Living a Christian Life and Church Life
Under the Government of God
for the Economy of God
Message Two
Living a Christian Life under the Government of God
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
1 Pet. 1:16-17 Because it is written, “You shall be holy because I am holy.” And if you call as Father the One who without respect of persons judges according to each one’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear.
4:17 For it is time for the judgment to begin from the house of God; and if first from us, what will be the end of those who disobey the gospel of God?
5:6 Therefore be humbled under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time.
Word of Appetizer
Why do we need God’s governmental dealings?
The preciousness of Peter’s writings is that he combines the Christian life and God’s government, revealing that the Christian life and the government of God go together as a pair. Although we have been born of God to have a spiritual life and to be a new creation, we are still in the old creation; for this reason, we need God’s governmental dealings. In order for the Christian life to grow, we need the discipline of God’s government.
Spiritual Burden
The preciousness of Peter’s writings is that he combines the Christian life and God’s government, revealing that the Christian life and the government of God go together as a pair.
As believers in Christ and children of God, we should live a Christian life under the government of God. We should pass the time of our sojourning in holy fear, that is, in a healthy, serious caution that leads us to be holy in all our manner of life.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
The Epistles of 1 and 2 Peter are on the universal government of God.
The preciousness of Peter’s writings is that he combines the Christian life and God’s government, revealing that the Christian life and the government of God go together as a pair.
When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He lived a human life that was absolutely under the government of God, and He committed everything related to Him to God’s government.
The Experience of Life
As holy children, we should walk in a holy manner of life; otherwise, in His government God the Father will become the Judge and will deal with our unholiness. The judgment, which is carried out by the Father, is not the future judgment but is the present, daily judgment of God’s governmental dealings with His children; therefore, in this age we, the children of God, are under the daily judgment of God.
While God judges us in His government, He cares for us faithfully in His love; as we are suffering His disciplinary judgment, we should commit our souls to the faithful care of our Creator.
Practice and Application
As believers in Christ and children of God, we should live a Christian life under the government of God; we should pass the time of our sojourning in holy fear, that is, in a healthy, serious caution that leads us to be holy in all our manner of life.
We should be humbled under the mighty hand of God, which carries out the government of God; to be humbled under God’s mighty hand is to be made humble by God; however, we must cooperate with God’s operation and be willing to be made humble, lowly, under His mighty hand.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 In his two Epistles Peter is on the subject of God’s universal government (1 Pet. 4:17)
(Please illustrate what is the way God carries out His government.)
T2 The purpose of God’s governing judgment [is] to clear up His universe (1 Pet. 4:17; 2 Pet. 1:2)
(Please illustrate what is the reason the two Epistles of Peter were written, especially the first.)
Day 2
T1 God’s people should be holy because God Himself is holy (1 Pet. 1:15-17)
(Please illustrate that if we call Him our Father, we also should fear Him as our Judge and live a holy life in fear.)
T2 The judgment to begin from the house of God (1 Pet. 4:17)
(Please illustrate that such disciplinary judgment begins from His own household, and it is not exercised just once or twice but is being carried out continuously until the Lord’s coming.)
Day 3
T1 It is easy for us to pay attention to the Christian life and to neglect God’s government (1 Pet. 4:12-13)
(Please illustrate that the persecution that the believers suffered as such a burning furnace used by God to purify their life.)
T2 The Lord is using persecutions and trials as a furnace to serve a positive purpose (1 Pet. 4:12-13)
(Please illustrate what the positive purpose served by persecution and trial is.)
Day 4
T1 The Lord recognized God’s government while He was living a human life on earth (1 Pet. 2:21-23)
(Please illustrate that while the Lord Jesus was on earth suffering, He kept committing all to the One who judges righteously. what does this brief word indicates.)
T2 We should pass the time of our sojourning in fear (1 Pet. 1:17-19)
(Why we should pass the time of our sojourning in fear? )
Day 5
T1 God not only resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Pet. 5:5-6)
(Please illustrate that God gives Himself as grace, as life supply, to humble believers.)
T2 Being made humble by God, mainly through sufferings in persecutions (1 Pet. 5:6-10)
(Please illustrate that we must be willing to be made humble, lowly, under the mighty hand of God.)
Day 6
T1 When the believers suffer persecution, they should commit their souls as a deposit to God, the faithful Creator (1 Pet. 4:19)
(Please illustrate that the will of God is that He wants us to suffer for Christ’s sake and has appointed us to this.)
T2 Christ’s death has drawn a separating line between us and sins (1 Pet. 2:24)
(Please illustrate that through Christ’s death we are being kept away from sins.)
