October 16, 2016
Morning Service

I Pet. 1:1-3

 

            It goes without saying, we are living in perilous times.  The corruption that is brought to our attention by the media, is overwhelming, causing us to wonder, how did this ever happen to a Christian nation.  Politicians degrading one another, the Christian faith being attacked, where other religions have free reign.  It goes without saying, God is not pleased with our world.  This coming election is one of the most important elections you will ever see.  On one side there is the Hollywood group, as a whole, not all but most, you have abortion as meaning nothing, God’s divine miracle of child birth is as nothing.  Going after the Constitution, to make changes that would change our world as we know it.  Continually giving hard working Americans tax dollars to those who won’t work, and it just keeps getting worse.  

Christian, you should not think of yourselves as a donkey, or an elephant, but as a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, and His teachings.  No matter what the issue our Bible has the answer.   The Bible gives us God’s will on every subject.  Nothing left out.

We have got to change direction, and get back to God’s ways, or we won’t recognize our country as we have known it. 

This brings me to what I believe God wants His people to know concerning morality.  Let’s face it we don’t see a lot of morality on either side of this election.  We must understand that we are reaping what has been sown by our Government, taking God out of everything, and not following His teachings, has brought us to spiritual decay.  Paul warned Timothy, that in the last days men would be lovers of themselves, and pleasure, more than lovers of God, it’s here, and we are witnessing it.

We have just finished the letter to the Hebrews, and we should understand that God has given us a new covenant, that is so much better than the old covenant.  However, this new covenant does not give mankind the right to manifest sin the way it is doing.  There is so much to say, and such little time to say it. 

We will begin our study of morality in the first letter of Peter’s.

It is believed that this letter was written by Peter around the year 64AD.  This is same time that some of Paul’s letters were written.  Six years before the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, the Roman general.

Remember it was Peter that Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom too.  Peter used these keys, for the Jews in chapter 2 of the book of Acts, and chapter 10 of Acts for the gentiles.  Opening the door of salvation for whosoever will.  Introducing this marvelous new covenant that brings peace, hope, and salvation to all who accept it.     Let’s begin.

 

1Pe 1:1-25  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 

·        The beginning of the salutation tells us who it is from, and to whom it is written.

·        Peter the Apostle, and written to those scattered from the persecution of the church into Asia, what we know today as Turkey. 

It always comes to my mind how it could’ve been in this area, had they remained Christian.

 

Notice how he addresses these people:

(2)  Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:

·        How are they the elect?  According to the foreknowledge of God the Father.

·        And God’s foreknowledge of their election is because they are sanctified of the Spirit.  This means, these elect are showing forth the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5.  Sanctification means to be set apart, and it is the fruits of the Spirit that sets us apart from the world.

·        As I said in the introduction, we as Christians are not to consider ourselves a part of this world’s system, neither donkey, nor elephant, but set apart by the fruits of the Spirit of our God.  This is sanctification, to be set apart from the world.  Paul said we are in the world, but now of the world.  Meaning, we don’t allow ourselves to be drawn away with the cares of this world, and It’s ways.  Our standard of living is set forth in the Bible, in the teachings of Jesus, and His Apostles.  It is our privilege, and some might call it our duty to vote, but I took my vote when I entered the waters of Baptism for my Lord.

·        I know He is in control of everything that happens in this world, and that I am set apart, or sanctified, by producing the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5.  This is part of what makes me of the elect.

·        Then there is obedience, and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.  You see once you have given yourself totally to God, and are being sanctified by His Spirit, it is this Spirit, that gives you the ability to walk in obedience to God’s Word.  He it is that produces these fruits of the Spirit in your life.  You have the power to be an overcomer.  If you are not overcoming it is because you choose not to, not because you can’t.

·        And the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, is in reference to what was done with the blood of the sacrifices of the old testament.  They used the blood to sprinkle the things of the tabernacle, and the people.  This isn’t done in the new covenant, and Peter is not saying that it is.  He is just giving reference to the importance of the blood of Christ that was shed on Calvary.  The blood of Christ is sprinkled on our hearts by faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

·        So what we see is that God knows we are of the elect, because we are producing the fruits of the Spirit, and we are walking in obedience to the Word, and by faith have accepted that the blood of Jesus has been applied to our hearts by faith.

Now he finishes his salutation:  

Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 

·         Grace, unmerited favor, not earned nor deserved, but a gift from God.  PEACE, something that every Christian should have prevailing in their lives.  Peter says, let it be multiplied.

(3)  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

·         When we fully understand the Godhead, we will understand that this scripture does not mean a being with a long white beard, as Father.  Jesus’ Father was the eternal Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, according to Matt. 1:18.  This eternal Spirit chose to take on an earthly body, through a virgin called Mary, and to die on Calvary for mankind’s sins, then be resurrected, for our justification, and to sit in the seat of authority as High Priest, to deal with our sins.

which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

·        His mercy has allowed us to be born again, through obedience to the gospel, and this gives us a lively hope, because of Jesus being resurrected.

ALMIGHTY GOD, HELP US TO STRIVE FOR THE PUTTING ON THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT.  FILL US WITH YOUR HOLY SPIRIT THAT WE MIGHT BE OVERCOMERS, AND HAVE THIS LIVELY HOPE.  AMEN.