What is the key to being blessed by God?

Robbing God – Mal. 3:6-18 (Amplified)

 

Why is it that so many good Christians suffer while those who seem to hate and ignore God have it made? What is the secret to being blessed? What are they doing that I’m not? How is it they get all the breaks while I can’t get even one? What am I doing wrong?

If this sounds familiar you’re not alone. I think everyone has thoughts like these at one time or another. We see the rich and famous thumb their nose at God and the Bible while they rake in millions, or own corporations and mansions, or are so famous that they are practically worshipped themselves.

God, through the Prophet Malachi addresses this issue here in this passage, and though it applies mainly to the nation of Israel during the age of the law and the prophets, before Jesus Christ instituted the age of grace we now live in, this passage still contains many truths we can benefit from.

1.      What God has promised to do He WILL do; He will never go back on a promise.

Mal 3:6 For I am the Lord, I do not change; that is why you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

a.       God never changes; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8).

b.      He deals with us fairly and justly always, based on three main factors:

                                                  i.      What His plan of action is for all mankind.

                                                ii.      What His plan of action is for each person’s life.

                                              iii.      What our actions toward Him require that He do.

c.       Any changes in His dealings toward us therefore are due to something occurring in one of these three areas.

                                                  i.      His plan for mankind necessitates different courses of action depending on what it is He has decided to accomplish. (The Levitical priesthood in the Old Testament, Christ as our High Priest in the New Testament)

                                                ii.      His plan for each individual necessitates different things to occur in order to bring us into spiritual maturity. (old blessings and opportunities passing away to make room for new ones as we grow and mature)

                                              iii.      Our actions toward Him determine whether we will be blessed or cursed (even that is dependent on God’s decision to either be merciful or judgmental, whichever has the best chance of bringing about spiritual maturity in us or fulfilling His plan for mankind).

d.      God had promised to make Jacob’s descendents into a great nation (Gen. 46:1-4) and to preserve and protect them so that the Messiah would come through them (Gen. 12:1-3).

e.       That is why in this verse God does not destroy them because of some action toward God they have done.

2.      God promises that if we turn away from following our way and return to His way, He will return to us and bless us.

Mal 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, How shall we return?

a.       The nation of Israel had wandered away from their faith, obedience, and devotion to God. Therefore He cannot give them the blessings He promised to those who follow Him (Deut. 28:1-14) and must curse them instead (Deut. 28:15-68).

b.      He goes on to promise however, that if they will return and follow Him, He will return to them (be free to take away the cursing and give them the blessings He promised)

c.       Their question to God of how they can return to Him is the subject of the rest of this passage. It also gives us insight into how we can return after we have turned away from Him.

3.      Not obeying God’s will is the only way we can “rob” God.

Mal 3:8 Will a man rob {or} defraud God? Yet you rob {and} defraud Me. But you say, In what way do we rob {or} defraud You? [You have withheld your] tithes and offerings.

a.       There are only two ways to rob or defraud God:

                                                  i.      First, to steal by force, threat of violence, or deception. Since God is all-powerful it is unlikely we could ever take anything from Him by force, and since He is all-knowing we cannot deceive Him either. Therefore this way is not possible.

                                                ii.      Second, by withholding something legally due to Him. This is the way specified here.

b.      Tithes and offerings were legally due to God according to the law given by God (Lev. 27:30-32).  So withholding them was a violation of God’s law that necessitated cursing.

                                                  i.      However, the command to tithe was given to the nation of Israel in the days of Moses.

                                                ii.      Israel was a theocracy; a combination of Church and State ruled by God, and the laws given to it were intended for both governmental and religious regulation of that nation.

                                              iii.      This means tithes and offerings were a system of income tax for governmental maintenance, and a source of supply for the functions of the Levitical priesthood.

                                              iv.      Until Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection the nation of Israel still operated under the Levitical priesthood. Therefore all laws pertaining to tithing were still valid. Afterward, Jesus Christ became our High Priest and the Levitical priesthood along with the need for supply through tithes and offerings was abolished. Only income tax to the government was still in place. And our government today ensures that we do not withhold that from them!

                                                v.      This being the case, how does this verse apply to us today?

