Exploring Christ's Spiritual Laws

Webers.Home · Aug 17, 2019

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1Pet 2:11 . . Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from
fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.

The words "fleshly lusts" are derived from 1) sarkikos (sar-kee-kos') which
pertains to the base nature, and, 2) from epithumia (ep-ee-thoo-mee'-ah)
which means: a longing.

What Peter is talking about there is giving in to whatever comes natural: viz:
doing what's instinctive and reactive as opposed to one's better judgment.

Webster's defines instinct as: 1) a natural or inherent aptitude, impulse, or
capacity, 2) a largely inheritable and unalterable tendency of an organism to
make a complex and specific response to environmental stimuli without
involving reason, and 3) behavior that is mediated by reactions below the
conscious level.

Fleshly lusts are not what you might call "reasonable behavior" because they
are basically gut passions and impulses that require no thinking. When
people fly off the handle, sleep with somebody on the first date, utter an
epithet, make a smart-aleck remark, and/or act on impulse and such; they
are only doing what comes natural to the beast residing within themselves.
People are, in the final analysis, little more than human wildlife; just naked
apes ruled by the nature of an ape.
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Webers.Home · Aug 18, 2019

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1Pet 2:12 . . Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in
the thing in which they slander you as malefactors, they may on account of
your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

The Greek word for "malefactors" is somewhat ambiguous. It can refer to a
criminal or to someone regarded as an all-around bad person or bad
influence; viz: toxic i.e. harmful: a threat.

Curiously, some of the principles and core values held dear by Christians are
sometimes regarded by non Christians as detrimental to the so-called
greater good; especially in communistic societies.

The koiné Greek word for "visitation" is episkope (ep-is-kop-ay') which is
an ambiguous word that means, among other things, inspection and/or
evaluation.

Webster’s defines "inspection" as a checking or testing of an individual
against established standards; for example: the avoirdupois ounce is a
standard, the meter is a standard, and the inch is a standard.

In the old days, merchants used a balance to count out monies like gold and
silver. They would put a "standard" weight in one of the balance's pans and
then begin placing gold and/or silver in the other pan until the pans
balanced; viz: until the pans were at the same elevation on either side of the
scales' fulcrum point.

Justice is often depicted as a blindfolded woman holding a balance in one
hand, and a sword in the other. The law is in one pan, and the defendant's
conduct is in the other; for example:

"You have been weighed on the balances; and came up short." (Dan 5:27)

If it turns out that the criticism that the lost hurled at believers was
unjustified, then they will have to pay. In so doing, how will they glorify
God? Well, the slanderers themselves may not pay their respects to God, but
their retribution will certainly honor His standards; viz: glorify them.
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Webers.Home · Aug 19, 2019

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1Pet 2:13-15 . . Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for The
Lord's sake : whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as
unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the
praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye
may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Every ordinance of man pertains to all manner of citizenship, including civil
disobedience; which is defined as the active, professed refusal to obey
certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying
international power, e.g. protests, tax revolts, draft card burning, anti-war
movements, occupancy, demonstrations, blockades, etc. Civil disobedience
typically has to do with rebellion against State, Local, and Federal policies.

Every ordinance of man of course includes traffic laws like J-walking, unsafe
lane changes, drifting through stop signs, tailgating, road rage, exceeding
speed limits, feeding parking meters, crossing streets against the light,
blocking driveways, failure to yield the right of way, illegal U-turns; etc.

People who disregard the ordinances of man are described by the apostle
Peter as ignorant and foolish. God forbid that Christ's followers fall into that
category!
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Webers.Home · Aug 20, 2019

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1Pet 2:16a . . Live as free men

Some of Christ's believing followers in the Roman empire were slaves; so it
was legally impossible for them to live as free men without risking severe
consequences. I think what we're looking at here is that Peter is encouraging
the Christians to whom he wrote to voluntarily accept their status as slaves
instead of resenting it. In other words: free men have choices; and even
though some of the Christians were slaves against their will, they were free
to choose to make the best of it or let it get to them.

A pretty useful platitude that I once heard goes like this: Bloom where you're
planted. So; if you should find yourself planted in adverse circumstances;
make up your mind to make the best of it. This is something wherein you
have a choice; even though you have no choice about being stuck. It's really
all about attitude adjustment.
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Webers.Home · Aug 21, 2019

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1Pet 2:16b . . Do not use your freedom as a cloak for evil; live as servants
of God.

