1st Peter (2015)

Looking at the chaos happening in our country, do you have questions about submission to governmental authority? Listen to this lesson to hear a discussion of the principles that the colonists used in breaking away from Great Britain. Hear answers to a number of questions concerning what our attitude toward government should be. Learn about the midwife and Rahab options and how Peter and John continued to preach as Jesus had commanded them to do but suffered the consequences. Accept that all of us may face similar situations in the future and the importance of walking by the Spirit and maturing spiritually.

Is it ever right to refuse to submit to a governing authority? Listen to this lesson to learn what the Bible has to say about authority orientation. Hear biblical and historical examples of those rightfully committing civil disobedience when either told to do something the Bible forbids or forbids what is mandated in the Bible. Find out whether the Founding Fathers were justified in not submitting to the King of England. Does God only expect us to respect the office but not the one holding the office? The answers to some of these difficult questions may surprise you. Dr. Dean referenced an article by David Barton entitled “The American Revolution: Was it an Act of Biblical Rebellion?” during this class.

What does grace orientation have to do with our response to authority? Listen to this lesson to see that Jesus is our major example of submission to unjust authority. Hear the only exception to obeying legitimate authority. When faced with unjust but designated authority, do not look for wiggle room or an escape clause or you will be resisting the ordinances of God.

After we trust in Christ as our Savior can we just say no to sin? Listen to this lesson to learn that it is only when we walk by the Spirit that we can obey the command to abstain from sin. See the part our lust pattern plays in this. Find out that sin will always be a battle in our lives. Learn that confession of sin means that we once again can walk by the Spirit. See that Christ’s death freed us from the penalty of sin but it is only when we are walking by the Spirit that we are freed from sin’s power in our lives.

If you have ever wondered how mankind was formed and what he consists of then this lesson on Biblical anthropology is for you. Listen to hear that the Bible makes a distinction between the human soul and the human spirit and the function of each. See that our body was prepared by God as He shaped it from the dust of the earth. Find out what it means to be created in the image of God. Learn there is no life until God breathes life into this body. Understand that because of Adam’s fall we only become what God intended when we trust in Christ as our Savior.

Do Christians have to quit sinning before they can live the Christian life? Listen to this lesson to learn that because of our sin nature we will never completely cease to sin, but that God’s grace is available for confession of our sins. See that since we are part of the family of God our behavior should not be habitual sinning. Find out the meaning of "flesh" and see who the beloved are. Listen to Peter’s exhortation that we live a spiritually responsible lifestyle. During this class Dr. Dean mentioned an article published on AmericanThinker.com entitled "The Death of Evangelicalism."

What does it mean that all Christians are priests? Listen to this lesson to see that when we trust in Christ He is our High Priest and we all function as priests. Hear about the earliest priests in the Age of the Gentiles. See that priests are intercessors. Learn about the duties of the Levitical priests and all that involved, including the qualifications. Understand that the rules they followed were designed to teach spiritual lessons to the people and pointed to the priesthood of Jesus Christ. Because Christ is royal, we are royal priests and have the privilege of offering spiritual sacrifices to God.

Why is Christ called a stumbling stone? Listen to this lesson to learn that those who rejected Christ as the Messiah were offended by Him. Find out that just as God called Israel to be special and they were to let the nations around them know about God, so Christians in the Church Age are royal priests who are to proclaim the gospel to the world. Understand that the most important thing in our lives today is to serve God so we will be trained to rule and reign with Him in the future kingdom.

When we make sacrifices to God does that mean we have to give up something for Him? Listen to this lesson to hear five points on what makes acceptable sacrifices to God, including praise and singing. See how these sacrifices involve the Holy Spirit and our priesthood. Find out how the Messiah has become a stumbling stone to some men but is special or choice in God’s eyes. See how those who trust in Christ as their Savior become living stones.

Is there any difference between believing Jews and all other believers in the Church Age? Listen to this lesson as Peter applies verses from the Old Testament to the Jewish believers he is writing to. Find out nine things about the living stones in this passage and who the Chief Cornerstone refers to. Review four ways Old Testament passages are used in the New Testament. Take time to appreciate the many blessings both Jewish and all other believers share which are given them by the living God.

Are all believers part of the Royal Family of God? Listen to this lesson to hear that while Peter is addressing Jewish-background believers, he is not saying that there are differences between Jewish and Gentile believers in the Church Age. See that these verses are used by Replacement theologians to say that the Church has replaced Israel. Learn that the words Peter uses here to describe these Jewish believers come from the Old Testament but are applied to the Church. See that there is unity in the body of Christ that makes no distinctions.

How does a crying baby set an example for new Christians? Listen to this lesson to learn that just as newborn babes scream to be fed so they can grow, Christians need to crave the Word of God for their spiritual growth. Hear a list of sins we commit that keep us from wanting to hear the Word of God. See that we can’t give these sins up on our own but that it is only by confession of sin and walking by means of the Holy Spirit that we can lay those sins aside so they no longer characterize our lives.

Why is the Word of God so important to a believer? Listen to this lesson to learn that nothing else we think is important in our life lasts. Only the Word of God lives and abides forever. See that Heaven and Earth will pass away but not God’s Word. See the importance of making it your first priority so you can survive and thrive all of the ups and downs that come. Listen to Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the Bible, as it tells us the importance of God’s Word.

Does God really expect us to love all believers, even the unlovely ones? Listen to this lesson to learn that we can only obey this command through the enabling of the Holy Spirit. When we understand what Christ has done for us and how we are a new creation in Him, we can begin to learn how to handle adversity and trials. See how Peter emphasizes that all of the details of this life fade and pass away but that the Word of God, the message of the gospel, lives and abides forever.

What does it mean to be purified? Listen to this lesson to see that Peter in this passage is referring to the purification that takes place when someone accepts Christ as their Savior, but in some other places in Scripture it refers to confession of sin after salvation. Find out that after being purified believers are to love one another in a consistent, steadfast manner.

How should we live our Christian lives knowing that someday we will give an account of ourselves before the Judgment Seat of Christ? Listen to this lesson to learn that Peter gives us a series of commands in the first chapter of 1 Peter. Hear more about the foreknowledge of God and how it means that He knew beforehand as a part of His omniscience. Find out when the “last hours” are and see what faith refers to. Learn to use the basic problem solving skills in order to grow and mature in the spiritual life.

What does it mean when the Bible says that God knew “beforehand”? Listen to this lesson to learn that God knew beforehand those who would believe in Christ. Find out that Calvinism teaches that it means that God selected those who would believe but a word study shows the fallacy of that. Find out a number of scholars who have tried to prove that it means selection but they have no evidence. Learn the difference between foreknowledge and the will of God. See that God’s will and foreknowledge never overrides the free will of man. At the beginning of this lesson Dr. Dean recommended a publication to read for more information on the Holocaust. Click for the April/May 2016 issue of Israel My Glory.

When was the penalty for sin paid? At the cross or when we believe? Listen to this lesson to see that Christ paid the penalty for all sins on the cross but it is only when we believe that we are justified. Hear nine results of redemption and how Christ took the curse of the Law upon Himself. Learn that sanctification is a process but justification is instantaneous when we believe. Keep in mind that since we have been redeemed with the “precious blood of Christ”, no detail in this life is meaningful in an eternal sense.

Why did the Lord Jesus Christ become a human being? Listen to this lesson to learn our Redeemer had to be related to us in order to release us from our slavery to sin. Hear the story of the book of Ruth and find out how a kinsman-redeemer transformed the lives of Ruth and Naomi as a picture of Christ paying the price for us. Find out five basic characteristics of the kinsman-redeemer and how they apply to Christ. Learn that in Isaiah 40–66, Christ is portrayed as the Kinsman-Redeemer.

If you’ve ever wanted to know more about what Christ accomplished for you on the Cross, listen to this lesson. Find out how all of us were born spiritually dead with a barrier between us and God. Learn the meaning of redemption and how it always involves paying a price. See that when we believe in Christ, God declares us just because we have Christ’s righteousness. Learn the meaning of unlimited atonement. Appreciate more than ever that God’s grace offers each of us this so-great salvation.