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Good morning, everyone. It sure 
is good to be back here again. It feels like a long time since 
we've been here. Well, because it has been, I 
guess. We've been preaching elsewhere in Vernon and elsewhere. So it's 
a joy to gather again to worship together and to look at Scripture 
together. This morning, we come to a beautiful 
passage of Scripture. Not that any other scripture 
is not beautiful, but it's a passage that's written four times like 
these, times that we find ourselves in. Now, we look around at the 
world, we look around, we just see the evil at every turn, it 
seems, around the world. Read of things in Afghanistan, 
Myanmar, this morning in the prayer meeting, other things 
going on. And this passage of scripture just really sets to 
refocus us and bring us Set our focus right so that we can have 
peace. And that is in 1 Peter. So if you have your Bibles, if 
you would turn with me to 1 Peter 1. This morning we'll look specifically 
at verses 3-5, the hope that we have, the believer's hope 
of glory. Verses 3-5. We'll read the entire 
chapter though to get the context. And we'll pray and then we'll 
look at verses 3-5. So 1 Peter 1. and Apostle of Jesus Christ, 
to the pilgrims of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, 
Asia, and Bithynia. Elect, according to the foreknowledge 
of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience 
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace to you and 
peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His abundant mercy, 
has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection 
of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible 
and undefiled, and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven 
for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for 
salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you 
greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you 
have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness 
of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, 
though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, 
and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom, having not 
seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, 
yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of 
glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your 
souls. Of this salvation the prophets 
have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that 
would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, 
the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He 
testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that 
would follow. To them it was revealed that 
not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things 
which now have been reported to you through those who have 
preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, 
things which angels desire to look into. Therefore, gird up 
the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon 
the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus 
Christ. As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to 
the former lusts as in your ignorance, but as he who called you as holy, 
you also be holy in all your conduct because it is written, 
Be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on the Father, 
who without partiality judges according to each one's work, 
conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in 
fear, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things 
like silver or gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition 
from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of 
a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was ordained 
before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these 
last times for you, who through him believe in God, who raised 
him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and 
hope are in God. Since you have purified your 
souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, in sincere love of 
the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 
having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, 
through the word of God, which lives and abides forever. because 
all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower 
of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower 
falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever. Now this 
is the word which by the gospel was preached to you thus far. 
Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we come 
to you now, and Lord, we look to you. for aid for the ministry 
of your Holy Spirit to aid in rightly dividing this word of 
truth, rightly expounding it, delivering this glorious message 
that we have here in your word. We ask for your aid in listening 
and in understanding and applying this message to our hearts. Lord, 
I pray that as we looked at these things that it would be a means 
of encouragement and a means of strengthening the the feeble 
hearts, the discouraged hearts, and the means of edifying the 
believers here. And Lord, I pray that it would 
be a means to bring salvation to those among us who do not 
know you, who have not believed in Christ as Lord, and Christ 
as Savior. So Lord, I pray for your blessing 
on this time together. Lord, apart from you, we can 
do nothing. So we look to you for assistance, for aid, and 
we ask this all in the name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus. Amen. 
So the book of 1 Peter is written, as Peter addresses in the first 
verse there, to the pilgrims of the dispersion in that area 
which is now modern-day Turkey. And these pilgrims here, these 
ones who have been dispersed there, it's primarily a Jewish 
audience that he's writing to. They're scattered around in this 
area. They're a minority in society 
at this point and facing various persecutions. Now, there was 
not a full-blown Persecution and for the were the whole Roman 
Empire was persecuting at that point that came later on in history 
But but now there would have been Nero was that at the time 
of this writing Nero was was very busy in Rome with his persecutions 
Particularly to Rome, but then there would have been many sort 
of spin-off persecutions that would have happened It's been 
you know very obvious obvious in our own experiences in the 
past you know year year and a half when when when there's any sort 
of of animosity shown from leaders towards the Church of Christ 
than those who, you know, unbelievers are so much quicker, again, to 
just let their feelings show on the Church. And these believers 
would have been experiencing that same thing. So Peter writes 
this book to them, this letter to them, to encourage them. And 
what he does is, again, he shifts our focus away from from these 
persecutions, from these trials that they're facing, and he shifts 
their focus back to Christ and to God. In the beginning here, 
in the first couple verses here, in his introduction, he gives 
us this very theologically rich introduction, Trinitarian introduction, 
and it's full of just much glorious truth, the doctrines of grace 
in there, where he calls them elect, and they're elect according 
to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of 
the spirit, and for obedience, or I would argue that on account 
of the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. 
