All right, we're going to turn to 1 Peter and continue. Well, we'll start the actual text tonight, but we'll continue the series of Christ-like living in a world that isn't. And so I'm going to try and tackle the first 12 verses here, which I think will be very encouraging to you as we think about our world today, as we think about what was happening to the audience that Peter was writing to, and see some parallels that will prepare us and equip us to be Christ-like livers in this, well, that sounded weird, Christ-like people as we live about each day, right? As we go about each day and try to accomplish God's purposes and interact with the people around us, both in the church and our neighbors and friends. And so I wanted to just start by talking a little bit about what was happening at the time that Peter was writing this. Pastor Chris, last week, went into great detail of the background of the book. but I thought it would be helpful to just be reminded that around AD 64, much was happening in Rome. In fact, the city of Rome was destroyed by a fire, and the leader at the time was an emperor by the name of Nero. And Nero was causing much problem, much havoc in the life of Christians. He was one that, because of the fire and because his popularity had begun to wane, he pushed the focus onto the Christians or the blame onto the Christians for starting the fire. And so as a result, the Christians were focused on and they began to be persecuted for this apparent arson that they set on the city of Rome. So a few people were seized at first and they had a trial apparently and found out they were Christians and so there began to be a mass roundup of Christians, if you will, at that time. They were convicted and it wasn't so much that they were convicted of burning the city, though that was a part of it, but they were convicted also for hating the human race because their way of living was very contrary to what was happening in Rome, right? They were set apart in their Christian walk and people around them didn't like that. It was reported that in the Christians' deaths, they were made subjects of sport. They were covered with the hides of wild beasts and worried to death by dogs. So dogs would be chasing after them while they were covered in these hides of wild beasts. They were nailed to crosses. They were set afire. These Christian, these men and women, who were following the way of Christ, right? And then it's reported that when the day declined, they would be lit on fire as candles, essentially, as the daylight waned away. And so Nero, was persecuting these Christians. They were being persecuted for the faith, for being identified with the faith. So this is AD 64, a long time ago, a long ways away. from here and now in North America. And so we think, wow, that can't possibly happen in today's day and age, and I'm not suggesting that that will happen here in the U.S. However, it's interesting to note some of the challenges that we see for Christians around the globe. And I found a few headlines. Of course, you've heard of the situation of the gal who is in Sudan, was arrested because she trusted Christ or proclaimed Christianity and rejected Islam. And so she was arrested, released, and arrested again. And then she was convicted to, being beaten and ultimately to be put to death. And I don't know where the status is on that right now, but it's interesting to see that in at least one country that it's really happening. Sudan, Nigeria, the Middle East. And so could it happen here in North America? Well, here's some interesting headlines that I saw just this afternoon. in recent history in North America as we think about a world around us that is not living Christ-like. So for the Christian, here's some interesting tidbits. June 27th, court presses an atheist group to explain why ground zero cross display is offensive. So apparently the American atheists filed a lawsuit against the public display of the cross of 2011. arguing that it was offensive. I guess it was 9-11. I'm not sure why the article says 2011. Arguing that it was offensive. Though the case was initially thrown out, an appeals court has decided to hear the suit after the museum debuted the ground zero cross at its May opening. So going to In Connecticut, schools internet service blocks Christian websites. There was a Connecticut high school student who realized that there was a problem with the school censorship policies. He was blocked from NRA website. He searched other websites or other internet sources to discover only the conservative websites were blocked. He searched, was able to get on to liberal websites and found this contradiction. Friday, June 20th, a study by the University of Connecticut says that putting our faith on a resume hurts job prospects. In fact, the University of Connecticut says that religious mentions on your resume were 26% less likely to hear from a potential employer. June 20th of this year, U.S. colleges take non-discrimination policies to illogical extreme against Christian student groups. The InterVarsity reported that multiple schools have restricted Christian groups' freedom to elect their own leaders due to these paradoxical anti-discrimination policies. So in other words, multiple universities began to deny official recognition to student organizations with particular