What’s So Great About God?-5 Series

WHAT’s So GREAT About GOD?-V—1Peter 1:3-12(:3-9; 10-12)

Attention:

Our Mini-van:

We’ve had 3 of them! It’s been the perfect car for our family of 6. It offers...a solid solution to our needs—Carries our family 7 people(we have 6) comfortably(which many larger cars do not!), Aesthetics(color/shape/attractive), Worry free operation(most anything breaks eventually), Reliability(never left us stranded), Cruising speed, Powerful & smooth acceleration, Good gas mileage(?), User friendly, Fair purchase price, etc. We can take the rear seats out & use it as a truck, We can tie luggage to the luggage rack on the roof, We can tie a canoe or kayak on the rack, We have hauled mattress box springs on the roof & a mattress inside, It doesn’t move the van when an 18-wheeler passes as full speed on a two-lane.

For our family, a Mini-Van has a lot to commend itself!

Likewise, God is great because He offers every solution for our lives!

Ironically we can miss the power of God preferring rather to enjoy the social aspects of ‘our church.’ And when confronted with our fears in such situations, we come to a standstill, not realizing ‘What’s So Great About God!’

Peter recalled basic justifications for glorifying God.

Blood-bought believers are justified in their glorifying/pointing to God.

Why are believers justified in glorifying/blessing/pointing to God?

Why is God Worthy?

WHAT’s So GREAT About GOD?

Previously, we found that,

God is Great because He offers...

1. GOD(:3a)

2. His MEANS OF SALVATION(:3a)

3. MERCY(:3b)

4. REGENERATION(:3b)

5. VIBRANT HOPE(:3b-c)

6. STANDING INHERITANCE(:4-5)

7. INTERNAL JOY(:6)

8—God is Great because He offers...

GENUINE FAITH(:7)

Explanation:(:7)

:7—“that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, & glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,”

Our trials are what make the authenticity of our faith & its quality very plain.

Js. 1:2-4—“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect & complete, lacking in nothing.”

This certain type of faith along with its “proof” is “more precious” than the most precious & sought after of temporal objects—even gold. Gold is itself even perishable.

Gold is valuable because it is uniquely untarnishable & scarce.

What is the proof?....Withstanding the fire & being of the same caliber as before the fire, & thus producing “praise, honor & glory”(toward the triune God) in the believer, even to the last day. This speaks of Christ’s second coming to earth.

When genuine saving “faith” is “tested,” as it were, by fire, it will result in/produce “praise, honor & glory” upon the day when Jesus is fully & tangibly “revealed” as the Christ(Anointed) of God.

He will be revealed as Prophet, Priest, Savior, Mediator, King, Lord, Judge, & Advocate.

“Genuine” faith always indicates/points to our Lord Jesus. It is always sourced in the believer’s allowing his life to be driven by Christ.

Ps. 119:67—“Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Thy word.”

“Genuineness/Proof/Trial”—dokimion—The proving; That by which something is tried or proved, A test. Strong—A testing; by implication--Trustworthiness. Used 2X.

“Precious/Of greater worth”—polutimov/timiwterov—Very valuable, of great price. / As of great price, precious; Held in honor, esteemed, especially dear. Strong—including the comparative timiwterov; & the superlative timiwtatov; Valuable, i.e. objectively--Costly, or subjectively--Honored, esteemed, or figuratively--Beloved.

“Perishes/Perishable”—apollumi—To destroy. Strong—from apo[Off/Away from] & the base of oleyrov[Ruin, i.e. Death, punishment]; To destroy fully(reflexively--To perish, or lose), literally or figuratively.

“Tested”—dokimazw—1) To test, examine, prove, scrutinize(to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals; 2) To recognize as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy. Strong—To test(literally or figuratively); by implication--To approve.

“Found/Result”—euriskw—1)To come upon, hit upon, to meet with.; 2)To find by enquiry, thought, examination, scrutiny, observation, To find out by practice & experience.; 3)To find out for one's self, to acquire, get, obtain, procure. Strong–To find (literally or figuratively).

“Praise”—epainov—Approbation(official approval), commendation, praise. Strong—Laudation; concretely--A commendable thing. Used 11X.

“Honor”—timh—1)A valuing by which the price is fixed; 2)Honor which belongs or is shown to one. Strong—A value, i.e. Money paid, or concretely & collectively--Valuables; by analogy--Esteem (especially of the highest degree), or the dignity itself.

“Glory”—doxa—1)Opinion, judgment, view; 2)Opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone; 3)Splendor, brightness; 4)A most glorious condition, most exalted state. Strong—Glory(as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative, objective or subjective).

Argumentation:

Heb. 3:6—“but Christ[was faithful] as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence & the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.”

Heb. 3:14—“For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end;”

Rev. 2:24-29—“‘Now to you I say, & to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, & keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations--‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’--as I also have received from My Father; & I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’’