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God's Amazing Grace
Page 324

The Sum and Substance

1 Peter 5:10

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

When the truth is received, it will work radical changes in life and character; for religion means the abiding of Christ in the heart, and where He is, the soul goes on in spiritual activity, ever growing in grace, ever going on to perfection. . . .

It is no real evidence that you are a Christian because your emotion is stirred, your spirit stirred by truth; the question is, Are you growing up into Christ, your living head? Is the grace of Christ manifested in your life? God gives His grace to men, that they may desire more of His grace. God's grace is ever working upon the human heart, and when it is received, the evidence of its reception will appear in the life and character of its recipient. . . . The grace of Christ in the heart will always promote spiritual life, and spiritual advancement will be made. . . . We do not see the plants grow in the field, and yet we are assured that they do grow, and may we not know of our own spiritual strength and growth? . . .

The sum and substance of the whole matter of Christian grace and experience is contained in believing on Christ, in knowing God and His Son whom He has sent. But here is where many fail, for they lack faith in God. Instead of desiring to be brought into fellowship with Christ in His self-denial and humiliation, they are ever seeking for the supremacy of self. . . .

O, if you loved Him as He has loved you, you would not shun an experience in the dark chapters of the suffering of the Son of God! . . . When we contemplate the humiliation of Christ, beholding His self-denial and self-sacrifice, we are filled with amazement at the manifestation of divine love for guilty man. When for Christ's sake we are called to pass through trials that are of a humiliating nature, if we have the mind of Christ, we shall suffer them with meekness, not resenting injury, or resisting evil. We shall manifest the spirit that dwelt in Christ. . . .

We are to bear Christ's yoke, to work as He worked for the salvation of the lost; and those who are partakers of His sufferings will also be partakers of His glory.

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I found this part especially interesting.

we shall suffer them with meekness, not resenting injury, or resisting evil.

I can understand suffer with meekness and even not resenting injury. But what does not resisting evil mean?

In The Blessed Hope

Avalee

[This message has been edited by Avalee (edited November 12, 2001).]

That is a good question.

In connection with the passage, I think it may mean that Christ didn't resist the evil inflicted upon Him as He allowed Judas to betray Him, He allowed them to take Him captive, He allowed them to unlawfully accuse Him, prosecute Him, punish Him, crucify Him, etc. He didn't resist the evil they were inflicting upon Him.

In relation to this Christ said in Matthew 5:44 "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"

We also find this a few verses earlier in Matthew 5:38 "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

I believe this is what the SOP passage was referring to about not resisting evil, however, when it comes to be tempted by the devil or his associates to do evil it says in James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Now I have a couple of questions:

1 - How do we go about not resisting evil?

2 - How do we resist the devil?

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In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl

[This message has been edited by Daryl Fawcett (edited November 12, 2001).]

Thank you Daryl for your answer and your Bible passages. This was my first thought to. You have asked two good questions. Will think about thim while at work...have to leave in a few minutes.

In The Blessed Hope

Avalee

Could the context of this use of not resisting evil point to not fighting for your rights ?

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Edward F Sutton

Good question!

It could depend on what it is all about.

In Christ's case, He was being unlawfully bound even before being convicted, unlawfully tried, and through it all He didn't resist any of it even though His rights were being violated.

__________________________
In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl