Zechariah 3:2 or it may be a reference from a book called The Assumption of Moses, which is not part of the Old Testament.  There are others things that we can bring out from these verses, but I want to stay focused on the context of what Jude is saying and not get sidetracked.

Jude 10-11  "But these (false teachers) speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves (by sinning).  Woe to them (false teachers)!  For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah."  These are three more Old Testament examples of people who sinned and rejected authority, and in the case of Balaam, tried to prophesy because of their greed and lust.  These examples are referring to these false teachers who have denied the Lord Jesus Christ and turn the grace of our Lord into lewdness.

Jude 12-13  "These (false teachers) are spots in your love feasts, while they (the false teachers) feast with you (believers) without fear, serving only themselves.  They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever."  These false teachers were not born again.  They were twice dead.  That means they were spiritually dead and would eventually die physically.  They were fulfilling the lusts of their flesh, like raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame or sin. 

Jude 14-16  Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."  These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage." 

This passage may be a reference to Daniel 7:10 and also a reference to the Book of Enoch, which is not in the Old Testament.  Again, the subject of these verses is these false teachers who are not born again, who are rejecting God's authority and who are turning the grace of God into lewdness or an excuse to sin.  These false teachers are walking according to their own fleshly lusts.  They mouth great swelling words, trying to entice Christians into sinning under the guise that sinning does not matter.

Jude 17-19 "But you, beloved (Christian believers), remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, how they told you that there would be mockers (the false teachers) in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.  These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit."  Jude clearly says that these false teachers do not have the Spirit of God within them.  They are not born again.  Do not follow their teachings.

Jude 20-21 "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."  1 Corinthians 14:4 says that when we pray in tongues we are edified.  This is the same meaning as building yourselves up.  He is describing building a house or construction terms.  We become the house or temple of God when we receive the Lord.  Our faith in Christ is our foundation; that is how we are born again.  Upon that foundation, we build ourselves up by praying in tongues.  We keep ourselves walking in the love of God that way, as opposed to fulfilling the lusts of our flesh.  His eternal life flows through us when we are edified and focused on Him.  We are looking forward to the resurrection of our body but it has not happened yet.  Our bodies are not yet redeemed.

Jude 22-23  "And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh."  Jude is refering to the immature believers who were deceived by this error which turned the grace of God into lewdness or an excuse to sin.  Some immature believers were just confused but did not a rebellious attitude.  These believers were to be treated with compassion, for they would respond through kindness when told of the error they had fallen for.  Others who had a rebellious attitude toward authority within the church were treated more sternly.  Saving them with fear doesn't refer to saving them from hell.  Sinning causes pain for us and those around us.  The leaders who corrected them were saving them from the pain and misery caused by sin.           

Jude 24-25  Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."  God can keep us from stumbling into sin in this life.  This is also a reference to stumbling or falling away from the gospel or word of righteousness back to an Old Testament mindset of condemnation.  We are faultless before Him by what Christ has done for us.

Keith Oliver
 

             

2 Peter 3

Remember that 2 Peter is discussing the idea that false teachers entered into the church and turned the teaching of grace into lewdness or into a license to sin.  This is the subject that Peter is dealing with in chapter 3.  Remember also that all of the epistles must be understood in light of the central truth presented in the gospels.  God, by His grace in Christ Jesus, has forgiven the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and even future sins.  His same grace leads us to turn away from sin and walk in holiness.  It is the same grace.  The epistles give clarification to what was taught in the gospels, and correct any errors that were spreading in the churches. 

2 Peter 3:1-10  "Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to 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 creation."  For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.  But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, 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 which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." 

These false teachers were not born again.  They denied the Lord Jesus Who bought them.  2 Peter 2:1.  They were twisting the teaching of grace for their own benefit, to fulfill the lusts of their flesh.  They said "Where is the promise of His coming?".  In other words, Jesus is not coming back.  You may as well just enjoy the pleasures and lusts of the flesh.  Sin is paid for anyway.  It doesn't matter.  Peter says they are willingly ignorant that God judged the sin of unbelievers in the days of Noah, and He will judge the sins of unbelievers in the future through fire instead of water.  We as Christians will not face the wrath of God.  Our sins are paid for by the blood of Jesus.  But we should stop partaking of these sins.  Paul states this also in Ephesians 5:3-7  Paul tells Christians to stop partaking of sexual sins.  He states in verse 6-7  "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  Therefore (you Christians) do not be partakers with them (unbelievers)."  The wrath of God is going to come upon unbelievers who reject His grace.  We should stop participating in the same sins.  Our sins have been paid for by Christ Jesus.  But His grace is not a license to sin.  Peter stresses the grace that God has for all of us, even these false teachers who have denied the Lord.   God is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any of us should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  That is why God has not come yet.  We are in a period of grace.  We should accept His mercy and grace for us.  We get so caught up in the things of this world, and we lose sight of the fact that this earth will be burned up one day, and all of the works in it.  Our hearts should be focused on the Lord and His love and grace, and we should be avoiding sin and helping others see the grace and mercy of our God.

2 Peter 3:11-13  "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." 

We focus so much on our jobs or careers, our homes, and so much on the material things of this life.  All of these things will be dissolved in the future.  We should focus our attention of God's love for us, and allow Him to express Himself through us in love and holiness.  Winning others to the Lord through sharing His message of grace, and walking in love and holiness, are the only things that will last into eternity.  God is going to burn up this present earth in fire and prepare a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. The grace of God is manifold.  He first gives us righteousness or right-standing before Him as a gift of His grace.  Then the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust and to live godly in this present age.  Titus 2:11-12.  This is all the grace of God.  God did not give us His righteousness so that we could continue sinning.  Sin hurts us and those around us.  We are still short-sighted, even to blindness, if we think otherwise.  2 Peter 1:9.

2 Peter 3:14-18  "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things (the present earth being dissolved and a new earth being established), be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the scriptures.  You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."

We have peace before God, and are without spot and blameless before Him, by the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We have peace before God because Jesus bore the penalty for all of our sins.  But Peter says that we must be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.  This is speaking of outward holiness.  So much of the emphasis on the teaching of grace today is the forgiveness of our sins, and rightfully so.  But God also wants us to grow up and let His righteousness shine through us in our outward actions.  This is really the whole theme of both of Peter's epistles.  Paul spoke about these same themes in his epistles.  Peter says that untaught or unstable Christians were twisting Paul's teachings of grace into lewdness or a license to sin also.  We should beware of this and not fall from our own steadfastness in walking in holiness.  This is the error of the wicked, that the teaching of grace is just an excuse for lewdness or fulfilling the lusts of our flesh.  Peter exhorts us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This grace teaches us that our sins are all forgiven.  This grace also teaches us to turn away from sin and walk in holiness.  This is the pathway of maturity in the Christian life.  This is the true grace of God.

