Series on hope. We did faith in June. We're doing hope here in July and then love in August. And so we're in the midst of looking at what hope is biblically. I touched on this passage last Sunday during the Lord's Supper. And I want to flesh it out for you now more fully. As you're turning there, let me tell you a true story of George Dixon. He was a lieutenant in the Confederate Army. And he carried around with him a $20 gold piece that his fiance had given him. And he carried that around with him in the early days of the war.
And during the Battle of Shiloh, a Union musk ball struck him. Well, technically, it actually struck the gold coin. It dented it, but it spared his life. So, from that day on, he carried that gold coin with him wherever he went. And into whatever battle he went, he could often be seen rubbing it. It was a good luck charm for him and it saved his life. Well, eventually Lieutenant Dixon took that coin onto the CSS Hunley, a submarine, and a Confederate submarine that he staunchly believed could break apart the Union blockade.
Sure enough, it did seek sink, pardon me, the the USS Husatonic, but in the course of that battle, the Hunley herself sank, and Lieutenant Dixon and the entire crew went to their graves. Years later, that submarine was brought back to the surface. And in there was that golden coin, a silent testimony to the fact that that good luck charm that that he pinned his hope to could not save him.
It was a faulty hope. It was a dead hope. Brothers and sisters, we do not have that kind of hope. We have a living hope. We have a hope that is sure, that is certain. It's not wishing upon a star. It's concrete, and it's based on a person. And so, with that in mind, I want to take us to this passage in 1 Peter chapter 1 and look at verses 3-5 with us. Here's what we read there.
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. This is a great news passage.
I was telling the worship team when we were practicing this week, if if we leave here discouraged, I have preached this wrong. This should this should give us great encouragement if you are in Christ. Now, let's do a little background before we get into the meat of the text here. This region that we're looking at here, and it's all these places are listed for us at the start of the letter in verse one. There's Pontis and Galatia and Capidoshia and Asia and Bethnia. This is all part of what's modernday Turkey today.
The dispersion of the believers that we read about in in the first two verses of of the book u is speaking about the dispersion of gentile believers geographically to various different parts of the world. And the biggest reason for the dispersion was the persecution that believers were going through under the hand of the emperor. The emperor at this time was Nero. He hated Christianity. He hated Christians and in fact was hunting them.
And so they were dispersed. And so it's understandable that he begins this letter with an with a means to try to encourage the hearts of these fainthearted believers that were almost certainly very discouraged. The word blessed that starts our our passage here in verse three is a fascinating word. It's the word we get our word eulogy from uligto. And so we see this word used a few different times in the New Testament. First, pardon me, 2 Corinthians 1, Romans 9, a few of these passages.
And it almost always, in fact, pretty much always is an indicative signification. And you might say, what does that mean? It's a word that signifies something important that's about to happen. And that something is virtually every time it's used in the New Testament is a doxology. It starts a doxology. That is to say, it starts this section of praise and adoration to God, exalting him for who he is. And this is what we see here. We see that in 2 Corinthians 1. We see it in Romans 9. And so that's what we have here.
It means to speak well of. So, at a funeral, when you do a eulogy, you're you're speaking well of that person. Well, here, blessed be, we're speaking well of who? God, our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And actually, that's interesting that we have that here because we have a trinitarian passage here. We certainly see in verse three, father and son right away listed. Blessed be God, the the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I will contend with you, and we'll get to this as we get later on in the passage, that the Holy Spirit is very present here in this passage as well.
You won't see this the the word Holy Spirit here, but I'm going to contend with you as we get through the passage that the Holy Spirit is being referenced here. This is a highly trinitarian passage here as well. So, what do we see? What do what do we know about this living hope? You see, the phrase living hope is built right into verse three. What do we know about this living hope? Well, there's a few things. First of all, our living hope is anchored in the resurrection of Christ. It's according to God's enormous mercy.
That's what we read here in verse three. According to his great mercy. That's what we have here. What is mercy? Mercy is when we do not get what we actually deserve. Grace is the flip side of that. When we do get what we don't deserve. Mercy is when we don't get what we do deserve. What is it that we deserve? Well, Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23, if you put those together, it tells us what we deserve.
