The Reverent Life Of The Redeemed

Well, again, that's a great song for us to sing before we come to our time in God's word, particularly the passage we're going to be looking at this morning from Peter's letter, first letter that he wrote to the aliens, the exiles scattered all over Asia minor. And so take your Bibles and turn with me to one Peter chapter one, and we're going to move on to the next section here, which refers to Jesus as the Lamb who was slain. One Peter chapter one, verse 17. If you address his father, the one who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth, knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your feudal way of life, inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood as of a lamb, unblemished and spotless the blood of Christ for he was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you, who through him are believers in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so that your faith and hope are in God.

Father, thank you for the privilege that we have to address you as Father when an undeserved privilege. And we never want to take our relationship with you for granted. We don't want to pursue upon that intimacy that you have secured for us in Christ. And so as we consider what you said in your word about the importance of fearing you, or this is sometimes a confusing concept for us, and scripture seems to contradict itself at points when it refers to this subject of fear. And so would you help us this morning get our minds around this a little bit better? And that, Lord, we would leave here today more done with sin than ever before because of the great cost that it required to pay for our sin. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Well, one of the strongest human emotions is fear, and few things have the power to control us or influence us or motivate us like fear. And we are well aware of that maybe more than ever in light of the fact that we were living presently in a culture of fear. Are we not? Where it seems like people are worried and anxious about everything and anything terrorist attacks, climate change, financial collapse, political turmoil, civil unrest, increasing crime and need, I mention a global pandemic. And I don't think there's a better example of how fear can exert control over us and cause us to do things that we normally wouldn't do than how many people in our country are responding to how our national government and some state and local governments and even some of our churches and pastors have handled and continue to handle the coronavirus.

And I would submit to you that never in our lifetimes if we needed to be reminded more of the most repeated command in scripture. Fear not. Fear not. I just began to wade into this latest release by Michael Reeves, who's a very fascinating individual, ministers over there in Great Britain at a seminary, a bible college seminary there. And he's written a book called Rejoice and Tremble, the surprising good news of the Fear of the Lord. And he tackles the potentially confusing paradox of fear in the Bible. And what I mean by that is many times the Bible talks about fear negatively and refers to it as a bad thing that we're not to do and from which Christ came to rescue us. You're familiar with verses like Luke chapter one, verse 74. This was the words of Zachariah when he was talking about the coming of Jesus Christ to grant us that we being rescued from the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. In Hebrews chapter two verse 14, it says that through death Christ might render powerless him who had the power of death that is the devil and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. And then maybe the most familiar verse in one John chapter four, verse 18, there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves punishment and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

And so if these are the only verses we had to go on, we would think fear is a bad thing. But then at the same time, there's all these verses that talk about fear positively and refer to it as a good thing, specifically the many references in the Bible to fearing God. Proverbs nine 10, the fear of the Lord is the what? The beginning of wisdom. Psalm 86 11, David prayed, unite my heart, God to fear your name. God commended job to Satan with these words in Job chapter one verse eight, for there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil again in the prophecy of the coming of Christ. Luke chapter one, verse 50, it says, his mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear him.

In fact, Paul's scathing rebuke of mankind and man in its sinfulness, he summarized it the conclusion of this long description of man's sinfulness. He said this in Romans three 17, there is no fear of God before their eyes. That's the problem with mankind. There's no fear of God before their eyes. And then second Corinthians seven, one, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God. And so both the old and new Testaments agree with a conclusion of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes. In Ecclesiastes 1213, Solomon said this, the conclusion when all has been heard is fear God and keep his commandments because this applies to every person.

And in today's text, Peter commanded us to do just that, to live in fear of God during our sojourn here on earth. Notice what he said there in verse 17. Conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth. In the next chapter, he's going to say it again essentially in chapter two verse 17, honor all people love the brethren fear God. So the fear of God is really one of the most central themes in the scriptures, and yet it's one of the most neglected subjects in the church today. It's not talked about a whole lot, and again, it's often misunderstood. And so Peter's words in this letter I think will help us develop an accurate, healthy, balanced understanding of what it means to fear God.

