Book of 1 Peter - Ch. 1, Vs. 12-21 (09/22/2002)

Park Meadows Church

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Unto whom? The word whom refers to the prophets. Unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the

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Holy Ghost sent down from heaven which things the angels desire to look into.

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Now the Apostles were saying we are preaching the same thing that the prophets did.

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The only difference was that the prophets could not make the distinction between Christ's suffering and glory.

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While the Apostles were in the position of having been able to understand the distribution.

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Which things the angels desire to look into.

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It is my opinion and mine only I guess that the angels

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God created intelligence are standing up yonder looking at you and I.

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Why don't we get busy? Why don't we give out this tremendous message today?

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Now let's diverge for just a minute.

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Dennis do you believe that people that have died and gone on get to look at us back here?

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All right if you take that example

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Lazarus. Do we ever hear from Lazarus?

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Bill? No. We did hear from the rich man in torments.

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What do you think Joy? Can the people that have gone on see us? All right.

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The angels I believe see what God has given them to see that includes us.

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But I at this time in my life I do not believe that the dead can see us.

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They desire the angels desire to do it themselves. Clarence why won't

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God permit that? To intervene or to teach us or to bring us to Christ.

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That's right. Yeah I don't know about that. We don't know and we see our brothers.

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It should be any brother. But even your close relatives who look like they're headed for hell. You couldn't be very happy having them.

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That's right. I'm confused on that side. I don't know how many times you see signals that the angels can see.

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But as Joy said they have joy for every false sinner who is saying so.

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I don't know. Can I say a few things? Yes. Not that I believe it.

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I mean I've always been taught that the dead can see. But I guess because of all the deaths that we've had recently

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I've just been thinking about it. In Revelation 6 .10 it says,

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And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy truth, doth thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on earth?

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Now that to me sounds like they're grieving over the things that are happening on earth.

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And when we die are we higher than the angels then or are we of the same status? If we die do we have the mind of Christ then and we can see all things as he sees and although we see it we know the whole picture like he says we'll see and it doesn't bother us to any extent except where we want it to return.

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Or do we see nothing? Looking back and seeing all of the evil that's shown on the earth.

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But I don't think we're looking back with our own mind and our own eyes and seeing as God sees it.

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And if that's the case then maybe we're seeing different than we would see if it was us that were there just looking back.

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Revelation. Revelation. The word they applies to the saints out of the tribulation period, not the church.

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Now whether we can look back, whether we can't, it really makes no difference either as it affects our present belief.

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But they still have feelings. That applies to the

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Revelation saints. They're wondering how long. Now personally

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I don't believe it. My mother and father are watching. That wouldn't be happy.

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Boy it wouldn't be happy. So the question really is moot.

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It really doesn't make any difference except as it affects our understanding of everything else.

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You recall that the angel Gabriel came and made the announcement to Mary and later to Joseph and Jesus was to be born.

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Also he came to tell Zacharias that he was going to have a son named

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John who would be the forerunner of the

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Messiah. He is the one that is to announce the Messiah to the world.

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This thing is a lot more wonderful than we're making it.

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Although he would like to come down, God won't let him. Today he's using human instruments to get his word out.

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Because we are not living in that day of the ministry of angels. We're living in the day of the ministry of the

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Holy Spirit. It is a peculiar section out of history, the church.

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But if we see things by looking less now and we see all things when we are with him,

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I think it will all be good. That's right. And so I think in knowing that we would have to have a memory of something or we wouldn't want him to return.

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That's right. Our memory shifts once we get in the other side of death.

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And of course I'm talking about a subject that I don't believe there's any of you have experienced yet.

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All right.

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Yes. That is a good point that you bring up, that if God wanted us to know, he would have expressed it.

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But he doesn't. Well, he'll wipe away the tears of this life.

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As children of God, we are indwelt by the Holy Ghost. Did you want to say something,

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Clarence? If you wave your hand to scratch your head,

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I can't tell the difference. If any man have not the

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Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. That's found in Romans 8 and 9.