religious beliefs. June 18th of this year, California student defies school orders and speaks on faith at the graduation. So there was a student, a California student, who defied his school order and spoke openly about his Christian belief in his graduation speech. And so the ACLU and Freedom from Religious Foundation have taken to legal action to prevent the declaration of religious beliefs in public settings such as this. June 3rd, a Christian baker in Colorado loses a case. In other words, the person refused to serve a wedding cake at a gay wedding reception due to Christian beliefs, and he lost the trial for discrimination based on sexual orientation. In order to maintain his personal convictions, the man was decided to stop making wedding cakes altogether. May 16th, in Texas, a Christian was ordered to remove the Ten Commandments from her property. So she had a billboard sign on her own private property. And the, let's see, the United States local zoning regulations and city ordinances are increasingly being used by officials to push religious messages out of the public sphere. Wednesday, May 14th, HGTV cancels a real estate show. over hosts' Christian values. May 14th, a hospital employee ordered to remove God Bless America from email signature. So an employee, a veteran and a hospital employee in California was ordered to remove God Bless America from his work email signature. And again, May 14th, Kansas School ends the policy banning religious materials, so that's A 12-year-old on May 6, a student in Florida, was prohibited from reading Bible in class, even during free reading time. Over and over and over again, we're seeing more headlines of this nature, of this magnitude, related to how much religious freedom we might have in this country. And my challenge to you and the challenge for me is where and what will we do if it comes here? You know, if somebody hears us on the internet or if somebody just happens to come in and visit us and we're proclaiming the Word of God, will we stand firm? And I'm convinced that Peter is writing this to encourage us, as much as he was encouraging the original readers of this, to stand firm and to know that we have a great God with a great salvation, and when we fix our mind and our hope and our trust on who he is and what he's provided for us through this salvation, then we can endure this kind of hostility, if you will. And I'm not saying, oh, woe is me, they're picking on me because I'm a Christian. I'm not talking about that. We shouldn't be running rampant like that, but we should be prepared mentally and spiritually for a day when Christianity is not so popular, because it's already not so popular. So tonight, the main point I just want to reiterate and encourage and challenge and keep coming back to is that Christ-like living for the Christian is possible. We have the capacity to live Christ-like lives in a world that isn't because of a great salvation, because of a great Savior. Okay, we do not have to cower behind closed doors at this time. We shouldn't have to cower at any time, but we do not have to hide behind something because of our faith in our Lord Jesus. We serve as magnificent, powerful, all creative God. And he has given us the capacity and the possible realm of being able to live a Christ-like life in this world today. The first point is that it begins, really, at the point of salvation. Let's read the text, verses 1 through 12, and then we'll start unpacking it. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 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, May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And though you have not seen him, you love him. And though you do not see him now, but believe in him, You greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you in these things, which now have been announced to you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. Christ-like living is possible. And it starts at the point of salvation. Look at the first couple of verses. It's an introduction to the whole letter. It tells us that Peter wrote it. It tells us that Peter was an apostle. He's a called-out one. He's a sent one. And he's sent out on behalf of the Lord Jesus. Okay, if you can listen to the tape from last week about this man, Peter, but he was a fisherman and God miraculously transformed him into a spokesman for the Lord Jesus. And he's on this mission to share the good news and the gospel to Jewish believers and Jewish individuals so that they might come to a place where they trust Christ. Of course, his compatriot, Paul, was primarily commissioned to take the gospel to the Gentiles. So Peter here is addressing a group of individuals, a group of believers, who have been persecuted, and as a result of that persecution, they've been scattered. They're away from their home, from where they called home, where they called their own land, and they have been sent out into this region that we now know as Turkey. Those little towns Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, or those regions, would be in what we know as Turkey. He says that he's writing to those who reside as aliens. Certainly they're aliens in the national sense, or they've crossed borders, if you will, physically. They're strangers in a land. But more than that, I believe that Peter is also addressing