I think the first thing that we need to understand is fearing God does not mean being afraid of God. It's not cowering before him and waiting for him to whack us. As soon as we step out of line, fearing God is better understood as revering him, as honoring him, respecting him, and standing in awe of him, in light of who he is and what he has done for us. And I want you to notice how Peter surrounded his command to fear God with reminders of who God is and what he's done for us. You'll remember from last week the previous verses here that Peter reminded us that God is holy. Verse 16, he says, you shall be holy for I am holy. And one of the first cross references that should come to our minds whenever we hear that God is holy is Isaiah chapter six, where the prophet Isaiah described his vision of the Lord high and lifted up and the angels were crying out what Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. And Isaiah was totally overwhelmed by his own sinfulness and felt unworthy to be standing in God's holy presence and probably didn't expect to live to tell about it.

But God graciously responded to Isaiah's humble confession of sin by sending one of the angels to touch his lips with a burning coal from the altar and declare that his sin was forgiven. And now Peter goes on to describe how God is our father who impartially judges each of us according to our works. And then in the same passage he reminded us of God's eternal plan of salvation and how he redeemed us from our sin by sending his son to serve as our sinless substitute who died and rose again so that we could have our faith and hope in him.

So just initially, while it may seem like fearing God doesn't square with a loving God, I mean why would a loving God require us to fear him? And it may be that in your mind you've always thought you had to pick one side or the other. You had to either be in the gloomy theological camp that always emphasizes the need to fear God and don't smile because we're all about fearing God, right? Or maybe you said, nah, that's not for me, and I'm going to jump into the happy theological camp that encourages people to focus on God's love and grace and just bask in the love of God and you have to pick one or the other. Well, the fact is there is no contradiction between the fear of God and the love of God.

Fearing God is the natural response to how much God loves us. And John Bunion, who was a puritan preacher years ago, wrote Pilgrim's Progress. He said this, and I'm quoting now from this book, rejoice and Tremble, he quotes John bunion, he said this quote, godly fear flows from a sense of the love and kindness of God. And then he says this, nothing can lay a stronger obligation upon the heart than a sense or hope in mercy. Nothing can lay a stronger obligation upon our hearts toward God. What is our responsibility toward God? Then a sense of or hope in mercy. And I think what Bunion said is essentially what Peter said here in verses 17 to 21, which by the way, just so you know, it's just one long sentence in the original Greek. And that's why sometimes these passes are hard to kind of break up and see a natural outline because they're just kind of one flow of thought here. It's just one long sentence. He's just a flow of thought he's going here.

But I think essentially what he's saying here is that recognizing that we've experienced God's amazing love and grace and mercy through his son Jesus Christ, that should motivate us to fear God not as slaves but as sons. In fact, I found it interesting, and again, this is from rejoice and tremble that according to Isaiah, God's own sinless son lived in fear during his sojourner here on this earth. Isaiah chapter 11 verse one, then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The spirit of the Lord will rest on him. The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And then he says this and he speaking of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

So the fact that Christ who is sinless feared the Lord initially helps us understand it's just not about our sin that should make us walk around in fear of the Lord because Jesus was sinless. He had no sin, and yet he still feared the Lord. He honored the Lord, he revered the Lord, he delighted in the Lord. And so fearing God is both a dreadful thing, but it's also a delightful thing. There is holy dread, but there's also holy delight and somewhere we've got to find the balance, all of that. And so I think Peter helps us. And so let's look here at these verses where I think Peter gave two motivations for us to fear God, which is the only appropriate response when we consider who God is and what he has done for us.

