Suffering and Victory 07/11/2021

First Baptist Church Leominster

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Testament reading. Let's turn to Acts 24. We're approaching the end of this book.

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As you turn there, I might say that we've enjoyed having Jen Seymour and the kids with us for a number of weeks, and today's their last day with us.

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They're heading to Virginia. Brian is finishing up War College soon, and he's going to be stationed at the

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Pentagon, I understand, so they'll be leaving after today. Acts 24.

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Now, the Lord in his providence, of course, is escorting the Apostle Paul to Rome to bear witness of the gospel there in the capital of the

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Empire. And, of course, he used, through his providence, Paul's arrest in Jerusalem by the

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Romans, instigated largely because of the hostility of the Jewish leadership. And then they escorted

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Paul from Jerusalem over to the coast to Caesarea, where he spent about two years in prison.

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Well, here we have Paul in Caesarea, and shortly after he arrived there, and the

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Jews came up from Jerusalem in order to make accusation against him, and Paul gives a defense before the

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Roman governor Felix. Acts 24. Now, after five days,

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Ananias the high priest came down with the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus, these gave evidence to the governor against Paul, and when he was called upon,

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Tertullus began his accusation saying, see that through you we enjoy great peace and prosperity as being brought to this nation by your foresight.

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We accept it always in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. Nevertheless, not to be tedious to you any further,

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I beg you to hear by your courtesy a few words from us, for we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the

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Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, and we seized him and wanted to judge him according to our law, but the commander

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Lysias came by with great violence, took him out of our hands, commanding his accusers to come to you.

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By examining him yourself, you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him, and the

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Jews also assented, maintaining that these things were so. Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered, and as much as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation,

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I do the more cheerfully answer for myself, because you may ascertain that is no more than 12 days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship, and they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone or inciting the crowd, either in the synagogue or in the city, nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me.

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But this I confess to you, that according to the way which they call a sect, so I worship the

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God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets, I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

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This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

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Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation, in the midst of which some

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Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult.

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They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me, or else let those who are here themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council, unless it is for this one statement which

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I cried out, standing among them, concerning the resurrection of the dead, I am being judged to you this day.

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But Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, when

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Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case. And so he commanded the centurion to keep

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Paul, and to let him have liberty, and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him.

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And after some days when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

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And now as he reasoned about righteousness, self -control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, go away for now.

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When I have a convenient time, I will call for you. And meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him.

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And therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him. But after two years,

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Portius Festus succeeded Felix, and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left

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Paul bound. Let's go to our father in prayer, please.

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Our father, we know from your word that you are the king of all of history, of all creation, and that you have given this authority into the hands of your son.

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Hey, your eternal son, who assumed our human nature, truly God, truly man, who now, due to his obedient life to you and his death on the cross, you raised from the dead, you exalted him and enthroned him in heaven.

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And even now, King Jesus is ruling over history. He is king of kings and lord of lords.

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Yes, we look out at the world, our God, and we see chaos, confusion, so much injustice.

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And yet we know it is the righteous exercise of judgment in history by King Jesus, that as people turn away from you, you turn them over to their sin.

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And certainly we see that taking place. And yet you've purposed, our God, to build a kingdom, a kingdom of citizens who are compliant, subservient, obedient, submissive, citizens of the kingdom of God over which

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Jesus Christ is head. And we thank you, our God, in your mercy and grace, you purpose to save us and bring us into this kingdom.

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And so we confess Jesus is Lord. And we thank you, our God, we desire to obey him and serve him and to proclaim him widely throughout this world.

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Help us to do so, our God, faithfully as a church and as individuals. Help us in our witness, our declaration that Jesus is

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Lord. Now, Father, may you help us as we open your word and consider the nature of this

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Christian life as one principally of suffering that will lead and give way to our future glory.

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And so bless, Pastor Jason, as he comes and opens the word before us. Instruct us, our

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God, exhort us, encourage us to understand you and your ways and how you would have us live in your world.

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For it's in Jesus' name we pray, amen. Morning, everybody.

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Before I begin, I would like to say thank you one last time just for the number of cards and support that we've received for COLE the last few weeks.

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It's really been overwhelming. I think when we got home from the hospital, we had four inches of get well cards that came in the mail.

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So it was really nice, but we really feel supported. We really feel loved. So thank you very much.

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Let's go to the Lord in prayer one more time. Our Father, we do thank you for this morning.

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We thank you for the body of Christ, and I thank you, Lord, for this body of Christ that that the love that they have shown for us and for each other is abounding and abounding.

