your Bibles and turn with me
to the book of 1 Peter chapter 3. 1 Peter chapter 3. The apostle
Peter was dealing in chapter 2 with
responsibilities, duties of God's people to authority and community. And then he started in chapter
3, and I'm actually going to be looking at verse 4 And I've
entitled this message, Dealing With Every Problem. Whatever
comes the way of a believer. Dealing with every problem. Now I need to hear something
about this. Because we all have problems. And the admonition
that the Spirit of God moved upon the Apostle Peter to give
to wives with unbelieving husbands. My heart was moved with that
admonition on him telling wives how to do it, how to handle the
situation. It moved me to write out this
message because the admonition that Peter gave Believing wives,
or vice versa, it can go either way, is an admonition that we
all need to hear on dealing with things that come our way. He
said likewise. Now, he started off chapter 3,
likewise. Likewise just as there's authority
over us in the home The husband is the head of the house. Believers, unbelievers, the husband
is the head of the wife. So Peter said, likewise you wives,
be in subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not
the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation,
the walk, the manner of life. of their wives, while they behold
your chaste conversation, coupled with fear, whose adorning, let
it not be the outward adorning of plaiting of the hair, wearing
of gold, or putting on of apparel, but let it be the hidden man
of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament
of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great
price. Now, if I'm going to say this about
the home and then I'm going to go into the message that the
Lord has laid on my heart about dealing with all problems. But
he has given the wives in this particular
passage some wise counsel. If you have an unbelieving spouse. This is the admonition that the
Spirit of God moved upon Peter to write. Be a witness before
them in your walk. Walk before them in a way that
is honoring to the Lord, that adorns the gospel that you believe,
I'm going to tell you right now, religious nagging, that don't
work. That don't work. Don't do that. Don't argue. Don't just walk
before them. Peter is saying with that adorning
that's not that outward adorning. Fixing your hair, putting your
makeup on, putting nice jewelry on. Not that. There's nothing
wrong with that done in a chaste, modest way. There's nothing wrong
with that. But that's not, he said, verse 4, let it be the
hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible. All
this other stuff is going to go away. But not this. Even the ornament of a meek and
quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price. I want us to look at that admonition
of that meek and quiet spirit. I wrote an article and put it
in the bulletin this morning about when Abraham, and my mind
just went in this, Abraham and Lot, they had problems. You can
read the article. And what Abraham did was exactly
what the Spirit of God moved upon Peter to write in dealing
with problems. And it doesn't matter how or
what form it takes. That's not the issue. The scripture
declares that in this world, God's people, according to John
16.33, our Lord speaking, He said, in the world, you shall
have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.
Now I want us to consider the Holy Spirit's admonition to God's
people, and this book is written to God's people. This is for
us, this is for our instruction, admonition, correction, instruction
in righteousness. We need to hear this, I need
to hear it, you need to hear it. How do I deal with problems? In this world you shall have
tribulation, but be of good cheer, I've overcome the world. Now,
I want us to consider this admonition of dealing with situations with
a meek and quiet spirit. I want us to consider first,
where does the trials come from? Well now, was it just bad luck? I mean, did, I just, you know,
I just all of a sudden just had a bad misfortune, or Does a believer
know that it came from the Lord? Now whatever comes our way, doesn't
the scripture bear out that we've obtained an inheritance being
predestinated, it's determined beforehand, according to the
purpose of him who worketh or works out all things after the
counsel of his own will. So where did the trial come from? Where did the problem come from?
Where did that chastisement come from? You know where it came
from. We all know this. We just need to be reminded of
it. The Lord himself is the one that rules in the army of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth. So the Lord sent it.
So I said, well, I thought the devil sent it. The Lord may use
the devil as the means, like in the case of Job, but God is
ruling and reigning in this world. He rules in heaven and earth,
so we know this. And does he not send all these
things our way for our good and his glory, according to his will
and purpose, How many times have we read this passage of scripture?
Romans 8, 28. And we know that all things,
all things. Well, I don't know why I'm having
to go through that. Well, I may not know either. But that's not
the issue. Obviously, we needed it. All
things work together for good. What does that mean? For our
advantage. to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to His purpose. So it doesn't
matter. It doesn't matter the shape.
It doesn't matter the circumstances. It doesn't matter what is going
on. Now listen to me. This is for
me and for you, all of us. We need to remember whatever
is in our lot right now, whatever our lot is. Who sent it? The Lord sent it. Why did He
send it? He sent it for His glory and
our good. And we realize that there's no
possibility that whatever He has ordained, we're going to
escape. There's no possibility. Proverbs
19.21, there are many devices in a man's heart. Nevertheless,
the counsel of the Lord That shall stand. It will. So, believer, let's settle something
in our hearts that is so. When it comes to the Lord's good
pleasure to send what He's pleased to send, whatever it is, He is
too wise to err. He's too gracious, merciful to
withhold anything. from us that will be for our
good. He's not going to withhold it.
