Temple Baptist Church - 8-28-2022
1 Peter 1:3-5
Introduction:
A. Last week, we were reminded that, despite our circumstances, we have a great salvation that is immutable, incorruptible, and eternal! How about praising the Lord about that!
B. This morning, I want us to see the second thing that Peter reminded these “strangers scattered,” that this world was not their home!
1. The Lord saved us from the destruction of our sin.
2. The Lord saved us from the destruction of our selves.
3. The Lord saved us from the destruction of an eternal hell.
4. BUT the Lord did not save us from the sorrows of this life: troubles, trials, tribulations, sickness, persecution, disappointments, discouragement, and all of the other problems associated with this life.
a) Peter, the author of the book, suffered greatly.
b) Paul, who wrote the Hebrew epistle to these same people, suffered greatly.
c) In Hebrews, chapter 11, untold millions suffered greatly.
d) From Abel to the present, people died and continued to die for their faith.
e) Jesus Christ was rejected and railed upon, then crucified.
C. Paul ended chapter 11, the Hall of Faith chapter, with these words: “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me!” (Hebrews 11:32a) It is important for us to know that when the Lord saved us, He did not save us from trials, troubles, disappointments, or discouragements, but He is there with us and for us in our hard times as well as in the good times. Life is hard so just toughen up!
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (God sometimes does removed trials, God sometimes does not remove trials, but God always does help us to cope with them and get through them!)
D. But the Lord did save us unto something! A “lively hope” because of His resurrection from the dead. Christ Jesus was not spared the suffering of propitiation because it was necessary for the salvation of sinners but, after His suffering, He rose from the tomb never to suffer again.
E. We like to feel right at home in the present evil world and there are many things to be thankful for in this life but, we are in the world—not of the world. We no longer belong. We are a heavenly people living in a temporal world.
F. Our Lord saved us unto something, not from something—He saved us to eternal life with Him—but He also saved us “to” something mentioned in verse 4. To an inheritance! Paul alluded to this in the First Corinthian Epistle:
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
G. 1 Peter 1:3-4 – “(3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you!”
1. An Inheritance—The future acquisition of properties, finances, or real property. The Lord saved us to an “inheritance.”
2. The Bible declares that Christ will be heir to ALL things. Heaven and earth will bow to Him and profess that He is Lord of all.
Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3. Paul described all children of God as heirs. Because we children, we are classified as heirs.
Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (17) And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
a) Heirs as God’s children.
b) Heirs of God. Hebrews 1:2 declared Christ as heirs to All things that belong to God. No contradiction here as Paul clarified eternal heirship in Romans, chapter 8.
c) Heirs of God because we are joint-heirs with Christ. Joint-heirs means that all that Christ has belongs to each individual.
4. When you have more than one heir in a will, there are many ways that the inheritance. It can be divided up equally or unequally. Since a of God’s children are saved by grace and grace alone, they have equality in inheritance.
5. Paul made an importance statement in verse 17: “and joint-heirs with Christ.” This means that our eternal inheritance will be all things that belong to Christ. Joint-heirship will belong to each of the believers who inherit.
6. I know of two men who were given a certain amount of land together. All the land belonged to each to be used together. Thus, it will be in eternity all that Christ Jesus owns (and He owns it ALL) will also be jointly owned by all the saved! Just imagine that, owning heaven and earth and all that in them is!
H. Now the question could be asked, “What is my inheritance going to be?” The short answer is EVERYTHING! Now look at verse 4 of 1 Peter, chapter one.
1. Our Inheritance will be incorruptible. Everything here is temporal and will eventually corrupt! I have seen property and homes that get tied up in an estate go downhill. Properties and homes not cared for will tend to decay. The eternal will never corrupt. Your inheritance will never “go downhill!”
2. Our Inheritance will be undefiled. Everything here is temporal, and either is or will become defiled! The eternal will never be defiled. No sin in eternity for sure so all that we know will be like the Garden of Eden as it was in the beginning. Perfection to be enjoyed with no serpent to annoy! Eternal bliss is the only way that I can explain it.
3. Our Inheritance will be immutable. Everything here is temporal and decays. The eternal will never change. The greatest thrill of eternity is that it is eternal: no time to pass because there will be no time. And we wonder why God gets in no hurry?
4. Our Inheritance will be unearned. It is an eternal gift that God has reserved for His children. We are not “sending up timbers” as some would say.
Conclusion: In the midst of this evil world, we will have troubles, trials, tribulations, hard times but this world is not our home. Our “long home” awaits us at either the moment of death or the twinkling of the eye at the rapture of the church! Hang on, dear children, we are almost home.
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