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And we just pray, Lord, that that would continue. We pray that the more we know you, the more we would live our lives to your praise, glory, and honor.

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And I pray, Lord, that you would help us in this passage, which is a somewhat difficult passage. We pray that you would direct us, that you would lead us, that the

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Spirit would teach us how we apply these truths to our lives for your glory and your honor.

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Thank you, Lord, in Jesus' name, amen. Well, this morning we continue our study of the book 1

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Peter. Today our passage is a very challenging passage to interpret.

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In fact, many commentators agree that 1 Peter chapter 3, verses 18 through 22, is one of the most difficult passages to interpret in all of the

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New Testament. Martin Luther, the great reformer, wrote in his commentary, a wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the

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New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.

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One of the difficulties in determining the meaning of this passage is the sheer number of perspectives on it.

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There are roughly 18 different theories on this passage. Out of my nine commentaries on the book of 1

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Peter, no two views were perfectly alike. But rather than taking the time to explain each one of these views,

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I'm going to give you my take on the text. So as always, make sure to be a

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Berean. Take the things that you hear and line them up with the scriptures. Examine the scriptures daily to see if these things are so.

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So the plan this morning is to briefly look at the bird's -eye view of this passage from a hundred yards up, and when we understand the context of the passage as a whole, then we will look at the worm's -eye view and unpack the complexities of each verse in detail.

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By way of reminder, the theme that runs throughout this book is living in the midst of suffering.

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Specifically, it is living in the midst of unjust suffering. 1

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Peter chapter 2 verse 20, for what credit is it if when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure?

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But when you do good and suffer for it, you endure. This is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

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For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps.

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The call to salvation and the call to suffer go hand in hand.

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It is through unjust suffering that we will experience our great salvation.

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In the life of a Christian, suffering is not just a detour on the road that leads to everlasting glory, but rather suffering is the road that leads to everlasting glory.

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For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you might follow in his steps.

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Christ is our example, and we are called to walk in his steps.

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The Greek word translated example means to write under or to copy, and it's actually an educational term, and it refers to the faint outlines of letters or patterns which are then traced over by those who are seeking to duplicate the original image.

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Think back to when you first learned how to write. With painstaking effort and close application, you followed the contour and shapes of the letters of your teacher.

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Well, in a similar fashion, with the same effort and application, we are to trace and follow the pattern that was set by the

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Lord Jesus Christ. He is our standard, and we are to follow all of his lines, we are to follow in all of his steps.

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The Greek word for steps literally means a footprint or a track, and the picture that comes to mind is a child that is attempting to walk in the footprints made by his parents in the snow or in the sand.

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Again, in a similar fashion, we are to follow with extreme diligence and effort in the same footprints, in the same path of the

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Lord Jesus Christ. Amidst suffering, amidst unjust suffering, we are to behave and respond and conduct ourselves in the same manner as Christ.

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We are to have the same attitude and outlook as Christ. We are to walk in the same manner and in the same steps in which he walked.

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Peter knows that living amidst unjust suffering is hard. He knows that living amidst unjust suffering is very difficult.

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He knows that it can be disheartening and depressing and lonesome, so he is writing to encourage his readers that just as the

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Lord Jesus Christ was victorious in his unjust suffering, so will those who suffer for his sake.

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We will also be victorious. This is the main point that Peter is making in our text this morning.

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No matter the interpretive difficulties, no matter the differing perspectives on this passage, the primary idea of this passage is for believers to know that just as the

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Lord Jesus Christ was victorious in his suffering, so will we, his followers, be victorious in our suffering.

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Beloved, there is triumph. There is victory. There is great advantage in the midst of suffering and trials.

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And nowhere is this truth better illustrated than in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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So Peter desires that we not only have a right perspective and attitude in suffering, but he also wants us to realize that there is purpose in our suffering, that we should be greatly anticipating our future victory.

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It is through our suffering that we will triumph. So do not lose heart.

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Do not be discouraged. Do not despair. The unjust suffering that you are experiencing is the pathway to your future glory.

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Now as we move forward in this text, you need to remember this primary thought.

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The Lord Jesus Christ suffered, but the Lord Jesus Christ was victorious. For the

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Christian, suffering is not the last word. We will share the same destiny as our

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Lord and Savior. Just as he suffered, we will suffer. And just as he was victorious, we will be victorious.

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For his suffering has forever secured our victory. Let's read the text together.

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1 Peter chapter 3, verses 18 through 22. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the

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Spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey when

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God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is eight persons, were brought safely through water.

