Good morning to everyone. Thank you, Mark, for leading us again this morning with good hymns and good meaning. A lot of those songs went right along with the message, so we appreciate that.

We're working through 1 Peter, kind of just getting started here. As we begin our study of the first epistle to Peter, I want to spend some time talking about the purpose for Peter's writing—the intent of this letter. Last week, by way of introduction, we considered the author and the audience of this letter. Peter is an apostle of Jesus Christ, a sent one, an ambassador with credentials and authority from our Lord Himself. We looked at who Peter was, his experiences and growth as recorded in the Gospels, and then his effective and powerful ministry throughout the book of Acts to the Jewish people. 

He writes here to Jewish believers, to Christians who were dispersed, scattered among the Gentiles in the region of Asia Minor. We noted that these believers were experiencing persecution and needed encouragement to persevere and to continue in the faith. So we see that Peter is the author, and his audience is Jewish believers living outside of the land of Israel and among the pagans. This helps us to understand Peter's intent in writing.

As we look at the structure of the book, we see that Peter spends the first chapter and a half explaining to us and describing to us our great salvation, who we are, and what we have in Jesus Christ. This is a rich portion of the letter. We're going to learn beginning this morning about the source of our salvation—God's perfect plan from eternity past to redeem a people for Himself, the work of the Holy Spirit to set us apart and draw us to the Savior, and the grace of God that brought it to pass in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

We're going to see that in Christ we have an inheritance, that we have eternal security and all that goes with and is true of being in Him. We will be encouraged by the promise of grace for today and a steadfast hope for His coming, the promise of eternity in heaven with Him. Even the trials we now experience, the sufferings and persecution in this world, are proof—validation of the genuineness of our faith. 

We'll see that God is building His church just as Jesus promised, living stones built into a spiritual house to accomplish the will of God here in our time on this earth. This is a key understanding as we seek to know the intent of the author. We have this great salvation; we are in Christ; we are new creations born again to a living hope. Now, what are we to do as we live day to day in this world? 

Peter lays out the various relationships that we have in this life on this earth—to government, to employers, to our families, and in the church. At each of these contexts, he implores us to live out who we are, to live in consistency with who we are, with a submissive spirit and attitude, and this for a witness to the lost. 

If you look at chapter 2, verse 11, Peter says, "'Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works which they observe glorify God in the day of visitation.'" The word translated "pilgrims" here is the same word back up in chapter 1, verse 1, where Peter uses "pilgrims" as well. The word literally means to live alongside the heathen. 

The Jewish Christians were living alongside the heathen in Pontus, Galatia, and so forth, and we as Christians are now scattered throughout this world, living, working, and interacting with lost men of this world every day. 

As we move into the instruction—the sort of application section of Peter's writing in the last half of chapter 2—after the great truths of our salvation in chapter 1, we see that we have this great salvation and our purpose here on this earth; these relationships are to be a witness to bring others to the saving knowledge of Christ. We do this in what we say—the gospel—but also in how we live as a testimony to the power of that message. 

So Peter says, if you want to win people, the pagans that you live alongside, live such a good life. Be who you are. Live according to the new birth that you have experienced and the life of Christ in you, so that men will believe and be saved on the day of visitation. He says if you want to win your lost boss, your co-workers, be such a good employee. Work hard. Have a submissive attitude so that they might see Christ in you. If you want to win your lost spouse, be submissive. Win them with your inner character and the truth of your salvation in Christ on display in how you live—not with a multitude of words. 

Peter is writing to persecuted Christians living among the pagans. He wants to encourage them to persevere, to press on, to hold fast to Jesus, even in such circumstances. His intent includes that they have an understanding of their salvation—who they are, what they have in Christ—but a good part of Peter's purpose is also to remind them that the reason for which Jesus left them and us in this world is to be witnesses; that the lost may know that Jesus is the Christ and may come to the knowledge of Christ and experience salvation through faith in Him. 

The amazing truth is that this comes as a result of a meek and quiet life—a life of truth and love lived among a corrupt people in Adam in this world. Surely we must preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and make His saving message clear, but we must also live a life that is consistent with our message if we hope to save those with whom we live our lives each day—in the midst of work, play, at home, in our culture, and in our churches. 

How we live, how we love, and the attitude we have displays the life-transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let's look at our text, 1 Peter 1, at verse 1. 

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctification of the Spirit for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace be multiplied."

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

"Of this salvation, the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things which angels desire to look into."

I've given you four points on your outline this morning. 

First, "Placed Among the Pagans." 

Second, "God's Grace in Salvation." 

Third, "A Resurrected Redeemer."

And fourth, "An Incorruptible Inheritance." 