And I think the question that he's answering here in this text is simply what makes God worthy of our reverence, awe and respect. What makes God worthy of our reverence a and respect? First of all, I think it's because God is our fair Father. God is our fair Father. This is who he is. Notice verse 17, if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth. I think a better way to translate if is sense or because you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each man's work, we know that Jesus instructed his followers to address God as our father. Matthew six, nine, pray then in this way our Father who is what in heaven, hallow would be thy name. Paul later reminded believers that God is our father. Romans eight 15, for you have not received the spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you've received the spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out what? Remember Abba Father Galatians chapter four verse six, because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of a son into your hearts crying, Abba, father, therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son and of a son that an heir through God.

And here Peter assumed his readers viewed themselves as God's children and addressed him as father whenever they prayed to him. And by the way, so should we, but we shouldn't presume on this relationship or try to take advantage of the fact that we are God's child like the kid whose father is the judge in town. And so he acts like a hellion because he assumes his daddy's just going to get him off easy. Peter reminded us that while God is our father, he is also the one who judges our works and God doesn't show favoritism to his kids or give them a pass when they disobey or dishonor him. This is a theme throughout the scriptures about God's impartiality. Romans two 11, for there is no partiality with God. Colossians chapter three, verse 23, whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men knowing that from the Lord you'll receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve for he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done and that without partiality.

So Paul, there in Colossians and Peter here in this text we're referring to the moment when Christ returns and every believer will stand before him and give account of their lives. This is what's referred to as the bema seat judgment, and I want you to see where we draw this doctrine from. And so turn to Romans chapter 14, Romans chapter 14 verses 10 through 12, and we're going to look at three passages as quickly to make sure we understand what Peter is referring to here. Romans chapter 14 verse 10. But you, why do you judge your brother or you again? Why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seed of God for it is written as I live says the Lord. Every knee shall bow to me. Every tongue shall give praise to God. So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

Some of you're just getting there. Now turn to two Corinthians, two Corinthians chapter five, and we have another reference here to the judgment seat of Christ. This is two Corinthians chapter five verses nine through 11. Paul is talking about the temporal and the eternal wishing that he was no longer here in his earthly tent, but in the presence of the Lord. He says in verse nine, therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent to be pleasing to him, why for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may be recompense for his deeds in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. And then notice the very next phrase in verse 11, therefore knowing what the fear of the Lord. So there's fear associated with this bema seat judgment or at least a healthy respect and awe and reverence of the Lord.

They say, well, what is that going to look like practically? Well turn back the one Corinthians chapter three, one Corinthians chapter three, and here we have the wood hay and stubble passage that you're probably familiar with. One Corinthians chapter three verse 11, for no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. And Paul here is in the context, is talking about how we're all participating in the work of Christ and building his church and his kingdom. And so the foundation that we're all building on is Christ. Now he says verse 12, if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones would hay straw. Each man's work will become evident for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire. And the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built remains, he'll receive a reward. That's the gold, silver, precious stones. And if any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved and as though through fire, that's the wood hay and straw.

Now having read those three passages and those are the three main passages where we draw this idea, this concept of the bema seed of Christ. What we need to understand is this is not where Christ judges our sins but judges our works. In other words, this is a time where we're rewarded not punished, and that's very important that you understand that our sins have already been dealt with once and for all at the cross. When Christ endured the father's wrath in our place, we will never ever be punished for our sins. Do you understand that? We'll never ever be punished for our sins. It is what's called double jeopardy, right? You can't be punished for something the price has already been paid for.

