Faithful To The End

Hear the word of the Lord.

Resist him.

Firm in your faith.

Knowing that the same kinds of sufferings.

Are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

And after you have suffered a little while.

The God of all grace.

Who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ.

Will himself restore.

Confirm.

Strengthen.

And establish you.

To him be dominion.

Forever and ever.

Amen.

Right now there is a woman named Kelsey Finler.

Who has captivated the attention of really probably millions of people.

Particularly in the United States.

Maybe around the world.

Anybody seen Kelsey Finler's videos this week?

Kelsey Finler is attempting to be the first American woman.

To travel alone.

From California to Hawaii.

In a rowboat.

She's a solo rower.

In a rowboat.

She left about 11 days ago.

From the coast of California.

And she's attempting to be the first American woman to do it.

Alone.

All the way to Hawaii.

She's almost two weeks into a feat.

That if she accomplishes it.

Will take probably three months.

To finish.

And each day.

I'm not sure.

Maybe she has satellite access in some way.

I know there's lots of people who are tracking her.

But each day.

She takes a moment to record about a 60 second video.

A brief update on her condition.

And on her progress.

And she posted online.

There's ocean rowing experts.

Who are tracking her progress.

Who are keeping up with what's going on.

And they're posting.

And they're commenting on what she's doing.

Earlier this week.

A fairly significant weather system moved over Kelsey's location.

For about a day and a half.

There were significantly high winds.

14 foot waves.

For a day and a half.

Through the middle of the night.

Her updates around that time were fascinating.

I would encourage you to go and watch them.

As she was told by those who are helping her support team.

This weather system is coming in.

She's preparing herself.

She's preparing her ocean rower for this particular event.

She's recording videos as she's going through the event.

And it's fascinating.

The most interesting video that she posted though.

Wasn't during the storm.

For me it was the one that she posted the day after.

On day 8.

After the weather had cleared.

The sea had begun to calm.

A westerly wind came in.

Moving from west to east.

And it began to drive her in the completely wrong direction.

Here for 8 days.

She has rowed.

And rowed.

And rowed.

Trying to go west to Hawaii.

She prepares herself.

She gets even almost excited.

About the reality of this big storm that's coming in.

She's well prepared for that.

She's eager.

And then the storm goes away.

And she's made it through.

And then suddenly a completely different obstacle comes in.

Just a wind.

And all of that ground that she gained during that storm is suddenly lost.

As the wind pushes her in the wrong direction.

She needs to go.

And as you can imagine this was emotionally difficult for her.

Through tears she recorded a video.

She spoke of how demoralizing it was to have weathered the storm.

Only to encounter yet another unforeseen obstacle.

That causes you to lose precious miles that you worked so hard to gain.

And on that video at various points she said this.

I'm summarizing.

She said this.

I knew it was going to be hard.

And this is just one of the hard things.

Tomorrow is going to be better.

I'm still rowing.

I'm still rowing.

The fact of the matter is.

Every day on this journey that she's taking.

Is going to be hard.

There won't be a single day that's easy.

The difficulties will change.

Sometimes it's a big weather system.

That comes in and threatens to capsize your boat.

Other times it's a strong wind that comes in.

And it begins to push you in the wrong direction.

There's going to be other difficulties that come along the way.

Every day will be difficult.

Every day will come with its own kind of dangers, toils, and snares.

But as long as Kelsey keeps rowing.

Eventually she'll reach her destination.

And that elusive and ultimate better tomorrow will actually come.

Now it's watching her videos and following her progress this week that her experience reminds me a little bit of what Peter is doing in this letter.

And what he has been saying to the suffering Christians in Asia Minor here in 1 Peter.

Life in this fallen world is hard for everyone.

Right?

But the Christian experience in this life is one that Peter calls a kind of exile.

It's not that our lives are necessarily more difficult.

But we face a kind of suffering and a difficulty that is unique to our faith.

It comes with suffering specifically for the name of Christ.

And though the obstacles that we face in relationship to our faith may vary from day to day.

