Stand Firm, Stay Right Where You are (Concluding 1 Peter)

1 Peter 5:12-14 Stand Firm, Stay Right Where You are (Concluding 1 Peter) Introduction: The intention of Peter's letter is to give eschatological perspective to Christian suffering, that is, to point out the grace of God we will receive and even now are receiving, and thus encourage us to keep on in our trust in God, Remembering that God is not absent in our suffering, but values it and rewards it. This leads to a simple exhortation: “Stand fast in it." Now is not the time to give up, but rather the time to stand fast in faith and hold on to what they already have, that is, God's grace. This is the major purpose toward which the whole letter is directed." -Peter Davids In our days, being a Christian, it is easy to become fearful. Fearful of what the future will hold for our churches, our morals, our children, our homes, even our livelihood. Will we be persecuted to the extent that other Christians suffer in the Third World? Will we lose our religious rights? Will we suffer Martyrdom for our Faith? In these situations, with these pressures, it is easy for us to become anxious, to begin to fear, to be controlled by fear, and to act out in fear. Fear is the chaos of evil. The mistake is to fight chaos with fear. We must fight this evil, but not with chaos, not with the sword, not by force, but with love. After all, this is the call of the Christian. Not to repay evil for evil, but to return blessing for cursing. Peter taught us this at the every outset of this letter. He reminded us that God’s purpose for his people has never been to flee, fight, or conform to the surrounding society but to live an alternative life in the midst of the culture. To live out the principles and truths of the Kingdom of Heaven as witnesses of God’s goodness and salvation. Peter’s exhortation from beginning to end is to Stand Firm in this grace of God! But how is it that we are to do this? We are to do this by having our feet planted in the right place - in the assurance of a living hope. Closing this letter with a peace wish is significant. Believers in the Petrine churches were buffeted by trials and persecutions. The stress of life was significant. What believers need in such a situation is God's peace and strength, a peace that will enable them to stand amidst the pressures of the present evil age. Such peace will fortify believers so they can endure opposition and persevere to the end, so that they will receive their eschatological reward. In order to be the kind of people that Peter is calling us to be, a humble people, a blessing people, a peaceful people, a loving people; In order to fight the chaos of evil, we must have an absolute peace, and assurance of our eternal preservation and safety, otherwise there is no possibility of our being affective for God's kingdom, but only our adding to the chaos of evil that is all around us.....When we respond to trials and persecution out of fear rather than hope and faith, we will fail to represent to the world the character of God and the hope and peace that his salvation brings. 1. God’s Coming Salvation a. “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, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” - 1 Peter 1:3-5 i. Throughout the whole of this letter Peter is pointing his readers to dwell, and meditate on the fact that they are a part of a glorious, living hope - a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ii. A few facts about this Hope: 1. Hope, in the New Testament sense, is full assurance, or strong confidence that God is going to do good to us in the future. 2. Therefore a “living hope” would be fertile, fruitful, productive hope. Living hope is hope that has power and produces changes in life. This is what "living' means in Hebrews 4:12, where it says, "The word of God is living and effective." So, Christian hope is a strong confidence in God which has power to produce change in how we live. 3. The first thing he tells us about this hope is that it is something that they have attained, not through work or money, but it is something that they have been born into by God’s mercy. It cannot be earned, it can only be received as a gift. 4. Peter tells us that this living hope is an inheritance, that is: Imperishable (it cannot spoil), Undefiled (it cannot be tainted by sin), Unfading (it cannot wither or dry up), Kept (or reserved) in heaven for you. Not only is the inheritance reserved but we ourselves are being guarded by God. 5. Our hope is sure, because nothing can happen to our inheritance, it is absolutely secure. a. This hope cannot be earned, and it cannot be lost! b. What is this salvation? i. It is the redemption, the glorification of our bodies. But it is also more than that, it is the restoration of all things, the bringing back of the creation into harmony with it’s creator, the total removal of sin and evil! It is the day that all of creation is groaning and waiting for! 1. “For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” - 1 Corinthians 15:52-55 2. “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 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.” Romans 8 3. “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” -Revelation 21:3-4 a. Set your hope on that day, and live out of that hope. 2. God’s Sovereign Power a. “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 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. 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, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” i. This is the great privilege and consolation for God’s people. Though we suffer now, through trials and persecution, God is able to take sin, evil and suffering and use it for our good, to use it to refine us, to work for our praise, honor and glory at the revelation of his Son. ii. Nothing, not even sin and great evil, can ever ultimately frustrate God’s sovereignty . iii. Believers can be sure that God will one day defeat all sin, evil, and suffering. Until then, God can be trusted because he is, all loving all wise, all holy, all sovereign and all powerful and is always working out his plan to perfection. 1. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” -Romans 8:28 iv. Even human rebellion ultimately, unintentionally ends up serving the perfectly wise purposes of God. b. The Bible claims that there is no comparison of the pain and suffering we experience in this life to the joy and eternal bliss that we shall experience in the age to come. i. “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” -1 Corinthians 2:9 ii. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” -Romans 8:18 iii. “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” -2 Corinthians 4:16-18 1. C.S. Lewis wrote his own take on how this might happen, in the Great Divorce. He writes, “That is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporal suffering, ‘No future bliss can make up for it,’ not knowing that heaven, once attained, will work itself backwards and turn even the agony into a glory....and at the end of all things...the blessed will say, We have never lived anywhere except Heaven”. 3. Our Privileged Position a. “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 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.” i. “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” - Philippians 1:29 1. We are the envy of Prophets and Angels...we have received what they looked for, longed for, and anticipated with great hope. So don’t think poor me, think instead, wow, I am honored with this position, I am honored to suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ. Conclusion: Stand Firm: 1. Your situation, whatever it is, is according to the foreknowledge of God. (1 Peter 1:1-2) 2. You've been born again into a living hope, you are a child of God. 3. You have an inheritance that cannot perish, cannot be defiled, cannot fade, reserved in heaven for you. 3. You are being kept by the power of God 4. Your trials are working for your praise glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 5. in your present position, You are the envy of Prophets and Angels. 6. that they may see your good works and glorify God on the day of visitation. 7. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people 8. He himself bore our sins on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness 9. The end of all things is at hand. 10. God's mighty hand will exalt you at the right time. 11. He cares for you. 12. You have an adversary who is seeking your demise. 13. Your situation is not unique, but is the same as all who are christ. God has not sought you out for unique suffering... 14. God will restore, confirm, and establish you. 15. Because this is the true grace of God. If we are having a hard time being Christian in our current circumstances, if we are easily discouraged, depressed, irritated, Peter would ask, where is our hope? For Peter there is no other hope than salvation and the total restoration of the creation through Jesus Christ! He says, “Stand Firm....and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”