Victory is Guaranteed!

Suffering is an equal opportunity employer isn’t it? No human has ever existed that has ever escaped the ravages of suffering. Unbeliever and believer alike have all experienced some sort of suffering.

Some bring it on themselves.

Others have suffered at the hands of evil people.

No where in Scripture will you find a promise that God will surround you with bubble wrap, eliminate all your enemies, and make life easy for you.

In fact, Jesus said the opposite is true…John 16:33 ““These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.””

Jesus wants us to take courage in the heat of the battles…he has overcome the world.

What I find interesting in the statement is that Jesus said it before He died and rose again. He was already proclaiming victory over the world BEFORE His death. How could he do that?

He knew what was coming! He knew what He was going to experience on our behalf. He knew that the path to glory was being paved with His blood. He knew that sin causes the people of this world to think and act in evil ways because they are separated from God.

Jesus wanted us to know that Victory is ours in Him. He also knew that we would experience some of the same suffering that He did…because we all live in that same fallen world.

The difference is now we have a guaranteed path to victory and how we handle the suffering is what proclaims the truth of His victory!

I invite you to turn with me to 1 Peter 3:18-22. Peter has been talking about how we handle that suffering/tribulation that Jesus spoke of in John.

Do Right In the Midst of Your Suffering

Peter has been stressing the importance of living a holy life even though you live in a world that is hostile to Christ and you.

In 1 Peter 1:6-7, Peter stresses that even though you have been distressed by various trials, it is proving your faith as genuine.

In 1 Peter 1:13 — prepare ourselves for action…fix our eyes on Jesus

1 Peter 1:16 — commanded to be holy

1 Peter 2:4-12 — live within our identity as God’s chosen people, there is a difference now…there is an expectation that you and I will live our life so others would see God’s glory...

1 Peter 2:13-20 — live righteously while living under an imperfect government, and while working under an imperfect employer...

1 Peter 2:21-25 — follow the example of Christ… we are to keep entrusting ourselves to God who judges rightly.

1 Peter 2:23 NASB95

and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

1 Peter 3:1-7 — this holds true in our marriages, even when and especially if your spouse is not doing what is right.

1 Peter 3:8-12 — not going to return evil for evil or insult for insult

1 Peter 3:13-17 — not going to be afraid to do what is right even when the pressure is on us to forsake Christ…we are going to keep our relationship with Christ at the front, we are always going to be ready to defend our hope.

We want to maintain a good conscience — v 16

Suffering is the pathway to Glory!

The main idea of the previous paragraph is that believers should not fear, even though the hostile world around us may cause us to suffer. Instead we are to set Christ apart being ready always to answer their questions. The reason we need not to fear is because we understand that God will reward and bless those who suffer for doing right.

It is better for us to suffer because we chose to do the right thing, than to suffer because we did what was wrong.

This text before us this morning is linked to all of that…notice the connecting word “for”… Peter is now going to draw our attention to Christ, not as an example to follow, but as a source of encouragement…

Main Point: Jesus’ Victory Over Suffering Makes You Victorious Also!

What Peter is going to show us here is that the suffering of Christ was also the means by which He was exalted.

Just as suffering was His pathway to exaltation, suffering is also our path for glory!

Let me say this at the beginning…our troubles in the present are only temporary. Our victory is sure because Christ has triumphed over death and evil.

Peter presents us with three truths that ought to provide us with the encouragement to do what is right in the face of suffering!

Jesus Suffering Paved the Way for Our Salvation (18).

1 Peter 3 18 “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;”

This verse gives one of the Bible’s shortest, simplest, and richest summaries of the meaning of the cross. It begins with the fact that Jesus died.

In this verse Peter affirms five important facts about the suffering of Christ.

His death was sacrificial

He died “for sins.”

This expression finds its root in the earliest Greek translation of the OT, the Septuagint, where it speaks of the effects of sacrifices.