Each day brings its own kind of trouble.

Its own kind of danger, toil, and snare.

And through those hardships, the temptation will be specifically to give up.

To fall away.

To stop rowing.

And that temptation can, on some days, seem almost impossible to resist.

And it's not always in the big storms that we have to weather.

Sometimes it's after having come through a huge storm and then just to only be met immediately by another, even if lesser, obstacle.

Where the temptation becomes increasingly strong to just say, I think I'm done with this.

Maybe this isn't worth it.

Maybe this isn't worth it.

So in this final section of 1 Peter, God calls us through Peter's writing to persevere.

To be faithful to the very end.

Loved ones, I want you to make it to the very end.

I want you to make it to the very end.

I want you to make it to the very end because Jesus himself said that only those who endure to the end will be saved.

Those who fall away will not receive the eternal inheritance that God has promised to his own.

Which means that we must prepare ourselves by God's grace to stand firm in the faith of the gospel of Jesus each and every day as we press on towards heaven.

And Peter helps us to see how to do that here in these verses.

And he gives us two exhortations first.

He instructs us on two ways that we need to actively persevere in the faith.

And then the third thing that he does is actually quite different.

And it's all kind of rooted in this third thing.

Where instead of telling us something to do, he gives us an assurance, a comfort of God's preserving grace.

And that's what I want you to see.

As we're seeking to be faithful to the end,

I want you to see from Peter's language here what it looks like to persevere in faith,

a real act of perseverance on our part that's rooted in the comfort and the rest of God's preserving grace.

That in his grace, he will see us through to the very end.

First thing Peter says in verses 6 and 7,

humble yourselves before God.

Humble yourself before God.

If you're going to be faithful to the end, if you're going to make it to the end and be saved,

you're going to have to humble yourself before God.

We'll look at it in verse 6.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God,

so that at the proper time, he may exalt you,

casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Now this first exhortation, it's reaching back,

it's finding its ground in verse 5,

verse 5, where quoting Proverbs 3,

Peter says that God opposes the proud,

but gives grace to the humble.

Do you see it there in verse 5?

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

What's Peter saying then?

Because God sets his face against the prideful

and meets the humble heart with an outpouring of divine favor,

Peter now urges us to actively humble ourselves before God.

And in the context of this passage,

humility is persevering in faith

that God will indeed fulfill his promises to us in Christ.

Humbling ourselves before God here

is to patiently await the future glory

that he has promised his children

by enduring the sufferings of this life,

trusting that he will indeed deliver his people.

That's the significance, actually,

in the language that Peter's using here.

He doesn't just say, humble yourself before God.

Notice what he says.

Humble yourselves, therefore, before what?

The mighty hand of God.

Now, Peter just isn't using random language.

This isn't literary flourishing

that he's doing with this phrase.

This is a description of God and of God's power

that's prevalent in the Old Testament Scriptures.

It's always used particularly in relation

to God delivering his people,

delivering them from trouble,

delivering them from sin.

Think on that.

This God who has called you,

whom you believe and follow,

is a God of salvation.

He is a God of deliverance.

And Peter says,

in the midst of your suffering,

in the midst of your hardship,

humble yourselves before God.

Humble yourselves before the God

who indeed delivers,

who is your salvation.

To humble ourselves then

is to trust

that our eternal salvation

comes from God alone.

And whoever thus humbles themselves before him,

Peter says,

will at the right time

be exalted.

Exalted with Christ

Christ.

And at Christ's return.

What is that telling us?

It's telling us that anything less

than persevering faith

is pride

that God opposes.

Not only that he will oppose here in this life,

but that he will oppose

in the judgment at Christ's return.

Those who humble themselves

before the mighty hand of God

will be exalted by God

at the proper time.

Those who do not humble themselves

before the mighty hand of God

will not be exalted,

but will be condemned

and judged.

So trust

that he alone

is your salvation.

And that at the appointed time,

at Christ's return,

he will exalt you.

And you will share

in Christ's glory.

