Hope That Lives - 1 Peter 1:1-21 - December 10, 2006

Sunday school Lesson – Hope That Lives – December 10, 2006

This is lesson two (2) in our series, “Life-changing Gifts.”

Our background scripture is 1 Peter 1:3-21.

Our focus scripture is 1 Peter 1:1-2, 3-13, 18-21.

This is another fundamental study. Last Sunday we studied faith and this Sunday hope. Faith and hope build upon each other. We as humans naturally have hope. We hope certain things in our lives will be good and go well. We also hope that bad things will not happen or that bad things will only happen to undeserving people.

Often our hope is wistful or wishful thinking and rarely comes about as we hope it will. This type of hope often influences our concept of spiritual hope. The hope we are studying in our lesson is a different kind of hope. It is not hope that we hope will take place but hope that GOD promises us and is a reality. The hope of eternal life is guaranteed by the death, resurrection and ascension of JESUS CHRIST. This hope is confirmed in each believer’s heart by the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT.

Does this hope make us want to leave this earth immediately and go to heaven? No!!! We know our home is in heaven but we want to remain on earth to serve our LORD, live in an intimate relationship with HIM on earth and interact with our spouse, our family and our friends.

Most of us have likely hoped for something that GOD could provide which did not materialize. We were sorely disappointed in GOD. This often shapes our trust factor when it comes to hope in the LORD. There are times the answer to our hope is no or wait. Only GOD through the HOLY SPIRIT can help us to accept HIS sovereignty in all things as we build a more intimate relationship with HIM. Trust and confidence with our LORD comes from truly knowing HIM through our interaction with HIM. HIS WORD reveals HIS nature and HIS attributes. HE reveals Himself through HIS WORD and as we talk to HIM in prayer.

Peter is writing his letter to encourage Christians who have been persecuted and fled to what we know today as central Turkey. He wrote the letter about 62-64 AD, likely from Rome.

Let’s read 1 Peter 1:1-2: Peter’s greeting.

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: To the temporary residents[1] Gn 23:4; Ps 39:12; Heb 11:9,13; 1 Pt 2:11 of the Dispersion[2] Jms 1:1 in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, • Asia, and Bithynia, chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge[3] Rm 8:29 of God the Father and set apart[4] 2 Th 2:13 by the Spirit for obedience and [for the]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. sprinkling with the blood[5] Heb 12:24 of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

The Apostle Peter is writing this to encourage Christians who have been scattered because of persecution. Notice he uses the words “temporary residents.” There are times we all need to escape and gather our thoughts, rekindle our faith and get our priorities reestablished.

Peter in verse 2 assures all believers that GOD the Father, the HOLY SPIRIT and JESUS are all involved in providing for their care and spiritual needs. They have been set aside or sanctified by the LORD for service.

Let’s read 1 Peter 1:3-5 and 18-21: The foundation of hope.
A Living Hope – 1 Peter 1:3-5:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth[6] Jn 1:13; 1 Pt 1:23 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 who are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
Peter begins his letter with a doxology of praise. In this praise he speaks of the “new birth.” Let’s examine the miracle of “new birth.”

All believers through the miracle of rebirth or “new birth” have been born into GOD’S family. CHRIST broke the barrier of sin when HE gave HIS life to pay the penalty for all sin. Sin separates us from GOD. With the sin barrier broken by CHRIST, when we ask CHRIST to forgive us of our sins, HE does. As you recall at the moment we ask CHRIST to forgive us of our sin and to come into our life, in essence our sin is removed from us and placed on CHRIST. Then CHRIST’S righteousness is poured into us.

This is captured in 2 Corinthians 5:21: 21 He (GOD) made the One (JESUS) who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

GOD’S spirit unites with the human spirit of the person asking CHRIST to come into their life. The result is spiritual conception. This is new birth in the spirit. We are no longer separated from GOD. Our spirit has been completed so-to-speak by being rejoined to GOD’S SPIRIT. Through the miracle of this new birth in the spirit we have direct access to GOD WHO is our FATHER. In fact it is a daughter or son relationship with GOD so we can call HIM DADDY.