The scripture says, for it is God that worketh in you both
to will and do of His good pleasure. So when it comes to our problems,
the Lord has sent it. Yeah, but you don't know what
I'm going through. Maybe not. But the Lord sent
it. Secondly, what do we do? Tell Him. Tell Him. Tell Him of the burden. 1 Peter
5.7, casting all your care upon Him for He careth for you. Now, going back to point one,
did He send it? Yes. Does He love His people
with an everlasting love? Yes! Jeremiah 31.3 declares that. So does He send these things
that we might cast ourselves upon Him? Yes! Well, cry unto
Him because the trial was sent that we might call upon Him,
that we might cast our care upon Him. He is the city of refuge. He is the only shelter. He is that place of rest. Does
He know how to cause us to call upon Him? Yes, He does. And will
we do it? Yes, we will. All God's people
are going to do it. So, He sent it. Tell Him. He's the one casting all your
burden upon Him. He cares for you. And then thirdly,
trust. that He will not leave you to
yourself. The Scripture says He has magnified
His Word above all His name. He's magnified His Word above
all His name. And the Word of Jehovah? Who is that? But the blessed
Lord Jesus Christ. In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God The word was God, this is my beloved
son whom I'm well pleased. He has magnified his word above
all his name and what has his word said? The Lord Jesus, what
has he said? I will never leave you, I will
never forsake you. I'm so thankful that that promise
is not based upon my ability to believe it, or to maintain
it or something, He said, I won't leave you even when I doubt.
He said, I won't do it. So with these truths in mind,
He sent it, cast yourself upon Him, trust that He's not going
to leave you. Knowing these troubles and trials
are the lot of God's people, the scripture says, Job 5, 7,
man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward. How are we
to deal with these times of trouble? What does the scripture say?
Well, here I am in 1 Peter now, 3, 4, with a meek and quiet spirit. I got to thinking about this,
and I'm just going to make just a few points on this, and this
won't be long. Number one, what is a meek and
quiet spirit? What is it? Well, it is that
spirit which, by the grace of God, it's that spirit of the
Lord, by His grace, that's given that is settled to the things
that the Lord, by His good pleasure and will, sends to the objects
of His affection. There is a spirit that is given. When the Spirit of God comes
and gives us a new heart, He gives us a new spirit. And until
a sinner is regenerated by the grace of God, they don't have
it. That spirit of that new man that
bears patiently and doesn't fly into anger against the Lord and
against His good providence. It's that meek and quiet spirit
that doesn't answer again or call into question His will,
His counsel. It's a spirit that doesn't take,
even in the heart, and has harsh words against Him. That old man, that carnal man,
is not subject to the things of God. Let me tell you what
it's going to do. It's going to blame God. It's going to question
God. And who knows best? So what is
a meek and quiet spirit? Well, it's a spirit that's given
to a vessel of God's mercy from the Lord. And who only possesses,
that's my second question, a quiet spirit, a meek and quiet spirit?
Only those that the Lord has everlastingly loved. and chosen
in Christ. There's nothing lovely or pleasing
found in the carnal heart. There's nothing there. It's enmity
against God. The carnal heart is enmity, and
it's not subject, as I said, to the law of God, neither indeed
can be. So the Spirit of God imparts an ornament that Peter
spoke of, an ornament of that meek and quiet spirit And it's
that spirit that manifests the fruit of God's spirit. Here's a meek and quiet spirit
that we didn't possess being born in Adam the first time.
