In our study of the mandates for the believer in God's pre-determined plan we are presently examining the mandate found in 1Pet 3:15; for the believer to sanctify or set apart the TLJC in their hearts or stream of consciousness and as a result be focused on TLJC rather than the adversities in life and to be ready to give an answer of the "hope that is in them" that results from the believer's occupation with TLJC.
1Pet 3:15;b Because of this, (the sanctification of TLJC In their heart) believers will be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks...
Last time we saw 5 ways that mankind comes to God consciousness, which becomes the platform for the presentation of the Gospel.
We took up the discussion because we had seen in our previous study that that God the Holy Spirit in common grace had brought the Jews to God conscious through the Old Testament scripture which was Peter's platform for explaining the Gospel of Grace through faith alone in TLJC alone to them starting in Acts 2:16;
We also saw that God the Holy Spirit in common grace had brought the Greeks to God consciousness and that their God consciousness was the platform for Paul's presentation of the Gospel of grace through faith alone in TLJC alone. Acts 17:23;
We then started on a brief discussion of the cause for the hope or confident future expectation of Divine Good that the believer is giving an account of to those who ask.
We saw that the source of their hope or absolute confidence was related to the believer's relationship to TLJC by faith alone in Christ alone and after their salvation their subsequent continuous faith perception of his thinking that is recorded in scripture under the mentor ministry of God the Holy Spirit.
This process makes the these realities of Bible Doctrine more real than what is seen and gives the believer a personal sense of destiny which enables them to deal with the suffering and give and account of the hope that is within them.
Hope is based on divine promises and does not have any uncertainty. Hope is by its very nature associated with not seeing. It is based in faith or confidence in doctrine Heb 11:1;
It is dogmatically knowing from doctrine that all will turn out for the glory of God as well as for the positive believer's benefit and pleasure.
The word hope means to expect or look forward to with desire and confidence; a confidence in a future event; or an expectation of something desired. Confidence is a firm trust; reliance; self-assurance, boldness; an assured state of mind, a state of trust and intimacy.
Such a hope is not something, which can simply be named and claimed, it must be established from a firm strength of mind. 2Tim 1:7; the word translated discipline in the NASB is the Greek word "sophronismos”. It is a hapax legomenon, it is only found in secular literature and also means according to the TDNT "Making to understand,” “making wise.” Inasmuch as understanding is the basis of virtue and an upright life"
This confidence must come from something that causes or justifies hope, which in the believer's case is the infallible word of God. Matt 24:35;
Rom 8:24 - In reference to hope or confident future expectation of divine good, we have already been saved. Now when a hope is seen it is not a hope; for who hopes for what he sees?
When what one hopes for occurs it is no longer the object of hope but is a reality.
There is nothing more real than the Word of God because as we have seen, what the Bible says is more certain than what experience reveals.
Therefore, what the believer has learned from the Bible in the past that they recall to mind is more real to them than what is going on around them by sight or reason and therefore believers have confident expectation that what is promised is so sure that it is to be viewed as having already come to pass.
This confident expectation applies to salvation, eternal life, and the fact all believers go to heaven when they die.
Rom 8:25 Now if we have confident anticipation for what we do not see (the eternal future and its blessings and rewards), and we do, then through endurance (of momentum testing, undeserved suffering, and temporal trials) we stand fast in eager anticipation.
The Greek word translated "wait eagerly is "apekdechomai" referring to the believer's future expectation.
Hope demands patient expectation for that is not presently visible.
Only the person who stands in grace can posses this hope. All believers have received grace Eph
2:8-9; but to stand in it the believer has to has to know it and understand it from their consistent and persistent PMA of Bible Doctrine.
This hope is not disappointed because of God's love, which has already been demonstrated by his work of justification and reconciliation that he accomplished by means of Christ. Rom 5:8;
This hope is supported by the divine predestination of the believer to salvation and becomes the greatest possible basis for the believer’s security and confidence.
As the believer as grows in grace and retains the doctrine, an absolutely confident expectation in their eternal future is established in the believer's soul.