the fact that as a believer, as a follower of Christ, our home is not here. And to these recipients of this letter, and to you and I, it's good to be reminded that this is not our home. This Santa Rosa, this Sonoma County, beautiful place, it's wonderful, great climate, great sights to see, great places to visit, close proximity to the city, to the ocean, to the mountains, you name it, we've got it pretty good here in Sonoma County. But, but, this is not our home. for the Christian, our home, our citizenship, according to Paul, is in heaven. And so we also are aliens. We are aliens in this world. We're strangers. We are not of this county, if you will. Though we may carry a card, I'm a Canadian, I have a permanent residency to the US. I can prove it. But I know that even this land, even Canada, is not my home, my final destination. We're aliens here. So similarly, like he is writing to these folks, we're aliens, and he says something very special and unique. He says that they are chosen 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. They're chosen. Okay, we sometimes get freaked out by this word chosen. It's the Greek word eclektos, or election, is what we get our word from. We shouldn't get freaked out about it. We should be so thankful and marveled at the grace and the kindness of a great God, who in His mercy and His grace reaches down and saves some. Wow, he chooses. It's not just a New Testament word. It's not just something that Peter has talked about. In the Old Testament, he chose Israel. He chose Levitical priests. He chose Jeremiah the prophet. He chose the Lord Jesus Christ. He chooses believers. He elects them. He selects them out from their destination of doom based on their sin and yours and my sin, right? In His grace, He reaches out and He chooses some to be saved. Look at what He says, verse 2. It's according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. another big word that is in our scriptures, foreknowledge, it's not just knowing ahead of time, it's more than that. We get the word prognosis from the Greek word prognosin, and it's not just a chronological knowledge, but it has more to do with this relationship, this knowledge of God, this love and care and kindness, of a predetermined grace and kindness that God reaches down and pulls us in. He, in his foreknowledge before time began, set us apart to be a part of his family. In Acts 2.23, it says that Jesus was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. You nailed him to the cross, is what Peter is telling them, by the hands of godless men and put him to death. But it was God's predetermined plan. It was his foreknowledge that this relationship that he had, he knew ahead of time that he was going to accomplish, he was going to do this kind of work. In Romans 11.2, Paul wrote this, God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. In Romans 8.29, for those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son so that he would be the firstborn among many brethren. It's not just a matter of him, oh, that person's gonna trust Christ as the Savior. No, it's a predetermined plan to accomplish his purposes. And it happened before time began. So God the Father is involved. Now in verse two, it's also the Holy Spirit who is involved. Look at that. He says, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit. So being able to live a Christ-like life, we have to remember that according to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, He chooses us out. God the Father chooses us out And the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. Now what does that word mean? It's another big theological word that we don't have to freak out about. Sanctifying is being set apart or to be made holy. So when we trust Christ as our Savior, at the moment of conversion, the Holy Spirit, Christ of course, we'll get to Him in just a minute, but through the work of Christ, we are given His righteousness, our unrighteousness is placed upon Christ at the cross, and the Holy Spirit sets us apart. He sanctifies us. He makes us holy at that point in time. But there's also a sense in which sanctification is also a process. where we grow and mature more into the image of Christ. So there's a point in time sanctification, we're set apart, we're made holy instantly and instantaneously because of Christ and what he's done on the cross. And now there's a process of sanctifying where we become more like Christ. We put off the old self more and more and we put on the new self more and more. the sanctifying work of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. And then the third person of the Godhead is Jesus Christ. So we're chosen according to God, the knowledge, for knowledge of God, the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood. this idea of obedience, that really is the end result of sanctification, isn't it? Or as we're being sanctified, we're being obedient to the word of God. We're being obedient to who he wants us to be, who he is and what he's explained and described and committed to us in the word. And so we're committed as a follower of Christ, as one who was chosen to obey Christ. to follow his commands, to live a life that is pleasing and honoring to him. And then he says, and be sprinkled with his blood. Now this phrase would remind the readers, the