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If you are Christ, you are indwelt by the Spirit of God. That is a law.

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It goes together. All Christians are indwelt by the Holy Ghost.

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Now, do you think that an angel could do more for you than the

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Spirit of God? No. No. We're living in the day of the ministry of the

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Holy Spirit, the day of grace, when the Spirit of God takes the things of Christ and reveals them unto us.

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And what are you to do in light of this? Wherefore, gird up your mind, your loins of your mind, is the first thing.

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Greg, what does he mean, gird? Cinch up your mind.

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Be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

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He is coming back. He'll come back exactly the way he left, and he'll touch down exactly where he left.

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Gird up your loins of your mind. This is a figure of speech based on the gathering up and fastening of the long flowing robes they had to wear.

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It was an expression that was understood in Peter's day, but I would like to bring it down to the good old

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American language. We would say, get with it.

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Or maybe we'd say, get turned on. Be sober.

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You won't need drugs. You don't need alcohol. Let the word of God turn you on.

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However, be sober. This means more than just not drinking.

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It means to be sober minded, to adapt serious attitude in the stand of the word of God, study of the word of God.

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And hope to the end. This is the greatest epistle of hope,

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Peter. The greatest epistle of hope. Why? As we have already seen, should the child of God be willing to endure trials?

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Joy, why is it that you're willing to undergo and endure the problems that come?

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All right? That's right.

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In this age today, what if there were no devil or influence of the devil?

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We wouldn't be much. We wouldn't be as strong as we are. So Satan is doing exactly that that he should do.

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The grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, at the time when the

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Lord Jesus comes to take the church out of the world, he will bring plenty of grace with him.

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Greg, is he ever going to run out of grace? And each believer, each believer's works are to be judged at Christ's judgment.

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At that time, we will either suffer loss or receive a reward, and that certainly will be by his grace.

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The fact that we will be judged someday is another incentive to endure the trials of this life,

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Joy. We will be judged on our works of this life.

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How we live down here upon this earth is very important. It's the only life we have, and right now is the only now we have.

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I don't know. I have no idea. Well, today believers are confronted with the demand to lead transformed lives, which only the word of God can produce in us.

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One of the reasons God put us through trials and troubles is because he wants to fashion and according to his plan.

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We are to yield to him in our tribulations. It makes you stronger.

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Now, there's been several that have come my way that I just as soon not come my way. Yes. Without the trials and trouble, there would be no faith.

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He would not fashion us after the Lord. Lots of things.

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Fourteen. As obedient children, not fashioning yourself according to the former lusts in your ignorance, not fashioning yourself concerning or according to the former lusts in your ignorance, that is, not conforming your behavior to what is used, not conforming your favor to what is used to be before.

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I've got to print this bigger. We are to live lives which reveal that we have been transformed.

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It reveals to the world and to each other that we have a transformed life.

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We're not to walk around in an artificial smile on our face like a four -floor walker at J .C.

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Penney or Macy's who acts as if he's delighted to serve you when really his horn corns are hurting him.

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We're not to be artificial. We are to so yield to God that we will genuinely be transformed.

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Fifteen. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.

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Greg, what does that mean by conversation? Conduct. Holiness is something that is really misunderstood.

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To live, to the average person, holiness means to assume a very pious attitude, to become almost abnormal in every way in everyday life.

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It is thought to be a superficial thing. The Lord wants you to be fully integrated personally.

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He wants you to enjoy life and have fun. He wants that. I don't mean the sinful kind of fun, but really delight and enjoy his life he's given you.

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He has given to you holiness is to the spiritual life, what health is to the physical life, if you want to compare it.

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You like to see a person who's physically fine, robust, healthy? Well, holiness is to be healthy, robust, and spiritually.

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Alright. We expect the fact that we've been here and it wasn't your conversation that was part of it.

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But what I see is that we've been here by not rejoicing or enjoying the new life.

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We fall short because we're not enjoying being that new man that we are.