Without epignosis or "spirit taught" knowledge of doctrine there is no hope no confidence about anything you believe or anything regarding your future.
Epignosis knowledge of doctrine must be retained in the memory center, doctrinal storage, vocabulary, norms and standards, and frame of reference of the soul.
When circumstances confront believers they are able recall to mind the doctrines learned in the past to resolve the current situation by their utilization of the faith rest drill.
2Tim 1:12;b I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted in Him until that day.
Paul presents past, present, and future concepts in this verse. Paul says, "I know whom I have believed." He uses His memory to recall who and what TLJC is and in whom he places his faith for salvation.
"I have believed" is the consummative perfect tense of the verb "pisteuo" that points to a process of faith alone in TLJC alone that has been completed in the past with results that go on forever.
Then he says, "I am convinced" which is the intensive perfect of the verb "peitho" which places emphasis on the existing results of his having believed in Christ.
When special attention is directed to the results of the action, stress upon the existing fact is intensified. By writing this way, Paul is communicating in a very strong way that he is thoroughly convinced.
Paul continues by noting that TLJC is able to guard something.
It is because our faith is placed in Christ that we may count on Him to preserve, protect or guard our salvation, our eternal life, and our rewards.
We have seen in previous studies that TLJC is described as the depository for the believer's escrow blessings in Eph 1:3; where it says...
Worthy of praise is God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who (as Grantor) has blessed (eulogeo: aorist participle precedes the action of the main verb (eklego in verse 4) us (as grantees) with every spiritual blessing (the escrow deposit) in heavenly places (depository) in Christ (Depositary or Escrow Officer),
Eph1: 4; since He Himself has elected...... (eklego: this is main verb in his sentence and corresponds to the fifth elective decree in the infralapsarian order of divine decrees since the action of the aorist participle precedes the action of the main verb.) ....
us in Him before the beginning of the world (eternity past), in order that we should be holy (set apart for service by means of positional sanctification, by the baptism of the Holy Spirit and blameless, having been given God's righteousness at the point of salvation in His presence or view.
The syntax of Greek grammar that is used in these two verses informs us when the deposit was made.
In verse 3 the verb "has blessed" is the aorist active participle of "eulogeo". The action of the aorist participle always takes place before the action of the main verb.
The main verb, found in verse 4, is "eklego" translated "he elected" shows this by the fact it is an aorist indicative. Consequently this passage tells us that God blessed us at a point eternity past that occurred before He elected us.
1Pet 3:15; So the hope or confident future expectation if Divine Good that the believer gives a defense of to those who ask is based on their Occupation with TLJC and their epignosis or spirit taught knowledge of what their position in union with him means and guarantees them.
The next two words in our passage are"prautes" translated gentleness and "phobos" translated "reverence” in the NASB. They describe how the defense is to be presented to those who ask.
Last year during our study of prayer we studied of the facets of the production of the Spirit in the believer Gal 5:23;, and we saw that "prautes" refers to something that is very strong and powerful yet under control. We saw that in the ancient Greek language prautes was used to describe a stallion that had been broken and trained and though still powerful was now under control so it's power could be directed.
In this case, the believer who was once out of control because their soul was dictated to by the OSN is now under the control of Bible Doctrine and God the Holy Spirit.
Believers are prepared to give an answer of the hope that is within them because they are in fellowship with God and have Bible Doctrine resident and circulating in their soul, which is the power of God. Rom 1:16-17;
This gentleness is manifested because the believer who has "hope" or a personal sense of destiny lives in grace orientation. Grace orientation makes one gentle because we understand as Paul did, that we are what we are by the grace of God. 1Cor 15:10; and though he was powerful and strong in doctrine to the point that he was recommended by Peter, he presented himself with humility. 2Tim 2:7; 1Cor 2:3-5;
This is the same power that filled Peter when he addressed the leaders in Judea in Acts 4:5-12; Notice their response in Acts 4:13-14;
The Greek word "phobos" is often translated "fear", but in the context of our passage means respect or deference.
Paul uses "phobos" in the same way when describing how slaves are to obey their masters. Eph 6:5;