So highlighting that their salvation is worked out all by, all of 
grace. I'm sorry, I don't get quite 
as animated as Pastor Butler, I won't need that. So their salvation is all of 
grace, and he's really drawing their attention to that as a 
means to lift them up out of the discouragement that they 
would have been experiencing from all these trials and various 
persecutions they were facing. So this passage, as we come to 
now in verses three and following here, it's really to show them 
that this world, this lower world, is not the be-all, end-all for 
believers. We have a future hope of glory 
coming to us, an amazing, amazing reality. And the next big section 
of this chapter story, verses three through 12, It breaks down 
into three sections, and he breaks it down, again, it's Trinitarian 
in nature there. He breaks it down verses three 
through five of the hope of the future, focusing on God the Father. And then in verses six through 
nine, it's the joy of the present. And that is very much the practical 
application of verses three through five. And that's, in fact, what 
we're gonna look at this evening in our evening worship service 
is, so we're gonna continue on. in verses 6 through 9, and like 
I said, it really becomes that practical application. What do 
we do with the truths that we're going to look at this morning? 
And then the verses 10 through 12 is the fulfilled anticipation 
of the past, and that's focusing on the work of the Holy Spirit. 
But this morning, in verses 3 through 5, it breaks down into three 
sections again, or I've broken it down into three sections here. 
And the first being in verse 3a is the author of salvation. And then verses 3b and 4a is 
the nature of salvation. And then verses 4b and 5 is the 
certainty of salvation. So we'll begin with the author 
of salvation. So he starts out with this praise 
here. Blessed be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. So his heart is overflowing. 
In light of what he's just taught in verses 1 and 2, of that salvation 
is all of grace, he bursts forth in this praise. Blessed be the 
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's an outpouring, it's 
the outpouring of a heart that understands grace, what grace 
really is. and and and then so uses this 
word bless and This this word is is the the same word that 
we would use eulogy in when we when we speak of eulogy at a 
funeral is is when somebody somebody stands up and gives a speech 
and they speak you know they speak well of the person that 
has passed away they speak well of the Things that they did that 
were good and of just who they are as a as a good person and 
that's the concept that Peter is conveying here as well, that 
we're praising, he's praising God for the redemption of man, 
not only for what God has done, that God has orchestrated it 
all, and he's elected according to his foreknowledge, he's set 
them apart by the work of the Holy Spirit, and this was all 
made possible on account of the obedience and the sprinkling 
of the blood of Jesus Christ, not only that, but also for who 
God is, that this has all proceeded from the nature of God, and praising 
God for who He is, that He is a most loving, most merciful 
God, that we'll see here in a minute, as He says here, according to 
His abundant mercy. But first then, He says that 
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Now, we see this 
phrase often in Paul's writings as well, the God and Father of 
our Lord Jesus Christ. So it's a very Christological 
phrase in the sense it teaches us about the person of Jesus 
Christ. So it says that he's, now he's 
speaking in regards to the Father, he says the God of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. So how can God be said to be 
the God of Jesus? Because Jesus is God after all, 
isn't he? you know and as christians we 
understand that the trinity is is you know there's one god we 
we only worship one god not three gods so how can how can how can 
the father be the god of the son it's because he's speaking 
here he's in regards to jesus's humanity that that has a as a 
man, Jesus was, or sorry, God was Jesus' God. Jesus said that 
himself. If you remember, as he was hanging 
on the cross, he said, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani, that was my 
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? So Jesus is, he's suffering, 
he's dying, and according to his humanity, calling God his 
God. So Peter's here is highlighting 
the humanity of Christ, as he's already done previously in verse 
two, we've seen that. through the obedience and the 
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, referring to his life 
of obedience and his death, his shedding of blood there. And 
again, highlighting the importance of the fact that Jesus was truly 
man, that he did come to this earth as a man in order to earn 
our salvation. And then he says here, and then 
he also calls him the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And 
now that, of course, is in regard to his divinity, that Jesus is, 
also fully God. And that's that inter-Trinitarian 
relationship between Jesus and the Father. So we have one God 
in three persons. That relationship between those 
persons is a father-son relationship. So that's how he calls him father. So that's why I say it's very 
Christological. Statement there because it teaches us of that 
of the the shows us of the two natures of Christ the both the 
human and the divine nature united together in the person of Jesus 
Christ and again that is fundamental to understand and to Rejoice 
in in regards to our salvation that salvation had to be earned 
by a man and so therefore God our God came down to this to 
this earth as a man and And then he continues on here, and he 
says, our Lord Jesus Christ. So blessed be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. And in one way, he's showing 
a solidarity with them. Of course, these are the pilgrims 
of the dispersion, he calls them, those who are scattered out throughout 
there. They may have not had felt that 
unity, that togetherness as a body being just scattered apart. So 
he's sort of, he might be, saying this in order to show that he 
is solidarity with them, that he is one of them, there's a 
unity between them, they're co-heirs with Christ. But I think it's 
more so to point out the relationship between them and Christ, not 
so much between Peter and his audience, but between Peter and 
his audience and Christ, that relationship there. And that's 
what we mean when we say that we are in Christ, or we are Christians, 
that we are His, and He is ours. He is our Lord and our Savior, 
Jesus Christ. It speaks of that relationship, 
that bond that is between us and the Lord. It's the Bible, 
or we have marriage, we experience marriage as human beings as a 
picture of that relationship, that bond between Christ and 
His church, Christ and His bride. It's a close, intimate relationship 
that exists so we are we are his people we are the ones that 
the father gave to him and that he laid down his life for so 
let us let's never lose sight of that that that that he is 
ours he is our our savior the one who has who has who has uh 
rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and brought him brought 
us into into his kingdom that he is our our savior and we're 
and because of that Because of that blessed union, now we can 
have peace with God, through union with Christ. You know, 
for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made 
alive. That's 1 Corinthians 15, 22. 
