3 Realities that lead to Rejoicing

Outline of Argument: 3 Realities that lead to Rejoicing

1. Because God is aware of our circumstances (v. 1-2)

2. Because God has caused us to be born again to a living hope (v. 3-4)

3. Because God guards us through faith for salvation (v. 5)

Introduction

Sometimes, you have a bad day. Anyone have a bad day this week? I try to be introspective, it’s a part of my personality, so when I’m feeling sad or meloncholy, I’m always asking why. Because of this, I’ve discovered some things that pretty much universally make me feel better.

Various foods / drinks

Soup, ice-cream, soda, or a nice tall glass of Kroger chocolate milk.

Seeing friends

Sometimes, even if we don’t talk about whatever is bothering me, it’s healing to get away and be around people you love.

Writing / listening to music

I make jokes when I’m upset that I’m going to lock myself away and write emo music. But sometimes that release or just belting out your favorite song in the car is healing. Some days I’m just upset and listen to either something really upbeat or something super sad.

What do you do when you have a bad day? What about a bad week? Bad month? Bad season of life?

The book of 1 Peter is a response to Christian suffering. We’re going to be here for a few weeks, but he’s going to make a case for how Christians should respond when things go bad.

1 Peter 1:1–5 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.

1 Peter 1:1-51 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. Born Again to a Living Hope 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. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Pe 1:1–5). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

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. Born Again to a Living Hope 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. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Pe 1:1–5). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

What we find from just a coursury reading of the passage is that Peter drops a doxology on these people. It’s kinda like him singing a worship song to them. In the midst of all the mess they’re going through. Peter begins his letter with 3 realities that should lead us to rejoicing.

1. God is aware of our circumstances (v. 1-2)

Explanation

“those who are elect exiles”

An easier way to understand what he’s saying here is to understand that they are aliens, or sojourners. Their home is a place they’ve never been before. But they are also God’s chosen people. For them, this is much less a matter of predestination and more of the idea of a covenant people. Those who God has extended his love and favor to through the Gospel.

What we find over the course of the letter is that the people don’t feel like they’re at home. This is written probably shortly before Peter is martyred for his faith. The people are being persecuted on all sides as new political powers have recently entered the fray. The receipents are in a tough spot. But look what Peter says next.

“according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”

I want to be careful here to note a distinction. The word there is not the same as what we translate to be “predestined,” as in God causing something to happen. So Peter does not give indication here that God has dispersed them and caused the circumstances to unfold against them. This is not to minimize God’s work though.

God is not surprised by what is happening to them. Before anything was made, God possessed infinite and complete knowledge of the universe. Peter wants them to realize that God hasn’t forgotten about them, and he is not ignorant to their needs.

Illustration

Illustration

Oftentimes I find myself kind of asking that question when I’m going through things. “God, do you realize how much this hurts? Do you know what I’m going through?” The temptation is to believe the lie that God is more concerned with something lofty in the heavens than with the intimate details of our lives.

Or when things begin to go wrong, I wonder if God is losing control of the situation. Like he’s having to call a Holy huddle in heaven and get updates on what he missed. But what we know to be true, and what Peter is going to point them to, is that God is on the throne. He has never and will never lose control of the circumstances. He’ll never be caught off guard.

Application

What about you? Do you ever find yourself in situations and circumstances where you ask the question, “God, did you forget about me? Did you know this was going to happen? Did you know that I’d be here in this season? Did you know how I’d feel?” His answer to you is that he has not forgotten—he knows. The wonder of shows us that God is aware of and cares about every detail of our lives. Listen for just a moment.

ESV

Psalm 139:1–18 ESV

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

What a beautiful picture of God’s intimate, loving knowledge of us.

But we are faced with a tension in light of this point. Peter’s audience, like us, are probably wondering, “What good does it do if God just knows and is aware of our circumstances?”

2. God is working in our circumstances (v. 2)

Explanation

“In the sanctification of the Spirit”

He doesn’t just say “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,” but adds on, “in the sanctification of the Spirit.” Not only does God know abotu the circumstances they find themselves in, but Peter is saying that it is part of God’s plan in sanctification. Which means, in their circumstances, God is sanctifying or setting them apart from the world. He’s doing something transformative in them.