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Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as the removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven, and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers, having been subjected to him.

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This morning we're going to look at four things. A victorious atonement, verse 18.

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A gospel announcement, verses 19 through 20. A sincere appeal, verse 21.

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And a triumphant ascension, verse 22. An atonement, an announcement, an appeal, and an ascension.

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Let's look at each one of these points in detail. Point number one, a victorious atonement. 1

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Peter 3, 18. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the

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Spirit. The conjunctions for and also connect this passage with the preceding passage, verses 15 through 17, where Peter is preparing his readers for persecution and hostility.

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In the midst of physical harm, in the midst of hostility, you will be safe.

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You will be secure. You will be protected under the care and blessing of the

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Lord God. In fact, if you do suffer for righteousness' sake, you should consider yourself to be blessed.

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And this should be our ongoing perspective on suffering, that it is a great and tremendous blessing.

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And thus, you are to have no fear of them. You are to have no fear of those who afflict you, nor are you to be troubled by them, but rather Christ the

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Lord must be honored as holy in our hearts. Christ the Lord must be set apart and given the highest, the greatest, and the most supreme position in our lives.

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The Lord Jesus Christ must reign in our hearts. Beginning in verse 18,

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Peter continues to give reassurance to Christians who must endure unjust suffering and persecution.

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And he does this once again by redirecting our attention back to the

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Lord Jesus Christ. He points us back to our example, back to our model, back to the outline, back to the pattern that we are commanded to closely follow.

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The attitude and actions of the Lord Jesus Christ were the perfect example of how to endure unjust suffering.

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For it was through his suffering, through his death, that the redemptive purposes of the

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Lord God were fulfilled. Beloved, our willingness to suffer for the sake of Christ must be rooted in the cross.

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Our willingness to suffer for the sake of Christ must be rooted in his willingness to suffer and die in our place.

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The Lord Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice. He died in our place.

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Death. Even death upon a cross. So that you and I would be brought near to God.

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That we would be able to share in his triumph and glory. Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.

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In his life, Jesus Christ accomplished what none of us could ever accomplish. He perfectly obeyed the law of God.

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He perfectly obeyed the will of God. He surrendered his will to the will of the

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Father. Jesus Christ lived a perfect, just, and righteous life.

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And in his death, Jesus Christ died as a divinely appointed substitute. His death provided atonement between the

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Lord God and sinners, thus establishing peace. As a result of sin, our relationship with the

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Lord God was estranged. Our relationship with the Lord God was severed.

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Our communion with him was severed. As a result of sin, all men were justly condemned to die, having no hope and being without God in the world.

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But God, because of his great love for sinners, sent his son,

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Jesus Christ, into the world so that sinners might be saved, so that sinners might be reconciled to him.

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Our relationship with him being fully restored, having been justified by faith,

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Romans 5, 1 and 2, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

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Our peace with God is made possible only by the life, death, and resurrection of the

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Lord Jesus Christ. Our peace with God is made possible only by what the

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Lord Jesus Christ accomplished on our behalf. Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous that he might bring us to God.

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Beloved, we are free because another man died in our place.

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The Lord Jesus Christ endured the punishment of sin. He endured the penalty of sin.

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He satisfied the demand of the law, the demands of a thrice holy and just God.

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Jesus Christ suffered and died once for sins. Well, what does that mean?

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What does it mean that he suffered once for sins? The Greek phrase translated once for sins is hapax, which means of perpetual validity, or not requiring repetition.

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In short, the sacrifice of Christ was sufficient, and therefore his sacrifice was final.

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It is finished. In the Old Testament, the sacrificial system required multitude upon multitude of animal sacrifices to be slaughtered to atone for the sins of the people, and during the annual

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Passover celebration, it is estimated that there were many as a quarter of a million sheep that would be slaughtered and sacrificed, but none of these sacrifices were able to fully remove the guilt, the stain, and the permanence of sin.

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In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ is shown to be the perfect sacrifice. He was the

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Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. He was without spot. He was without stain.

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He was without blemish, and his sacrifice once for all removed the guilt, removed the stain, and removed the permanence of sin forever.

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Hebrews chapter 10, verses 10 to 14, and by that will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

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And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

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But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.

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For by a single offering, he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

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By a single offering, the Lord Jesus Christ took away sin.

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By a single sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ atoned for the sins of his people, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God.