So we are united to Christ. And this all proceeds from His 
abundant mercy, according to His abundant mercy, it says here. And now again, so He's focusing 
on the grace of God, on God's nature, who he is as God, that 
he is abundant in mercy. This phrase, it harkens back 
to the Old Testament. We find that often in the Old 
Testament. Numbers 14, verse 18, Moses is 
talking to God. He's interceding for the people 
there, and he reminds God of what God told him when God revealed 
himself back in Exodus 34. And he says to God just as you 
have spoken saying the Lord is long-suffering and abundant in 
mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression Psalm 103 verse 
8 the Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in 
mercy So those are just those are just two of the of the many 
many Old Testament texts that we find that speak of God as 
abundant in mercy Overflowing that that his his his mercy knows 
knows no bounds. It's it's limitless in in our 
confession The London Baptist Confession, it puts it that he 
is most loving, most gracious, most merciful, most meaning infinite. There's no bound to it. So that's who our God is. And we know, we understand that, 
yes, God does not extend his mercy to everyone unconditionally, 
that everyone will be saved because of that. Because we understand 
he will never extend mercy at the expense of his justice, but 
that's where, we know that's where Christ comes in. Back in 
verse 2 again where Peter highlighted the obedience of Christ and the 
sprinkling of the blood of Christ, that is satisfying God's justice 
so that he can extend mercy out of the abundance of mercy of 
who he is. So that's just a reminder and 
something to think of. If we ever have that thought 
that God is a miser, Pastor Butler uses that word often, if God's 
a miser, he sort of doles out mercy. And grace, you know to 
a few of the the frozen chosen or whatever But perish that thought 
because that is that really is is completely counter to what 
the Bible says the Bible teaches us that God God abounds in mercy 
and grace and then and and that's all made possible for God to 
extend that mercy and grace because of the work of his son who satisfied 
justice, you know in order to that he could extend that mercy. So never think that God is limited 
in his mercy in any way. He is infinite in that. And here, 
so again, when we're focusing on who God is, and as a bounding 
in mercy, then from that proceeds what God does. So from that nature, 
according to that gracious character that God has, then he, now Peter 
says, he begets us again unto a living hope. So that we are, 
that God acts on account of who he is, begetting us to a living 
hope, and that's where we come than the nature of salvation. 