So while we'll never be punished for our sins, we can be disciplined for our sins. And I think it's important that we make that distinction between being punished for our sins, which if you're in Christ, Christ was punished in your place for you and then, but there's this idea of being disciplined. And so I think that's really what Peter is talking about here. The reality that our father is an unbiased judge is not just limited to our future reward at the bema seat, but also I think it applies to present discipline. In fact, if you're there back in one Peter, turn over to chapter four and look at verse 17. This is one Peter chapter four, verse 17. Peter says, for it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. Well wait a minute, I thought we weren't going to be judged. I thought we escaped the judgment of God. Well, that's true if you're talking about your sins, right? For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God and it begins with us first, what will be the outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Again, this judgment that Peter is referring to in chapter four verse 17 is not condemnation but chastening or purifying, that it is time for God to purify his church to chassen his church. And I think the point is simply this God, like every good father lovingly disciplines his kids when they disobey or dishonor him and just turn back to the left a few pages, you were there in one Peter just leapfrog James going backwards till you get to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12 verse five, and this is a familiar text I'm sure and listen to what the author says here about the father's discipline. My son do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord nor faint when you're reproved by him for those whom the Lord loves, he disciplines and he scours every son he receives. It is for discipline that you endure.

God deals with you as with sons, for what son is there whom his father does not discipline. But if you're without discipline of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. In other words, I don't go around spanking your kids, I spank my kids or at least did when they were little. You don't go around spanking other people's kids. You spank your own kids and the reason why you don't spank that other kid is because he is not your kid. And so again, the question is if you've not experienced the discipline of the Lord in your life at any given time, that should give you pause and make you wonder, am I one of his kids? Because God disciplines his children and I'm sure all of us can speak of our experience as children growing up under our parents when we experience their discipline. And so it should be the same. We should all be able to share stories of how the Lord has disciplined us throughout our Christian life.

Again, verse eight, but if you are without discipline of which all become partakers and you're illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them, shall we not much rather be subject to the father of spirits and live for they disciplined us for a short time as seen best of them, but he God our father, disciplines us for our good so that we may share his holiness. So this is all part of the sanctification process, right? Us becoming more holy like he is holy. And sometimes he disciplines us directly and other times he disciplines us indirectly through the church. Matthew chapter 18, another familiar passage. Matthew chapter 18 verse 15, if your brother's sins go and show him his fault in private. If he listens to you, you've won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two with you so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every fact may be confirmed if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a gentile and tax collector.

This is what we refer to as church discipline. And it was instruction that Jesus gave his followers of how we were to deal with sin in our midst. And this is supposed to be a restorative bunch that we don't just somebody sins and we just cut 'em off. No, there's a process where we confront one another in love and we seek to restore people back to a right relationship with God and back to a right relationship with those that maybe they've sinned against or their sin is affected. And so you go individually, privately, and you confront your brother and then you take one or two more with you and then if they still don't listen, then you tell it to the church. And again, what is this? This is the process that God designed to enact discipline in the life of the church. And so he's always doing it individually. He's disciplining us individually, but he's also disciplining us corporately.

And so I think it's important that we understand this and you know that those of you that have been here on that handful of occasions in the history of our church where we've had to do this, we've had to tell it to the church and we've had to communicate publicly about someone's sin. There's a holy hush that comes across the congregation, doesn't it? And that's a good thing you say, what is that all about? Well, I think we read about that in one Timothy chapter five, verse 20, where Paul was instructing Timothy that those who continue in sin rebuke in the presence of all so that the rest also will be what Fearful of sinning. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of his chosen angels to maintain these principles without bias doing nothing in the spirit of partiality. Sound familiar? So we're to carry out God's discipline as a church in the same way he disciplines us fairly and impartially.

But the point is God wants us to be holy. He wants us to be pure and he wants his church to be holy and pure and he will do whatever it takes to make us holy and to keep his church holy. And that's why you don't come to church and lie anani because God will just take you out in the service, right? I mean this couple were dishonest and they dropped dead. God killed them on the spot. They had to drag their bodies literally out of the Sunday morning worship service. And it says in Acts chapter five, great fear came over the whole church and overall we heard these things, but none of the rest dared to associate with them. It's like, I ain't going to that church. You might die if you go to that church, saw people hauling the whatever that thing is.

