WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.560 1 Peter 1, verses 3-12 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:38.780 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:45.219 so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, 00:00:45.719 --> 00:00:50.780 may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:00:51.519 --> 00:00:54.100 Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. 00:00:54.100 --> 00:01:00.640 Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:05.099 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 00:01:06.540 --> 00:01:13.299 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 00:01:13.859 --> 00:01:18.180 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating, 00:01:18.680 --> 00:01:21.819 when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 00:01:21.819 --> 00:01:26.159 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves, but you, 00:01:26.559 --> 00:01:28.699 in the things that have now been announced to you, 00:01:28.779 --> 00:01:32.859 through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, 00:01:33.719 --> 00:01:36.839 things into which angels long to look. 00:01:39.379 --> 00:01:43.280 In the late 1960s and the early 1970s, 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:47.119 Walter Mischel, a Stanford psychologist, 00:01:47.319 --> 00:01:51.699 conducted a classic study to measure the importance of delayed gratification. 00:01:51.819 --> 00:01:57.639 Many of you have probably heard of this experiment or seen redos of it on YouTube. 00:01:58.379 --> 00:02:04.039 To summarize the experiment, the researchers gathered children aged 4 or 5 and offered them a marshmallow, 00:02:04.819 --> 00:02:07.599 telling them that they may eat the one marshmallow immediately, 00:02:07.979 --> 00:02:11.759 or they could wait for a short time, approximately 15 minutes, 00:02:12.139 --> 00:02:13.579 until the tester returned. 00:02:13.580 --> 00:02:25.920 If you look up the videos online, you can see the tortured expressions on the kids' faces. 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:28.300 Some of them eat the marshmallow immediately, 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:32.000 others wriggle and squirm in an attempt to conjure up more patience, 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:34.660 and still others lick the marshmallow without eating it, 00:02:34.720 --> 00:02:37.640 or take small, unnoticeable bites off of it. 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:44.559 After this initial experiment, a group of researchers tracked the children for the next several decades, 00:02:45.399 --> 00:02:48.519 and found that children who were able to wait for the second marshmallow 00:02:48.519 --> 00:02:50.379 had higher SAT scores, 00:02:50.839 --> 00:02:52.519 lower levels of substance abuse, 00:02:52.959 --> 00:02:54.659 lower likelihood of obesity, 00:02:55.219 --> 00:02:56.699 better responses to stress, 00:02:56.899 --> 00:02:58.079 and better social skills, 00:02:58.299 --> 00:02:59.079 among other things. 00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:05.140 This groundbreaking study showed that the ability to delay gratification for a future reward 00:03:05.140 --> 00:03:08.020 is an important indicator for success in life. 00:03:09.100 --> 00:03:12.960 And just as delayed gratification is a key to success in this life, 00:03:13.480 --> 00:03:18.140 patient waiting for our future salvation is an important element of the Christian life. 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:22.180 We endure the sacrifices and sufferings of the present day 00:03:22.180 --> 00:03:24.860 by keeping our eyes on our future reward. 00:03:24.860 --> 00:03:30.100 In this passage, Peter teaches us that the living hope of God's salvation 00:03:30.100 --> 00:03:33.460 gives us abiding joy in our suffering. 00:03:34.020 --> 00:03:40.200 The living hope of God's salvation gives us abiding joy in our suffering. 00:03:41.180 --> 00:03:43.960 So first, I'm going to speak to you about this living hope. 00:03:44.480 --> 00:03:47.980 Secondly, I'll be addressing what the abiding joy we have. 00:03:48.320 --> 00:03:51.540 And then lastly, I will speak of the revealing Spirit. 00:03:51.539 --> 00:03:54.400 So first, the living hope. 00:03:55.739 --> 00:03:59.939 Verses 3-5 of this passage is an exclamation of what God has done. 00:04:00.539 --> 00:04:04.739 And verses 6-8 is an exhortation to live in light of that reality. 00:04:05.879 --> 00:04:09.939 Verses 3-5 speak of the living hope that is ours due to God's saving activity. 00:04:10.219 --> 00:04:13.719 And verses 6-8 speak of the abiding joy that should be ours 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:15.699 in response to God's saving activity. 00:04:16.379 --> 00:04:19.920 So first, let us focus on what is the character of the living hope that we have in God. 