First, in our text, we see "Placed Among the Pagans," and this word "strangers" or "pilgrims" is a strategic word for Peter. As we've discussed, we see him use the word again in chapter 2 at verse 11, describing the plan of God for His people on this earth in the New Covenant age. These Jews were some of the first Christians, and they were scattered, dispersed among the Gentiles, living alongside them in these foreign cities. We see this word also used in the Old Testament saints in Hebrews 11. 

Why don't you turn over to Hebrews 11 at verse 13 with me, please? 

Hebrews 11:13 says, "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on this earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland, and truly, if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."

The main idea here is that this place, this earth, this world in which we live is not our home. We are citizens of heaven, waiting for a city not made with hands—a heavenly country. The men of this world, the men in Adam, are not our people. We have no fellowship with them, but we live beside them, we work with them, we go to the market with them, we enjoy entertainment with them, we live with them. 

And this more so now than ever in this New Covenant age, because God's people are not a separate nation, but exist in every nation. We are not a city on a hill and a lamp to the nations like Israel; we are dispersed among the nations, living right with them, beside them, in order to reach them with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. 

There’s a twofold application for us in this truth. One is that we, as citizens of heaven, as new creations in Christ, as heavenly-minded people, as soldiers of Christ, should not become entangled in the affairs of this world. The temporal issues of this world are not our main focus, passion, nor purpose. We're not here to fix the social ills of our world; we're not here to bring peace on earth; we're not here to establish the kingdom of God through carnal means. 

We are here to save men out of this lost and dying world, as we just sang this morning—to snatch them from the fire, as it were—and bring them to faith in Jesus. Second, we are here living alongside the pagans in order to live a life that shows the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, of salvation in Him. 

We are to bring a clear message of salvation by grace, through faith, in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, His death, burial, and resurrection. We are ambassadors for Christ in a foreign land, and the word of reconciliation has been committed to us to preach, to proclaim, to make clear, so that men might hear and believe. We must not lose sight of these great truths—the essence of this battle and the purpose of the Christian life on this earth. 

So first, we see that we are strangers, we are pilgrims. Next, we see the wonderful grace of God in salvation. Look at verse 2 of our text. He says, "...elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace be multiplied." 

In this verse, we see Peter very clearly and in a wonderful way summarize the grace of God in salvation. It is God who elected us, chose us for salvation according to His foreknowledge. It is the Holy Spirit who set us apart and drew us, pointing us to Christ, and it is Jesus who ratified this new covenant in His blood, accomplishing our salvation. 

And this is all by the grace of God—as a gift, not by works which we have done, not by ritual or sacrament, but by grace we have been saved through faith alone in Jesus alone and His one-time sacrifice in our place for our sins on the cross. 

In this verse, we see the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and we see that each person of the Trinity is involved in this great salvation. First, we see the electing work of God the Father. Turn over to Ephesians 1 with me, please, at verse 3. 

Ephesians 1:3 states, "'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.'"

Sometimes the doctrine of election—God's choosing us for salvation, for sanctification, for conforming to Christ's likeness—can give us a little bit of heartburn, but it need not. It's a beautiful truth, and what we see in the Scriptures is that it is always spoken concerning believers. It is always taught in order to be an encouragement to the one who believes in Jesus, and it's meant to give us assurance and security in Christ. 

The clear truth is that it is God who came up with the plan of salvation in eternity past. It is God who created, who allowed the free will of man, who even after the fall made a way for man to be redeemed, to be brought back into a right relationship with Him—to be justified. 

Turn over to Romans 3 with me at verse 21, please. Romans 3:21 tells us that justification, salvation is not by the works of the law, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Yet, he says, "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets." Isn't it interesting he says "apart from the law"? It's not God's righteousness and our righteousness. It's not faith and works. It's God's righteousness apart from the law. 

Verse 22 continues, "Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, for who? To all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." 

We are being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. "Whom God set forth as a propitiation, a full satisfactory payment by His blood through faith to demonstrate His righteousness; because in His forbearance, God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness that He may be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." 

Only God could conceive of such a wonderful plan according to His grace. Men do not design such things when they create religions. Romans 1 tells us that they make gods after their own corrupt selves—gods who will wink at their sin, understand their sinfulness—gods like men. But God is holy and just, and He cannot look upon sin. He must punish every sin, and so in His grace and love and desire for every man to be saved, we see in Romans 3 that God designed the plan of salvation—that He would send His only begotten Son, born of a virgin, perfect and holy and without sin, to die for the sins of the world; to take the punishment for the sins of men. 

