UNLEASHING YOUR SPIRITUAL VITALITY/Vigor-III—1Peter 1:13-21
Vitality Born of Privilege
Attention:
Vitality is tied to freedom...Freedom to move as you please....To live life to the fullest thru God’s blessing...To live for Him with Exuberance, Excitement, with Anticipation...To be Energetic & Lively in your service to Him.
Need:
Due to the preciousness of the extreme privilege which we have before us—in having lived in & after the time when the gospel of salvation in Christ by faith has been plainly revealed—we are thus to display a particular manner of vitality in action.
This is displayed in a personal attention to one’s mindset(:13) as well as attention to other commitments(:14-21).
Peter steered the Christians of Asia into the vitality born of their privilege in Christ.
The vitality born of the privilege in Christ possesses a certain character.
What Releases the vitality born by extreme privilege in Christ?
Previously we have found that...To unleash the privilege of spiritual vitality in Christ, We must commit to....
1. PREPARE THE MIND(:13a)
2. PROTECT/SENSITIZE THE MIND(:13b)
3. SECURE THE MIND(:13c)
4. The PATTERN(:14-16)
5. The CONFESSION(:17)
6—To unleash the privilege of spiritual vitality, Commit to
The REDEMPTION(:18-19)
Explanation:(:18-19)
:18—“knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,”
“Knowing”—“Reverential awe before God”...“is not based simply on”...“recognition of judgment, but on deep gratitude & wonder at what God has done for” us.—NICNT
Redemption—Something is exchanged/traded for what was once yours.
Redemption of ancestral property is a powerful theme of the Mosaic-Jewish law. Every 50 yrs. the Jubilee ensured that property was temporarily transferred back to its original family with them having the right of ownership. It’s selling may have been due to it’s owner’s having fallen into poverty &/or due to being forced, thru such circumstances, into giving themselves up to slavery.
Ruth—Right of redemption upon Boaz to redeem the property as well as the name of Mahlon/Chilion.
Christians who “conduct yourselves...in fear”(:17) appropriate to themselves the fact that they “were not redeemed with perishable things.” This redemption was a redemption from a personally held “futile way of life”. This futile life was a naturally/fleshly inherited life from one’s forefathers, & as such are readily taught with fervor.
We consider “gold” & “silver” to be more-or-less permanent, as well as their relative worth in comparison to other things. However in God’s scheme of things(‘actual reality’/truth) these are “perishable.” That is, they have no value for permanently “redeeming” human souls.
Usually considered untarnishable—They do not lose value—That’s what makes them precious!—But in God’s economy, they are destined for passing away.
“Redeemed”—lutrow—1)To release on receipt of ransom; 2)To redeem, liberate by payment of ransom. Strong—To ransom(literally or figuratively). Used 3X.
“Corruptible/Perishable”—fyartov—Adj.—Corruptible, perishing. Strong—from fyeirw[To shrivel or wither, i.e. to spoil or to ruin, to deprave)]; Decayed, i.e. by implication--Perishable. Used 6X.
“Aimless/Futile”—mataiov—Adj.—1)Devoid of force, truth, success, result; 2)Useless, of no purpose. Strong—Empty, i.e. literally--Profitless, or specifically--An idol. Used 6X.
“Conduct/Way of life”(See :17— anastrefw)—anastrofh—Manner of life, conduct, behavior, deportment. Used 13X.
From—ana—a primary preposition & adverb; properly--Up; but (by extension)used distributively--Severally, or locally--At (etc.)—&—strefw—To twist, i.e. Turn quite around or reverse(literally or figuratively).
“Inherited”—patroparadotov—Lit.=‘Father-delivered.’ 1)Handed down from one's father's or ancestors. Strong—from pathr[A father] & a derivative of paradidwmi[To surrender/yield up/intrust/transmit](in the sense of handing over or down); traditionary Used 1X.
:19—“but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished & spotless, the blood of Christ.”
This pictures the Passover lamb(Ex. 12:1-13, 21-23), which paid the ultimate price of death for the sake of those who would trust God.
The Christian who lives reverently before God continually recalls & lives in the power of Christ’s “precious blood” which has redeemed him. This “precious blood” is so precious because it is as if it were the sacrificial blood of an “unblemished & spotless” lamb, in which Christ’s supreme sacrifice is pictured.
Jn. 1:29—[John the Baptist’s cry]—“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, & said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
“Precious”—timiov— As of great price, precious; Held in honor, esteemed, especially dear.
“Unblemished”—amwmov—Without blemish—As a sacrifice without spot or blemish; Morally: without blemish, faultless, unblameable. Faultless, without blemish, free from imperfections. It refers especially to character.
“Spotless”—aspilov—Spotless; Metaph.—Free from censure, irreproachable—Free from vice, unsullied.
Argumentation:
Ex. 13:11-13; 34:19-20—“And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you & your fathers, & gives it to you, that you shall set apart to the LORD all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the LORD’S. But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; & if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.”.....“All that open the womb are Mine, & every male firstborn among your livestock, whether ox or sheep. But the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. And if you will not redeem him, then you shall break his neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.”
Sets forth the premise of choosing either Redemption or Death!
The priest “would receive the firstborn of animals & man in their redemption price.”....“Seemingly the reason for paying a ransom price...was to provide a perpetual reminder that conception, birth, & life are gifts of God.”—EBC
Isa. 43:1-4—“But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia & Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life.”