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:22.759 Peter exclaims in verse 3, 00:04:23.080 --> 00:04:25.920 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:30.900 For Peter, it is not enough to give an exposition of what God has done. 00:04:31.080 --> 00:04:34.759 He erupts in praise and exclamation for what God has done. 00:04:35.280 --> 00:04:38.120 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:04:38.500 --> 00:04:39.780 And the reason is this. 00:04:40.220 --> 00:04:41.639 According to His great mercy, 00:04:41.780 --> 00:04:44.819 He has caused us to be born again to a living hope 00:04:44.819 --> 00:04:47.819 through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 00:04:47.819 --> 00:04:53.839 You see the what, how, and why of God's salvation all in this single sentence. 00:04:54.339 --> 00:04:55.459 What did God do? 00:04:55.839 --> 00:04:59.399 He caused us to be born again to a living hope. 00:05:00.259 --> 00:05:02.800 Jesus has said that unless one is born again, 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:05.500 he cannot see or enter the kingdom of God. 00:05:05.860 --> 00:05:07.879 In John 3, verse 3-5. 00:05:07.879 --> 00:05:13.699 The idea of the new birth highlights what a radical transformation it is to become a Christian. 00:05:14.620 --> 00:05:19.399 It is not merely about changing a point of view or a lifestyle, 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:24.060 but it is a complete change of the inner person that is akin to a second birth. 00:05:24.060 --> 00:05:29.439 This analogy of birth is significant because it conveys the truth that 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:32.699 through Christ we are born again into the family of God. 00:05:33.300 --> 00:05:36.800 We no longer merely have earthly fathers as our biological parents, 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:40.240 but we now have a heavenly father as our spiritual parent. 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:46.100 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is now the God and Father of us. 00:05:46.779 --> 00:05:48.180 We are His children. 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:50.399 We are members of His family. 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:55.319 And it is precisely because of our adoption into the family of God 00:05:55.319 --> 00:05:58.699 that we now have an inheritance, as it says in verse 4. 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:04.599 An inheritance, by definition, is given on the basis of heritage, not merit. 00:06:05.319 --> 00:06:09.659 And being the son of immigrant parents, I don't personally have much inheritance to speak of, 00:06:09.919 --> 00:06:12.979 but I have some friends who own quite expensive real estate properties 00:06:12.979 --> 00:06:14.639 that they could never afford now, 00:06:14.939 --> 00:06:17.399 but they inherit it from their parents or grandparents. 00:06:17.399 --> 00:06:21.739 In the same way, by virtue of being members of God's family, 00:06:21.879 --> 00:06:23.199 we have an inheritance, 00:06:23.779 --> 00:06:28.560 the salvation that has been effected by Christ and awaits its consummation. 00:06:29.060 --> 00:06:31.239 This is what God has done. 00:06:32.459 --> 00:06:34.120 And how did God do this? 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:37.859 He accomplished our new birth to a living hope 00:06:37.859 --> 00:06:41.699 through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 00:06:41.699 --> 00:06:45.879 By uniting us to Christ through His death and resurrection, 00:06:46.159 --> 00:06:49.860 God has made us dead to sin and alive to Christ. 00:06:50.479 --> 00:06:53.620 This is how we were born again to a living hope. 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:57.560 It's because Christ rose from the dead and gave us new life 00:06:57.560 --> 00:07:00.240 that we now have a living hope. 00:07:00.919 --> 00:07:04.379 Our hope is not dead or dormant or merely potential, 00:07:04.620 --> 00:07:09.800 but it is living because we have been made spiritually alive in Christ. 00:07:09.800 --> 00:07:15.720 So, what God did was to cause us to be born again to a living hope, 00:07:16.020 --> 00:07:19.980 and how God did this is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:23.199 Then, why did God do this? 00:07:23.520 --> 00:07:28.780 It says in verse 3 that it was according to His great mercy. 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:31.660 Not according to His justice, 00:07:32.180 --> 00:07:34.240 not according to His fairness, 00:07:34.540 --> 00:07:37.519 but according to His great mercy. 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:41.099 Titus chapter 3 verse 5 says that 00:07:41.099 --> 00:07:45.479 God saved us not because of works done by us in righteousness, 00:07:45.799 --> 00:07:48.779 but according to His own mercy. 