A STIRRING OF THE MIND

1Pet 3:1

Morning Meditations 1/21/16

We will look at this text for our morning meditation. “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:”

The words “stir up” (diegeiro) translate a word which means “to wake up, to awaken, to arouse (from sleep).” This is the same word that is used in Matthew 1:24: “Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:” The words “raised from sleep” translate the same word. Mark uses this same word in Mark 4:38: “And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?” Jesus was sleeping through a storm. The disciples were afraid. Mark says “and they awake him.” This is the same word. The words “stir up” means to wake someone who is asleep.

The words “pure minds” are two different words. The word “pure” (heilikrines) means “pure, sincere, unsullied; found pure when unfolded and examined by the sun's light.” The word “minds” (dianoia) refers to “the mind as a faculty of understanding, feeling, desiring.” This word is translated as “mind, understanding, and imagination” in our KJV. Peter does not accuse them of mental attitude sins.

The people Peter is writing to had gone to sleep mentally on an important subject. They are not being addressed as carnal. They had pure minds. They were just asleep in their thinking and understanding. Peter says I’m going to awaken you and I’m going to do it with the alarm clock of remembrance.

Peter stirs them with the remembrance of words that had been spoken before by the holy prophets (v 3). We have a tendency to forget what we have read. Preachers have to remind people. Parents have to remind children. It is not like we are introducing something new. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we would learn all the lessons the Lord has taught us the first time around and would never have to be reminded? But this is one of the disciplines of the Christian life. We must go back over truth. Peter did not mind going back over something he knew they had already heard: Peter says, “That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:” Peter tells them that this has been said before but he says, “I’m going back over it with you. And you need it because you have gone to sleep in this matter.”

Peter says, “You need to be reminded of what is going to happen in the last days.” Peter says in substance, “I trust this will wake you up.”

God has told us what is going on around us. A lot of us get in trouble because we allow our minds to go to sleep concerning what God says about what is going on. It is really helpful for us to realize God knew about all this stuff ahead of time. And He plows right through it with His eternal purpose. He has a plan. And nothing, no matter how bad, alters His purpose one bit. It doesn’t surprise Him. In fact, Paul said, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose,” (Rom 8:28). God can take all this that is happening and make it work for our good and His glory. When I start allowing the circumstances of life get to me, I need to let someone stir up my mind by way of remembrance. I need to wake up.

I pretty well know what’s going on around me so far as the world is concerned. But do I know what God has said about what is going on? Have I gone to sleep on that subject? I can sit down in front of a television set to watch a program. It is the kind of program I like. It starts out well. The detective is working on this case and it is really interesting. Then Hollywood inserts into this story a gay couple that are a part of the good guys. It makes those who look down on this kind of life style as those who are trying to impose an outdated moral code on today’s people. We need to be “stirred up by way of remembrance” that this is a sin God hates and we should not allow Satan to mess with our minds on that subject. In other words, press the power switch on the remote control. Paul says in First Corinthians 6:9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,” The words “abuser of themselves with mankind” (arsenokoites) translate one word in the Greek text. It means, “one who lies with a male as with a female, sodomite, homosexual.” This guy “shall not inherit the kingdom of God” according to Paul. This is a sin that inflames God’s wrath. I need to be reminded of that. I need to be awake on that subject.

What is it to be asleep? Well, you are just not aware of things that are going on around you. The world keeps on going. Things don’t stop when I go to sleep. I am just not aware of it. One might say, “Well, I know what is going on around me.” But I ask you. Do you know that God says about what is going on? And do you agree with God about what He says? And do people around you know that you are on God’s side? Don’t go to sleep on this subject! Isaiah talks about dumb dogs that won’t bark. Isaiah Chapter 56:10 “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.” Notice the word “sleeping” associated with God’s charge against their silence?

There are many subjects on which Christians of our day are obviously asleep. It is not because they have not heard before. They are not bad people. They have, as Peter said, “Pure minds.” But they are asleep. Divorce, homosexuality, adultery, people living together outside of marriage. Drinking, using dope, pleasure to the neglect of God in the life are things that you can do and still sing in the choir! Grace is being taught as a license to sin. God loves everyone and accepts you just like you are. This is true in a qualified sense. God accepts the drunkard who is on his knees before the cross asking for forgiveness. But when he gets off his knees, he is no longer a drunkard. He is a new man in Christ (2Cor 5:17). He does not go back to drink. God loves the homosexual. He will forgive the homosexual who will say to God, “Oh God I have been committing a sin that you hate. It is a sin that put Jesus on the cross. Therefore, I am guilty of the crucifixion of Jesus. But I have just learned that you allow me to change my mind. Lord, I have changed my mind. Homosexuality is a sin. God I agree with you. Because of the death of Jesus for me, will you forgive my sins?” Jesus came to save sinners including homosexual sinners. He loves them and will forgive. But the one who was just a homosexual is a new man in Christ. He is no longer a homosexual. He will need some help in his spiritual growth. But if he goes back to his sin, Peter deals with that also. “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire,” (2 Pet 2:20-22).

I am in constant need of a stirring of the mind. May all of us be reminded of this.

In Christ

Earl White