Jewish readers for sure, of Moses sprinkling the sacrificial blood on the people of Israel as a symbol sealing their covenant as they promised to obey God's word, Exodus 24. verses 3 through 8. So what happened was Moses received the Ten Commandments. He read them out, or he told the people what they were, and the people responded, and they were agreeing to what God had instructed Moses by way of the commandments. As a ratification of that commitment, Moses sprinkled them with blood. And it was the only time that people were sprinkled with blood. So when Peter is talking about the believers, these he was writing to, and us as well, being sprinkled with the blood of Christ, we are secure, we're held in place, that covenant that he has made for us has been completed at the cross. So Christ died on the cross for our sin and he rose again. That work, that blood that was shed, according to Hebrews, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin, no remission of sin. And so we know that God throughout the Old Testament, blood was an important part of understanding and pointing to Christ. And when the people were sprinkled, when a believer is sprinkled, metaphorically if you will, by the blood of Christ, God is standing firm on His commitment to cleanse us and to put us in right relationship with Christ and with Him. It's not our sprinkling upon ourselves, it's Christ's complete work on the cross that has secured this spot for us. And so in order for a Christian to be able to live a Christ-like life, he or she has to understand that you can't live a Christ-like life apart from understanding our great salvation. And all three persons of God, God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Son, are involved in that process. Pretty cool, right? It's interesting to see that the whole trinity or the whole Godhead is involved in our salvation. And so Peter then finishes that introduction by saying, may grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. So this understanding of grace is spread throughout his letter, as well as throughout the scriptures, but grace is a word that Peter uses in every chapter. It's God's generous favor to undeserving sinners and needy saints. He uses it in every chapter, this unmerited favor that God bestows upon us. He's saying, may that be yours in abundance to the fullest measure. Interesting, it's not just a little bit, but in its fullest measure. This great God, who is beyond our comprehension in most ways, has this amazing grace that he has given to us by providing salvation. And in the midst of persecution, he's saying, may this grace and the peace that also comes with that, this right standing, right relationship with God, right relationship inwardly, knowing that we have this peace with God in the midst of persecution or in the midst of trials or challenges or whatever might come our way, that grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. What a great encouragement, what a great way to receive a letter from a brother who understands it's probably been a part of persecution and understands, wow, okay, I need some grace, I need some peace in my life right now, because things are pretty wound up, right? And I don't know each of your circumstances tonight, but I'm praying that God will use this message to encourage you, and to be reminded that in order, even if the world around us is collapsing, and the things that we see on TV, or listen to on the radio, or in the news, or on the newspaper, or in the magazine rack, or wherever you get your news, and all the distressing information we get from the world around us, don't lose hope. because you can live a Christ-like life when the world around you is not because we have a great Savior and a great salvation. So we want to focus on that. It begins at that point of salvation. We want to focus now on what's involved in that great salvation. Why is it so great? What's the big deal? Well, in the Greek, the English translation breaks it up into nice paragraphs and sentences for us, but verses 3 through 12 in the Greek is one sentence. He just, he layers upon layers upon layers. And Peter starts it out with this, just this exhortation, not exhortation, but just this praise offering. He said, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He's just saying, man, thanks be to God. Blessed be God, praise be to God. He's just so overwhelmed and so thankful. for this great God who has provided this amazing salvation for us to encourage us and remind us that again, in the midst of chaos, in the midst of a world that is not living for Christ, we have a God that is far beyond this, but so intimately aware of our situation that he is to be praised and lifted up. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So our salvation is great because of God's great mercy. Verse three, who according to his great mercy, this is not little mercy. This is big mercy. This is enormous, ginormous mercy that only a great God, who is magnificent in His kindness, is willing to bestow on us. Mercy is God's active compassion toward us despite our condition of sinfulness. It's His withholding what we deserve, right? He is withholding a condemnation for us. because of what Christ has done on our behalf. He's saying, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy, it's not little mercy, it's big mercy. It is humongous because we, apart from Christ, we're on this road, this destination towards doom, towards damnation, towards an eternity from hell. But God, in his mercy, and because of his choosing and his foreknowledge, he pulls us out of that. in the midst of a world that's falling apart, He pulls us out and rescues us from our sin. It's a great salvation, folks, and the sooner, or the, yeah, the sooner and the more we get our head around how gracious and how magnificent His mercy is, get our head straight on His great mercy and this great salvation, the more effective we'll be in Christ-like living. So it's a great mercy that has what? It has caused us to be born again. Whoa, caused us to be born again. We should be reminded of Nicodemus' encounter with Jesus in John chapter three, right? He said, what must I do? He must be born again. Well, how's that possible? How am I supposed to get back in my mother's stomach, right? That's not possible. He said, no, we need to, it's a spiritual rebirth. It's a regeneration. It's a necessity to be born again to be transformed by the Spirit of God, by faith, trusting in Christ Jesus as our Savior, to save us out of our sin. Christ died on the cross for our sin. He was God. He was man. He rose again, proving that He was God. And by placing our faith and trust in Him, we will be saved. We will experience eternal life with God. We will be born again. It's a spiritual birth. It's a spiritual new birth. And God, according to His great mercy, has caused us to be born again. Wow. That is just so exciting because, again, in this world that's falling apart and the wheels are coming off and so much is anti-God, anti-what the word tells us we should be about, we can get really discouraged. And we see people without mercy all the time. We see people that don't demonstrate mercy. And so when we read that God in his great mercy has caused us to be born again, to be rescued out of our sinful destination and into all of what he's about to describe here, no wonder he's praising the Lord, even in the midst of very challenging circumstances. So it's a great salvation because of God's great mercy. Letter B on your page, it's a great salvation because it provides a living hope. So he's caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It's a living hope through the resurrection. Wow, what? A living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Living, it's a lively hope. It's a hope that is, well let's talk about living first. So it's not a dead hope. Alive, dead, opposites, right? Jesus died. He was really a man and he really died, but because of the power of God, the fact that he is God, the fact that he came for the purpose of taking care of our sin, he rose again and he lives today. And this idea of living, Peter shares several times throughout his letter. In verse 23 of chapter 1, a living and enduring word of God. In chapter 2 and verse 4, and coming to him as to a living stone. In verse 5 of chapter 2, you also as living stones. Chapter 2 and verse 24, it says, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. In chapter 4, in verses 5 and 6, they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. And let's see, for the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they will live in the spirit according to the will of God. Peter likes the idea that salvation is a living thing. It's not a dead salvation. It's not going nowhere. It's going somewhere because it's living. It's alive. It's active. It's vivacious, if I can use that word. Someone had written that all that God wills is alive. It's a living hope. You know, I tease with my boys, what's popular in culture today, and maybe it's fading out of popularity, is the whole zombie thing, right? World War Z, and zombie killers, or whatever they do. What do you guys do? You young people. Michael, tell me. What do you guys do, right? It's all about the zombies. I don't like the zombies, they're dead! They're dead, you know, it's like, it's just so pictures Ephesians chapter 2, who we are apart from Christ, we're doomed, we're depraved, we're disobedient, it's dead! That's why I tease with them all the time about these zombies that they're having to kill, they're already dead! But it's the complete opposite to what Peter is writing about, it's living hope. And when the Bible talks about hope, it's not just wishful thinking. You've heard this from many of us that have preached up here. It's not just wishful thinking. Oh, I hope my wife makes a steak dinner tonight, or I hope my team wins, or I hope my, whatever. It's not just wishful, I hope I get a new pair of shoes for Christmas, or whatever you want for Christmas. I don't know what you want. But it's not just a hope that's wishful thinking. It's a confident expectation. And it's a confident expectation because it's wrapped up in the object of that understanding. It's wrapped up in the person and character and work of who God is. That's why it's a confident expectation, this hope. It's not just a wishful, boy, I sure hope I finish this life and I get into heaven and everything's hunky dory. It's not just a wishful kind of blah. This is a living hope. This is an absolute assurance that God is gonna take care of what he's going to take care of according to his promises, according to his character, and he's