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Beloved, it was through the greatest injustice, it was through the harshest persecution, it was through the most intense physical and emotional affliction that the atonement of the

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Lord Jesus Christ achieved for us victory. Victory over sin, victory over death, victory over the adversary, victory over the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

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And the result of his victory is our reconciliation, our peace with the

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Lord God. Paul summed it up like this in Ephesians chapter 2, now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

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For he himself is our peace who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in the place of two, so making peace.

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And might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

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And he came and preached peace to those who were far off and peace to those who were near.

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For through him we both have access in one spirit to the

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Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints.

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You are members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

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Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole structure being joined together grows into a holy temple in the

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Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the

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Spirit. This passage speaks of such tremendous blessings, blessings which are all found in Christ Jesus.

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In Christ he has secured for us peace. He has reconciled us to God the

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Father. In Christ we have access to God, citizenship into the kingdom of God, adoption into the household of God, where we are being built up together into a dwelling place for God by the

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Spirit. The phrase no hope no longer describes us.

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The phrase without God no longer describes us. What describes us?

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The phrase in Christ. Our identity is found in Christ and we are to live our lives in reality of this truth.

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All the blessings of God are found in Christ Jesus because, verse 18, of a victorious atonement.

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Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.

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Point number two, a gospel announcement. Look at verses 19 through 20.

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Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the

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Spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey when

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God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared in which a few, that is eight persons, were brought safely through water.

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On the cross the Lord Jesus Christ was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the

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Spirit. Well, what does this mean? It means that on the cross Jesus Christ died, not figuratively but literally.

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Jesus Christ's death on the cross was an actual death. On the cross his physical life ceased and he was buried in a tomb.

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But after he was put to death, he was made alive in the Spirit. He was made alive in the spiritual realm.

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In the realm of the Holy Spirit's activity, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.

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So Christ was made alive in the spiritual realm, verse 18, and he also did something in the spiritual realm, verses 19 through 20.

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And this is the tricky portion of the passage. The meaning of these verses are very much disputed.

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In which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey when

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God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared in which a few, that is eight persons, were brought safely through water.

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Now there are many difficult questions that arise from these verses. Who are the spirits in prison?

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Is this referring to unbelievers, to believers, or to fallen angels? And what did

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Christ preach? Was it a second chance of redemption? Was it the completion of his redemptive work?

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Was it his final condemnation? And when did he preach this? Was it in the days of Noah?

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Was it between his death and resurrection? Or was it after his resurrection? As I mentioned before, various answers have been given to these questions.

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Now there are five main views that are most commonly held regarding the interpretation of this passage.

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Some are better than others, but each one has its strengths, and each one has its weaknesses.

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I'm going to share with you the view that I think explains this the best. In the days of Noah, when the ark was being prepared, the pre -incarnate

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Christ in spirit was preaching repentance and righteousness through Noah to the unbelievers who were on the earth at that time, but are now spirits in prison.

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That is, people in hell. Christ made proclamation to the spirits in prison.

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The reference to the spirits in prison are those who formerly did not obey when

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God's patience waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. Now the reason

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I believe this is referring to human spirits rather than angelic spirits is nowhere in the

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Scriptures are angels ever said to have disobeyed during the building of the ark. In Genesis chapter 6, what is clearly emphasized is that human sin is what provoked the

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Lord God to flood the earth with judgment, not angelic sin. Genesis 6, 5 and 6, the

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Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, and the

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Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

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In 1st Peter 320, there is also mention of God's patience waiting in the days of Noah, which implies human disobedience.

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The Lord God's patience waited for mankind to repent before bringing upon them the judgment of the flood, and there is nowhere in the

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Scriptures that suggests that fallen angels have a chance to repent. Rather, repentance is only given to sinful man.

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Well, what was the message that was proclaimed? Well, in the face of disobedience and rebellion, while the patience of God was waiting, the only appropriate message to proclaim is one of repentance and righteousness, which is precisely what the pre -incarnate

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Christ preached through Noah in spirit. 2nd Peter 2, 5 says, if he did not spare the ancient world but preserve

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Noah, a herald of righteousness with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.

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Through Noah, a herald of righteousness, the pre -incarnate Christ exhorted the disobedient unbelievers to repent and to obey the

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Lord God. He condemned sin and he commended righteousness.

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Now that's the position in summary. Now the question

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I have, why would Peter use such an obscure reference to get his point across?

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Why mention this somewhat confusing passage in the midst of encouraging believers to stand fast under unjust suffering?

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And I think Peter uses this example because there was a tremendous parallel between Noah and his contemporaries and the readers of this epistle and their contemporaries.