Now in verse 7,

Peter says that this humility

manifests itself

in a particular way.

It manifests itself

when believers

hand their worries

over to God.

Look what he says.

This is not a separate imperative.

This is how you humble yourself

by casting all your anxieties

on him

because he cares for you.

Casting all your anxieties

on him

is one way

that you humble yourself

under the mighty hand

of God.

It follows then,

logically,

in what Peter is saying,

that worry

or anxiety

is a form of pride

that God will oppose.

at the heart

of all of your anxieties

is pride.

It's not always

pride alone.

Don't misunderstand me.

There are all kinds

of things

that contribute

to our emotional distress.

distress.

But the one thing

that is always there,

no matter what else

may be contributing

to your distress,

is a kind of pride.

It's at work

in every anxious heart.

Pride always

makes little of God.

Worry and anxiety,

giving in to worry

and anxiety,

is a diminishment

Diminishment

of God

and his faithfulness

and his power

and his goodness.

The mighty hand of God

is diminished

when we live

in worry

and anxiety.

Steve Schreiner

said this,

or Tom Schreiner,

excuse me,

when believers

are filled with anxiety,

they are convinced

that they must solve

all the problems

in their lives

on their own.

The only God

they trust in

is themselves.

When believers

throw their worries

upon God,

they express

their trust

in his mighty hand,

acknowledging

that he is Lord

and sovereign

over all of life.

Now,

I want you to notice

what Peter's saying

and what he's not saying.

Notice it isn't

the mere experience

or feeling

of worry

that matters.

It's what we do

with those anxieties

that matters here.

So,

I don't want you

to walk away

thinking if you get

nervous about

something today

or if you have

a sense of anxiety

about a particular

thing in your life

that that means

that you've sinned

and your heart

is lifted up

in pride against God.

No,

he's not saying

the experience of it

or the feeling of it.

It's what we're doing

with that anxiety

that can become problematic.

Pride

manifests itself

by taking matters

into our own hands.

We buy into

the illusion

of control

that really

the one

who is sovereign

over my life

and actually can

control the events

of my life

is me.

And so,

we put our trust

and our hope

ultimately

in ourselves.

That's the problem here.

That doubts

God's faithfulness.

Humble faith,

on the other hand,

takes all of those concerns,

those moments

of worry

and anxiety

and cast them

on the Lord.

Cast them

on the mighty

hand of God.

This means

trusting

your soul

to Him

and to His

sovereign care.

In the immediate

context of this passage,

suffering

as a Christian,

casting all our anxieties

on Him

means persevering

in faith

and obedience

despite

the constant

threats

and ridicule

from those

who are hostile

to God

and His ways.

Do you see that here?

Humble yourselves

before the God

of your salvation

at the right time,

at His appointed time,

at Christ's return,

in other words.

He will exalt you.

You will share

in Christ's glory.

The way

you will do this

is that when

you're overcome

with anxiety

because of the suffering

you're facing,

instead of trying

to control it yourself

or taking matters

into your own hand

or just living

in despondency,

you,

by God's grace

and through

persevering faith,

cast those worries

and anxieties

on the Lord,

trusting your soul

to Him,

trusting in His goodness

and His faithfulness

in your life,

entrusting all things

to His sovereign care.

Now,

Peter could have rooted

this exhortation

in so many attributes

of God,

couldn't he?

He could have said,

cast all your cares

upon Him

because He has all power

and can defeat

all your enemies.

That would have been great.

It's not what he says.

What is it that he says?

Cast all your cares

on Him

because He cares

for you.

This exhortation

is rooted

in the attribute

of God's providential care.

What a wonderful comfort

that is.

It's wonderful

to know that God

is all powerful

and that He can

defeat all of our enemies

and He can conquer

all of our hardships.

It's amazingly comforting

to know

that He's not a distant God

but He's a personal God

who not only has that power

but actually has the care

to perform it

and the concern

and the love

and the compassion

to do it.

Do you know

that God cares for you?

He really does.