The death of Christ served as the perfect sin-offering for the sins of others because Jesus himself was sinless. Note carefully how Peter puts it....He did not die for his own sins, for he never sinned.

He paid the penalty for our sins.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

His death was a sufficient death.

When Peter says he died “once for all,” he means Christ’s death was sufficient for all time and therefore could never be repeated by anyone else and it also was sufficient to provide salvation for all who believe.

Not even Christ himself could die again for our sins…

This points back to the Old Testament sacrifices that were made repeatedly, but Jesus died once for all.

His death was a substitutionary death.

His death was “the just for the unjust.”

for here means in behalf of, for the sake of

The emphasis here is the innocence of Christ, “just” — without sin, the sinless one died once and for all for those who are not sinless, all humanity

2 Cor 5 21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Because he had no guilt of his own to pay, he could be the substitute that could die in our place…he bore the punishment we all deserved.

It was a reconciling death.

He died for our sins, in our place, that he might bring us to God.

This is the ultimate purpose of His death…without Jesus, our sin would keep us separated from God forever. Jesus died to bridge the gap between us and God.

He led us out of the enemy territory into the delightful kingdom of God. He opened the way to introduce us to the Father.

By removing sin as the cause of our separation from God, He provides access to God and makes us acceptable in His sight.

Remember, in the Old Testament, there was a thick veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. The veil was a visual reminder that no one but the High Priest could come into God’s presence, and he could only come once a year, and only on the Day of Atonement, and only with the blood of a bull or a goat.

When Jesus died, the veil was ripped apart, signifying that his death opens the door for anyone who believes to come to God.

Jesus paid the full penalty for our sin. When He died, God’s wrath against sin was expressed against His Son. God was satisfied with Jesus’ death, which would all those who turn to Him in faith, to be once for all and eternally forgiven.

From the moment we believe, we stand forgiven. The guilt of our sin has been removed and we stand before the Holy God as completely righteous in Him!

This would be a good spot for an AMEN or Hallelujah!

His resurrection guaranteed our salvation!

the last part of v 18 Peter says “put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit”…Peter adds an exclamation point to this verse: The resurrection secures and guarantees the results of His death.

His death on the cross initiated the path for salvation; his resurrection guaranteed it!

Transition: If that is all true, then our suffering must indicate something has gone wrong. Is Jesus work on the cross really sufficient enough to accomplish our complete and final salvation forever?

Admittedly, this is the hardest passage in the New Testament to interpret.

The exact interpretation of this text has been debated for centuries…we are not going to resolve that debate here this morning.

For centuries people have asked many questions of this text that we just don’t have answers for…this is one of those texts where we will have to be content with an unresolved tension.

However, I think we can walk through this carefully and be confident we can understand what Peter is saying if we consider the next few verses as illustrations of what Peter is referencing regarding Jesus.

I believe Peter shares this information ans illustrations to reassure his readers (and us) who were suffering and whose suffering would intensify, that Christ’s victory is ours and that our salvation is secure!

Jesus Victory Over Death and Evil Secures our Salvation (19, 20a).

1 Peter 3:19-20 “in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.”

Illustration 1: Jesus proclaimed His victory over death and evil in the face of disobedient angels.

This text finds a parallel in Jude 6,7. This text has created much debate over the centuries that at least 18 theories major theories have been suggested (so buckle up as we examine all 18! Just kidding)

You may not agree with me about this, but that is okay. I will still love you…I want to simply walk you through what I see in the text and you are free to draw your own conclusions…

“in which also” (NASB, ESV); “After being made alive (NIV); “by whom also” (NKJV)

Peter is really introducing us to a different subject…Not only was Jesus resurrected (which should be enough evidence our salvation is secure, but He did something else that ought to encourage you!

What else did Jesus do?

“He went and made proclamation” (NASB, ESV, NIV); “preached” (NKJV)

Let’s first consider the word proclamation…I believe that is the best word instead of preaching because many associate preaching with sharing the gospel…but when it came to preaching the gospel, it was an entirely different word.