What do you call that thing? The hall's bodies hearse. The hearse is sitting out in front of the church. I ain't going to that church. I got a hearse out front of that place. Serious stuff again, in the same way we should live our lives with a healthy fear of disobeying, dishonoring and displeasing God. This is the spirit of I think what he's saying here about that God is our father, he's our impartial judge and we are going to stand before him someday and give an account for our works. Therefore, conduct yourself in fear during the time of your stay on earth. Literally, if you have the ESV version, it says in your exile, and we know that's how he started this book, those who reside as exiles or aliens. Chapter two verse 11, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lust, which wage war against your soul. Again, this is just a reminder. This world is not our home. We are strangers in a foreign land. We are sojourners, we're pilgrims who are just passing through on our way to heaven. We are citizens of heaven.

And so while our time here on earth is short lived, we are to live it with a deep reverence and respect and awe for God. And this is really the second practical implication or imperative, if you will, of having been chosen by God to be one of his children. The first one was to be holy. That was the first command. Be holy for I'm holy. Secondly, we need to conduct ourselves in fear during our pilgrimage here on this earth. Again, the principle says that just because we're a child of God doesn't make us exempt from honoring, obeying God like, oh yeah, that's our dad. We're good. He lets us get away with everything.

I can say this today because Jacob's not here. He is homesick, but he had a bit of that attitude when he was little here at Lakeside and after church, most of the time you'd find him in a tree somewhere, he'd just go outside and climb trees. And there was some well-meaning, and I appreciated these people going out to Jacob and saying, Hey buddy, you probably don't want to be up in that tree, man. You're going to fall down and get hurt. And Jacob would just look down at him and go, well, my dad's the pastor as if you can't touch me, can't touch this. I'm the pastor's kid, so I'm good. I can do whatever I want around here.

Don't tell him I told you that he might be watching live stream right now. Sorry Jacob. But we do that sometimes, right? And yet on the contrary, being a child of God should provide us even more incentive to want to honor and obey him more than anyone else. Why? Because we know that he is such a gracious merciful Father, we get it. And yet again, we must never take God's grace and mercy for granted. Think I can do this. I can get away with this. God's just going to forgive me. I just do it and then ask for forgiveness. He's my dad. He will forgive me. He'll overlook that or let it slide.

Well again, what is Peter reminding us here that God is not an indifferent, negligent dad who stands by idly while his children misbehave. And that's the word there. Conduct yourselves in fear. Behave yourselves in fear. That's that Greek word, an trophe I mentioned that is a theme we're going to see more and more as we move into the later chapters of this book. But he noticed, he says in verse 15, but like the holy one who called you be holy yourselves also in your behavior. So now he's saying it again, behave yourselves, right? That's what he's saying. Hey kids, behave yourself.

And I had to look this up because it was such a faint memory of what an old report card used to look like because I remember bringing those report card home reports, cards home to my mom and dad, and of course they wanted to see it and I was all excited that it was all A's and B's every class A or B, A or B, A or B. But then there was these other categories back in the day, there was effort. They gave you a grade for effort, but then they also gave you a grade for what conduct. And typically my report cards read a BAU. Unsatisfactory was my conduct, and I knew I could have straight A's, but if there was a U on the bottom of my poor card in her conduct, I was getting a whooping because it wasn't about getting straight A's. It was about being obedient, being respectful to your teachers, behaving in class. And I had a hard time doing that.

The point is that I knew my parents wouldn't let my poor conduct go unaddressed. And they showed their love for me by disciplining me, which motivated me to want to honor and obey them and please them. And again, I think that's what Peter's saying here in this verse. If you're going to call God your father, then act like one of his children by honoring him and obeying him and striving to please him. We should want to honor God. We should want to obey God like a child wants to honor and respect and obey their parents.

D Edmond Hebert is one of my favorite commentators, and this is what he said about the attitude that Peter was encouraging here. He said, the attitude advocated is not the craven cringing dread of a slave before an offended master, but the reverential awe of a son towards a beloved and esteemed father the awe that shrinks from whatever would displease and grieve him. I think that's a really accurate description of what it means to fear the Lord. So fearing God is less about not wanting to be disciplined by him and more about not wanting to dishonor or displease him, right?