1.      There’s an old saying that goes, “what do you give the man that has everything?” Or in other words, what could we possibly give God that He doesn’t own already since everything belongs to Him anyway?

2.      In every person’s life is a “storehouse” containing four vaults. In each vault God deposits treasures for us to use to sustain us and others in service to him:

a.       time (health and the time God allows us to live on Earth),

b.      truth (all the knowledge and wisdom we have that He gives to us),

c.       talent (the natural and spiritual gifts He gives us to serve Him), and

d.      things (possessions and money, the necessities of life for ourself and others).

3.      The only thing we own that God does not already own is our obedience in serving Him through all He has deposited into our storehouse vaults.

a.       He promises to continue to make deposits into these vaults as long as we obey Him (Lk. 11:28)

b.      He also promises to make abundant deposits as well. An abundance of spiritual knowledge (truth) is the key to abundant deposits of whatever God knows we need the most (Matt. 13:12).

c.       This does not mean if you read your Bible you will get rich, or live a long life, etc., what it means is that the willingness on our part to receive abundant spiritual knowledge and use it allows God to give us more and more of whatever we need to fulfill His plan for our life and for all mankind.

d.      This principle is also the focus of (Lk. 6:38) where we are told to give and a generous return will be given back to us. Again, what kind of abundant return depends on what we need most to do God’s will.

                                                                                                                          i.      Sometimes a lack of what we need in one or more areas of our life puts us in a place with others like ourselves who need the benefit of the abundant knowledge we possess.

                                                                                                                        ii.      The plan of God for all mankind always has first priority. Sometimes we must suffer loss or lack in order to accomplish things for God greater than just having our own needs, wants and desires met.

                                                                                                                      iii.      Whether we are abundantly blessed on Earth or not, we can rest assured that we have an abundance of riches in Heaven waiting for us. The brief time of hardship we experience in life is but one drop compared to the ocean of eternal joy and blessings in store for us.

4.      God will not curse us for not doing something it is no longer possible for us to do.

Mal 3:9 You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation.

a.       As stated previously, it makes no sense for God to command and require us to bring tithes and offerings to a temple that no longer exists. Therefore the curse connected to it is irrelevant as well.

5.      We are blessed by blessing others.

Mal 3:10 Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Mal 3:11 And I will rebuke the devourer [insects and plagues] for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts.
Mal 3:12 And all nations shall call you happy {and} blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

a.       The other side of the coin is that He obviously cannot bless us for it either since it can no longer be obeyed.

b.      Remember, we are now under grace, not the law. Freewill gifts are the standard on which we operate now. The story of Ananias and Sapphira is a prime example (Acts 5:1-11).

                                                  i.      In the new and growing Church, all the believers loved one another and shared everything so that no one would be in need. Barnabas had just generously sold a field and brought all the money (note: not a tenth, or a tithe; all of it) to the apostles to distribute among the needy.

                                                ii.      Ananias and Sapphira also sold a piece of property. The Bible says that, with his wife’s full knowledge, Ananias kept back part of the money but brought the rest to the apostles, pretending to give it all. However, the apostles were not deceived. Peter confronted Ananias, accusing him of being under the influence of Satan. Realizing that his deceit had been discovered, Ananias fell down dead and was carried out to be buried. If the law of the tithe were still in effect Ananias would not have died for keeping out only a portion for himself.

                                              iii.      Three hours later, his wife Sapphira came in, unaware of her husband’s death. Peter asked her about the transaction and she confirmed the misinformation that Ananias had given. Outraged, Peter accused her of testing the Holy Spirit. The men who had buried her husband returned just in time to carry out Sapphira’s body to be buried her beside him.

                                              iv.      Ananias and Sapphira must have conspired together to deceive the disciples and the family of believers. They must have coveted the prestige of giving such a gift to the church but not the sacrifice.