That passage is likely a reiteration of the one below:

"You were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into
an opportunity for the flesh" (Gal 5:13)

No sin that a believer commits will ever again put them in danger of the
wrath of God.

"I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent
me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they
have already passed from death into life." (John 5:24)

However, believers should never regard John 5:24 as a license to steal, so to
speak. It's freedom to steal, but certainly not license because theft is just as
wrong for God's servants as it is for His opponents (Rom 6:1-15). Just
because believers won't suffer the sum of all fears for theft is not an eo ipso
exemption for them to have a go at it.
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Webers.Home · Aug 22, 2019

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1Pet 2:17a . . Honor all men.

The word "men" is not actually in that verse. It was added by translators
presumably to clarify the text. So it should read: Honor all.

The koiné Greek word for "honor" is timao (tim-ah'-o) which means: to
prize, i.e. fix a valuation upon; by implication, to revere.

Bias, prejudice, and favoritism are natural proclivities. People tend to make
an effort to accommodate the folk they admire, and marginalize the ones
they don't.
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Webers.Home · Aug 23, 2019

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1Pet 2:17b . . love the brotherhood

The koine Greek word for "brotherhood" is adelphotes (ad-el-fot'-ace) which
refers to a fraternity. It's located in only two places in the entire New
Testament: here and in 1Pet 5:9.

In this case; the fraternity is pretty much restricted to Christ's believing
followers and excludes the outside world because in order to qualify for
Christ's family circle, it's necessary to undergo a special birth in order to
obtain the right to identify one's self with God's son.

"To all who received him; to those who believed in his name; he gave the
right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of
human decision, nor a husband's desire; but born of God." (John 1:12-13)

1Pet 2:17b is impossible for a snob to obey since the degree of love that
must be felt for one’s Christian siblings has to be on the same plane as the
love that Christ feels for them.

The command to "love thy neighbor as thyself" is widely thought to be one
of Christ's commandments; but it isn't. He got it from the covenant that
Moses' people agreed upon with God as per Lev 19:18 and Lev 19:34.

Christ's commandment goes beyond the covenant that Moses' people agreed
upon with God. He says: As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
(John 13:34 and John 15:12)

Bottom line is: the Jews' covenant demands humane love, while Christ
demands divine love; which is a much harder love to produce than humane
love because only people blessed with a divinity's nature can produce divine
love. Good luck with that.
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Webers.Home · Aug 24, 2019

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1Pet 2:17c . . fear God, honor the king.

The word "king" is translated from a Greek word meaning sovereign.
Although current US President Donald Trump isn't a monarch, he still
represents the highest seat of constituted authority in America and I really
think that Christians should make an effort to honor him just as Peter
commands; especially seeing as how the apostles spoke for Christ. (1Cor
14:37, 1Thess 4:1-2)

There's an awful lot of disrespect for Mr. Trump festering in America; and I
really think Christ expects his followers to keep themselves from getting
caught up in it. Well; one thing's for sure: if they aren't honoring Mr. Trump,
then it's a forgone conclusion that they aren't honoring God. In point of fact,
according to Jude 1:8-10, people going about talking down on a US
President and running him into the ground, aren't even civilized; i.e. they're
beasts.

Some things in life are inseparable; like it’s just about impossible to go
swimming in a pool that has no water in it. Well, fearing God and honoring a
king are like that; in other words: Christian scofflaws, by their civil
disobedience and their attitude towards higher powers, actually dishonor the
very God whom they profess to revere.

"Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is
no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and
they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves." (Rom
13:1-2)

Christians need to be cognizant of Rom 13:1-2 whenever they're tempted to
drift through a STOP sign, feed parking meters, Jay-walk, lie to their state's
Employment Department, obtain food stamps under false pretenses, cheat
on their taxes, and/or participate in rabid forms of political activism.
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Webers.Home · Aug 25, 2019

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1Pet 2:18-19 . . Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all
respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those
who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the grief of
unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.

The koiné Greek word for "servants" in that verse is oiketes (oy-ket'-ace)
which means: a fellow resident, viz: a menial domestic.

Menial domestics are in the same category as the household staff in the
Hollywood movie Remains Of The Day; in which a master butler supervises
everyone in service, including the under-butlers, and all the women. The
home owner typically communicates with his staff by means of the master
butler rather than doing so personally. So the “masters” of 1Pet 2:18
probably correspond to the master butler; viz: a supervisor.