May God continue to lead me along the path of His grace and righteousness in this life.

Keith Oliver

  

2 Peter 2:3-22

Remember that the subject of 2 Peter chapter 2 is false teachers within the church who turn the teaching of grace into lewdness or a license to sin.  In chapter 3, Peter describes these scoffers or false teachers as walking according to their own lusts and saying "Where is the promise of His coming?"  They say that Christ is not returning, so you should enjoy the pleasures and lusts of the flesh, since all sins are paid for anyway.  Christians who had previously received teaching in holiness will be deceived by these false teachers.  These Christians will start living according to the lusts of their flesh instead of walking in holiness.  This will cause the teaching of grace to be evil spoken of.  Peter says that these false teachers who have denied our Lord, not born again believers who are deceived by their teachings, will receive everlasting punishment. This is the context of 2 Peter chapter 2.

2 Peter 2:3-11  "By covetousness they (false teachers) will exploit you (believers) with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.  For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward should live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)--then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly (Christians) out of temptations and to reserve the unjust (unbelievers, in this context the false teachers) under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those (unjust) who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority.  They (the false teachers) are presumptuous, self-willed.  They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord."

The whole context of this passage is the deliverance of believers from the wickedness of the world and the error that has spread from these false teachers.  The grace of God teaches us to turn from ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present age.  Titus 2:11-12.  These false teachers are spreading lies, saying that we should fulfill the lusts of our flesh, since all sins are paid for anyway. Peter says that these false teachers will utterly perish in their own corruption. He gives the two examples of Noah and Lot, who were righteous people that were delivered from ungodliness around them.  The ungodly people, representing these false teachers, perished in their own sin and were destroyed.  These examples represent what will happen to these false teachers.

2 Peter 2:12-17 "But these (false teachers), like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own destruction, and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime.  They (false teachers) are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you (believers), having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls (immature believers).  They (false teachers) have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children (they are not born again and are going to hell).  They (false teachers) have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet. These (false teachers) are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever."

Christians hear and read that their sins are forgiven.  Then they read passages like this that bring fear and condemnation.  Until these passages are clearly understood, they will continue to be a source of fear for believers.  As you can see, this passage is talking about false teachers who entice unstable Christians with a message of error.  These false teachers are not born again.  They are deceived and deceiving others.  These false teachers are taking the message of grace and twisting it into an excuse for lewd behavior.  The only way they could do this is because these Christians had heard that the sins of their entire lifetime were paid for.  If the early Christians were taught that past sins were paid for, but present and future sins were new offenses to God that might send us to hell, then these false teachers would have never been able to perpetuate these false ideas. Even unstable believers would have rejected these ideas out of fear of losing their salvation. Balaam was a prophet in the Old Testament who was tempted to prophesy against the children of Israel by his own greed or covetousness.  These false teachers are motivated by covetousness and the lusts of their flesh.  They are described as wells without water.  At first glance, they look like a source of refreshment.  But they are empty.

2 Peter 2:18 "For when they (false teachers) speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones (Christians) who have actually escaped from those who live in error."
What great swelling words of emptiness were these false teachers saying?  Your sins are paid for, so it doesn't matter if you sin.  You might as well fulfill the lusts of your flesh.  Do whatever you feel like.  It doesn't matter. 

2 Peter 2:19-22 "While they (false teachers) promise them (unstable Christians) liberty, they themselves (the false teachers) are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.  For if after they (these unstable Christians) have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them (unstable Christians) not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment (commandment of holiness) delivered to them.  But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: 'A dog returns to his own vomit," and "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."  

These immature Christians had been born again and had received the commandment of holiness from their pastors and teachers.  Their lives had become peaceful and orderly and joyful from holy living.  These false teachers deceived them, telling them that they could go ahead and sin because all sins are already forgiven anyway.  The Christians fell for these lies.  They ended up in bondage again to sin and corruption.  They suffered pain and the loss of joy and peace from sinning.  So did God send these unstable Christians to hell?  No.  But they suffered the pain and instability that comes from sin.  Also, outsiders spoke evil of the message of grace because of these Christians.  Outsiders said they were just using grace as a cloak for sin. 1 Peter 2:16.  God's love was not expressed through these unstable believers.      

Remember, the sins of our entire lifetime are forgiven.  We are also to express the divine nature of God through us by walking in love and holiness.  How else will people see His life in us? God did not forgive our sins so that we coud keep on sinning and hurting ourselves and others.

Keith Oliver
    

2 Peter 1:12 - 2 Peter 2:2

When I thought that my past sins were forgiven, but my present and future sins were new offenses to God that He would hold against me when I sinned, the epistles were confusing and somewhat condemning and left me afraid that God would punish me for future sins I might commit.  With that mentality, there is no way that the teaching of grace could be turned into lewdness or an excuse to sin and run wild.  Yet that is exactly the issue that many epistles address.  Now that I know that the sins of my entire lifetime are forgiven, the epistles are opening up and make sense.  This is what makes me think that the first Christians understood clearly that the sins of our entire lifetime are already paid for.  Now that is an idea that could be twisted into an excuse to sin and run wild, because all of our sins are already paid for.  Paul declares the gospel he preached in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.  "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures..."  When Jesus died 2000 years ago, any sin we would ever commit was a future sin.  All sins are paid for, past, present, and future.
So why all the teaching on holiness in the epistles?  It is so that our lives may be orderly and peaceful and that we might experience the joy of holy living and avoid the pain of sinning, and so that people might see Jesus in us. I continue to stress this for those who might just read one blog and not all of the rest.

2 Peter 1:12-15  "For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.  Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.  Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease."  Peter has exhorted the believers to walk in holiness in this first chapter.  This epistle will be a reminder for them to continue to walk in holiness.  Our sins are forgiven by God through His grace alone, not through any of our good works.  Our good works benefit us and those around us.  This is the present truth of the New Testament.

2 Peter 1:16-21 "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.  For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  And we heard this voice which came from heaven, when we were with Him on the holy mountain.  And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed, as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

The King James version opens this passage up.  Verse 19 "We have a more sure word of prophecy."  Also, read Matthew 17.  Peter is saying that they saw Jesus shining as the sun on the mount of Transfiguration with their physical eyes.  They heard the voice from heaven with the physical ears.  Peter says that the prophecy of scripture or the Word of God is even more sure than what we see with our physical senses such as sight or hearing.  We should pay heed to the Word of God until it shines as the sun at the dawning of the day, until Jesus is revealed in our hearts.  We must know that the scripture did not arise from any personal inspiration of a man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.  Peter is contrasting the origin of the scriptures with the false teaching that arises from the lusts of men in 2 Peter chapter 2.  This chapter used to condemn me when I believed that only my past sins were forgiven, because that left me with a sin consciousness.  As we shall see, 2 Peter 2 is addressing false teachers who turned the grace of God into lewdness or a license to sin.

