The Father’s Love
I Peter 1:17-21
Introduction: As we consider the twisting of morality and the
rejection of truth that seemingly is prevailing in our country, may we be
reminded that we are only pilgrims, that God is in control, and that we fear
God, not men. Our series in I Peter is called “Pilgrim Living in a Fallen
World.” We trust God, and for now, He has us in the world to carry out His
mission, but this really isn’t home. We were created for eternity. So rejoice in the Lord always! Our last look
at I Peter, 1:13-16, was a call to live a life worthy of our calling. We are to
be obedient children who exercise self-control, who are in the world, but not
of the world, who are “set apart” by God and for God. Today we see that...
…Unless God had made us his, we could
not gain his holiness or want it. But God has claimed us as his own, claimed
us at a cost that sears our minds with the flame of his love. Peter appeals
to the two most profound emotions our hearts can know. One is love, love that sees the price God
paid to redeem us. The other is fear, the fear of despising God’s love.
What judgment would we merit if we were to trample upon the blood of Christ,
and treat God’s precious ransom with contempt, the contempt that mere gold and
silver would deserve in comparison?
(E.P. Clowney, The Message of I Peter).
So love
is at the heart of it. As Peter continues the opening of this letter he
points to the relationship that should motivate our living: we are God’s
children, we are in a relationship with the Father, He is just, and He loves us
more than we can imagine. Love is at the heart of the Christian life. This week
we are reminded of the love that planned and provided our salvation. Next week
we’ll see that God’s love should motivate us to love one another (1:22-2:3)!
The Maine* Idea: We have a deep reverence for our Father, knowing the
cost of our salvation. We’ll look at that from three perspectives,
1)
Respond to the Father’s Justice: As pilgrims in a fallen world we live with a deep
reverence for our just Father.
2)
We are called to Remember the Father’s Love: As
pilgrims in a fallen world we are motivated by the knowledge that our
redemption, our salvation, came at a great cost: the blood of Christ (18,19). And
finally...
3)
Rejoice in the Father’s Plan: As pilgrims in a fallen world we rejoice in God’s
salvation plan devised in eternity past and realized in Christ in the fullness
of time through His death and resurrection (20,21).
Let’s start with 1:17…
I. Respond
to the Father’s Justice: As Pilgrims
in a fallen world we live with a deep reverence for our just Father (17).
“And 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…”
Literally
the term has the idea, “fear,” but whenever the Bible applies it to God, and to
the attitude of believers, it has the sense of “deep respect, reverence.” As pilgrims in a fallen world, reverence for
our Father motivates holiness – I read somewhere this week to the story of a
child who was being tempted by some friends to do something he knew his father
wouldn’t approve of. When he refused,
they said, “You are just afraid that your father will hurt you if he finds out!” He replied, “I am not afraid my father will
hurt me if I do it, I am afraid that I will hurt my father!” He didn’t want to
grieve his father, to bring pain to him by his disobedience. In the same way, “We
are not afraid that God will hurt us if we sin, we are afraid that we will hurt
Him…” The Apostle Paul was talking to the Ephesians about their conduct in the
light of what God has done for us in Christ. He said in Ephesians 4:29-32,
Do
not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful
for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who
listen. 30 And do not
grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption. 31 Get rid of
all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of
malice. 32 Be kind and
compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God
forgave you.
Paul is saying that the actions he describes
would grieve the Holy Spirit. We are
His, we were bought with a price. “God
commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for
us” (Rom 5:8). If we grasp the love that it took to send the Son, we want
to love Him in return. He tells us, repeatedly, that we show that love by
loving one another.
Yet we
can’t ignore that in our context in I Peter, God’s character is a motivation to
“conduct yourselves with fear during the
time of your exile…” God is just, so call on Him with fear, that is, with a
deep reverence (see Phil 2:12-16a). Did you know we are all called to “work out”?
We are called to work out the
implications of our salvation...
Therefore,
my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but
much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you,
both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15 that you may be blameless and
innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted
generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of
life… (Philippians 2:12-16a).
