1 Peter 2:11- 3:9. Be righteous, reach paradise; follow Christ, inherit the kingdom of God.

This is the continuation from the previous lesson. We saw that we all began our life as sinners from our youth, but those who are converted have become God's children. And so, we will inherit the kingdom of God, and we will be with God for ever. "1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;" Apostle Peter was writing this letter to Jews, who were the followers of Jesus Christ, and were persecuted and chased out of their own houses and towns. Now they were not only strangers in the place they live, but they were also pilgrims on the journey to the kingdom of God in heaven. Peter is writing a very valuable heavenly advice. He tells us to abstain from fleshly lusts, that is to restrain ourselves from enjoying ungodly fleshly lust, that is outside of marriage. The reason is, that this lust fights and wars against our own souls; that is, our lust will kill our souls. Probably, you might have heard that we have a soul in our body. If we have received the holy Spirit from God, our soul will be a living soul; if not, our soul is equivalent to a dead soul. If you like to study the details of the soul, please refer to this link: "Soul." However, let me give an example for the soul. We dream when we sleep, but when we wake up, the dream disappears. We see strange things in dreams that is not from the back of our mind. But it is God's way of telling us that we have something other than our minds in our physical body, by which we see dreams; and it is our soul. So, we all have body and soul. Soul is not our Spirit, and we must receive the Holy Spirit from God; that is born again.

Before we go to the next verse, I like to talk about what is waiting for us in heaven. We all will not be equal in heaven, since God says that our rewards will be according to what we have done. Since we do different things in different levels, we receive different rewards. In the scripture, we see four levels in heaven. They are 1, Paradise; 2, Tabernacle of God; 3, New Heavens; and 4, Heavenly Sion. If you like to study them in detail, please refer to this links, "Four levels in heaven." You may remember that one of the robbers on the cross with Jesus, went to paradise because he prayed to Jesus to remember him. Whoever barely escape hell, will reach paradise; it is the first level. The requirements to paradise are not difficult. If you believe God, do no harm to anybody, and get along with the society; just for doing this, you will be accepted in paradise. Apostle Peter was advising them just to do this, in the next few verses. This will take them to the first level in heaven, and then he builds them up to reach higher levels. Let us see his teachings to social level, so that they may also live in peace with them here. "12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation." The context is that these Jews were chased by other Jews, and they have come to gentile country to live. Probably this Gentiles might have thought that they were driven out because they were evildoers. So, Peter tells them to understand the situation, prove to them by their life and behavior, that they are good people who love others and God, but not evil doers. By doing so, they may influence the Gentiles also to become good godly people. In that case they all together may praise God on the day of visitation, when the Lord Jesus Come to reward them, to receive them at least in paradise. The rest of the instructions in the following verses are simple to understand. "13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 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." It is God who has established the local government; so, obey them; and by that you will be obeying God also. "15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king." These are simple instructions to understand, and it tells us to obey the civil rules and laws. "18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God." Please look at their situation, they are in a Gentile country for their living. This is not the time to claim their rights in the country, to do disturbances. Tolerate some injustice, and live with peace as much as you can, and it is acceptable to God. Please remember, it is not only to make a peaceable living here in the world, but also by doing so, you will make it to heaven, at least to paradise.

Please notice the next few verses, and they are very important. This will take you to a higher level beyond paradise. "21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:" If we are called by God to live as a witness for him, and thereby inherit his kingdom in heaven, we must follow Jesus Christ. Further Jesus has lived such a life of suffering, in order to show us an example, so that we may follow his life and to inherit his kingdom, as he obeyed God the Father and sat on the thrown of his Father. This is not paradise, but the highest level. How did Jesus live? He did not sin, he did not talk guile, which is flattery, but he spoke the truth, and took the suffering. He did not revile against anybody, did not threaten anybody, even though he could have used the power from God. He left every injustice done against him in the hands of God, who will judge everything righteously. "24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." This one single verse has three important phrases and let us see all the three one by one. The first one is: "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree," That is, Jesus Christ took care of all our sins by himself, in his body. This is true. Then the devil and false preachers takes over the sermons. They will hide the immediate next phrase and say as if, it is all done. Jesus took care of all our sins, God the Father has punished Jesus on the cross in our place or instead of us, and so what all we must do is to keep on sinning to acknowledge his cross, but he may get beaten up more, and however it is all done, and we will be in heaven. So, Christians are all happy and they celebrate Christmas and Good Friday, thinking that they go to heaven because of that. It is all filthy lie and deception of the Old Serpent Satan, and his servant preachers and pastors. Now let us see the next phrase. It says: "that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:" If at all Jesus Christ bears all our past sins in his body on the cross, Jesus took them all for us to die to future sins, so that we will not live in sin anymore, but live only in God's righteousness. God by his foreknowledge, he knew whether we would live in righteousness or not. If we will not live in righteousness, he had not borne our sins in his own body on the tree, and so, our past sins were not forgiven, and we will continue to sin also. In this case we will be the same old wretched sinners. But, if we do not sin anymore, God by his foreknowledge knew that, and he had borne our sins in his own body on the tree, and so, we are forgiven from the past sins, and we will not do the present and future sins, and our inheritance will be waiting for us in the kingdom of God in heaven. Just before we see the next phrase, which is the third, let us see the next verse. "25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." So, we will continue here to be with our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls, but also will be with him in his kingdom. Now let us see the third phrase: "by whose stripes ye were healed." This is a misunderstood passage, and falsely preached message, from the bible. Ignorant preachers, as well as profit minded deceiving preachers, pull this verse out of its context and preach error and false message. The man Jesus was beaten with stripes, crucified, and was killed. Bible says that we are healed because of that. Look at the context and find what are we healed from? The context says that we are healed from sins, so that we must and will not live in sin anymore but live in righteousness. It will give us inheritance in the kingdom of God in heaven. But this message is not profitable to most of our preachers. They also want to enjoy pleasures of sins, and they want excitement and profit here. So, they preach this message in double application. One is, Jesus took all our sins and died in our place, and so, we all will go to heaven. The next one is, by his stripes we were healed. It is for all our sicknesses and diseases; they were already healed, which is in past tense; so, what all we must do is, just to claim our healing that has already happened by his stripes at his death. This is an example of ignoring the context on purpose, to deceive ignorant Christians to make fools out of them and to receive big offerings.

In chapter two, we saw that it is required for us to submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. So, we must follow the culture and laws of the place that we live in, and it is a requirement of the Lord also. "1 Peter 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;" In subjection means that wives should be subordinates to their husbands; it might have been imposed by the society. If we look for support from the bible, we may find it also. The verse also says that if husbands do not listen to their wives, in time, they may listen to them by their influence in lives. "2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." It simply means that it is not the makeup of the body that makes the wife desirable, but it is the inside person with a meek and quit spirit. It is a great price for God also. "5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement." It says that holy women who trusted in the old testament also live by subjecting themselves to their husbands. Sara was brought as an example and advises women to follow her. "7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." Husbands must recognize that wives are weak and so they need help and support, they are equal to them in grace, and so, they are equal partners. Husbands must honor their wives or else their prayers will not be heard. "8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." Most of all, if you are called to inherit the kingdom of God in heaven, you must be of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing. If we live this way in the family, our family life on earth will be much of a blessing, and we will inherit the kingdom of God also in heaven.

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