In this way, as Jesus pays the full penalty for every sin, God is shown to be just. What a wonderful truth in that text in Romans 3. He passed over the sins that were previously committed before the cross. He didn't whack them, as my friend's son used to say. He said, "Dad, God whacked a lot of dudes in the Old Testament." He didn't whack them when they sinned. He didn't take them out immediately. 

But at the cross, His righteousness, His justness was demonstrated. How was it demonstrated? Jesus paid the penalty for every sin. If He didn't pay the penalty for every sin, then God's justness was not demonstrated at the cross. But because it's a substitutionary death, fulfilling the penalty and punishment that I deserve for my sins, God can also justify the one who has faith in Jesus. And this is His requirement. 

In order to be justified, in order to receive the very righteousness of God—to have His righteousness imputed to me and my sins imputed to Jesus—I must believe. I must place my faith wholly in what Jesus did on my behalf. We know that God was fully satisfied with Christ's finished work on the cross because He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand. 

God designed this plan—not me. I didn't find Him. He found me. I didn't give everything to buy Him. He gave everything—His very life—to buy me, to redeem me. All by His grace, all by His plan, according to His foreknowledge—that is, His predetermined purpose to place His love on you and me, on every man who will believe, making us accepted in the Beloved. 

This is the doctrine of election; this is the plan and purpose of the Father, and this is our assurance of salvation in Him. Turn over to Romans 8 with me, please. Romans 8 at verse 28. This is a tremendous promise. He says, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called. Whom He called, these He also justified. And whom He justified, these He also glorified." 

We just read in Romans 3 that justification comes how? By faith in Jesus, justified freely through faith. So faith is inherent in justification. But what we see here is that our glorification is as sure in Christ as our justification. If you believe Jesus, you're justified. Now that doesn't mean you believe Jesus and you believe your works. It doesn't mean you believe Jesus and you believe your church, your sacraments, or your baptism. 

If you believe Jesus, then you believe that He paid the full penalty for your sin on the cross and that it was finished and accomplished, and that you are receiving a gift of God's grace in His righteousness imputed to your account, making you fit for heaven. 

But if you believe Jesus, you are secure in Him. That's the message. That's the point of Peter. That's the doctrine of election—that those whom He justifies, those who believe Him, He also glorifies. Matter of fact, he says He also glorified. It's done in His mind; we are secure in Him. We have eternal life now through faith in Him because of the plan and purpose of God in His grace.

And all of this because of a resurrected Redeemer. Look at verse 2 of our text again. "...elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctification of the Spirit for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 

Well, Peter uses some interesting language here at the beginning of his epistle—for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Remember, he has a Jewish audience here—believers, Christians—but a Jewish audience. This language would call them back to the ratifying of the covenant of Moses in Exodus. 

In Exodus 20, we have the giving of the Ten Commandments and following all the law of God. In chapter 24, we see a really interesting event. Turn back to Exodus chapter 24 with me. Exodus 24:2 says, "And Moses alone shall come near the Lord, but they shall not come near, nor shall the people go up with him. So Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, 'All the words which the Lord has said we will do.' And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And he rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young men of the children of Israel who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the book of the covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, 'All that the Lord has said we will do and be obedient.' And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, 'This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all of these words.'"

Moses read the whole law—all the words of the law to the people. That's amazing, astounding. Have you read through the law of Moses? All the laws given by God in Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy. 

And the response of the people was this: "All the words of the law we will do; we will keep it all." I don't know whether to admire their zeal and commitment or wonder at their foolishness. But the salient point here for us—the language that Peter uses to bring this passage to memory, especially for the Jew—is this: Moses took some hyssop, dipped it in the blood, and showered—covered the people with the blood. 

The word used here is "sprinkled," but he basically covered the people with the blood and the altar and everything around. This was the ratifying of the old covenant with the people of Israel. They vowed obedience to the words of God. Peter brings this image into the new covenant and he says that we, who have obeyed the new covenant—that is, who have placed our faith in Jesus alone—you see, faith's not absent from, but rather integral to this great salvation plan of God. 

Those who have believed have been covered—sprinkled—by the blood of Jesus. That's a ratification of the new covenant. We've entered into the new covenant by faith, and the ratification of the new covenant is found in the blood of Jesus. We are covered by the blood of Jesus. What a wonderful truth and blessing and marvelous picture here in the words of Peter for our assurance, our security in Christ—we are in the covenant of God. 

But unlike those animals that were sacrificed in the old covenant—merely a foreshadowing, a picture of the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world—Jesus fully and finally accomplished our salvation, having died in our place, making a full satisfactory payment for our sins, and then being buried in the earth and raised from the dead on the third day. We have a resurrected Savior. We have a living hope. 