2 Peter 2:1-2 "But there were false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.  And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed." 

The first Christians were declaring the gospel, that Jesus paid for the sins of everyone.  We are to trust this Good News and receive His life and be born again.  They must have clearly understood this meant the sins of their entire lifetime are forgiven, whereas most of us were taught differently.  False teachers twisted the way of truth, which is the grace of God.  They began to deny the truth of the gospel, saying that we don't need to accept the Lord or be born again.  It is interesting that Peter says that Jesus even bought them, or paid for the sins of these false teachers also. The false teachers were saying "Where is the promise of His coming?" In other words, Jesus isn't coming back, so you should just enjoy the pleasures and lusts of the flesh.  All sins are paid for anyway.  Peter says that many Christians would follow this destructive teaching, and because of these Christians sinning and running wild, the teaching of grace would be blasphemed or evil spoken of.
Sin causes pain and destruction in our lives, even though God is not counting our sins against us because Jesus bore our penalty.  Also, no one can see the love of God in us if we live our lives in selfishness.   

Let this be clear.  Before God, we are justified by faith in His grace, shown to us in Jesus paying the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and even future sins.  We are justified before men by our good works and holy living.  It benefits us and those around us. 

Keith Oliver          

The book of 2 Peter

The writings of the epistles of the New Testament must be understood in light of the central truth of the Gospels, that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins so that we can be reconciled to God and that He can come to live in us.  If we lose sight of the fact that Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime and that we are at peace with God through what Jesus has done, then the epistles can be a source of confusion or condemnation to us.  If we realize that Jesus paid for all sins, past, present and even future sins, then the epistles open up and we can begin to make sense of these writings.  The epistles declare that our sins are forgiven and that Christ has come to live in us.  Since we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we should learn to walk in holiness.  Holiness brings peace and order to our lives and allows the love of Jesus to be seen in us.  This is the grace of God for us, just as much as His forgiveness of our sins.  Many of the epistles are also correcting the errors that had crept into the first century churches.   

Many of the New Testament epistles were not written until 20 to 30 years after Jesus arose from the dead and ascended into heaven.  The church had been proclaiming the gospel and remission of sins during that timeframe.  All of the original disciples were Jewish.  These believers largely witnessed to other Jewish people for the first several years of the church's existence.  They were raised under the teachings of the Old Testament and Jewish Law.  These Jewish believers had a very difficult time letting go of the Old Testament law.  They also struggled greatly with the idea of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles or non-Jewish peoples, as seen in Acts chapter 10, even though Jesus had told them to go into all the world and preach the gospel.  Even after these Jewish Christians began to preach the gospel to Gentiles, many of them wanted to initiate these new Gentile believers into the Jewish commandments, rites and rituals of the Old Testament.  This became a source of great tension in the early Christian church.  Even though it was decided by the church leadership, as seen in Acts 15, that Gentile believers would not be put under bondage to keep the Law, many Jewish believers continued to press this issue among Gentile believers.  Many of the epistles address this issue directly, declaring that the Gentiles are not under the Law, either as a requirement to be saved or for spiritual growth. 

Also, as the church declared that Jesus had died for our sins and reconciled us to God, some false teachers began to turn the grace of God into lewdness or as an excuse to sin.  Since Jesus had paid the penalty for all sins to be forgiven, the false teachers declared that sin doesn't matter.  The false teachers said "Where is the promise of His coming?" 2 Peter 3:4  They said Jesus isn't coming back, so you might as well enjoy the pleasures and lusts of the flesh.  The epistle of 2 Peter is addressing this error among the believers and stressing the importance of holiness and godly behavior.  Some of these believers had initially received the teaching of holiness and escaped the corruption and pain of sin, but were fooled by this error and ended up in sin and corruption again.  2 Peter 3:20-22. These verses say that their end was worse for them than the beginning.  Does this mean that God sent these believers to hell for sinning? No. It means that through holiness, their lives had become peaceful and orderly and they were experiencing the joy that comes from holy living.  When they were deceived and went back to the works of the flesh, these believers suffered the pain and confusion that comes from sinning.  Peter declares that the Christian life requires diligence to walk in holiness and godliness and love so that we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.  This diligence is not to make us right before God.  Jesus accomplished that in His death and resurrection.  He paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime.  We are reconciled to God by faith in His mercy and grace demonstrated in Jesus, not by any of our good works.  Our effort or lack thereof cannot add to or subtract from what Jesus has done for us.  This should bring us great peace and joy and comfort.  Our diligence is for our benefit and the benefit of those around us.  Peter declares that without holiness and love, we will be barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord.

2 Peter 1:1  "Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ."  We are saved and have received that saving faith by the righteousness of our Savior Jesus, not by our own good works.  Jesus was sinless, but He bore the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and even future sins.  We are now justified before God by faith in His mercy and grace alone.  As we shall see in 2 Peter, we are justified before men through our good works.  Our good works are benefical to us and to those around us.

2 Peter 1:1-4 "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

As we grow in our understanding of God and His great love for us, grace and peace are multiplied to us.  We can relax in His mercy and grace.  We know that the sins of our entire lifetime have been punished in Jesus.  When we are born again, the divine nature of God, which is love, comes to dwell in us.  God gives us great and precious promises in His Word to remind us of who we are and what He has done for us.  Through these promises, we have the potential to be partakers of that divine nature of love which is inside of us, and we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.  Our bodies are not yet redeemed.  That is why Peter tells us in His first epistle to abstain from lusts or desires that emanate from our flesh.  1 Peter 2:11.  This is the suffering in the flesh and ceasing from sin that Peter describes in his first epistle. 

2 Peter 1:5-7  "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." 

For this very reason, so that we can be partakers of the divine nature of love within us and escape the corruption that is in the world through the lust of the flesh, we must be diligent.  This will not come naturally.  We live in a fallen world and we live in bodies that are not yet redeemed.  So it will take diligence.  I know diligence and effort seem to be disliked words when speaking of grace, but you will have to blame Peter.  He wrote it.  As we renew our minds to who we are in Christ, we add to our saving faith virtue, which is moral excellence.  To virtue or moral excellence we add knowledge of God's Word.  We begin to understand the idea of Christ in us.  To this knowledge of Christ in us, we can begin to exercise self-control.  We are at peace.  To self-control, we add perseverance.  We must persevere in self-control and moral excellence because we live in a body that is not yet redeemed. We add godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.  These emanate from the divine nature of love within us when we are born again.  But remember that all of this requires diligence.  And also remember that this diligence does not add to our right-standing before God.  We are justified by His grace and mercy alone.  Our diligence will benefit us and those around us.  Our lives will be peaceful and in order.  We will be walking in love toward those around us.   