Master butlers are like a ship's first officer, who, as far as the crew is
concerned, is God to them when all hands are on board and the vessel under
way. First officers can't be expected to be sweet little diplomats all the time
in the performance of their duties and responsibilities. It has to be expected
that they are going to become curt, cross, imperious, and demanding on
occasion.

And then again, some supervisors are just naturally rude. They're that way
with everybody. Though they might be very competent in the performance
of their duties and responsibilities, some are imbalanced; viz: they're
somewhat lacking in social skills. In other words; it could be said of some:
The man is a pig.

Some employees chafe under the supervision of abusive supervisors; and
there are certain labor laws on the books that permit employees to pursue
grievances. However that may be, it is far better for a Christian to take
advantage of a disagreeable situation to prove himself because Peter says it
is “commendable” to bear up under unjust suffering.

The koiné Greek word for "commendable" is surprising. It’s charis (khar'
ece) which is commonly translated "grace". In other words, bearing up
under abuse-- while in the performance of one's duty as a service person
(employee) --is the conduct of a gracious Christian as opposed to one that's
ill-bred; viz: the belly-achers and the thin skinned cry-babies have some
growing up to do.

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us
have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and
godly fear." (Heb 12:28)

The gracious Christians are the ones serving God acceptably. The rest, no
matter how lofty their goals, and no matter what they attempt to do for God,
are just spinning their wheels because they are "ungracious" which
Webster’s defines as: disagreeable; viz: lacking propriety.

For Christians who're compliant by nature, 1Pet 2:18-19 is very easy to
obey. But for those who are proud, arrogant, conceited, overly indignant
and/or easily insulted; I can only say you have my sympathy because this is
something you're going to have to work at. Why? Because this is not
optional; no, it's a "calling"

"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us
an example, that you should follow His steps . . 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" (1Pet 2:21-24)

The koiné Greek word for "reviled" is loidoreo (loy-dor-eh'-o) which means:
to reproach; viz: vilify.

Webster’s defines vilify as: 1) to lower in estimation or importance; viz:
demean, and 2) to utter slanderous and abusive statements against; viz:
defame; denigrate.

"Reviling in return" (e.g. retorts, rejoinders, and recriminations) is a
common knee-jerk reflex; a natural reaction of the base nature (the flesh)
and contrary to one of The Lord's fundamental teachings in the Sermon On
The Mount.

"And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other."
(Luke 6:29)

In this day and age of assertiveness, Luke 6:29 is very unpopular with some
Christians. Oh, they'll vote for turning the other cheek alright and agree it's
good Christian character. But you know, good Christian character is sort of
like the Classics: everybody says we ought to have the Classics in our
libraries, but who really reads them? I have to chuckle sometimes at
Christians when one says: The Sermon On The Mount is all the religion I
need. Okay, fine; so when did you plan on beginning to exemplify its
principles and practices?
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Webers.Home · Aug 26, 2019

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1Pet 3:1-2 . . In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own
husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may
be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your
chaste and respectful behavior.

Peter began his instructions with the words “in the same way” which refer
back to 1Pet 2:18-25 wherein he taught Christ's followers the Christian way
to cope with abusive management practices.
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Webers.Home · Aug 27, 2019

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1Pet 3:3-5 . . And let not your adornment be merely external-- braiding the
hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses --but let it be the
hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and
quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

Some of the more ascetic Christians have attempted to use that passage to
insist it's wrong for women to wear cosmetics. An interpretation of that
nature would mean putting on dresses is wrong too and thereby Christian
women would be in danger of being arrested for indecent exposure
whenever they went out.

No, he's only reflecting an old Portuguese proverb that goes something like
this: A beleza não ajusta a tabela. (Beauty doesn't set the table) which
basically means a pretty girl might look amazing in a nighty while quite
useless as a homemaker.

Hollywood movies often portray "spirited" women as somehow desirable. No,
they aren't desirable; they're feral, they attack men and make them
miserable. Hollywood also commonly portrays women slapping men in the
face and getting away with it. That is NOT what Peter means by a "gentle
and quiet spirit" and besides, slapping is the criminal act of assault and
battery-- not what I would call setting a good example for growing girls.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt
5:3)

"Blessed are the peaceable: for they shall be known as God's kin." (Matt
5:9)

An assertive, confrontational woman is neither peaceable nor poor in spirit;
no, in point of fact she's quite militant, obnoxious, chafing, critical,
temperamental, impudent, and arrogant. Those might be desirable
characteristics for strong females in television and movie roles but clearly
not desirable in a Christian wife.