going to fulfill everything that he says. And it's a living hope because through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus is no longer in the tomb. He is alive and at the right hand of the Father in heaven. And he's interceding for us. It's a living hope. It's a living hope. It's not a dead hope. And so when the world is collapsing around us, when our health is failing, when our finances are crumbling, when our kids are wandering, when the job is deflating, whatever, in the midst of all of that, we have a living hope through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. That's a great salvation, isn't it? It's not a dead salvation. It's a great salvation that provides a living hope. Verse 4, this is great, it's a great salvation because it looks to a future inheritance. So we have salvation now and here and we have the Holy Spirit in us, the Word of God transforming us, we have this relationship with our God, but then we also have something waiting for us, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. So these words, let's just unpack them really quickly. Imperishable or incorruptible might be another way of looking at. It's not subject to passing away nor liable to decay. The inheritance that's waiting for us is not going to decay. Now when I was 17 or 18, my dad went to an auction and got me a car. And he paid $300 for a Datsun B210. And up in Canada, because there's so much salt on the roads, the body work doesn't last as long as they do here in California. So the salt eats away and they rust. And this little Datsun B210, I could see the road through the floor mat. I could, that's no kidding. And I had to put oil in it every time I put gas in it. And I'm surprised that I'm standing before you today, because you can smell the exhaust as you were driving along, and I should have been asphyxiated. Even in the winter, I had to crack the window open, it's 30 below, and it was decaying. That's my point. The inheritance that's waiting for us in heaven is not susceptible to decay. It's incorruptible. It's imperishable. The next word is undefiled, which means it's unpolluted. It's unstained by evil. I love to ride my bike. I enjoy running. And there was one particular day I was out riding my bike and went up Los Alamos Road and dropped down the other side. And this particular day, it must have been a spring day, because it was just lush and green. And I was so enamored by God's creation. And then I realized, this is post-flood. This is post-judgment. Can we imagine what it might be? Unpolluted by evil, unpolluted by sin, unstained, unblemished by sin. Our inheritance in heaven is that way. It's without stain, it's without blemish. It's without evil, any kind of infection like that. And it does not fade away. The Greek word, I don't have it off the top of my head, but there's a flower that is named after it, and it has the idea, it's like a flower fading away. A flower that just dies. Lily? No, it's not. It's some scientific flower name. I can't remember what it is. But the idea of not fading away, picture a flower that it blossoms, it's beautiful, and then it just begins to die, right? It fades. Any plant will do that. But the inheritance that is waiting for us in heaven is one that will not fade away. It's not going to wither. it's not going to go away. In fact, the verse says that it's reserved in heaven for you. It's being protected up there. It's like it's been placed into a safe deposit box and it's being reserved or kept there under divine protection, this inheritance. So we might see the things around us decaying and being destroyed and falling apart and rusting and blemishes and stained, but there is waiting for us this inheritance that God has that is unblemished, it's incorruptible, and it's being held in a safe deposit box, if you will, in heaven under God's protection, under God's reservations. And that will not be revoked, that will not be pulled away because it's reserved in heaven for you. And look at this, so not only is the inheritance being protected, but the salvation in letter D is secure, verse five. So it's being reserved for you who are protected. Again, to the chosen ones, to those who have been saved, those who have trusted Christ. They've been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, sanctified by the work of the Spirit, obedient to Christ, sprinkled with His blood. They are born again, they have a living hope, they have an inheritance reserved for them, and they are protected by the power of God. You and I, if we've trusted Christ as our Savior, are protected by the power of God. Now, will you be in an accident? Possibly. Will you face disease? Possibly. But your salvation is secure in God, because He is the one that is the author of it, He is the one that sustains you through it, and He is the one that will see you to the end. It's secure. It's not based on your efforts, on your striving. It's not based on anything that you and I can, you know, grunt through. It's based on His protection through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. We have a great salvation because it's protected by the power of God. Other religions will try to, it's about the work of man to strive to a divine being. But for the Christian, it's God who has reached down and saved. Wow, and it's being secure, it's