                                                v.      Giving to the church was always a free-will offering, as it still is today. They might have truthfully said that they sold their land and wanted to give a portion of the money or they could have kept it all for themselves. But when they lied, they lied to the Holy Spirit – to God Himself - and they paid the penalty of death. Sapphira and Ananias put their own greed first - their greed for money and their greed for notoriety. They tried to deceive God and His people. Jesus Himself said it ““No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matt. 6:24)

                                              vi.      The church was young then and the deaths of Sapphira and Ananias served as an example of how seriously God regarded dishonesty in His church. Aren’t we lucky that God doesn’t strike down every person who lies to Him today. Our churches might be very small. But there is a kind of death that comes as a result of deceit. It is the death of the bond of fellowship between believers and the death of the intimate relationship we should have with our Lord.

c.       How then can we be blessed, if not through tithing? Again, as stated before – obedience.

                                                  i.      Jesus said in Luke 11:28 “Blessed (happy and to be envied) rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey {and} practice it!”

                                                ii.      “For the [true] love of God is this: that we do His commands [keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and teaching]. And these orders of His are not irksome (burdensome, oppressive, or grievous).” (1 Jn. 5:3)

                                              iii.      Look over the commandments in Exodus 20:1-17. Tithing and offerings are not a part of them. True, later in Leviticus and Deuteronomy He set up a system of tithes and offerings, but He also abolished it when He died on the cross (Mk. 15:38) The whole offerings system was intended as a teaching aid for the nation of Israel to point them to Christ, not as a restrictive set of “do’ and don’t’s”.

                                              iv.      So how do we keep the commandments then as stated in 1 Jn. 5:3? Jesus answered this as well: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. These two commandments sum up {and} upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 22:37-40)

                                                v.      So where does our blessing come from? The same place, from loving God and loving others.  Jesus told the rich young ruler, who had claimed to have been obeying all the commandments “You lack one thing; go and sell all you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come [and] accompany Me [walking the same road that I walk].” (Mk. 10:21) He was keeping the letter of the law, not the spirit of it. That was the one thing he lacked. He worshipped money too much to let go of it out of love for his neighbor, and follow Jesus, out of love for Him. God doesn’t require that we give all our money to the poor. He asks that we give everything, even ourselves to Him out of love for Him, and use what He has entrusted to us; our time, truth, talent, and treasure to help whoever needs it, out of love for them.  In return, He will give us riches in heaven.

                                              vi.      So what about Here? How do we get riches here on Earth?

1.      In the first place, we already have them, we are adopted into God’s family, and every child of a king is a prince or princess who shares in all the riches of the Father as well as inheriting a great amount of wealth.

2.      In the second place, if all who followed God were billionaires, in mansions with chauffeured limousines, how would the poor and needy be served? Many poor look to the rich for a break that’s true, but it’s also true that many resent the “well off” That’s why the Apostle Paul said, “What then is the [actual] reward that I get? Just this: that in my preaching the good news (the Gospel), I may offer it [absolutely] free of expense [to anybody], not taking advantage of my rights {and} privileges [as a preacher] of the Gospel. For although I am free in every way from anyone's control, I have made myself a bond servant to everyone, so that I might gain the more [for Christ]. To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to men under the Law, [I became] as one under the Law, though not myself being under the Law, that I might win those under the Law. To those without (outside) law I became as one without law, not that I am without the law of God {and} lawless toward Him, but that I am [especially keeping] within {and} committed to the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. To the weak (wanting in discernment) I have become weak (wanting in discernment) that I might win the weak {and} overscrupulous. I have [in short] become all things to all men, that I might by all means (at all costs and in any and every way) save some [by winning them to faith in Jesus Christ]. And I do this for the sake of the good news (the Gospel), in order that I may become a participator in it {and} share in its [blessings along with you].” (1 Cor. 9:19-23)

a.       We empathize; we find things in common with those in need, and build a Christian relationship on this common ground.

b.      Someone who is in the same position as yourself, or who has overcome what you are struggling with has a much better chance of ministering to you than some rich big shot would.

3.      Lastly, using our brief time of blessings we enjoy and hardships we endure in this life as a tool to bring others to God and an everlasting harvest of blessings in their life as well is but a drop in the ocean compared to what is ahead of us for doing so.