When a Christian wife gets all dressed up to her nines, but yet lacks a
"gentle and quiet spirit" then her ensemble is incomplete. In point of fact, an
assertive, confrontational wife is, in reality, nothing less than a barnyard
animal.

"As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without
discretion." (Prov 11:22)

So then, by all means Christian women should continue to shop at
SEPHORA, but at the same time make an effort to be agreeable too.
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Webers.Home · Aug 28, 2019

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1Pet 3:7a . . Likewise, you husbands, dwell with them according to
knowledge

The koiné Greek word for "knowledge" is gnosis (gno'-sis) which means
knowing (as information) in other words: facts and/or ideas acquired by
study, investigation, observation, or experience.

Gnosis is different than "intuition" which Webster's defines as: the power, or
faculty, of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational
thought and inference.

Gnosis is different than "instinct" too, which Webster's defines as: (1) a
natural or inherent aptitude, impulse, or capacity, (2) a largely inheritable
and unalterable tendency of an organism to make a complex and specific
response to environmental stimuli without involving reason, and (3)
behavior that is mediated by reactions below the conscious level; viz: a
mental and/or emotional knee-jerk reflex.

So then, Peter is talking about husbands applying instructed knowledge of
Christian social skills to their marriages.

There are young boys being brought up by macho (a.k.a. toxic) fathers
teaching their sons to "control their women". Well, that might be an
acceptable marriage philosophy in the home of a Muslim fundamentalist
and/or a club-toting Neanderthal, but not in the home of a man passing
himself off as one of Christ's followers. In a pious home, Christian husbands
are neither required nor expected to tame their Christian wives seeing as
how the onus is upon the Christian wives themselves to exercise self control.

NOTE: It's required of Christ's followers to love their enemies but it's not
required of Christ's followers to like their enemies nor is it required to always
have a good opinion about them. However, though Christian love need not
include the element of fondness; Christian love does need to include the
element of diplomacy; which Webster's defines as skill in handling affairs
without arousing hostility, viz: tact.
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Webers.Home · Aug 29, 2019

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1Pet 3:7b . . giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel,

The koiné Greek word for "honor" is time (tee-may') which means: a value,
i.e. money paid.

The word for "weaker" is asthenes (as-then-ace') which means: having no
strength, i.e. fragile.

And the word for "vessel" is skeuos (skyoo'-os) which can indicate anything
from a soup bowl to a file cabinet or a cardboard box; in other words: a
container.

Peter isn't saying women are physically weaker than men; but that Christian
husbands should exercise the same care with their wives as they would a
fragile antique worth thousands of dollars like, say, a Ming vase. Nobody in
their right mind handles a Ming vase like a farmer handles a 5-gallon bucket.
Not that some women couldn't take that kind of handling; it's just that its
unbecoming for a Christian man to lack sensitivity for his wife's feelings.

This Ming-vase value isn't an intrinsic value, nor is it a deserved value
either; but rather, it's a gratuitous value. In other words: Christ commands
Christian husbands to categorize their wives up there with Dresden china
even if she's as tough as a female cop and/or a UFC mixed martial artist the
likes of Rhonda Rousey-- and this is not a choice; no, it's not a choice; it's
an order.

Christian husbands who treat their Skil saws and their tomato plants with
more care and concern than they treat their wives can just forget about
associating with God on any meaningful level.

"as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not
hindered." (1Pet 3:7c)

Note the word "together" which is quite the opposite of autonomy and/or
independence.

Couples sometimes assert themselves with words like "What I do is between
me and The Lord." No; not when you're married. Marriage changes
everything between one's self and The Lord because people become one
flesh in marriage: no longer two.
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Webers.Home · Aug 30, 2019

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1Pet 3:8a . . Finally, all of you be of one mind,

Peter’s not talking about the nerve center of a Borg-hive collective. The
koiné Greek word for "one mind" is homophron (hom-of'-rone) which
means: harmonious; and this is the only place in the entire New Testament
where that word appears.

Webster’s defines "harmonious" as: 1) musically concordant, 2) having the
parts agreeably related; viz: congruous, and 3) marked by accord in
sentiment or action.

Peter's directive emphasizes the third element-- "marked by accord in
sentiment or action". Head-strong Christians, domineering Christians, those
for whom every disagreement is either an affront or an act of war to win at
any cost-- those for whom the word diplomacy has no meaning --of course
have trouble complying with 1Pet 3:8a; that is: if they even consider it
worthy of their notice.
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Webers.Home · Aug 31, 2019

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1Pet 3:8b-9 . . having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be
pitiful, be courteous; not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but
contrariwise blessing.

