Righteous Living – Page 34 – Three Minute Bible

June 8, 2020June 9, 2020

1 Peter 1:2 (c) — Pirate Talk

A pirate ship sails a stormy sea against a yellow sky.

… to be obedient to Jesus Christ …

Just for the record, I don’t claim to know how all this works. Also for the record, I am suspicious of anyone who does claim to know how this works. Jude 1: 8-9 reads:

“In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’“

Just as Jude defers to God’s judgment in disputes with the devil, I’m prone to defer to God’s judgment if there is any mystery about something in the Scriptures. What is very clear is Peter’s understanding of why we are chosen.

June 7, 2020June 8, 2020

1 Peter 1: 2 (b) — Changed

The words "Look out for each other" on a chalk board.

…through the sanctifying work of the Spirit…

In his introduction to his letter, Peter identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. He identifies his audience as a group of Christians who have gone into exile 20 to 30 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. He identifies the people he is writing to as “God’s elect” and then tells us the geographical region they live in. He explains that being “chosen” is because God already knows how things will play out.

There is a lot of information here, but Peter is not done. He still hasn’t finished his first sentence yet! Somehow the process of being chosen has something to do with the sanctifying work of the Spirit.

How?

June 5, 2020June 5, 2020

1 Peter 1:1 (d) — Exiled

The ancient world was not that big. Finding a corner to ”get away from it all” was harder than you might think.

…exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia…

Where to begin?

Peter is writing to exiles. Exiles are people who have been forced to leave their homes. Actually, that is a bit misleading. It is not like they were exiled to the next town or city. They were forced from their own country.

Why were they forced out?

Because they believed in Jesus.

May 28, 2020May 29, 2020

Jude 1: 25b — Saved

… our Savior …

As we continue with Jude’s doxology, we follow him from praising God for what he does for us (keeping us from stumbling and presenting us without fault) to describing the attributes of God. The first attribute is that He is the only God. There is no other God. He does not have any competition.

Today we turn to his most important work; the saving of his creation.

May 27, 2020May 27, 2020

Jude 1: 25a — Doxology

… to the only God …

The last sentence in Jude’s letter is spread out over two verses. Together they comprise a doxology. If you don’t know what a doxology is, that is okay. Even if you do, it is worth taking a minute of our “Three Minute Bible” post to review.

The word doxology comes from the Greek, doxologia. The two root words are “doxa” meaning “glory” and “- logia” meaning “divine sayings.” It a way of praising and glorifying God. It is a beautiful way of turning the reader’s attention back to God at the end of the letter.

May 25, 2020May 26, 2020

Jude 1: 24a — Stumbling

A paved walkway under an arched colonnade.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling…

We begin the last sentence of Jude’s letter with this phrase about stumbling.

We live in a world of paved walkways. That may not sound significant, but it is. Two thousand years ago there may have been a few paved walkways, but they were very few. Most of the paths people walked on were on bare earth.

Like a trail through the woods, earth paths contain surprises. A stray rock here, an uneven place there, and every now and then a big root winding its way across the path. These things cause a person to stumble if they are not careful. During the day when it is light it is easy to see and the roads are safer, but at twilight and night it becomes dangerous to walk.

Another difference these days is that we tend to wear better shoes. In the days of Jesus, an open sandal was more common. Have you ever smashed your bare toe into a doorpost or a chair? That is the kind of pain you might feel wearing sandals and meeting up with a rock or a root on the trail.

Why is this important?

May 17, 2020May 17, 2020

Jude 1: 20b — Choices

A child stands before 12 gum ball machines, each with a different color of candy.

… by building yourselves up in your most holy faith…

As people we have choices in life. As Christians, we have choices to make, too. One of those choices is whether we choose to build ourselves up in holy faith.

This past year I suffered an injury to my shoulder. I chose to wait and see if it would get better by itself. It didn’t. Instead of getting better, I learned to adapt or guard the injury. When I finally saw the doctor a few months later, he confirmed that the injury was severe enough to have limited the motion in my arm. He referred me to a physical therapist. I now had another choice to make: live with the pain or deal with therapy. Eventually, I chose therapy.

May 16, 2020May 16, 2020

Jude 1: 20a — Dear Friends

Friends silhouetted against the setting sun.

But you, dear friends…

Jude is done writing about the “ungodly.” His letter is short, taking less than three minutes to read the whole thing. After a brief greeting, he jumps into his topic and doesn’t let go. Now, only a few words from the end of his letter, he abruptly stops and changes direction. At this point, he is talking to his brothers and sisters in Christ, those who believe. Those who are part of the Body of Christ.

But you, dear friends…

Who are his friends? These are the people who are called by God. They are loved in God the Father. They are kept for Jesus Christ. They have mercy, peace, and love. They share in salvation through the promise and presence of Jesus in their lives. And, they contend for the faith.

May 13, 2020May 14, 2020

Jude 1: 16b — The Face of Jesus

A photo of a statue of Jesus gazing out over the horizon.

…they follow their own evil desires…

Jude is almost done with his description of those who pollute and dilute the Body of Christ. It is as if Jude is looking into the face of Jesus himself, and in that face he sees the purity that Jesus wants for his church.

Let’s join Jude and imagine what the Body of Christ could be like.

May 12, 2020May 12, 2020

Jude 1: 16a — On Guard

These people are grumblers and faultfinders…

With deft strokes, Jude is painting a picture of what the ungodly look like. I find it interesting that he does not call out specific people he might be thinking of. Yet, I can also see a reason for this. From God’s perspective, Jude is not being asked to write to a specific church or even a specific age of the church. Instead, the Holy Spirit has commissioned him to write a description for all time.

Jude’s letter is a fitting penultimate chapter for God’s love letter to his people. From beginning to end, the entire Bible is about two things; Jesus Christ and the difference between what is godly and what is ungodly. Jude’s letter paints a picture of what to look for.