2 Peter 1:8 "For if these things are yours and abound, you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."  If we know who we are in Christ, and walk in self-control and godliness and kindness and love, we will experience the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, and peace in our lives.  As we are patient and kind and loving toward others, we can help to win their hearts for the Lord. 

2 Peter 1:9 "For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins."  If we are not walking in moral excellence and holiness and godliness and love, we have lost sight of the fact that Jesus has paid the penalty for our sins, not just so we could be forgiven, but so that we can actually stop committing sins.  Even though we are forgiven, sin still hurts us and damages those around us.  If we are to express the divine nature of love within us, we must turn from destructive behavior.

2 Peter 1:10-11 "Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."  This is not talking about receiving rewards when we go to heaven, although that is included.  The everlasting kingdom of God is within us now.  He has called us to holiness.  That is our calling.  If we learn to express the divine nature of love, we will enjoy the fruits of the Spirit in our lives now.  That is the kingdom of God within us.  Paul said in Romans 14:17 that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.                   

Keith Oliver
     

1 Peter 5:1-14

Remember the theme of 1 Peter: the revelation or revealing of Jesus Christ in and through us now.  This takes place as we abstain from fleshly lusts and let the divine nature of God's love be revealed in and through us.  Remember the terms of maturity that Peter speaks of:  being born again, 1 Peter 1:3. As newborn babes, desiring the pure milk of the Word.  1 Peter 2:2.  As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to your former lusts.  1 Peter 1:14  The elders who are among you.  1 Peter 5:1.  Peter is telling us to grow up in the Lord by putting off the deeds of the flesh and walking in holiness.

1 Peter 5:1-4 "The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away."  When Peter refers to elders, he is not referring to older people in age, but those who have matured in the faith by putting off the works of the flesh and walking in holiness.  This should be the pattern and standard for all leaders in the church.  Peter says that he is a witness of the sufferings of Christ.  Peter saw Jesus suffer in the flesh.  But Peter also says that he is a partaker of the glory that will be revealed.  So Peter is saying that he has suffered in the flesh and ceased from sinning, and the glory or divine nature of God's love is being revealed through him.  He exhorts these fellow elders to follow his example and be examples themselves of God's love and holiness to His people, the flock of God.  It is the flock of God, not our own flock.  God will reward those who have been faithful examples in leading His flock.

1 Peter 5:5-9 "Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders.  Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."

Peter is not necessarily speaking to younger people in age, but those who are new to the faith and are just learning to walk in holiness.  He tells them to submit to their elders, or in other words, follow the example of the elders in walking in holiness.  He says we should all be submissive to one another and walk in humility.  Peter quotes Proverbs and says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.  It is interesting that even with the teaching of grace, God still resists us if we refuse to walk in holiness.  We might not like that idea, but it is scripture.  How do we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God?  We follow the leading of the Spirit into holiness.  How do we resist our adversary the devil?  We stop sinning!  We stop giving him a chance to devour us and destroy our lives by persisting in sin.  We are steadfast in the faith, walking in holiness, knowing that all Christians are called to suffer in the flesh and cease from sinning. Wow! I never saw that before, nor have I heard it preached that way.  But that is the context of what Peter is saying.

1 Peter 5:10 "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you."  He is the God of ALL GRACE.  That grace is not only the forgiveness of the sins of our entire lifetime, but it is the grace that leads us to suffer in the flesh or stop being led by the lusts of our flesh and to cease from sinning.  After we have stopped sinning, he perfects or matures us.  He establishes, strengthens and settles us.  When we stop sinning, our lives become more peaceful and joyous and we are established in His grace.

1 Peter 5:11-14 "To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever.  Amen.  By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you, and so does Mark my son.  Greet one another with a kiss of love.  Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen."  Peter says that this is the TRUE GRACE OF GOD in which you stand.  To know that the sins of our entire lifetime is just the beginning of the grace of God in our lives.  To suffer in the flesh by abstaining from fleshly lusts and ceasing from sin, is the rest of the true grace of God in our lives.  This is the revelation or revealing of Jesus Christ in and through us.

Praise the Lord!  I have learned much from studying the book of 1 Peter.  May I learn to walk in reverence for my Father and conduct myself in godliness and holiness during my time here on the earth.

Keith Oliver      

1 Peter 4:5-19

1 Peter 4:5-6  "They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.  For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."  In the context of the chapter, we Christians are supposed to be living lives of holiness and love and not participating in the lusts of the flesh.  This will cause us to be different.  People might make fun or speak evil of us for walking in holiness and being different.  Peter says that they will give account to God.  This also gives us a chance to preach the gospel to them.  If you have been following the prior blogs, we saw in verse 19 of chapter 3 that Jesus preaches or proclaims to the spirits who are in prison, possibly fallen angels.  But there was no mention that these spirits could be redeemed.  1 Peter 4:6 is referring to people who are spiritually dead.  We are to preach the gospel to them so they might live according to God in the spirit, or that they might be born again. 

1 Peter 4:7-11  Read these verses.  These verses tell us to be sober and prayer and to walk in love.  we are to use whatever gifts God has given us to His glory. 

1 Peter 4:12-13  "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."  Peter uses the same phrase, fiery trial or trial by fire, that he used in chapter 1 of 1 Peter.  When we are a partaker of Christ's sufferings, we are ceasing from sin as described in 1 Peter 4:1-2.  Then, when His glory or His nature of love and holiness is revealed in us, we will be glad with exceeding joy. 

It is not popular to talk about suffering today.  But as a friend pointed out, we all go through suffering in one way or another.  Hebrews 11:25 says that Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather to enjoy the passing pleasure of sin for a season.  Sin is pleasurable but only for a season.  If we indulge our fleshly lusts, it eventually causes us pain, sometimes pain that lasts a lifetime.  Hebrews 12 says that we should follow Christ's example of suffering and cease from sinning and walk in holiness.  Heb. 12:11 says that God's chastening of us to lead us into holiness doesn't seem to be joyful for the present but painful.  But afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.  This is not talking about our righteousness before God.  It is talking about the peace and joy that comes from walking in holiness.   So we are going to suffer one way or the other in a sense.  We can indulge the lusts of the flesh and then suffer the consequences later.  Or we can suffer in the flesh and cease from sinning initially, but afterwards we will enjoy the lasting peaceable fruits of holy living.  We may know that the sins of our entire lifetime are forgiven.  But if we commit adultery and lose our family and home, we end up in turmoil and do not experience the peace and love and joy that we are meant for.  So it is a loving and merciful and graceful God Who teaches us to walk in holiness.

1 Peter 4:14-16 "If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.  On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters.  Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter."   If we cease from sin and walk in love and holiness and Christ is revealed in us, we should rejoice.  If we are persecuted for this reason, we should glorify God.  If we suffer because we are sinning, we are just bringing shame upon the teaching of the grace of God.

