8 1 Peter 1 Continued CYoung 5 29 2024

Peter is writing to Christians who are scattered and facing persecution. He reminds them that salvation is the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They have a living hope in heaven and should live in fear, which means reverence and submission to God. He warns them that their choices and actions will be judged by God. They were not redeemed with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. They should fear God, who has the power to cast into hell. Sin has separated them from God, but they have been bought back by the ransom of Jesus' blood. So, tonight, we're going to continue our lesson over in 1 Peter. Peter has been talking to his recipients, and the recipients of Peter's epistle is those who are scattered. And those who are scattered at this present time in this epistle that Peter has written is the Christians, who was literally dispersed abroad in different places, as we see in 1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 1. And Peter writes to them at a time that they was undergoing such great persecution as Jews and even as Christians. And the persecution was going to get even more severe due to the fact that this epistle was written a few years before the fall of Jerusalem, when the Romans came and overtook Jerusalem, and it brought an end to that mosaic, sacrificial period that the Jews had always had. Even though Christ had came and He had died, and when He died, His testament came before us, a lot of the Jews still abided by that system. Now Peter, he explains in chapter 1, as we started off in the beginning about how that salvation is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But then he goes on and let Christians know that they have a living hope that's stored up in heaven, which is an eternal inheritance that's laid up in heaven for Christians who live faithful lives to God, by living holy, doing our soul-turning here on this earth. But in view of this living hope, Peter comes down to verse 17, and he starts to let the Christians know that they need to live in fear. Now this is not a cowardly fear that we are talking about here. Peter tells them about a certain type of attitude, which is characterized by reverence and submission to God. And he tells them that they need to live in this attitude because they need to be remembering the great price paid for their redemption. So as we start in 1 Peter chapter 1, we want to read verses 17 through 19. 1 Peter chapter 1, beginning at verse 17, and I'm reading from the New King James Version, it says, And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges in according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear, knowing that you are not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your father, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a Lamb of God, without blemish and without spot. Amen. So we see here in verse 17 that Peter stated to these Christians that they have the privilege to call on the Father, and that is God the Father. Christians have a privilege to call upon God the Father. And then he goes on to speak about how God is and how that he judges. He says, Who without respect of person judges according to every man's work. But then he tells them that they need to pass the time of their sojourn in here in fear. Okay? Now as I stated, it is a great source of spiritual strength to be able to pray and call upon God as our Father. Now, since this privilege has been made possible by a costly price, our attitude must be with reverence and submission to him. Now, we know that God wants all to be saved, but the final judgment, it will be without partiality is what Peter lets these recipients know. And could you read 1 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 4? Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. So God the Father desires that no one should perish, but God wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Okay? But we know that everyone would not obey the gospel. Some people would be self-seeking, but we understand that Peter tells them that as Christians, they need to pass the time of their sojourn in here in respect for God and obedience to him. God is loving, but he is also just, is what we need to keep in memory, okay? It matters not the wealth, nationality, or social standing one may have. God rewards according to the works of each person. So by the way that we live each and every day, the choices that we make is going to judge us in the last days, okay? Let's read Romans, chapter 2, verses 6 through 11. Who will render to each one according to his deed eternal life to those who by patience, continuance in doing good, seek for glory, honor, and immortality, but to those who are self-seeking do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation, and wrath, tribulation, and anguish on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek. Seek for glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, for there is no partiality with God, amen. So we see here in this particular context, in verse 6, it stated that God will render to every man according to his deeds. So according to the deeds that we do in this fleshly body, God will recompense us of that, whether it be good or evil. And it stated that to them who by patience, continuance, and way of doing seek for glory, and honor, and immortality, what they'll receive is eternal life with God in heaven. But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, they will have