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I don't know if that's what I said last time. That's always the first thing that I've done.

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I'm to rejoice in the new man, who I really am. Get on the path.

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I'm always the Lord. We don't know what the word is.

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We're told to rejoice when trouble comes. To rejoice in affliction.

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I'm convinced that the true believer gets there for the most part before he dies.

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It's our business to be, is our holiness to be an attribute like God's holiness?

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Is our holiness to be an attribute like God's holiness?

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No. No. Our God is absolutely perfect. And we will never, while we're in this life, reach that state.

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Then what does it mean? What does it mean to be holy like God is?

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Our God is a complete, wonderful personality.

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Although you and I are mere human beings, we can be fully grown. We can reach development.

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We've all seen a beautiful little baby lying in a crib.

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But if he is still a little baby in a crib 17 years later, something's wrong.

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He should be healthy, young fellow turning out for football practice.

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But if he is a baby, he cannot do that. So many

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Christians are babies. I thank

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God every day for this group, for this church, because I really believe that here we're not talking to people like that.

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17. And if you will call on the

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Father, who without respect of person judges according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.

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If you call upon the Father, who without respect of persons.

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Bill, what does it mean that God does not respect persons?

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That's right.

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Without respect of persons means without partiality. God isn't partial.

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He doesn't have his little pets. God judges every man's work impartially.

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God does not have little pets. The work of every

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Christian, God is going to judge the work of every

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Christian fairly. This has nothing to do with your salvation. Don't mix the two.

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It has everything to do with the kind of life you're living down here on this earth right now.

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Well, the fact that God is going to judge, first of all, it ought to cause us to become more sober -minded and give a little more information, attention to the life that we are living.

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Our works, he will accept only the work done for him.

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Now, that might dissenail half a mile or more.

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So it's only those works that get through. You will be rewarded based upon your good works.

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Let's make sure that we are not superficial. Are you trying to keep a smile on your face, radiate happiness, sunshine everywhere you go?

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The gospel does not sprinkle rose water on a bunch of dead weeds.

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The gospel transforms lives and brings with it a living hope which rests upon the resurrection of Christ.

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Believers have life, L -I -F -E, life, from the living

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Savior who is up yonder at God's right hand. Eighteen, foursome, yes.

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Yes, yes. You're right.

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Eternal, the eternal life is

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Jesus Christ. He does not give us eternal life on a platter.

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He gives us himself. In fact, he chose me to have eternal life.

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So we do have it right now. The word life is the key.

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We have eternal life. They have eternal death. But we will live eternally somewhere, one or the other, forever.

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For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, he didn't buy you with money, as silver and gold from your vain conversation, received by traditions from your fathers.

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But when the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, as a lamb without blemish and without spot, this was why every sacrifice in the

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Old Testament had to be perfect, as perfect as an animal on life could be.

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No off -colored hairs, no, couldn't be crippled, and so on and so forth.

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In these verses, Peter's speaking of the objective work of God for your salvation, which is redemption.

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The Lord had to pay a price for you. You and I stood under the judgment of God, for the scripture says, back in Ezekiel, the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

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God has never revoked that decree. It's still in effect.

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God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

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The immutability of God is the terror of the wicked, but not of us.

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If they give any thought to it at all, they tremble. We hear it said that we are living in a new age, with new thoughts and new values, but God has never changed.

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There would be no reason for him to change, because he knew the end from the beginning.

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Neither did he learn anything. You cannot teach God something. He did not learn anything when he looked at the morning newspaper or heard the television newscast this morning.

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It didn't give him any information, because he knows all things, past, present, and future.

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God has not changed his decree that the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

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You were not redeemed with corruptible things, although silver and gold can be purified by being put into a crucible, heated red -hot, so the dross can be drawn off.

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Even they will corrupt in time. If you have a table service of silver, and your guests come, and that's the only time you use that silver or look at it, and you get it out, and it'll be tarnished.

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It's corrupting, perishable. We're not redeemed with corruptible things.

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From your vain conversations received by tradition from your fathers, life is vain.