protected. It's like a, it's actually a military term, a garrison, a protection of the military that's protecting the believers. This is a great salvation that we have. It's secure. We also have a great salvation because it is proven through trials. Look at that. So you're being protected by the power of God through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. That's ultimately glorification when Christ returns and we see him face to face. In this, you greatly rejoice. Now, in this is referring, in my opinion, to our great salvation or the protection of God in the midst of everything, we're greatly rejoicing. It's not just a little rejoicing. He says it again in verse 8, you're greatly rejoicing with joy inexpressible and full of glory. It's exceedingly gladness. It's exceeding gladness. These are words that I saw someone else write. They're exuberantly jubilant. Those are good words to express this joy. It's a great rejoicing. It's like, get up and tap your shoes or dance and do a little jig. You know, Josh would do a jig or do something, right? It's a shout hallelujah kind of joy. Because of this great salvation, in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you've been distressed by various trials. So these trials may be necessary, and they are not comfortable. They cause distress. And various has to do with the reality that they come in multiple forms. There's not just one kind of trial, but there's all kinds of different trials that men and women and boys and girls may be faced with. And trials are like tests, if you will. Chris pointed out well that Satan's intent for tests is for our destruction, but God's tests are, when you face the same test, God's perspective is that we will be refined, and our faith will become more mature, and our faith will be proven, and it will be shown to be proofed. It will be shown to be genuine, and authentic, and real. The idea in verse 7, "...so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold, which is perishable even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." It's this idea, wow, this goldsmith is heating up the iron pot or the gold pot and the dross is being risen to the, it's heated up, the metal is being heated up and the dross, the crud, the impurities are coming to the surface, that's scraped off, let it cool down, do it again, heat it up and the dross get more impurities, let it cool, heat it up again until you see the image of the iron worker, right? And we want to demonstrate and reflect, as we're going through these trials, the proof of our faith, the genuineness, the authenticity of our faith, just like gold will show its authenticity. So, and then it's to be result in the praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And I think this has to do with just this marvelous cheering of our savior who has done all this on our behalf. And the fact that our faith is pure and genuine, it's like this big celebration. Check it out, he came through and it's a faith that is awesome and it's real and it's authentic. And you can face anything. And in the midst of a world that's falling apart around us and is not Christ-like, we can live Christ-like lives because we have a great salvation. and even in the midst of trials, when we keep our head on straight, and understand how great this salvation is, and understand that the trials, from God's perspective, are not for our destruction, but rather for our maturing in Christ, the proving, the proofing, if you will, of our faith. So the world around us is saying, wow, this person is responding very differently from anybody else that is facing similar responses. It's a great salvation, verses 7 through 9, because it's centered on the person and work of Christ. So it may result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And though you have not seen Him, you love Him. And though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls." You know, the fact that we don't see Christ but we believe in him, and for some, it was a matter of just, well, probably for all of us, it's a matter of being exposed to the word of God, and understanding that Jesus is the son of God, and that he is God, and that he died for our sins, and he rose again for our sin, and understanding that Christ did all this, he is a person that really lived, We'll talk a little bit about the prophets who were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah and coming of the Christ. They just didn't know who and when exactly, but they were looking for the same one, though they might not have seen him or did not see him, they were expecting it. Why? Because of God's promises. They knew he was coming. And we have this great salvation because of the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. We don't see him, but we love him. Why do we love him? Because he died on the cross for our sins. He rose again for us, proving he was God. We love Him. We don't see Him now, but we believe in Him. Why do we believe in Him? Because He was who He said He was. He did all the miracles. He was able to, He was perfect. He was without blemish. He fulfilled prophecy. We believe in Him because He was a real individual. He is God, and He did a real work on our behalf, dying for our sin as a substitute for you and me. And again, we greatly rejoice. We do a little jig, if you will, with