6.      Obedience to God is and has always been the key to being blessed.

Mal 3:13 Your words have been strong {and} hard against Me, says the Lord. Yet you say, What have we spoken against You?
Mal 3:14 You have said, It is useless to serve God, and what profit is it if we keep His ordinances and walk gloomily {and} as if in mourning apparel before the Lord of hosts?

a.       Here at last is the core of the whole passage. It was their disobedience to Him, not the money they withheld that God was concerned about. After all why would God be interested in something He could easily create for Himself?

b.      The freewill obedience of those who truly love Him is the only thing God cannot create. If He could we would be nothing more than robots programmed to love Him, and that would not be true worship or love!

c.       Plus they were wrong about what a true “worshipper of God” looked like. Making yourself look “holy” to other people so that you could gain their attention was condemned by Jesus in the New Testament (Matt. 23:2-7)

7.      Evildoers seem to prosper in life without God, but in the end they will suffer eternally, still without God.

Mal 3:15 And now we consider the proud {and} arrogant to be happy {and} favored; evildoers are exalted {and} prosper; yes, and when they test God, they escape [unpunished].

a.       What was common then is still common today. We see people lie, cheat and steal their way to lavish riches while we who struggle can’t seem to get a break. It doesn’t seem fair but consider this analogy: If you have a room full of light bulbs all running on a 120 volt circuit, then one of them decides to run on 480 volts (4 times the designed voltage) it will burn much brighter than all the others, making them envy the one who is brighter than the rest – for about half a second before it blows up.

b.      Those who turn their backs on God and climb the ladder of success on the backs of hard working believers are burning up an eternity of blessings in one brief lifetime in exchange for an eternity of darkness and suffering. They are to be pitied, and reached out to, not envied and copied.

8.      To be rich with faith in God and fellowship with other believers is true riches on Earth.

Mal 3:16 Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced {and} worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name.
Mal 3:17 And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize {and} openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.
Mal 3:18 Then shall you return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who does not serve Him.

a.       Notice that it was those who looked to God for guidance and leadership rather that at those who looked at themselves and followed their own agenda for success.

b.      Those who serve God will be spared in the end, not those who serve themselves. The smiling face of wealth apart from God is but a mask worn by ones who are inwardly tortured. The sad fact is if they remain that way till they die, they will be outwardly tortured as well.

Conclusion and Summary: Robbing God

God never goes back on a promise; He will do everything He promises to do. Even if after we have turned away from Him; if we return to Him, He promises to return to us. 

Not obeying God is the same as robbing God of something He rightfully deserves – our love, obedience, and devotion. Loving God, and loving others as we do ourselves blesses both God and those we serve through love, and God will bless us for doing so. This means our freewill obedience to God is the key to blessing and being blessed. 

Those who prosper without God are to be pitied rather than copied. A torturous eternity awaits them and it is our duty as Christians to reach out to them, not envy them. If we are rich in faith toward God, and rich in fellowship with other believers, then we are the true “wealthy” of the world. Because everything else that can be banked hoarded, stored, hidden, monopolized, or stolen will still be here when they pass away, and only we who have true riches will be left to inherit the Earth and everything they left behind.

Why Should I Live to Please God Rather than Myself?

Living for God – 1 Pet. 4:1-11 (Amplified)

Why should I bother living for God? Why should I give up what I want out of life for what God wants? Why is it so important? And what will I get out of it?

Living for God is an ongoing and growing skill in every Christian’s life. It is the spiritual equivalent of “growing up” physically. Just as there are stages of physical growth, there are stages of spiritual growth as well. Infant, toddler, adolescent, and adult are all stages of maturity in both our body and our spirit. Also, just as some people never mature past one physical stage to the next, many Christians never graduate from one stage of spiritual maturity to the next either.

Every person lives his or her life for someone or something. And all decisions are based on pleasing whatever or whoever that is. Whether it is ourselves, our family, our careers, our government, or God. Every object we choose as the focus of our lives brings with it a list of things that must be done in order to satisfy it. And God is no different.

The level of completion of whichever list you choose reflects the number of skills and level of maturity you have reached in that area. The list of living for God skills listed in 1 Peter 4:1-11 gives us both a checklist for seeing just how spiritually mature we are, it also provides us with the guidelines for growing to spiritual maturity. 