So we've seen God as the author of salvation, now the nature 
of salvation. What does our salvation look 
like? So it says, he has begotten us 
to a living hope. And begotten, that's the idea of being caused 
to be born again. So it's a regeneration, a new 
life, a new birth as believers. That is what initiates, we could 
say, the Christian life, is the regeneration the heart by the 
Holy Spirit 2nd Corinthians 5 17 familiar familiar verse therefore 
if anyone is in Christ He is a new creation old things have 
passed away behold all things have become new Galatians 6 15 
for in Jesus for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor nor 
uncircumcision avails anything but a new creation. And Jesus 
is teaching in John 3, unless a man be born again, he cannot 
see the kingdom of heaven. So it's the idea of regeneration. And that's necessary because 
of what the Bible tells us of fallen humanity, that we are 
dead in our sins, that we need regeneration. And that is what 
is from that from from the abundance of God's mercy He regenerates 
us and and he regenerates us So we have this new life and 
this new life now results in a new hope and that is what as 
what Peter says here He's begotten us to a living hope. So the hope 
that now as believers son now we have a hope it's a having 
a prior to being self to being say we had no hope there was 
there there was we had we had nothing and And now we have this 
hope, this hope of a living hope, he calls it. So, hope of eternal 
life is, I think, the idea that he's conveying there. That not 
so much that the hope itself is living, it may be that now 
we do have a hope in us where we never did before, but rather 
that the hope is a hope of life, a hope of eternal life awaiting 
us. Whereas prior to that, we did 
not have that. Ephesians 2 verse 12. that at that time you were 
without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel 
and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and 
without God in the world. So we've been delivered from 
this hopelessness and now we have a joyful expectancy of something 
glorious that is to come, something that now, as a child of God, 
we will get to enjoy experience in the future. And that is what 
ought to drive our Christian life, is this hope that we have, 
this new hope. We've been begotten to a living 
hope. D. Edmund Hebert, He says here 
this this new hope is the energizing principle of the new life. I 
like that energizing principle It's what keeps us going is the 
hope of the future the hope of of the glory That is to come 
because when we look around at this world like I mentioned earlier 
that there's there's hopelessness we see so much evil so much terror 
so much destruction chaos and And it's just, it's unbelievable. It's hopelessness. If we were 
to, we look at the world, we look at those who are without 
God in this world, without hope, those, you know, atheism, nihilism, 
the idea that everything is meaningless, you know, it leads to utter hopelessness, 
life without purpose. And that's why we see things 
like suicides, you know, grow more and more suicide. Or the 
other option is, what we also see is materialism. People getting 
more stuff, buying more things, trying the next thing, whatever 
it may be. And we'll see in a minute here 
that Peter will contrast our future hope that we have, he 
contrasts it with everything of this world. So materialism 
is not the answer because he'll see how it's so It's still, everything 
in this world is still subject to the effects of being in a 
fallen world. But as believers now, we have 
a hope. We know where our future lies, 
and we ought to live our lives in light of that, that with our 
focus is on the future, on the glory that is to come, and knowing 
that that is our ultimate end. This world is not the end all, 
be all. And this hope that we have, it 
is a sure hope. It's grounded in the reality 
of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He says he's begotten 
us to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ 
from the dead. So the fact of the resurrection, 
the reality of the resurrection, that it did indeed happen, that 
Jesus rose from the dead, that is the foundation, the ground 
for our hope as believers. Turn with me for a minute 1 Corinthians 
15. 1 Corinthians 15, 12 to 22. 1 Corinthians 15. Now, if Christ 
is preached that he has been raised from the dead, how do 
some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not 
risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and 
your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses 
of God because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ, 
whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead do not rise. 
For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen, and 
if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile and you are still 
in your sins. Then also those who have fallen 
asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have 
hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable But now 
Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits 
of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, 
by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all 
die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." So, without 
the resurrection, our faith would be empty, it would be meaningless, 
it would be hopeless. But we know that because Christ 
rose from the dead and entered glory, we can be assured that 
whoever is in Christ will then likewise rise from the dead and 
enter this glory as well. He speaks of Christ here as the 
firstfruits. Now, the firstfruits in a crop spoke, they indicated 
what the rest of the crop was going to What's going to look 
like and it's that concept here of that as Christ. We know he 
rose from the dead We know he entered glory. It is Indicative 
of what is going to happen to us as believers. We will also 
rise from the dead. We also will enter Enter glory 
with Christ. So the resurrection is the base 
of all our hope as as believers the basis for it proves to us 
that the that our sin has been paid for in full that Christ 
is no longer in the state of paying for sin because payment 
has been made in full, so now he was risen from the dead. It 
proves that Christ had a perfect obedience to the law of God, 
that he was that spotless and acceptable sacrifice to God. And it proves that death is conquered 
in the sense that Christ has taken away the power of death 
in that he has paid for our sin and that he has lived a life 
of obedience. So now that death has no power 
over us, we, Kelvin here says, John Kelvin, he says, he cannot 
be the author of salvation to others if he himself has been 
altogether vanquished by death. So, but now Christ rising from 
the dead, we know that we will rise from the dead and enter 
that same glory. Hebert again saying here, indeed, 
our hope is our sure basis for personal assurance as to our 
past, present and future. Our hope is anchored in the past. 
Jesus arose. Our hope remains in the present. 
