Advent 2020: Hope - 1 Peter 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Our study this morning will be outlined in the following three points.

Number one, the praiseworthiness of God.

Number two, the hopelessness of mankind.

And number three, the hope of the born again.

Number one, the praiseworthiness of God.

Peter begins the body of his epistle with a phrase of praise to God.

There in the first part of verse three, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What does Peter mean by saying blessed?

This is not the Greek word translated in other places as blessed, meaning happy or fortunate.

This is an entirely different Greek word, which means praised.

So verse three could be rendered praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The indicative mood of the Greek word for blessed is used instead of the optative mood, which simply means this.

The optative mood is used to express a wish.

The indicative mood is used to make factual statements.

So not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed as a hope that that we would bless God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But rather, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is blessed.

He's making this praise declaration, right?

God is praise worthy.

In the book of Ruth, when Ruth returns after gathering barley in the field of Boaz and Naomi sees what she is, that she is able to bring home all of this food.

She exclaims, blessed be the man who took notice of you.

This is Ruth chapter two and verse 19.

She's not wishing fortune on Boaz, but praising him for his generosity towards Ruth.

So Peter begins with this exclamation of God's praiseworthiness before elaborating on his reason for praise.

He is saying our God is worthy of praise.

But then he'll go on to tell us why.

Why is God praiseworthy?

27 times in the Old Testament, the phrase Baruch Adonai, blessed be God, is used.

So it was a very common way to give praise to God, to ascribe it to him.

But here Peter adds to the phrase, this Old Testament phrase, Baruch Adonai, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He expands the Old Testament statement of praise to help us better understand who this God is that we are to praise.

In John chapter five and verse 18, John records, this was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, being Christ.

Because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own father, making himself equal with God.

So we relate most readily to God through his son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is God incarnate.

And those who will worship God rightly will worship him through his son.

And because of all that was accomplished by his son.

Which is why Peter elaborates in the following verses.

The point being, theology should lead us to doxology.

Our understanding of who our God is in the person and work of Christ should make us praise him.

He is praiseworthy.

The Bible was not written for us to merely know things about God.

To stack up the facts about him.

If we see him rightly by this book, then we will know him and we will be known by him.

And this absolutely necessitates our praise.

We ought to be moved to praise as we consider the things of God.

Is your life filled with the praise of God?

We do this in varied ways.

We do this verbally.

We do this in our heart, in our emotions, as we feel things towards the world and things towards God.

We do this in the way that we love one another.

Is your life bent in praise toward God?

If not, it's very possible that you don't know the things about God that you ought to know.

That you're not aware this morning that God is praiseworthy.

Or it could be that you know those things and yet you don't rightly hold them.

You don't rightly take them up and meditate upon them.

Understand your unworthiness and the way that God has loved you in Christ and therefore his praise worthiness.

Those of you who know me well know that I'm not a typically very emotional person.

I often pray that God will help me emote as I ought to.

This morning I was on my way here early and listened to a song called Behold Our God being sung by a choir.

And I started crying and I thought, what is wrong with you?

That was the immediate thought that went through my head.

What is going on with you this morning?

And I realized that I was actually having a wonderful response.

The praise worthiness of our God.

That it was actually a good and natural thing that I should be so overjoyed with our God.

Behold Our God.

He is praiseworthy.

So do not miss the praiseworthiness of God this morning in this text.

We don't want to move on quickly to the particulars.

We want to recognize that Peter is saying to us,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Lord is worthy of our praise.

Christ.

Second, noticed in the text, the hopelessness of mankind.

In order to see this point, we need to read a bit through today's text.

Peter says in verse 3,

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again.

Mercy is compassion shown where wrath is due.

Compassion shown where wrath is due.

We would have no need of mercy if we had not transgressed God's law and therefore deserved his wrath.

By transgressing God's law, which we have all done, we have rejected him as our king.

We have done what is right in our own eyes.

We think that we ought to self-determine the way in which we should go.

We have become rebels against our God.

Things would be all good if we had not done that.

But we have.

All mankind has acted with great wickedness.

This is the curse of the fall.

That Adam's sin, his nature passed to us and his guilt passed to us.

Apart from Christ, you and I are not all right.

We have a huge, huge problem.

We are separated from our creator.

This life will be miserable and without hope.

And the life to come will be all the more miserable and without hope.

As we are taken from him and devoid of his grace and mercy forever.

Remember, the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 12 of the Ephesian believers before Jesus intervened in their life.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

Remember that you are at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

This is a miserable state.

The world is running around trying to find the answer to the great problem that they have and not recognizing that the hope that they need, the restoration that is necessary is one that comes from God and is to God.