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Would you not say so, Greg? Life is vain. It is empty without the redemption of Christ.

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There is nothing quite so meaningless as a person without Christ.

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Every animal, every plant on the earth serves a purpose. The sun, the moon, and every star in the heaven serves a purpose.

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But man without God is meaningless. As far as that person is concerned,

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God uses them. They were put here to be used. Someone has said that mankind is just a rash on the epidermis of a minor planet.

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Well, that's about all man is apart from God. We have not been redeemed by corruptible things, not anything from this empty life.

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Man has nothing to offer to God for his own redemption. What do you have that God needs,

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Greg? You're right. The answer is nothing.

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Then how can we be redeemed? With the precious blood of Christ.

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Again, Simon Peter. That rugged, old fisherman. You wouldn't expect him to use the word precious.

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That's relegated to a woman, to finery. You know the blood's not mentioned in several religions today.

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They don't want anything to do with that nasty old blood. One denomination took all of the songs out of the hymnal that refer to blood.

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The words are omitted from the hymnals in many liberal churches. Their reasoning is that the blood is crude.

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Well, I don't think it's crude. And certainly Simon Peter didn't think it was crude when he says it was precious, the blood of Christ.

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Without the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without a spot,

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Simon Peter, who lived with Jesus Christ for three years, said that he was without blemish and without spot and was absolutely sinless.

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I'll take Peter's word for it. Certainly he's in a better position to judge than modern authors who depict

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Jesus as just another sinful man. The modern authors write for money, but Simon Peter didn't write for money.

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All he got for his willingness, witness of Christ, was suffering.

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And finally, he got crucifixion. Greg Howe was

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Peter crucified. He was forced to watch his wife crucified first.

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That must have been an awful scene. He said that if we were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish.

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This is an objective statement of our redemption. This is what God did for you and me.

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20. Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you?

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Bill, the 20th verse. Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world?

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Who was that? Exactly. A better way to say it, perhaps, was foreknown.

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Christ was foreknown before the foundations of the world. As foreknowledge extends to all events, it includes all that is embraced in election and predestination.

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Election is, therefore, according to the foreknowledge of God. Foreknowledge is according to the election of God, meaning that both are in perfect agreement.

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Foreknowledge is an earthly term. It's for us, not for God.

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When we begin to deal with words like ordination, election, predestination, foreknowledge, and so forth,

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I feel that we, with our finite minds, treat

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God as if He were a great big computer someplace.

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He isn't that at all. He has a heart bigger than all of the world, all of the universe.

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To put it very simple, the cross of Christ was not an ambulance sent to a wreck.

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Christ was the Lamb who was slain before the foundations of the world.

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I cannot grasp that. I know the fact. I revel in the fact.

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I don't need a computer to go over this. I only need a God with a great big heart who loved, provided redemption by His grace.

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21, who by Him do believe in God that raised

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Him up from the dead and gave Him glory that your faith and hope might be in God.

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The 21st verse, who by Him do believe in God. All of you that believe in God or believe

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God that it is God's power that raised Him from the dead, gave

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Him glory, and He did all of that so we could have faith and hope. Simon Peter keeps reminding us of the resurrection of Christ, that your faith and hope might be in God.

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Previously, he put together the words grace and hope. Now it is faith and hope.

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Peter is the great apostle of hope. Hope rests upon the resurrection of Christ and upon the fact that we have a living

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Savior who will be returning someday. Dennis, do you believe that Jesus is coming back?

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What do you want to say? Diane. It would be like, who by Jesus do believe in God.

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So by Jesus we believe, not our own belief. That's right. Who by Jesus do believe in God, that your faith and hope might be in God.

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That's right. We've been doing that with the kids on, kind of get them on their feet.

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So isn't that interesting right there, he answered it. Who by Jesus do believe in God.

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That's right. That's great. Seeing you have, and our time's up, we'll start here with 22.

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Yes. Yes.

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That's right. Anything else? Well, if not, we must be dismissed.