1 Peter

Suffer Patiently Like Christ

HYMN

All Glory Be to Christ (#133)

PASSAGE

Today we covered 1 Peter 2:18-25 as well as the footnotes in the PDF diagram.

STUDY & DISCUSSION (PDF diagram available below)

Supplemental Notes (in addition to the footnotes)

  • While these verses are addressed to slaves, we can look at the aspects of suffering that Peter outlines in these verses as applicable to all Christians.

  • The overall principle is found in verses 19-20 - one finds favor with God when they are suffering for doing what is right, imitation of suffering of Christ for the sake of maintaining a good conscience, before God.

  • There are 4 different characteristics of Godly suffering

    • Godliness - it is done for the sake of conscience

    • Undeserved-ness - it is not as a result of wrongdoing

    • Injustice - the believer is suffering for doing what is good

    • Patience - the suffering is long-suffering, with an eternal perspective

  • When considering biblical examples, there is a long line of men who have suffered in this way, and this should encourage us:

    • Joseph (Gen 39)

    • Daniel and Daniel’s three friends

    • John the Baptist

    • Jesus

    • Jeremiah

    • Elijah

    • Stephen

    • Peter

    • John

    • Paul

  • Suffering in this way is also mentioned in other parts of scripture, Matt 5, John 15, 1 Jn 3

  • If we don’t see ourselves suffering at all in our lives, is something wrong?

    • Not necessarily, but as Christians we should be engaging with the world, and we should be outspoken for the truth and the gospel, which will result in opposition from the unbelieving world around us.

    • Also, persecution comes to us not only in overtly but also subtly (ostracization, exclusion, ridicule)

  • Thinking about verse 23, we should recognize that Peter was an eye-witness to the Lord’s suffering whom he witnessed entrusting Himself to the Father.

  • The call of salvation also involves suffering, in that way suffering in this fashion is part of the calling (Acts 14:22; Rom. 8:16-17)

  • Q: What are the marks of Christ’s suffering that we are to imitate?

    • Non-retaliation (like Jesus taught so He lived it out [Matt. 5:38-42]).

    • Trusting God, not taking matters into your own hands (vengeance)

    • Not speaking evil

    • Without sin

    • Jesus had the power to deal justly with those who were persecuting Him but he didn’t (avoid threatening, even if it is in your power to punish your persecutor)

    • Ongoing trust (“kept entrusting Himself”)

    • Trust in the Father (“Him who judges righteously”)

  • When we suffer for doing good/right in the sight of God, we should find encouragement from these words that we are walking in the footsteps of Christ and that we are living out biblical Christianity.

  • This is not a requirement that all believers always suffer.

    • The church in Jerusalem, though having suffered much, also “enjoyed peace” when persecution eased up (Acts 9:31)!

    • We are to pray for a “tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:1-2).

    • We can thank the Lord for times of peace and comfort.

 

Good Works Silence Accusers

HYMN

All Glory Be to Christ (#133)

We began our time together by reading through 1 Peter fro the beginning as a refresher of what we went through before. A comprehensive list of truth propositions from chapters 1+2 is available below.

OBSERVATIONS

1 Peter 1:1-2

  • Believers are alien. Our stay in this world is short. This is not our home.

  • Believers are chosen (elect of God).

  • The Spirit sanctifies us.

  • Believers are chosen to obey the Lord and receive His forgiveness.

1 Peter 1:3-5

  • God initiates our salvation. God regenerates us.

  • Believers are born again.

  • We have a living hope.

  • Heaven is far better. The good life is in the future.

  • God powerfully preserves us.

  • God had mercy on us in salvation - He was not obliged to save us.

  • Jesus Christ has been resurrected. He alone is our hope.

  • Jesus is the Son of God.

1 Peter 1:6-9

  • Trials don’t ruin us. We ought to rejoice when we endure trials, anticipating our future inheritance in heaven.

  • Faith is precious to God. Genuine faith outweighs money.

  • Our faith endures trials.

  • We love and believe in the unseen Christ. Although we don’t see God, we see Him through His work. But, we will one day see Christ.