1 Peter 4:17-19 "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?  Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator."  This verse is not talking about judging the people of God to send them to Hell.  This is saying it is time for Christians to stop sinning and walk in holiness.  It is time for us to grow up.  1 Peter 1:17 says "And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;"  We are to reverence and respect our Father by putting off sin and walking in holiness.  We as children should emulate and immitate our Father.  This is the pathway to maturity in the Christian life. 

For those of us who claim to understand and embrace God's grace, let us embrace the full extent of His grace for us.  God doesn't save us from our sins so that we can keep on sinning.  God first forgives all of our sins, and then He leads us to stop sinning.  Think of what an improvement would come to our lives and those around us if we actually stopped sinning.  What a God of love He is!  His love is demonstrated in and through us when we stop sinning and let His divine nature of love be expressed through us.    

Keith Oliver

    

1 Peter 3:18 - 1 Peter 4:4

1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit,"

This verse is the essence of the gospel.  Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.  This verse also illustrates a main point that I have stressed, that Jesus suffered once for sins.  Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present and even future sins.  He only died once.  He is not dying over and over again each time we sin.  Hebrews 1:3 says "when He had by Himself purged (past tense) our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High."  Hebrews 10:12 "But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God."  Ephesians 1:7 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."  The Bible says that we have the forgiveness of our sins.  Many or most ministers want to qualify that and say that just means our past sins.  But then we will deal with present and future sins through confession of them.  So our past sins are forgiven by the shedding of His blood, but our present and future sins are forgiven by our confession of them?  Some variation of that idea is taught in almost every church.  It doesn't even make sense, but that is why Christians have spent so much time in frustration and confusion.  Lasting peace before God comes from knowing that the sins of our entire lifetime, even future sins, are paid for and put away.

1 Peter 3:19-22  "by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.  There is an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him."  These are difficult verses to interpret, but I believe the best way is to look at comparable verses and let scripture interpret scripture.  2 Peter 2:4-5 "For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;"  Also look at Jude 6. "And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;".  Genesis 6 says that the "sons of God" or angels took wives of the sons of men.  The children that were born of these relationships were the mighty men of old, men of renown.  These men could very well refer to Greek mythology where the gods came down and had sex with women and the children were the heroes of Greek mythology.  Either way, God said that all flesh had been corrupted and destroyed the ancient world in a flood, but kept Noah alive in the ark.  Apparently, because these angels would not cease, God has locked them up in everlasting chains of darkness until the final judgment.  Christ apparently preached or proclaimed His victory over them.  There is no mention that these spirits could be redeemed or receive everlasting life.  Obviously not all demons or fallen angels are locked up in everlasting chains.  These verses are difficult to interpret. 

The context of these verses is that we can be delivered from the evil around us.  Noah and his family were delivered from the evil of that generation through the preservation of the ark, as the water washed away the corruption and evil.  Baptism is in contrast to this Old Testament example for us as Christians.  Baptism is not the washing away of the filth of the flesh by water, but is a symbol of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We are saved by what Christ accomplished for us.

1 Peter 4:1-4  "Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelings, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.  In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you."  This is the fiery trial or trial by fire that Peter described in 1 Peter 1:5-7.  Christ suffered for us in the flesh, paying the penalty for our sins so that He might bring us to God.  Peter says that we should adopt the same mindset of suffering.  Our suffering is not paying for our sins or the sins of anyone else.  Only Jesus could do that for us.  But, for Jesus to be revealed in and through us, we must cease from sin and live our lives for the will of God.  We should stop living our lives for the lusts of our flesh.  This is what Peter described in 1 Peter 2:11 where he says to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.  Again, our body is not yet redeemed.  That is why we still have fleshly lusts.  These fleshly lusts war against the image of Christ in us.  We think within ourselves, how can Christ live in me when I have these fleshly desires?  We must abstain from these fleshly lusts so that Christ can be revealed in and through us.

Christians are supposed to be walking in holiness and in love, in contrast to the unbelievers around them who are fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.  This would cause non-Christians to sit up and take notice of us.  They would speak evil of us because we would be different.  Anyone who stands out from the crowd will be talked about, usually not in a good manner.  Unfortunately, many Christians are using grace as a cloak or covering for sin, saying that sin doesn't matter since all sins are forgiven.  Their lives are oftentimes no different than unbelievers.  They are continuing to commit sexual sin and have drinking parties or going to the bars and getting drunk.  This is exactly what Peter is saying in modern day terms.  Remember, I did not write these words.  Peter says that because of those Christians who follow these deceptions, the way of truth, which is grace, will be blashphemed or evil spoken of.  2 Peter 2:2   He is not saying that these believers are going to hell.  Our sins are forgiven.  But the teaching of grace will be blasphemed if we use it as an excuse to sin.   

Many of the epistles are dealing with these same subjects that Peter is talking about.  Our sins are forgiven.  Christ has come to live in us.  But there is a ditch on either side of the Christian walk.  The epistles warn us not to go back to the Law, trying to add to what Jesus has already accomplished for us in His death and resurrection.  That is one ditch.  The other ditch is to persist in sin after our sins are forgiven.  This will cause us pain and choke out the fruit of the Spirit, or the love, joy and peace, that God has for us.  When we persist in sinning, then the teaching of grace is also spoken of in an evil manner. 

The same grace that forgives the sins of our entire lifetime is the same grace that teaches us to cease from sin.   Let us give attention and reverence to all of the Word of God, not just the portions we want to hear that tell us our sins are forgiven.  It is all the grace of God for us.  We won't enjoy the peaceable fruits of righteousness or holy living if we continue in sin.  Let us all grow in the Lord and learn to walk in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  

Keith Oliver 
          

1 Peter 3:1-17

Again, the theme of 1 Peter is the revelation or revealing of Jesus Christ in and through us now.  After we are born again and see that Christ lives in us, we are to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against our soul or against the image of Christ in us.  Remember that our flesh is not yet redeemed.  We wonder how Christ can live in us if we still have fleshly lusts or desires.  But Christ is revealed in and through us when we abstain from fleshly lusts or selfishness and let the divine nature of God's love flow through us.  This is the fiery trial or trial by fire that Peter is describing.  It is not persecution which most commentaries describe.

1 Peter 3:1-7.  Read these verses.  Peter is describing how wives or husbands can influence their unbelieving spouse to receive the grace of God through their holy conduct and demonstrated love.  Verse 7 is interesting.  It says that our prayers will be hindered if we don't treat our spouse with understanding and honor and as an heir of the grace of life.  Many might think that God would withhold answers to prayer because of this.  I think the true answer lies in the context of what Peter has been teaching.  If we understand the true grace of God, we know that the sins of our entire lifetime are forgiven.  We should then be forgiving, graceful and respectful to others .  We should allow the divine nature of love to flow through us to our spouse and those around us.  If we don't, we really don't understand His grace toward us.  This would make it difficult for us to receive from the Lord.