He loves you.

If you are His,

you will always be His.

He has set His love on you

from before the foundations

of the world.

He has called you.

He knows

what you're going through.

Indeed,

He is sovereign

over what you're going through

and He will see you through it.

He will not abandon you

and He invites you

to cast all of those concerns

and worries

and anxieties on Him

primarily because

He cares about you.

He loves you.

How do I know that?

How do we know

that He really does care?

because He

who did not spare

His own Son

but gave Him up

for us all,

how will He not

also with Him

graciously give us

all things,

Paul wrote

in Romans 8.

God's care for you

was proven

at the cross.

His eternal love

and care

was proven

as Jesus,

the righteous one,

died in your place

and took your sin

and suffered God's wrath

for your sake.

That's the pinnacle

of love and care

and if He's so willing

to do that,

how could we not

entrust Him

with our lesser hardships

and difficulties?

Therefore,

you can cast

your anxieties

on Him

trusting that He is good

and that He will

fulfill His promise.

Second,

Peter says,

not only

are we to

humble ourselves

before God,

second,

we are to

stand firm

in the faith

against the devil,

stand firm

in the faith

against the devil,

verses 8 and 9.

He moves on

and He says,

be sober-minded,

be watchful

because your adversary,

the devil,

prowls around

like a roaring lion

seeking someone

to devour.

Resist him,

firm in your faith,

knowing that the same

kinds of sufferings

are being experienced

by your brothers

throughout the world.

This is now

the third time

that Peter has

called us

to spiritual sobriety

in this letter.

Remember,

it takes sober-mindedness

to set your hope

fully on the grace

that will be completed

at Christ's return.

We saw that

in chapter 1,

verse 13.

We also saw

in chapter 4

and verse 7

that faithful communion

with God

and prayer requires

a kind of

spiritual sobriety,

a sober-mindedness

as well.

Here,

the call

to spiritual sobriety

and alertness,

be sober,

be watchful,

is for the purpose

of recognizing

and resisting

Satan's schemes

against you.

Peter says

the devil

is a real adversary.

He compares him

to a lion

who is prowling about

seeking that he might

destroy us.

And he says

we need to be alert

to this reality.

We need to think

clearly about this.

We need to keep

our heads about this

and recognize

that of all the hardships

you're facing,

of all the enemies

that you may have

in this life,

there is a great

spiritual power

behind them.

Your sufferings

for Christ

are not about

that person

who is ridiculing you.

That's not the extent

of the power

that is at work

against you.

No,

it's far greater

than that.

It is a power

that is far more

significant

than you probably

imagine.

And he is seeking

to destroy you.

He wants to destroy you.

And you need to be

alert to that reality

lest you're devoured.

Now,

we need to keep

all of this in context

to really understand

why Peter is saying

this here.

Why is he suddenly

jumping to this idea

about Satan

as a roaring lion?

Let's put it together.

Remember,

the primary

suffering

facing believers

in this letter

was not the threat

of death.

Even though that was

a possibility,

it always is a possibility.

That's not really

the primary means

of suffering here.

The primary means

of suffering

in the letter

is public ridicule.

It is social

ostracization

specifically because

of your faith

in Christ,

because you're

a Christian

and you have decided

to faithfully live

as a Christian

before the watching world.

Relatively few Christians

will ever be called on

to give their lives

for the faith

in death,

in martyrdom.

Every Christian,

every faithful believer

without exception

will face the ire

of unbelievers

in their lives.

The Bible makes

this abundantly clear.

The world is not

on your side.

Your unbelieving family

is not on your side.

Your friends

that you love

and that you enjoy

friendship with

and that you enjoy

fellowship with,

when it comes

to your faith,

faith,

they do not love you.

They cannot

love you.

Your expectation

should be

that they will

be hostile

toward your faith

and the life

that it produces.

Jesus.

They say,

how do we know that?

Well,

Paul really

straightforwardly told us

that in 2 Timothy.

2 Timothy 3

says,

indeed,

all who desire

to live a godly life

in Christ Jesus

will be persecuted.

