CLOSING REMARKS -- "STAND FIRM IN THE TRUE GRACE OF GOD" OUR FUTURE GLORY IS GUARANTEED BY THE GOD OF ALL GRACE
INTRODUCTION:
Alarming to see how some people present the gospel -- How they explain the marvelous grace of God and what that will mean for your Christian life
1) Easy Believism -- just say the magic words -- "I trust in Jesus" -- no commitment; no repentance; no change in who you recognize as the ultimate authority in your life; not much different than rubbing a rabbit’s tail; No genuine faith involved -- just mouthing some formula and hoping for the best
2) Legalist -- Like the Pharisees back in Christ’s day; or like some of the present day teachings of the Roman Catholic Church; God’s Grace is available; He wants to freely give it to you; but you need to do your part and earn it by cooperating with God. Say some more prayers; get some more grace. Partake in mass daily, get more grace; give money to the church, get more grace. Do, Do, Do in order to Get, Get, Get.
3) Health and Wealth Gospel -- God has all sorts of goodies in this life ready to hand out to you -- sort of like Halloween candy -- all you need to do is go spiritual trick or treating -- Name and Claim what you want; deliverance from any type of physical problems; financial prosperity; your favorite sports team will always win -- you name it = A Perverted presentation of the Grace of God
yes, God is a good God
yes, God delights to give good gifts to His children
yes, God is powerful enough to give you any of these things
NO, this is not God’s design for how you will best grow spiritually or how He will receive glory from your life and testimony
Our study in 1 Peter -- if it has taught us nothing else -- should have taught us that we should expect to follow in the footsteps of Christ and experience some level of suffering before we enter into eternal glory
5:14 -- THIS IS THE TRUE GRACE OF GOD. STAND FIRM IN IT!
"On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking stand"
The foolish man built his house upon the sand; build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ
OUR FUTURE GLORY IS GUARANTEED BY THE GOD OF ALL GRACE
This is what gives us security both now and for the future -- the wonderful grace of Jesus
many of our problems come from being insecure
we are afraid, so we don’t step out in faith and do what we need to do
we are insecure about whether God really loves us and cares about us, so we get caught up in a works mentality trying to earn God’s favor
we are insecure about God’s forgiveness, so we live with the weight and paralysis of guilt
I. THE PROMISE OF FUTURE GLORY MADE BY THE GOD OF ALL GRACE
"called you to His eternal glory in Christ"
A. God makes some amazing promises
Matt. 19:27-30 Peter had some moments of insecurity when he questioned whether it was really worth it to make such sacrifices and commitment to follow the path of discipleship
"It will be worth it when we see Jesus"
B. Effectual Call -- 1:3 "according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope"
We didn’t start on this journey by our own self-effort or works --
Likewise, our confidence in reaching our final destination is in the grace of God
James 1:18 "In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures"
Rom. 8:18-39 "the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us --whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified"
(cf. the glory of the most beautiful jewelry to the cheap plastic rings given to kids by dentists -- you can't even make such a comparison -- not in the same league)
1 Cor. 1:7-9 "awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord"
2 Thess. 2:13-14 "But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brethren, STAND FIRM!"
Interesting tension:
Everything depends on God’s mercy and grace
Yet we are called to Stand Firm! -- as our responsibility in living by grace thru faith
C. Eternal Glory
What’s it going to be like to reign on the earth with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom??
What’s it going to be like to enjoy the glory of heaven forever?
That’s what the Almighty God has chosen for Himself -- He could have chosen any destiny He wanted --
We get to share in the same destiny
What’s the most valuable thing you can think of on earth? Gold and silver
the streets in heaven are made out of gold (Rev. 21:21)
D. God of all Grace
(elsewhere in 2Cor.1 -- "the God of all Comfort")
able to communicate that grace to us right now -- as much as we need to enable us to remain faithful and to persevere in the midst of whatever fiery trials we might experience
We experience the grace of God as we are united to Jesus Christ -- He is the one who came to bring us the grace of God
John 1: 14-18 "full of grace and truth; of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace"
We want to focus on Jesus in the midst of our trials, instead of focusing on our trials focus on His love for us -- He gave His life for us; His grace and mercy
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus" -- this is where we will experience the grace of God in our present troubles
II. THE PATHWAY TO THAT FUTURE GLORY = PRESENT SUFFERING
"after you have suffered for a little while"
"The Via Delorosa"
cf. The road that Christian travelled in Pilgrim’s Progress
Review of what we have covered in terms of the content of 1Peter (pass out outline)
III. THE PAYOFF OF THAT FUTURE GLORY
"will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you"
"He Himself" will do it -- the God of all Grace -- the only one who can do it; don’t think that it is your job to grab onto future glory and pull yourself up there
Psalm 1 -- picture the righteous standing tall and solid like a large oak tree
"the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish"
CONCLUSION:
2 Chron. 20:17 -- Moabites and Ammonites join forces to invade Judah and Jerusalem and to try to defeat King Jehoshaphat
appealed to God’s power and dominion vs. 6
appealed to the promise of God vs.9
acknowledged they did not have the power in themselves to win the victory vs. 12
ultimately the battle is the Lord’s (vs. 15); Yes we need to wrestle hard against our adversary the devil -- firm in our faith;
we need to gird our minds for action and live a life of holiness -- but most importantly
we need to stand firm in the true grace of God and see the salvation that God accomplishes