When we were born, we didn't have this. Here's the fruit of
God's spirit. It's love. God is love. And what we called love before
till we knew Him, we didn't know love. Lust, we knew, but not
love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness. Meekness. There's meekness. Submission. That's what meekness
is. Submission. Before, there was
nothing but the works of the flesh. Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, physical or moral, lasciviousness. That which is
contrary to modesty, lasciviousness, just that which is contrary to
modesty. Idolatry, idol worship. A man that's born in Adam, he
worships idols. Somebody says, I don't worship
idols. Yes we do. Idols of our mind, idols that
we create, and our heart idols. Witchcraft, sorcery, hatred,
that is hostility and resentment. Variance, what is that? Quarreling,
debate, strife. Emulations, this is what we were
born with. Ill-proportioned zeal. Wrath,
which is fierce passion, strife, which is contention, seditions,
which is divisions, heresies, which is parties of separation,
envians, which is resentment against another's success, murders,
actual or character, drunkenness, intoxication, revelings, loose
carousing, and such the like. So what is a meek and quiet spirit? the grace of God. It's that new
spirit, new man who possesses it, God's people. Thirdly, where
does a meek and quiet spirit come from? Well, there's only
one fountain. There's only one place. The scripture
says, John 117, every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is
no variableness, neither shadow of turning. There's no good gift
and only God is good. Every good gift cometh down from
heaven. So the scripture declares that
what we've received from the Lord, that is good. And it's this gift. He's given
us something. The scripture declares concerning
the gifts that God gives are without repentance. That means
He doesn't take them back. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. We don't
earn it. We can't earn it. Not by works
of righteousness that we've done. So, whenever we receive anything
from the Lord, it's by the grace of God. It's a gift. It's been
given a meek and quiet spirit. So, when we receive a salvation,
for by grace He is saved through faith, that salvation, it's the
Lord. The Father has been pleased to
give us of His Son that He's given us to Him and Him to us
so that that gift, every good and perfect gift, cometh down
from the Father of lights. Did He not come down? Did He
not humble Himself? So Christ is God's gift to His
people. What a gift. And with Him, there's
no shadow, there's no shade of appearance of change. He's the
same yesterday, today, and forever. And having Him as ours is the
Father's gift to us. And having Him, we have all. And having given us His Son,
look at this, Psalm 84, 11. Psalm 84, 11. For the Lord God is a sun and
shield. The Lord, at all caps, Jehovah,
will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold
from them that walk uprightly. Where does a meek and quiet spirit
come from? It comes from glory. It comes
from heaven. He who has given us his son has
given us all. And how, fourthly, is this meek
and quiet spirit received? Well, I've touched on this about
three different times now, and I'll go ahead and read the point
now that I wrote down. It's by the impartation of a
new heart. No one possesses a meek and quiet spirit except those
have been regenerated by the grace of God. Ezekiel 36, 26,
a new heart also I will give you and a new spirit will I put
within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh
and I'll give you a heart of flesh. Believers are made to
be partakers of the divine nature. Scripture says, escaped the corruption
which is in the world through lust. And this spirit, this spirit
that is a meek and quiet spirit flows from God Himself to His
people and it always has and comes with then a heart of thankfulness
toward the Lord for giving us what He's done for us. That meek
and quiet spirit that when trials come, and they will, they will. What am I gonna, what do I do?
Do I fret and worry? I got an old man that'll do that,
don't worry. But when these trials come, what
is that, what's that new man? That new man that sinneth not. And again, I'll guarantee you
there's a battle that's going on. It's hard. Dick, it's hard to go through
what you're going through right now. It's tough. But I'm telling you,
there's two men and a believer. And one of them said, I can't
believe. I can't believe I'm going through
this. What did I do to deserve this? And there's a new man that
says, Lord, You do all things well. If he slays me, Job said, I'm
gonna trust him. If he puts me in the grave, he's
gone and he's right. And that which I've received
of the Lord is the best for me. That spirit just doesn't come
from birth, being born in Adam. It does not. And again, remember
meekness means submission. It submits. Quiet means it doesn't argue. It doesn't doubt. That meek and
quiet spirit. Here's my last point. How important
is that spirit? How important it is? Well, the
latter part of this fourth verse says, which is in the sight of
God, of great price. Great price. What did it cost? It cost the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's what it cost. For me to
possess that precious gift, for Almighty God to give me that
spirit of meekness and quietness That spirit that manifests God's
will and purpose and love to an undeserving sinner. It's that
spirit that the scripture declares to be in God's sight, costly. That privilege to possess that
spirit That couldn't be gotten by silver and gold. But again,
it was purchased. Purchased. Bought. Paid for. And in the sight of Almighty
God, it's of great price because it's a precious gift. It's a
precious spirit. God's spirit. That spirit that
is of God and is God, and we by faith rest in that truth,
that having and possessing a heart that bows before Him. Buddy,
how we struggle with it. I don't know about you, but I
wonder at times if I ever truly found myself submitting as I
ought, I doubt everything I do, but in the sight of God to be
able to rest in the truth that the Lord has given us the earnest
of His Spirit and that we've been sealed by Him to the day
of redemption. So we come to this conclusion. Trials are going to come our
way. They're coming. The Lord's promised them. Those
that He loves, He chastens. If you be without chastisement,
without correction, It's because you're not His.
The Lord said that. But if the Lord has been pleased
to send us through, and let me tell you what a believer will
do right now. When he hears this, he's going to say to himself,
Lord, forgive me for the way I've argued, doubted, I haven't
trusted. But in hearing, That message
that declares that there is a meek and quiet spirit, that there
is a meek and quiet spirit given. You know what a believer will
say? I want that. I want that. I want to walk before
Him in submission. I want to walk before Him as
His servant. I want that. I don't want to
argue with Him. I don't want to doubt Him. I
want Him to teach me of myself. I want Him to teach me of Him.
And I want to be found faithful. I want that. And I want it for
His glory and my good. Amen.