1 Peter 3:8-12  "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tender-hearted, be courteous, not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.  For 'He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.  Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."  Wow, I have never heard these verses brought up in any sermons on grace!  Did Peter just go back to putting us under the Law?  Of course not.

We can be tender-hearted and courteous toward others and not return evil for evil when we understand that God has forgiven us of the sins of our entire lifetime.  That brings us to lasting peace with God.  It doesn't bring us peace with God just until the next time we sin.  But then God wants us to have peace and experience joy in this earthly realm.  This comes by turning away from sin and evil, which causes us pain.  Then we can inherit the blessings that He has for us.  We are not earning His blessings.  We are inheriting a blessing.  See how important our choices are, even though the sins of our entire lifetime are forgiven by the Lord.  If we are to love life and see good days while on this earth, we should refrain our tongue from speaking evil.  We should turn away from evil and do good.  We should seek peace with others and actively pursue it.  This is grace!  We may not like the next verse, but it is scripture.  "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."  This is talking about our righteous actions toward others, not our righteousness or right-standing before God.  Our righteousness before God is based on the shed blood of Jesus alone.  But for God's life and love to flow through us and to others, we have to live and act righteously and walk in a holy manner.  How can God's life and love be expressed through us otherwise?  I believe this is what is meant when it says the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.  To know that our sins are forgiven is just the beginning of the grace of God in our lives.  For us to grow up, we must turn away from evil and selfishness and begin to express His divine nature of love to others.  This is obedience.  This is maturity.

1 Peter 3:13-17 "And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?  But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. 'And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.' But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason of the hope that is in you , with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.  For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

This really brings out again the background in which the New Testament epistles were written.  Christians were proclaiming that Jesus had borne the penalty for all sins, and that God loves us and had forgiven us of all sins.  Outsiders said this grace was just an excuse to sin and that Christians were really evildoers using grace as a cloak or covering for vice.  So Peter is telling the believers to sanctify the Lord God in their hearts. This means to let the Lord be revealed through them in their outward actions of goodness and kindness and right living.  Then when people see our kindness and holiness and ask us about it, we have a chance to tell them the reason for our hope.  Our hope is the forgiveness of all sins and the eventual physical resurrection of our body through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Peter says if people revile us for our kindness and gentleness and good deeds, that is much better than suffering evil for doing wrong and fulfilling the lusts of our flesh.

Once again, this shows the multi-faceted grace of God in our lives.  We are justified before God through faith in His mercy and grace through the shed blood of our Savior Jesus Christ.  No amount of good works can add to that.  But we are justified before men by our good works.  Our good works are profitable to us and to those around us.  This is the true grace of God.

Keith Oliver         

                   

1 Peter 2:17-25

Remember the theme of 1 Peter: the revelation or revealing of Jesus Christ in and through us now.  It is not speaking of the future return of our Lord.  I also emphasize that the sins of our entire lifetime are forgiven, past, present, and future sins.  When you read the epistles with the central message of the gospel in mind, it really helps to open up these New Testament writings.

Remember also that the fiery trial or trial by fire that Peter speaks of is to abstain from fleshly lusts so that Christ can be revealed through us.  1 Peter 2:11-12.  We begin to understand the idea of Christ living in us as we read the New Testament. We then ask ourselves the question, why do I still have these fleshly desires if Christ lives in me?  Our flesh is not yet redeemed.  Paul said that we have this treasure, the Holy Spirit, in an earthen vessel.  2 Corin. 4:6-7.  God indwells us by the Holy Spirit.  But we must abstain from fleshly lusts so that God and His divine nature are revealed through us.  How can anyone see Christ in us if we live our lives in selfishness?  Also, will we experience His joy and peace if we are suffering the pain that inevitably comes from sinning? No.  Jesus and His divine nature of love are revealed through us when we abstain from fleshly lusts and walk in love. This is the multi-faceted teaching of grace.  Peter says this is the TRUE GRACE of God.  1 Peter 5:12. 
Some people say that this will just come naturally to Christians after we hear of His grace and forgiveness.  Well, it didn't happen to the first century Christians.  Paul and Peter had to tell them directly to stop sinning even after they had heard that they were forgiven.  How is any Christian supposed to pick up their Bible and read through it and not see all of this?  Are we just supposed to ignore all of these admonitions to walk in holiness and just hear only that our sins are forgiven?  I think this is what brings confusion to many believers.  We hear sermons about grace and there is no mention of turning from sin.  Then we read our Bible.........

1 Peter 2:17-20  "Honor all people. Love the brotherhood.  Fear God.  Honor the king.  Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.  For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.  For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently?  But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God."  This is speaking of slaves and masters, but the principles still apply.  If we recognize that Christ has come to live in us because of our conscience toward God, we can act in love even if we are unfairly treated.  If we are sinning or acting immorally and we suffer for it, that is our own fault.  Even though we are saved by God through faith in His grace alone, our actions still have consequences in our lives here on the earth.

1 Peter 2:21-25 "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: "Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth," who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.  For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."  Wow! These verses are so rich with truth. 

 We are supposed to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.  He committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.  If we are to follow His example, we should stop sinning and stop lying!  If we actually stop sinning and participating in the lusts of the flesh, people will think we are strange or different. Then we can share with them the Good News of forgiveness of all sins.  1 Peter 4:3-4.  But the lives of many Christians are no different than unbelievers.  Many Christians are as guilt-ridden as many unbelievers because we think that God has forgiven our past sins but is holding our present and future sins against us.  That is why I emphasize that the sins of our entire lifetime are forgiven, past, present, and even future sins.  Then we can start walking in holiness and our lives will be truly different.  We will be at peace with God.  Our lives will be lived in holiness instead of selfishness before men.  This will draw people to the grace and love of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:24 says that He bore our sins in His own body on the tree.  Jesus bore the penalty for our sins so that we don't have to.  Why?  So that we, having died to sins, should live for righteousness.  This is talking about our righteousness before God.  It is saying that we have died to the penalty of sin. This allows us to draw close to God without fear of punishment.  Praise the Lord.  Notice that righteousness before God and healing are tied together.  As we come to understand that we have been made righteous before God apart from our works, physical healing is ours also.  This is the grace of God for us.   Peter also says that by His stripes we are healed.  He is quoting from Isaiah 53:4-5.  "Surely He has borne our griefs (infirmities) and carried our sorrows (sicknesses); yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."  If you don't think Isaiah was referring to our physical sicknesses and diseases, look at Matthew 8:17.  Matthew said this verse was fulfilled when Jesus healed a group of sick people.

1 Peter 2:25 "For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."  Who is the Shepherd and Overseer of our soul or our mind?  It is the Holy Spirit.  1 Peter 1:22.  He is the one Who is leading us through obedience to the truth to walk in love and turn away from sin and selfishness.  That is how the revelation or revealing of Christ will take place in us.

