1 Peter #3 - Easter

Introduction:

Connection:

Hope Motivates, Fuels, and Empowers.

During WW2 many wives were left separated from their husbands due to the war. Their husbands went off, far away, to fight and protect their homeland and country. How did the wives get through this? With the hope of seeing their husbands again. This hope would motivate them to keep pressing on—waiting for the return of their husband.

This hope motivates, fuels, and empowers. It gets you up, it gets you going, and it keeps you going. Such is the power of hope. But sadly, many of these wives were left as widows—their husbands didn’t return. Their hope was crushed in tragedy.

However—we have a Husband and Warrior who cannot die, for He is Risen and He has broken the shackles of death. This Hope motivates with eternal and unshakeable fuel—nothing empowers like the living hope of our Risen Christ who stands in heaven on our behalf as our Lord.

Theme

Hopeful Holiness by Ransom and Resurrection

Need

We need Hope of Eternal Life, and power for New Life, through the Risen Christ.

Purpose

To exhort the church to live in holiness and obedience; and to comfort the church in the Ransom and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Read Text:

1 Peter 1:13-25 ESV

PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY

(1) Set your Hope in the Future Grace of Jesus Christ - v. 13

1 Peter 1:13 ESV

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.

Last week we reflected on the sovereign grace of God in causing us to be born again, in securing our eternal inheritance, and in guarding us through faith for our final salvation on the last day. Here Peter picks up and he says: Therefore! In light of all of this, because of all of this, prepare your minds for action!

How often do we hear the objection to the sovereign grace of God—well if God does everything then why should I live for Him! Oh this is a very poor understanding of God’s grace. If we read the Apostle Paul we will remember very well that it is precisely the sovereign grace of God that encourages us, enlivens us, frees us, and empowers us to serve God for all of our days—this is the goal and delight of God’s grace. This is the great end of our salvation—that we might walk in the good works that God has prepared for us to walk in (Eph. 2:8-10). Both Paul and Peter understood that the only proper response to the grace of God in Christ was to get to action! To get working! To start living for His glory! What else could suffice but a life of thanksgiving and love for all that He has done.

But Peter doesn’t just look backwards for motivation, he looks forwards! He looks to the future grace that is ours in Christ Jesus! He tells us to set our hope fully on the grace that will be brought to us at the revelation, or second coming, of Jesus Christ. Here Peter is saying—look forward to what God has promised all those who love Him, all those who are trusting in Jesus for the Lord is giving you grace now as a foretaste of the glory that is coming your way.

Dear believer—let your life be consecrated to your God and Saviour, because He has marvelous and incredible gifts coming your way for all eternity—when Jesus returns, sthe fullness of our inheritance and salvation will be enjoyed forever and ever. This future grace motivates us to press on in holiness—as we look forward to the great joy, the inexpressible joy that will be our everlasting delight in Jesus Christ.

When Jesus is revealed from heaven, we will be brought to the fullness of the grace of God for all eternity—if this doesn’t motivate us, like the Bride longing for Communion with her Groom, then I don’t know what will!

As the old hymn writer put it:

“When all my labors and trials are o’er, And I am safe on that beautiful shore, Just to be near the dear Lord I adore, Will through the ages be glory for me.

When, by the gift of His infinite grace, I am accorded in heaven a place, Just to be there and to look on His face, Will through the ages be glory for me.

Friends will be there I have loved long ago; Joy like a river around me will flow; Yet just a smile from my Savior I know, Will through the ages be glory for me”.

Oh that blessed day when we shall see Him face to face. Dear Christian—let all of your labours be purposed toward that great day—let all of your efforts be driven toward that great day—let all of your joys be a foretaste of that great day—let all of your tears be a longing for that great day—let all of your love be the gift of your heart that you will present to your Groom on that great day as you enter into the joy, grace, and hope of your Master. This hope motivates like nothing else.

(1) Set your Hope in the Future Grace of Jesus Christ - v. 13

Let’s look at our second point:

(2) Pursue Holiness as Obedient Children of our Holy God - v. 14-16.

1 Peter 1:14–16 ESV

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Here we see that great responsibility, duty, delight, and joy of God’s children—obedience. To some obedience is a slothful program, and it might feel that way some times, but to get a gaze upon the sovereign grace of God will unshackle our weary hearts and free us out of gratitude and hope to let our entire souls be consecrated to loving and living for Jesus Christ.

