What’s So Great About God?-4 Series

WHAT’s So GREAT About GOD?-IV—1Peter 1:3-12

Attention:

What’s so great about Florida/Carrabelle?

Many people come to Florida & Carrabelle, FL to Escape the cold, looking for milder climes...or maybe ‘The easy life,’ Retirement, Escape from the ‘rat race.’ What they find are Yellow flies, Deer flies, Dog flies, & Mosquitoes. They find that they cannot take neither the high humidity nor the high heat of summer. These people leave with a sour taste for Florida in general & return home having never experienced Florida or Carrabelle.

Likewise many people enter churches hoping to find meaning in their lives. They are looking for love, acceptance & friendship. What they find are sinners saved by grace. Neglecting & bypassing the message of the cross, & seeking satisfaction their own way, they neglect a relationship with Jesus.

They walk out of the church not having their supposed/felt ‘needs’ met, & have no real appreciation for the church.

We can sometimes miss the power of God preferring rather to enjoy the social aspects of ‘our church.’ And when confronted with our fears in such situations, we come to a standstill, not realizing ‘What’s So Great About God!’

Peter recalled basic justifications for glorifying God.

Blood-bought believers are justified in their glorifying/pointing to God.

Why are believers justified in glorifying/blessing/pointing to God?

Why is God considered Worthy?

WHAT’s So GREAT About GOD?

Previously, we found that,

God is Great because He offers...

1. GOD(:3a)

2. His MEANS OF SALVATION(:3a)

3. MERCY(:3b)

4. REGENERATION(:3b)

5. VIBRANT HOPE(:3b-c)

6—God is Great because He offers...

STANDING INHERITANCE(:4-5)

Explanation:(:4-5)Reserved

:4—“to an inheritance incorruptible & undefiled & that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,”

Our being brought into a state of spiritual rebirth was initiated in order that an unfading, “undefiled” & imperishable/“incorruptible” “inheritance” would be obtained/had/possessed or become that which the believer owned/held in heart & hand.

This perennial “inheritance” is a “reserved” inheritance. That is, it is... English=‘Kept or set apart or aside for future or special use.’; Set aside for the use of a particular person or party.

When something is “reserved/kept” for us no one else may touch it in any way. It is ours though we may not use it at the present time. It is tended to, guarded, & maintained for us. Just as monies, destined for inheritance, cannot be dissolved or distributed until an estate is ‘legally’ solvent.

The “reservation” set aside for the use of the believer is “reserved” “in heaven.” “Heaven” being the eternal destination & continual location of our dwelling following this life we live in the flesh.

“You/Ye” is plural.

“Inheritance”—klhronomia—Property received (or to be received) by inheritance; What is given to one as a possession. Strong—Heirship, i.e. concretely--A patrimony or (genitive case)--A possession.

“Incorruptible/Imperishable”—afyartov—Adj.—not liable to corruption or decay, imperishable; Immortal. Afyartov is properly incorruptible, unaffected by corruption & decay. It is applied to God, & to that which is connected with him. Strong—Undecaying(in essence or continuance).

From—A—as a negative particle—&—fyeirw—probably strengthened from fyiw(to pine or waste); properly--To shrivel or wither, i.e. To spoil(by any process) or generally--To ruin (especially figuratively, by moral influences--To deprave).

“Undefiled/Uncorrupted”—amiantov—not defiled, unsoiled; Free from that by which the nature of a thing is deformed & debased, or its force & vigor impaired; That which is far removed from every kind of contamination. Strong—Unsoiled, i.e. figuratively--Pure. Used 4X.

From—A—as a negative particle—&—miainw—1) To dye with another color, to stain; 2) To defile, pollute, sully, contaminate, soil. Strong—perhaps a primary verb; To sully or taint, i.e. Contaminate(ceremonially or morally).

“Not fade away/Not fade/Unfading”—amarantov—1) Not fading away, unfading, perennial(See amarantinov[1) composed of amaranth—1a) A flower so called because it never withers or fades, & when plucked off revives if moistened with water, 1b) A symbol of perpetuity & immortality.]). Unaffected by the withering which is common in the case of flowers. Amarantov expresses the same idea in another way. It means unfading, the root idea being that it is unaffected by the withering which is common in the case of flowers. Used 1X.

From—A—as a negative particle—&—marainw—To extinguish(as fire), i.e. (figuratively & passively)--To pass away.

“Reserved/Kept”—threw—Perfect Passive Participle—1) To attend to carefully, take care of—1a) To guard, 1b) metaph.--To keep, one in the state in which he is, 1c) To observe, 1d) To reserve: to undergo something. Threw expresses watchful care & is suggestive of present possession, fulassw indicates safe custody & often implies assault from without; threw may mark the result of which fulassw is the means. Strong—To guard(from loss or injury) properly--By keeping the eye upon; & thus differing from fulassw, which is properly to prevent escaping; & from koustwdia, (which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), i.e. To note (a prophecy; figuratively--To fulfill a command); by implication--To detain(in custody; figuratively--To maintain); by extension--To withhold(for personal ends; figuratively--To keep unmarried).