IN CHRIST: THE REAL LIFE
4-28-02
I Peter 1:1-12
INTRODUCTION:
The Apostle Peter wrote primarily to believing Jews who were dispersed throughout the Roman Empire.
They were not citizens where they live… but resident aliens.
They had no rights as citizens… consequently they ended up on the short end of the stick.
However, while they suffered on earth… the assurance of their citizenship in Heaven gave them joy.
While suffering prejudice and abuse in life… the truth of their Scriptures produces holiness.
Christmas gave us Jesus as our Christ.
Easter—his death, burial, and resurrection—made Jesus our Christ.
The Holy Spirit made it possible for Jesus to be our Lord—our leader …our pattern …our friend.
TROUBLED TIMES
If Peter had picked up the TODAY News Paper... before writing this epistle... it would be no different than this morning’s news:
· Threats of war... inflation ... hunger amid plenty...
· Evaporating national spirit,
· No unity between the haves & have nots,
· Widening gap between rich and poor,
· Advertising continually makes the poor aware of what they don’t have.
There is LEGAL equality... by force of law, BUT
Social equality comes from within ... out of the heart.
. It must be cultivated,
. It’s a matter of esteem, acceptance, and participation.
It didn’t exist in Peter’s day.
It doesn’t exist today.
JESUS IS THE SATISFIER & EQUALIZER
Peter... in spite of all the bad news and
in spite of all the uncertainty ...
presents Jesus as...
. The great satisfier,
. The effective equalizer,
. The one who is all-sufficient for ALL human problems.
Simon... the fearful fisherman... who denied Jesus 3 times during the night of his trials... now stands as Peter... the ROCK man... refusing to be moved.
The Day of Pentecost is behind him.
The Spirit and power of the Lord is within him.
He knows what it’s like to stand up for Christ.
He’s paid the price by now.
· He’s been arrested and put in jail.
By a miracle of God... he was freed.
· He knows his own crucifixion is coming soon.
Transformed by both faith... and experience... Peter writes to a multi-racial, multi-cultured church...
A church…
· Which... has found equality in the person of Jesus the Christ,
· Which is scattered... yet unified spiritually... and socially.
Standing firm... and with complete assurance... Peter writes:
1: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia",
Quite often ... when we read the salutations... we simply gloss of it.
But, there is a wealth of information in it.
"To the strangers"—aliens is the word in Greek... non-residents.
He tells us... as believers ...
· Our true citizenship is in heaven.
· Here on earth... we’re just temporary residents... regardless of where we may be living... camping... or touring.
We are permanently implanted into the Body of Christ...
· by our faith in the completed work of Jesus as our Christ.
· But... we are temporarily assigned to duty on this earth ... until we are ordered to report up to headquarters.
Peter writes to those then—to us now... who have obtained the same precious faith...
HOW... through the righteousness of God and our savior, Jesus Christ...
Think about it… let it soak in:
. We are accepted by God the father... because of the faithfulness and completed work of Jesus...
. NOT because of any intrinsic value within us.
. ONLY because God so loves us.
We have the righteousness of God, himself... given to us by the same Jesus… who took our sins upon himself:
. Every sin that we have committed... paid for!
. Every sin that we WILL commit... paid for!
God ... the father... sees us as though we
. Have never sinned
. And never will.
We have NO right to feel guilty about our humanity!
We have no REASON to refuse the truth about Jesus as the Christ!
We have no EXCUSE ... to ignore
. The Word of God ... the
. Way of God ... nor
. The Purpose of God!
Peter writes to the:
2: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."
This is a continuation of the sentence started in verse 1.
It is addressed to those …who are chosen according to God’s foreknowledge…by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience… and for sprinkling with Jesus Christ’s blood.
May grace and peace be yours in full measure!
This is so important that we know that God knew beforehand—FOREKNOWLEDGE—that mankind would be sinners.
. God knew we would be egotistical ... and self-serving.
. God knew he would have to take on flesh ... to become our savior.
God ALSO knew some of us
. Would agree...
. Would believe...
. Would trust him... and
. Would accept Jesus as our Christ.
We ARE the elect!
Peter gathers together… God the Father... God the Son... and God the Holy Spirit... affirming the doctrine of the TRINITY.
In doing this … he assures us that:
GRACE & PEACE are multiplied... HOW... through the KNOWLEDGE of God, and Jesus, our Lord."
This tells us that if we want God’s grace—his unmerited favor… and his peace that passes all understanding… we are going to have to
. Get our Jesus out of the manger … and
. Out of the grave… and
. Let him become the Lord of our lives.
Both the unmerited favor—Grace …and the Peace that passes all understanding—a peace that defies explanation ...is MULTIPLIED.
It increases ... as we increase our KNOWLEDGE about… and obedience to… Jesus as our Christ.
. The more we know the more we grow!
. The more we grow the better we feel:
More Grace ...
More Peace ...
The Lord Jesus said, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).
We are secure FOREVER in Jesus Christ ... that is the basis of our GRACE ... and our PEACE.
Look at verse 3…
3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope(a living hope) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"
The operative phrase here is HATH BEGOTTEN ... or HAS GIVEN.
. This is past perfect tense.
. This means the action is completed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
This is where the transfer of power comes from...
. NOT from our religious abilities ...
. BUT from the death ... burial ... and resurrection of our Lord and Savior.
Ever since Jesus was baptized ... there has been pressure for us to accept more than JESUS:
. Philosophy: The best from the mind of man ... egotism ... the super intellect of mankind has all the answers...