00:07:49.479 --> 00:07:51.740 Mercy, like grace, 00:07:52.159 --> 00:07:55.479 is understood in contrast to our works of righteousness. 00:07:56.459 --> 00:07:59.180 That means we were not saved by our own righteousness, 00:07:59.459 --> 00:08:00.500 but by God's mercy. 00:08:01.180 --> 00:08:04.519 We received salvation not as a wage for our works, 00:08:04.519 --> 00:08:08.099 but as God's free and generous gift. 00:08:09.099 --> 00:08:11.039 God saved us, 00:08:11.359 --> 00:08:14.339 not because we were more holy than others, 00:08:14.479 --> 00:08:16.120 or more sincere than others, 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:18.819 but because God is merciful. 00:08:21.099 --> 00:08:22.859 In verses 4 to 5, 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:26.359 Peter describes the living hope that we have in greater detail. 00:08:26.360 --> 00:08:29.580 The inheritance that constitutes our hope, 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:30.740 it says in verse 4, 00:08:30.939 --> 00:08:35.019 is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:37.620 kept in heaven for you. 00:08:38.820 --> 00:08:41.620 The three adjectives with negative prefixes 00:08:41.620 --> 00:08:45.080 accentuate the permanence and sureness of this inheritance. 00:08:45.899 --> 00:08:47.840 It is imperishable, 00:08:48.019 --> 00:08:50.360 not subject to damage or loss. 00:08:50.360 --> 00:08:51.899 It is undefiled, 00:08:52.279 --> 00:08:55.340 not subject to impurity or uncleanness. 00:08:55.860 --> 00:08:56.360 It is unfading, 00:08:57.320 --> 00:08:59.740 not subject to wear or decay. 00:09:00.139 --> 00:09:01.399 And to top it all off, 00:09:01.460 --> 00:09:04.279 it is kept in heaven for you. 00:09:06.700 --> 00:09:08.320 Only that which is kept in heaven 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:10.000 can be considered truly secure. 00:09:10.860 --> 00:09:14.120 Because as Jesus enjoins us in Matthew 6, 19-20, 00:09:14.120 --> 00:09:34.560 Because this inheritance we have is kept in heaven, 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:37.139 where neither moth nor rust destroys, 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:39.180 and where thieves do not break in and steal, 00:09:39.299 --> 00:09:42.139 we know that it is permanent and eternal. 00:09:42.139 --> 00:09:53.379 An economic crisis can take our home away, our food away, our security away, but it cannot take the hope of our eternal inheritance away. 00:09:54.980 --> 00:10:05.679 Sickness can bereave us of our loved ones and cause unimaginable grief here on earth, but it cannot take the eternal hope of our inheritance away. 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:15.439 Moreover, it is not only that the inheritance is being kept in heaven for us now, but this inheritance has been kept up to this point. 00:10:16.120 --> 00:10:18.219 The verb kept is in the perfect tense. 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:20.259 So more literally, the verse reads, 00:10:20.259 --> 00:10:29.039 We have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, having been kept in heaven for us. 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:39.639 This has in view what Peter said earlier in verse 2, that we had been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. 00:10:41.059 --> 00:10:48.620 The inheritance we have, our salvation, has been kept in heaven for us by God from eternity past. 00:10:49.339 --> 00:10:52.139 This truth fills me with so much wonder and gratitude. 00:10:52.139 --> 00:11:02.019 Can you picture our loving Heavenly Father just keeping and safeguarding for us from eternity past our glorious inheritance in Christ? 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:18.460 Further, it's not only the inheritance that is kept in heaven for us, but we ourselves are by God's power being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 00:11:18.460 --> 00:11:20.279 As it says in verse 5, 00:11:20.279 --> 00:11:48.699 When we are now members of the family of God, with God as our Father, 00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:53.740 When we remember the inheritance that we have, the salvation that will soon fully be ours, 00:11:54.040 --> 00:11:58.640 that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, having been kept in heaven for us. 00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:02.980 When we realize not only that our inheritance is being kept by God Himself, 00:12:03.140 --> 00:12:08.360 but that we ourselves are being guarded by God's power like an impenetrable fortress. 00:12:08.700 --> 00:12:12.140 We can't help but exclaim with Peter, 00:12:12.379 --> 00:12:18.460 O blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:12:18.700 --> 00:12:22.160 O blessed be God our Father. 