1 PETER - A MESSAGE OF GRACE AND HOPE

1. 1 PETER - A MESSAGE OF GRACE AND HOPE

2. Is There Hope For You ?

3. Is God's Grace All-Sufficient ?

4. DOES GOD DIRECT YOUR LIFE ?

5. IS YOUR TIMING HIS TIMING ?

6. PHONY REALIZATION

7. GENUINE REALIZATION WHAT DOES GOD NEED TO DO TO CAUSE US TO REALIZE THAT THE BIBLE HE GAVE TO US REALLY IS HIS WORD TO US ……... …… HIS WORD OF LOVE, GRACE …... AND HOPE !

8. And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me-- to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Cor 12:7-9

9. Jer 9:23-24 Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;

10. but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD.

11. Summary Outline ( 1 Peter 5:10,12 ) - Theme Theme – The Grace of God is Seen in the : Salvation of the Believer 1:3-12

12. Sanctification of the Believer 1:13-2:12 Submission of the Believer 2:13-3:12 Suffering of the Believer 3:13-5:14

13. "The main purpose of this epistle was to strengthen the readers so they would persevere through their persecution with the right attitude. Peter did this by showing that God's grace provided all they needed for strength. In a larger sense, the purpose is to help Christians know how to live as aliens in the world." ( Thomas Constable, DTS )

14. Peter says, " but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation." 1 Pet. 4:13 At least 15 times Peter in the epistle refers to suffering. Some believers were suffering for living godly lives - 1 Pet. 2:19+; 3:14+; 4:1-4, 15-19.

15. Some were suffering reproach for the name of Christ. Some were ridiculed - 3:9-10. He knew soon there would be persecution from Roman authority - 4:12. History tells us of the insane Nero who burned Christians on the stake.

16. HOW SHOULD I PRAY FOR A BELIEVER GOING THROUGH TRIALS ? Ask Him to remove the trial ? Ask that the person would experience grace, strength and wisdom from God and that …….

17. …….the person would even come to know what God is wanting to do in his life and yield to it……that there would be a biblical response to the trial. It may be an issue of God’s discipline or just God bringing us to greater spiritual maturity thereby making us more fit for the purposes He has for us in His Kingdom.

18. V. 1 Peter wrote the letter using Silas ( accompanied Paul on his 2nd missionary journey ) as his secretary. "aliens” ( temporary residents on a foreign land ) - Jewish / Gentile Christians scattered outside of Israel in Roman Provinces in Asia Minor, now W. Turkey; North of the Taurus Mountain range of S Turkey which extends c.350 mi roughly parallel to the Mediterranean coast of S. Asia Minor.

27. V. 1 • Believers are chosen pilgrims on earth headed for their home in heaven where their citizenship resides - Phil. 3:20 "chosen” - elect - ( eklektos ) - see 2:9 - based solely on God's sovereign choice. cf. 2 Thes. 2:13; Eph. 1:4

28. V. 2 "foreknowledge" WHAT IT IS NOT It is Not Man Centered God did Not look down the corridor of time to see who would or would not trust Christ. It does not mean that God chose the elect because He knew beforehand they would believe the gospel (the Arminian position).

29. WHAT IT IS GOD CENTERED prognwsin - knowing beforehand, noun, only used twice in the N.T. (here and Ac 2:23 in Peter's sermon). Compare with the verb in Rom. 8:29 (proginwskw ; know already, know beforehand; choose from the beginning, choose beforehand. )

30. God's foreknowledge is never passive but causative and determinate, active in bringing about His purposes including His elective purposes in regards to bringing ones to Himself. ( 1 Pet. 1:20 is same word as Rom 8:29 ).

31. Therefore since He knows and plans what will transpire beforehand, Nothing He plans escapes His sovereign will. As Constable puts it : God chose them because He determined beforehand that they would believe the gospel.