  • We are saved by faith.

  • Our joy is a great & extraordinary joy; it is not mild or tepid. It is not circumstantial, but is deeply rooted.1

1 Peter 1:10-25

  • The coming of Christ is not haphazard.

  • Believers are to have a ready mind

  • We obey the Lord as obedient children.

  • Christians rightly identify former lusts. Worldly lusts belong to the former life.

  • We imitate God and strive to be holy.

  • God’s judgment is impartial. His righteous character is never compromised.

  • We were redeemed from the futile way of life from our forefathers.

  • Our ransom was expensive (which is an understatement!).

  • Christ’s ransom was planned eternally.

  • We believe in God through Christ.

  • God is the one who resurrects and glorifies Christ.

  • Faith and hope go hand in hand.

  • Conversion means obedience.

  • Purification is internal, in our souls.

  • Regeneration comes from exposure to the spoken Word of God.

For the sake of time, we quickly read up through 1 Peter 2:15 , and then continued through our study.

STUDY & DISCUSSION (PDF diagram available below)

1 Peter 2:15-17

  • The expectation is that Christ’s followers will be slandered by the world. But believers demonstrate their faithfulness to God through good works (submission to governing authorities is a part of that).

  • Scriptural references to insubordination to governing authorities:

    • Ezra 4:15 - a charge against God’s people

    • Acts 17 - accusation of Jews against Christians for stirring things up in their proclamation of Jesus as King.

    • Also in 1 Peter - 1 Pet. 2:12; 3:16-17

  • What are some examples of accusations that the world levies against Christians today?

    • Intolerant & haters

    • Harmers of children

    • Sexist

    • Brainwashed & brainwashing others

    • Judgmental & self-righteous

  • The Christian’s case & defense against such accusations are good works. We see this interplay between persecution/slander against Christians (Matt. 5:11) and our good works (Matt. 5:16) in the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount: “let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

    • The good works won’t just happen by themselves. We must be prepared for action! How can we do this? We must prepare our minds for action with truth (“girding up", 1 Pet. 1:13), humble ourselves in prayer, and edify one another in truth & fellowship.

  • Christian freedom is for good works.

    • Scripture repeatedly tells us that we are free, i.e., from the law & sin. The purpose of that freedom is so that we can honor God and bear the fruit of good works.

      • Galatians 5:1,13

      • Romans 6:17-23

      • John 8:31-32

  • Verse 17 elaborates on these good works: “honor all, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king”.

    • The first imperative literally “honor all” (not “honor all people”) is inclusive of God. The subsequent three imperatives specify how we are to honor all.

    • Love the brotherhood (which is the church, translated as “brethren” in 5:9). We are called to love one another as fellow brethren. This love isn’t just for us to know and experience; this is meant to be our testimony to the world.

      • 1 John 4:11-12

      • John 13:34-35

      • John 17:20-21

    • Fear God. This fear is not mere respect or awe, but actual fear of who God is as the impartial judge of all men (1 Pet. 1:17), and thus a fear of God for who He is. There will be a day of reckoning and judgment, and we will all be at God’s mercy. The fact that God is the unchanging and impartial judge who judges all according to their deeds should put a humble and trembling fear in our hearts. Other passages we considered with regard to the fear of God were:

      • Proverbs 1:7; 3:7 (turn away from evil)

      • Ecclesiastes 12:13 (has to do with accountability before God)

      • Philippians 2:12 (accompanied by trembling)

      • Matthew 10:28 (contrasted from fear of men)

    • Honor the king (the supreme human authority on earth). Christians are to not only submit to human authority but to honor the person of authority. The erratic and mentally deranged Nero would’ve been the emperor at this time and yet Peter calls believers to honor him. We ought never give excuses as to why we can slander or defame the supreme leader of this country. We can positively show honor by:

      • Praying for our leaders, and

      • Condemning slander, but instead commending them for good/righteous deeds.

 

Submit to Governing Authorities

HYMN

Amazing Grace (first verse only)

We began our time together by reading through 1 Peter 2:13-17.

