YP Address—C. Little
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The Lord Jesus was real. He shed his precious blood. He suffered in order that you might be brought into blessing.
I marvel at this.
To think that there are those.
Among the young that lived together a while. And they say, well, I don't love you anymore. And so they just separate without any thought of the fact that they may come under the judgment of God for this.
You know, we're told over while we were in the 4th chapter that the time has come. The judgment must begin at the House of God. Now God is not going to pass by.
This disobedience.
That doesn't mean you're going to be brought under judicial judgment, but God has a way of dealing with these matters.
But we have the word of God, and so in this chapter, in this 4th chapter.
The happiness comes from bowing to this book, bowing to the word of God, acknowledging the relationships that God has given us. The family relationship is of God. And so there's so much in this chapter, in this third chapter, happiness.
It's notice it says concerning the the the wife and the husband. And also you may have you may have the wife may have a husband who is not saved.
Or the husband may have a wife who isn't saved.
What is? What is the path? What is the thought of that? Why? What are we to do? Oh, we're to live Christ. And as it says that they may, if there are, if there are those that are obey not the word, they may be won by the good conversation of the wife or the husband. Vice versa.
Yet the wife seeks to please the Lord. Or if the husband does, the other mate may see this. I know of such a case.
Personally, it took 20 years, but all it came to pass because this deer lady, this dear sister, she listened to the word of God, she prayed about it, and the Lord answered her prayers. But it took 20 years to do it.
Solemn, isn't it? But is God's word true? You know it's true. You know that what God says is true.
And whatever is said is going to come to pass, if it hasn't already. Well, as it says here.
Verse 7 Your husbands dwell with him according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered heirs together of the grace of life.
They're going to be going to be in each in that glory with the Lord Jesus.
But the solemn thing is this that.
Your wife won't be your wife in heaven. Your husband won't be your husband in heaven.
When I first heard that, I was.
They neither marry nor are given in marriage. There is going to be a glorious wedding there.
But we're going to be the bride of Christ.
Now I don't understand all this.
I can't enter into it and so I can't tell you much more about it.
But how true that is. So it's been before me how we are we now.
To treat that mate, young person, young man, young woman, older one too. How are we to treat our mates?
The one to whom we've been married.
Were to give the mall the affection and love that's possible to give them because you're not going to have them long.
The Lord's coming is near.
And when he comes, that relationship is done.
Well, and notice how the key here is heirs together of the grace of life. That's why you're here only.
But then he goes on and says, not rendering no verse 8. Finally, be all of one mind, having compassion one of another. Love is brethren. Be pitiful, be courteous, not rendering evil for evil, not retorting or railing for railing, but contrary wise blessing. Knowing that ye are there thereunto called that you should inherit a blessing.
Oh God isn't God is not going to give us these things and take them away from us. He wants us to enjoy them. And that's why we have an epistle like this that we might go through this world having set aside the things that would hinder us individually, then exercising that which is necessary to us as husband and wife, relationship, family, relationship, if you will, children, and so on. Finally be all of one mind.
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And Annie Guzan verse 10 for he that will love life.
And see good days again. This refers to our pathway. Now, now, right now, I think our dear brother yesterday and leaning before us the Lord Jesus path and how it marks us out a path now while we're here. This is what brought these things before me.
That it's now he that will love life and see good days. Let him refrain his tongue from evil in his lips, that they speak no guile. Let him eschew or avoid evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.
But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil and so on. And then notice verse 15 but sanctifying. Well, 14 says, But if you suffer for righteousness sake, happy are you, and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.
And be ready always to give an answer to every man that asked you, a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear, having a good conscience. Now, don't tell me you can have a good conscience if you're living, if you're living in a discarded spirit in a home you can't. It bothers A bothersome thing. I speak through those who know the Lord here.
There's.
There's trials, there's difficulties. But it says sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give.
An answer and I wondered about this. First if what does it mean? Well, I really believe it means.
