I Peter 1:3-12

1. the Christian’s hope described - 1:3-4
1. it is a living hope - "lively hope" - 3
1. founded on the living Word of God
2. because it has life, it grows and becomes greater and more beautiful as time goes on
3. time destroys most hopes: they fade and then die
4. the passing of time only makes the Christian hope all the more glorious
2. the nature of this "lively hope"
1. it is an inheritance - 4
1. it is something for which we are looking forward to
2. as children of the King, we will share the inheritance with Jesus Christ
3. we are joint heirs with Christ
2. it is an inheritance unlike any earthly inheritance - 4
1. "incorruptible", which means nothing can ruin it
2. "undefiled"
1. it cannot be stained or cheapened in any way
2. it will never grow old because it is eternal - "fadeth not away"
3. it cannot wear out, nor can it disappoint us in any way
3. "reserved" means to be guarded, protected, and kept in store for
2. Christians are kept for glory - 1:5
1. our future home and inheritance is guaranteed and reserved
2. all believers are being "kept by the power of God"
1. Kept means to be guarded and shielded
2. it is a continual and ongoing activity
3. it assures us that we will safely arrive at heaven
3. believers are not kept by their own power, but by the power of God
1. faith unites us to Christ, then by His strength we are kept safe
2. we are not kept by our strength, but by His faithfulness
3. we are being guarded for glory - ‘unto salvation"
4. the assurance of heaven is a great help to us today
1. if suffering today means glory tomorrow, then suffering becomes a blessing to us
2. the unsaved have their glory now, but it will be followed by eternal suffering
3. Christians are being prepared for glory - 1:6-7
1. all that God plans and does is preparation for what He has for us in heaven
1. He is preparing us for the life of service yet to come
2. nobody knows all that is in store for us in heaven
3. this we do know: life today is a school for our future ministry in eternity
2. "temptations" - 6
1. proof by experience
2. to make trial of for the purpose of proving someone
3. a testing of one’s character and virtue
3. "trial" - 7 (a testing of trustworthiness, genuine or approved)
4. Trials meet needs - 6 "if need be"
1. there are times when God knows that we need to go through trials
2. trials discipline us when we have disobeyed God
3. trials prepare us for spiritual growth
4. trials help to prevent us from sinning
5. we may not always know the need being met, but we can trust God to do what is best
5. trials are varied - 6 "manifold"
1. we must not think that when we have overcome one kind of trial, we will automatically win them all
2. trials are varied, and God matches the trials to our strength and needs
6. trials are not easy - 6 "in heaviness"
1. heaviness means to experience grief and pain
2. to deny that our trials are painful is to make them worse
3. Christians must accept the fact that there are difficult experiences in life
7. trials are controlled by God - 6 "for a season"
1. when God permits us to go through the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat
2. if we rebel, He may have to reset the clock
8. the value of trials - 7
1. the trying experiences of today are preparing us for glory tomorrow
2. the trials of life test our faith to prove its sincerity
3. a goldsmith will test gold to see if it is real or counterfeit
4. to many professing Christians have a false faith, and this is revealed in the trials of life
5. the person who abandons his faith in trials proves that they had no faith at all
4. Christians can enjoy the glory now - 1:8-9
1. Christianity can turn suffering into glory for today
2. how to enjoy the glory now?
1. love Christ - 8 "ye love"
1. our love for Christ is not based on physical sight, but on our spiritual relationship with Him
2. the Holy Spirit has poured out God’s love into our hearts
3. when in the midst of a trial, we should lift our hearts to God in love and prayer; why?
1. it will take the poison out of the experience
2. it will replace the poison with healing medicine
4. Satan wants to use the trials of life to bring out the worst in us
5. God uses trials to bring out the best in us
1. if we love ourselves more than we love Christ, then we will not experience any of the glory now
2. the fire will burn us, and not purify us
2. trust Christ - 8 "yet believing"
1. we must live by faith and not by sight
2. we may not see all things working together for our good, but we know it is
3. faith means surrendering to God, and obeying Him in spite of circumstances or consequences
1. love and faith go together; if you love someone, you will trust them
2. faith and love together help to strengthen hope
3. where there is faith and love, there is confidence for the future
4. how can we grow in faith during times of testing and suffering?
1. by feeding on the Word of God
1. our fellowship with God through His Word will strengthen our faith and deepen our love
2. it is a basic principle of Christian living that we must spend much time in the Word
2. by putting away from the heart every known evil
1. the reason for much of the weak faith is the allowance of forbidden things in our life
2. questionable things only clog and oppress the soul
3. by habitual obedience to every known duty
3. rejoice in Christ - 8 "ye rejoice with joy..."
1. we may not be able to rejoice over the circumstances, but we can rejoice in Christ
2. each trial will help us to learn something new and wonderful about our Savior
3. notice that the joy He produces is "unspeakable and full of glory"
4. the joy is so deep and wonderful that we cannot even express it
3. this joy is a reflection of the glory that will be ours in heaven - 9
1. the goal that God has in view for His children is their full salvation
2. we do not need to wait until eternity to enjoy all of it
5. OT prophets were faithful, even though they did not understand the workings of God like we do 1:10-12
1. OT prophets preached of the grace that would come, but did not understand it - 10
1. their message came by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, not by their own wisdom
2. this is why they could speak of things they did not understand
2. they prophesied of the suffering of Christ and the glory that was to follow, but know nothing of the church age - 11
1. when Christ came on the scene, everyone was looking for a Messiah that would come as a King
2. even the disciples did not like the thought of Christ suffering and dying
3. not until after the resurrection did the disciples understand the need for making an atonement
4. "the Spirit of Christ which was in them"
1. reveals the eternal nature of Christ
2. reveals that the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ are one
3. He was in them as the Spirit of revelation
1. communicating truth to them that could not be foreseen or discovered
2. truths which baffled their understanding after they received it
4. He was in them as the Spirit of inspiration
1. giving spiritual aid in proclaiming the truth
2. the Bible is God’s truth stated in human words
3. God revealed it to them for us - 12
1. the apostles preached the gospel from the OT
2. the Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to preach the gospel (He enables us too)
4. the angles have a desire to understand the salvation that is offered to man - 12
1. angels have a desire to understand it, but man has not interest in it
2. if the angels with all their knowledge seek to study it, shouldn’t we