Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Verse 8

This was my teacher's verse for the first of March and now mine for the first of April.  I think you'll enjoy her insight.
OK, now for my selection for Verse 6. It's a Scripture we studied on our last night ofThe Inheritance Bible Study in Houston and, boy, do I need it and, boy, do I want the promise it offers. Again, you are welcome to share mine or offer your own. 

"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:9 NIV

Here's part of what makes this special. The New Testament translates two primary Greek words as forms of "bless" or "blessed." One of them (lexical "makarios") describes a state of being. A resultant condition, so to speak, like those described in the Beatitudes and in many other parts of the NT in reference to those who belong to God through Christ. It basically means to live in the face (coram Deo) and favor of God. The second one (lexical "eulogia"/"eulogeo") is the conferring or speaking of blessing. As my NT Lexical Aids say, it means "to confer blessing upon, call down divine favor..." The former is a state of being. A beautiful thing indeed. The latter is blessing spoken. Also a beautiful thing, especially for those of us to whom words are a primary love language. It is this latter word for blessing - the one that involves something spoken - that is used in 1 Peter 3:9. The gist of the exhortation, restated from God's point of view, is this:

"When you use your mouth to bless those who have insulted you or spoken evil to you, I, Myself, will speak blessing over you that you will receive as part of your inheritance."

When we speak blessings over others who were HARD to bless, He speaks blessing over us. And, let's admit it, sometimes we're hard to bless, too. 

We're going to get plenty of opportunities to practice this spiritual discipline because, as the verse clearly states, TO THIS WE WERE CALLED. We were called to manifest the Spirit of Christ through our words when someone insults us. It's a hard part of the high calling of God but to this we were called SO THAT we may inherit a blessing.

Pretty good, huh?


This will be a good one!

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