Giving God his true character in my heart, what is God's character? Love. Compassion. Grace. Mercy.
This is what it is giving this place in my heart.
Sanctify or set the Lord Jesus or set the Lord the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer. Well, if I don't, if I'm not, if I'm not enjoying the Lord myself, there's no way that I can answer anyone else. Well, there's much in this chapter again concerning the path of obedience and what it is. Happiness is only come through the path of obedience. Then in the 4th chapter you have.
You have something of the flesh brought in there, and as the flesh suffers.
The Spirit rejoices.
You know, there are certain things that I perhaps have habits. Things come in, I have habits. And in order to enjoy the Lord, I cut those habits off, drop them off that they might. I judge them and get rid of them.
Well, it's the only way of happiness.
Is to set these things aside.
And if you're not a child of God, you can never set them aside. It's impossible. But you do have the power of God in order to do that. That's why we're told in the opening we're redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. And there is that possibility, there is the way in which we can do that. But here it's I think the flash is brought before us. And I think in three different ways I I just submit this. It says for as much then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh.
What kind of flesh did he have? Holy flesh? The Lord Jesus Christ.
Was a holy, spotless man in this world.
Christ has suffered for us in the flesh.
Arm yourselves with the same mind.
And remember what He said. Be holy, for I am holy. I'm yourselves of the same mind. Then He goes on, and he says, For he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. Well, here's sinful flesh.
He that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that is, sin delights.
The flesh likes to go on in its sin. Well, if I judge that and set it aside.
Then the flesh suffers, suffers, but the spirit rejoices, the spirit rejoices.
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And then he goes on, and he says that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
While there's natural flesh, that is nature itself. So he's not going to live the same as he did in the past. There's a change comes not going to live the rest of his time here just in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. And this is His desire for us. This is what He wants for you and for me while we're here in the past. And then He goes on with what it what this flesh is. For the time past of our life will may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, and when we walked in, lasciviousness.
Lost successive wine, revelings, banquetings, and so on. All these things, but then they're going to have something else.
They're going to say, well, you used to do this, what happened to you? Wherein they think it's strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot speaking evil of you.
Evil of you, well dear young people that also comes into view if you seek to please the Lord in your pathway.
And set aside the thing that is displeasing to him, that in order to grow and to cause.
The Spirit to rejoice. You'll find opposition to this.
Somebody is going to oppose it. They're going to say, well, you used to do that, but you don't do it anymore. Well, what's happened? Well, this is suffering. Again, for righteousness sake we set it aside. But remember, in the end that man is going to give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead and so on down in this chapter, but going further as it says if.
Verse.
Seven But the end of all things is at hand. Be therefore sober and watch unto prayer. The end of all things is at hand. It's right is at hand at this very moment. The Lord could come at any moment and take us home to glory. So the end of all things is at hand Now Peter brings this out. He says, Be therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
Soberness and prayer, that is the word of God. As I pick it up and read it, it sobers me. It gives me to see how far short I am. And I need to ask the Lord for grace to go on with Him. And so the whole pathway is here as it says, use, and above all things have fervent charity or love among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins, charity or love among yourselves.
You know, love is the bond, isn't it? Love is the bond, the love. It was the love of God that sent his Son. It was the love of the Lord Jesus that took him all the way to the cross. It is his love that bears with us every step of our journey. And it says here, now we have the privilege in the past of displaying that love or letting it flow out to others around us. Oh, and this is a secret of the the, the spirit rejoicing in the soul.
I'm sure you've experienced this in such a some degree. If there's any measure of desire to please God in your pathway, there's a rejoicing in your spirit. Rejoicing that you have the privilege in a world as opposed to God in all his ways of pleasing him, of making letting others know that you belong to Christ. What a privilege this is, dear young people and.
Then it says here.
Use hospitality one to another.
