Introduction (v.17) 1 Peter 1:17 (NKJV) And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; In the opening chapter Peter speaks to the great theme of salvation. The theme is in the context of trial, suffering, hardship, pain, persecution. Peter has described the source of salvation (vv. 1-2); we are chosen by the Father, made Holy by the Spirit; cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. From the source of our salvation Peter moves to the security of our salvation or the guarantee of our salvation (vv.3-5); that security is made good by the resurrection of Jesus. Peter illustrates that as proof; and then encourages us to accept the permanence of our salvation ( our salvation is kept safe in heaven v.4); and God s power in our salvation; God s mighty power assures us that we will arrive safely in heaven (v.5). Peter cites the source of our salvation, the security of our salvation, and the joy of our salvation (vv.6-9). He cites salvation as the theme of the Old Testament writers and the subject of endless fascination by supernatural cosmic beings (vv.10-12). Peter has written about our response to our salvation (vv.13-17); we are to be selfcontrolled (v.13); we are to be holy before God (vv.14-16); and we are to be respectful toward God (v.17). Peter has touched on hope and holiness and now Peter touches on the topic of honoring God. In broad brush strokes Peter paints a portrait of what it means for the Saints to live in hope (vv.3-12) and to live in holiness (vv.13-21). And later Peter will continue to color in the first chapter with vibrant splashes of harmony (vv.22-25) among ourselves. We are to fear God. That means we are to have a healthy respect for God. We live in a world where the concept of the fear of God is thought to be psychologically unsound or emotionally debilitating. We are to reverence God. What does it mean to reverence or fear God? If a person truly fears God and has sufficient fear; it will serve as one more motivator to stand against temptation and endure the trials of life. The fear of God does not produce mental illness or emotional distress. Why? Because the fear of God means to hold God in honor; recognizing His awesome power and might; there is a sense of dread and holy terror; but there is also a keen sense of God s holiness, righteousness; God s power, God s knowledge; wisdom and judgment. We know God is just; and we know that the references to God s wrath are not simply quant aphorisms from ancient times; but a profound realization that God s wrath will come; and cannot be resisted. Simply put, fear and reverence means to hold God in the highest esteem possible. Worship and service emerge from a healthy respect for God. It is true that if a person fails to honor and reverence God; that person will bear the judgment and wrath of God. People in the world speak of God in the most blasphemous ways. Observant Jews trembled to even utter the name of God; for fear of offending Him. F.B. Meyer wrote; There is no fear like that which love begets. We do not fear God with the fear of a slave or felon, but with the fear of the love that cannot endure the thought of giving pain to the one loving and loved. 1
The Bible teaches that God judges and disciplines all people impartially according to their deeds. We judge others by what they do. We judge ourselves by what we mean. We judge others by what we observe. We judge ourselves ourselves by our motives. The KJV reads without respect of persons The phrase impartially (NIV NASB) is the adverb aprosopolemptos and is unique in the New Testament (it is found in the Epistle of Clement of Rome); the alpha-privative a; prosopon face and a verb lambano receive --hence impartially. Peter includes the thought that we are to reverence or fear God because we are sojourners on the earth....the time of your stay is a short time. The word paroikais means to dwell alongside; or to be passing by. It was the word to describe the captivity of Israel in Egypt. It was a temporary home; that is the picture of the believer on the earth. We are passing through and passing by. When a person is a stranger or pilgrim in a foreign field the person s thoughts are constantly on home. Our mind, our heart, our feelings, our affections are in heaven. One day our body will join our heart. The Psalmist wrote; I am a stranger in the earth: hide not your commandments from me (Psalm 119:19). I don t belong here. Please help me understand what I am doing here; communicate with me so that I will know how to please you while I am here. The Price (vv.18-19) 1 Peter 1:18 (NKJV) knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, Peter returns to the theme of the blessings of our salvation. What motivates us to avoid offending the Lord? We are filled with gratitude for the enormous cost, the amazing expense God paid in Christ to buy us back from the marketplace of sin. Three important words are used in the Greek language to describe redemption; (1) to buy back in the market (see 1 Cor. 6:20; Rev. 5:9); another is to buy out of the market so that the person or thing cannot be sold again (Gal. 3:13; 4:5); another is to set free (lutron; here and Matt. 19:28; Acts 3:21). Peter uses the term redeemed (lutron). The word meant to buy back; purchase with money; in the context of a slave or slavery; to purchase freedom. In the ancient world people would sometimes be sold into slavery in order to satisfy the payment of debts. For the Jews the Old Testament made a provision for a near relative or the next of kin to purchase relatives who found themselves in slavery. The purchase price and the medium of exchange were precious objects or money, like gold or silver. But even things like gold and silver can perish. Silver and gold may be able to purchase freedom from physical debt; but not spiritual debt. Money or things human beings value cannot change your spiritual condition towards God. At least in the sense of making things go from bad to better. The Christian can be stumbled or compromised by the wrong use of money; but money cannot change an unbeliever or make believer into a true believer. No amount of money can purchase our redemption and salvation. 2
