“A Debtor to Mercy” – FBC Morning Light (11/8/2023)

Well, a good Wednesday morning to you. Today we're reading in Ezekiel 21 and 22 and in 1 Peter chapter 1. There's a wonderfully encouraging section of Scripture here in 1 Peter, isn't there? These opening verses.

So look with me if you have your Bible and you're otherwise remembering you're reading these opening verses. Peter says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his mercy, his abundant mercy, has begotten us again to a living hope.

All right, let's pause here a minute. Do you have the hope of everlasting life? And I mean by that the assured confidence that when this life ends you have an eternal home in heaven. Do you have that hope?

You say, yeah, I do, I do. On what basis do you have that hope? Well, it might be easy to say, well, because I put my faith and trust in Jesus, and God said whoever believes in him will never perish but have everlasting life, whoever calls upon him shall be saved, and I have called upon him so I'm saved, I have this confidence of everlasting life.

Okay, that's good, that's good, but let's go deeper than that. Why is it that you called upon him? Why is that? Why is it that you believed in Jesus unto everlasting life? Why did you, and maybe somebody very close to you, hasn't?

Well, this is the answer. In verse 3, according to his abundant mercy, he, God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has begotten us again. He has birthed us again to this living hope. It is according to his abundant mercy.

Why is it that you have the hope you have? Because God, in his abundant mercy, has birthed you from above. This is in line with what Jesus said in John 3 when he's speaking to Nicodemus. He says, except a man is born from above, born again, he can't see the kingdom of God.

Why can you see the kingdom of God? Why do you have that glorious hope of entering into and seeing and experiencing the kingdom of God? Because of the abundant mercy of our God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's go on with this passage. Why is it that you have this inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled and doesn't fade away, and it's reserved in heaven for you? Because of the abundant mercy of our God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How is it that until that day, when you enter into heaven, and you experience that glorified state for all eternity, how is it that you can be sure you won't lose your salvation? You're genuinely converted.

How can you be sure you're not going to lose your salvation? There's some Christians who teach the idea that when a person is saved, he can lose that salvation. How is it you can be confident that that won't happen?

Because of what verse five says, you are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed at the last time. You're kept by the power of God, through faith, unto that salvation.

And there he's not talking about that initial step of regeneration, he's talking about the culmination of this whole work of salvation when you enter into eternity. So the point is that God, in his abundant mercy, he begets you by faith in Jesus Christ, and he keeps you by his power for all eternity.

This is all according to God's abundant mercy. So why do you have to know this? Why is this important to keep this in mind? Because of what it says next. He says, in this you greatly rejoice. In this fact that God, in his abundant mercy, has begotten me again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

And God, in his abundant mercy, has reserved for me an inheritance that's incorruptible and it's undefiled and it will never fade away. And it's God who, in his abundant mercy, keeps me by his power unto that day of final salvation.

I greatly rejoice in this, even though, and here's where the passage continues, even though now, in this life, for a little while, I may be grieved by various trials. You see what Peter's doing here, he's addressing Christians who are going through some pretty tough times, grievous trials, and he's encouraging them and saying, listen, even in these times of difficulty and trial, you have a great deal to be rejoicing over.

Like what, Peter? Like the abundant mercy of our God and Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because he has begotten you again to a living hope, to an eternal inheritance that is reserved for you and will never go away.

You, who are kept by the power of God unto that day of salvation, you can rejoice through life's difficulties because of the abundant mercy of God. Let's rejoice in that today. So our Father and our God, we are grateful today for your abundant mercy that has begotten us again to a living hope.

Thank you, Father, for all you have done in our doing, and will do, to bring us home to eternity, we pray in Jesus' name, Amen. Alright, well listen, have a good rest of your day, and may the Lord bless you, give you a good day today.