1 Peter 1:17

1 Peter 1:17 ‘And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth;'

‘And if you address' -‘If, on the one hand, Christians are children of God..they have been rightly reminded to be obedient children and to realize that true children of. holy God will be holy. Now Peter balances this argument; if, on the other hand, they call God Father, they should remember his character and allow not familiarity to be an excuse for evil.' (Davids p. 70)

‘as Father' -God is not. cruel and inhuman tyrant. And neither is God an it,. force or. fertility goddess. The word ‘address' means: ‘to call on for help, to appeal to..the present tense suggests regular or habitual calling.' (Grudem p. 80) Peter assumes that these Christians pray to God regularly and that they call upon Him as Father (Matthew 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

‘the One who impartially judges' -‘without the slightest favoritism' (Phi); ‘without preferring one to another' (Beck). (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Galatians 2:6). 1. Some have tried to use the ‘Fatherhood' of God as an argument against the idea that God will send anyone to hell. It is interesting that Peter didn't see any contradiction between God being. Father and an impartial Judge at the same time. 2. ‘God does not judge individuals on the basis of such outward characteristics as wealth, cultural background or social position.. 1 Samuel 2:7.' (Woods p. 43)

‘according to each man's work' -‘ judges men by their actions' (Phi) 1. But how many people think that God is going to judge according to ‘what each man intended to do'. Often people will excuse their sinful actions by saying, ‘But God knows my heart'. Yes He does! He knows that selfish deeds come from. selfish heart (Mark 7:20). See also (Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:6 ff; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Galatians 6:7). While it is true that doing the right thing will never make up for the price of your salvation (Luke 17:10), it is also just as true that doing the wrong thing will condemn you (Galatians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Revelation 21:8). Obeying God will not put God in debt to you, but disobeying will cause you to be lost (Matthew 7:21).

‘conduct yourselves' -We have control over our actions. Sin isn't genetic and neither is it. physical disease.

‘in fear during the time of your stay upon earth' -‘let reverence be the spirit of your lives' (TCNT); ‘stand in awe of him while you live out your time on earth' (NEB). The fear in this passage speaks of healthy respect or. worshipful awe. Unfortunately too many serve God from. motive of terror or dread. But. have found that such. motive usually doesn't move people to grow spiritually and neither does it keep them from habitual sins. Someone noted the difference between fear that is terror and fear which is respect. One son said, ‘I'm afraid to do that because of what dad might do to me'. Another son said, ‘I'm afraid to do that because what it would do to my father.'. person can stand in dread of God and just still love self more than God. But the person who stands in awe of God, has. greater love for God than for self.. healthy respect for God is often stressed in the Scriptures (Deuteronomy 6:2; Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 14:26; Luke 12:4; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 12:28).

This Holy God Who shows no favoritism, ‘will therefore show no favoritism to His friends or children..Membership in God's family, great privilege though it is, must not lead to the presumption that disobedience will pass unnoticed or undisciplined'. (Grudem pp. 80-81) ‘Fear of God is not inconsistent with loving him or knowing that he loves us…fear of displeasing our Father is the obverse (compliment, counterpart) side of loving him. The fear here recommended is…a holy self-suspicion and fear of offending God, which may not only consist with assured hope of salvation, and with faith, and love, and spiritual joy, but is their inseparable companion…This fear is not cowardice: it doth not debase, but elevates the mind; for it drowns all lower fears, and begets true fortitude and courage to encounter all dangers, for the sake of good conscience and the obeying of God.' (Grudem p. 82)

‘stay' -One stay. One isn't given many lifetimes to get it right. You cannot harmonize reincarnation with the Bible (Hebrews 9:27). Especially when you realize that in the doctrine of reincarnation there is absolutely no room for. Savior (John 3:16).

The Price Of Our Redemption: