Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Our study this morning will be outlined in the following three points.
Number one, the praiseworthiness of God.
Number two, the hopelessness of mankind.
And number three, the hope of the born again.
Number one, the praiseworthiness of God.
Peter begins the body of his epistle with a phrase of praise to God.
There in the first part of verse three, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What does Peter mean by saying blessed?
This is not the Greek word translated in other places as blessed, meaning happy or fortunate.
This is an entirely different Greek word, which means praised.
So verse three could be rendered praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The indicative mood of the Greek word for blessed is used instead of the optative mood, which simply means this.
The optative mood is used to express a wish.
The indicative mood is used to make factual statements.
So not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed as a hope that that we would bless God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But rather, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is blessed.
He's making this praise declaration, right?
God is praise worthy.
In the book of Ruth, when Ruth returns after gathering barley in the field of Boaz and Naomi sees what she is, that she is able to bring home all of this food.
She exclaims, blessed be the man who took notice of you.
This is Ruth chapter two and verse 19.
She's not wishing fortune on Boaz, but praising him for his generosity towards Ruth.
So Peter begins with this exclamation of God's praiseworthiness before elaborating on his reason for praise.
He is saying our God is worthy of praise.
But then he'll go on to tell us why.
Why is God praiseworthy?
27 times in the Old Testament, the phrase Baruch Adonai, blessed be God, is used.
So it was a very common way to give praise to God, to ascribe it to him.
But here Peter adds to the phrase, this Old Testament phrase, Baruch Adonai, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He expands the Old Testament statement of praise to help us better understand who this God is that we are to praise.
In John chapter five and verse 18, John records, this was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, being Christ.
Because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own father, making himself equal with God.
So we relate most readily to God through his son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus is God incarnate.
And those who will worship God rightly will worship him through his son.
And because of all that was accomplished by his son.
Which is why Peter elaborates in the following verses.
The point being, theology should lead us to doxology.
Our understanding of who our God is in the person and work of Christ should make us praise him.
He is praiseworthy.
The Bible was not written for us to merely know things about God.
To stack up the facts about him.
If we see him rightly by this book, then we will know him and we will be known by him.
And this absolutely necessitates our praise.
We ought to be moved to praise as we consider the things of God.
Is your life filled with the praise of God?
We do this in varied ways.
We do this verbally.
We do this in our heart, in our emotions, as we feel things towards the world and things towards God.
We do this in the way that we love one another.
Is your life bent in praise toward God?
If not, it's very possible that you don't know the things about God that you ought to know.
That you're not aware this morning that God is praiseworthy.
Or it could be that you know those things and yet you don't rightly hold them.
You don't rightly take them up and meditate upon them.
Understand your unworthiness and the way that God has loved you in Christ and therefore his praise worthiness.
Those of you who know me well know that I'm not a typically very emotional person.
I often pray that God will help me emote as I ought to.
This morning I was on my way here early and listened to a song called Behold Our God being sung by a choir.
And I started crying and I thought, what is wrong with you?
That was the immediate thought that went through my head.
What is going on with you this morning?
And I realized that I was actually having a wonderful response.
The praise worthiness of our God.
That it was actually a good and natural thing that I should be so overjoyed with our God.
Behold Our God.
He is praiseworthy.
So do not miss the praiseworthiness of God this morning in this text.
We don't want to move on quickly to the particulars.
We want to recognize that Peter is saying to us,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Lord is worthy of our praise.
Christ.
Second, noticed in the text, the hopelessness of mankind.
In order to see this point, we need to read a bit through today's text.
Peter says in verse 3,
According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again.
Mercy is compassion shown where wrath is due.
Compassion shown where wrath is due.
We would have no need of mercy if we had not transgressed God's law and therefore deserved his wrath.
By transgressing God's law, which we have all done, we have rejected him as our king.
We have done what is right in our own eyes.
We think that we ought to self-determine the way in which we should go.
We have become rebels against our God.
Things would be all good if we had not done that.
But we have.
All mankind has acted with great wickedness.
This is the curse of the fall.
That Adam's sin, his nature passed to us and his guilt passed to us.
Apart from Christ, you and I are not all right.
We have a huge, huge problem.
We are separated from our creator.
This life will be miserable and without hope.
And the life to come will be all the more miserable and without hope.
As we are taken from him and devoid of his grace and mercy forever.
Remember, the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 12 of the Ephesian believers before Jesus intervened in their life.
Remember that you are at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
This is a miserable state.
The world is running around trying to find the answer to the great problem that they have and not recognizing that the hope that they need, the restoration that is necessary is one that comes from God and is to God.
Apart from the mercy of God and the person and work of Jesus Christ, mankind is utterly hopeless because their end is destruction.
Paul wrote to the Philippian believers, chapter 3, verse 18 and into verse 19.
Many of whom I have often told you and now tell you, even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
If you have not believed in Jesus' accomplished work on your behalf, you are hopeless.
As you see the hope of the born again and long for the hope that we have, turn from the hopelessness of mankind in repentance and faith.
Believe in Jesus, what he has done on your behalf.
And we would pray this morning that you would discover hope, everlasting, abounding hope this day.
Now, beloved, those who are in Christ need to display this hope to the world around us.
This desperately hopeless mankind.
Peter later in this letter is going to ask us to be ready to give an answer when people ask us about the hope that we have.
Do we hope in the same things that the world hopes in?