00:12:22.900 --> 00:12:28.360 I pray that your hearts well up with praise and blessing to God when you reflect on this truth. 00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:34.639 So this is the wondrous living hope that we have. 00:12:35.639 --> 00:12:37.899 Then, in verses 6 to 8, 00:12:38.440 --> 00:12:46.720 Peter moves from exclaiming about our living hope to exhorting us to have abiding joy in response to this hope. 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:53.139 He tells us that the living hope of God's salvation gives us abiding joy in our suffering. 00:12:53.920 --> 00:12:55.080 It says in verse 6, 00:12:55.420 --> 00:13:02.000 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials. 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:06.919 This verse offers two comforts to believers who are suffering. 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:10.519 First, our various trials are momentary. 00:13:10.940 --> 00:13:12.480 It's only for a little while, 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:17.480 especially compared to the eternal life, salvation, and glory that await us. 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:22.220 The present trials are but a short, temporary delay. 00:13:23.220 --> 00:13:26.899 Second, our various trials are necessary. 00:13:27.620 --> 00:13:31.200 It says we have been grieved by various trials, if necessary. 00:13:31.620 --> 00:13:33.800 And why do we need these various trials? 00:13:33.799 --> 00:13:34.959 It says in verse 7, 00:13:34.959 --> 00:13:38.579 So that the tested genuineness of your faith, 00:13:38.919 --> 00:13:42.779 more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, 00:13:43.199 --> 00:13:49.620 may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:13:50.379 --> 00:13:54.620 Our various trials test us and make our faith more genuine. 00:13:55.019 --> 00:13:59.719 And this tested faith is even more precious than gold that is refined in the fire, 00:13:59.720 --> 00:14:05.160 and results in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:14:06.820 --> 00:14:11.899 The words praise, glory, and honor all point to our ultimate vindication. 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:15.220 Later in chapter 2, verse 6-7, 00:14:15.320 --> 00:14:19.000 Peter contrasts the shame that will come upon those who do not believe in Christ 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:22.700 with the honor that will be given to those who believe in Christ. 00:14:23.420 --> 00:14:26.480 The basic idea is that now, in the present world, 00:14:26.560 --> 00:14:28.420 in which we are beset by various trials, 00:14:28.419 --> 00:14:31.759 we may be objects of scorn, humiliation, and shame. 00:14:32.120 --> 00:14:34.860 But in the end, when Jesus Christ is revealed, 00:14:35.219 --> 00:14:39.279 we will be vindicated and receive praise and glory and honor. 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:44.939 It will not be unlike the vindication of a man like Keith Harward, 00:14:45.559 --> 00:14:50.879 who was falsely accused of murder and rape and was jailed for the last 33 years. 00:14:51.699 --> 00:14:52.879 33 years. 00:14:53.199 --> 00:14:57.980 But was declared innocent this past month on the basis of new DNA evidence. 00:14:58.419 --> 00:15:03.579 tears streaming down his face as he hears his not guilty verdict 00:15:03.579 --> 00:15:06.759 after 33 years of unjust punishment. 00:15:06.759 --> 00:15:12.000 The present suffering is momentary and necessary, 00:15:12.500 --> 00:15:15.340 and we will soon be vindicated. 00:15:16.340 --> 00:15:19.179 This is a source of great comfort for the Christian, 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:22.200 no matter the travails and tragedies of life. 00:15:22.200 --> 00:15:29.759 Conversely, this should cause great discomfort for non-Christians. 00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:34.540 If you are not a believer and are still unsure about what to make of Christianity. 00:15:35.100 --> 00:15:39.500 Because even if you experience praise and glory and honor in this life, 00:15:39.500 --> 00:15:45.059 even if you find acceptance and prestige in this life, 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:47.700 in the ultimate verdict of God, 00:15:48.039 --> 00:15:49.519 you will be put to shame. 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:55.899 If you are here today and you have not experienced this new birth in Christ, 00:15:55.980 --> 00:15:59.519 let me warn you sternly and plead with you warmly, 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:03.279 do not settle for the false sense of complacency now. 00:16:03.779 --> 00:16:08.079 Don't settle for the riches of this earth and miss out on the riches of heaven. 00:16:08.679 --> 00:16:12.139 Don't settle for health and longevity in this life 00:16:12.139 --> 00:16:16.299 and miss out on the vigor and vitality of eternal life. 00:16:16.299 --> 00:16:20.779 Don't settle for the love and esteem of men who are but dust and ashes 00:16:20.779 --> 00:16:25.299 and miss out on the love of the glorious and perfect triune God. 00:16:26.599 --> 00:16:30.279 The Christians, though taken as fools in this world, 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:32.959 will ultimately be vindicated. 00:16:37.479 --> 00:16:41.159 Peter continues his exhortation in verses 8-9. 00:16:41.939 --> 00:16:43.479 Do you have not seen Him? 00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:44.659 You love Him. 00:16:44.659 --> 00:16:47.039 Do you do not now see Him? 00:16:47.159 --> 00:16:50.079 You believe in Him and rejoice with joy 00:16:50.079 --> 00:16:53.480 that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 00:16:53.819 --> 00:16:56.139 obtaining the outcome of your faith, 00:16:56.279 --> 00:16:58.159 the salvation of your souls. 00:16:58.839 --> 00:17:01.699 What a beautiful description of the Christian life. 00:17:02.439 --> 00:17:06.180 Do we have not seen Christ with our physical eyes? 00:17:06.539 --> 00:17:07.480 We love Him. 00:17:08.139 --> 00:17:09.859 Do we do not now see Him? 00:17:10.059 --> 00:17:14.019 We rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory. 00:17:14.019 --> 00:17:17.420 In both the Old and New Testaments, 00:17:17.639 --> 00:17:18.839 the greatest commandment, 00:17:19.160 --> 00:17:20.599 the heart of the Christian life, 00:17:20.700 --> 00:17:23.000 is summed up as loving God. 00:17:23.740 --> 00:17:25.900 We are to love the Lord our God 00:17:25.900 --> 00:17:28.680 with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strengths. 00:17:29.720 --> 00:17:33.259 This is why the first part of our church's mission statement 00:17:33.259 --> 00:17:34.740 is to love God. 00:17:35.359 --> 00:17:38.359 Love for God is the identifying mark of the church. 00:17:38.359 --> 00:17:42.119 And this love for God has a twin in Christian joy. 00:17:42.859 --> 00:17:44.579 Though we do not now see Him, 00:17:44.679 --> 00:17:46.779 we believe in Him and rejoice with joy 00:17:46.779 --> 00:17:49.000 that is inexpressible and filled with glory. 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:51.939 This joy, as we saw earlier, 00:17:52.019 --> 00:17:54.679 is rooted in the living hope that we have 00:17:54.679 --> 00:17:56.919 in our new birth through the resurrection of Christ. 00:17:57.539 --> 00:17:59.119 Remember the beginning of verse 6. 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:01.679 In this, we rejoice. 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:06.179 Our rejoicing is rooted in Christ's redemptive work. 00:18:06.339 --> 00:18:08.519 And as we love God and rejoice in Him, 00:18:08.619 --> 00:18:10.839 we are obtaining the outcome of our faith, 00:18:10.919 --> 00:18:12.899 the salvation of our souls. 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:14.500 As it says in verse 9. 00:18:16.219 --> 00:18:17.759 Some of you may be asking, 00:18:18.059 --> 00:18:19.899 I thought I was already saved. 00:18:20.019 --> 00:18:22.899 What does it mean that we will obtain the salvation in the future? 00:18:22.900 --> 00:18:25.440 Well, in biblical understanding, 00:18:25.620 --> 00:18:27.720 our salvation is tri-perspectival. 00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:31.280 It involves the past, present, and future. 00:18:31.940 --> 00:18:33.420 So in a real sense, 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:35.120 we have already been saved. 00:18:35.480 --> 00:18:37.060 We have been justified by Christ 00:18:37.060 --> 00:18:38.540 and freed from sin's power. 00:18:38.920 --> 00:18:41.360 In this sense, our salvation is in the past. 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:44.800 But we are also currently being saved. 00:18:45.160 --> 00:18:47.080 We are being sanctified by Christ 00:18:47.080 --> 00:18:50.680 and being freed increasingly from sin's power over us. 00:18:50.680 --> 00:18:54.500 In this sense, our salvation is in the present. 00:18:55.600 --> 00:18:56.060 We also, 00:18:57.100 --> 00:18:58.539 and in addition to the present, 00:18:58.640 --> 00:18:59.900 we also will be saved. 00:19:00.600 --> 00:19:02.799 We will be glorified and eventually freed 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:04.640 from sin's very presence. 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:08.060 This last sense is what Peter has in view 00:19:08.060 --> 00:19:10.940 when he says that we will obtain the outcome of our faith, 00:19:11.019 --> 00:19:12.340 the salvation of our souls. 00:19:12.860 --> 00:19:14.600 Our salvation is here already, 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:17.120 but it is also coming later. 