joy inexpressible. It's so exciting. You propose to your bride, your gal, and she is so excited, so giddy, she wants to tell everybody. You find out you're pregnant, and you're just so excited, you want to tell everybody. It's an inexpressible joy. It's an inexpressible one. But it's one that's full of glory. and it's obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. It's a great salvation because from start to finish God is going to complete every component of it. trusting Christ, the regeneration, the new birth, the sanctifying. We're declared righteous. We're growing in grace and knowledge of who Christ is. We die. We're glorified. He's going to complete it all. The inheritance is up there. It's waiting for us. And we've received the outcome of our faith, which is the salvation of our souls. It's a great salvation because it was written about by the prophets. Verse 10, as to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the spirit of Christ within them was indicating as he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you in these things, which now have been announced to you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. You know, it's amazing to think that these prophets of old were looking to Christ. You know, it's unclear exactly how much they knew about the Lord Jesus, but they knew there was Messiah coming. God, by the Holy Spirit, inspired them. Peter talks a little bit more about that in chapter 2 of 2 Peter, right? Or is it chapter 1 of 2 Peter 21? Men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. And so they were anticipating a time when Messiah would come. Isaiah, he spoke of the suffering servant. Daniel had a vision of the Son of Man entering God's glorious presence. Micah spoke of God's shepherd king who would be born in Bethlehem. And now we look back and we say, thank you, Lord, for writing through these men, inspired by the Holy Spirit, about the one, the Lord Jesus, that we can tie to these prophecies. But they were looking forward to it and they understood. or they predicted that he would suffer. They predicted that he would be raised again. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you. Wow! It was for us, for these readers. Wow! It wasn't time for them to see the Messiah yet, but there was coming a day when Messiah would come, and he did come, and he's coming again. He fulfilled that promise. He's coming again. He will fulfill that promise. And so it was, they were preaching the gospel. It's a great salvation because it was written about, documented. They were looking forward to it. They were inspired by the spirit of God. They were anticipating the Messiah and he has come. And then in verse 12, this last one is fascinating. It's a great salvation because even angels long to look. Angels, spiritual beings, angelic beings, created by God, powerful, right? But they have never, and will never, experience salvation. There's holy angels, and there are fallen angels, and there is no hope for them, according to what we read in scripture. And so they're curious about this redemption plan that God has given to mankind. It's wild, it blows my mind to think that an angel is, and the word here, looking, it's like they're stooping down to look intently and closely at what God has said in his word and what God is doing throughout the generations, saving a people for himself. They cannot or they will not experience that according to what we read in scripture. They're forever stuck. Fallen. And so angels are longing to look at what God has done through the Lord Jesus Christ on your behalf and on mine. How do we live a Christ-like life in a world that is collapsing around us, or is, let us say, not living Christ-like lives? It starts at the point of salvation, and it focuses on that salvation. And I've listed a number of reasons or a number of explanations as to why our salvation is so great. It's great because of God's mercy, because it provides living hope, because there's a future inheritance, because it's secure, it's proven through trials, it's centered on Christ, it's written about by the prophets, and even angels long to look into it. And so you and I can live a Christ-like life. If we're born again, we have the Spirit of God in us, and we fix our mind on who He is and His work, we can do it, folks. And that's where it starts, in understanding this great salvation that we have. Amen? Amen. All right, let's wrap it up. Our Father in Heaven, thank You so much for Your mercies that are new every morning. And Father, for this wonderful salvation by which You have called us, and Lord, You chose us. Lord, the work of the Spirit, the work of the cross, our Lord Jesus, Father, thank you. Help us to ever be mindful of how praiseworthy you are for providing this great salvation for us. Help us to live confidently with a living hope in a world around us that doesn't love you, that doesn't want you. Help us, God, to be examples of grace and godliness. In Christ's name, amen. This message has been brought to you by the Santa Rosa Bible Church. Our purpose is to lift up the Lord by living out the word, loving one another, and leading others to Christ. Be sure to visit us on the web at www.srbible.org or come visit us in person at 4575 Badger Road, Santa Rosa, California 95409. You can also give us a call at 707-538-2385.