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The commentator Wayne Grudem made six comparisons between Noah and the readers of Peter's epistle.

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Noah and his family were a minority surrounded by hostile unbelievers. So were the readers of Peter.

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Noah was righteous in the midst of a wicked world. In the book of Peter, he frequently exhorts his readers to be righteous in the midst of a wicked world.

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Noah witnessed boldly to those who around him and Peter encourages his readers to be good witnesses, to be willing to suffer if need be to bring others to God just as the

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Lord Jesus Christ was willing to suffer and die that he might bring us to God.

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Noah realized that judgment was soon to come upon the world and Peter reminds his readers that God's judgment is certainly coming and that they will have to give an account.

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At the time of Noah, God was patiently awaiting the repentance of unbelievers before he brought judgment.

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So it was the situation of Peter's readers. God was patiently awaiting repentance of unbelievers before bringing judgment into the world.

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And lastly, Noah was finally saved with a few others and Peter thus encourages his readers that though perhaps few, they too will finally be saved for Christ has triumphed and all things are subject to him.

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Now these verses, verses 18 through 20, while difficult to understand, should function today as an encouragement to be bold in our witness just as Noah was bold as in his witness.

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Christians must be confident that though we may be few, the Lord God will certainly save us just as he did

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Noah and his family. These verses remind us that just as certainly as the flood eventually came, so final judgment will certainly come to our world as well.

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And Christ will ultimately triumph over the evil in this world.

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Look at the end of verse 20, because they formerly did not obey when

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God's patience waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared in which a few, that is eight persons, were brought safely through water.

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Noah and his family escaped through water. Noah and his family entered the ark on the same day as the flood.

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All of them were delivered from the wrath of God. They were delivered from the waters of the flood by the ark.

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The flood came and drowned the entire world except for these eight people.

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And Peter sees their salvation as a parallel to our salvation, which brings us to principle number three, a sincere appeal.

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Verse 21, baptism which corresponds to this now saves you not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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The Greek phrase translated which corresponds to is antiapon, meaning copy or counterpart or figure pointing to.

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And the phrase is where we get the theological term anti -type, which describes an earthly expression of a heavenly reality.

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Peter is teaching that those who believe in God, those who believed in God, and who were preserved in the ark corresponds to the salvation of those who believe in Christ and are preserved through the cross.

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As Noah and his family fled into the ark, we flee to Christ.

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And in him, we escape judgment. At first glance, it may seem that Peter is teaching baptismal regeneration, that immersion into water saves you from the judgment of God.

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But we know that this is not the case. Baptism will not save you.

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Baptism cannot save you. In fact, anticipating that his readers may take this view, he immediately says in verse 21, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience.

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The outward act of baptism, immersion into water, cannot cleanse your inner man.

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It cannot cleanse or purify your heart. Rather, baptism is the outward manifestation of our inner reality.

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Baptism is the symbolic expression of what has already happened in our hearts, namely our appeal to God, our appeal to God for a clean conscience.

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In other words, baptism now saves you, not the outward physical ceremony of baptism, but the inward spiritual reality which baptism by immersion represents.

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Baptism is an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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And baptism saves for this reason alone. It is an expression of our faith.

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Sinful men do not have a good conscience. Sinful men do not have a clear conscience.

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Remember the role that the conscience plays. It either affirms right behavior or it condemns sinful behavior.

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God has given us a conscience to act as a source of conviction or as a source of affirmation.

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The conscience either denounces us or it approves us. Now, when the

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Lord God gives us a clear conscience, the person has the assurance that every sin has been forgiven and that he or she stands in a right relationship with God.

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To be baptized is to make this appeal to God. Please, God, as I enter the waters of baptism, which will cleanse my body outwardly,

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I am asking you to cleanse and purify my heart inwardly. Forgive me of all my sin and make me right before you.

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And yet, not even this appeal to God is the basis of our salvation. Our salvation has been earned for us by the

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Lord Jesus Christ. And all that baptism represents comes to us, not on the merits of any response from us, but through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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Water baptism does not save you. Immersion into Christ is what saves you.

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Immersion into his death, burial, and resurrection. Romans chapter 6 verses 3 through 5.

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Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

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We were buried, therefore, with him by baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the

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Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

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It is not the external ritual, it is not the external right, but a heart that longs to be delivered from the burden and plague of sin.

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And it is this appeal to God that leads you through the judgment of God, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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The author Alan Stibbs remarked, the ark passing through the flood provides a figure of God's method of saving men out of inevitable judgment.