Apart from the mercy of God and the person and work of Jesus Christ, mankind is utterly hopeless because their end is destruction.

Paul wrote to the Philippian believers, chapter 3, verse 18 and into verse 19.

Many of whom I have often told you and now tell you, even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Their end is destruction.

If you have not believed in Jesus' accomplished work on your behalf, you are hopeless.

As you see the hope of the born again and long for the hope that we have, turn from the hopelessness of mankind in repentance and faith.

Believe in Jesus, what he has done on your behalf.

And we would pray this morning that you would discover hope, everlasting, abounding hope this day.

Now, beloved, those who are in Christ need to display this hope to the world around us.

This desperately hopeless mankind.

Peter later in this letter is going to ask us to be ready to give an answer when people ask us about the hope that we have.

Do we hope in the same things that the world hopes in?

Maybe this is why they don't ask the question.

Because they see the failing of our hope just as their hope fails.

We are meant to have a transcendent hope.

An alien hope.

A hope that is not our own but granted to us because of what God has done for us.

We are meant to be strange in this world.

But people would say, what is this hope?

And that we would give them the answer of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So let's look thirdly at the hope of the born again.

I hope that each and every person in this room today is, in fact, born again.

Has this hope.

Peter tells us that God is praiseworthy because, according to his great mercy,

he has caused us to be born again.

Notice first that it is according to his great mercy that we have been shown mercy.

God is merciful.

This is part of who he is.

This identifies him.

Moses wrote in Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 31,

Deuteronomy 4 · chapter mention

The Lord your God is a merciful God.

We have nothing to offer to the equation of our new birth.

We bring nothing to the table to come and sit down and draw up a peace treaty with God.

We have nothing to offer.

So it is owing entirely to the character of God that we receive any benefit from him.

It is according to his great mercy.

Because God is merciful toward mankind.

He has caused us to be born again.

Us who did not deserve to be given a new birth.

Rebels, enemies, deserved his wrath.

He instead has given to us his mercy.

And he has caused us to be born again.

What does it mean to be born again?

And how does this happen?

In John chapter 3, Jesus has a conversation with a priest named Nicodemus.

John 3 · chapter mention

In verse 3 and following, John records,

Jesus answered him,

Truly, truly, I say to you,

unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

How can a man be born when he is old?

Can he enter a second time into his mother womb and be born?

Jesus answered,

Truly, truly, I say to you,

unless one is born of water and the spirit,

he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh,

and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.

Do not marvel that I said to you,

you must be born again.

Right?

So he says,

Don't be surprised that I've said this thing.

In your natural birth,

you know, Nicodemus,

that you have a sin nature

and that you are guilty before God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh.

And so there must be this renewal,

this regeneration.

We must be born of the spirit.

So to be born again is to be born of the spirit.

We find this precious doctrine of regeneration.

Right?

A people made new,

not just in degree,

but in kind.

Right?

Not born again,

now born again.

Right?

Enemies of God now made friends.

Right?

Those without a family,

without a people,

now called God's family.

Right?

Adopted in Christ.

We do not and cannot work our way

into the kingdom of God.

This is all a doing of him by his spirit.

In Ezekiel chapter 36 and verse 27,

Ezekiel 36 · chapter mention

God speaks to the prophet Ezekiel and says,

And I will put my spirit within you

and cause you to walk in my statutes

and be careful to obey my rules.

Right?

This order is so very important.

We don't work.

We don't earn and then find ourselves saved.

We're saved.

And therefore,

we work.

Because of the wonderful kindness of God

to us in Christ.

Right?

Making us new.

Giving us the ability by his spirit

to obey.

We obey.

Right?

We declare his glory amongst the nations

because he has caused us

to be born again.

This does not happen

by human design.

Beloved,

if we were left alone,

we would never choose to do this.

Right?

Our nature would send us

in the opposite direction,

away from God

each and every day.

This should be massively humbling

to us.

As you look around

in a world in chaos

right now,

it is so easy.

We are so quick to judge others.

How could they think that way?

How could they believe such a thing?

How could they say that?

How could they act

so wickedly?

You ought to say,

but,

from the grace of God,

I would be the worst

of sinners.

Right?

That would be me

had God not saved

my soul.

In every single way,

I would be an enemy

of God.

Right?

I would be so bent

away from him

by my design,

but praise be to God

because of his great mercy

he has caused us

to be born again.

Right?

And let me add

a little

to the text,

1 Peter.

From John chapter 3,

John 3 · chapter mention

he's caused us

to be born again

by the power

of the Spirit.

John 3,

8,

Jesus says,

the wind blows

where it wishes

and you hear it sound,

but you do not know

where it comes from

or where it goes.