1.      Living for God means to suffer willingly and patiently rather than give in to the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

1 Pet 4:1 SO, SINCE Christ suffered in the flesh {for us, for you}, arm yourselves with the same thought {and} purpose [patiently to suffer rather than fail to please God]. For whoever has suffered in the flesh [having the mind of Christ] is done with [intentional] sin [has stopped pleasing himself and the world, and pleases God],

a.       Every person’s body has needs, wants and desires. When these things aren’t fulfilled, or when it gets something it doesn’t need, doesn’t want, or doesn’t desire it is said that we are suffering.

b.      But Jesus tells us in Luke 12:15 that our life “does not consist in {and} is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance {or} that which is over and above his needs.”

c.       Therefore, all suffering is not necessarily pain, and hardship. Sometimes it is just doing without things we don’t really need. We just want or desire them. Jesus illustrated this to us in His life on Earth.

d.      Suffering is far from being a form of self-punishment as the world, the flesh, and the devil wants us to believe. In fact, this verse says to “arm yourselves with the same thought {and} purpose” ARM ourselves with suffering, as if it were a weapon, which it is. It is a spiritual weapon we use to defeat the devil.

e.                   The use of this weapon requires two things on our part: thought, and purpose.

                                                  i.      Thought – thinking; serious consideration of whether the thing before you is really a necessary need, an unnecessary want, or an extravagant desire.

                                                ii.      Purpose – the ultimate goal that our lives are to fulfill. Knowing this will clear up the majority of puzzles about which category things fall into. If our goal is to please out bodies, the wants and desires become obvious. Likewise, if our goal is to please God, our needs become crystal clear also.

f.       As unlikely as it sounds, suffering on our part pleases God. This is not to say that He gets pleasure from our pain; certainly not. It simply means it pleases God to see us refuse things we don’t need and hold onto Him, the one we do need.

g.       Even suffering in the form of pressure, affliction, and hardship pleases God. Impossible you say? Well consider this:

                                                  i.      Everything that comes to us has to be approved by God before it is allowed to occur.

                                                ii.      God gets no pleasure from our pain; therefore He is not the one inflicting it.

                                              iii.      The world, the flesh, and the devil are the only other sources possible.

                                              iv.      The world inflicts pain on us in a number of ways to coerce us into “fitting in” by turning our backs on God. A large part of the world has been deceived by the devil and therefore pressures all those not conforming until they do.

                                                v.      No rational person wants or desires stress, problems, or pain, but we frequently make decisions that bring pain upon ourselves. Just as physical pain is a warning that something is wrong that we need to correct. Life pain that we bring on ourselves is a warning as well. Both are blessings from God designed to preserve our life, not destroy it. This firmly seats suffering the consequences of our sins as a need, rather than a punishment.

                                              vi.      The devil inflicts pain on us directly in the form of fear, worry, anxiety, even physical pain and illness. All designed to destroy us in one way or the other.

h.      This means there are two kinds of suffering; positive and negative:

                                                  i.      Positive suffering’s intent is to build us up through turning down things we don’t need. This increases our self-discipline.

                                                ii.      Negative suffering’s intent is to tear us down, make us give up, or kill us. It is an attack on us by our enemy, the devil. But God turns it around and uses it to strengthen our endurance and patience (Rom. 5:3), much the same way as exercise tears down our muscles just a bit, so they will grow back stronger.

i.        Any way you look at it, our willing and patient suffering pleases God, because it shows him we are choosing to please Him rather that the devil, the true source of all suffering. That’s what Jesus did as our example for living, and that’s what He wants us to do as well.

2.      Living for God means controlling our appetites so that our spirit gets first priority when it comes to being fed.

1 Pet 4:2 So that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living by [his] human appetites {and} desires, but [he lives] for what God wills.

a.       God created all living things. All living things have appetites. The purpose of an appetite is to motivate the living thing to seek the nourishment it needs to grow and maintain its life.

b.      God originally created us in His image, as a triune being (one being made up of three parts). Just as God is composed of three parts (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), so are we (body, soul, and spirit

c.       God created for us a physical body, and breathed into it the breath of lives (plural, literal translation of Gen. 2:7). Physical life, Soul life (mind and emotions), and Spiritual Life (relationship with God, lost when Adam sinned, and regained through salvation).

d.      Every moment of a person’s life one of these appetites is dominant when it comes to making the decision of which one is to be fed. Whichever part gets fed, some other part ends up suffering for it because it’s not getting what it wants.