OBSERVATIONS, STUDY, AND DISCUSSION

1 Peter 2:13-14

  • Mandate: We are commanded to submit ourselves to the government.

    • To submit is to order yourself under the authority above you. In this instance, we must submit ourselves to the government.

    • What is the authority as defined in a democracy like in the United States?

      • The written law (i.e. the Constitution)

      • Elected/appointed officials: president, congress, supreme court justices

      • For Christians, we submit to the law as long as it does not violate the law of God

  • Wide scope: We must submit to every level of human institution.

    • "Human institution" points to the fact that governments are created by men.

    • Although governing authorities are instituted as human creations, we are still commanded to submit to them.

    • Those who are appointed to power (by God) do not have a blank check (e.g., pre-17th century “divine right of kings” of the British crown), as though God had given them the right to a totalitarian rule. He did not.

  • Purpose: By God's design, human government serves the purpose of upholding justice.

    • Governors are sent “through him [the king].” They are the instrument of the ultimate sender (who is God) who sent them through His intermediary (the king). God is the ultimate authority behind governing authorities (cf. Romans 13:4).

  • Motivation: We submit to governing authorities for the Lord's sake.

    • The Lord is the one who is behind the governing authorities. Scripture explicitly describes governing authorities as an instrument of God.

      • Cf. Daniel 2:20-21, 4:31-32, Isaiah 40:23-24, Jeremiah 27:6, John 19:10-11.

    • Knowing that God is in control of governing authorities, we take comfort in and have confidence in submitting accordingly to governing institutions.

  • Benefit: Those who do right are praised by the government.

QUESTIONS

  • Is there ever a situation in which Christians can exercise civil disobedience? Are there biblical grounds?

    • Yes. Consider the following passages.

    • Exodus 1:17, Hebrews 11:23 - midwives did not kill

    • Daniel 3 - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego did not bow down to the golden image or serve Nebuchadnezzar's gods, although it was decreed as law. The same goes for Daniel praying against Darius’ decree (Daniel 5).

    • Acts 4-5, the disciples are commanded not to preach Christ. But, Christians obey God rather than men (Acts 4:29).

  • When is civil disobedience right for the Christian?

    • If what God says contradicts human authority, then we civilly disobey in submitting to God as a higher authority.

  • Is a revolution ever right?

    • If a government is subverting God's righteousness (the reason for which they exist: to uphold justice and punish evil), there is a biblical precedent for attempting to alter laws and even overthrow a corrupt governmental if God has given a unique leverage of power/influence.

      • Cf. Esther 4:13-17

    • Caveats:

      • This is not the role/purpose of the church.

      • This assumes true injustice on the part of the government.

      • This assumes the possession of real leverage consisting of real power/influence given by God’s providence.

      • This is a precedent, not a mandate. We recognize God’s sovereignty to accomplish His purposes with or without our involvement, even as Mordacai did (“if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place“).

    • Application:

      • We discussed the protests in Hong Kong in light of this in light of this.

      • We also discussed the legitimacy of the American revolutionary war in light of this.

7 Facets of Sexual Purity (1-4)

HYMN

Take My Life and Let It Be (393)

STUDY & DISCUSSION

We began by reciting 1 Peter 2:11-12 together.

  • We need to manifest our moral excellence before the outside world.

  • What we abstain from should be evident to the world around us, and as the world observes this, they may glorify God.

7 Facets of Purity

We covered the first four of seven facets of purity drawn from 1 Peter 2:11-12.

  1. Strangers

    • We are all “aliens and strangers” in this world.

      • We have been born again, and we love and believe in Christ.

      • We obey the truth.

      • We have left the former life and and maintain a separation from it, picking up our cross daily and denying ourselves to follow Him.

      • We love the brethren.

    • We are not the same as the rest of the world.

      • If we think that there is no difference between us and the world, we’ve already effectively surrendered ourselves to the enemy.

      • We must not learn about the issue of human sexuality from the world as if it has authority. It does not. Authority and truth come from God, who created the world. Thus, we inform our minds by God’s truth, not by the lies of the world.

