1 Peter 1:13 - Full Grace

Sermon

Tonight, begins to mark a shift from talking about what God has done for his people, and moves to how his people should respond.

We are moving toward a central focal point where everything meets and God’s actions meet Our actions.

1 Peter 1:13 ESV

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

There can be a lot of confusion on what it means to be saved and the question, “Am I saved.”

To be saved comes in three parts - justification, sanctification, glorification

The colors have meaning

These are sort of God’s grace for past sins, present life, and future eternity or heaven. Sort of

1. Justification - declaring something right (or not guilty)

-Everyone at some point has to hear the gospel and respond to the gospel in faith to believe it and surrender their life to Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:14–17 ESV

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 10:9 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

-This process is called justification

For you

believing (explain what we believe) and repenting (kill the sin)

For God

declaring (born again, new heart, dead to life) and forgiving

Justification is a past, present, and future thing

2. Sanctification-being set apart, being freed from sin, being purified

Everyone has to go through this process of being made like Jesus

Through the work of the Holy Spirit

Through your effort to kill your sin (repent)

Through situations to refine and purge you

Involves God showing grace and mercy and discipline for those that are in Christ (his people)

Hebrews 9:13–14 ESV

13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Ezekiel 36:26–27 ESV

26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Romans 8:13 ESV

13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

3. Glorification - Being finally and totally changed into whatever it takes to be with God forever

Everyone will face the judgment of God.

Philippians 2:10–11 ESV

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

If you are a Christian, this is something to not fear, to look forward to, and to crave. TO BE WITH JESUS FINALLY!!!

If you are not a Christian, the bible paints a much scarier picture.

Everyone has to go through this process of finally becoming able to permanently be with God.

We see some instances of being in this state of glorification in scripture

-Moses couldnt see God in Exodus 34 - why it has to happen

-Jesus didnt want Mary to touch him and defile him because he was in a glorified state

John 20:17 ESV

17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

The first two phases of salvation are true and effective in their purpose, but they are also very confusing, dirty processes.

Glorification is the clear, exact finish to the life of a Christian.

It will be the final PEACE OF ALL PEACE.

There is no grey in glorification, no confusion, no hesitiation.

(if theres time, ill go through this) Need to be starting around 6:25 to 6:30)

THE WAR ON SIN

Go through what Paul was thinking in chapter 7 and 8 of Romans.

Sin may be forgiven, but it is so ingrained in our flesh that the flesh has to die to finally get rid of it. We are called to kill it while we live on earth and then finally God will finish the process.

Romans 7:13–25 ESV

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Romans 8:9–24 ESV

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?

Go through and highlight the three parts of sanctification in chapter 1v1-13 in their appropriate colors with the students.

1 Peter 1:1–13 ESV

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. 13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

THE BIBLE SAYS THAT PEACE IS A DIRECT RESULT OF GOD WORKING IN YOU AND YOU CLINGING BY FAITH TO GOD.

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Many of you do not always feel peace about salvation.

Sometimes the categories get confused.

-maybe you stopped at #1. You may be justified and have accepted the gospel, but you havent grown in your faith. God may be working, but you are not.

-Maybe you mistake #2 for #1. You may be working toward santficiation, but in your mind, you are earning God’s salvation.

-maybe you just thought its #1 and #3. You may be discouraged by how hard things are when you thought it was going to be easier when you became a Christian. You confused being sanctified with being justified.

-Or you may be tired of how hard sanctification is, and you need to understand that glorification will be worth it.

-You may you just arent saved. We can work through that.

I have shared the gospel with you many times, and its not super complicated to hear the message of Jesus, say you believe it, and say “Jesus you are lord.”

Sanctification is the difficult part.

So tonight, i want to give you some time with some folks that have been being sanctified for a few years.

Get in groups and a parent will join you.