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.
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,
h. Again, the word usage of fear here in this text is not an emotional fear. Let me explain some terms:
i. The word for fear is phoi´bos from which we get our English word “phobia.” However, the kind of fear which Peter suggests is not caused by emotional illness. It is a healthy kind of fear.
ii. This is the kind of fear described by Luke in Acts 2:43. “Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.”
1. Perhaps a better English translation for this word would be “awe.” We should be in awe or reverent fear in the way we live in the presence of God. We need to live in constant recognition of who God is and who we are.
i. So, Peter is assuring his readers of this awe of God, this fear of God and the importance to recognize the perspective of humanity regarding God and His holiness.
j. And in context the judgment we all will encounter with God, who will evaluate our actions to His standards of the law He established.
k. So, Peter expresses the importance of fearing God to these believers in Asia Minor.
l. Illustration: William Gurnall was an English author and Anglican clergyman born at King's Lynn, Norfolk, where he was baptised on 17 November 1616. He was educated at the free grammar school of his native town, and in 1631 was nominated to the Lynn scholarship in Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he graduated BA in 1635 and MA in 1639.
m. Gurnall wrote:
i. We fear men so much because we fear God so little.
ii. William Gurnall.
n. Application:
i. Whom do you fear? Who do you revere today?
III. Christians are Ransomed by the Precious Gift of God.
a. How many of you understand or are willing to understand that your earthly treasures will never be able to save you from death?
b. Have you ever known or heard of a hostage situation where the kidnappers demand a ransom?
i. In other words one must pay a sum of money to release those who are held hostage.
c. Look at verse 18 and 19 of our text today:
i. 18knowing that you were ransomed (released) from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
ii. 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
d. Peter is declaring the incomparable precious blood of Christ that was the payment to release the believers from the perishable worldly material things. Even gold and silver which again, can never release us from the judgment of God.
e. ONLY the Blood of the Lamb of God – Jesus who paid the price, the ransom, releasing us from the debt of sin!
f. Illustration:
i. Jonathan Edwards was an American revivalist preacher, philosopher, and Congregationalist theologian.
ii. Edwards is widely regarded as one of America's most important and original philosophical theologians.
iii. He played a critical role in shaping the First Great Awakening and oversaw some of the first revivals in 1733–35 at his church in Northampton, Massachusetts
iv. Edwards wrote this:
1. The redeemed are dependent of God for all. All that we have-- wisdom, the pardon of sin, deliverance, acceptance in God's favor, grace, holiness, true comfort and happiness, eternal life and glory--we have from God by a Mediator; and this Mediator is God. God not only gives us the Mediator, and accepts His mediation, and of His power and grace bestows the things purchased by the Mediator, but He is the Mediator. Our blessings are what we have by purchase; and the purchase is made of God; the blessings are purchased of Him; and not only so, but God is the purchaser. Yes, God is both the purchaser and the price; for Christ, who is God, purchased these blessings by offering Himself as the price of our salvation.
IV. Christians Only Hope are in the Glorious Lord and Redeemer.
a. How many in this world today claim their way is the only way to salvation and eternal life? Yet, theirs is a system of works-based salvation and so often the true God gets no glory, often the glory is to man.
b. Peter emphasizes next the importance of the believers’ position in the risen Christ.
i. Christ was foreknown; He existed before the world was created.
ii. Christ manifested Himself for the Believers in God – His elect.
iii. Christ rose from the grave in glory.
c. Because of these facts the only true faith and hope are in the risen glorious God – Jesus the Messiah.
d. 20He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
e. 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.
f. Notice “through Him are believers in God…”
i. The Christian belief is only through Christ! He came down to us from His eternal throne to reveal God to us.
g. So, through Him and Him alone is ma kinds only hope of a glorious destiny.
h. Illustration:
i. An atheist said, "If there is a God, may he prove himself by striking me dead right now." Nothing happened. "You see, there is not God." Another responded, "You've only proved that He is a gracious God."
ii. Unknown.
i. Application:
i. What or where is your faith in? Is the grace of God applied to your life? Is Christ’s costly experience a reality and is it personal to you? IS the Lord drawing your heart to His gracious truth?