  2. Desires

    • We must deal with sexual purity at the roots - our desires.

    • We must abstain (stay away) from fleshly lusts. By fleshly, Peter is referring to bodily desires of the flesh that are sinful. These desires wage war against our souls.

    • God is the author of sex, and there are clear contexts and boundaries within which God has allowed sexual desires to be fulfilled rightly - marriage. In the sight of God, sexual appetite within the boundaries of marriage between one man and one woman is good and right. But those who reject God also reject these boundaries, and give themselves over to their own sexual desires (Romans 1:18-32).

      • One reason why God has created sex is for procreation. When men pervert God’s design and standard of human sexuality, they cause harm upon themselves and others. Their own souls become corrupted, and bring destruction upon others. If unrepentant, these men will suffer the judgment and eternal wrath of God.

      • Sexual desires in and of themselves are not wrong within God’s defined boundaries, but those that are carried out outside of the will of God are sinful. God created sex for good, but anything that perverts His design are reckless and destructive.

    • Some manifestations of perverted sexual desire

      • Pornography

        • Pornography has been around for a long time. It is not a recent invention.

        • Even in ancient times, pornography could not easily be consumed in private. But in our day and age, access to pornography can be free and easy, and easily kept private from others.

      • Hookup culture

        • Using Tinder or other dating apps to enable fornication

      • Prostitution

      • Portrayals in popular media (movies, music, TV, books)

      • Casual conversations

  3. War

    • We must embrace a wartime mentality against sexual lusts.

    • Sexual lusts fight against us not only on a physical, biological basis. Perhaps even more notably, sexual lusts attack our souls as well.

      • 1 Corinthians 6:15-20. There is more than just a physical act of sin, but also a spiritual aspect.

      • Our minds and hearts are under attack by sinful sexual desires. If we do not fight against these attacks, they lead to sin, which results in hell for those who are unrepentant.

    • The war is doesn’t let up; it is continually waging. Attacks can come from any direction at any time. We must maintain a wartime mentality and keep our distance from sexual lusts. There is no relief from the battle because as long as we live, the war against our sinful desires wages on!

    • Surely, we have spiritual enemies who wants to kill us. But we must be wise and realize that sometimes the greatest enemies we face are our own selves. Even if the enemy did nothing, we would still naturally want to carry out the desire of sexual lust. Why? Because as fallen men, we are inherently sinful by nature. We must always remain on guard against sin; our very souls are at stake.

      • 1 Peter 1:13. Prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, and fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

  4. Distance

    • Keep a distance from the things that tempt us to sin. Cut out every opportunity that might cause us to stumble (Matthew 5:27-30).

    • Examples of things that might tempt us to sin:

      • Consumption of media. Movies, television, etc.

      • The internet and internet-connected devices.

      • Friends who don’t share the same mindset or convictions.

      • Opportunities that prevent us from staying sober-minded, such as idleness, tiredness, or being stressed.

    • We can fool ourselves into thinking that we don't need to keep distance, or that we can "relax". Perhaps we have had some moments of victory that lead us to feel self-confident in the battle against sexual lusts. This can be a dangerous and foolish attitude, because our flesh is weak, and we can easily succumb to temptation. It is wiser to put distance between ourselves and those things that might tempt us. Better yet, it is better to cut them out of our lives completely!

    • Cutting out temptations in our lives might make us seem prude, weird, or extreme to the world, but Christians obey Christ, and removing sources of temptation is the right things to do. We must be more concerned with what God wants, not the pressures or judgments of the world.

      • Putting temptations at distance does not mean keeping them only at arm's length, so that they can easily be returned to. We must be extreme and absolute. We must commit to cut off the sources of temptation and simply get rid of them!

      • We must be serious about removing stumbling blocks in our lives. Keeping them around only cause us to remain vulnerable to sin. We must terminate all things that can plant or feed our sinful desires.