Not put to death,

but you will face

the ridicule of the world,

of people that you love,

because of your faithfulness

to Jesus.

And Paul goes on to say

that evil people

and imposters,

they're going to go on

from bad to worse.

They're going to keep deceiving

and being deceived.

Our expectation,

then,

should be that

our suffering

in this life

for Christ

will be real

and it will be experienced

by us all.

That's the context

in which Peter is writing.

That's what he's dealing

with here.

This immersion

into a world

that is hostile

toward what we believe

is extraordinarily difficult,

which is why

compromise

is such a pervasive problem

in the church.

It's not because

people come

to Christ

automatically thinking

that they're just going

to do Christianity

their own way.

It doesn't work like that.

When someone first

comes to Christ,

they come genuinely,

at least ostensibly,

prepared to be

a genuine follower.

But Jesus said

there is a category

of person

that comes to him

and then the sun

gets real hot

the cares of this life,

the trouble

of this world

comes our way

and they fall away

and they fade away.

Why?

Because compromise

is often born

suffering,

hardship.

No one wants

to be an outcast.

Peter wants us

to know

that this is

Satan's tactic,

that this is happening

intentionally

to you,

that we must

remain alert

to it

lest we fall away

from the faith.

The hostility

from the world

is Satan's roar,

this roaring lion.

What is the roar here?

A lion roars

to intimidate.

What is the

intimidation

tactic

that Satan

is using?

Is it not

persecution?

Is it not

hatefulness

and hostility

from those

who do not

believe what we believe

or maybe even

think that it's

dangerous?

And if he can

succeed in

intimidating us

to fall away,

then we will

have been

devoured.

To be devoured

is to stop

rowing.

To say,

enough,

this isn't what

I thought it

was.

Maybe this

isn't actually

real.

As a result,

Peter,

his warning

reminds us

that while

our enemies

may have

many faces,

there is a

real spiritual

power behind

them all.

And the

spiritually

complacent

and asleep

are susceptible

to the

devouring

lion.

I don't want

you to be

susceptible

to the

devouring

lion.

I want

you to be

alert.

I want

you to

recognize

what's

actually

happening

in this

spiritual

war that's

going on

around you,

lest you

fall away.

What does

Paul say to

the Ephesians?

We don't

wrestle against

flesh and

blood.

We wrestle

against

rulers,

against

authorities,

against cosmic

powers over

the present

darkness,

against spiritual

forces of

evil in the

heavenly places.

There is a

significant power

that is seeking

your destruction

and you must

remain alert

to him.

Spiritual

sleepiness,

lacking those

spiritual disciplines,

not staying

faithful to the

word, not

spending time in

prayer, not

being faithful to

your church, not

doing all the

things that Christ

calls us to do

as his people.

Spiritual

sleepiness,

complacency,

that puts you

at great risk.

It makes you

vulnerable to

Satan's schemes.

What then does

it mean to be

faithful to the

end?

Well here,

Peter says

clearly you have

this enemy,

resist him.

Resist him.

How do we

resist him?

Firm in the

faith.

This devouring,

This

temptation,

this isn't

about luring you

to do something

you shouldn't do.

This is about

luring you away

from Jesus.

This is about

luring you away

from the

gospel.

This is about

calling you to

abandon the

faith that you

have professed.

That's what this

devouring is.

That's what the

warning is about.

What does it mean

then to resist?

It means to

stand firm in

Christ, to

stand firm in

the faith no

matter what it

is that you're

facing.

And you need to

recognize that

the stakes are

high.

They're higher

than you might

imagine.

giving in to

Satan's schemes

by compromising

the gospel

and you

will go to

hell.

That's the

stakes.

That's from

Jesus who

said only

those who

conquer,

only those who

endure to the

end will be

saved.

Friends, you

can't afford to

take that risk.

You can't afford

to take the risk

of complacency

and of

vulnerability.

Peter says,

be sober-minded,

be alert,

resist him

firm in the

faith.