"compassion" is from the koiné Greek word sumpathes (soom-path-ace')
which means: having a fellow-feeling; viz: sympathetic, i.e. (by implication)
mutually commiserative.

One of the meanings of commiserate is condole: like when we share
someone's grief at the passing of a loved one, or their job has been
outsourced to cheap labor in a foreign country, or they've lost their entire
retirement fund to an unscrupulous corporation like ENRON, or their life
savings to a crooked Ponzi schemer like Bernie Madoff, or when there's news
from their doctor they have to begin chemo-therapy for a recently detected
advanced cancer, or when the car of a single mom with limited income
needs expensive repairs. That is no time to be thoughtless. People in those
predicaments are in sore need of condolences, and they are in no mood for
philosophical platitudes.

The Greek word for "railing" is loidoria (loy-dor-ee'-ah) which means slander
or vituperation; which Webster's defines as 1) to abuse or censure severely
or abusively; viz: berate, and 2) to use harsh condemnatory language.

Rejoinders fall into that category; which are defined as a usually rude or
angry reply to something written or said; viz: insensitive come-backs
deliberately meant to hurt people's feelings; viz: tit for tat. That kind of
behavior doesn't go unnoticed.

"I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall
render account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be
justified, and by your words you shall be condemned." (Matt 12:36-37)
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Webers.Home · Sep 1, 2019

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1Pet 3:10-11 . . Let him who means to love life and see good days refrain
his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile. And let him turn away
from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

Webster's defines guile as "duplicity" which is defined as: contradictory
doubleness of thought, speech, or action; especially in the belying of one's
true intentions by deceptive words or action; in other words, speaking with a
forked tongue and/or saying one thing while meaning another.

You know, it's ironic; but if we were to take guile out of the political process,
nobody would get elected. I simply cannot imagine an America with
forthright politicians either in Congress, or the Senate, or the White House.

My father-in-law, who retired from Safeco Title as a senior vice president
and general counsel, once remarked that advertising is the art of deception.
You know what that says to me? It says that Madison Avenue's Mad Men
really have gone mad after all.

FYI: To seek peace and pursue it is blessing-worthy.

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."
(Matt 5:9)

If it's true that only peaceable kinds of people qualify to wear the label
"children of God" then the opposite is just as true: difficult Christians are
unworthy of the distinction.
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Webers.Home · Sep 2, 2019

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1Pet 3:14a . . If you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are
blessed.

Peter isn't talking about one's religious beliefs per se, but about one's
personal righteousness; in other words, one's personal conduct, and their
convictions about what's right and what's wrong.

The koiné Greek word for "righteousness" in that passage is dikaiosune (dik
ah-yos-oo'-nay) which means: equity (of character or act). Webster's
defines equity as: justice according to natural law or right; specifically
freedom from bias or favoritism.

When Adam and his wife indulged in the forbidden fruit, they became their
own Gods with their own opinions about what's right and what's wrong.

"And The Lord God said: The man has now become like one of us, knowing
good and evil." (Gen 3:22)

To give an idea of just how much this situation effects everyday life: the US
Supreme Court not too long ago voted 5-4 on an important firearms issue.
What does that tell me? It tells me that there are justices on that Court
whose opinions are unrighteous because if the justices were all righteous,
then the vote, whichever way it went, would have been unanimous.

The effects of humanistic righteousness are evident in mainstream
Christianity too. Some time ago, a Presbyterian General Assembly voted
whether or not to allow LGBT clergy. The measure passed by the slimmest of
margins: 51%. What does that tell me? It tells me that fully half of that
Presbyterian General Assembly is not listening to God because had they all
been listening, the vote would have been unanimous one way or the other
rather than two opposing opinions.

NOTE: There should be no question that LGBT clergy is wrong.

"He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall
into disgrace and into the Devil's trap." (1Tim 3:7)

An LGBT Christian church elder would be seen by the world as a bona fide
hypocrite; which can be roughly defined as somebody who should be
standing for the Bible but at heart does not care to live by it. With a
Christian church officer like that; it's reasonable to suspect that the
congregation is compromised in other areas of faith and practices.
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Webers.Home · Sep 3, 2019

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1Pet 3:14b . . And do not fear their intimidation, nor be shaken,

Peer pressure, mob rule, cultural influences, group-think, survival, and
customs are always at work seeking to manipulate people.