      • If you don’t listen to Christ and tear these things out of our lives, you have to really consider: are you truly His disciple? (John 8:31-32) If you are not, then you must not expect that He will know you on the day of judgment (Matthew 7:21-27).

    • Learn to be someone who prays to God often in a habitual manner and rely upon God to give you strength and wisdom to obey Him instead of succumbing to temptation. We have a wonderful gift of free access to God in prayer, which was won for us through Christ’s death on the cross. Don’t squander this gift!

    • Be honest with yourself and surround yourself with people who know you and care for your soul.

Christ Will Not Disappoint Us, and Rejecters of Christ Will Be Put To Shame

HYMN

Take Time to Be Holy

REVIEW

This month we resumed our study through 1 Peter, starting with a reading and reviewing of 1 Peter 1 - 2:5.

STUDY & PROPOSITIONS

Our text of focus for this month is 1 Peter 2:6-10.

Christ is precious

  • Christ is precious to God the Father, and He is precious to us as well.

God has made Christ the main issue

  • God could have let the world run its course and left it alone in its sins, but He did not do that. He sent Christ. Of all moments in history, this is the biggest watershed moment. Of course, there are other major and impactful historical events that took place, such as the worldwide flood & Noah's Ark, the Tower of Babel, and the selling of Joseph into slavery. But even compared to these moments, God sent Christ into the world, and made Him the most important person and His life and ministry the most important event that ever took place in history.

  • Verse 2:6 mentions the "corner stone," which is what was laid down at the extreme angle (sometimes used of a building's foundation or the stone that joins two walls, etc.). A good corner stone is critical for ensuring the proper construction of a building. In a similar way, Christ is critical for the Christian's building up into holiness. There is no other way for Christians to grow apart from Christ.

  • Christ is essential and crucial for us to live as God's people. Without Christ, we cannot achieve anything as Christians nor as God's children. Without Christ, Christians have no salvation. And, as 1 Peter tells us, without Christ, Christians have no growth.

Christ will not disappoint us

  • The sense is that believers will never be disappointed in Christ.

  • Believers are so fully invested in Christ, that if Christ were to be revealed to be disappointing in any way, we would be greatly ashamed.

  • Peter can say this because the Scriptures say this. Peter also saw Christ's works and knew Him firsthand. He saw the risen Christ, saw Him transfigured, and saw Him ascending back into heaven. He was an intimate witness to Christ's ministry and teachings. Peter really knew Christ firsthand, and he was certain that Christ will never disappoint us.

  • Sometimes, we can make investments with great hope - whether in finance, housing, products, vacations, or other things. But it is never guaranteed that those investments will live up to our hopes and expectations. In contrast, Christ will never put us to shame, nor will He ever disappoint us. 1 Peter 1:13 tells us to completely place our hope in Christ. The hope and future that we have in Christ is certain, and it cannot disappoint us.

  • Things can compete with our hope in Christ. For example, we can look toward money as something that can grant us future security, or temporary happiness in being able to buy the things you desire, but in reality it can never fulfill hope like Christ can. A pursuit of money can be consuming, perhaps even to the point of compromising morality.

Rejecters of Christ will be put to shame

  • Believers trust in Christ and will never be put to shame, but unbelievers will be put to shame because they rejected Christ, the most precious thing! In rejecting Christ, they have no perfect cornerstone, and thus their foundation is doomed from the start. Without a solid foundation, the building cannot stand.

Rejecters of Christ were predetermined

  • Verse 8 tells us that rejecters of Christ were appointed and predetermined - specifically, they were predetermined to stumble over Christ as the cornerstone they rejected.

  • Does this mean that rejecters of Christ are automatically predestined for hell? It is not for us to say or judge, and Peter is only guaranteeing that people will stumble, but does not go so far as to say they will never be able to repent or be saved.

  • Rejection of Christ was still going on at the time that Peter wrote this letter, and we can observe that it is still going on today.

  • Believers must persist as excellent witnesses to those who reject Christ, because there is always an opportunity for repentance and salvation - even for the staunchest rejecter (1 Peter 2:12, 1 Peter 3:1-2).