And our hope is Jesus. Our hope is the resurrection. Turn over to 1st Corinthians 15 with me. 1st Corinthians 15 at verse 12. Paul was having some problems in Corinth, believe it or not. 

At verse 12, he says, "Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen, and if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable." 

But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 

Jesus is risen from the dead, and in Him we have the hope of the resurrection, the end of our faith, Peter says, glorification, the salvation of our souls. Verse 13 reminds us, "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind and be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that has been brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 

What is our hope? Our hope is the revelation of Jesus Christ. He is coming again. He will be revealed for who He is and will come to raise us up incorruptible. 

In 1st John 3:1, it says, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God. Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." 

1st Thessalonians 4:13—you know that passage well—"I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have died, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain till the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord." 

Then he says, "Therefore comfort one another with these words." 

We have a resurrected Redeemer. He not only bought us back with his death on the cross, but He sealed our salvation and gave us the hope of eternal life through the resurrection out from the dead. By His resurrection, defeating death, sin, and hell. 

And my friends, now He ever lives to make intercession for us. He saves to the uttermost, coming to judge this world and its ruler and to take us to be with Him forever in heaven. My brothers and sisters, our Savior lives. He is King of kings and Lord of lords, and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

We've seen in our text, "Placed Among the Pagans," second, "God's Grace in Salvation," third, "A Resurrected Redeemer," and finally, we see that through His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus has given us "An Incorruptible Inheritance." 

1st Peter 1:3 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 

You know, sometimes we get an inheritance in this world. I think about that because I'm getting to be an old man. Yesterday I turned 52, but I feel like I'm 80, so I'm getting to be an old man. You think about wills and testaments and inheritances and all that kind of thing. 

I think about like my in-laws. My mother and father-in-law have several properties, and I'm thinking, boy, when they die, then there's all these properties and their upkeep and taxes, and, well, it's corrupting. It's all going away, and none of that is secure. 

My wife's grandfather—or actually her great-uncle—died a couple years ago. Two years it’s been in probate, and the lawyers take all the money, right? I mean, it's corruptible; it fades away; it's not secure. This isn't like our inheritance in Christ. Did you see what he said? It's an incorruptible inheritance. 

It does not fade away; it can't come under; moth and rust can't destroy; thieves can't break in. It's reserved in heaven for you, and you are kept by the power of God. What powerful words, what amazing truths for our assurance, for our peace, for our security in Christ. 

We have an inheritance. In Romans 8:14 it says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'" 

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God, listen to this, joint heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified together. 

John 1:11 says, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him, but as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God." 

My friends, despite all the sentiment of men, the songs of love and peace and coexistence and harmony among men and buying the world a Coke—some of you are old enough to get that—we are not all children of God. Every man born in Adam is, like Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees in John 8, a child of Satan. 

In verse 44, Jesus said to these most righteous men, these religious leaders, "You are of your father the devil, and his works you wish to do." We are not children of God, born in Adam; we must become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. 

To those who received Him—that is, believed on Him—to those He gave the right to become children of God. But this is the great and amazing truth: if you believe Jesus, you have passed from death unto life. You have been conveyed from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love. You have been born again to a living hope. You have become a child of God—a co-heir with Christ. 

You have obtained an inheritance. Amazing truth by the grace of God: He has not only saved us from His wrath to come, He has not only justified us, redeemed us, but He has given to us by His superabounding grace full rights to His inheritance—to His riches in heaven—all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. 

We are full sons—children of the King—and we have this full inheritance and assurance of salvation in Him. This is Peter's message to these suffering believers living amongst the pagans in the world. He says, "Remember who you are, remember what you have, and remember why you are here." 

And this is the message we need today, as we live in this ever-corrupting world, waxing worse and worse, where evil men prosper and wickedness seems to reign in our time. Our salvation is nearer, my friends, than when we first believed. Look up and remember who you are and what you have in Christ, and rest your hope fully on the grace that is to come to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

There's so much more here, so much hope, so much assurance, and so much encouragement in these words of Peter in the first twelve verses, and we're going to work through these great verses over the next several weeks as we more fully understand and hopefully come to more fully appreciate our great salvation. 

Let's close in prayer. 

Father, we're so thankful for Your plan, Your grace, Your love for us—that You set Your love upon us, that You chose us, that You brought Jesus into the world to become a man, to take on flesh, to die in our place for our sins—a death He did not deserve. He who had no sin became sin for us in order that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Thank You for that gift, for Your grace. Thank You for changing us, recreating us, releasing us from the power of sin and death and fear. 

Thank You for the noble purpose that You have for us—that You work through us by Your power to accomplish Your will, to glorify Yourself, and to bring men to faith in Jesus. It's in His name we pray, amen.