Peter says of all those who are born again that you are obedient children. And what does this obedience look like for the children of God? For those who are adopted into the family of God through Jesus? What does it look like to walk in the Spirit, in faithful obedience?

Peter says that it means two things: (1) To flee from our old ways of life, and (2) to pursue holiness like our holy God.

Firstly we are told to not be conformed to the passions of our former ignorance. Here we see that our old way of life, our pagan way of life, our sinful way of life, our unbelieving way of life—which still stings us and drags us down—it is precisely this that we must kill, mortify, flee, and destroy. Whether it is drunkeness, idolatry, stealing, lust, hatred, envy, evil, indifference, laziness, pride, atheism, selfish ambition, homosexuality, adultery, fornication, deceitfulness, wickedness, or gluttony. Whatever it is that our old nature loved, we must destroy. By the Word and Spirit we must crush the old way of life—we must not be conformed to it, no, we must not walk in the filthy passions of our former ignorance—no, we must flee them, we must kill them, and we must pursue our God and Saviour.

Secondly we are told that we are called to be holy in all of our conduct because God is our holy God. Peter has told us that those who are born again, those who are children of God, that they are also called of God—effectually called. God drew us to Christ, He spoke life into our souls, He sovereignly opened our hearts and irresistibly and graciously brought us to faith in Jesus Christ. This is the God who has saved us, this is the God who who love—he has called us, and He who called us is holy! He is perfectly set apart. He is perfectly righteous. He is perfectly consecrated to His own glory. He is perfectly and morally pure and beautiful. This is what we are called to imitate as his holy children—we are called to be separated from the sinful ways of the world, the sinful ways of our own hearts, the sinful ways of the devil—and we are to be consecrated to the beauty, glory, and loveliness of our great God and King. He is holy, holy, holy: Father, Son, and Spirit—He is the Almighty, Great and Glorious God—He is the infinite, eternal, and unchangeable One—He is our God and Father—and as His children, because of His gracious gift of salvation and hope of eternal life—we are to respond with a life of holy commitment to His ways, will, works, and words. Schreiner writes:

All holiness stems from the God who called them into the sphere of the holy. The command to be holy indicates that the exiled people of God (1:1; 2:11) are to live differently. They are to separate themselves from the evil desires of the world and live in a way that pleases God. Some scholars rightly point to Lev 18:2–4, where Israel is to distinguish itself from the evil practices of Egypt and Canaan. To be holy is to separate oneself from what is evil and to devote oneself to what is good. The injunction to holiness embraces all of life (“in all your conduct”). No sphere of life is outside God’s dominion.

God help us to walk in holiness, to the glory of our thrice Holy God—living in purity, goodness, truth, beauty, righteousness, obedience, kindness, love, patience, self-control, faithfulness, joy, peace, gentleness, and humility. This is what it means to follow Jesus—it means to run after Him, to imitate His character, and to live for His glory in all of life.

(2) Pursue Holiness as Obedient Children of our Holy God - v. 14-16.

Let’s go to our third point:

(3) Be Reverent because of the Precious Ransom - v. 17-19.

1 Peter 1:17–19 ESV

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

Here Peter shows us that it is God who effectually calls us, who causes us to be born again, which leads us to call on him as Father. Isn’t that something? That the eternal God of the universe would endear himself to us as our very own Father? That in Christ Jesus the Son of God, that we would become sons of God? That the Spirt of Holiness is also the Spirit of adoption? Oh to meditate on this one truth—that he has given us the right to be called children of the living God—this isn’t the foundation of the Gospel, this is the fruit and enjoyment of the Gospel—that wicked sinners and children of the devil would be redeemed and made saints and children of the Most High King.

However, Peter knows that though God is now our Father, that He is still the Judge. Judgement is coming. The living God is going to judge impartially, without favoritism, without bribes, but in true justice and righteousness—He is going examine the fruit of everyone’s life according to our deeds. This is a dreadful fear of punishment for the child of the devil—but a dreadful delight and joy for the child of God.

The unbeliever will be shown to be a great sinner who rejected the great Saviour. The believer will be shown to be a great sinner who was saved by a great Saviour, who was sanctified by a great Saviour, and whose hope is secure by his great Saviour!

The reason why the Christian isn’t afraid of condemnation is because the Judge is His Beloved Father—thus this fear of God, this reverence that Peter calls us to, isn’t one of fearing hell—but a dreadful delight of our Good and Great Father whom we want to please and honour as his beloved children.

Our fear is not one of heaven or hell—our fear is one of love and joy—we love and delight in God so much that we should have a holy and childlike fear of sinning against Him.