Hospitality, it says, as every man hath received the gift so minister the same to one another. As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, you notice all through here and throughout the speaks of the grace of God, His love for us where he's brought us. And this is necessary to be shown out in our lives down here now.
While we wait his return all through this epistle.
If then notice verse, If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.
If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth.
That God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
To whom be praised and dominion forever and ever. Amen. So we any man speak, let him speak as of the oracles of God, as of the ability which God-given. And God will give ability. If there is the setting aside of the flesh, and the entertaining and rejoicing in the Spirit, God will give that ability.
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And what a joy it is, what a joy to know that in this path of of the suffering and sickness and sorrow and misunderstandings that there is joy, that the child of God can still look up and rejoice, rejoice in that path. But then he goes on here, and he says concerning again, the flesh has to suffer in order for the Spirit to rejoice.
But it says that beloved verse 12.
Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you.
But rejoice, rejoice.
All they're going to be trials. You know the path I think our brother mentioned yesterday. We're not standing here telling you.
That the path of a child had gone through this world was an easy path. And you know there are no problems. You know when I was first saved, I thought, now I had so many problems before I was saved. And I thought, now that I'm saved, everything is just one grand sunshine. No problems, no storms, no trouble, no difficulties. But I found out different than that.
You know, there's a time of blessing, dear young people, and there's a time of testing. God is going to test you, everyone, Everyone in this room have had a test or will have a test.
You know, but The thing is.
Is it?
Is are we going to allow the flesh to keep us from rejoicing?
If we don't set it aside, if we don't do this, then we're going to be found.
In a miserable condition, we're going to be not enjoying the Lord, but he wants us to enjoy this.
He wants us but rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed, he may be glad with exceeding joy. Oh, it's exceeding joy to think.
Of the the glory before us to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus, to look in his face, to see that one who suffered for me suffered for you to think of that when he looks into your face.
When I look into his, what is he going to say? Well, what is he going to say? What are you going to say? Oh, we're only going to rejoice. He's not going to bring up all those things. He's not going to tell you all your failures. Oh no, the judgment seat of Christ is there. They'll all be on display, but not any crossword will ever pass his lips. Oh, I think this is very precious. Beloved, beloved, he said.
He's speaking to the children of God. He's speaking to you, young people. He's speaking to me. Each one of us, beloved, rejoice.
Beloved, think it not strange, but rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings. This is his suffering for righteousness sake.
You know, again, we can't go through his suffering on the cross. That was for himself, that was alone, alone. He did that work. And it says if you be reproached for the name of Christ.
Happy are you for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. Now there's there is a line of subject here we could could have gone into too the fact again of Christ suffering for righteousness sake, and Christ suffering for your sins and mine on the cross. And that's another subject in itself. But it says here, if we be reproached many times, you know the suffering comes because we say, I know it weighs with me my own experience.
Was. Well, they'd say, well we're going to have a we're going to have a party and we want you to come to this party. It's, you know one of the world's parties where I worked they always had parties. They were always having some get togethers. Well, I went before I was saved and after I was saved, while I was I was on a committee and then after I was saved I didn't want to go any longer. And so I I just instead of saying I I I didn't go because I belong to Christ. I said well.
I don't do those things anymore. So I I don't think I'll be able to go. Well, they laugh at you, but that's just suffering for righteousness sake. You know, I was going to, I want to do the right thing. You'll find that many of us, many of you young people perhaps you say, well I I don't do those things anymore. You may suffer for righteousness sake, but all when we bring the name of Christ in. When I got to the point in my life that I could say I can't go with you because I belong to Christ, then notice the language.
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If he be reporting, if he be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye For the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. Oh, that's far in excess of anything else, the spirit of glory. Glory is excellence in manifestation. It rests upon you, he says.
The Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part he is evil spoken of.
But on your part, he's glorified. At this point. I'd like to say this to encourage any young one here if you, if you do, speak to a soul and they.
They begin to reject it and turn it aside and make mud of it, if you will.
