We Are Raised with Christ
Notes
Transcript
Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,
20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.
21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Pray
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
Christ’s Suffering Was:
Perpetually Effective (once for sins)
Personally Affective (the righteous for the unrighteous)
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Purposefully Enacted (that he might bring us to God)
Painfully Accomplished (put to death in the flesh)
Permanently Approved (but made alive in the spirit)
19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,
The difficulty of who - who are the spirits?
The difficulty of where - where is the prison?
A personal testimony
Turn to Hymn 347; read the third verse
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night.
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray:
I woke—the dungeon flamed with light!
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?
20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.
Notice that God’s judgment on sinners did not happen immediately - he was patient. In fact, it took Noah 120 years to build the ark - and all the while God offered opportunity after opportunity for repentance.
21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Noah’s family was saved by passing through the waters of judgment within the ark. In the same way, we are saved passing through the judgment waters of baptism within the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ’s resurrection saves us, not the baptismal waters, because it is grace through faith (not grace through works or works alone) by which we are saved.
22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
And notice how he wraps up this discussion of Christ - with his authority.
He is in the place of authority (who has gone into heaven)
He is in the position of authority (at the right hand of God)
He is the primary authority (with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him)