Jesus lives. Our hope is completed in the 
future. Jesus is coming. And that is what we are looking 
to as believers, looking to the future. Our hope is anchored 
in the past that Christ arose and it looks to the future that 
Christ is coming and what we will receive receive as being 
believers in Christ. And that's where Peter continues 
now in verse 4. Here he says, we've been begotten 
to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ 
from the dead, to an inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled, 
and that does not fade away. So the concept of an inheritance, 
that as believers we will receive an inheritance, that implies 
adoption. You know, only children receive 
an inheritance. So it shows, it implies that 
we have been adopted into the family of God. Galatians 4 verse 
4 through 5 says, but when the fullness of the time had come, 
God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, 
to redeem those who are under the law that we might receive 
the adoption as sons. So we have been adopted. God 
is now our father because of our union with Christ. God is 
now our father. We are his sons and daughters. And something else in regards 
to inheritance is that inheritance is something that's freely given. 
Inheritance is not earned in any way. It's important to understand. focus too much on that now, but 
grace is free. This inheritance that we receive 
is free. We do not need to earn that. But what is this inheritance? The Bible speaks often of it. 
It often uses the word inheritance, that the believers will receive, 
will inherit. Acts 26, verse 17 and 18. Paul there, he's recounting his 
conversion to King Agrippa, And as he's recounting what Jesus 
said to him, Jesus saying, I will deliver you from the Jewish people 
as well as from the Gentiles to whom I now send you to open 
their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light and from 
the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgiveness 
of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith 
in me. Hebrews 9 verse 15. And for this 
reason, he is the mediator of the new covenant by means of 
death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the 
first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise 
of the eternal inheritance." So what is this inheritance? The Bible speaks of it as inheriting 
eternal life, Matthew 19, 19. Inheriting salvation, Hebrews 
1, verse 14. And we see both of those words 
in this passage here as well, this eternal life or this living 
hope. Or in verse 6, we see salvation. The salvation of our souls. So that's part of it there, of 
this inheritance. Salvation, that we receive eternal 
life. But it's not simply the concept 
of eternal life, an abstract sort of concept, and the forgiveness 
of sins. But there's more to our inheritance 
that the Bible speaks of, because heaven is not sitting back on 
a fluffy white cloud playing a harp for all of eternity. That's 
not at all what heaven is. The Bible tells us that there's 
going to be a new heaven and new earth. There's going to be 
a new creation. All things are made new, that 
we will have our bodies. We just read that in 1 Corinthians 
there, that we will receive our physical bodies back, a glorified 
body, to be sure. No, so it is a, and we see New 
Jerusalem in that idea. There's a new creation with a 
new city, but it's dwelling in the presence of God, in the presence 
of Yahweh himself. So it is a physical inheritance 
that we are receiving. And it's important to understand 
that, to think of these things, that sometimes I think we can 
just sort of look at eternal life as an abstract concept, 
but rather we are headed for a new heavens, new earth, a new 
creation that we will inherit. And Peter really highlights here 
how he contrasts it to the present world that we find ourselves 
in now, this temporal realm that we are living in right now as 
we know it today. So he says first here, he says 
that it is incorruptible. So it's not, or not subject to 
decay, perhaps your Bible uses that translation. So it does 
not belong to this fallen earthly realm, this realm where all of 
creation is groaning, Romans 8 tells us. So it's a death proof. 
inheritance. It is not subject to the effects 
of death. There will be no more death, no more dying, no more 
decay. So it is that heavenly realm 
that Jesus spoke about, where he says, where neither moth nor 
rust will corrupt, where thieves will not break through and steal. 
So it is not subject to death, to the effects of death. And 
because of that, then, it is undefiled, he says here now in 
this second characteristic. It is undefiled. So it's untouched. 
It's untouched by sin. That's the idea there. So there's 
no sin, no sorrow, no sighing, no pain. So it's free from any 
sort of defilement because there is no evil there in order to 
defile it. So that threat no longer exists. Jesus has conquered 
that. And further on, or actually in 
the second epistle of Peter, in chapter 3, verse 13, he says, 
nevertheless, we, according to the promise, Look for new heavens 
and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. So if we just think about 
that for a minute in contrast to the world that we live in 
now. In the world we live in, we see so much unrighteousness, 
unjustice. And we have this hope as believers 
of a new heaven, a new earth wherein righteousness dwells. 
It's a glorious thought to think of. There will be no more discussions 
of, oh, did you see what happened there? Oh, did you see what happened 
there? That will not be. It's perfect. It's glorious. And it does not fade away, the 
last thing he says here. It does not fade away. So it's 
not subject to the effects of time. Here on this lower world, 
everything changes with time. Time goes on and things change. Things come, things go. But this 
inheritance that we have is not subject to the effects of time. 
It will be glorious for all of eternity. Nothing will change. 