Listen to what Paul is saying there…
“Therefore” = “So then…” In light of what has
come before in that letter to the Philippians: In view of the fact that God has
given us abundant reason to trust him, in light of the example of Jesus in
humbling himself and obediently carrying out the Fathers plan, and in view of
his exaltation to the throne at the Father’s right hand, we are called to “Work
out our salvation with fear and trembling…”
You might think, “Wait a minute, I thought salvation was by grace, God’s
unmerited favor, what’s this about work?” Paul is not saying
that we should work for our salvation. The Bible is very
clear that there is nothing we can do to earn eternal life. We can’t work
our way into heaven. Eternal life is a free gift from God (Rom 6:23; Eph
2:8,9). We are to “work out
our salvation” in the sense that we are to live out the implications of being a
saved person, God’s child, forgiven, not perfect, but changed, carrying out
our part in Christ’s mission in the world. We see the interplay between God
working in us, and our responsibility to live our lives in obedience to Him. So,
how’s your “workout” going?” We are saved “unto” obedience. Remember I
Peter 1:2 says, “…who are chosen 2 according to
the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the
Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood…”
Paul writes in Eph 2:10 that “We are His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God ordained beforehand that we should
walk in them…” A changed, transformed life is characteristic of biblical Christianity. James
2:17 says that “…faith, if it has no
works, is dead being by itself…” A changed life, conduct that is
characterized by a growing obedience to Jesus is normal, healthy Christianity.
“Fear and trembling” are almost always used together in
contexts that speak of God’s sovereignty, and of his holiness and power.
It of course does not simply mean that we are to be “afraid” of God. Rather,
we are not to live out our Christian life arrogantly or presumptuously, but
rather with a “humble reverence.” Why? V. 13 goes on to give the reason…
“… for [this is the reason you should do it] it is God who works in you both to will and
to do for His good
pleasure…”
How great is our God! We need to
live our lives in humble, reverent recognition of the sovereign hand of
God. Paul admonished the Corinthians to live differently when he said “Don’t you know that you are the temple of
God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” The presence of the
holy all powerful creator of the universe should cause us to
tremble! Here he goes even further; God is not only with us and in
us, he is purposefully working in us, “…both to will and to
do for His good pleasure.” The miracle is that as God is working in us, he
will also work through us! As his plan is unfolding on the stage of human
history he has chosen to include us in his story!
OK. Come back to I Peter 1:17, “And
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…” Verses 13-16 talked about being
“obedient children” and following the Father’s example of holiness, “Be holy because
I am holy.” If we are calling GOD our father, the holy One, the impartial and just
Judge of the universe, we don’t approach Him presumptuously or flippantly or
demanding our way. He is God. We are his
creatures, and by grace, His children. So we come with the proper respect,
realizing we are exiles and pilgrims in this fallen world. Because the effects of sin still surround us
and still linger within us, at times our Father needs to get our attention.
Our Father will discipline His
children. We read in Hebrews 12:3-11...
3
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that
you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4
In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding
your blood. 5 And have you
forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not
regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one
he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." 7 It is for discipline that you
have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his
father does not discipline? 8
If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you
are illegitimate children and not sons. 9
Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected
them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a
short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that
we may share his holiness. 11
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it...
We revere Him, remembering we are
exiles… Our citizenship is in heaven,
our hope is in a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. So
recognizing that this life is not the end of the story we live differently. We
don’t get so attached to “things” knowing that we can’t take any of it with us.
Hopefully, we choose to live as children of the King. We have a deep reverence for our Father,
knowing the cost of our salvation.
II.
Remember the Father’s Love: As
pilgrims in a fallen world we are motivated by the knowledge that our
redemption, our salvation, came at a great cost: the blood of Christ. We read
in I Peter 1:18,19,
“…knowing that you were ransomed from
the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things
such as silver or gold, 19
but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or
spot…”
The word “ransom” implies the payment of
a price to secure the freedom of another. We were slaves to sin and to Satan,
powerless to save ourselves. Being good, being religious, doing good works,
none of our effort could save us. The price was too high, we couldn’t pay it.
But “God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us…” (Rom 5:8). Rick Warren recently wrote in a devotional…
There’s an amazing paradox to God’s
grace. It’s absolutely free to all who come to Jesus in faith. Yet the grace
of God is the costliest gift we’ll ever receive. It cost God’s Son his life. So in light
of what Jesus has done for us, how should we respond? We must be grateful. One
way we can show our gratitude to God is by making our lives count.
You can’t really understand the grace of
God and the price he paid to make it available to you while living how you want
to live, ignoring the commands of Jesus or wasting your life on things that
don’t matter. The Bible says it this way: “Don’t you see that you can’t live however you
please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? .... So let people see
God in and through your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20 MSG).