A note about "double predestination"

  • Some people think that this passage is talking about double predestination, which is to say that God has actively chosen some to believe and thus be saved, and in the same way, God has actively chosen some for damnation. They hold that God’s predestination for salvation and His predestination for damnation are symmetrical. Our church believes in an asymmetrical double predestination.

  • We hold that God's predestination in salvation is asymmetrical, in that God actively foreknew, called, justified, and glorified those whom He chose for salvation, but that Scripture does not affirm that God actively appointed unbelievers unto damnation in the same way. We can see this in Scripture where the predetermination of the elect unto salvation is described in the active voice but the predetermination of the non-elect is described in the passive voice (Rom. 9:22-23). Theologians use the term “preterition” to describe this concept. The term preterition means "to pass over," and this properly describes the active act of God in choosing the elect for salvation and the passive act of God in choosing the non-elect for damnation. We believe that preterition is an accurate reflection of Scripture that stops short of affirming an active predestination for wrath.

Purification Is Internal, and Love Must Come from the Heart Without Hypocrisy

HYMN

#17 - “O Father, You Are Sovereign”

REVIEW

We began our workout by trying to recite 1 Peter 1:1-21 from memory and reviewing propositional statements from our past workouts.

STUDY & PROPOSITIONS

1 Peter 1:22

Purification is internal.

  • All people inherently know that we need purification in our consciences and souls, and the world has various methods to try deal with these things (rituals, new age practices, etc.). But none of these things truly purify a man’s soul. True spiritual purification only comes through faith in God through Christ, who purified us in our souls at the time of our conversion when we came to obedience to the truth.

  • We were not purified just so that we could simply feel better about ourselves. God had a purpose for our purification - good works and loving service. We ought to engage in sacrificial love and care for other people.

    • Galatians 5:13-14 - fulfill the Law through love, in service to one another

    • John 13:12-, 34 - Jesus commands the apostles to love and serve one another

    • 1 John 2:10 - “the one who loves his brother abides in the light”

    • Romans 13:9 - love us summed up in this commandment: “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”

Love must be sincere and without hypocrisy.

  • The love we are called to have for other people must be sincere, or better put (and literally!), “un-hypocritical”.

    • Love can indeed be hypocritical. Some examples:

      • Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 11) - members of the church would partake in a “love feast” and celebrate communion, all while there were people starving in their midst.

      • Ananias & Sapphira (Acts 5) - they brought a sacrifice in pretense to garner applause from men.

    • Love must not be hypocritical. Examples of “unhypocritical” love:

      • Jonathan’s love for David

      • The early church met each other’s needs (Acts 2)

      • Missionaries who sacrifice many things (sometimes, even life, in the case of Jim and Elizabeth Elliot) in order to bring the gospel to others

Love must come from the heart.

  • Love is not arm-twisting or coerced. True love comes from the heart, and this love comes from God, who placed His love in the hearts of those He saved.

    • Romans 5:1-5 - The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

    • 1 John 3:16, 4:9-11 - God loved us in sending Christ, who laid down His life as the propitiation for our sins. So then, if God loved us, we ought to love one another and lay down our lives for the brethren.

  • True believers who have received the love of God in their hearts have lots of love to give to others, because God, the source, is boundless in love.

Our Faith and Hope in God Is Through Christ

HYMN

#133- “All Glory Be to Christ”

REVIEW

We began our workout by trying to recite 1 Peter 1:1-20 from memory.

STUDY & PROPOSITIONS

1 Peter 1:21

We believe in the true God through Christ.

  • Christ is essential for faith in God. We believe in God through the redeeming work of Christ. We can try to believe in God all we want, but if it is not through Christ and the ransom He paid for us, it is impossible to even approach Him.

    • John 14:6 - “… no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

    • Hebrews 4:14-16 - we cannot enter into the kingdom of God except through Christ, our High Priest.