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That's us. Do you know what the Greek for all means? All All have sinned. All have fallen short of the glory of God. And then 6:23 says, "And the wages or what we earn for our for because of our sin, the wages of sin is death." Certainly physical death is a part of the curse of the fall of of man and the of sin. But more than that, spiritual death, eternal death. That's what we deserve.
However, what did God do? He granted that we might live eternally in his presence. All who would believe. Well, how is that possible? Well, Jesus said in John 19:30, "It is finished." To tell us, "It is finished." What is finished? Well, certainly as he was on the cross, he finished the work of atonement, appeasing the wrath of God. His work is such that he would justify his people, that he would adopt his people, that he would sanctify his people, that they would be glorified.
Romans 8 tells us, and I will contend with you that part of the it in the it is finished in encompasses the resurrection because apart from the resurrection, if he was still in the grave, death would not be conquered, sin would not be conquered, and it wouldn't be finished. So Jesus though the resurrection had not happened he was and at this point in John 19 even the atonement hadn't happened yet not fully it was it was on route but he was saying all of it is done it is finished I've done the work it's money in the bank your atonement is sealed we we see that the resurrection is so hugely important to the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Go with me if you will to 1 Corinthians 15. There's a many people who've claimed to be a savior in different ways throughout history. And you know where all those people are? In the grave. And if Jesus was still in the grave, he would not be a savior for us. But look what we read here starting in verse 16 of 1 Corinthians 15. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins.
Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pied. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. So here we have the resurrection of Christ Jesus as a point of certainty, meaning that he has destroyed death.
He's destroyed sin. He's conquered it all and he's made life available to his people. And that tells us what hope is. Hope is not based on a circumstance. It's not based on a situation. It's based on a person. And this person is alive. He is a living hope. He was seen by over 500 witnesses. Alive post death. They could all verify that he was alive. At the time of the writing of First Corinthians, Paul said, "There's 500 witnesses, most of whom are still alive.
Go talk to them." It wasn't mass hallucination. No. No. They all saw him alive. And he lives today. He's at the right hand of the father. Hebrews 1 tells us and he's coming to claim his church. He's a living hope. He has always existed. He has It's not just that he's a living hope who who reigns eternally now. He's always reigned eternally. He's always lived. We have a hard time in our finite minds understanding that, don't we? Because we all have a start and an end definitively.
Lord Jesus did not start. He has always existed. Colossians 1 tells us of this. Here's what it says starting at verse 15. He Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him, by Christ all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him.
If he created all things, everything in heaven on earth, what does that tell us about Jesus? He's always been. He's been, he was there before the beginning. He is the head of the body of the church and on it goes here in Colossians 1. He is alive and he lives right now today at the right hand of the father and according to Hebrews chapter 7 is interceding for you and me the saint the one who is in Christ. Hebrews 7:25 listen to this glorious verse.
Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them. If you're having a bad day, saint, read that verse. The Lord Jesus always lives. That should alone give you encouragement. What is he doing as he always lives at the right hand of the father? Making intercession for his people. This is remarkable.
Why would he need to intercede for us? Well, not to you know, it's spoiler alert here a little bit because we're going through Revelation in the fall. But look at what we read about the enemy of our soul in Revelation 12. I heard a loud voice from in heaven saying, 'Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come down. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God, and they have conquered him by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony.
For they loved not their lives, even unto death. He is accusing day and night those who are in Christ. Now, does he have a an accusation to make? Does he have a case against me? Well, apart from Christ, he certainly does. Apart from Christ, he absolutely has a case against me. I have sinned. I have failed God. I am not in and of myself. I am not righteous myself. So apart from Christ, he has a case against me. Ephesians 2, listen to this.
The start of Ephesians 2. And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. That's a descriptor of me and of you, apart from Christ. Does is there a case to be made against me apart from Christ? Yes.
But Ephesians 2, the very next words are some of probably the most glorious words in the entire Bible. But God. Ephesians 2 1:3 gives us the bad news. But God, look at verse four. But God being rich in what? Mercy. Being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive together with Christ.
You see the overlap with first Peter he caused us to be born again. 1 Peter 1 says, and here it says, "He made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So that at the coming ages, in the coming ages, he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith." And this is not your own doing.