32. God’s Sovereign Will • This is God's secret plan to determine everything that happens in the universe. Mostly hidden Cannot be learned in advance Cannot be missed - should be humbly accepted At times it includes evil acts & foolish decisions, but will ultimately lead to God's glory Gen. 50:20 Dan. 4:25, Acts 2:23, 4:27,28, Eph. 1:11, Rev. 4:11, etc.

33. God’s Moral Will • This consists of the revealed commands in the Bible that teach how men ought to • believe & live. Totally revealed Should be learned for guidance Can be missed through ignorance or disobedience Includes only those behaviors & attitudes that conform to God's character thereby glorifying Him 2 Cor. 6:14, 1 Thes. 4:3, 5:18

34. V. 2 • "sanctifying work" - the HS sets us apart from the domain of darkness to eternal life ( Col 1:13 ) with Him for His service • the purpose given - obey Christ because of the death of Christ on the Cross which cleanses us of sin ( 1 Jn 1:7 )

35. CONCLUSION Note : Believers were elected in order that they might obey the gospel, and be cleansed from the guilt of sin by the blood of Christ, through the sanctifying power of the Spirit. It was not their obedience that made them the elect, but they were chosen that they might obey, and thus obey through the influence of the Spirit.

36. This is clearly the doctrine of this passage. ( 2 Thess 2:12,13; Eph. 1:11 ) Cf. 1:22 . Also cf. with “believe the truth” - 2 Thess 1:8; 2:12; 1 Pet. 4:17; Jn. 3:36

37. The Theme - God of all Grace And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! 1 Pet 5:10,12

38. GRACE The word is used in every chapter for a total of 10 times in the epistle - 1:2, 10, 13; 2:19 (favor), 20 (favor); 3:7; 4:10; 5:5, 10, 12

39. GRACE B.B Warfield says : Grace always expresses the idea of good will, kindness, favor, love. Grace, with him, is not only pure kindness, kindness which has not been earned (had it been earned, it would have ceased to be kindness), but kindness to the undeserving in the positive sense, kindness to the ill-deserving. Grace is very distinctly and very emphatically love to the ill-deserving.

40. GRACE Warfield also puts it this way - “Free sovereign favor to the ill-deserving” An act of unmerited divine favor and kindness; grace is Jesus paying for our sins for no other reason than the fact that He loves us and wants to give us everything He has planned to give us.

41. GRACE • It is God’s goodness, love, mercy, and kindness toward people without regard to their work, deeds, and in spite of what they deserve. • ( Warfield ) • Eph 2:4-6; 2 Pet 1: 4,12-15

42. COMPARE GRACE WITH MERCY Mercy is an act of compassion; forbearance shown especially to an offender

43. What is Peace ? Generally speaking it is the absence of turmoil. Theologically speaking in a salvation context, it means no hostility against God - “because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so;” Rom 8:7

44. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for Thou alone, O LORD, dost make me to dwell in safety. Ps 4:8

45. Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Rom 5:1 "The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in Thee.” Isa 26:3

46. The Sovereignty of God But None of This Teaching may make sense in difficult times if we do not grab hold of and hang tight on the Sovereignty of our Omnipotent God, realizing He is in full control all the time and knows what is best for us.

47. Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Thy name give glory because of Thy lovingkindness, because of Thy truth. Why should the nations say, "Where, now, is their God?" But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. Ps 115:1-3

48. V. 3 …...the God ( speaks of all His attributes and character - omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, etc. ) & Father (speaks of His love, discipline & watch-care - Granville-Sharp grammar rule - God is both God and Father at the same time in the same person ------ and He is the Father of Christ - hence Christ’ deity.

49. Jesus Cries on the cross : My God, My God • ...........Mt. 27:46 • Jesus Cries on the cross : Father, into Thy hands • …...... Lk. 23:46 • Same grammar rule as in 2 Pet. 1:1 & Titus 2:13

50. NOTE on the Trinity - Definition There is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal and coequal Persons, the same in substance but distinct in subsistence. Each has a different role or function.