Turn to Revelations for a minute. The book of Revelation, chapter 
21, gives us a little insight there of the inheritance that 
we have, this new heaven, this new earth. Revelation 21, verses 
1. Now I saw a new heaven and a 
new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed 
away. Also, there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy 
city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared 
as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from 
heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will 
dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will 
be with them and be their God, and God will wipe away every 
tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, 
nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain. 
For the former things have passed away. Then he who sat on the 
throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me, 
Write, for these words are true and faithful. And he said to 
me, It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, 
the beginning and the end. I will give of the water of life 
freely to him who thirsts. So, both of these passages here 
in 1 Peter and in Revelation 21, they both describe our future 
glory in terms of what it is not. It's not subject to decay, 
it's not defiled, it does not fade away, there's no death, 
there's no sorrow, there's no crying, no pain. In this life, 
we experience so much of that, don't we? There's all around 
us, we see the effects of sin. The trials that we go through, 
hardships, death, sorrow, loss of jobs, loss of friends, loss 
of family. But heaven is so glorious that 
it's almost too glorious for words here. He has to use, it 
can only be described in terms of what it is not. It's not like our present life, 
and that is something to be to be so encouraged by. It's not 
that our present life is only ever, only miserable. That's 
not the point. But the point is that we will not experience 
any of those negative things that we have on this lower world 
in glory that is to come. And that glory, it's a guarantee. It's certain. So we don't need 
to worry that perhaps maybe it might not be so. We have this 
assurance here of the certainty salvation in the second half 
of verse 4 now the certainty of salvation So he says here 
that it is it is it is So first we see that that the the inheritance 
itself is preserved. So this this inheritance that 
we have That is preserved here. It's reserved in heaven for you. So it's in heaven, meaning it's 
beyond the realm of this lower world, and it's beyond the reaches 
of the effects of death, the effects of evil and sin and time. It's outside of that. So it's 
reserved in heaven. It cannot be affected by that. 
And then also here that the errors are preserved. Us as believers, 
we are preserved. in order to get to experience 
this future glory here. So he says that we are kept, 
kept by the power of God. through faith, sorry, I lost 
my spot, who are kept by the power of God through faith for 
salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. So kept here, 
kept is a military term, the idea of being shielded. And now we are the ones being 
shielded there. We're not doing the shielding, 
we're not doing the keeping, but it's passive form. So we 
are being kept, and we're being kept by God's power. Now turn 
to Romans 8 for a minute, where Paul here really highlights the 
power of God in keeping us as his children, keeping us as heirs 
of this glory. Romans chapter 8, verse 31. What shall we say then to these 
things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did 
not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall 
he not with him also freely give us all things? See there's that 
inheritance that he speaks of. Who shall bring a charge against 
God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who 
is he who condemns? It is Christ who died and furthermore 
is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also 
makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the 
love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution, or 
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for 
your sake we are killed all day long. We are accounted as sheep 
for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are 
more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded 
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, 
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, 
nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate 
us. from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 
Very clear there, very clear that God, He did not spare His 
own Son, but delivered Him up for us. Then how much more? How shall then He not with Him 
also freely give us all things? So we can be assured that we 
are kept for this salvation, not in our own power, but through 
the power of God, by the power of God. And it is through faith, 
Peter says here. It is through faith, but faith 
is not the power. Faith is not the holding power. It's not the condition, but it's 
the means here. Back in verse two, we read the 
word, the foreknowledge of God. And it speaks of that foreknowledge. And the concept there is not 
a concept of foresight. It's not God looking through 
time and seeing something in us, but it is that God set his 
love upon us in eternity past. And that electing grace of God, 
it proceeded from who God is, as a loving God. That's the idea 
there. And it's not conditional to anything 
outside of himself. So anything that we did, but 
it's strictly from who God is, is what he does in election. And so it's the same thing with 
the power of God of preserving us unto this salvation. It's 
not conditional to anything outside of God himself. It's not conditional 
to how much faith we have, but rather it proceeds from who God 
is as sovereign God, and that power is not conditional to outside 
forces, outside causes. And of course, as Paul highlighted 
there in Romans, that it also cannot be overcome by any other 
principalities, powers, any sort of spiritual force, any sort 
of Tribulation anything there's nothing that can overcome that 
power that power that God that the power of God for preserving 