Don't worry about that. It says on their part he is evil spoken of. Even though you may not see success on your part, He is glorified. The Lord is glorified if you speak to a soul about him, even though they may not, they may reject it. They may even some. I had a man even cursed to me about it, but this verse came to me on their part.
He was evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. Just the fact that you name the Lord Jesus that you bring up that precious name brings glory to God.
And then I just, I see time is going, just going over to the fifth chapter we have here, then the end of the path.
As we were saying, we have that we have salvation, we have the end of the path. And isn't it lovely that God has given us in between these chapters, one and five instructions for us in different phases of our lives? But here in chapter 5 it says.
Now that comes to older ones, it comes to younger ones. We have a little different group here.
Elders, which are among you, verse one I exhort, who also am an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, in a particular glory that shall be reviewed.
The flock of God. Well, here's a word for those of us that are older, feed the flock of God. I really mean. I really think that elders here mean just mean older ones, older ones that have gone on. We have that responsibility to feed the young. We have the responsibility to bring Christ before you. But this isn't all you have a responsibility too. And now going down feed the flock of God and so on. Neither is being Lords over God's herodies. And so we find the Chief Shepherd brought in here again.
But notice verse 5. Likewise ye younger submit yourselves unto the elder.
You like that?
You know, some young people don't like, they didn't like this. They was talking to a young brother one time and I said, you know, the Bible says younger, the younger. Submit yourselves unto the elder.
And.
They sometimes it's not too easy. You know there's this is a day of independence and people like to say, well, I'm doing my own thing, I'm, I'm not going to submit to anyone. But I said now I won't stop at that point in the verse. I want to read you the rest of the verse. So I said I have a responsibility too.
Likewise you younger submit yourselves unto the elder, Ye all of you be subject 1 to another.
I said there's where I come in. All of you be subject 1 to another. Subjection is not an easy thing. We don't like this. You don't like it as a young person. And sometimes some of us Gray heads doesn't want. We don't like it either, because we have to submit to something that we say, Well, we know that and we've got a bow to it. Well, these are good instructions for us because he's bringing us here to the end and then brings that up to the end of the path, for God resisteth the proud, and so on.
But notice verse 7 casting all your care upon him, For he careth for you all of your care. Young, old, middle-aged woman, man, wife, elder, son, boy, girl, whoever.
Cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you. He cares for each one of you.
In the very place you are, in the path that you're in, and at the age you are at this very moment, he cares for you, and he wants you to cast all your care upon him. Be sober. Be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, is a roaring lion, walks about seeking who may be devour, and you know, and he does. Satan doesn't give up.
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He's working with many of us for many years. But notice verse 9 whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. I just want to make comment about that early the opening of that for whom resist steadfast in the faith. Now you'll never be able to stand against Satan in your own strength. You won't be able to pitch your mind against him your wisdom. The only way that you can face up to the enemy is on the principle of faith. Bring God in.
Faith brings God in.
And a good conscience keeps the enemy out.
Bring God in faith brings God in, and that's the only way that you will ever defeat the enemy and as he says, but the God of all grace in verse 10.
Who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus? After that ye have suffered a while, Make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. We're between the sufferings and the glory. Here tells us we're between the sufferings and the glory.
And the glory could take place at any moment. Well, he wants us to be mindful of this.
That the only way we can face the enemy is on the principle of faith, bringing God in. And then he says, the God of all, grace. After that you have suffered a while. He's going to make you perfect, strike, establish, strengthen, settle you. Well, dear young people, I just submit these things. You can read this book. You have the privilege. Probably find more in it than I did. But isn't it lovely to know that God has given us his word and it's full and it's complete?
There is nothing lacking. The word of God is filled with truth concerning the blessed Lord Jesus Christ who died, and is filled also with good instructions for us. He gives us good counsel, but we should have good ears to listen and good hearts to receive it. Well, I was just thinking.