The word here means to make a public announcement like the kings decrees, and it was often associated with a herald announcing the king has won a battle and is returning victorious.

The theory that Jesus preached a message of salvation to those who were already dead, is incongruent with the rest of Scripture…there is no Scriptural support for Jesus preaching a message of salvation to those who have already died…Second chance theory…once you have entered eternity, your destiny is sealed.

When did this happen? …some say between his death and resurrection, others say after his resurrection…while others say it was during the time of Noah...

Truth is we don’t fully know and frankly I don’t think it is important to know exactly or else God would have revealed it to us.

However, here is where I lean in light of Peter’s message to stand in grace in the face of suffering...

Sometime between his death and before his ascension into heaven, Jesus went to the place where supernatural powers are imprisoned. (I’ll explain that here in just a moment). He proclaimed to them his victory over death and God’s ultimate and final judgment upon them. His victory and their doom is now sealed because of what Jesus did.

“spirits now in prison”

Many have debated who these spirits are, but Peter gives a little information to help us identify them...

In prison

The word here is often used to denote the place where human beings are held on earth but it is never used to denote the place of punishment for human beings after death…it is used to denote the place for fallen angels.

Rev 20:7 “When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,”

2 Peter 2 4 “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;”

Jude 6 “And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,”

Scripture nowhere states the souls of men are kept in prison.

were disobedient

notice he does not say the spirits of those who disobeyed…if that were the case he could mean that the souls of departed men who had been disobedient during their lifetime.

the normal usage of the word “spirits” throughout Scripture refers to “evil spirits”--- supernatural beings, demons, fallen angels…time will not permit a full disclosure on this…but you see a parallel in Jude 6. We see it also in Mark 3:11.

Mark 3 11 “Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!””

I believe this refers to fallen angels (demons), who were permanently bound because of heinous wickedness, not the souls of men.

In doing this, Jesus reaffirms his power is superior over all other powers!

“when the patience of God kept waiting” (NASB, ESV, NIV); “Divine longsuffering” (NKJV)

A literal translation of this verse is what the NASB records...when the patience of God kept waiting...

What I see is that Peter is further explaining that these prisoners have been there since the time of Noah....they were sent there because they severely overstepped the bounds of God’s tolerance with their wickedness.

In the Genesis account of Noah, we see a time of great demonic influence. They were filling the world with their wicked, vile, anti-God activity, including sexual sin…

It helps me to think about it in light of Genesis 3:15…where God declared war on Satan by stating that He would provide a seed through the woman who would redeem the world, meaning someone who was human...what better way to thwart God’s plan than to corrupt the entire human race so that it would be impossible for this promised one to be born with the power to defeat him.

Their wickedness was so vile, that even in the 120 years of Noah’s preaching, while the ark was being built, he could not convince any of them, except his 8 family members to believe in God.

God saw the world became so corrupt before the flood and after the flood, that He decided to restrain the demonic activity by placing certain demons in captivity.

What does all this mean for us?

Like Noah and his family, the believers to whom Peter wrote were a small, persecuted minority surrounded by a majority that were disobedient to God. Using Jesus’ triumphant proclamation and by referencing the Flood, Peter assured them of the eternal benefits of their salvation.

Jesus Christ persevered in the face of evil and entrusted Himself to God by staying the course set before Him…our redemption. God was so pleased with his Son, He raised him from the dead and sent Him to do an in-your-face proclamation of victory to those who sought to destroy him.

Jesus has been thoroughly vindicated as indicated by his position at the right hand of God over all of his former opposition, namely Satan and the demons.

In other words, the slanderers have been silenced. Jesus is the champion and Jesus has been exalted and now the world has the opportunity to be drawn to him and not to demons.

Because of Jesus victory over death and evil, we too have victory over death and evil.