And then he

gives us this

final statement

in verse 9.

He corrects an

error that's

often at work

in those facing

the hostility of

the world.

The error is

believing that

what you're facing

is unusual

and that you're

alone in it.

And is that

not what Peter

has been

describing this

whole letter?

If anything,

he's been

saying, you

should expect

this to happen,

this hardship.

And you need

to be prepared

for it and you

need to trust

God in it.

That's basically

the point of the

letter, isn't

it?

Peter is seeking

to comfort the

weary soul here.

He's reminding

us that this is

what we should

expect.

And then he

says, you are

not alone.

What you're

facing is what

your brothers all

over the world

are facing.

It's the same

experience.

Just think about

how we prayed

today.

We've got it

easy, don't

we?

What about

Kevin and

Denise, whose

lives are at

significant risk

just to be where

they are doing

what they're doing?

they may come

home this summer

and that elder

might lose his

life as a

result.

That's a high

risk, isn't

it?

What about

Val and

Angela?

For years

now, in the

middle of war,

they have church

services while

bombing sirens

are going around

them in Odessa

and Ukraine.

Val right now

is trying to

minister the

gospel.

On the front

lines of war.

They're going

through a lot,

aren't they?

When we face

hardships, that

doesn't mean, I'm

not trying to

diminish the

hardship that we

would face for

Christ.

That's not at all

what I'm trying

to do.

In fact, I

think Peter's

trying to stay

away from that

thing as well.

He's basically

saying, don't

think that what

you're going

through isn't

real persecution.

But whenever

you're having

that hard time

with that family

member, you're

having that hard

time with that

friend or colleague

or whatever it

is, or the

world or this

community is

coming against

us.

You know what

can bring a

comfort?

Is to say, you

know what, I

can think about

Val and Angela.

I can think about

Kevin and Denise

and their church.

I can think about

Christians all over

the world.

You know what I'm

going through?

That's not unique.

We're in this

together.

together.

And the Lord is

faithful.

Is that not a

comfort to your

soul?

You see what

Peter's doing in

this comforting?

Our sufferings are

first and foremost

a share in Christ's

sufferings.

We know that if we

suffer with him, we

will also share in

his glory in

eternity.

But we also share in

the sufferings of

other believers.

We enter into it.

Therefore, we can

take heart.

We're not actually

alone.

We suffer together

and we stand firm

in the faith together.

So Peter says, you're

going to be faithful

to the end.

If you're going to

make it to the end

and you must make it

to the end, you're

going to have to

humble yourself before

the mighty hand of

God.

And he says, you're

going to have to

resist the devil firm

in the faith.

And then he does

something different in

the last part of the

paragraph.

Look at verses 10

and 11.

After you have

suffered a little

while, the God of

all grace who has

called you to his

eternal glory in

Christ will himself

restore, confirm,

strengthen, and

establish.

To him be the

dominion forever and

ever.

Amen.

He does something

different here.

In 6 to 9, he's

exhorting us to

persevere in faith so

that we will receive

that eschatological

reward at Christ's

return.

He doesn't do that

here.

This isn't an

exhortation.

This is an assurance.

We can be faithful to

the end because God

will be faithful to the

end.

That's his point.

What's he doing here

at the end?

He's saying, rest in

the preserving grace of

God.

That seems paradoxical to

everything that he's just

said, doesn't it?

But it's not.

We're going to think on

it.

He said, listen, you got

to go to the end.

Only those who make it to

the end will be saved.

You're going to make it

there by humbling yourself

before God, standing firm

in the faith despite the

trials that you go

through.

And by the way, you can

rest that God will be

faithful to the end for

you.

It's amazing.

The little while here, he

says, after you've

suffered a little while,

that's not a temporary

season in your life.

That's all of your life.

The little while here,

that's all of life.

At the end of this life, he

says, after you've

suffered in this life for

Christ, then God is going

to exalt you.

Peter calls it a little

while because the

suffering is limited.