00:19:17.840 --> 00:19:20.080 Our salvation has been inaugurated 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:22.819 and it will later be consummated. 00:19:24.699 --> 00:19:27.039 So the living hope of God's salvation 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:29.720 gives us abiding joy in our suffering. 00:19:31.419 --> 00:19:34.819 But what if our hope disappoints us? 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:40.139 What if our hope is just a foolish fancy? 00:19:40.140 --> 00:19:45.860 How can we be assured of this living hope that we have? 00:19:46.520 --> 00:19:47.800 We have not seen Christ 00:19:47.800 --> 00:19:49.360 and we do not now see Christ, 00:19:49.480 --> 00:19:51.200 so how then can we be sure 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:53.460 that Christ will be revealed in the last time? 00:19:54.800 --> 00:19:56.440 To answer this question, 00:19:57.020 --> 00:19:58.700 Peter recounts the faithful of God 00:19:58.700 --> 00:19:59.880 throughout redemptive history. 00:20:00.320 --> 00:20:02.500 Let's read verses 10 to 12 again 00:20:02.500 --> 00:20:03.400 to refresh our memory. 00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:06.860 Concerning the salvation, 00:20:07.360 --> 00:20:09.660 the prophets who prophesied about the grace 00:20:09.660 --> 00:20:10.700 that was to be yours 00:20:10.700 --> 00:20:13.300 searched and inquired carefully, 00:20:13.740 --> 00:20:15.519 inquiring what person or time 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:17.740 the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating 00:20:17.740 --> 00:20:20.140 when he predicted the sufferings of Christ 00:20:20.140 --> 00:20:21.600 and the subsequent glories. 00:20:22.140 --> 00:20:23.500 It was revealed to them 00:20:23.500 --> 00:20:25.040 that they were serving not themselves, 00:20:25.360 --> 00:20:26.440 but you in the things 00:20:26.440 --> 00:20:28.140 that have now been announced to you 00:20:28.140 --> 00:20:29.900 through those who preached the good news 00:20:29.900 --> 00:20:32.160 to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:34.480 things into which angels long to look. 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:38.120 The Spirit of Christ here 00:20:38.120 --> 00:20:39.880 revealed to the prophets of old 00:20:39.880 --> 00:20:40.900 that Christ would come, 00:20:41.500 --> 00:20:43.740 suffer, and be glorified in the New Testament age. 00:20:44.820 --> 00:20:46.160 And Christ did come. 00:20:46.500 --> 00:20:48.560 He suffered and died on the cross for our sins 00:20:48.560 --> 00:20:49.900 and was raised from the dead 00:20:49.900 --> 00:20:51.400 and ascended to heaven in glory. 00:20:52.140 --> 00:20:55.900 And this truth has now been announced to us 00:20:55.900 --> 00:20:58.200 through those who preached the good news 00:20:58.200 --> 00:20:59.779 by the Holy Spirit. 00:20:59.779 --> 00:21:03.299 And note the repetition of the word revelation, 00:21:03.660 --> 00:21:05.819 the revelation language throughout this passage. 00:21:06.279 --> 00:21:08.220 A salvation ready to be revealed 00:21:08.220 --> 00:21:09.720 in the last time in verse 4. 00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:12.819 The revelation of Jesus Christ in verse 7. 00:21:13.099 --> 00:21:14.420 And here in verse 12, again, 00:21:14.500 --> 00:21:16.180 it was revealed to the prophets. 00:21:17.180 --> 00:21:19.960 Just as the former revelation was fulfilled, 00:21:20.139 --> 00:21:22.059 we can be assured that the coming revelation 00:21:22.059 --> 00:21:23.399 will also be fulfilled. 00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:25.980 What God had revealed to the prophets of old 00:21:25.980 --> 00:21:26.960 has come true, 00:21:27.160 --> 00:21:30.160 and the fulfillment has now been announced to us. 00:21:31.040 --> 00:21:33.600 And because God's word had proved true before, 00:21:33.940 --> 00:21:35.980 because Christ did come to die 00:21:35.980 --> 00:21:37.600 and rise again for our salvation, 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:39.960 we can now be assured that God's word 00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:42.620 will once again prove true. 00:21:42.619 --> 00:21:47.839 In addition to the repetition of the idea of revelation, 00:21:48.500 --> 00:21:49.819 the fact that the Holy Spirit 00:21:49.819 --> 00:21:52.179 is the agent of this revelation 00:21:52.179 --> 00:21:53.119 is also repeated. 00:21:53.979 --> 00:21:55.579 So the Spirit of Christ, it says, 00:21:55.659 --> 00:21:57.000 revealed to the prophets of old 00:21:57.000 --> 00:21:59.079 that Christ would come, suffer, and be glorified. 00:21:59.579 --> 00:22:01.619 And this truth has now been announced to us 00:22:01.619 --> 00:22:03.000 through those who preach the good news 00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:05.719 by the Holy Spirit. 