Dr. Montia Setzler, Lead Pastor
September 18, 2016
Series: Enduring Grace – Hope, Attitude, and Courage
Our Living Hope Revealed
1 Peter 1:3–12 (HCSB)
Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
5 You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials 7 so that the genuineness of your faith – more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things.
- OUR LIVING HOPE IN A FUTURE INHERITANCE IS GUARANTEED vv 1:3-5
Ephesians 1:12–14 (ESV)
… so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
- The proof – the resurrection of Christ
- The permanence – God keeps it in heaven for us
- The protection – God’s power through faith
2 Timothy 1:12 (HCSB)
… and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.
- OUR LIVING HOPE IN THE PRESENT JOY THROUGH SUFFERING vv 1:6-9
- Our joy comes in spite of trials.
- The trials produce greater faith in God.
- The trials produce the ultimate result – our salvation!
- OUR LIVING HOPE IS FIXED ON THE MESSIAH THAT HAS COME vv 1:10-12
- Prophets of old could only speculate how salvation would come.
- The prophets understood a suffering Messiah would bring our salvation.
- The prophets knew the fulfillment in Christ would come after their time.
Our inheritance is kept safe in heaven by the Father. The living hope we have through Christ produces our present joy in the midst of trials. The prophets of old knew it would happen, but did not get to see it. We see it every time someone is saved.
