There have been quite a number of people who have wrote to me or spoken to me over the years about their problems. They tell me about their sicknesses, they tell me about their struggles, they tell me about their depression, and about their addictions and their needs of every kind. They do this because they are desperately seeking help, and in every single instance, I always lead them to the all-important truth: that Jesus is the answer.
Now some argue that this answer is too simplistic. However in truth, the Gospel is simple. It is life-changing truth, yet simple enough for a child to understand. The scriptures advise us to never leave the simplicity of the Gospel, and so today we will be studying the simple truth of the scripture, and how it is also applicable to save us in every area of or lives.
Most people understand that Jesus is the answer when it comes to salvation. They understand that Jesus is the answer when it comes to the forgiveness of sins. However they do not grasp the truth that Jesus is the answer for their health problems, or that Jesus is the answer for their addictions, lust, loneliness or fears.
Let’s begin the study today by reading 2nd Corinthians 11:3-4:
“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him.”
We can see from verse 3, that to leave the simplicity of the Gospel is actually connected with a corrupted mind. When our mind departs from the simple truth of Jesus and start adding other rules, other regulations, and other doctrines, then our thinking and reasoning becomes polluted from the life-changing truth of Christ. Verse 4 then continues and warns to never accept false doctrines or wrong believing.
Verse 3 draws the comparison of Eve in the Garden of Eden, to what we face today. Consider the events that took place back in Genesis… Satan tricked Eve and lied to her. And when she believed the lies of the enemy and fell for his tricks, that is when her mind became corrupted and she left the simplicity of the Gospel, and she exchanged truth for a lie. And it’s exactly the same for us today.
There are so many pastors, leaders and teachers today who attempt to draw us away from the Gospel and its easy truth, and they try to exchange the truth for a lie in the very same way that the serpent did to Eve. Consider what exactly he did: he moved her focus off of Jesus (the Tree of life) and onto a different source (the tree of knowledge of good and evil), and he caused her to believe that she was lacking something that she actually already had… the ability to be like God.
In all the years since then, Satan’s trick and method of attack has never changed! He’s still doing the exact same thing! He tries to shift our focus off of Jesus and onto some other source, whether it’s another person, or ourselves, or money or whatever it may be, and he lies to us to try and get us to believe that we are lacking something that we already have… complete salvation and sufficiency in Christ Jesus.
This brings us to the main topic today because this is the area where many believers are still confused about: how is it that Jesus Christ is your all-sufficiency in every single area of life?
For this answer, turn now to 1st Peter 1:13-16:
“Why gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
But as he which has called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation;
Because it is written, Be you holy; for I am holy.”
We have just seen in the first-half of the study today how the enemy uses tactics and traps of our own thinking and beliefs to corrupt us; look now to what it says in verse 13 here. We are instructed to gird up the loins of our mind. Now this phrasing is very interesting, and it is not there by accident either. The loins speak of reproductive power, and this verse is teaching us that what we think also has reproductive power. If your thoughts are negative all the time, and filled with doubt, worry or fear, the things which you are worrying about will be produced in your life. This is not new age philosophy – this is a Bible fact. We know this from Job 3:25:
“For the thing which I greatly feared is come on me, and that which I was afraid of is come to me.”
Remember that nothing is in the Bible for filler; there are no insignificant details. Job says here that the thing which he greatly feared is what came upon him, and that which he was afraid of is what came to him.
So how then do we combat negative thoughts in our life? Look at what the verse of 1st Peter 1:13 says… Gird up the loins of your mind and focus on Jesus Christ! Notice also in verse 13 that grace is brought to you, when you remain in the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is how grace comes into your life. The word “revelation” remains to reveal or to be made known. When the truth of Jesus is revealed and made known to us, we are to remain in it and gird our mind with it always.
The way that we protect our mind and make sure that it produces the blessings of God such as favor and grace and joy and peace is by focusing on Jesus Christ, not any other thing or person, and not ourselves, but Christ alone. That word sober in verse 13 is the Greek word nēphō which means “calm and collected”. In other words, not letting your thoughts run wild aimlessly or without control.
This is why I am cautious about the movies and television shows that I watch and what music I listen to. Not because I am fulfilling some law, but because I truly desire a sober and grace-filled mind with Jesus as the center. So knowing this, I do not watch anything or listen to anything that promotes death or fear.
Consider, my dear friends, that many times it is recorded in the Bible that before Jesus performed a miracle or gave a blessing, it was usually preceded by a declaration or a revelation of who He is. This was no accident, this was not merely a coincidence.
When Jesus healed the blind man in John chapter 9, He first declared that He is the light of the world. Likewise, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in John chapter 11, He first declared that He is the resurrection and the life. So these are very practical and real examples of how revelation of Jesus precedes amazing miracles. To those that were spiritually hungry, Jesus revealed Himself as the Bread of Life and the true Manna. He became whatever they needed. Are you beginning to see how Jesus truly fulfills every need? He is the same person, but a different and fresh revelation of Him for each need. Now why is this so? A very simple reason, we only have the power to manifest the divine nature of Jesus when we are beholding Him, and the more we behold Him the more we manifest Him. We know this from 2nd Corinthians 3:18:
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD.”
We are transformed into the same image by beholding the glory of the Lord. How does it happen? The Holy Spirit does it, it’s not our job to transform ourselves, it’s simply our job to behold Him.
An easy analogy is trying to take a picture of someone when the ambient light level is too high. There’s so much light that all you end up seeing is the light in the picture and not the person. The same is also true for Jesus. As we behold His Glory, His Light, it reflects Him onto us, and all that people end-up seeing is Him instead of us. and it is a wonderful thing.
Now let’s move on to the next verse, 1st Peter 1:14 states that we should be as obedient children, not fashioning ourselves according to our former lusts in our ignorance.
Notice that this verse is a continuation of the previous verse 13. It is the ignorance of the revelation of Jesus Christ that causes us to end up in lust. Now that phrase “as obedient children” is very important. This phrase when translated from the Greek (hōs hupakoē teknon) literally means “in the same manner of a listening and submissive child”.
This verse is telling us that the more we trust in Christ and the more we see of Jesus, the more we trust in Him and stay in the revelation of Jesus Christ and leave distractions of this world behind, the more we are hungry for the revelations of Jesus Christ – God calls that listening and obedient children. The alternative is being in ignorant lust.
The word “ignorance” here in this verse is not the unknown, but willful blindness; choosing not to be acquainted with Jesus Christ. The clue is in the word itself: this is when we choose to ignore Jesus. It isn’t not knowing what to do in this case, but rather it is someone you do not know… Jesus. And it is this failure to see revelations of Jesus that will cause us to live in our lusts.
If you do not trust God to provide, you will steal. If you do not trust God to protect you if you speak the truth, you will lie. If you do not trust the justice of God, you will seek petty revenge. Whatever areas you do not trust God in, you will end up living in lust and trying to fulfill those areas yourself through your own efforts and means – and God calls that living in lust and ignorance.
Lastly we have verses 15 and 16. Law preachers love to use these verses as a blunt-force object to bring guilt and condemnation, however please see that these verses only come after we are shown how to accomplish them. It is not by doing more or trying harder, but it is by seeing more and receiving more of Jesus! This is the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus told Martha in Luke 10:42 that “only one thing is needful”, and that one thing was listening to, seeing and receiving from Jesus. The more that we see of Him, the more revelation we receive of Him, the more faith information that we receive, then the more He can operate in all miracle-working power in our lives.
So I encourage you today my friends, remain in the simplicity of the Gospel. Only one thing is needful. Stay focused on Jesus Christ and watch as His power sets you free in every area of your life.