00:22:05.720 --> 00:22:09.620 And it's because the same Holy Spirit 00:22:09.620 --> 00:22:10.759 who spoke to the prophets 00:22:10.759 --> 00:22:13.420 that has now announced the good news 00:22:13.420 --> 00:22:14.779 of Jesus Christ to us, 00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:17.039 we can be assured of our living hope. 00:22:17.819 --> 00:22:21.000 As it says in Ephesians chapter 1, 13 to 14, 00:22:21.420 --> 00:22:22.799 In Him you also, 00:22:22.940 --> 00:22:24.299 when you heard the word of truth, 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:25.700 the gospel of your salvation, 00:22:25.819 --> 00:22:26.740 and believed in Him, 00:22:27.240 --> 00:22:30.680 were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 00:22:32.059 --> 00:22:34.480 who is the guarantee of our inheritance 00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:36.640 until we acquire possession of it. 00:22:38.380 --> 00:22:40.200 The Spirit that we have now 00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:42.980 is the guarantee of our inheritance. 00:22:43.360 --> 00:22:45.500 He is the firstfruits, the down payment, 00:22:45.620 --> 00:22:47.640 the guarantee of our future inheritance. 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:52.400 So then, our hope is not empty or unfounded. 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:54.400 It is based on God's promises fulfilled 00:22:55.019 --> 00:22:58.039 and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit. 00:22:59.640 --> 00:23:02.259 This fact highlights an important difference 00:23:02.259 --> 00:23:04.299 between mere optimism and Christian hope. 00:23:05.480 --> 00:23:07.720 G.K. Chesterton writes in his book, 00:23:07.819 --> 00:23:08.559 Orthodoxy, 00:23:09.059 --> 00:23:11.099 The optimist wishing to defend 00:23:11.099 --> 00:23:12.259 the honor of this world 00:23:12.259 --> 00:23:13.920 will defend the indefensible. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:15.900 He will not wash the world, 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:17.180 but whitewash the world. 00:23:19.700 --> 00:23:22.059 The optimist says everything will be okay 00:23:22.059 --> 00:23:23.539 when all indicators suggest 00:23:23.539 --> 00:23:24.960 that everything will not be okay. 00:23:25.420 --> 00:23:27.259 The positive thinking guru says 00:23:27.259 --> 00:23:28.220 ignore your failures, 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:29.380 visualize success, 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:31.799 replace negative thoughts with positive ones, 00:23:31.819 --> 00:23:32.759 it will make you happier. 00:23:32.759 --> 00:23:35.859 Well, positive thinking works 00:23:35.859 --> 00:23:37.220 until it doesn't. 00:23:37.879 --> 00:23:39.200 It's complete garbage 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:41.339 that you can make your future brighter 00:23:41.339 --> 00:23:43.480 by simply imagining that it's brighter. 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:46.960 Christian hope is nothing like such naive optimism. 00:23:47.379 --> 00:23:49.480 We don't simply imagine that pain and grief 00:23:49.480 --> 00:23:50.920 in this life don't hurt anymore 00:23:50.920 --> 00:23:52.900 or airbrush our sufferings and struggles. 00:23:52.900 --> 00:23:55.800 No, we fully recognize our brokenness, 00:23:56.140 --> 00:23:56.640 pain, 00:23:57.080 --> 00:23:57.720 and sin. 00:23:58.500 --> 00:23:59.240 And yet, 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:00.420 even still, 00:24:00.620 --> 00:24:01.240 we hope 00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:03.440 because we have a reason to hope. 00:24:04.120 --> 00:24:05.900 And this hope that we have is so amazing 00:24:06.420 --> 00:24:08.200 that even the prophets of old 00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:10.400 did not get to fully participate in it. 00:24:11.280 --> 00:24:14.340 The good news that Christ saves us from sin and death 00:24:14.340 --> 00:24:15.320 is so amazing 00:24:15.320 --> 00:24:19.040 that even angels long to look into this reality. 00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:23.420 The word here is literally, 00:24:23.639 --> 00:24:25.440 the word to look here literally means 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:27.200 to bend over to gaze. 00:24:27.960 --> 00:24:30.220 Angels are bending over from heaven 00:24:30.220 --> 00:24:31.759 trying to get a glimpse 00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:35.259 of the salvation accomplished by Christ. 