I guess the question is how could you sin against such a good, faithful, fair, father, all he's ever done is served you well, how could you rebel against him? So that's the first incentive. The first motive, if you will, to fear the Lord is that God is our fair father. But secondly, he goes on to describe how God is our righteous redeemer. He's our righteous redeemer in verses 18 through 21. And Peter went on here to further incentivize his readers to live in fear of God by reminding us of how God has graciously redeemed us through the death of his son, Jesus Christ. And what we have here in verses 18 through 21 is one of the most significant passages in the entire Bible on the doctrine of redemption.

And we could just break it up simply into three truths that Peter explained three truths about our redemption in Christ. Number one, what God redeemed us from, what God redeemed us from knowing. Verse 18, that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver, gold from your futile way of life, inherited from your forefathers. First of all, let's talk about that word redeemed because that's the main point here. That word redeem refers to delivering someone from bondage by the payment of a price to set someone free by paying a ransom. It was a term used in Peter's day for buying back a prisoner of war, but that's not what Peter was, how Peter was using here. I think this was more to describe how God bought us out of the slave market of sin and set us free to serve him. And again, this should remind us of what we learned back in our study of Romans.

Romans chapter six talks about how we are slaves or we were slaves to sin, but now we have been freed from sin. Verse 17 of chapter six, but thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed. And having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteous. In other words, you went from being a slave of sin to a slave of Christ in verse 22, but now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit resulting in sanctification of the outcome, eternal life. Titus chapter three, verse three, we were once foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various lust and pleasures, spending our life in malice, envy, hateful, hating one another. This is the idea of being liberated from our sin, our life of sin. Again, this is a perfect picture for Peter to draw from because in the first century in which he was writing, there were some 60 million slaves all throughout the Roman Empire. And so redemption or being released or freed from slavery was a very familiar concept to those that were reading this letter.

And of course, if you know the Old Testament, it's also familiar concept based on the imagery there when God delivered the nation of Israel from bondage to Egypt, Exodus chapter six, verse six, say, therefore to the sons of Israel, I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I'll deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments, and I will take you for my people and I'll be your God. And you shall know that I'm the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and applied to our situation. God brought us out from under the burden of living a futile life. Notice he says, knowing that you are not redeemed with perishable things like silver, gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers.

In other words, God graciously and miraculously supernaturally rescued us from an aimless, pointless, worthless, miserable existence. What did Jesus say in Matthew 1626? What is the prophet of man if he gains the whole world and what loses his soul? And so Peter was just reminding us that before we were saved, we had no real direction or purpose or true meaning or happiness or satisfaction. Our life was filled with empty pleasures and dead end desires, and that is what he redeemed us from. The second question is how God redeemed us. Okay, so what did he redeem us from, but well, how did he do that?

Notice he says, knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold, a Roman slave could be set free for the right price, but no amount of money can buy anyone out of bondage to sin. In other words, money can't buy your salvation and get this even an eternity in hell would not be enough to pay for our sin or to satisfy God's wrath for our sin. That's why hell is forever. But God in his grace and mercy made a way for us to be rescued from sin death in hell. And the infinite price that he paid to purchase our freedom from sin was a life of his own. Dear son, Matthew 10 45, Jesus said the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a what Ransom for many. And by the way, it wasn't a ransom to Satan, it was a ransom to God.

Acts 2028 Shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. Ephesians one, seven in him, we have redemption through his blood. Titus two 14, Christ Jesus gave himself for us to redeem us. And so we're not redeemed through perishable things like silver or gold. But with verse 19, what precious blood as of a lamb, unblemished and spotless the blood of Christ? And I think it's important that we just take a step back and just say this, that the blood of Christ is a synonym for his death on the cross. In other words, we shouldn't think that there was anything unique or special about Jesus' blood. It wasn't supernatural. It's not like, Hey, we found some of Jesus' blood. Let's put it in a little jar and put it somewhere and people can come and do their little thing and burn some ears off purgatory as if we found some of his blood. And it has supernatural power.

