HYMN
#363 – Every Promise of Your Word
REVIEW
1 Peter 1:1-2
Peter reminds us that his letter comes with the authority of Christ.
This is not our home. We reside as aliens.
Our stay on earth is short.
We are chosen by the Triune God
God the Father is the Planner.
“According to the foreknowledge of God”
God the Spirit is the sanctifier
“By the sanctifying work of the Spirit”
God the Son is the Master and Cleanser.
“To obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.”
1 Peter 1:3-5
This is a doxology.
Peter is giving thanks to God and blessing God for initiating our salvation.
God had mercy on us and regenerated us.
It is through the Father’s work by which we are saved.
Peter reminds us that our future glorified life in heaven is better than this life. The good life is in the future, not here.
God powerfully preserves us through our faith.
We have the persisting security of God’s power that preserves us to the very end.
STUDY & PROPOSITIONS
1 Peter 1:6
Trials are necessary in the sight of God.
“If necessary”
Christ is hidden, but He will be revealed at His second coming.
“At the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:7
Nothing in this life, not even the most precious asset, can transact with eternity.
“Being more precious than gold”
This points to the genuineness of faith.
Genuine faith endures trials. Trials allow us to gain subjective assurance that our faith is real.
Truly genuine faith that results in salvation is one that is able to go through trials and not buckle under the pressure of trials.
Genuine faith is valuable because it means eternal life.
The proof of your faith is actually more precious than gold even though tested. Even the most fine gold is going to perish, but genuine faith will not perish.
Genuine faith results in glorification.
Genuine faith results in “praise, glory, and honor” for believers.
1 Peter 1:8
We love the unseen Christ.
We do not see Christ. We have not seen Christ. This is true of believers even in the first century world. Yet these believers love Christ.
Believers have an otherworldly joy.
Even though we don’t see him, there is great love for him.
In Christ, believers have a joy that the world cannot understand.
1 Peter 1:9
We are saved by faith.
This is a pervasive point observed throughout Scripture.
1 Peter 1:10-11
Christ’s coming was not haphazard, but was prophesied.
Christ came after a long period of foretelling about His coming. Christ’s sufferings and the glories that came afterward did not come about by chance, but by the plan and prediction of God. This plan extends as far back as Genesis 3.
“The sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.”
Isaiah 53 points to the sufferings of Christ.
Psalm 2 points to the glories of Christ ruling over all the nations.
Isaiah 9 points to the truth that Christ’s domain extends to the end of the world.
Daniel speaks of His kingdom as an everlasting kingdom, the final kingdom, unlike any other kingdom.
NT authors describe Christ’s suffering and glorification as having been predicted in the OT.
Acts 2:32-36 - Peter sees the glorification as being predicted.
Acts 3:13-18 - Peter understood that the OT predicted Christ’s suffering.
Luke 24:25-27; 45-46 - Jesus saw that the OT Scriptures spoke of His suffering.
We received the prophetic blessings.
Peter says that the prophets knew they were not serving themselves, but a different generation. The prophets knew the coming of the Messiah was still in the future, and they prophesied of the grace that would come to us. In reality, the prophets of old were serving us! Therefore, we are a privileged people. God prepared these blessings in Christ for future generations. We are the recipients of the blessings of the Messiah.
Isaiah knew that he would not be a part of the future remnant. He prophesied knowing his nation would have to go into exile, and he died before they go into exile.
Judah never went into exile in his lifetime, yet he predicted it.
Jeremiah knew that there would be 70 years in exile. He begins prophesying at the beginning of the exile. He knew this would last for 70 years, and that afterward God would judge Babylon.
Daniel knew there would come kingdoms after the Babylonian kingdom. He expected to die before seeing the fulfillment of his prophecies
We are Christ’s sheep.
We are God’s blessed people.
We are former sinners called to repentance.
We are born again people.
We are true worshipers.
We are people who have promise of eternal security.
We are people who cannot be snatched from Christ’s hand.
We are people who have received the blessing of the Messiah.
1 Peter 1:12
The gospel contains the fullness of salvation.
We need to give people the fullness of the gospel. We were given the fullness in order that we understand things like salvation, and we have a privilege and position to clearlyi communicate these truths to others.
“By the Holy Spirit sent from heaven”
The preaching of the gospel came by the Holy Spirit. Preachers preached by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Preaching does not come from flattery or selfish motives; it comes from people who yield their lives to the Spirit of God.
1 Thessalonians 2:3-4
People who preach the gospel must themselves be living the holy life. To be effectively used by God, we need to be yielded to the Holy Spirit. A holy and pure life is part and parcel of being useful to the Master as a preacher of the gospel.
2 Timothy 2:19-22