Our Hope Is In His Grace - Part 2

Introduction

1 Peter 1:17-19

Negatively, the kind of redemption needed by man (victory over death) cannot be achieved through the expenditure of corruptible currency. Redemption is basically out of the sphere of materialistic values altogether.

I. The Declaration Of Grace 17

"If you are a Christian." The believer who knows God and knows that He judges the works of all His children fairly, will respect God and His evaluation of his life and long to honor his heavenly Father. Therefore, because they call Him, "Father" and since they recognize that he judges impartially with reference to the works of each man, fear is in order. "impartially" - the heavenly Father does not accept a shallow facial judgment, looking only at the way things outwardly appear. God does not show favoritism.

Years of obedience cannot purchase an hour of disobedience." -a fear of disappointing Him or sinning against His love. It is a godly fear; a sober reverence for the Father. Bishop B.F. Westcott said, "Every year makes me tremble at the daring with which people speak of spiritual things."

Today, there is an increase in carelessness, even flippancy, in the way we talk about God or talk to God. An O.T. Jew so feared God that he would not even pronounce His holy name, yet we today speak of God with carelessness and irreverence. Reverence is the attitude of mind of the man who is always aware that he is in the presence of God. Life for him is lived in the shadow of eternity; he thinks all the time, not only of where he is but also of where he is going. He is going to God.

Life in this world becomes of tremendous importance because it is leading to the life beyond. Remember: We are "pilgrims"; the idea of temporality is paramount. Our stay on planet earth should be in deep reverence to God because we dwell here for only a short time. Therefore, be holy.

I. The Revelation of Grace 18-19

A. A Negative View 18

"knowing that" - the right mental attitude helps us in the midst of pressure."not redeemed with corruptible things" - this is the highest motive for holy living. Peter reminded his readers of their salvation experience, a reminder that all of us regularly need. This is one reason our Lord established the Lord's Supper, so that regularly His people would remember that He died for them.

1. We Were Unredeemed

"like silver and gold" - the two most precious metals in the world could not redeem us. God's gracious provision of salvation is purely by grace and grace alone. We were hopelessly lost, dead in trespasses and sins."redeem" - to loose; the idea of loosing the sinner (slave to sin) from the grasp of sin. The word also involves a purchase. Therefore, a payment or ransom to secure escape from the clutches of sin. It is a word not infrequently associated with the slave market. Can mean to rescue.

2. We Were Unfulfilled

"from (out of) your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers" - the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers. Unsaved people today are blindly living on substitutes. "aimless" - vain; a Greek word which has in it theidea of an ineffectual attempt to do something, an unsuccessful effort to attain something. The vain conversation from which the Christian is liberated is his manner of life before he was saved which failed to meet the standards of God. It was a futile    life, in that it did not measure up to that for which human life was created, to glorify God. Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. "Peter is telling us that man needs to be rescued from the unprofitable and fruitless condition which was handed down from his  ancestors. Peter declares that man's lot is irrevocably cast with his ancestors through sin. He is both hopeless and helpless, a slave to his own passions and desires. The kind of life passed on to children by unsaved parents. Too many parents provide for the physical and mental welfare of their children, but completely neglect the spiritual. Parents, our most important obligation is to lead our children to Jesus Christ.

Problem: Most parents are more interested in making money than in rearing children.

Note: Mark 7:5-13 Jesus rebuked the Jews for observing the traditions of man and setting aside the commands of God. Problem - traditions super-hyper imposed on the Bible. They did not exclude the Bible but covered it up with tradition. "aimless" - vain; Paul used this word to describe the wisdom of the world as opposed to the wisdom of God in 1 Cor. 3:18-20.1 Corinthians 3:18-20, "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; and again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."

"aimless" - denotes the world of appearance as distinct from that of real being. Striving for something that is never achieved; a false sense of security. In Solomon's life, one of the richest men who ever lived, wrote (Ecclesiastes 12:8) "Vanity of vanities...all is vanity" Note What He Learned: Ecclesiastes 12:1, "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them" difficult - evil. We need to be redeemed from an aimless conduct which focuses merely on this life.

Illustrates The Truth

 How essential that everyone recognize the limitations of money. 1 Timothy 6:7, "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out."

A London newspaper offered a prize for the best definition of money. The prize-winning statement was: "Money is the universal passport for everywhere except Heaven, and the universal provider for everything except Happiness." Someone else said, "Money is a medium of exchange for material things, but it cannot buy love, happiness, or Heaven.”

1 Timothy 6:9-10, "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction  and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. "

The only way for a believer to enjoy continued victory over the sin of covetousness is to invest his money for God. If held, it will get a hold on you.

B. A Positive View 19

1. Preciousness of the Gift

"precious" - highly esteemed, valuable "without blemish and without spot" - the language of v.19 is clearly that same sacrificial language with respect to the only adequate lamb - Jesus Christ. Jesus  is blameless. He has done nothing to incur blame. He is spotless and untainted by sin or impurity of any variety. Refers to the priceless blood.

2. Price for the Gift

"blood" - speaks of the doctrine of propitiation. 1 John 2:2, "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. "In Exodus 12:1-11, the Jewish people were set free from slavery and the death of their first born when each family took a lamb without defect, slaughtered it at twilight on the 14th of Nisan, put the blood on the sides and tops of the door frames of their houses.

"NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS"

"What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! Precious is the flow,

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus."

"THERE IS A FOUNTAIN"

"There is a fountain filled with blood,

Drawn from Immanuel's veins,

And sinners plunged beneath that flood,

Lose all their guilty stains:

Lose all their guilty stains,

Lose all their guilty stains;

And sinners plunged beneath that flood

Lose all their guilty stains."

"There Is Power In The Blood"

"Would you be free from the burden of sin?

There's pow'r in the blood, Pow'r in the blood;

Would you o'er evil a victory win?

There's wonderful pow'r in the blood.

There is pow'r, pow'r, wonder-working pow'r,

In the blood of the Lamb;

There is pow'r, pow'r,wonder-working pow'r,

In the precious blood of the Lamb."

3. The Person in our Gift

"as of a lamb" - the doctrine of sacrifice or substitution.

 Illustrate:

Genesis 3 is where we read that God killed animals that He might clothe Adam and Eve.

Genesis 22:13 - A ram died for Isaac

Exodus 12 - The Passover Lamb was slain.

Isaiah 53 - Messiah was presented as an innocent Lamb.

With Abraham and Isaac, Isaac asked, "Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Genesis 22:8, "And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together."

John the Baptist answered in John 1:29, "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’"

In Revelation 5:9, John has recorded a new song that the saints will sing in Heaven: "And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.’”

Conclusion

 Frances Ridley Havergal saw a picture of the crucified Christ with is caption under it, "I did this for thee? What hast thou done for Me?” Quickly, she wrote a poem, but was dissatisfied with it and threw it into the fireplace. The paper came out unburned. Later, at her father's suggestion, she published the poem, and today we sing it."

I gave My life for thee,

My precious blood I shed;

That thou might ransomed be,

And quickened from the dead.

I gave, I gave, My life for thee,

What hast thou given for Me?"