Take for example the current wave of suicide bombings and acts of terrorism
perpetrated by Islamic extremists. In their own sick estimation, the murders
and destruction of private property they cause are justifiable; but any
unbiased person can easily see that what they are committing are crimes
against humanity.

The extremists no doubt see themselves as martyrs and patriots, but the
unbiased world only sees them as criminals; which, in the grand scheme of
things; is exactly what they are. Meanwhile, the extremists are exerting peer
pressure on peaceable Muslims all over the world to join their cause. When
peaceable Muslims refuse, then they too become targets just as if they were
devils rather than followers of Mohammad.

In other words, the extremists are insinuating that unless Islamists commit
murder and destruction of private property, they aren't true Muslims. That's
a pretty extreme example of how peer pressure, mob rule, cultural
influences, group-think, survival, and customs cause people to do
unrighteous things.

In this current world, if you side with God in matters of right and wrong, you
become a target for intimidation; which Webster's defines as: inducing fear
and/or a sense of inferiority. Intimidation need not be a threat of violence to
be effective. Peer pressure and ostracism are powerful tools of intimidation.
Human beings are herd animals; we all want to fit in and belong. If you
follow the herd, you will be accepted; but if you dare to buck the tide; you
will find yourself unpopular in a very short time.

It's ironic. Here in America we idolize the concept of rugged individuality.
But the truth is; we despise people who do their own thinking; and
Americans really despise individuals who dare to side with God.

I was reading an article in the newspaper recently that said in the past, it
was wise for candidates for Federal office take sides with religion, but
nowadays, in an increasingly anti-religion American society, it's becoming
best not to if they hope to win enough votes to get elected.
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Webers.Home · Sep 4, 2019

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1Pet 3:15a . . Dedicate your hearts to The Lord God

The koiné Greek word for "hearts" in that verse is from kardia (kar-dee'-ah);
an ambiguous word that can mean the organ pumping blood throughout the
body, the core of one's being, one's affections, one's basic nature, one's
center, and/or one's thoughts and feelings,

Dedicating one's heart is sort of like setting it upon something, i.e. to have a
strong (and sometimes inflexible) desire for something; for example:

"When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he
said to them: I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I
suffer." (Luke 22:14-15)

Within the context of 1Pet 3:10-16, dedicating one's heart to The Lord
pertains to moral goodness with respect to how God feels about certain
things, i.e. one's conscience.

It is first necessary to know what constitutes moral goodness in respect to
how God feels about things; and in order to know, His followers have to get
into the Bible.

"I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do
not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what
God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Rom 12:1-2)

"Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves
to distinguish good from evil." (Heb 5:14)

A training regimen, though it be the best, is quite useless unless people
work at it on a regular basis. That's just common sense. For example: Yoga
will improve your balance; but you've got to make Yoga a regular part of
your life in order for it to work. A little Yoga here, and a little Yoga there, is
not exactly the ideal way to go about it.
_

Webers.Home · Sep 5, 2019

.
1Pet 3:15b . . Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks
you a reason of the hope that is in you.

The koiné Greek word for "hope" in that passage is elpis (el-pece') which
means expectation; viz: elpis isn't wishful thinking, nor crossing your
fingers; no, elpis is a confident kind of hope that looks forward to something
that's already in the bag, viz: elpis is an anticipating hope; viz: it doesn't
pray for the best, while in the back of its mind dreading the worst.

When people aren't 110% sure what the afterlife has in store for them-- if
there is even the slightest concern, or unease --they can't possibly comply
with 1Pet 3:15b for the simple reason that the hope that is in them, if any,
is the wrong kind of hope.

"Rejoicing in hope." (Rom 12:12)

When people are praying for the best, while in the back of their mind
dreading the worst, they have absolutely no cause for rejoicing; no; but they
do have plenty of cause to fear the unknown.

Know-so hope is a calling.

"You were also called to the one hope" (Eph 4:4)

So when people are unsure of their afterlife destiny; it's an indication that
they have not yet responded to the call to the one hope.

FAQ: What is this so-called one hope?

BTW: One of its components is a new body. (Acts 2:26-27, Acts 23:6, Rom
8:23-25, and 1John 3:2)

Having a new body to look forward to is comforting and helps me cope with
losing the body I have now; especially its deterioration. Death is bad
enough, but the aging process to my thinking is worse. Thank heavens we
only have to get old once and never again.
_

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