How do we know this is true? How can we be assured that we have eternal life? Study the scriptures and the life of CHRIST. Did HE die on the cross? Did HE die for our sins? Was HE resurrected from the dead? Did HE reveal Himself to over 500 people here on earth before HE ascended into heaven? Did HE send the HOLY SPIRIT back into the heart of every believer as a security deposit and as a seal? The answer to each question is a resounding YES!!!!

When will each Christian fully realize this miracle? It will be fully realized when our earth suit or our earthly body dies and we step from our earth suit into the presence of our SAVIOR and LORD JESUS CHRIST.

An inheritance is received when a person dies and leaves it to another person. Since our hope is in the risen SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST when we die, it is then we receive our inheritance of eternal life. Our inheritance is being kept by GOD by HIS power in heaven for us to receive when we exit our earthly body.

JESUS CHRIST was born of a virgin and possessed life in the flesh. HE gave HIS earthly life by the shedding of HIS blood to pay the penalty for sin. As proof that HE paid the sin debt in full, JESUS was resurrected from the dead in HIS earth suit. The resurrection confirms that HE had conquered sin and death. HE died for all mankind but each human must accept this great gift by believing that CHRIST died for their sin and that HE was resurrected from the dead. As an expression of this belief, we ask CHRIST to forgive us of our sin and to come into our life. Through CHRIST’S obedience HE possessed eternal life. Eternal life became HIS possession to give to all who accept HIM as SAVIOR. Every human must accept this possession or gift which is an inheritance to ever believer by faith. However our inheritance is being held in trust until we fully claim it at the death of our body. When we come of age so-to-speak, which is the death of our body, we then fully receive our inheritance.

Do we have eternal life now? Yes and it is guaranteed by the HOLY SPIRIT. GOD sends the HOLY SPIRIT to dwell in every believer as a down payment or security deposit that their faith in JESUS is secure and their hope in HIM is guaranteed.

2 Corinthians 1:22:

22 He has also sealed us and given us the Spirit as a down payment in our hearts.

Ephesians 1:13-14:

13 In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—in Him when you believed—were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. 14 He is the down payment[12] Gn 38:17–18,20; 2 Co 1:22; 5:5 of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession,[13] the possession could be either man’s or God’s to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 4:30:

30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit, who sealed you[17] Or Spirit, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

JESUS said in John 14:19: 19 “In a little while the world will see Me no longer, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live too.

JESUS again says in John 5:24:

24 “I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

JESUS again in John 10:27-30 tells us:

27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”[9] Lit I and the Father—We are one.

Every Christian has eternal life at the moment they ask CHRIST to come into their heart. However to fully realize or redeem it, we must exit our earth suit or body.

As a Christian, our exit from our earthly body is a glorious moment. This will be the first time, we will absolutely know and see our spirit body and fully realize that we have been completely saved from death.

So why does GOD leave us on earth after we accept CHRIST as our SAVIOR? GOD has a plan for each believer to serve HIM, here on earth, while we are in our earth suits. HE tells us that life will be difficult but HE gives us the HOLY SPIRIT to empower us through our life upon earth. To fully realize this power, CHRIST wants us to have a loving intimate relationship with HIM. This requires us to yield our will to HIM and allow HIM to direct our lives.

Let’s read 1 Peter 1:18-21:

18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things, like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20 He was destined[24] Or was chosen, or was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the times for you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead[25] Rm 4:24; 10:9 and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Peter uses the term “redeemed.” This is a term used when slaves were sold to a new owner. The new owner had to pay a price to possess the slave or redeem the slave from their previous owner. Before we accept CHRIST as our SAVIOR, we are the slave of sin and death. JESUS had to give HIS life in order to redeem us from sin and death. That was the price GOD had established for redemption. We were not redeemed by anything this world could provide such as gold and silver but we were redeemed from sin and death by the precious blood of CHRIST. GOD required the shedding of blood to redeem us. CHRIST shed HIS blood and died where we should have died. Only an unblemished, sinless sacrifice was acceptable to redeem mankind. CHRIST is the only ONE to qualify.