Keith Oliver       

1 Peter 2

I continue to emphasize the theme of 1 Peter: the revelation or revealing of Jesus in and through us now.  I also remind everyone that the sins of their entire lifetime have been forgiven, past, present, and even future sins.  This idea opens up the writings of the New Testament epistles and helps to make sense of them.  The church declared that Jesus paid the penalty for all sins to be remitted, and that God is not counting sins against people. 2 Corinthians 5:19   That is our message to the world.  Luke 24:47 says that repentance, or changing our way of thinking, and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations.  This idea was prevalent in the message of the early Christians.  Non-Christians said this message of grace was just a cloak or covering for sin, and that Christians were really just evildoers looking for an excuse to sin.  1 Peter 2:12, 15-16.  Now you can understand the emphasis on holiness in all of the epistles.   How can Jesus be seen in us when we are running wild or mean or angry?  Also, how can we as Christians enjoy love, joy and peace when we are participating in the works of the flesh?  Jesus said that the kingdom of God is within us.  Luke 17:21.  Paul said the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  Romans 14:17  So now we understand what Paul meant in Galatians 5:19-22.  Paul says that if we practice the works of the flesh, we will not inherit or walk in or experience the kingdom of God within us.  We will not experience the fruit of the Spirit listed in verse 22.  How can we experience love, peace and joy if we are suffering turmoil from practicing the works of the flesh?  Paul is not saying that Christians who participate in these behaviors will not go to heaven.  But we will suffer the earthly pain and misery that sin brings with it.

Peter expounds upon the process of spiritual maturity in 1 Peter 2.  We recognize that our sins are forgiven.  We start to see Christ in us.  We learn to abstain from fleshly lusts and walk in love.  We show mercy and grace to others through our words and actions.

1 Peter 2:1-3 "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious."  If we understand that Jesus paid the penalty for all of our sins, past, present and future sins, we should realize that God is not holding sins against those around us either.  So we should be able to lay aside any malice or envy or evil speaking against others.  We should take in the Word of God.  This will cause us to grow in our understanding of Christ in us.  The Lord is full of grace or gracious toward all of us. 

1 Peter 2:4-5 "Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."  Peter says that Jesus is a living stone, part of the spiritual house of God.  He is the foundation stone.  We are also living stones.  God has come to indwell us also, just like Jesus, through the Spirit of God within us.  This is the beginning of understanding our identity.  We recognize that our sins are forgiven and Christ has come to dwell in us through His Spirit.

1 Peter 2:6-8 "Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, 'Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes in Him will by no means be put to shame.  Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,' and 'A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.'  They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed."  When we accept His grace, He is precious to us.  For those with a works mentality who choose not to believe in His grace, they stumble and do not receive the life of God.

1 Peter 2:9-10  We see in these verses what darkness and light is.  If we approach God by our works and reject His grace, we are in pride and in darkness and are not the people of God.  If we trust in His grace and mercy, we are walking in His marvelous light. 

1 Peter 2:11-16 'Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God."  Our bodies are not yet redeemed, so they still have fleshly lusts and desires.  We are told to abstain from these fleshly lusts because they war against the soul.  Our soul or mind is where we understand the idea of Christ in us.  These fleshly lusts war against that image of Christ in us.  We ask ourselves the question, how can Christ live in me when I have these fleshly lusts or desires?  This is the fiery trial that Peter says we must pass through for Christ to be revealed in and through us.  See 1 Peter 1:5-7. Also, 1 Peter 4:1-2, 12-13.   If we give in to fleshly desires, it distorts the image of Christ in us.  It also prevents God's love from being revealed through us to others.  If we live in  selfishness and act immorally, that is when people call us evildoers and say we are just using grace or liberty as a cloak or covering for vice or sin.  When we walk in love, Christ and His love are expressed through us.  This is the process of maturity in the believer.  If we are then persecuted as Christ is revealed in us, we should rejoice. 

Most churches and pastors do not declare that all sins, even future sins, are forgiven.  They either do not understand it or they feel that people will just sin and run wild and they will lose control.  They declare that if Christians persist in sin, they might lose their salvation.  Others are declaring that Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of our entire lifetime.  But they seem to shy away from teaching obedience and the portions of the epistles that discuss holiness, as if that is putting people back under the law or trying to control people.  Peter and Paul both understood grace.  They were not schizophrenic, teaching grace for part of their epistle and then switching back to teaching law.  Hopefully everyone can see the grace of God in the teaching of holiness.  Our sins are forgiven by faith in His mercy and grace alone.  That is grace.  His same grace teaches us to walk in holiness, not as some prerequisite to gain entrance into heaven, but for our benefit in this life and for the benefit of those around us.

Keith Oliver      

1 Peter

I am seeing the writings of the New Testament more clearly as I understand the multi-faceted teaching of grace.  I hope that each of you are seeing it more clearly also.  It is easier for me to understand why the New Testament epistles were written and the content of what they are discussing.  Let us reason together and reach some conclusions.

The early Christians were going into all the world and preaching the Gospel, the Good News that Jesus had paid for the sins of the entire world.  They had to be declaring that Jesus paid for the sins of our entire lifetime, past, present, and even future sins.  They were NOT just declaring that our past sins were forgiven, but that each new sin is a new offense to God that must be dealt with again each time that we sin.  If they were, no one would have accused the early Christians as teaching grace or liberty as a cloak or covering for vice, as described in 1 Peter 2:15-16.  If they were declaring that our past sins were forgiven but our present and future sins are still held against us by God, no one could twist that teaching into an excuse to sin.  But that is exactly what many of the epistles address.  So, why all the teaching about holiness in the epistles if all sins are already forgiven?   

God's plan is simple.  He created us in His likeness to be happy, healthy, at peace, tranquil, to be loved by Him and to love others.  This plan was disrupted with Adam's sin.  But Jesus paid the penalty for all of our sins and restored us to God.  We are now indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  We are now at peace with God again.  This is grace.  But we do not live in a perfect environment anymore as Adam and Eve did.  We live in a fallen world.  We live in a body that is not yet redeemed.  We may know that the sins of our entire lifetime are forgiven, past, present and even future sins.  But sin still causes us pain.  I may know that God is not counting my sins against me.  But if I persist in sinning, I will still experience pain and suffering and not experience the joy and peace that God has for me.  This is the reason for all of the teaching on holiness in the epistles.  Our holiness does not bring us any justification before God.  We are saved by His grace and mercy alone through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  But Peter tells us that we can be barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  2 Peter 1:8.  That is why Peter tells us to be diligent and add virtue or moral goodness and self-control and godliness and brotherly kindness to our faith.  2 Peter 1:5-7.  Does God dwell in us?  If we are born again, the answer is yes.  Peter says that God gave us all the precious promises in the New Testament so that we MAY BE partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  2 Peter 1:4.  When we are born again, the divine nature of God comes to dwell in us.  But we have a choice.  We can either partake of the divine nature through walking in love or we can experience the corruption that is in the world through the lust of our flesh.  How can anyone see God in us if we act immoral or mean or spend our time fulfilling the lust of the flesh?  If our families fall apart, or we end up in jail, or we cause pain to others or ourselves through fulfilling the lust of the flesh, will we be happy?  Is the divine nature of God, Who is love, being expressed through us when we fulfill the lust of the flesh?  No.  This is the reason for the teaching of holiness that is found in all of the epistles.  The same grace that tells us that our sins are forgiven therefore teaches us to walk in holiness.  God has made us to be at peace with him through the blood of Jesus Christ.  But we won't experience that peace if we are caught up in the ways of the world. 