Jesus' blood was human blood just like the blood that we have coursing through our veins. But when he says it was the blood of Christ that was a representative of the substitutionary sacrifice that Christ made by shedding his blood that accomplished our redemption. It's the Old Testament principle, Leviticus 1711, that there is no redemption without the shedding of blood. There's no remission of sins without the shedding of blood. That's why they were killing lambs all the time, killing stuff in their place. It wasn't the blood itself, it was the death, the substitutionary sacrifice that was made.

And I know that may have just messed with some of you because you're like, oh, wait a minute, what about all the songs about the blood of Christ? And I'm just saying, don't make it. It's not about the blood that's simply representative of his sacrificial death in our place. And if you don't understand that, you find some of his blood and put it in a jar and think it's going to help you somehow you want to avoid that. So Peter, like in Jesus Christ to a spotless sacrificial lamb who died in our place again, the sinless substitute, Exodus 12 verse five, this was the Exodus account. He said, Hey, get yourself a lamb and that lamb should be unblemished. Leviticus chapter 22, when a man offers a sacrifice of the herd or of the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted. There shall be no defect in it. And so again, Jesus fit this imagery that was all foreshadowing, right? Those spotless lambs in the Old Testament were foreshadowing of the spotless lamb. Jesus Christ, who was going to take the punishment for our sin on the cross. And Peter was there, by the way, when John the Baptist cried out at the very beginning of Jesus's ministry, behold the who? The Lamb of God who takes away this of the world. Hey, everybody, stop looking at me. I'm not the guy that's the guy. He's the lamb.

And Paul's words, one Corinthians five, seven, for Christ, our Passover has also been sacrificed. Again, we've got all these verses about the blood of Christ or the death of Christ, right? Hebrews chapter nine, verse 11. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, he entered not through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood. He entered the holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption for if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctified for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Revelation five, we sang about it already, worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and blessing and every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea and all the things in them. I heard saying to him, who sits on the throne into the what? The lamb.

So this is just good theology. Peter had his stuff figured out. He knew what he was speaking of. He had walked with the lamb. He had watched the lamb. He was the one who witnessed all of this. Chapter two, verse 24. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. Peter witnessed that with his own eyes. This was not just hearsay. And so we see what God redeemed us from. We see how God redeemed us. But the last question is, why did God redeem us? Why did God redeem us? Look at verse 24. He was fore known before the foundation of the world who Christ was for known before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.

So when he says he was for known, Christ was for known before the foundation of the earth or the foundation of the world, we're talking now eternity past. That's when God thought up his plan to redeem sinful mankind through the sacrifice of his son. This was before the world was created. This was before the fall. In other words, Christ's death was not an afterthought. Oops, I got to come up with plan B. That perfection thing in the garden didn't work out. This wasn't a hasty remedy to man's rebellion against God. It wasn't an accident. It wasn't a twist of fate. It was all part of God's eternal plan. Acts 2 23, this man Peter said, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. Yeah, you guys crucified him, but God knew it was going to happen because in fact, he planned it way back in the eternity he passed. This is an interesting verse. Revelation 13, eight, talking about the end times the tribulation period. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, referring to the beast whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.

Don't think about that. Too hard. It might hurt your head. In other words, this is another way John was simply saying, Hey Jesus, the plan for Jesus to die on the cross was an old idea that happened a long time ago in God's mind, but he now has appeared in these last times for the sake of you. Last times or last days is an expression used in the New Testament to describe the timeframe between Christ first coming and his second coming. And we're in it. We are in the last days. We are in the last time, say, amen. We are waiting for the next step in God's plan, which is Christ's return.