us unto salvation so And then he says here then that it's ready 
to be revealed ready to be revealed so that that everything the everything 
has been accomplished. There's nothing more that needs 
to be done for our salvation. All has been accomplished and 
that has all been accomplished through the work of the Lord 
Jesus Christ in time and space, through the work of the Holy 
Spirit in our hearts and according to the to the electing grace 
of the Father in eternity past. So everything is done and now 
it's ready to be revealed. So it's just awaiting that perfect 
timing of the Lord when He chooses. to reveal it, and then it's fully 
realized by us. So we can say that, yes, we are 
heirs now, that we have this hope now, that we are saved now, 
but yet we do not have that full realization of these things, 
of what is all encompassed in that. That is ready to be revealed 
at the last time here. So that's when we experience 
the consummation of all things, the ultimate end of this world, 
And then that becomes, this inheritance, this salvation of our souls becomes 
full reality to us. And then we will fully understand 
it. We will, there will be, faith will not be necessary anymore 
because we will now see it. So then we will be able to say 
that we see it, we don't need that faith anymore. So right 
now we don't have that full reality, but we can be assured of the 
reality that it is there, that it is coming. And part of that, 
and Peter doesn't really get into it, hear so much, but we 
don't have the full reality. But what we do have is the Holy 
Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, as a guarantee that God will, 
in fact, fulfill these things for us. That God has given of 
himself in the person of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, living 
in our hearts as that guarantee that he will, in fact, bring 
this to pass, that he has said, that he has promised that he 
will do. Ephesians 1 verse 13 to 14, in him you also trusted 
after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, 
in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy 
Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance 
until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his 
glory. So it's that guarantee of that 
inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession. 
Time continues on until all of Christ's church is gathered, 
all of the sheep are gathered into His fold, and then comes 
the end. And then we can see here that 
we are headed for glory. John Calvin again, we do not 
have the full enjoyment of it at present. We walk in hope, 
and we do not see the things as if it were present, but we 
see it by faith. Although then the world gives 
itself liberty to trample us underfoot, as they say, although 
our Lord keeps us tried with many temptations, although he 
humbles us in such a way that it may seem we are as sheep appointed 
to the slaughter, so that we are continually at death's door, 
yet we are not destitute of a good remedy. And why? Seeing that 
the Holy Spirit reigns in our hearts, we have something for 
which to give praise, even in the midst of all our temptations." 
Beautiful quote by Calvin there. So that ends our exegesis there. So in conclusion, then, is first 
of all, Peter wants them to understand the doctrines of grace. We didn't 
look at that in such detail, because that's more detail in 
the earlier chapters there, but he does highlight it again in 
the earlier verses, but he does highlight it again in verse 3, 
that salvation is by grace, that it proceeds from God's abundant 
mercy. And because of that, then we 
can know that we are we are secure in Christ, that we are secure, 
this salvation is, we don't need to worry about losing it, and 
this living hope, this hope of eternal life that we have is 
guaranteed for us. So this serves two purposes, 
one being that it protects these believers from having their faith 
Shaken, you know by a false doctrine that would suggest otherwise 
I think many of us here are very familiar with the doctrines of 
grace and and we don't necessarily struggle with you know Could 
we perhaps lose our salvation? but but but if if you if you 
perhaps do have that you we can know we can be assured that that 
we don't need to worry about that we don't need to to think 
you know is my Salvation based on my faith or my something from 
me. No, it's not it's based on who 
God is from the from the character of of Yahweh himself. But primarily 
what Peter's doing here, he wants to strengthen their faith and 
encourage them there. And that is what we need to do 
as well when we read through this. We need to think of these 
things as concrete realities, that it really will, we really 
are going to experience this for all of eternity. This is 
not just an abstract concept, you know, or something in the 
future, but rather we look forward, like Peter said, to a new heaven 
and a new earth wherein righteousness dwells, and when we dwell on 
that, when we realize that we are headed for glory, then difficulties 
in this life, you know, they don't become so depressing or 
leading us to despair, but rather we can focus on the future that 
we have, the future glory lifting, and it lifts us out of our lifts 
us up and sets our focus to the future, gives us that hope and 
that comfort. And we'll see that tonight, Lord 
willing, the joy that we can have even in the midst of trials 
and difficulties. How is that possible? A big part 
of it comes by understanding what we as believers have in 
store for us. And it's also a reminder that 
to not live our lives as, you know, that this life is the end, 
or we're always looking for the next thing in this life to give 
us some sort of feeling of happiness or fulfillment, because we will 
never be satisfied. Experience teaches us that very, 
very, you know, when we look back on our own experience, we 
understand that, but yet we're so quick to maybe the next thing 
will bring us satisfaction. But everything in this world 
is subject to the effects of death and sin and time, like 
Peter said here. And so we're gonna be constantly 
disappointed as each thing passes away, never find that satisfaction. 