It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Glorious, good news, friends. He has risen from the dead. He reigns today. And according to his great mercy, he saves sinners. That's me. That's you. What a what a mighty savior. Our living hope is anchored to the fact that he's resurrected. And he is truly a living hope for us.
There's an 18-year-old named Heidi who was thrown from a car and suffered a tremendous head injury. And they said she may never walk or talk again. She was taken to a rehab facility at Christ Santa Rosa. There she learned through excruciating pain and much effort and time to in fact walk and talk again. While she was there, a 16-year-old girl named Ashley had a similar accident, thrown from a vehicle, and she was in virtually the exact same state as Heidi had been when she first came in, being told that she too would likely never walk or talk again.
Well, 18-year-old Heidi heard about 16-year-old Ashley, and Heidi said to her mom, "Can you wheel me into Ashley's room that I might talk to her?" So, her mom did that and wheeled her into the room. And with every ounce of strength she could muster, she physically stood up from her wheelchair beside Ashley's bed. And she said to her, "When I came in here, I wasn't walking or talking either." And Ashley looked at her and there was a visible, tangible, living hope standing in front of her.
It planted a seed in Ashley's mind that there there's a there's hope for me. And before long, as the months passed along, Heidi and Ashley were walking up and down the hallways together talking together about life because of the living hope that stood before her. But friends, that living hope pales in comparison to the living hope we have. Because for Ashley, her living hope, Heidi, would eventually one day die. But our living hope will never die. Because we know that Christ has been resurrected.
We know that today he's at the father's side. And because we know that he's at the father's side, we know that he is interceding for us. And because we know he's interceding for us, we have living true hope. Praise God for that. That's what we read here in First Peter. And what does this living hope then produce for us? It produces for us an an unshakable inheritance. You see that here in verse four. So we we have this living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance.
This inheritance is glorious. What What is inheritance? What what are we talking about here? Well, there's actually a lot to be said about it. Pastor Bryce and I think Pastor Joe, were you part of the this one? We looked at the crowns. Were you part of that episode? I can't remember if you were. Yeah, we we had an episode in our podcast about about the crowns of eternal life. What does that mean? So, if you want more detail on it, you can go to our episode and look at that. But in Romans chapter 6 22 and 23, we read this. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit that you get leads to sanctification and its end eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Step one in understanding your inheritance, you get eternal life. Praise God for that. That this life isn't it. And also it's not eternal death and damnation, but rather eternal life. What an inheritance that is just in and of itself. Then 1 Peter 5:4 tells us that there's a crown of glory that awaits the saints. What does that mean?
To some degree, we have to say, I don't know. But but we read about this crown of glory actually in multiple places in the New Testament for the saint, for the the one who loves the Lord Jesus. And and notice what it says in 2 Corinthians chapter 4. We shouldn't have favorites in the Bible, but I I'm going to tell you, 2 Corinthians is my favorite book of the Bible. For the wearyhearted saint, there is no there's no bomb for the soul quite like 2 Corinthians.
And in chapter se four, pardon me, verse 17, it says this, for this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. Whatever the glory of God entirely is, and we have we have pictures of it and descriptions of it in the New Testament, but we cannot fully comprehend it. But what we do know is it's beyond all comparison. No glory in this world compares to the glory of God that awaits the believer.
This is part of our inheritance that we will experience. We will receive 1 Corinthians 4:5 says commenation when entering the presence of God. And this inheritance comes through Christ who is interceding for his people as this living hope. The one who has defeated sin, who has defeated death, who reigns and rules today. And it is money in the bank. Notice what it says here in verse four of our text. Because of the resurrection of Christ, there's this inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, unfading.
By the way, that's isn't that amazing. You know, if I were to leave Taylor our vehicle, I if I said to her, "You're going to get our 2021 Trailblazer when we die." I'm hoping I'm going to live a little longer. Let's say I die at 80. I'm 50 now. What kind of inheritance is she going to get? Fading, perishable, certainly dead. It's a Chevy, folks.
But the inheritance that awaits the saints is so altogether different, imperishable, undefiled, unfading. It will never spoil. And notice what it says here then. Kept in heaven for you. This and if you're in Christ, you have repented, you've trusted him as your savior, this is money in the bank. It's a certainty. He is keeping this for you.