After the failed assassination attempt
against him, I remember President Ronald Regan saying, “I have a new sense that
I was spared for a purpose and that all my time belonged to God after that.”
We all should have the same sense of
purpose. Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we were spared for a
reason: to make a difference with our lives. Jesus didn’t die on the cross so
we could go on living any way we like. He made us for a purpose — and he
redeemed us for a purpose, too. He wants us to fulfill that purpose. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have
received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various
forms” (NIV). You were given spiritual gifts, abilities,
education, and relationships for a reason — to help other people and tell them
about Jesus. God saved you so he can use
you.
Or as our brother Herb Mullin has said,
“God saved you on purpose, for a purpose.”
Think about that. God knows you and loves you and chose you from the foundation
of the earth, to be in His family, and to have a part is his program and to
share in his mission. You were ransomed at
a great cost. Not silver or gold. The blood of Christ. A sacrifice, a substitute
was required. He did that for you. So, we
should have a deep reverence for our Father, knowing the cost of our salvation.
III.
Rejoice in the Father’s Plan: As
pilgrims in a fallen world we rejoice in God’s salvation plan devised in
eternity past and realized in Christ in the fullness of time through His death
and resurrection (20,21).
“He was foreknown before the foundation
of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, 21 who through him are believers
in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and
hope are in God” (I Peter 1:20,21).
God’s rescue plan goes
back to before the foundation of the world (20a). First Peter says, “He [Jesus] was foreknown
before the foundation of the world…” The idea of “foreknowing” is a
challenging one for our minds. The English word “prescience” has the sense of
“knowing something beforehand.” However
when God is the subject, when He is the “knower,” there is more to it. Remember
back in I Peter 1:2 we read about “the foreknowledge
of God the Father...” What does that mean? God is omniscient after all,
but is that the full significance of the term? The recipients of the letter are
“elect... according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father...” That is referring to the truth that God
knew us and loved us from before the foundation of the world. That is
evident when we look at a few other passages that use the same root word…
Acts 2:23 “...this Jesus, delivered up according to [or, “by means of”] the definite
plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless
men.”
God’s plan and His
foreknowledge are both causal here, the means by which Jesus is delivered up.
He is deliver by means of God’s predetermined plan AND foreknowledge. To really
get at the sense of the meaning of the word, it is helpful to think about the simple
form of the noun gnosis when it
refers to the knowledge of God. It seems the ideas “to know,” “to choose,” and
“to love” are closely connected.
Romans 8:29 “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed
to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many
brothers.”
This is clearly more than simple objective
knowledge about a person. It is knowing in a more intimate and immediate
sense.
Romans 11:2 “God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew...”
What does it mean that God “foreknew” the
Jews? We get a sense of the meaning in
Deuteronomy 7:6-8,
6 "For you are a people holy to the LORD your
God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured
possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more
in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose
you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the LORD loves
you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has
brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery,
from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Likewise the word is used here, in our passage, to
describe the Father’s “foreknowledge” of the Son...
1 Peter 1:20 “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made
manifest in the last times for your sake...”
It was not that the Father was doubting
or monitoring if the Son would stand the test, or even knowing beforehand that
He would do so. The point is that the
Father knew and loved the Son from eternity. And as we saw in the opening of the letter, He
knew and loved you, if you are a believer in Christ (1:2).
Our faith in Christ and our hope in the salvation He has provided are
rooted in his resurrection and glorification (20b-21). God’s plan unfolded in history exactly as it
was planned in the Godhead in eternity past. The writer to the Hebrews opens
his epistle saying, “In different times and in different ways God spoke in
times past to the fathers through the prophets, but in these last days He has
spoken in the Son…” (Heb 1:1,2). That revelation in history gives us a sure
hope in our time of exile.
What is God saying to me in this passage? We have a deep reverence for our Father, knowing the
cost of our salvation.
What would
God have me to do in response to this passage? This is who you are, and who’s you are. This is your
position. How then, should you live? We say our church purpose is “to know God
and to make Him known.” It that your purpose? The New Testament model is that every one of
us is a “minister.” We are all God’s “undercover missionaries” in the place
where He has put us. Start in your 8/15, the 8 to 15 people around you! Write
down their names, pray for them daily, ask God to give you opportunity to share
your faith with them.
Amen.
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