The Plumbline

12  Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.  13  Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. (I Peter 4:12-13) The word "partner" popped out at me in this passage.  I would like to look at what a "partner" is really like.  There are three basic things that I saw when examining the meaning of "partner" in my exploration of this word: A partner has a "stake" in the process.  In today's vernacular, we'd say he has "skin in the game".  In other words, it costs him something.  When we consider what it means to have "skin in the game" as it applies to walking with Christ, it becomes very apparent after a while that it means we will face trials - because those trials grow our faith, prove our commitment, ...

1-3 So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You've had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God. (I Peter 2:1-3) Many of us engage in some sort of spring cleaning each year.  Garages get gutted and reorganized.  Closets are emptied of last season's fashions and they are replaced with the capris, short sleeved tops and cooler fashions.  The kitchen cabinets may even get a "going over" with a lemon oil!  But...I bet your "junk drawer" doesn't get cleaned out!  It is amazing to me how many "cleaning" tasks we undertake, all the while leaving one of the messiest things untouched! There are probably some "junk drawers" we might have spiritually that have long avoided any examination!  As long as those parts of our lives remain untouched, we are still going to be a "mess" in those areas!  And t...

Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. (I Peter 1:7) There is an expectation that is continually evident in the life of a believer - not because we live in some fantasy world where all things are good and life is without troubles - but because we know who it is we are walking with through this life.  Indeed, God has promised a pretty awesome inheritance to his kids - priceless inheritance.  The promise of inheritance involves being kept pure and undefiled - living beyond the reach of change and decay.  Oh sure, our bodies are subject to decay - we still age!  Yet there is a promise for the exchange of this mortal body for an immortal one - that means what may be subject to decay now will one day be above that. A test of our faith is really a necessary part of our li...