So it is with everyone

who is born

of the Spirit.

God brings about

this new birth.

John 1,

John 1:12

verse 12,

and following,

but to all who did receive him

who believed in his name,

he gave the right

to become children

of God

who were born

not of blood

nor of the will

of the flesh

nor of the will

of man,

but of God.

Proceeding from God.

1 John chapter 5

1 John 5 · chapter mention

and verse 1,

everyone who believes

that Jesus is the Christ

has been born of God.

We've been born of God

so we believe

that Jesus is the Christ

and everyone who loves

the Father loves

whoever was been born

of him.

So God causes

this new birth

by the power

of the Spirit

and he does it

through the Word

of God.

You can look a little

further down

in 1 Peter chapter 1

1 Peter 1 · chapter mention

beginning in verse 23.

There Peter writes,

Since you have been

born again,

not of perishable seed

but of imperishable

through the living

and abiding

Word of God.

For all flesh

is like grass

and its glory

like the flower

of grass.

The grass withers

and the flower

falls

but the Word

of the Lord

remains forever

and this Word

is the good news

that was preached

to you.

So God has caused us

to be born again

and he has caused us

to be born again

to a living hope.

This is so good.

He has caused us

to be born again

to a living hope.

And I think it's important

at this point

to make sure we're clear

on what our Bibles

mean when speaking

of hope.

I believe this quotation

from R.C. Sproul

will serve us well

to that end.

He once said,

Hope is called

the anchor

of the soul

in Hebrews 6.19

because it gives

stability

to the Christian life.

But hope is not

simply a wish.

We do this a lot.

I wish that such

and such

would take place.

Rather,

it is that

which latches

onto the certainty

of the promises

of the future

that God

has made.

That last part

of it again.

Hope is that

which latches

onto the certainty

of the promises

of the future

that God

has made.

Hope is

faith

in future tense.

Believing

in what God

has said

will come

to pass.

So Peter tells us

not only

that we have

hope,

but he uses

a very interesting

phrase

to say it.

He says we have

a living.

Hope.

Suppose

is meant

by that.

Now it could

refer to an

active hope

as in a hope

in the future

promises of God

that will yield

fruit for us

today.

It's a hope

that's alive,

it's living,

it's right now.

I think it does

mean that.

It could refer

to us being

born again

and therefore

we are alive

and have a

living hope

because we

are alive

and I also

think that it

does mean

that.

But I do

think that

most directly

and most

importantly,

it refers

to the phrase

that immediately

follows it.

through the

resurrection

of Jesus

Christ

from the dead.

We've been

born again

to a living

hope

through the

resurrection

of Jesus

Christ

from the dead.

I think that

Peter means to

tell us

that we have

a living hope

and that hope

is Jesus

Christ

who is alive.

We can have

an active hope

that's in us

today,

it means something

for today.

We can have

a hope

that is alive

because we

are alive

born again

but all of

that is because

Jesus Christ

is alive.

He is

our living

hope.

Jesus became

a man in

order to live

the perfect

life that we

should have

lived.

It was required

of us by

the Mosaic

Covenant.

We must be

perfect before

God to be

accepted in

God.

How can we

do such a

thing?

We've already

screwed that

up.

We've already

transgressed the

law.

We can't

make it

right.

We've already

failed.

Well,

Jesus enters

the scene

in the

incarnation

and lives

the life

that we

were supposed

to live.

And not

only that,

he dies

the death

that we

deserved.

He pays

for all

of that

wrath

that is

owed

us.

God is

not able

to not

punish

sin.

He

doesn't

simply

wipe

the

slate

clean.

He

must

punish

it

somehow.

So how?

He punished

it in

Christ.

So if you

were in

Christ this

morning,

you have

been born

again.

What has

happened for

you is

what's called

double

imputation.

There's a

trade that's

taken place.

What we

bring is

our sinfulness

sinfulness,

and Christ

pays the

penalty for

that sinfulness.

What he

gives to

us is

his

righteousness.

How

unfair

of a

trade.

We are

beneficiaries

of God's

great

mercy to

us

in Christ.

Double

imputation.

What a

precious

thing.

So we

live the

life that

we should

have lived.

He died

the death

that we

deserve.

And he

defeated

death by

being

resurrected.

Jesus

Christ is

raised from

the dead.

Jesus

Christ now

sits at

God's right

hand in

what is

called his

session.

He reigns.

He is

ruling.

Nothing is

happening outside

of his

careful attention.

He is

working on

behalf of

his people

all the

time.

Actively,

not passively.

He is

interceding

for us.

