October 23, 2016
Morning Service

I Pet. 1:1-25

MORAL'ITY, n. The duties of men in their social character; ethics.

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

·        This is that same Peter that Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom too.  The same man that denied the Lord 3 times.  The same man that will soon be martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  Peter was often called the Prince of the Apostles.

WRITING TO:

(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: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.  (3)  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

·        Through sanctification of the Spirit;  the challenge for us Christian, is to be different from the world.  The difference is to be our life’s habits directed by the Spirit of God, and to be different than the worldly habits.  Our morality is to be Bible built.

·        Now notice what we have as a lively hope;

(4)  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 

·        My inheritance is in heaven.  It’s incorruptible, undefiled, and is not going to fade away.

(5)  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

·         Paul said, Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

·        We are kept by the gospel, through our faith, unto salvation, that will be shown to the world, in the last time.

(6)  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:  (7)  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:  (8)  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 

·        Christian, your faith, or faithfulness, will it be found unto praise, honor, and glory, at His appearing?  Now is the time to knuckle down, and produce the fruits of faithfulness, don’t wait for His appearing, for then it will be too late.

·        Living a faithful life is joy unspeakable, and full of glory.  Living a life separated from the world is a life pleasing to our God, and will produce joy unspeakable, and full of glory.

(9)  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 

·        Because of living a separated life, through faith, it will produce salvation for your souls.

(10)  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 

·        Like Jeremiah, when he said, that God was going to give mankind a new covenant, and that He would remember their sins no more.  Grace.

(11)  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.  

·        And of course, Isaiah 53, the suffering servant, our Jesus of Nazareth.

(12)  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 

·        Just as the Hebrew writer told us of all the great people of faith, and that they said they were but strangers, and pilgrims, on this old earth, and how that God without us, would not make them perfect.  Oh the wisdom, and majesty of our God.

(13)  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  (14)  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 

·        Paul said if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things have passed away, and behold all things become new.  There is a change when we accept Jesus as Lord.  We should be sanctified by the Spirit of our God, new desires, new outward appearance, a determination to do the will of God, which is your sanctification.

(15)  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  (16)  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 

·        Here is the ultimate challenge, working to be holy.  Paul challenged the Christians in his letters to put off the things of the world, and to put on the things of God.  A work effort that we must do.

(17)  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:  (18)  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;  (19)  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 

·        Calling on the Father?  My desire is to have a better life, one without guilt of the past, and hope for the future.  I need Your help God to have this life.

·        And my redeemer lives, praise God.

·        Deliver me from this present life of destruction, to a lively hope, of eternal life in the heavens.

(20)  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,  (21)  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 

·        Listen to Paul; Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

·        Remember, we are the elect, or chosen, because we are being sanctified, or set apart by Spirit of God, living a separate life from the world.  

(22)  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:  (23)  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 

·         Being born again, by walking in obedience to the Word of God, it will produce the love that God expects from His children.  Love covers a multitude of sins, and love never fails.

(24)  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:  (25)  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

·         A realistic evaluation of our lives, and the Word of God.

Peter is setting forth a tremendous challenge to all Christians.  Do your best to live holy for our God.

 

ALMIGHTY GOD, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, WE REALIZE THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE THAT WE ARE GOING TO FACE, BUT WE KNOW WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN OVERCOME.  AMEN.