Illustration #2 — Noah and the account of the flood pictures what occurs at salvation. (20b-21).

Let’s examine how Peter uses Noah as an illustration of salvation.

The Scriptures specifically say of Noah that he found favor with God. That’s been one of Peter’s catch phrases: this finds favor with God.

As I stated earlier, Noah was the only one in his day who found favor with God and during his building of the ark, all were ridiculing him.

Because of Noah’s conviction that God was watching, that no ultimate harm could befall him and because suffering was the path to blessing, God brought him through the flood of suffering, through the judgment, and the slanderers were silenced.

So Peter uses Noah as an illustration of someone who did right and entrusted Himself to God by identifying Noah with baptism.

Peter makes it clear he’s not talking about water baptism but he’s talking instead about a baptism of immersion into Jesus Christ himself, pursuing him with a clear conscience.

Peter specifically tells us this is an illustration by using the word antitype…translated corresponding to (NASB, ESV), symbolizes (NIV), antitype (NKJV), it can also be translated as copy, representation.

The water represents God’s judgment.

Noah was not saved by the water…in fact the water destroyed the entire world except for Noah’s family. It was the water of judgment that wiped out the old world.

The ark represents God’s salvation.

Note what Peter says about the ark: “In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water” (v. 20).

Noah and his family passed “through the water,” because they were in they were secured in the ark…water baptism does not fit the picture Peter paints for us.

It is best to see the water symbolizes baptism.

The water only “saved” them because they were already in the ark.

The point of Peter’s illustration becomes clear when we think about the truth that when a person accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior, he or she is placed into “the body of Christ.”

At that moment the Holy Spirit enters that person’s life as a permanent resident.

This action is described in the New Testament as “the baptism of the Holy Spirit”....1 Cor 12:13 “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

This is Peter’s emphasis.

When you accept Christ, you are placed spiritually in Christ.

As this occurs, you stand before God with a “good conscience” (v. 21) because your sins have been forgiven.

Appeal — has the idea of a pledge, agreeing to certain conditions of a covenant…Water baptism does not provide a person with a clear conscience before God; baptism by the Holy Spirit does.

At the moment we are saved, we ask God, we appeal to God to cleanse our conscience and forgive our sins, on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ…the Spirit enters our life permanently and provides that clean conscience.

Jesus Exaltation Provides His and Our Vindication (22)

Peter brings us to the point of this text…the victory of Christ over his enemies.

At this very moment Jesus occupies an exalted position of royal dignity…along with that, he has the same authority as God the Father.

The theme here is vindication!

In his journey back to Heaven, Jesus broke the power of evil and assured our future.

Angels includes both good and evil spirits…both are subject to Jesus.

Authorities and powers indicate rulers and distribution of functions within the angelic world.

His point here is that all created spiritual authorities and powers are subject to Him…JESUS IS LORD OF ALL!

Life Step — Keep on Keeping On!

Remember that in your suffering, Jesus still reigns and rules!

Jesus has not surrendered us into the power of evil forces, even if our suffering ends in death. So do not surrender yourself to them…stay the course…continue to do right!

Regardless of what happens to us on earth, our home is secured because we have entered the Ark of Safety…we have been immersed into Jesus.

By his death and resurrection, Jesus triumphed over all demonic forces and reigns victorious. That is the eternal destiny all believers will share with Christ!

Years ago a submarine sank.… As soon as possible, divers descended. As they swam about the disabled ship endeavoring to find some signs of life within, they at last heard a gentle tapping. Listening intently they recognized the dots and dashes of the Morse code. These were the words spelled out, “Is there hope?”

“IS THERE HOPE?” Sometimes in the heat of our struggles and suffering we ask that very question…IS THERE HOPE?

The answer is YES! There is always Hope.

The triumph of Christ means that we have a guarantee of eternal life—even in the face of physical death.

Let us continue to entrust ourselves to the one who judges righteously and choose to do right in the heat of our suffering.