This is not going back under the law.  It is not putting those who have come to understand grace back into bondage.  If parents gave their young daughter a new bicycle, but told her not to ride it in the street, is that putting their daughter in bondage?  Of course not.  It is giving her instruction so that she can enjoy her new bicycle without getting hurt.  That is what the teaching of holiness is.  God wants us to be at peace and have joy and harmony with Him and walk in love toward those around us.  To teach holiness in that manner is the same as teaching that all sins have been forgiven.  It is all the same grace of God for us.  Our sins are forgiven.  Our choices are also vitally important if we are to experience His peace and joy.

Many believers can quote that they are the righteousness of God, and this is right and true.  Many believers can say that the sins of our entire lifetime are paid for, and that God is not counting our sins against us.  2 Corin. 5:19.  This is also an amazing truth.  Paul pleads with us to accept this truth and be reconciled to God.  2 Corin. 5:20.  But many of these same believers are not experiencing joy and peace, and their lives are no different than non-Christians.  Paul makes another pleading to the Corinthians 2 verses later.  He pleads with them not to receive the grace of God in vain, or to no effect in their lives.  2 Corin. 6:1.  Is Paul a kill-joy?  Is he saying they will go to Hell if they don't walk in holiness?  No.  He is saying that these believers will not experience the true grace of God if they are caught up in sin and walking in unholiness.  Paul tells them to recognize that they are the temple of God.  He tells them to therefore walk in holiness and stop touching what is unclean or to stop sinning.  Is this just so they can grow up and be mature Christians?  Yes, but it is also so that they will enjoy the grace of God.  Our choices are vitally important even though our sins have been forgiven.  This is the true grace of God.  1 Peter 5:12.

I hope this helps each of us see more clearly the grace of God in the teachings of holiness that are included in each of the epistles.  We will continue with chapter 2 of 1 Peter in the following lesson.      

Keith Oliver           

1 Peter 1:17-25

Remember the theme of 1 Peter: the salvation of our soul or mind is the revelation or revealing of Jesus in and through us now, not in the future when Christ returns.  1 Peter 1:6-7 "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it it tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, ..."  The various trials or sufferings or being tested by fire is the suffering in the flesh and ceasing from sin (1 Peter 4:1-2, 12-13) so that Christ is revealed in and through us now.  For Jesus to be revealed in and through us, we must grow up spiritually, which involves turning away from sin and evil and walking in holiness and love.  How can those around us see God in us if we are mean or running wild in sin or acting selfishly?  They can't.  So the same grace that tells us that the sins of our entire lifetime are forgiven also teaches us to put off sin and walk in holiness.  It is the same grace.  This is how Jesus Christ is revealed in us.  This is the revelation of Jesus Christ to our generation.

1 Peter 1:17-21  "And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like gold or silver, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."

We see the first two members of the Godhead, God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, mentioned in these verses.  Remember that God the Father planned the plan of salvation before the world even existed.  Jesus Christ shed His blood for the redemption of mankind.  The Holy Spirit is the One who leads us into sanctification of our mind and actions through our obedience to His leading.  In verse 17, it says that God the Father without partiality judges according to each man's work.  This is not God judging us so that we might be sent to Hell or not.  Remember, God is a loving Father who planned for our redemption.  We are saved by trusting in His grace that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins through His shed blood.  God as a Father is judging and overseeing our spiritual growth.  He wants us to grow up spiritually into His image, just as any human parent would want to see their children grow up and achieve good things and experience joy and happiness.  Our heavenly Father wants us to grow up also.  So we should conduct ourselves in fear or reverence for our heavenly Father during our time here on the earth.  I want to be just like my Father.  He is holy.  He is love.  I should give Him reverence and walk in holiness and love.  I should emulate my Father.  We are not redeemed with corruptible things but with the precious blood of Christ.  He was without spot or blemish.  He did not sin nor did His flesh contain sin.  He is perfect.  God planned before the foundation of the world that His innocent blood would be shed for the sins of all mankind.  This is what our faith rests in.  Our hope for the physical resurrection of our bodies rests also in God.  Ephesians 1:14 says that the Holy Spirit of promise is the guarantee or down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession.  Our bodies have been purchased but are not yet redeemed.  God gave us the Holy Spirit as the down payment on our inheritance until the eventual redemption of our bodies.

1 Peter 1:22-25 "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because, 'All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.  The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.'  Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you."

Notice the third member of the Godhead is mentioned in verse 22.  Through the leading of the Spirit, we are to purify our soul or mind and obey the truth of the Word.  We are to learn to walk in love instead of the lusts of our flesh.  Notice also that all three parts of a person are referred to in these verses.  Humans consist of spirit, soul and body.  We are a spirit.  We have a soul or mind.  We live in a body.  Our spirit is the part of us that is born again through the Word of God or the gospel.  Our souls are to be purified or changed so that we learn to walk in love and not the lusts of the flesh.  Why?  Verse 24 says that our flesh is as grass and will wither and fall away.  Our flesh is not yet redeemed, so it still has lusts or desires that are not of God.  That is why 1 Peter 2:11 says that we must abstain from fleshly lusts. 

The same grace of God that sent Jesus to pay the penalty for all of our sins is the same grace of God that leads us into holiness through the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Praise the Lord.  1 Peter 5:12  Peter said this is the TRUE GRACE of God in which we stand.  Apparently there was a false teaching of grace that was circulating then.  It said that our sins are forgiven so we can sin and do anything we want and it doesn't matter.  In Jude verse 4, Jude refers to this type of teaching.  Jude said that ungodly men had crept into the church, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness or an excuse to sin.  Paul was accused of the same thing.  Romans 3:8 "And why not say, "Let us do evil that good may come'? -- as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say.  Their condemnation is just."  This is the underlying background of the New Testament epistles.  The church was proclaiming that Jesus had paid the penalty for all sins.  Some immature Christians were using it as an excuse to sin.  Outsiders were saying that Christians were just using grace as a cloak or covering for sin.  1 Peter 2:15-16. 

Keith Oliver