There is a kind of fear that does not contradict confidence. A confident driver also possesses a healthy fear of an accident that prevents him or her from doing anything foolish

The fear of God is coupled with hope and confidence—not slavish fear of condemnation and hell—no, it is a holy and loving fear of wanting to walk the path of life to the glory of our God and Father. This is what should also motivate us to holiness: wanting to please our God and have great fruit to show for it on the last day—not to be saved, but as evidence of our salvation.

During our exile in this present evil world, as we await our eternal inheritance, we must perfect holiness in the fear of God, rejoicing and trembling in the presence of our King. But Peter doesn’t stop there, he also points us backwards to the precious blood of Jesus Christ!

Peter says that we are to live in the fear of God during our exile, why? Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot!.

Not only does our motivation come from the future (our hope), and the present (the fear of God), but also from the past (the cross of Calvary). It is here that Jesus Christ died, which we remembered on Good Friday, it is here that he ransomed us, purchased us, redeemed us, delivered us, paid the price, satisfied the wrath of God, reconciled us to God, forgave us of our many sins, clothed us in his obedience, and brought us near to God through faith. It is here, Peter says, that we were ransomed from the futile ways of our forefathers. Not only were we ransomed from the curse of such futile ways, but we were also ransomed from the futile ways themselves—freed from their bondage, freed from their joy, and freed to put them to death as we walk in holiness. But how? How did this come to be? How could such wicked sinners like you and I be ransomed from our sin, death, hell, the wrath of God, the cruse of the law, the condemnation of the devil? How can it be? How can anyone be made right with God and freed from their sins? Only by the precious blood of Christ!

Peter says that we were ransomed not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ! With the blood of the Godman, Jesus. With the blood of the Son of God who became the Son of Man that he might bring us to glory. Only with that crimson flow, that fountain of life, that rugged cross, that gruesome suffering. It is only by the blood of Jesus Christ that ransom, redemption, and reconciliation can come to pass. What makes it so precious? Because His Person is infinitely glorious, lovely, majestic, almighty, merciful, good, and amazing.

Why is the blood so precious? Because it is the blood of God! No mere human or animal could redeem us—only the precious blood of God in our own flesh could do such a things. As sinful men we needed a human substitute—but as sinful men there was no one capable of freeing us from our sin, because we have all fallen short of the glory of God—we are all sinners, we are all rebels, we are all dead in our trespasses.

This is the mystery of Christianity—not that an archangel became a human—not that a seraph became a human—not that a cherub became a human—no—that God himself became a human! That God the Father sent God the Son to become a human! That Jesus Christ is the great God of Israel, Yahweh, Immanuel, God with us—that God himself would come and live and die for us wretched sinners!

Why is the blood precious? Because it is the blood of the most precious and lovely and glorious God himself! How could this blood satisfy the wrath of God? Because it was the blood of God. How could this blood ransom us sinful humans? Because it was the blood of God! How could this blood bring forgiveness and salvation? Because it is the blood of God!

There is no other blood that can bring salvation! The precious blood of Jesus Christ at Calvary’s Cross is the only way to the Father, the only way to eternal life, the only way to reconciliation with God. All other paths lead straight to hell—either you come to Jesus or you die in your sins, without a the blood applied to your soul. Either you run to Jesus Christ, believing in Him for forgiveness, or you will suffer forever in the flames of eternity. Either you come to Jesus Christ for rest, or you will be without rest forever and ever in the lake of fire. Why is this blood so precious? Because it is the blood of God that ransoms us from hell itself, from the punishment due to us for sin, from the tyranny of sin over our lives, and from the power of sin in our walks. This blood ransoms, redeems, and reconciles—this blood saves, sanctifies, and salvages. It is only through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, received by grace through faith that anyone will enter into eternity! Trust in Jesus Christ and his precious blood for salvation and life eternal!

Run to Jesus Christ Crucified at Calvary’s Cross and you will this day be saved from God’s wrath. Peter says that Jesus is our Passover Lamb who brings our eternal Exodus out of our futile ways of sin and slavery, and into the everlasting life in our everlasting inheritance.

Peter says—this precious blood of ransom and redemption—this blood will motivate you to be holy as you live in the fear of God—for it is here that the love, grace, and mercy of God is magnified toward unworthy sinners through faith and hope in Christ.

(3) Be Reverent because of the Precious Ransom - v. 17-19.

