Sermon No. 2707: An Antidote to Satan's Devices
Exposition: 1 PETER 1; 5:1-9.
1 Peter 1:1, 2. Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappado-cia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctifcation of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace be multiplied. So may it be to all of you who are gathered here! Grace first, and peace next, but may both Grace and peace be multiplied unto you! Much Grace, and much peace, may you have, Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus!
3-5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefled, and that fades not away, reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Oh, what a blessed hope this is—that though we fall asleep, we shall surely wake again—and when we awake, it will be in the likeness of the great Head of the family and we ourselves shall be heirs of an inheritance in which there will be no sin and no corruption! That inheritance is kept for us and we are kept for it! So the double keeping makes it doubly sure. Happy are the people to whom these verses apply.
6. Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations. It is possible, in Christian experience, for a man to rejoice greatly and yet to be in heaviness. No man can explain this paradox, yet he understands it. "In heaviness through manifold trials," yet greatly rejoicing in the full conviction that they will soon be over and that then we shall enter into unutterable joy. Be of good courage, then, you who are now depressed, you who are in heaviness—"lift up your heads, for your redemption draws near." The fiery furnace is very hot, but the Son of Man is in it with you and, by His Grace, you shall come out of the furnace before long.
7, 8. That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it is tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, you love. Ah, love can embrace Him whom the eyes cannot see and the hands cannot hold!
8-10. In whom, though now you see Him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you. I have heard of some divines who will never read and never study because they have such an abundant measure of the Spirit of God that they can talk any quantity of nonsense extemporaneously! But it was not so with the Prophets. They had very much of the Spirit of God, yet, for all that, they were most diligent students. They "enquired and searched diligently"—even those Prophets "who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you." I have a very grave suspicion of that so-called "inspiration" which enables a man to preach without study! If there were such a thing, it would be a premium upon laziness—and I feel sure that the Spirit of God would never countenance such a thing as that.
11. 12. Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Spirit sent down from Heaven. The Prophets lived for us! They were Inspired for us! And the benefits of their holy lives and gracious words are for us upon whom the ends of the earth have come.
12. Which things the angels desire to look into. They, as well as the Prophets, are deep students of the unsearchable mysteries of Christ.
13. Therefore gird up the loins of your mind. Pull yourself together. Be not mentally and spiritually in disarray, but be ready for holy running or sacred wrestling—"Gird up the loins of your mind."
13-17. Be sober, and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, but as He who has called you is holy, so be you holy in allmanner of conversation; because it is written, Be you holy; for Iam holy. Andifyou call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear In holy fear—not in servile, slavish fear—but in a blessed state of sacred timidity and awe lest you should offend your God and Savior.
18-25. Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God who raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another fervently with a pure heart: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which lives andabides forever. For all flesh is as grass, andall the glory ofman as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away: but the Word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you.
Peter 5:1. The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Here again, as in the first Chapter, Peter links the sufferings of Christ with His Glory.
2-9. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away. Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yes, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility; for God resists the proud, and gives Grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same affictionsare accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.