. Religious legalism: attempting to earn God’s acceptance by self-defined good behavior ...
. Mysticism: Exotic superstition, ritualism, trusting a form or a system rather than the Creator,
. Carnal asceticism: attempting to earn righteousness through self denial ... through discipline of he flesh nature.
The foundation of our Christianity is: FAITH, LOVE & HOPE, according to the Apostle Paul:
FAITH, is rooted in historic fact:
. Jesus was promised ...
. He came, as promised;
. he lived, taught, died -- as promised -and
. was resurrected:
That’s historic fact!
When we accept Jesus as savior, we are immersed (baptized) into the body of Christ.
We have a new dimension to life—a spiritual dimension—born of God:
That’s historic fact!
We are eternally linked with the God of this universe, plugged in to his power... his intellect... his heart:
That’s historic fact!
This is the basis of our faith!
LOVE... That’s faith demonstrated... and shared with those about us ...
. Putting this historic fact into action ...
. Making a difference, because we are different ...
. Spreading the love and spirit of God ...
Because we are overflowing with the love and spirit of God!
HOPE, is future ...
. Expecting, awaiting the fulfillment of all of God’s promises ...
. An eternity living up to our design specs ... living life to its fullest.
Too much of our "faith" is based on incomplete information
. our Jesus is still the babe in the manger—the Christmas story…
. Our Jesus is the man of Galilee...
. We pick up his message,
. We codify it,
. We demand obedience to it,
. We try to enforce it ... and
call ourselves GODLIKE!
BUT, the greatness of Jesus is in the RESURRECTION!
. A Christ who conquered death ... and gives life—life as God intended... rich... full... complete.... satisfying... eternal!
. A Christ who indwells each of us who trust him, accept him, KNOW HIM!
Full knowledge of Jesus as Christ requires FUSION!
. Fusion of God the Father with God the Son,
. Fusion of God the Son with those who trust him,
. Fusion of believer with God the Spirit.
JESUS refers to this FUSION 4 times in his great prayer in John 17.
4. "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,"
Here is why we can find JOY in times of trouble.
. We have an incorruptible ... undefiled inheritance ... that is just as eternal and eternity.
. It fades NOT away.
5. "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
Let’s back up … and take these last three verses—the complete sentence—all in one bite:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.
It is reserved in heaven for you, who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
This is God’s Word!
He said it: We, too, are KEPT!
That is, we are being protected.
This is in the present tense... meaning "guarded"... by God’s power through faith.
. We are guarded—surrounded—by God…and
. Protected from all threats…
We are fully garrisoned by God… this very moment… the next moment…and as long as time continues…
We are wrapped in the arms of God… fully guarded and protected.
6. "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:"
It is because we know what we ARE ... in Jesus Christ... It is because we know what we HAVE ... in Jesus Christ... That we CAN REJOICE...
. In spite of heaviness of heart ... disappointment... rejection... separation...
. In spite of temptations ... regardless how many ... or how appealing…
. In spite of how many … or how often…
It does not matter…
Because of what we ARE and what we HAVE in Jesus as our Christ.
7. "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:"
In today’s English… this reads:
"Such trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold—gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away—and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
Peter views trials of faith and temptation, basically as being productive.
He equates our trials and temptations with gold:
. A golden treasure may be melted down ... thus destroying its original form ... but
. The same heat that melts also renders out the impurities so that the Gold is pure for reshaping into something new.
Peter assures us that our problems and challenges do the same to us.
Our present circumstances may change...
. It may hurt for a little while ... but
. The change will be good for us…
If we look for … and expect to find…God’s purpose for the testing.
Peter, here, is echoing Paul’s assurance to the Romans (8:28,29):
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
This verse does not say that everything that happens is good.
Paul simply says... that God is a faithful heavenly Father who… because He is both omniscient and omnipotent… is able to cause even unfortunate happenings to work for good if we truly love the Lord and respond to his leadership.
8 "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:"
We have not been privileged... like Peter... Paul ...and the others... to have seen Jesus in the Flesh.
But... through FAITH... through the Holy Spirit...
Our joy... our glory... will be just a great and satisfying as theirs.
9 "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
10 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."
We may not have experienced Jesus in the Flesh ... as the Apostles did...
But we walk in His Holy Spirit ... that he poured out upon all believers at Pentecost.
We have more than the PROPHETS had.
They had only visions through faith... of how God would express his great love for us.
They had dreams... visions... visits... often revealing things they could not understand... yet they were faithful to record them.
Through Jesus Christ... and him crucified... buried... and resurrected... God has bathed us in His infinite LOVE.
Through the completed work of Jesus as our Christ... He has paid the price for every SIN that mankind can dream up… regardless of how horrendous.
He has heaped upon HIMSELF the penalty for
. Every vile deed...
. Every ugly word...
. Every devious and malicious intent of the heart... that humans can conceive.
God has removed SIN as the problem in our relationship with him:
FAITH … or the lack of it…is the problem!
The unbeliever has no valid excuse.
Since the dawn of mankind… millions upon millions have experienced The God… through faith… and through obedience.
Even, The heavens declare the glory of God…
. Generations of the faithful… have carefully recorded His Word.
. Jesus… our Christ… brought God to earth…in the flesh.
. Historians have documented his uniqueness.
. Hundreds… at different times and places… have witnessed his resurrection.
His purpose? To bring us back to Him!
Why? So he can bless us beyond belief!
God designed us to be loved and blessed.
He designed us to return his love.
And life will never be complete... never satisfying... until we are locked in mutual fellowship with God, himself.