Peter presents three big ideas that may be very difficult for some people to grasp. The first big idea: Why is redemption necessary? Sinners need to be redeemed from the sinful empty life that we have inherited from our ancestors and forefathers. Peter speaks of our...aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers. We need to be set free from the empty lives taught to us by our ancestors or forefathers. Chuck Swindoll writes; Whether we knew it or not, we were trapped in a lifestyle that had only empty pleasures and dead-end desires to offer us. The only way for us to be emancipated from that slavery was to have someone redeem us, to pay the ransom price. That price was paid by Christ--not with gold or silver but with His precious blood (p.25). Sometimes we have to break with tradition. Peter is speaking to both Jews and Gentiles. The traditions handed down to both Jews and Gentiles included some things that might be considered godly, noble, and good. But the life most fathers taught their children was empty, vain, hollow, destitute of true wisdom of God and knowledge of God. The aimless conduct received by tradition by your fathers are those things characterized by unbelief, cynicism, skepticism, towards God; but also those things that focus on this world; the privileges of this world, the power in this world, the fame and fortune of this world. Tragically many fathers teach us to value possession and pleasure. But these things do not bring a right relationship and fellowship to God. These things do not provide forgiveness of sin and hope for the future. Physical and material things do not fill the longing of the human heart. Only one thing can satisfy a human heart; a heavenly Father; and the presence of that heavenly Father; who gives perfect assurance of living forever with our Heavenly Father; but the human heart that focuses on this world and the pleasures and possibilities of this world; remains empty and vain. There are many reasons why people want to live comfortably in this world; for the unbeliever and the make-believer a compelling reason includes the fact that they believe this world is all there really is or will be. Is your heart empty, void, unfulfilled; incomplete? The worldly heart lacks a sense of permanent purpose, meaning and significance. Why is that? The worldly person has little sense of assurance and acceptance by God. Why? Because the life is focused on this world and its joys and sorrows and pain and possibility; but not on the Lord Jesus; or discipleship in Christ. We serve Jesus. We are not simply lovers of the movement Jesus started; but we are lovers of Jesus. Are you certain you are going to live forever with Jesus in heaven? Or are you so committed to living comfortably and pleasurably here that you have no sense of there? Are you living in rebellion and disobedience to God? Do you spend your time struggling with sin or have you abandoned the struggle altogether? Do you neglect God, ignore the Bible, reject, rebel, or curse God? Do you live in a world of transgressing the law of God and the will of God but take no thought that one day you will face God or answer to God? 3
Don t you want freedom? Don t you want freedom from your sin and your empty life? Our forefathers were wrong! An empty life, a worldly life, a carnal life, a pleasure focused life; dooms us to death; an eternity apart from God and Christ. The transaction God made to buy us back from sin is not refundable; it is a permanent transaction (Life Application Bible Commentary; 1&2 Peter and Jude; p.43). What does it mean that Christ redeemed us? It means that Jesus Christ paid the price to set sinners free from the debt sin demands; we are set free from our slavery to sin. Jesus also paid the debt we owe for violating the righteous demands of the law. The Lord Jesus Christ purchased our freedom and it cost him his life. Matthew 20:28 (NKJV) just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Why did Jesus come? Jesus came to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. Jesus became a man in order that he might die as a man for man. 1 Peter 1:19 (NKJV) but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. The second big idea is that our redemption can not be purchased by temporal things. We do not have the resources to secure our freedom ourselves. We cannot purchase our freedom or live and save for a lifetime to purchase our freedom. We cannot buy ourselves back. Yet we are freely redeemed. An Eternal offense requires an eternal payment. A frequent question people ask is; Why blood? Leviticus 17:11 (NKJV) For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. The blood Peter mentions is no mere animal or creature. This is the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The huge debate centers around what constitutes effective, permanent atonement for sins. The New Testament writers present Jesus Christ standing in our place; receiving the penalty for sin; completely satisfying God s demands. A.T. Robertson writes; The blood of anyone is precious (costly) far above gold or silver, but that of Jesus immeasurably so (Word Pictures In The New Testament; Vol. 6, p.90). The third big idea is we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Martin Luther famously said; One drop of Christ s blood is worth more than heaven and earth. The blood of Jesus is precious because of who He is; Jesus is special in all of human history. 4
Jesus is God and man. The blood of Jesus is precious because of why Jesus came to the earth. Peter has already alluded to the revelation of God to men; from Genesis to Revelation we see the theme of God redeeming mankind. The blood of Jesus is precious because of what it provides; redemption; forgiveness; justification; reconciliation; sanctification; access to God; constant cleansing; continious communion with the Father through the Son; by the Holy Spirit. Do you know of anything or anyone who can provide that? Apart from the blood of Jesus Christ we are destined to an eternity separated from the God who loves us and sent Jesus to die for us. The Planning (vv.20-21) 1 Peter 1:20 (NKJV) He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you The price or the cost of our salvation is incalculable; and the plan to save us inscrutable. Peter probes the mystery of the plan and reminds us with a series of encouragements; our redemption was foreordained. Our redemption was not an afterthought or a window of opportunity that God took at the last minute. We can hardly think of salvation apart from redemption; and both salvation and redemption was planned in the heart of God. The word foreordained is perfect passive participle proginosko; know-before. The word is used in three ways in the Scripture; (1) to know something well in advance; or ahead of time; (2) to know something immediately by loving and accepting and approving it; (3) to elect, foreordain or predetermine something. I suspect there are elements of all these meanings in the passage. Before the world was ever created, God knew, approved, and predestined Christ to redeem man by coming to earth and dying for man (The Preacher s Outline and Sermon Bible; p.37). Jesus has come. But was manifest in these last times for you. The life of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus made known for you in these last times. God sent Jesus, revealed Jesus to redeem us; in these last days. In Mark s gospel has John the Baptist imprisoned and Jesus preaching in Galilee the gospel of the Kingdom of God (v.14) 1:15; and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. 1 Peter 1:21 (NKJV) who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. We are able to believe in God through Him --that is the Lord Jesus Christ. What kind of a God do we believe in? The God who raised Jesus from the dead, the God who gave Jesus glory; so that our faith and hope are in God. Peter knew that if God could raise Jesus from the dead; God will raise us up as well. If God glorified Christ, God the Father will glorify us as well. 5
Peter believes Jesus is the Mediator between God and men; the only person who is perfect. Only Jesus can make us acceptable to God. What is it that the Lord gave? He gave Himself! What does this gift secure? Our salvation! Our faith and our hope do not rest in our selves, and clearly does not rest in our circumstances; but our faith and hope rest in God. Conclusion When we are in church; when we are in fellowship; when we are in the comfortable conclaves of brothers and sisters; we feel free to be holy, to love and honor and reverence God; we feel safe and comfortable to focus our thoughts and affections on the Lord Jesus Christ. But when we are in the world; we feel like we are in the minority; we are a minority people in a majority culture. Peter has been speaking to a group of people in trial and in trouble. But there is hope. We were born for glory. Peter describes our hope as an inheritance (v.4); incorruptible; which means nothing can take it away, and nothing can ruin it; it will never grow old because it is eternal; it can never wear out, it can never disappoint in any way. This inheritance is called our salvation. We are kept for glory, we are prepared for glory; we can enjoy glory. Peter calls us to honesty, and holiness and honor. How do we remain honest, holy, and honor God in our lives? We pay close attention to what we value and honor; we pay attention to what we look at; and we shift our focus in a radical different direction! Are you willing to give greater thought to the consequences of sin rather than the pleasures of sin? Next start each day by honoring God; by renewing your sense of reverence for God. Next pay attention; give notice; to Jesus. What motivates the Christian to embrace hope, separate from sin; and honor God? What motivates a Christian to abandon questionable practices and all forms of compromise? Peter offers the cost of God and the plan of God to an already growing list of reasons. Illustration: The Boy and His Boat 6