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First, God delayed the day of judgment long enough for the ark to be prepared. Then, the souls that went into the ark did not avoid the judgment, rather in the ark they were saved through the very water which drowned others.

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And because of it, they passed out of the old world into a new world. When they emerged from the ark, they literally found that old things had passed away, and all things had become new.

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The figure is fulfilled in Christ. He was prepared of God to come in the fullness of time.

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The judgment due to sin and sinners was meanwhile delayed. Then the judgment fell on him as the flood waters upon the ark.

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And when sinners take refuge in him, they do not avoid the judgment due to sin.

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They are saved through it falling on Christ. And because of it, instead of meeting their own doom, they are brought safe in him to God.

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Beloved, you who have appealed to the Lord God for a good conscience have been forever rescued from the wrath of God because Jesus Christ suffered and died, the righteous for the unrighteous.

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The just judgment and wrath of God fell upon him, and he took it all to bring us to God.

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Beloved, no matter what fiery trials may come, no matter how agonizing your suffering may be, you are in Christ, and you need to identify with Christ.

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You are united to Christ. You are victorious in Christ. You are in the ark of Christ, and there is nothing that can change that.

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To further show us the completeness of our victory over suffering and show us the completeness of our victory in Christ, Peter reminds his readers that after Christ suffered and died, he ascended to the

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Father. Principle number four, a triumphant ascension.

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Verse 22, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers, having been subjected to him.

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After describing all of the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ and all the suffering that he endured,

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Peter concludes this passage of Scripture in one glorious final note of victory and triumph, his ascension to the right hand of the

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Father. Throughout the Scriptures, the right hand of God is the place of preeminence.

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It is the place of authority, and this is where Jesus went when he accomplished his work on the cross.

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Philippians chapter 2, verse 9, therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is

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Lord to the glory of God the Father. Every knee will bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.

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All angels, all authorities, all powers have been subjected to him.

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The Greek word translated subject is hupotasso, and it literally means to arrange under or to place under in an orderly fashion.

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And this term was often used by the military to describe troops falling into line or falling into rank and ordering themselves in proper formation, attentive and subordinate to the will of the commanding officer.

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The Lord Jesus Christ is the commanding officer. He is the greatest. He is the highest.

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He outranks, he excels, he supersedes all others, all other spiritual entities.

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Jesus Christ is Lord. Beloved, I hope you are encouraged by this passage of Scripture.

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I hope it encourages you to live your life in light of our suffering Savior and our victorious

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Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption.

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His atonement was victorious. The pre -incarnate Christ through Noah proclaimed repentance and righteousness to a hostile and unbelieving world.

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As his witnesses, we too must be willing to suffer, if need be, to bring others to God.

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Noah suffered, and yet he was victorious. Christ suffered, he was victorious.

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We will suffer, but we will share in the victory. Through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of the

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Lord Jesus Christ, we may appeal to God for a clean conscience, and the Lord God will grant our sincere appeal.

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And after his resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ triumphantly ascended and reigns at the right hand of God the

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Father. This morning we covered a lot of material in a short amount of time, some of it quite controversial.

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If I lost you with some of these details, remember the big idea. And everyone agrees with the big idea.

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Peter was writing to encourage his readers that as the Lord Jesus Christ suffered, he was also victorious.

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And Christians will too suffer, but we will share in his glory because we are in Christ Jesus.

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2nd Corinthians 2 14. Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

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Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for this passage, and we thank you for what an encouragement it is.

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Lord, as we look out to the world, we often see darkness and despair, and there's little hope.

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But our hope and our eyes are fixed upon Christ. Our eyes are fixed upon what

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Christ has accomplished on our behalf. He died, but he was raised in the

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Spirit. And Lord, we share in his victory, for we are in Christ.

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It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And Lord, I pray that we would so identify with you that nothing else will bother us.

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Nothing else will make us anxious. Nothing else will make us despair, because we are in Christ Jesus, and we understand the great riches of what this means.

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Lord, we thank you for his work on the cross. We thank you for his resurrection.

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We thank you for his ascension. We thank you that you are reigning now, and that you are over all things.

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And Lord, when we face and encounter difficulties and trials and persecution, we know,

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Lord, that it is coming from your hand, your loving and gracious hand. You lead us through the valley of the shadow of death.

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We could have gone around it, but Lord, as we go through it, your presence is our joy. Lord, please help us remember these things as we navigate the difficulties of this world.

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Thank you, Lord, for the cross. Thank you for the example of Christ. We pray,

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Lord, that we would walk in his steps and that we would follow him. Thank you,