Form of Life	Has Appetite For	Results when fed
Body	Food	body and emotions satisfied, but mind and spirit suffers
Soul (mind)	Knowledge	mind, emotions and spirit satisfied, but body suffers
Soul (emotions)	Pleasure	Is satisfied as the result of one part being fed at the expense of another part.
Spirit	Relationship with God	mind, emotions and spirit satisfied, but body suffers

3.      Living for God means not continually seeking to satisfy the body’s appetites while your soul and spirit suffers.

1 Pet 4:3 For the time that is past already suffices for doing what the Gentiles like to do--living [as you have done] in shameless, insolent wantonness, in lustful desires, drunkenness, reveling, drinking bouts {and} abominable, lawless idolatries.

a.       God’s provision of spiritual rebirth, through the atoning work of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross, restored life to the dead spirit we were born with.

b.      This spiritual rebirth opens the lines of two-way communication between God and man. God relates to us through grace and mercy; man relates to God through worship, and obedience.

                                                  i.      “Grace” is God giving us what we don’t deserve (salvation, blessings); “Mercy” is God not giving us what we do deserve (eternal punishment and separation from Him).

                                                ii.      “Worship” is us giving God what He deserves (Prayer, love for Him and His will); “Obedience” is us not giving God what He doesn’t deserve (disobedience, disrespect through sinful indulgence).

4.      Living for God means rejecting the world’s self-destructive lifestyles.

1 Pet 4:4 They are astonished {and} think it very queer that you do not now run hand in hand with them in the same excesses of dissipation, and they abuse [you].

a.       The old saying “misery loves company” applies here. It means people who are indulging in self-destructive behavior want others around them to behave in the same way so that they feel justified in destroying their own lives.

b.      Christians don’t fit into the world’s mold. They don’t seek immediate pleasure and postpone suffering, hoping it will never come (which it always does eventually). Christians know that immediate suffering is just the growing pains of spiritual maturity that will pay off later in the form of great blessings and abilities to do more than they ever thought possible.

c.       Because Christians refuse to “fit in” with the world’s path to self-destruction we are looked down on and ridiculed and abused mentally, verbally, emotionally, and even physically. The world sees suffering as something undesired that hurts and therefore must be eliminated through pleasure seeking. But Christians know that suffering is merely spiritual muscle building that helps us to endure and overcome the greater times of suffering that destroys those who only seek to avoid it.

5.      Living for God means looking forward to God’s final judgment, not fearing it.

1 Pet 4:5 But they will have to give an account to Him Who is ready to judge {and} pass sentence on the living and the dead.

a.       Who are the living and the dead?

                                                  i.      If we are living for God because we received eternal spiritual rebirth through salvation, then we are part of the living.

                                                ii.      If we have rejected God’s free gift of salvation, preferring to satisfy the demands of our bodies and emotions, never having received eternal spiritual rebirth, then we are part of the dead.

b.      Why will the living be judged and sentenced along with the dead?

                                                  i.      If a person is accused of a crime, regardless of whether he did it or not, he must go before a judge who will determine if he is guilty or not guilty.

                                                ii.      After the judgment is made a sentence is passed that determines the future of that individual.

                                              iii.      Therefore, both guilty and not guilty persons end up being judged and sentenced.

1.      The guilty are judged as such and sentenced a fine and/or prison time.

2.      The innocent are judged not-guilty and sentenced to freedom from any fines or prison time.

                                              iv.      Born-again (spiritually alive) persons will be judged innocent, free of any sin that would bring condemnation (Rom. 8:1) and are sentenced to eternal life with God in Heaven, unbelievers (spiritually dead) persons still have their sin crimes on their records so they are judged guilty and sentenced to eternal punishment and separation from God in Hell. (Jn. 3:36)

c.       What evidence will God use to judge and sentence us with?