Peter reminds us that the life we have from our earthly parents will end in death but the life we inherit from GOD is eternal. Why should we believe that CHRIST paid the price? Because HE was raised from the dead, sits at the right hand of the FATHER and sent the HOLY SPIRIT back to us as confirmation that we will be fully redeemed when we exit our body or earth suit.

Peter tells us that this was GOD’S plan from the foundation of the earth. I think this is exciting. GOD’S foreknowledge did not change HIS plan to make mankind. If GOD had acted on HIS foreknowledge and decided not to make mankind, we would not exist. However, HIS foreknowledge allowed HIM to provide for the salvation of mankind through HIS ONLY SON JESUS. This shows the love GOD has for us. GOD’S foreknowledge allows HIM to work in behalf of HIS children. This brings to mind Romans 8:28:

28 We know that all things work together[16] Other mss read that God works together in all things for the good[17] The ultimate good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

GOD is in all things working in behalf of those called to HIS purpose. Those called still have the right to choose but GOD knows how they will choose. All humans are called to GOD by GOD to accept HIS SON JESUS as SAVIOR but some choose not to accept HIM.

Let’s read 1 Peter 1:6-9: The perspective of hope.

6 You rejoice in this,[7] Or In this (fact) rejoice though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials 7 so that the genuineness of your faith[8] Jms 1:2–3 —more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire[9] Jb 23:10; Ps 66:10; Pr 17:3; Isaiah 48:10; Zch 13:9; Mal 3:3; 1 Co 3:13 —may result in[10] Lit may be found for 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[11] Jn 20:29 and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your[12] Other mss read our, or they omit the possessive pronoun faith, the salvation of your souls.[13]
Trials in our life are testing us to determine the genuineness of our faith in CHRIST. The word “trials” means to be tested and determined to have passed the test. Circumstances and situations in life will try our faith. They will either drive us to a closer relationship with our LORD or not.

Man considers gold refined and made pure by fire to be very valuable but in time it will perish. But the refining of our faith in JESUS has eternal benefits which will last for all eternity. In the last days when JESUS is revealed to all mankind, our faith will also be revealed. When we overcome circumstances in life, we should be comforted by this knowledge.

Peter had the privilege of seeing JESUS in person but those who have not seen JESUS in the flesh and yet believe receive the same salvation.

Let’s read 1 Peter 1:10-12: The fulfillment of hope.

Or your lives 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets[14] Mt 13:17; Lk 10:24 who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances[15] Or inquired about the person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings[16] Or the sufferings of Christ [17] Lk 24:26 and the glories that would follow.[18] Lit the glories after that 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you concerning things that 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.

The prophets longed to see the prophesy they recorded fulfilled but did not. Prophesy was given by the Spirit of CHRIST to the prophets in the Old Testament. These prophesy were fulfilled by CHRIST in the flesh in the New Testament. The prophets of old wanted desperately to see what we see and know today about JESUS. We are most privileged today. We have the marvelous privilege of seeing the fulfillment of all that GOD’S WORD has to reveal about the Messiah.

The angels in heaven are curious about salvation. They do not need salvation, so they find it most interesting to see each human make the choice to turn their lives over to JESUS. JESUS tells us in Luke 15:10 - 10 I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

Let’s read 1 Peter 1:13: The life of hope.
A Call to Holy Living
13 Therefore, get your minds ready for action,[19] Lit Therefore, gird the loins of your minds [20] Lk 12:35; Eph 6:14 being self-disciplined, and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Peter is telling all Christians to focus on these facts and know that JESUS is coming again at any moment so stay ready and do not loose hope. Just as JESUS came to earth as revealed in the scriptures the first time, HE will return again just as the scripture tells us. We are NOT to loose faith that CHRIST will return. But we are to remain faithful and keep our eyes and hearts focused upon serving HIM until HE returns or until we go meet HIM when we exit our earth suit.