00:24:35.259 --> 00:24:43.259 I began this message 00:24:43.259 --> 00:24:44.559 by telling you about 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:46.500 the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment 00:24:46.500 --> 00:24:49.059 and the importance of delayed gratification 00:24:49.059 --> 00:24:50.579 and made the connection 00:24:50.579 --> 00:24:52.980 that Christians are also called to live 00:24:52.980 --> 00:24:55.240 with the view to their future glory 00:24:55.240 --> 00:24:56.680 and inheritance in Christ 00:24:56.680 --> 00:24:58.859 and endure present suffering with joy. 00:25:00.920 --> 00:25:01.940 Well, some years later, 00:25:02.180 --> 00:25:04.440 the researchers at the University of Rochester 00:25:04.440 --> 00:25:06.519 replicated the marshmallow experiment 00:25:06.519 --> 00:25:09.580 with an important twist. 00:25:10.980 --> 00:25:13.100 Before offering the children the marshmallow, 00:25:14.440 --> 00:25:16.860 the researchers split the children into two groups. 00:25:17.500 --> 00:25:19.000 They exposed the first group 00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:21.299 to a series of unreliable experiences. 00:25:22.100 --> 00:25:22.640 For example, 00:25:23.120 --> 00:25:24.320 the researchers gave the children 00:25:24.320 --> 00:25:25.500 a small box of crayons 00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:26.980 and promised to bring a bigger one, 00:25:27.380 --> 00:25:28.200 but never did. 00:25:28.940 --> 00:25:30.380 They gave them small stickers 00:25:30.380 --> 00:25:31.380 and promised to bring 00:25:31.380 --> 00:25:32.720 a better selection of stickers, 00:25:33.080 --> 00:25:34.180 but never did. 00:25:34.440 --> 00:25:35.620 Meanwhile, 00:25:36.059 --> 00:25:37.259 the second group was exposed 00:25:37.259 --> 00:25:38.759 to very reliable experiences. 00:25:39.259 --> 00:25:41.100 They were promised better crayons 00:25:41.100 --> 00:25:41.799 and got them. 00:25:42.100 --> 00:25:43.440 They were told about the better stickers 00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:44.559 and then they received them. 00:25:45.360 --> 00:25:46.620 Well, you can probably guess 00:25:46.620 --> 00:25:48.360 the impact these experiences had 00:25:48.360 --> 00:25:49.360 on the marshmallow test. 00:25:50.220 --> 00:25:51.500 The children who had experienced 00:25:51.500 --> 00:25:52.720 unreliable outcomes 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:54.059 had no reason to trust 00:25:54.059 --> 00:25:54.820 that the researchers 00:25:54.820 --> 00:25:56.180 would bring a second marshmallow, 00:25:56.180 --> 00:25:58.900 so they didn't wait very long 00:25:58.900 --> 00:25:59.799 to eat the first one. 00:26:01.360 --> 00:26:02.759 The children who had experienced 00:26:02.759 --> 00:26:04.440 reliable outcomes, however, 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:06.259 were training their brains 00:26:06.259 --> 00:26:08.000 to see delayed gratification 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:08.880 as worthwhile. 00:26:09.880 --> 00:26:10.700 As a result, 00:26:11.140 --> 00:26:12.180 the second group waited 00:26:12.180 --> 00:26:14.500 an average of four times longer 00:26:14.500 --> 00:26:15.420 than the first group. 00:26:15.420 --> 00:26:19.240 brothers and sisters, 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:22.120 our God does not renege 00:26:22.120 --> 00:26:22.920 on His promises. 00:26:23.680 --> 00:26:24.740 Our God does not 00:26:24.740 --> 00:26:26.180 back down on His word. 00:26:26.500 --> 00:26:28.019 He is faithful and true 00:26:28.019 --> 00:26:29.000 and we know this 00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:29.860 because He sent 00:26:29.860 --> 00:26:32.039 His one and only Son, 00:26:32.539 --> 00:26:33.380 Jesus Christ, 00:26:33.500 --> 00:26:34.279 to save us, 00:26:34.600 --> 00:26:36.900 just as He had promised. 00:26:36.900 --> 00:26:39.060 So remember 00:26:39.060 --> 00:26:40.440 the great redemption 00:26:40.440 --> 00:26:41.840 that He accomplished in Christ, 00:26:41.940 --> 00:26:43.800 that the sinless Son of God 00:26:43.800 --> 00:26:45.900 died to save sinful humanity, 00:26:46.220 --> 00:26:48.500 that the only obedient Son of God 00:26:48.500 --> 00:26:49.820 bore God's wrath 00:26:49.820 --> 00:26:50.720 so that we, 00:26:50.900 --> 00:26:52.060 disobedient rebels, 00:26:52.180 --> 00:26:52.900 can be forgiven 00:26:52.900 --> 00:26:54.940 and reconciled to God 00:26:54.940 --> 00:26:56.800 and adopted into His family. 00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:00.019 Christ has come for us. 00:27:00.300 --> 00:27:02.259 Christ has saved us. 00:27:02.259 --> 00:27:03.500 And when we remember 00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:04.500 the grace of Christ 00:27:04.500 --> 00:27:05.560 already revealed, 00:27:05.559 --> 00:27:07.960 we can have certain hope 00:27:07.960 --> 00:27:10.319 of the coming revelation. 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:13.859 The living hope 00:27:13.859 --> 00:27:15.419 of God's salvation 00:27:15.419 --> 00:27:18.259 gives us abiding joy 00:27:18.259 --> 00:27:19.539 in our suffering.