EASTER 3 – April 26, 2020 – 1 Peter 1:17-25
Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Epistle Lesson just read, from 1 Peter 1. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- We need “Good News.” There seems always to be way too much bad news. It may be irreversible tragedies. It may be challenges that are going to be demanding our time and energy, that are going to be changing everything for us. Perhaps it is some health issue. Perhaps it is some social issue. Perhaps it is some economic issue. Change is inevitable, and all too often it seems negative to us.
- Part of the reason that such things are so impactful upon us is that we struggle to grasp the nature of our context that we live in here in this life. We don’t want to think of this world as flawed, but as holding great opportunities for us. We don’t want to think that we are doomed to failure, but that we can succeed. We focus on what amounts to small accomplishments, small and temporary pleasures and prerogatives. But these are destined to fade away.
- In our text, Peter speaks of a different reality that applies to Christians, and really to all. He speaks of our time in this life as “the time of your exile.” It’s hard to shift our thinking. We were born here, in this world, just as it is. It’s all we’ve ever known. We consider “earth” our home, and the social “nest” of this world as our home.
- There is comfort in this. It is hard to be an immigrant, hard to be “in exile.” Most people who are exile have been forced into exile, and are eager to return home. However, the home that we cling to as human beings is flawed, and is the source of negative changes. And though we may think it is the only place we have, such is not the case, and we are encouraged to look to our true home, our true citizenship, in that what God has provided for us is eternal and perfect and unchanging.
- The first bit of good news when it comes to our true home is that:
I. God Has Ransomed Us
A. He Has Ransomed Us From The Futility Of This World
Text: “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers.”
B. He Has Ransomed Us With The Imperishable And Eternal Blood Of His Divine Son, Jesus Christ
Text: “You were ransomed . . . not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”
C. So That Our Sojourn Here In This World Is Conducted With Proper Fear
Text: “If you call on Him as Father Who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.”
Text: “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.”
Statement: This “fear” is actually not being afraid or terrified of God. God is love, and He wants us to live in His love, to know His love. And the Scripture assures us that: “perfect love casts out all fear.” [1 John 4:18] Rather, this “fear” is having a proper respect for God, for His love, for His gracious forgiveness in His Son, in the ransom provided for us “with His precious blood.”
Application: This is bad news for our sinful flesh, our sinful inclinations. It is good news for us, though. We are no longer liable to punishment for our sins, but forgiven in Christ Jesus. And now we are set free to finish our sojourn, our exile, with proper fear and deference to God. This freedom is the freedom to love even as God has loved us. That is a good thing. And that means our perspective and vision has changed:
II. We Now Live Our Lives In This Time Of Exile With Faith And Hope In God
Text: “Through Him you are believers in God, Who raised Christ from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
A. Our Souls Have Been Purified By The Truth, Faith In The Truth
Text: “ Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love.”
B. The Truth Comes To Us By The Eternal And Ever Abiding Word Of God
Text: “You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the Word of the Lord remains forever.” And this Word is the good news that was preached to you.”
Statement: This means that “THE GOOD NEWS” preached to you is absolutely sure and certain, for it is the eternal and truthful Word of Almighty God, a Word which is imperishable, and “living and abiding.” The Word of the Lord remains forever! It never changes, varies, or fails!
Application: On the other hand, good news from this world is temporary. Further, it is compromised by much bad news. Eventually, as we get older, it is hard for us to experience much good news at all! All of this is experiential evidence of the temporary nature of our “time of exile.” This is not a permanent home for anyone.
As Christians, we know where our eternal home is, and where our true citizenship resides! It is in God’s eternal heavenly kingdom, a place where there is no negative change, no bad news!
Conclusion: Understanding that our life in this world is but a “sojourn” through an alien land helps us to expect, understand, and endure the negative news and changes that come our way.
Understanding that our time here in this life is but “a time of exile,” frees us from trying to establish a permanent place here in this world. The things here below have no ultimate value.
Understanding “THE GOOD NEWS” frees us from the futile ways of the unbelieving. Knowing what God has done for us in Christ, our being ransomed from our sin and guilt, enables us to live in fear and reverence of God and true brotherly love for one another.
Freed by faith and knowledge of the truth, by the power of God’s unchanging Word, we have been incorporated into something eternal – the kingdom of God. This Word lives and abides forever! Our present grace and our eternal future are firm and secure. This is “THE GOOD NEWS,” and it is good indeed. Thanks and praise be to God, Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.