It's minuscule in

comparison to the glory

that awaits us, that God

called us to in Christ

Jesus.

Again, Romans 8, for I

consider that the

sufferings of this present

time are not worth

comparing with the glory

that is to be revealed in

us.

That's what Peter's saying

when he says a little

while.

He doesn't mean for a

couple of months you're

going to suffer.

He means, no, this life is

going to be a life of

suffering for you, but

it's going to seem like a

little while compared to

what is to come.

And then he says, after

this, after this life, God

himself will restore and

confirm and strengthen and

establish you.

Now, that's not four

different things that God

is doing.

That's one thing.

What's he saying?

This is what God's going

to accomplish in your life

after this time of

suffering.

He will bring your

salvation to completion

at the return of Christ.

That's what he's saying.

This is the eternal

reward that will be made

complete at Christ's

return.

It's that imperishable

inheritance that is

ours in Christ Jesus.

But I want you to notice

what it's grounded in.

This assurance of

eternal salvation is not

grounded in your

persevering faith.

Do you see that?

In other words, we don't

get to the end and God

say, you know what?

Great job.

Because you did this, let

me reward you with

heaven.

That's not how it works.

That's not what he roots

it in.

It's not resting ultimately

on you.

What is he rooted in?

He roots it in God's

preserving grace.

After you've suffered a

little while, the God of

all grace, the God who

possesses all grace and

gives all grace, he will

then bring your salvation

to completion.

He's the God of all grace.

He gives that grace to

everyone he calls in Christ

to eternal glory.

And he is able to do it

because he has all dominion

forever and ever.

He is able.

He is willing.

He has called you.

He will do it.

Again, Romans 8.

Those whom he predestined,

he called.

Those whom he calls,

he justifies.

Those whom he justifies,

he will glorify.

And then Paul says,

what should we say to that?

If God is for us,

who can be against us?

The ground of our assurance

is not ultimately in what we

do.

It is in the sovereign grace

of God.

And we must rest in him

knowing that he will

complete the work that he

has begun in us.

He has secured eternal

salvation for his people

and he has secured his

people for eternal salvation.

That's what we saw all the way

back in chapter 1.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Glory to God alone.

Must we persevere?

Yes.

Does it ultimately rest on us?

No.

It's all of God's grace.

This is his work.

It's his work.

And you can rest in him.

Because here's the thing.

Day by day,

as you're going through

struggles and hardships,

whatever it is,

temptations to sin,

whatever it is,

there's going to be a lot

of days where you're going

to think,

you know,

if this is up to me,

I'm not going to make it.

If it's up to me,

I'm not going to make it.

And let me tell you,

if it was ultimately up to you,

you wouldn't make it.

But it's not ultimately up to you.

Your life is in his hands.

He calls us to persevere in faith.

But it's his preserving grace

that makes that possible.

And you can rest in that.

I want you to be faithful to the end

because only those who persevere

to the end will be saved.

Perseverance is not passive.

It doesn't happen to us, right?

We must actively humble ourselves

before God.

We must actively resist the devil

and all his schemes.

We must actively seek

to be faithful to Christ

and to his gospel.

We must do that

just like we must believe

to be saved.

And yet,

it is only through God's

preserving grace

that our persevering action

is energized

and achieved.

These commands

and these warnings

through the scriptures,

and there are many of them,

this is written to

who Peter understands

to be true believers.

And then he writes

as a significant warning,

doesn't he?

These warnings,

these commands

in the scriptures,

they are the means

by which God

preserves our souls.

and all those

whom he effectively calls

will obey them.

They will keep the faith.

As John said,

those who don't keep the faith,

they left because

they didn't belong to us

to begin with,

not truly.

God's preserving grace

is then demonstrated

through our active faith.

Therefore,

it's not a paradox.

both things are running

parallel to one another.

You can rest

in God's grace

and using that

as the motivation

to pursue

all the means

of a persevering faith.

In other words,

we trust

and obey.

And that's how

we thrive in exile.

That's how we thrive

in exile.