                                                  i.      God will use two pieces of evidence to judge us guilty or not guilty. One is the book of good and evil deeds done in each person’s life; God has a record book for each person. Collectively, these are the “books” mentioned in Rev. 20:12a. The other is the Book of Life. This is one book that has in it every name of every person that has ever lived and believed in Christ and received salvation. This is the book mentioned in Rev. 20:12b. If a person never believes in Christ his name will not be found in the Book of life; he will be judged according to his life deeds book alone (Rev. 20:12c)

1.      For unbelievers, good deeds amount to attempts to earn one’s way into heaven without Christ, which is impossible since the recording of just one evil deed cancels the effectiveness of every other good deed as qualifying us for salvation. So these are ruled as inadequate for eternal life with God. The recording of just one evil deed is enough to condemn that person to eternal punishment, and rejection of Christ’s offer of salvation alone is enough to warrant that. So their name is blotted out of the Book of Life.

2.      For believers, faith in Christ blots out all evil deeds from their record book so there are none left to condemn them (Rom. 8:1) their good deeds are therefore irrelevant for earning their way into Heaven, so the remaining good deeds are the basis for rewards we will receive in Heaven.

                                                ii.      The Book of Life contains all the names of everyone who has ever lived. Every person, while he is alive, has the potential for being judged a believer in Christ and escaping eternal punishment (Ecc. 9:3-4). But if that person dies without accepting salvation his name is blotted out of the Book of Life (Rev. 3:5).

                                              iii.      Since every person will one day die, every person has the opportunity to be found in the Book of Life. (Heb. 9:27)

                                              iv.      Knowing all of this, we can be secure in our knowledge that our names are already in the Book of Life and can look forward to our final judgment, without fear of punishment. We will not answer for sins He has blotted out of our books and forgotten, only for the good deeds we have done for Him, and these will be rewarded.

6.      Living for God means spreading the good news of salvation through Christ to all unbelievers.

1 Pet 4:6 For this is why the good news (the Gospel) was preached [in their lifetime] even to the dead, that though judged in fleshly bodies as men are, they might live in the spirit as God does.

a.       Knowing that even the worst and most evil of all sinners has the potential for having his name remain in the Book of Life and escape eternal punishment should motivate us to spread the Gospel to all who will listen.

b.      Even though there will be no suffering in Heaven (Rev. 21:3-4) we will all have to live for eternity with the knowledge and uncertainty of how many we might have lead to salvation had we been more diligent in spreading the Gospel.

7.      Living for God means acting as though we will face final judgment at any moment.

1 Pet 4:7 But the end {and} culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded {and} self-restrained and alert therefore for [the practice of] prayer.

a.       There is no guarantee of tomorrow, or even the next moment. Final judgment could come upon us even before you finish reading the next sentence (Matt. 24:36).

b.      We should therefore waste no time in reaching as many as we can with the Gospel message.

8.      Living for God means having the same love for others as God has for us.

1 Pet 4:8 Above all things have intense {and} unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].

a.       God has intense and unfailing love for us. It is without limit and without end. He even loves those who reject Him. If He didn’t He would never have sent His Son Jesus Christ to save us.

b.      We should all have the same love for one another that God has for us. A love that is extended even to those who hate us.

c.       Just as God forgives and disregards the offenses of others by offering salvation to all who will accept it, we should forgive and disregard the offenses of those who hate and mistreat us. Because ultimately, it is not us they are rejecting, it is God Himself.

d.      Any unbeliever who rejects God until he dies will be lost forever. Any believer who rejects God is in danger of losing some of his rewards in heaven; not his salvation, just his rewards (2 Jn. 1:8).

e.       In either case, to forgive and forget the offenses done to us is NOT a sign of weakness or “letting them get away with it”, it is in fact an act of love that mirrors God’s own love for us. A love that seeks to save and restore, not to condemn and separate (Prov. 10:12).