And so while God's plan of redemption was designed in the eternity past, it was finally revealed through the incarnation of Christ. And this is what we're celebrating this Christmas season, right? The word becoming flesh and dwelling among us, Galatians four, four. But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his son, born of a woman born under the law. So he might redeem us who are under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. Hebrews 9 26. Now once at the consummation of the ages, he's been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And so he's talking about now, and notice, I love this phrase, don't miss this for you as for known before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of who?

Me? That's what you're supposed to say For the sake of you. For the sake of me. Wow. And so Peter wanted to be sure that his readers understood that God's redemptive plan is not some distant, isolated and personal event, but it is deeply personal that Jesus came to earth for you. He lived his perfect life for you. He was beaten and spit on for you. He had nails put in his wrists and his feet for you. One commentator said, Peter personalized the death of Christ for each of us. It's as if the entire purpose of God was planned and implemented specifically for each of us alone.

You've probably heard it said that Christ would've died on the cross for you if you were the only sinner on the planet. That's the idea here. And Paul personalized this in Galatians two 20, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. We've got to live our Christian life like Paul did, right? Personalized, very personal. And so he says, for the sake of you, who through him verse 21, are believers in God. In other words, it's only through Christ that we can come to know and trust God. Jesus said, I'm the way, the truth and life. No man comes to the Father, but through me, one Timothy two, five, for there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself as a ransom for all.

John in one John two, verse 23 says, whoever denies the son does not have the Father. The one who confesses the Son has the Father. Also, you need both. Two John nine. Anyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son can't have one without the other. And so for those who might claim to believe in God, but they don't believe in Jesus, don't have a personal relationship with Jesus or don't believe that Jesus is God, guess what? The God they say they believe in is not the God of the Bible.

Notice as he wraps this up, who threw him are believers in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory. Christ resurrection was God's stamp of approval on his sinless life, his sacrificial death. This was how God showed that he was satisfied with Christ redeeming work and that he accepted it as payment for our sin. And as a result, he gave him the highest place of honor in heaven. He seated him at his right hand. And that's what Jesus meant when he prayed in John 17. Father, glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the word world began.

Hebrews two, nine says that Jesus, because of the suffering of his death was crowned with glory and honor. God exalted him highly so that every knee would bow, every tongue would confess, right, that Jesus Christ is Lord. And then lastly, notice he says, so that your faith and hope are in God. God's goal in all of this is that we would put our faith and hope in him rather than ourselves or in anyone or anything else. So the question is, is your faith and hope in God alone? Are you trusting in his plan of redemption to save you from your sin? And are you longing for that day when he returns to take you home to be with him in heaven?

So as God's children, we are to live in the fear of him because we know he will discipline us when we sin, which should come as no surprise since it was our sin that required him to sacrifice his precious son in our place on the cross. And so when we meditate on the preciousness of our redemption in Christ and the enormousness of the cost that he paid for our salvation, it should make us want to honor and obey him. And whenever we're tempted to return to our futile way of life, our worldly ways, our sinful ways, we need to remember that Christ gave up his life to deliver us from our futile way of life. And so as one commentator said, we should determine, we must determine to be done forever with that which cost God's son his life.

Why are you doing that? Why are you reading that? Why are you watching that? Why are you going there? Why are you treating that person that way? Jesus died for those things. One Corinthians six 20, for you have been bought with a price. Therefore, what glorify God in your body? And how could we not follow that advice of Paul? How could we not glorify God in light of the huge price that he paid to free us from our sin? How could we go on sinning in the face of such great love? Let's pray. Father, we're grateful for Peter and all that you accomplished in his life to bring him to the place where he could write a letter like this that is so rich in truth and deep in doctrine, but so practical in how we live our everyday lives. And so would you be gracious and help us to put this text into practice in our lives. We know we need your Holy Spirit to do that. And so we do want to conduct ourselves in fear during our time here on this earth. We do not want to go back to our futile way of life before we were saved. And Lord, we just want to bring you honor and glory and make you happy by the way we live our lives as a way of simply saying thank you for your great mercy and grace and the love that you demonstrate to us all the time. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.