This leads us to our fourth point:

(4) Jesus Christ was Resurrected for our Eternal Hope - v. 20-21

1 Peter 1:20–21 ESV

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Just as Peter told us that we were foreknown, foreloved, elected, and chosen—so too does he apply this term to Jesus. Before the foundation of the world, for all eternity past, God the Father had loved his Son with an intimate and delightful fellowship. The Father knew the Son and covenanted with the Son, chose the Son, to be the Christ, the Redeemer of the People of God. Jesus was chosen from all eternity to be our Messiah—and we were chosen in Him.

Peter says that this eternal Son was made manifest in the last times, that is, he was made human, incarnate, came to dwell among us and be our perfect representative and substitute. Jesus Christ came in the fullness of time, in the last times (which commenced at the Resurrection)—but notice that Peter says that Jesus came for the sake of you who through him are believers in God.

If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, then you have been elected by the Father, and the Son came with a specific mission to save you, he came with your name written on his hands, he came with your sins fully before his mind, he came with your failures on his heart, and he went to Calvary’s cross for you, specifically, for all the chosen of God, that He would ransom and redeem them and bring them back into a peaceful relationship with His Father.

Dear believer, Peter wants you to know that when Jesus went to the cross he didn’t just die generally for the world, but specifically for you. Your name was on his heart—your redemption was his chief delight. For the joy that was set before him (which was the joy of saving you—he endured the cross, despised the shame, and was seated at the right hand). Oh what a blissful thought is this? That we can say with the Apostle Paul—that Jesus loved me and gave himself for me!

On that dark Good Friday when Jesus was nailed to the tree of the cross—you and your sins died with him—and Jesus descended into Hades, proclaimed his victory, conquered the grave, defeated death, freed his holy people, and notice what Peter says next—God the Father raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God!

Jesus did not stay in that rich man’s grave. Jesus did not stay in Hades. No, no, no. It was impossible for him to remain in the state of the dead! God the Father gave him work to do, and promised him that if He accomplished it that He would be raised to glory to see his offspring! Jesus Christ merited his own eternal life after the grave, and in so doing he secured our eternal life after the grace. Jesus Christ rose from the dead, so that our faith and hope are in God—not in some myth or idea—but in a Risen Person, a Risen Christ, our Risen Saviour. Hear from the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:22-24

Acts 2:22–24 ESV

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Acts 2:31–33 ESV

he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

Oh Jesus Christ has conquered the grave—he stormed head first at death with His almighty power, he slew that old serpent, he destroyed the works of the evil one, he slaughtered his greatest foe—death and Hades. Jesus Christ is the true Hero of History. Jesus Christ opened the Way of eternal life through his bloody cross, through his facing the darkness of death and Hades, and through his resurrection He was raised for our salvation, raised for our justification!

When Jesus rose from the dead he didn’t rise as a sole-person—he rose as our representative, as our Head, and as goes Jesus so goes his Body, the church! As goes Jesus—so goes the church! Jesus is Risen and He ascended into heaven—and all those whom he came to save, all those who believe, have their faith and hope secure, in God, because at the resurrection God declared Jesus to be the Son of God in power, to be the true Saviour, our only Hope in Life and in Death! Glory to God! One pastor says:

Why do we believe in God? Because he raised Jesus from the dead! From the teachings of the New Testament we have learned that the cardinal doctrine of the Christian faith is belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:24; Rom. 4:24; 10:9). Moreover, God raised Jesus from the dead and glorified him. That is, God perfected him (Heb. 2:9) and exalted him by giving him a name that is above everything God has made (Phil. 2:9). God, who predestined Christ in eternity to be our redeemer, could not leave him prey to death. Christ could not be held in the power of death, for God raised him on the third day.

Oh the sweetness of knowing the Risen Christ! Phil. 3:8-11

Philippians 3:8–11 ESV

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

As we trust and hope in Jesus we look forward to the power of his resurrection, which is the seal of our resurrection! Jesus is our Great forerunner who paves the way into glory for all of his chosen sheep. What a great and glorious Saviour! It is only in the Risen Christ that true hope can be found—for lo and behold, the tomb is empty, he is not here, for He is Risen.