So our focus needs to be on heaven, our satisfaction needs to be 
on our Savior, on Christ. and our focus on that glory, 
future glory that we have, that we will inherit with Christ, 
an inheritance so glorious it can only be described in terms 
of what it isn't, right, that it's not subject to death or 
to sin or to the effects of time. That is what we as believers 
have in store for us. And if you're not a believer 
here this morning, What you have in store for you 
is the opposite of what we talked about. If you do not come to 
Christ, if you do not repent and come to Christ, in 1 Peter 
chapter 4, a few chapters further, he says, what will be the end 
of those who do not obey the gospel of God? We saw now what 
will be the end of those who do obey, who have believed, who 
have come to Christ. This is a glorious, the most 
glorious inheritance that we have But what will be the end 
of those who do not obey the gospel of God? It's everything 
that that that that the believers and It's everything that it's 
it's the opposite of everything So the believers hope is there's 
there's no more sorrow no more sighing no more pain the unbeliever 
It's only sorrow only sighing only pain. It's only it's wailing 
and gnashing of teeth that Jesus said there's there's There's 
nothing bad about heaven. We've seen that. But there's 
nothing good about hell. Nothing. There's a common, I 
don't know how you would say it, but this idea that hell is 
going to be a place where we can just live our lives without 
morals or without guilt for what we do. Hell will not be like 
that. Hell, in fact, Jesus says very clearly that your conscience 
will be one of the biggest parts that will torment you. If you're 
here this morning, And hopefully you've been here in the past, 
you've heard the faithful gospel preaching, and that your conscience 
will torment you for eternity if you reject that, if you do 
not obey the gospel of God. And the other, just mentioning 
with some of the brothers this morning, they're in hell. In 
the prayer meeting this morning, we read all these stories about 
the Suffering that goes that happens because of the persecution 
from from wicked wicked men around this world in Nigeria and Iran 
and Afghanistan and horrible atrocities horrible and and in 
hell there that there there's That is who you will spend hell 
with and you're you and there will be no restraint There's 
right now this world is is is comfortable. It's livable because 
of the grace of God that restrains evil and In hell, that is all, 
that is, God has released those restraints and everyone will 
be like that. I think of the, sometimes I think of the song 
that I'm on the highway to hell, celebrating that you're on the 
highway to hell. And one of the lines in that song, in that song 
says, my friends will be there too, but you will not have friends 
in hell. There will be, it will be horrible, 
horrible. There's nothing good about hell. So I urge you today, Do not play 
games with God. Why would you risk eternity? So believe on Him. Come to Christ. 
Trust in Him. If you are in union with Christ, 
with faith in Him as your Lord, as your Savior, He will bring 
you into glory with Him. There's nothing bad in heaven, 
and there's nothing good in hell. Nothing. So repent today, please. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this 
passage, and I thank you for the glorious hope that we, as 
believers, those who are safe in Christ, have that we can have 
this future awaiting us. Lord, what a glorious thought 
that it is. Lord, how that helps to focus 
us or to lift us up out of the... When we look around at this world, 
Lord, there's so much chaos and so much destruction. And, Lord, 
this just... It strengthens us. It encourages 
us. And I thank you for this passage 
of Scripture that just helps to focus us on the glory that 
we have to come. So, Lord, I pray this morning 
that it would be a means of encouragement a means to strengthen the brethren 
here. And Lord, that it would be a means to sound the alarm 
for those who are not in Christ, that they would know that what 
they have is the polar opposite, is horrible. Lord, glory cannot 
be expressed in words because it is so glorious. And Lord, 
the horrors of hell is the same. It cannot be expressed in words 
because it is so horrible. So Lord, I pray that everyone 
here today who does not know you would run to Christ, run 
to find security in him, Lord. And I pray, Lord, we look to 
you as sovereign God over all things. We do not appeal to the 
dead hearts of man, but we look to you that you would be pleased 
in your mercy to call out of darkness into this marvelous 
light, Lord. And I thank you for your goodness. 
I thank you for your abundant mercy that you are a God who 
delights in forgiveness, delights in forgiving all kinds of sin, 
and iniquity and transgression, and that is all possible through 
your Son, the Lord Jesus. And Lord, I thank you and we 
praise you for redemption, and I pray this in Christ's name. 
Amen. All right, well, we'll close 
with hymn number 568. I believe that's the doxology. 
568. We will stand and sing together, please. ♪ Bless his soul ♪ ♪ Praise him, 
all creatures there below ♪ ♪ Praise him, all the living world below 
♪ ♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 
be with you all. Amen. You may be seated for a 
time of meditation.