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During this season we pause and give thanks for God's good gifts to us. Today we discover how we can best thank God for His good gifts by giving them to others.

When we suffer while doing good, we should never forget to remember that this is what Jesus did for us! The righteous One suffered to make payment for our sins, exchanging His righteousness for our unrighteousness (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus sacrificed His life to bring you to God. But His life didn’t end in suffering! Jesus was made alive in the Spirit. Our King is risen, giving proof that His promises to resurrect us one day are trustworthy and true! 

There’s much debate as to what this means and while this is an interesting passage to pick apart, it is not something we should divide over. 

• Scott McNight writes: “We need to be humble about conclusions to passages that are ‘clearly unclear.’”
• Karen Jobes writes: “The exegetical questions basically come down to these: Where did Christ go? When did he go? To whom did he speak? What did he say? Different answers to each of these questions can be found, resulting in a labyrinth of exegetical options, each of which has no clearly overwhelming claim to certainty, [with one] calculating 180 different exegetical combinations, in theory.”
• We might disagree on the details of what Peter means, we must agree on the ultimate point of this passage - followers of Jesus who remain faithful will be vindicated before their enemies just as Jesus was.

Who are the imprisoned spirits? These “spirits” seem to be angels who disobeyed God in the days of Noah. 

* The plural term spirits (Greek - pneumata) is almost always used of angels rather than human beings (Mt 8:16; Mk 1:27; Lk 4:36; Acts 5:16).

Further, Peter mentions this concept again in his second letter where he refers to the imprisoned as “angels”.

2 Peter 2:4 (NIV) For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;

Jude (the half brother of Jesus) gives the same insight.

Jude 6 (NIV) And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.

Evidently these are angels possessed human men during the time of Noah (angels are called “sons of God” in Gen 6:1-4), who married human women and had children who were deeply influenced by their demonic disobedience to God.

• Jesus wasn’t going to hell to give people a second chance to respond to God’s offer of forgiveness. Once people die, the are no more chances. God does not just let people out of hell and transfer them to heaven.
• Neither did Jesus go to finish the work of paying for our sins - that was FINISHED at the CROSS! There was no battle in hell against Satan and demons (the don’t rule there, but will be punished there).
• Paul Himes writes that the risen Jesus proclaimed a cosmic “in-your-face” to those demons who once tried to foil God’s plans in Noah’s lifetime.

The ungodly influence of these disobedient angels prior to the building of the ark led to worldwide wickedness of mankind, which - in turn - caused God to destroy every person on the planet with only 8 exceptions.

While Noah’s family was saved from God’s wrath, every other person on the planet was drowned. So too, there is a FUTURE DAY coming when God will once again bring judgement on those who refuse to repent.

• If that day were TODAY, would you be judged GUITY or INNOCENT? Are you putting your trust in your good works or the good work of Jesus? 

As Noah and his family entered the ark died to their old way of life and re-emerged in a brand new post-world flood, so all who follow Jesus die to their old lives and are saved in Christ, reemerging as new creations (where the old has passed and the new has come (2 Cor 5:17).

The baptism that now saves you is not by a religious ritual that washes away dirt from the body. Physical baptism doesn’t save anybody. 

People are saved by the pledge of a clear conscience toward God - by turning from sin and trusting that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus forgives us and gives us new life!

Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him. Jesus is now large and in charge over every authority...in heaven and on earth. Just as Jesus was justified before His enemies, so will His faithful followers be justified before their enemies.

• When tough times come, we must remember that we have been forgiven much by our risen King!
• Aren’t you THANKFUL for God’s forgiveness in your life? If so…

BIG TRUTH: Thank God for His gifts by giving them to others

› Take the gift of eternal life and offer it to others, as beggars telling other beggars where to find the BREAD!

Followers of Jesus should be DONE with sinful stuff, because we don’t want to live for the stuff Jesus died to pay for! We’re THANKFUL He has forgiven us so much, and our obedience is proof of that. Rather than live for our evil human desires like we used to, we now live for the will of God. and our obedience proves our thankfulness. 

Be ready for the persecution that comes with living in purity, because our Christ-less culture won’t understand that God can change the most wicked sinner.

If Christians live the way we should, our righteous lives bring conviction to their unrighteous lives and they can no longer lean on the excuse, “I can’t stop giving into these desires” when they see that you CAN STOP giving into these desires.     But they will have to give account to Him when they face the Judge of all creation.

Who are the dead to whom the gospel was preached? Most scholars argue that Peter is referring to believers who had trusted Christ while alive, but are now dead. Physical death doesn’t discount the judgement that is to come. Every person - whether physically alive or physically dead, Christian or non-Christian, will have to give account to Jesus - the One whom all “angels, authorities, and powers” must submit to (1 Pet 3:22).

• Either Jesus will return while we are alive OR we will die and go to be judged by Him.

Christians must be alert and prayerful - not distracted by temporary stuff that doesn’t matter. 

• Are you seeking Jesus, aware & alert of eternity? Are you prayerful - talking to God throughout the day?
• OR…are you focused on earthly pleasure & comfort, only offering up prayers when you get in trouble?

We should also be known as people who love each other deeply, and - since love covers over a multitude of sins - we should be quick to forgive one another. 

• Are you loving other believers deeply - quick to forgive & making the time to do life with other believers?
• OR…are your relationships with other Christians just thimble-deep? Are you holding a grudge against a brother or sister that needs to be resolved? (If so, get make it right TODAY!)

This kind of love shows hospitality to one another without grumbling sharing with one another. 

How are YOU using the gifts God has given you to give them to others? 

• Using the gifts God has given me, how can I share Jesus with our Christ-less culture?
• How can use God’s gifts to serve my faith family?