Eph. 2:1-3, :8-10—“And you were dead in your trespasses & sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh & of the mind, & were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”.....“For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
1Tim. 1:12-14—“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service; even though I was formerly a blasphemer & a persecutor & a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; & the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith & love which are found in Christ Jesus.”
Titus 2:11-14—“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness & worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, & godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope & glorious appearing of our great God & Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed & purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
Illustration:
Prisons are full of people who have rejected ‘redemption’, i.e., They have no means by which civility can be achieved in their life/They have found no personally ‘valid’ reason for changing their behavior/REDEMPTION
There are many children in our society who have not yet figured out that their parents have been leading them astray all along/Who are taught & whose actions are determined, by sheer will to accomplish whatever their ‘heart’ of flesh compels them(with no regard for God in Christ)/REDEMPTION
Gamblers using the state lottery to get rich/Their lives are ‘redeemed’ by the corruptible & corrupting purchases & influences that silver & gold supply/Their behaviors change in that they may ‘hang’ with different people, wear different clothes, or live in a different neighborhood, etc./But they are only worldly good with more money than they used to have!/They need the blood REDEMPTION of Jesus!
Application:
?You committed to the REDEMPTION?
?Your spiritual vitality been unleashed ?
7—To unleash the privilege of spiritual vitality, Commit to...
The MISSION(:20-21)
Explanation:(:20-21)Stalwart/Endure/Persevere/Assignment
:20—“He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you”
“He...was manifest”—
1Jn. 4:1-3—“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, & every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, & is now already in the world.”
Php 2:5-8—“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, & coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself & became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
“in these last times”—
The Church “time” or ‘age’
There has been the Creation, the Fall, The Flood, Israel, The Law, Arrival of Christ Jesus, His Death, Burial, Resurrection & Ascension, The Church.
Our Mission is “in these last times” as well!
“For you”—
Tit. 2:14—“who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed & purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
Lk. 19:10—“for the Son of Man has come to seek & to save that which was lost.”
Mat. 9:36-38—“But when He[Jesus] saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary & scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
:21—“who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead & gave Him glory, so that your faith & hope are in God.”
Believers trust in God who Himself raised Jesus from the dead supplied Him His deserved “glory.” Thru Jesus, one’s “faith & hope” thus become centered in & focused “in God.”
“Who through Him are believers in God”—
These believers are believers in the triune God by means of Jesus God’s anointed.
“So that your faith & hope are in God.”—
Lk. 2:8-14—“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, & the glory of the Lord shone around them, & they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God & saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
1Pet. 3:18a-c—“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God,....”
Rom. 6:8-12—“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”
*Neither faith nor hope are static...They are active & dynamic!
Argumentation:
Js. 2:14,17, 22, 26—“What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?”....“Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”....“You see that faith was working with his works, & as a result of the works, faith was perfected;”....“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”
Js. 4:17—“Therefore, to him who knows to do good & does not do it, to him it is sin.”
Mat. 21:23-32—“Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests & the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, & said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” But Jesus answered & said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: “The baptism of John--where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ “But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus & said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. But what do you think? A man had two sons, & he came to the first & said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ “He answered & said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it & went. Then he came to the second & said likewise. And he answered & said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors & harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, & you did not believe him; but tax collectors & harlots believed him; & when you saw it, you did not afterward relent & believe him.”
Lk. 12:42-48—“And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful & wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ & begins to beat the male & female servants, & to eat & drink & be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, & at an hour when he is not aware, & will cut him in two & appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will, & did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; & to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”
Eph. 2:10—“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Church Purpose & Vision is built upon our willingness...To Love, Reach & Nurture others for Christ! & Thus to —Develop Positive relationships, Christian Involvement & Christian Maturity.
Illustration:
At least two restaurants in Carrabelle that had to close their doors because of drug use/The employees would not stay on task/You cannot be a druggie & keep a job for any length of time/If you’re going to produce a consistent product, particularly if it requires hand-craftsmanship, finding a committed person can be difficult/Committed to the MISSION
College classes/There is a ‘Drop-Add’ period in which you can either drop out or stay in the assigned class without penalty—It behooves the student to Read the course’s syllabus, Know the expectations, Know your graduation requirements in relation to the course/Must stay on top of your game thruout/Committed to the MISSION
My dogs Molly & Little Bit/M-searching for mice & lizards/LB—searching for squirrels/Committed to the MISSION
Any hunting dog is not a hunting dog unless it can be trained to remain on task & To act when called upon/Committed to the MISSION
Application:
?You committed to the MISSION?
?Your spiritual vitality been unleashed ?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
To unleash the privilege of spiritual vitality in Christ, COMMIT To....
6. REDEMPTION(:18-19)
7. MISSION(:20-21)
1. PREPARE THE MIND(:13a)
2. PROTECT/SENSITIZE THE MIND(:13b)
3. SECURE THE MIND(:13c)
4. PATTERN(:14-16)
5. CONFESSION(:17)
Pts. 6-7 Presented 09/13/2015pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(A Ave. SE)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 4-7 Presented 10/04/09pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf NC 27054
Presented 05/23/04pm to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Road
Whigham, GA 39897