He's preserving this inheritance for you. It will be there for the saints. Look at what Paul said in second Timothy. In 2 Timothy 4, this is his last letter shortly before he dies. And he he says that he's being poured out. He's fought the good fight. He's finished the race and the time for his departure is at hand. And look at what he says in verse eight. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will award to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
Every precious saint according to the Apostle Paul will receive this crown of righteousness. Again, we don't know the totality of what that all in entails and means, but there is coming an inheritance that awaits the sinner that's been redeemed that nothing in this world compares with. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married. And should they have children someday, they will leave their enormous millions upon millions presumably to them depending on the how their prenuptual agreement folly and all that garbage works itself out.
However, even if even if they get millions and millions and millions of dollars as an inheritance, that will all fade. Ecclesiastes tells us that all of those things are a vapor gone. They cannot satisfy the soul. The inheritance that Christ offers never fades. It starts with our redemption.
Now, will your redemption fade? Well, we're going to talk about this as we get to verse five here in a moment. The answer to that no. Will my adoption change? No. Will I go from being justified to ever being unjustified? No. The one who is in Christ, the one who is saved is saved for eternity. Praise God. So the the question to all of us here today, what do you want? Do you want earthly rewards?
You want those things that make you feel good temporarily right now. Those friendships that are not great. Those those things you pursue that make you feel popular right now? Those those clicks you get on social media because you post a certain thing. Is that what you're after? All that's going to fade. Or are you longing for the unfading crown of glory that awaits the saint? It's the question you have to answer before the Lord today. And notice also that this living hope guar is is guaranteed by God's power for all who believe. Look at verse 5.
It starts off with the word who. So it's now talking about a a a people a per a a a person or a people. So this inheritance is being kept in heaven. Right? You got that? Verse four. Then verse five, who So the last word of verse four is you. So he's talking to you, the saint, you the elect, as it says there in verse one of of first Peter, you who have been caused to be born again sovereignly by the hand of God.
So it's being kept in heaven for you, comma, who by God's power are being guarded through faith. So our inheritance is being kept. But more than that, I'm being kept the the believer. Isn't this astonishing? This is great news. The LSB and the NASB use the word protected here rather than guarded. So, what does it mean to be guarded or to be protected?
Well, the Greek here is fascinating. The Greek here conotes something like to post a guard. It's as if God has posted a guard. By God's power, a guard has been posted. What guard has been posted? Remember how I earlier said I'm convinced the Holy Spirit is in this passage? I I will contend with you that the guard that's been posted that guarantees our inheritance is the Holy Spirit.
And how why do I believe that? I'm so glad you asked. Go to Ephesians chapter 1. Look at verses 13 and 14 with me. In him you also when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation and believed in him were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. Who is the guarantee?
Who is hear that? Who is the guarantee or the down payment? Some translations say of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory. In other words, he's the guard that's been posted. I don't know how many of you were were hopefully you were all listening to Dave as he was reading from 2 Corinthians chapter 1, but let me take you there. I hope you I hope you caught it when he was reading it for us in 2 Corinthians 1. Look at verses 21 and 22.
It is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us and who has put his seal on us and given us his spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. Same verbiage as Ephesians chapter 1. And really, it's what Peter is articulating in our passage here in First Peter chapter 1. By God's power, we are being guarded through faith for a salvation that's ready to be revealed in the last time.
We are saved now. And the fullness of that salvation, face to face with our savior will be revealed at that time. What glory. And we're being guarded. We're being kept. Isn't that great news? Like like so, so we were what was the name of the fall? Oh, Kakabaka Falls. I don't know how many of you ever been to Kakabaka Falls. I just like saying it because it sounds fun, but we were I was we were coming back from southern Ontario on a road trip or were we on our way there?
I don't remember. It was one of the We were there and and was it your dad that had Madison? So, so Carla's dad was holding Madison and she was two at the time. Yeah. And so we were standing and there's these railings. It's like a switchback kind of walkway and you can walk closer and closer to the falls. And there's this point there where there's the railing and if you go over the railing, you're dead. Carla's dad is holding Madison and he's getting closer and closer to the railing and Madison freakishly strong even at two.