God's indignation and wrath. And then verse 9 lets us know the spirit of God's wrath, it states tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first and also of the Gentile, for glory, honor, and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile, for there is no respect of persons with God. So we see that God rewards according to the works of each person. And God is loving, but he is also just, and the judgment will be without partiality. So Peter is letting his receptors know over here in 1 Peter chapter 1 that in fear of the fact that the way we live will determine all eternal death, we should spend a brief time of our sojourn on earth in reverent fear. Now, people, this does not mean that an obedient believer feels God unlike a slave fears a cruel master. No. But instead, this fear is an attitude of reverence and awe. We walk with the confidence and respect like an obedient child does towards beloved parents. But if you notice, just as a disobedient child should fear punishment from a parent, even so one who does not reverence and obey God should have the fear of his wrath. Well, how do we know that? Because the Bible tells us so. And we just read scriptures over in Romans chapter 2, verses 6 through 11, that tells us that it will be tribulation and anguish upon the soul of every man who lived disobedient and unrighteous. Let's also read Luke chapter 12, verses 4 and 5. And I say unto you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear. Fear him who after he is killed has power to cast into hell. Yes, I say to you, fear him. So these are the precious words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is known in the Bible by many names. But one of his names that stand out to me when I think about his teachings is he's a wonderful counselor. He's a mighty counselor. And even those who don't acknowledge the fact that Jesus is God and he's God's son and that he's a king and he's high priest today, they all say that he is the best teacher that walked the earth. But he was more than just the best teacher that walked the earth. We know that he is God. And what he just stated right there in that particular context, he stated that don't fear man who can kill your fleshly body, but after that they have done that, that is all they can do. But fear God the Father. Yeah, have respect for him. Be obedient to him. Live your life here on earth in submission and reverence and all to God the Father because of that. He has the power to take your life and after he has taken your life in this flesh, he has the power to cast your soul into him. You can die the second death, which is eternal separation from God. He has the power to do so. Jesus said this is who you fear, okay? Then as we come down to 1 Peter 1, verse 18, Peter tells his receptor, for as much as he know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conduct received by traditions from your fathers. So let's set something straight so we can understand. The word redeemed, this literally means to buy back by payment of a ransom. So we were separated from God by sin as mankind. This is what separated us from God and this is what did separate us from God, sin. Let's read Isaiah chapter 59, verses 1 and 2. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot say, nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear. But your iniquity has separated you from your God, and your sin has hidden its face from you so that he will not hear. Now so within this context, you can see that God does not answer sinners' prayers, okay? Now it's not that he don't literally hear them speaking, but he don't answer them. He don't heed them. Why? Because they live in opposition to his holy ways that he reveals to us in his word, all right? And neither is his strength small that he cannot deliver them, but they are not willing to humble themselves and come to him and be obedient. And that's why in verse 2 of Isaiah 59 it's stated, but your iniquity, which is your lawless deeds, your transgressions of God's holy commandments, your sins have separated you from God. And this causes him to hide his face from you, that he don't answer your prayers. So the human race was separated from God by sin, but God has purchased obedient children by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. And so Peter let his receptors know in 1 Peter 1, verse 18, that gold and silver, though valuable in the eyes of men, are utterly worthless in redeeming us from our futile way of life. The heathen rites of Gentile idolaters' worship have been passed on to the children from their forefathers, but the perishable things of silver and gold could not pay the ransom price for sin. And then Peter goes on in verse 19 in 1 Peter 1, and he states, and he reminds them what the ransom was for their redemption. He states, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spines. Okay? So the costly price was paid when Jesus died for all men, 3 Hebrews chapter 2, verse 9. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he, by the grace of God, might face death for everyone. So we see that Jesus, by God's grace, which is by God's unmerited favor, what we did not deserve, we could not work for, we did not earn it, and we can't make up our own plan of saving grace for God, such is our Jesus, John 3, verse 16, that he might die for the sins of the whole world. All right? And Jesus, when he tasted death, he not only tasted it for those who have already obeyed the gospel, but he tasted it for every man, okay? And the only way we can be forgiven for sins and have our sins remitted is by Jesus Christ's precious blood. So Peter tells his reception that y'all need to have y'all minds girded up, y'all need to be sober, and y'all need to live in fear of God and hope to the end, and keep in your mind the sacrifice that was paid for your sins, yes, for your redemption, and this shall cause Christians to live holy, if God the Father is holy, all right? Now, the blood of Christ, you know, the only price that would suffice to set man free from sin, it was the precious blood of Christ, and this great price is worth more than all the gold or silver of this world, and this is what Peter has to let the receptors know. Now, when we think about the magnitude of the sacrifice, it is enhanced by the fact that Christ was the spotless, sinless Lamb of God, and if we look at John 1, verse 29, let's read over there. The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Now, the Jews understand what it meant when John saw Jesus coming and he stated that the Lamb of God would take us away the sins of the world, because the Jews have been up under this mosaic system for so long, and they have been taught about sacrificing lambs and these animal sacrifices, and they came on the Day of Atonement, and they had their sacrifices, and they presented them to the priest, and the priest would go and slaughter the animal sacrifice, and he would sprinkle the blood, and he would pray for himself and also for the sins of the people. But one thing about those animal sacrifices that they could not remove, it was on the promise here, you know, on the same basis as the baptism of John, okay? And they had to come year after year and sacrifice those lambs and those animal sacrifices. Why? Because it could not remove sin. But when John the Baptist feels Jesus coming, he feels our Lord and Savior coming, he tells these people that the Lamb of God would take away the sins of the world. And if we read over in 1 Peter chapter 2, verses 22 through 24. "...who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth, who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return, when he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously, who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, having died to sin, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed." So we see here over in 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 17 through 19, that Peter has given three strong reasons to live holy lives. And we as Christians, as God's people, we can apply this application to our lives even today, all right? Because even in the world today, Christians undergo persecution. Some Christians are in worse of situations, and some of our situations may get worse. But we need to heed the stern exhortation of the Bible, where Peter has just given us three strong reasons to lead holy lives. And if we actually back up to verse 16 in 1 Peter chapter 1, he started by telling them, "...because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy." So he tells them the first strong reason to live a holy life is because God gave us a great example. God is the best example of holiness. But the second point he makes is that we need to live in fear during our sojourn in here on earth. We all need to understand the frailty of our lives as mankind, knowing that our lives are but a mist, it is like a vapor that appears for a little while and then is no more, and it's the flower of the field that blossoms and blooms, and then tomorrow it fades away. That is how short our lives live. So we need to pass the sojourning of our lives here in respect for God. Fear God and keep his commandments, it's the whole duty of man. But Peter also tells them they need to be mindful, that we need to be mindful of the great price paid for our salvation, and that's why he tells them in verse 18, he states, For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your plain conduct received by tradition from your father, but then in verse 19 he lets them know that with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. So Christ gave his life for our salvation. So these are the reasons why we as Christians, we need to have respect for God. We need to live holy lives, and we need to have our minds girded up, and we need to hope to the end. But we need to keep in the forefront of our mind this lively hope that we have stored up in heaven, and we need to be remembering the great price paid for our salvation. And this was a wonderful time to teach this great lesson, and we look forward to continue in the book of Peter, and we will continue in our next lesson, and we will be talking about the gift of Jesus was the land before the foundation of the world, as we pick up at verses 20 and 21 on our next lesson. I thank you all for joining. Have a nice time. Okay. I got rid of the music, the recording, because not recording is playing music. Yeah. So, well, if you get, I don't know, sometimes it's not recording, but anyway, I can edit this out. But good job, Charles. I think, well, I was able to pay more attention tonight, so I wasn't trying to do as many things. Oh, man. You did a wonderful job. Well, glad I called you early. Yeah, and I got an email. I didn't read it. Let me see what this email says about your book. Okay. Okay. Found it. Oh. It says it arrived. It's in Chicago. It's in Chicago. It's in Chicago. It's in Chicago. It's in Chicago. It's in Chicago. It's in Chicago. 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