In the previous series we learned that THE MESSAGE the apostles spoke to and recorded for the early church concerning the Lord was that IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL. In this teaching we will finish the message by revealing what God, through the Apostle Peter, says about what to do with that message. It is important that we not only know the message, but that we make it THE GOAL OF OUR LIVES. First Peter serves as a how-to message in our quest for that outcome.

In First Peter 1:1-3 the apostle writes about the relationship between the righteousness of the Godhead (Father and Son) and the faith of the Very Elect saints, whom God calls His “firstfruits” (1 Cor. 15:23/ Jam. 1:18) whom He “fathered with the Word of Truth.” The remainder of Peter’s letter to all believers consists of him explaining that the righteousness and grace of the Godhead enables the seeker to attain that for which he seeks–the diving nature. We are not to seek salvation, but rather the nature of Christ which we must attain in order to “walk as He walked” while in human form (1 Jn. 2:6). Relative to the seeker, Christ’s “walk” consists of THE DIVINE NATURE THAT ONE MUST TAKE ON IN ORDER TO BECOME ONE WITH HIM, WHICH WE MUST DO IN ORDER TO BE SAVED UPON HIS RETURN. Read First Peter 1:5,9. Notice when “the elect” will receive salvation, which will be the end result of the true convert’s “walk” of holiness and righteousness during this life. Read Romans 5:21 and 6:22. Note that salvation is the END RESULT of holiness and righteousness. Warning: DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY SATAN’S FALSE PROPHETS WHO TRY TO LURE YOU INTO HIS DEADLY CHURCH WEB WITH THE “JUST ACCEPT JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR” MESSAGE BY WHICH HE HAS DECEIVED THE MASSES OVER THE PAST 1900 YEARS. Read Simon of Samaria. Keyu word–Simon.

In verse 2 Peter tells us that grace and peace will be multiplied to the seeker of God’s nature THROUGH THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND CHRIST, WHICH IS FOUND ONLY IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. Verse 3 reminds us that knowledge of the Godhead is only the first step in attaining a godly nature. Contrary to what you have been told, having the divine nature is necessary for attaining salvation. Godly nature manifests the Lord in what we say, do and think, Jesus being our example. Because He reflected the Father, Jesus could honestly say that whoever had seen Him had seen the Father. We see Jesus and His Father in the Holy Scriptures. He was “the Word (Scripture) made flesh,” (Acts 1:1-4,14) as we must also be in order to live with Him in the next life. The world sees Father and Son in us as we manifest their divine nature. As the Holy Scriptures tell us repeatedly, Godliness (having God’s nature) is attained by using knowledge of he Holy Scriptures to manifest God and Christ in our “walk” through this life. Believing what we know about the Holy Scriptures is not enough. Belief (faith) without works (obedience to the Scriptures–the source of our faith–Rom. 10:19) is dead faith (Jam. 2:10). We live by our faith (Rom. 1:17). Dead faith=a dead believer. Dead faith cannot save the soul (Jam. 2:14).

In verse 6 Peter tells us that one of the results of GODLINESS is love. Verse 8 notes that this attribute is available through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. All we know about Him and His Father is found in Their Holy Bible–not church doctrine, which is man’s version of what God supposedly meant by what He said.

In his letters to the church at Corinth the Apostle Paul declares that anyone who does not have godly characteristics is still the “old (Satanic) man” and has not been created as the “new (godly) man.” He notes that the “old man” must die totally and permanently in order for the “new man” to be created in the likeness of his Creator (Eph. 4:13). Paul received his Gospel Truth directly from Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit (Gal. 1:12), which is why God chose him to write much of the New Testament.

In Second Corinthians 5:17 he tells us that a true Saint of God (one who is “in Christ”) is a TOTALLY NEW CREATION–OLD THINGS (THE SIN LIFE) HAS PASSED AWAY, “BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE MADE NEW.” He then tells us that “THE NEW MAN IS CREATED LIKE GOD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUE HOLINESS.” THIS IS COMPLETE CONVERSION (REVERSAL OF LIFE’S “WALK”), WHICH, IF MAINTAINED UNTIL DEATH, WILL RESULT IN SALVATION UPON THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST (MAT. 10:22). CONSIDERING WHAT HE ENDURED FOR OUR SALVATION, HE HAS THE RIGHT, EVEN THE OBLIGATION, TO COMMAND THE SAME LEVEL OF HOLINESS IN ORDER FOR US TO SPEND ETERNITY WITH HIM AND HIS FATHER IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. There will be no participation trophies in God’s kingdom. Everyone in the kingdom will have WON HIS LIFE’S “RACE”. As Paul says, we all run the “race” of life. However, only the winner receives the prize–eternal life (1 Cor. 9:24/ Heb. 12:1)

I feel compelled by the Lord to emphasize the fact that salvation is not awarded in this life, which is the Satanic lie that is the foundational principle of his COUNTERFEIT CHRISTIANITY known as Catholicism and Protestantism into which he has seduced billions of salvation seekers over the centuries. First Peter makes this Bible Truth abundantly clear. Let us allow him to share this information with us now. Reminder: an “heir” is one who has the promise. An “inheritor” is one who has received the promise. In this life we are HEIRS OF SALVATION. Until Christ’s return we only have the HOPE OF SALVATION (Titus 1:2). Read Hope and Salvation. Key word–Hope.

In First Peter 1:4 he states that our inheritance (salvation) is “reserved in heaven” at the present time and will be revealed (and received) “at the last time” (the end of time, the end of the world). In verse 9 he notes that “the end (end result) of our faith is the salvation of our souls.” In verse 13 he says that the end result of God’s grace (salvation) “will be brought to us upon the reveling (Gk-apokalupsis–appearing) of Jesus Christ.” In verses 14 and 15 he warns us not be disobedient as we were when we were ignorant of Him and His requirements for salvation. Rather, we are to be holy as He is holy in everything we do, say and think (in our life’s “walk” (1 Pet. 1:15,16). In 2:24 Peter commands us to live unto (in) righteousness. In 3:10-12 he declares that those who seek eternal life must eschew (reject) evil and do good, for “THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE ON THE RIGHTEOUS AND HIS EARS ARE OPEN TO THEIR PRAYERS.” Notice that He says nothing of the kind about those in the church who continue to sin (so-called “sinners saved by grace”–the unrighteous). This explains why 99% of church prayers go unanswered,

We will end this series with First Peter 4:17-19 where we are told that judgment is on-going in the church among both the true saints and the false saints. He states that true saints are very scarce (few in number) and that only the truly righteous among them will be saved. In verse 19 he again warns that those who walk as Christ walked will be persecuted (1:6,7) by false Christians (the vast majority). Just as our Savior was tried, tempted and tested, so must we be. Jesus tells us in Revelation 3:21 that only those who overcome such trials and tests by maintaining their righteousness until the end (Mat. 10:22) will be allowed to sit with Him on His throne in the Kingdom of God. Read The Three Resurrections, The Kingdom of God and God’s Very Elect. Key words–Three, Kingdom and Caretakers respectively. L.J.