This hope is unshakeable—it bursts into the darkness with everlasting light—those who come to Jesus will never die, for Christ is the Resurrection and the Life. No matter what you are going through dear saint, your hope is rock solid. No matter what you are going through dear unbeliever—if you come to Jesus this hope can too be yours! Trust in Him, rely upon His Gospel, the good news of salvation by his life, death, and resurrection, received by faith alone! Oh to enjoy a greater foretaste of our resurrected Christ, his beauty and glory. Kim Riddlebarger says:

“Easter Sunday was the birthday of the new world. The empty tomb was the sign and seal of the new creation! … Because of Christ’s victory over death and the grace that first Easter, Paul exclaimed, ‘Thanks be to God!’ because humanities greatest enemy, death, had been ‘swallowed up in victory’ (1 Cor. 15:54-57).

(4) Jesus Christ was Resurrected for our Eternal Hope - v. 20-21

This takes us to our 5th point:

(5) Salvation leads to Pure Love by the Word of God - v. 22-25

1 Peter 1:22–25 ESV

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

The Apostle Peter here saw that when a sinner turns to Christ with faith and repentance, trusting and turning, then the fruit thereof is brotherly love from a pure heart! Why? Because we have been born again by the living and abiding Word of God, and Spirit of God!

When a sinner is born again, regenerated, spiritually resurrected—then they begin to love Jesus and his church, with a pure heart—with true motives—with actual devotion—with sweet affection. The Christian, empowered by the Spirit, begins to walk in newness of life, in resurrection life, partaking in the power of the first resurrection! Both Paul, Peter, and John all saw the reality of being born again a spiritual resurrection, being raised from death to life, from a stony heart to a fleshy heart, from slavery to the evil one to being made a child of God. The believer in Jesus Christ partakes in the resurrection power of Jesus, through the Word of God, by the Spirit of God.

As God’s people, we too have been spiritually risen with Christ—we’ve been born again—and we are called to walk in that newness of life as we imitate our Risen Christ and his glorious love and devotion. Salvation is not by our love—but salvation by God’s grace always leads to love. A true Christian does not recieve a parted Christ, a half Christ, a Christ who offers forgiveness but not new life—no every true Christian, by living Word of God, by the living Spirit of God, receives the living Christ of God as our Lord and Saviour—for forgiveness of sins and purification to walk in holiness and love. Oh Calvary, that we would pursue this sincere brotherly love, loving one another earnestly from a pure heart—and as we do so we are giving evidence to be blessed by Jesus in the Gospel, showing our faith to be genuine and of God: Matt. 5:8

Matthew 5:8 ESV

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Through the living Word of God we see God by faith—but when our Risen Christ returns we will see him by eyesight—we will behold the Lamb of God in all his beauty and splendour, in all his glory and majesty, in all his loveliness and sweetness, in all his holiness and justice, in all his power and might, in all his infinite perfections—and we will enjoy God, see God, and love God forever and ever.

This is the hope of the Resurrection! A pledge of everlasting life in the new creation, with our King Jesus, with his people—with true and perfected love. Oh that we would enjoy a foretaste of this now as we love from the heart, worship our Risen Christ, and live for his Global Mission.

This Peter says, this Good News, this Gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, because of his life, death, and resurrection alone—this Gospel is the good news that was preached to you—this is being preached to you—this is the Good News that is alone worth trusting in, because the Risen Christ is coming again to finally save all those who are waiting for Him, and at last we will see Him, be made like him, and in a fuller sense we will taste and see that the Lord is good, world without end.

As sure as the living and abiding and imperishable Word of God remains (which is forever), then our hope too remains living and abiding and imperishable (which is forever). This hope in Jesus leads us to love and serve and live on mission. God give us grace to that end!

(5) Salvation leads to Pure Love by the Word of God - v. 22-25

This leads us to our conclusion:

(C) Christ is Risen—So put your faith, hope, and love in Him.

Go to Jesus my friends, though He is in heaven he hasn’t changed—all those who run to Him for salvation will find him faithful and true, they will find sufficient grace and redemption, they will find power to love and live for our King—oh to run to Jesus, to stay near to Him, and to live for Him—this is heaven on earth.

One day our hope on earth will become the hope in heaven when Jesus returns as our Victorious and Conquering King. Let us enjoy a foretaste of glory as we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus all of our days. Rev. 1:17-18

Revelation 1:17–18 ESV

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Unlike those unfortunate brides in WW2, the bride of Christ has an unshakeable Hope of the return of our Bridegroom, for He holds the keys of Death and Hades—they bow to Him, not the other way around. He entered the darkness of the grave and the abyss—and he has conquered, risen, and lives triumphant forevermore. Hallelujah!

(C) Christ is Risen—So put your faith, hope, and love in Him.

Amen, let’s pray.