This is

a thing

that he is

doing in

his heavenly

realm.

But he

is ruling

in the

earth.

We of

all people

in crazy

times should

be steady

because we

have a

living hope.

Christ,

the one

who reigns.

We have

his spirit

who helps

us to

walk

obediently

in him.

Beloved,

we cannot

miss in

the

Advent

celebration

that we're

looking back

to a

first coming

but that

we're

actually

meant to

be thinking

now about

a second

coming.

Christmas

is aimed

at Easter,

the resurrection

of Christ

which guaranteed

everything

that God

said would

come to

pass

in Jesus.

Jesus.

He has

become the

surety of

all of

God's

promises

to his

people.

Paul wrote

in 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

beginning of

verse 20.

I love the

beginning of

verse 20.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

for all the

promises of

God find

their yes

in Jesus

Christ.

The surety,

the guarantee

because of what

he has

accomplished.

and in 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

and verse 1

Paul opens

his letter

this way.

Paul,

an apostle

of Christ

Jesus

by command

of God

our Savior

and of

Christ

Jesus

our

hope.

If hope

depends on

us,

we are

without

hope.

If you

place any

hope in

me,

you're going

to be

disappointed.

But you

can anchor

yourself

in Christ.

He is

our

living

hope.

He is

our

resurrected

Savior.

Everything

that follows

in verses

4 and

5

elaborate

on this

idea

of being

born

again

to a

living

hope.

So in

brief,

let me

just talk

us through

those last

two verses.

Number

one,

through

Christ,

we have

an

inheritance.

Not only

have we

been made

right with

God,

not only

have our

sins

been forgiven,

we've been

found

righteous

in

Christ,

but verse

4 says,

to an

inheritance

that is

imperishable,

undefiled,

and unfading,

kept in

heaven for

you.

We have

an immortal,

perfect forever

inheritance that

is secured in

heaven for

us.

An

eternal

treasure

for us.

And this

should

dramatically

change the

way in

which we

live in

this world.

I see

far too

many

Christians,

I see

myself,

during the

Christmas

season,

chasing the

things of

the world,

finding joy

and satisfaction,

ultimate joy and

satisfaction in

the things of

the world.

They will

disappoint.

But we

have a

future

reward that

we are

meant to

look to.

Jesus said in

Matthew 6,

Matthew 6:19

verse 19,

and following,

do not lay

up for

yourselves

treasures on

earth where

moth and

rust destroy

and where

thieves break

in and

steal.

Lay up for

yourselves

treasure in

heaven where

neither moth

nor rust

destroys and

where thieves

do not break

in and

steal.

It would be

foolish to

invest in

this life and

not be investing

in the life that

is to come.

Through Christ we

have an

inheritance.

And secondly,

through Christ we

have security.

Who by God's,

verse 5,

who by God's

power are

being guarded

through faith

for a salvation

ready to be

revealed in

the last time.

Those who

God saves,

he keeps.

Those who

he saves,

he keeps.

Having been

saved,

if it were up

to me to be

saved,

I would again

and again and

again lose

that salvation.

I would run

away from the

kindness and

mercy of God.

but because

he has

saved me,

he will

keep me.

Remember,

he has

caused us

to be born

again.

In John

John 10:28

chapter 10,

verse 28 and

following,

Jesus said,

I give my

sheep eternal

life and

they will

never perish

and no one

will snatch

them out of

my hand.

My father

who has given

them to me

is greater

than all and

no one is

able to snatch

them out of

the father's

hand.

I and

the father

are one.

Paul wrote

in Philippians

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

and verse 6,

and I am

sure of

this,

that he

who began

a good

work in

you will

bring it

to completion

at the

day of

Jesus

Christ.

So those

who God

has caused

to be born

again have

a living

hope through

the resurrection

of Jesus

Christ from

the dead

and have a

perfect

inheritance

kept in

heaven for

us.

And we

are being

guarded by

faith,

by God's

power to

that end.

This is why

we can join

with Peter

and the

church past

and present

and future

and the

chorus of

heaven in

saying,

blessed be

the God

and Father

of our

Lord Jesus

Christ.

Praised

be our

God for

what he

has done

for us

in Christ.

Beloved,

this Christmas

season,

may it be

true of

us that

we will

be a

people who

experience

the living

hope of

the gospel

of Jesus

Christ,

that we

display the

living hope

of the gospel

of Jesus

Christ,

and that we

proclaim the

living hope

of the gospel

of Jesus

Christ.

May it be

true of us

this Christmas

season that

we will be

a people who

say with

all that we

feel and

do and

speak,

blessed be

the God

and Father

of our

Lord Jesus

Christ.

Let's pray

together.