This lines up with other parts of the scripture as well, consider a couple of these with me.

Romans 8:29 ESV

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Philippians 1:6 ESV

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Philipi

Romans 12:2 ESV

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For that last one, this is a passive thing. God is conforming us to the image of his Son, Jesus. Once he begins this work in us, he does not stop until it’s completed. And it’s His work, he does the transforming, not us. What this also means is that those who bear the name of Christ or claim to be born again, should expect spiritual growth. The Christian who lives in constant stagnation or walks in habitual sin should not walk with confidence that they truly made a decision to follow Christ. If there’s no conviction or desire to grow, we should be concerned. Every day we should look less and less like the world, and more like the Son. We’re going to be conformed to the image of something—for Christians, it’s Jesus.

“For obedience and sprinkling”

The two outcomes he gives of this are obedience to Jesus and sprinking of his blood. If the Spirit is sanctifying us through our circumstances, we should be growing in obedience toward Jesus. And while it’s a foreign picture to us, when Peter says “for sprinkling with his blood,” he’s referring to their sacrificial process by which things were considered pure. The sprinkling of Jesus’ blood is his way of describing what Jesus does to make us clean. So God can do this even by suffering? Yes.

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Psalm 119:67 ESV

67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.

Psalm 119:71 ESV

71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.

James 1:2–4 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Romans 5:3–5 ESV

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

ILL:

Application

What does this mean for you? It means that whatever circumstances you find yourself in, God is working to transform you into the image of his son Jesus. We can be confident in this. While we look at the valley and ask what good could possibly come of this, God knows how he will work it for our good and for his glory.

Illustration

Here recently, there have been different things I find myself getting anxious about, typically circumstancial and outside of my immediate control. My first response is prayer is pretty much always, “God! Get me out of here!” And I wonder why God doesn’t immediately change the circumstances. Yet, I’ve seen what some of these valleys have done for my prayer life, how they’ve caused me to seek and treasure him more and more. What I had to realize is that God wanted to change me, not my circumstances. Are there times that God changes circumstances in response to our prayer? Certainly. But I think there are a number of occasions where he’s wanting to do something in us first.

3. God has given us hope beyond our circumstances (v. 3-5)

Explanation

“According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again”

He’s praising God because he has done something to secure a living hope for them. He says it’s according to his great mercy, because of the gospel. Though we were sinners, God, seeing all of our sin and brokeness, chose to come down from his throne and pay the penalty for our sin as a substitute on the cross. This isn’t something that we’re entitled to. Oftentimes we miss the beauty of the gospel because we consider it our universal right to be loved and accepted by God. When we assume this, we make the mistake of overlooking the gravity of our sin.

“to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”

Not only does he pay for our sin on the cross, but secures for us a living hope—an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It’s being guarded by God through faith for salvation.

Application

This means that our hope no longer is in something that can be taken away—regardless of the circumstances. They can take your stuff, but can’t take your hope. They can take your friends and family, but can’t take your hope. They can even take your life, but no one can take that hope. It’s secured by the resurrection of Christ. Where’s your hope?

Illustration

Oftentimes, the difficulty is that we’ve placed our hope in something that does not have these qualities. When our hope is solely in a relationship, or a job title, a means of living—it can be taken away. People get mean when someone threatens to take their hope away. Whether it’s a relationship, job—whatever. People who’s hope is in the approval of men can become downright ugly when people aren’t giving them that approval. The problem, at the end of the day, is that we place our hope on the wrong things.

Christ has secured a hope for us. But where’s your hope?

APP:

Conclusion

4. Because God produces worship in us through our trials (v. 6-9)

5. Because God has been preparing this work for years (v. 10-12)

So God knows our circumstances, he works in them, and he gives us hope beyond our circumstances. Next time when you have a bad day, don’t just eat soup, listen to some music, but also think on these things. Remember God’s word. 3 Realities that lead to rejoicing. Where’s your hope this evening? If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus your hope is in something that will let you down.