She grabbed the railing and poof like that. Carla's dad boom grabbed her and held her and apart from that she would have been gone. What saved her? Her grip on him or his grip on her? His grip on her. And that's what we have here. How is it that we are kept until eternity? Because of how tight our grip is on God. No, how tight his grip is on me. We are being kept.
We're being guarded for this salvation that's ready to be revealed. He's guarding both us and that inheritance until that day because he's a living hope. And so you might say, "Well, that's that's encouraging. How does that affect me right now? How do I live this out right now?" Lots could be said here. But briefly, let me give you three things. First of all, this my worries can be given to him. I don't know how many of you here are natural worriers.
If my mother was here, she'd probably put her hand up. She is Carla. You can ask Carla. My mom is worrier par excellence. Some of you here are probably like that. Many, many worries, many anxieties. Your mind is like a pinball machine going to all the different anxieties. Remember what Jesus said to Martha and Luke, the book of Luke there, he's she is concerned that no one's helping her prepare a meal and and all that goes with that.
And and he says, Martha, Martha, what he he says there to her, you are worried and anxious about many things. That's literally what he says to her. But one thing is needed, he says. And he points to Mary. It appears and he says like she's chosen the good thing. What has she done? What's Mary doing? Sitting at the feet of Jesus. If if what we read here in 1 Peter 1 is true, and it is, he's a living hope who is at the father's right hand, interceding for his people even now, keeping and guarding us.
Then friends, truly in the truest sense, what is it we have to worry about? Nothing. Nothing. That's why later in this book in chapter five he says cast your cares upon the Lord because the Lord cares for you. We need not worry if he is our living hope. Also let me say this our assurance is in him. We can often be like that one that we read about in the gospels who said I believe help my unbelief.
We can doubt at times. Doubts can assail us. And yet, if we know that we have repented, we've turned from a life devoted to sin and turned to Christ by faith and we can see though we're far from perfect, but we can see the growth in our life as the Lord and his mercy has been sanctifying us. Then you can rest in him, be assured of your salvation. He is the living hope who's guarding and keeping his people in accordance with Philippians chapter 1.
He who began the good work in you is going to bring it to completion. There's an assurance in that and we can have confidence in this. Now, of course, we're far from what we want to be. We ought to continue to pursue a life that honors him. But in the meantime, we can rest in that in the assurance of our salvation for the one who's truly believed. If you're here and you have not believed and you can say, "I have no assurance because I have not repented. I have not trusted Christ." And friend, let me tell you, your soul hangs in the balance this very day.
And it could be called upon this very day. Do not delay. Repent. Turn from your sin and turn to Christ this day in order to be saved. Lastly, let me say this very, very practically. We should stop striving for earthly goods. That's not to say we shouldn't provide for our families and all. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is the unshakable inheritance that we have that's come that's in Christ is far more worthwhile than all the things we're chasing after often in this world.
We chase after all kinds of stuff that cannot satisfy us long term. They might feel good this long for a moment, but they're going to fade and be gone. But that that which endures, that which lasts is in the Lord. And so rather than pursuing all of those things that make me temporarily feel good about myself, rather than that, let us pursue that which pleases him. You know, Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5, I make it my aim to please the Lord.
Oh, that we would do that, too. Not to earn our salvation because we can't do that. But in response to our salvation, to say thank you, God, thank you for what you've done. I want to please you. I want to honor you because you are my living hope. So friends, if I could encourage you in that, let us continuously be growing in these things, asking the Lord that in his kindness that he might remind us often of our position in Christ, that we would live in this way and so glorify the one who is our living hope.
And so God, I pray that you would remind us of what we have in Christ Jesus, these incomparable riches that have come by the blood of the lamb. God, I pray that you might remind us of these things often, anchor us in the truth, and that we would live in a manner that exalts you and glorifies you and makes much of you, that blesses you. As we read about in our text, we we would speak well of you and we would live well for you in honor of you.
And so, Father, take us from here with the the hope of glory in our hearts that we would live as joyful believers anchored by this living hope. And may all the glory go to you in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Let's stand together and respond
Transcribed automatically from YouTube captions, so names and words may be misheard.
