A Holiness Demanded By The Costly Experience Of Christ’s Passion

1 Peter Series Part 5

Sub Series: A Demand for Holiness” (1:13 – 2:3)

Title: A holiness demanded by the costly experience of Christ’s passion

Text: 1 Peter 1:17-21

LORDS SUPPER TODAY

INTRO: How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets real thing, it is irresistible.

C.S. Lewis, Letters to an American Lady, New Bible Commentary, p. 28.

Transition: Previously we looked at:

1. First teaching section (1:3-12). The method and nature of salvation

a. A salvation based on the hope inspired by Christ’s resurrection (1:3-5)

b. A salvation secured through a faith deepened in trial (1:6-9)

c. A salvation reported by the prophets who described its grace and glory (1:10-12)

2. First preaching section (1:13-2:3). A demand for holiness

a. A holiness demanded by God’s own character (1:13-16)

b. A holiness demanded by the costly experience of Christ’s passion (1:17-21)

c. A holiness expressed in genuine love responding to the gospel (1:22-25)

d. A holiness expressed by the new life received from a gracious God (2:1-3)

TEXT:

1 Peter 1:17–21 (ESV)

17And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,

18knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,

19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

20He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

21who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

I. Christian Judgement is to be Done Equally.

a. Have you ever heard or been judged unfairly?

b. Apostle Peter is declaring the unbiased fair judgment God oversees in His providence.

i. 17And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,

c. “impartially” is to judge fairly with no bias.

i. An example of this applied to believers written by the half-brother of Jesus;

James 2:1 (ESV)

ii. 1My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

d. James tells his believers to hold on to the faith in the Lord!

e. Back to our text in 1 Peter, Peter is telling these five districts in Asia Minor that God will judge fairly and impartially.

i. He will judge what? Regarding the deeds or actions of these dispersed believers.

f. God’s judgement is based upon a standard of truth, an established directive or law. For example, the Ten Commandments.

g. Illustration:

i. Judgment is a reality in this current world we live in. Just as if one commits s crime, you will stand before a judge to explain your part of the story. And if the Judge is honest and impartial, he will hear your case to determine if it is true and evaluate the crime or case as to a standard of law.

h. How many of us believe we will all stand in front of God for breaking God’s laws, known as sin?

i. Statistics and Research

ii. More than four out of every five Americans agree that "we all will be called before God at judgment day to answer for our sins," says a poll conducted for the Times Mirror company.

iii. National and International Religion Report, quoted in Signs of the Times, August, 1993, p. 6.

i. Application:

i. When you stand before God, what will your defense be?

II. Christians are to Fear Our God.

a. Have you noticed today the disrespect to police and the law of the land?

i. I believe one of the problems of today’s society is no fear of the Lord God.

b. In the human sense we have various fears; fear of death, fear of flying, fear of closed spaces, the terror that a plane you are on may crash, etc… This type of fear is more an emotional fear.

c. Apostle Peter is establishing a fear premise to the dispersed believers in the five provinces in Asia Minor.

d. This fear in context is based upon how God judges impartially.

e. This in context of the previous scriptures:

i. 1 Peter 1:15–16 (ESV)

ii. 15but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

iii. 16since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

f. So Peter regarding holiness, there is a response to the perspective of God’s holy judgement according to our actions or deeds.

g. So Peter tells his readers to behave themselves with fear during their time of exile to the five provinces they are dispersed to.