Living with Hope
Notes
Transcript
Living with Hope
1 Peter 1:1-9
Written in times of suffering and persecution
Written in times of suffering and persecution
This letter has many valuable suggestions for practical Christian living. Christians are to keep their hearts in right relation toward God and man. This involves social, family and spiritual relations. We are not promised immunity from hardships, but consolation and assurance.
1 Peter is written to encourage believers to stand fast while they endure suffering and distress in the present evil age. One said the letter is intended to strengthen the readers in the now of their sufferings and persecution by assuring them that the future of glory will transform their present condition.
Peter introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ—an authoritative messenger and interpreter of the gospel.
The letter is written to God’s pilgrim people who are exiles in the world.
Recognize the Recipients —vs1-2
Recognize the Recipients —vs1-2
—Strangers- this introduces a crucial idea in the letter—that God’s people are pilgrims, sojourners, and exiles on earth. The Church is God’s suffering people, having no place of rest in this world. Believers are exiles because they suffer for their faith; because their citizenship is in heaven rather than on earth.
Scattered-Peter wrote this letter to those who were residing as aliens, pilgrims of the diaspora, sowed or scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia—northern modern Turkey. They were mostly Gentile believers.
b) Elect- the recipients of this letter are called the “elect”—(picked out or selected out of a number)-emphasis is on the Sovereignty of God—this relates to spiritual salvation.
Foreknowledge is not related to human effort or merit. One must remember that God is sovereign and all history is present to Him. Peter was chosen because of who God is, not because of what Peter was. According to Eph 1:4, the goal of one’s being chosen is not heaven, but holiness—to be Christlike. We are often attracted to the benefits of the gospel while ignoring the responsibilities.
The word “foreknowledge” —previous knowledge-refers to that counsel of God in which after deliberate judgment, the Lord Jesus was to be delivered into human hands to be crucified.
c) Sanctified- set apart for a special task—believers are “called out, separated and task-assigned ones”. We are made holy by the work of the Holy Spirit. This is the second step in the salvation of a sinner.
“Sanctification” means to “set apart”. When we are saved, it is the Holy Spirit who is at work in us to make us HOLY, without which we cannot see God.
The sanctifying work of God leads to “obedience” in our lives!
d) Obedient- to Jesus Christ—if we walk in the Spirit, we will walk in obedience to our Lord. Christ’s obedience is our patter.
e) Sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ-— it is the blood shed for us on Calvary—Sprinkling- the application of this sacrificial blood; unless it is applied tot he sinner, he remains in his sins.
—“without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin”-
So, the people had experienced the grace of our Lord, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Living in Obedience and constantly being cleansed with Christ’s blood, we are what God intends us to be—total strangers to the world of men around us.
II. Rewards of Safe-Keeping (Salvation)
II. Rewards of Safe-Keeping (Salvation)
a) We have a living hope- vs3
Sometimes we can get so inundated with what is taking place around us that we seem to lose our joy. We get concerned over the temporal things of this planet. Today, we can sing, preach and teach about hope. To the unsaved, hope is nothing more than a mental fantasy. Because of Christ, we are born again, so therefore we have hope.
Our hope is :
-living- not a wishfulness, but a dynamic confidence that continues. Not dead!!
-not only an objective thing—but a subjective hope on the part of the believer.
-it is both an attitude of expectancy as the Christian looks forward to the inheritance waiting him in heaven and a hopefulness of present blessing from god in this life.
-made possible through the resurrection of Jesus Christ- it is through our identification with Him in the resurrection that we have hope, regeneration.
b) We have a permanent inheritance- v3-4
Yes, we have an inheritance, a possession, that is awaiting us. We are included in Christ’s last will and testament, and we share the glory with Him (Jn 17:22)
In the OT, the inheritance is the land God promised to his people. Peter understood the inheritance in terms of the end time hope that lies before believers. It will be a new heaven and a new earth.
--Incorruptible--Imperishable- not liable to corruption or decay. All things earthly have in themselves the seeds of decay and death.
--Undefiled—perfect— unstained- free from anything by which the nature of a thing is deformed or debased. It is pure
READ
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
--Unfading- Our heavenly inheritance is not something that will be beautiful for just a short time and then fade away. It is forever. The delight of heaven will never lessen or grow stale
--Reserved- it is secure, beyond risk, out of reach of Satan--he cannot rob them. It is a fixed and abiding state
c) We have divine protection- v5
“kept by the power of God”- You will not be forgotten or lost in the midst of this suffering. No disorder, nor disease can weaken or threaten God’s purpose and plan for your life. Today, we are guarded in the world and our inheritance is kept in heaven. The inheritance will be only those who persevere to the end.
“kept…through faith “-When Christ shall be revealed, it shall be revealed.
III. Rudiments of Living Faith
III. Rudiments of Living Faith
a) We have a growing faith- v6-7 “though now for a season”- this indicates that our joy is unconditional. It does not depend on circumstances. Joy comes in spite of suffereing.
“temptations”= trials testing your faith—which is greater than gold
a)Trials are often necessary—proving the genuineness of your faith, and teaching us humility. Trials put our face before God.
b)Trials are distressing—teaching us compassion.
c)Trials come in “manifold” various forms—variegated, “many colored”-Trials come in a variety of forms and colors.
God uses the trials to burn off our dross, to temper or soften us, according to our needs. Stress deepens and strengthens a Christian’s faith and lets its reality be displayed. TRIED means proved genuine, test for the purpose of approving.
Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good—God tested them and found them worthy of Himself, like gold in the furnace, He tried them and accepted them.
The focus here is on the value of genuine faith in God’s sight on the day of judgment.
b) We have an Unseen Savior-vs8
Peter is letting us know that we have a Savior who is standing alongside us in the furnace. He is present even though we cannot see Him.
“yet believing”- the Hebrew thought is referring to a person in a stable stance—feet positioned so he could not be pushed over. The thought is pointing to a person who is dependable, loyal or trustworthy.
How do we believe in Him?
--joy inexpressible---physical expressions such as shouting, dancing—even in the midst of suffering.
--full of glory—joy and glory cannot be hidden. It is a flowing fountain produced by the Spirit—it is a witness to the power of the Gospel and to all who come in contact with Gospel people under pressure.
c) We have a guaranteed Deliverer-v9
when it comes to spiritual delivery, we don’t have to worry. God guarantees the deliverance of our souls—a deliverance from our present sin, and also the glorification of our physical bodies as well.
Salvation is present as well as future—