9.      Living for God means being genuinely kind, generous, and friendly to everyone you meet.

1 Pet 4:9 Practice hospitality to one another (those of the household of faith). [Be hospitable, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigners, the poor, and all others who come your way who are of Christ's body.] And [in each instance] do it ungrudgingly (cordially and graciously, without complaining but as representing Him).

a.       To be hospitable to someone means to treat them with warmth, friendliness, kindness, and generosity.

b.      We are to treat all members of the body of Christ (the Church) with hospitality, regardless of who they are. Whether they are strangers, foreigners, rich, poor, etc.

c.       The Greek words in this verse translated “ungrudgingly” (aneu goggusmov) means “without secret displeasure not openly avowed”. To put it simply, we do not put on a false face of kindness to mask real face of unwillingness to be kind. Our hospitality must genuine, not a show. Hospitality is to be an expression of our inner love toward others rather that to satisfy some sense of obligation or to elevate others’ opinion of you.

d.      The kindest and most generous thing we can do for those who are not of the body of Christ is to offer them the Gospel message. If they accept it, they are now fellow believers and are subject to all the loving kindness you wish to bestow upon them. If they reject it, but still treat you with respect, a certain level of hospitality is still called for to show yourself as an example of how believers in Christ truly act. If they reject it, but become hostile and disrespectful toward you, the most hospitable thing you can do is just leave them alone. Go your way and let God deal with them. You have given the Gospel to them, now it is the Holy Spirit’s turn to deal with that person. Otherwise you might be seen as “pushy”, a “kook”, or a “fanatic”. Either way you are doing nothing to display true Christ-likeness. Jesus didn’t push Himself on others, He even instructed His disciples not to (Matt. 10:14), so neither should we.

10.  Living for God means fully using the spiritual gifts God has given you both within, and in harmony with other members of the body of Christ.

1 Pet 4:10 As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God's many-sided grace [faithful stewards of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians by unmerited favor].

a.       Each Christian (the body of Christ) is to Christ (the head of the body) as each cell of our human bodies is to our brain (Col. 1:18).

b.      Every cell has its own particular specialized abilities to perform as well as the responsibility to harmonize with all other cells. An eye cell performs differently from a hand cell, yet both work together to accomplish common goals.

c.       Likewise, every Christian has his own particular specialized gifts to use as well as the responsibility to harmonize those gifts with all other Christians. We all have unique functions in the body of Christ, yet we all should work together to accomplish God’s will and purposes.

11.  Finally, and most importantly, living for God means not taking credit yourself for anything you do while using the time, truth, talents, or things that God has given to you to use for His glory.

1 Pet 4:11 Whoever speaks, [let him do it as one who utters] oracles of God; whoever renders service, [let him do it] as with the strength which God furnishes abundantly, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever (through endless ages). Amen (so be it).

a.       The time we use to serve God is given to us by God, we can do nothing to change it. Neither murder nor suicide will be successful unless God permits it.

b.      The truth we use in our lives to grow and evangelize others is His truth, not ours.

c.       The talent we use to serve God comes from Him, not us. He created us with certain natural abilities, and at salvation He gifted us with others. All to be used in harmony to serve Him. If you doubt this, just try to become expert at something you feel is totally wrong for you. You may become good at it but you will never excel to the level of your natural and gifted abilities.

d.      The things you possess are gifts from God as well; He made it possible for you to possess them. Some things are of course necessities, but others have been given to you to hold onto until the one He wants to give them to comes into your life. He uses us to bless others. Just think back at some of the people who have given you things you needed, just when you needed them. Like you, they were caretakers of items needed by someone till that person came along.

Conclusion and Summary: Living for God

Living for God means doing His will for your life, and His will for your life it to:

1.      Patiently and willingly endure suffering as a weapon against falling into the devil’s traps.

2.      Employ self-control when it comes to the appetites of your body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

3.      Not starve your spiritual life in order to gorge your physical, mental, or emotional life.

4.      Avoid being pressured into self-destructive lifestyles so as not to feel left out or different.

5.      Look forward to receiving your rewards in Heaven without fear or worry.

6.      Give the Gospel of Jesus Christ to unbelievers.

7.      Live as though you could receive your riches in Heaven at any moment.

8.      Love others with the same kind of love that God has loved us.

9.      Be kind, generous, and friendly to everyone you meet.

10.  Use your natural and Holy Spirit gifted abilities to the full and in harmony those of other believers.

11.  Give God total credit for the bountiful wealth of time, truth, talents, and things that He has given to you for use in glorifying Him.

The irony in all of this is the fact that when you conform what you want to get out of life to that which God wants to put into your life, you end up pleasing yourself as well as God, and getting out of life more than you ever expected to or would have been able to achieve on your own.