  • God is Christ’s Resurrector. God’s identity is defined by His work in raising Christ from the dead and giving Him glory. People might miss the mark in their faith in God if they don’t have a proper Biblical understanding of who God is. For example, one might put more emphasis on their subjective experiences that they interpret as God’s power/presence/peace/etc. However, true faith in God is founded on the literal objective revelation of Scripture.

  • Christ always had glory, “even before the world was” (John 17:5). But in His earthly incarnation, it was set aside (Philippians 2:5-7). At His resurrection, He was restored to glory by God (Hebrews 1:1-4).

Faith and hope go hand in hand.

  • Hebrews 11:1 and 1:13-16 help us further understand how faith and hope are tied together (explicit in Greek grammar). In essence, faith in God includes a hope in the fulfillment of His promises and what awaits us in eternity. We are people who believe in God - not only for what He has done in the past, but also for the promises He will fulfill in the future. We must trust in God, trust in His word, and wait in anticipation and longing for the fulfillment of what He has promised.

  • What does a wise disciple of Christ do to keep stoking His faith and hope in the Lord and the future to come?

    • Be immersed in the Word. Read Scripture daily, and always be mindful of our future hope in heaven with God, which is incomparably greater than any temporal hope that can be found in this world.

    • Talk with other believers about our God’s promises. “Encourage one another day after day.”

1 Peter 1:22

Conversion obedience and purification from sin are complete.

  • Peter describes our conversion in terms of obedience. Obedience to the truth is the means of purification.

  • To be converted is to submit oneself under the authority of God in His truth. When we became converted, we became obedient to the truth, which is the Word of God as per vv. 23-25 (“the living and enduring Word of God,” “Word of the Lord,” “word which was preached to you).

    • John 14:15 - “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

    • Ezekiel 36:26, Jeremiah 31:33 - the New Covenant promises a transformation of heart for those who come to God

  • In order for anyone to be saved, they need the Word of God.

The Messianic Ransom Was Planned and Executed for Our Sake

HYMN

#213 – “My Hope Is In The Lord”

REVIEW

We recited 1 Peter 1:1-18 as a whole and reviewed propositions for each verse covered in previous weeks.

STUDY & PROPOSITIONS

1 Peter 1:19

Our ransom was heavenly, not earthly.

  • Our price for redemption could not be made with anything of this world, like silver and gold. No amount of money could ever change a person's heart and redeem their souls.

  • The price of our ransom was heavenly; precisely, our ransom was purchased with the price of Christ's blood. By quality and value, it is precious.

  • God allowed animal sacrifices for sins as a foreshadow of the real sacrifice that was to come, which was human blood (Hebrews 10:1-4).

  • Humanity is in sin, and human beings are sinners. Every human being has to pay for their own sins, but no one can serve as their own ransom payment or anybody else's because their blood is not unblemished and spotless as a sacrificial lamb.

    • Romans 3:10-18 - "There is none righteous, not even one"

  • The only pure and unblemished sacrifice that can pay for man's sin is Christ's. Christ had to offer His own precious, unblemished human blood for sins, and the only way to accomplish that was through an earthly incarnation and offering made on the cross.

1 Peter 1:20

The Messianic ransom was planned.

  • Christ was predetermined and foreknown as the planned sacrifice. Christ is the fulfillment of what Reformed theology calls the "pactum salutis", or the "covenant of redemption." God had the redemption plan before the creation of the world. This means that before Genesis 1:1 and the creation of all things, God had a plan! God chose who He would redeem even before creation was created. This tells us that the whole purpose of creation is to execute God's redemption plan.

  • Christ’s first coming and His redemptive work marked the beginning of the last times, in which we are living now in hope of the future to come in eternity.

The Messianic ransom was executed for our sake.

  • Christ paid the ransom for our sake. In another sense, this was for the sake of the Father, in that He fulfilled the will of God who sent Him (John 6:38) in our redemption. Christ committed to fulfill God’s sovereign plan to be the sacrifice and payment for our sins. But as we are the ones who needed redemption, Christ’s ransom was paid and completed for the sake of us who believe, so that by faith we would receive forgiveness and redemption. So then it was for our sake and it was for the Father’s sake that Christ paid our ransom.