Assurance of Hope
Blessed Assurance part 3
11/08/09 AM
Text: 1 Peter 1:3-5
INTRODUCTION
In this series we began by looking at the blessed assurance we have from God the Father:
1 John 5:11 ( NASB ) And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
Today we will continue exploring the other assurances we may have from our assurance of salvation, from this promise of God.
In this lesson we will begin with the assurance of hope.
The word hope appears some 68 times in the New Testament and scripture tells us that hope should reside in everyone who has claimed the assurance of salvation: 1 Peter 3:15 “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines hope as “a desire with expectation of obtainment; to expect with confidence (Trust.)”
Hope is both a verb and a noun, something we do and something we have within our hearts. Hope is one of the many blessings God offers to all who will obey and follow Christ as is described in (read) 1 Peter 1:3-5. This is the assurance that we have, God has caused us to be born again to “a living hope.”
[Verse 3 begins with Peter praising God, and gives us the basis for our assurance of “living” hope...]
I. Because God Is Merciful!
A. The basis for our hope lies not in ourselves…
1. It is a good thing that it does not, Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
1 John 1:8 “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
B. The basis of our hope lies in the abundance of God’s mercy…
1. Mercy given while we were yet sinners - Romans 5:6,8
Mercy accessible as we repent of and confess our sins.
1 John 1:9 (NASB) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Mercy attainable through faith and obedience. Acts 2:37-39 (repent and be baptized…)
[Because of God's abundant mercy, then, we who are sinners can have the assurance of “living” hope!
But according to verse 3 there is another reason for our hope...]
II. Because Jesus Is Alive!
A. The resurrection of Jesus is crucial to our hope:
1 Corinthians 15:14-19
1. If Christ is not risen, our faith is vain!
If Christ is not risen, we are still held guilty for our sins, no forgiveness has occurred!
If Christ is not risen, those who died as Christians are lost!
If Christ has not risen, then we do not have a “living” hope and should be pitied!
B. But we believe Jesus has been raised and we have reasons to believe!
1. We have eye witness testimony. Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-11
We have the proof of a world transformed by his being.
C. And by our faith in His resurrection, we are “born again” to a living hope!
1. As it is true then everything Jesus said about our hope is true: John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die…”
Since Jesus rose from the dead, we have a firm hope that we too will one day rise from the dead.
Read 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
[By the abundant mercy of God, and upon the basis of Jesus' own resurrection, then, we have “born again” to a living hope!
But there are two more reasons discussed in verses 4-5 which gives us the assurance of hope. One is...]
III. The Nature of Our Inheritance!
A. The assurance of our hope is directly related to the inheritance we have...
1. If our inheritance is good, our hope is strong, or “living.”
If our inheritance is poor, our hope is weak, or “dying.”
B. As described by peter, our inheritance...
1. IS INCORRUPTIBLE
a. The Greek word is aphthartos {af'-thar-tos}, meaning “not liable to corruption or decay, imperishable”
b. Unlike the works of this present earth which will be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10
2. IS UNDEFILED
a. The Greek word is amiantos {am-ee'-an-tos}, meaning “not defiled, unsoiled”
b. Our hope pertains to New Jerusalem “and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Revelation 21:27
3. DOES NOT FADE AWAY
a. The Greek word is amarantos {am-ar'-an-tos}, meaning “unfading, perennial”
The word is a variation of “amaranth” which was the name of a mythical Greek flower whose bloom was perpetual and whose loveliness never faded
b. Such is our heavenly reward: it will not rust, fade, or wither like so many things do here on earth
4. IT IS RESERVED IN HEAVEN
a. The word “reserved” comes from tereo {tay-reh'-o}, meaning “to watch, to observe, to guard, protect, to reserve, set aside”
Perfect tense used means our inheritance is already put aside, safely guarded in heaven itself!
No one, not even Satan, can steal it from you!
[Since this is the nature of our “inheritance” upon which our assurance rests, we can see why our hope is described as a “living” hope.
There is one more reason for our assurance: not only is our inheritance safely guarded in heaven, but also...]
IV. Because We Are Safely Guarded!
A. Christians are “protected” or kept for the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time
1. The word “protected” is from phroureo {froo-reh'-o}, and is a military term
2. It means “to guard, protect by a military guard: either to prevent hostile invasion, or to keep the inhabitants of a besieged city from flight”
B. Note that being “protected” involves two things...
1. First, THE POWER OF GOD!
a. We have the help of God Himself, who knows how to help those in temptation
2 Peter 2:9 He knows how to rescue the godly from temptation.
b. He knows how to enable us to endure temptation.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB) No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
c. Ephesians 6:10-13 He supplies the armor necessary to stand firm against evil. His truth, His righteousness; His gospel; His word…
2. Also, OUR FAITH!
a. To be safely guarded by God's protective care requires the shield of our faith.
The only way we can ever lose our inheritance reserved in heaven is to become unfaithful to the Lord!
Revelation 2:10c “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
As long as we remain “faithful”, then, we have the assurance of hope until we receive that inheritance reserved in heaven for us!
CONCLUSION
A. In this passage (1 Peter 1:3-5), then, are four reasons for the assurance of hope, for our “living” hope:
1. Because God is merciful!
Because Jesus is alive!
Because of the nature of our inheritance!
2. Because we are safely guarded!
B. Our assurance of hope may be as great a source of joy as it was for the original recipients of Peter's epistle:
1 Peter 1:6a “In this (the living hope) you greatly rejoice…”
Invitation
Is this assurance of hope yours today?
1. It is if you have received God's mercy offered in Christ, and remaining faithful to the Lord
If you have not received this mercy, or have neglected it through unfaithfulness, why not come to the Lord, confess Jesus before men and be baptized into His church?