Maybe this is why they don't ask the question.
Because they see the failing of our hope just as their hope fails.
We are meant to have a transcendent hope.
An alien hope.
A hope that is not our own but granted to us because of what God has done for us.
We are meant to be strange in this world.
But people would say, what is this hope?
And that we would give them the answer of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So let's look thirdly at the hope of the born again.
I hope that each and every person in this room today is, in fact, born again.
Has this hope.
Peter tells us that God is praiseworthy because, according to his great mercy,
he has caused us to be born again.
Notice first that it is according to his great mercy that we have been shown mercy.
God is merciful.
This is part of who he is.
This identifies him.
Moses wrote in Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 31,
The Lord your God is a merciful God.
We have nothing to offer to the equation of our new birth.
We bring nothing to the table to come and sit down and draw up a peace treaty with God.
We have nothing to offer.
So it is owing entirely to the character of God that we receive any benefit from him.
It is according to his great mercy.
Because God is merciful toward mankind.
He has caused us to be born again.
Us who did not deserve to be given a new birth.
Rebels, enemies, deserved his wrath.
He instead has given to us his mercy.
And he has caused us to be born again.
What does it mean to be born again?
And how does this happen?
In John chapter 3, Jesus has a conversation with a priest named Nicodemus.
In verse 3 and following, John records,
Jesus answered him,
Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
How can a man be born when he is old?
Can he enter a second time into his mother womb and be born?
Jesus answered,
Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the spirit,
he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh,
and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you,
you must be born again.
Right?
So he says,
Don't be surprised that I've said this thing.
In your natural birth,
you know, Nicodemus,
that you have a sin nature
and that you are guilty before God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh.
And so there must be this renewal,
this regeneration.
We must be born of the spirit.
So to be born again is to be born of the spirit.
We find this precious doctrine of regeneration.
Right?
A people made new,
not just in degree,
but in kind.
Right?
Not born again,
now born again.
Right?
Enemies of God now made friends.
Right?
Those without a family,
without a people,
now called God's family.
Right?
Adopted in Christ.
We do not and cannot work our way
into the kingdom of God.
This is all a doing of him by his spirit.
In Ezekiel chapter 36 and verse 27,
God speaks to the prophet Ezekiel and says,
And I will put my spirit within you
and cause you to walk in my statutes
and be careful to obey my rules.
Right?
This order is so very important.
We don't work.
We don't earn and then find ourselves saved.
We're saved.
And therefore,
we work.
Because of the wonderful kindness of God
to us in Christ.
Right?
Making us new.
Giving us the ability by his spirit
to obey.
We obey.
Right?
We declare his glory amongst the nations
because he has caused us
to be born again.
This does not happen
by human design.
Beloved,
if we were left alone,
we would never choose to do this.
Right?
Our nature would send us
in the opposite direction,
away from God
each and every day.
This should be massively humbling
to us.
As you look around
in a world in chaos
right now,
it is so easy.
We are so quick to judge others.
How could they think that way?
How could they believe such a thing?
How could they say that?
How could they act
so wickedly?
You ought to say,
but,
from the grace of God,
I would be the worst
of sinners.
Right?
That would be me
had God not saved
my soul.
In every single way,
I would be an enemy
of God.
Right?
I would be so bent
away from him
by my design,
but praise be to God
because of his great mercy
he has caused us
to be born again.
Right?
And let me add
a little
to the text,
1 Peter.
From John chapter 3,
he's caused us
to be born again
by the power
of the Spirit.
John 3,
8,
Jesus says,
the wind blows
where it wishes
and you hear it sound,
but you do not know
where it comes from
or where it goes.
So it is with everyone
who is born
of the Spirit.
God brings about
this new birth.
John 1,
verse 12,
and following,
but to all who did receive him
who believed in his name,
he gave the right
to become children
of God
who were born
not of blood
nor of the will
of the flesh
nor of the will
of man,
but of God.
Proceeding from God.
1 John chapter 5
and verse 1,
everyone who believes
that Jesus is the Christ
has been born of God.
We've been born of God
so we believe
that Jesus is the Christ
and everyone who loves
the Father loves
whoever was been born
of him.
So God causes
this new birth
by the power
of the Spirit
and he does it
through the Word
of God.
You can look a little
further down
in 1 Peter chapter 1
beginning in verse 23.
There Peter writes,
Since you have been
born again,
not of perishable seed
but of imperishable
through the living
and abiding
Word of God.
For all flesh
is like grass
and its glory
like the flower
of grass.
The grass withers
and the flower
falls
but the Word
of the Lord
remains forever
and this Word
is the good news
that was preached
to you.
So God has caused us
to be born again
and he has caused us
to be born again
to a living hope.
This is so good.
He has caused us
to be born again
to a living hope.
And I think it's important
at this point
to make sure we're clear
on what our Bibles
mean when speaking
of hope.
I believe this quotation
from R.C. Sproul
will serve us well
to that end.
He once said,
Hope is called
the anchor
of the soul
in Hebrews 6.19
because it gives
stability
to the Christian life.
But hope is not
simply a wish.
We do this a lot.
I wish that such
and such
would take place.
Rather,
it is that
which latches
onto the certainty
of the promises
of the future
that God
has made.
That last part
of it again.
Hope is that
which latches
onto the certainty
of the promises
of the future
that God
has made.
Hope is
faith
in future tense.
Believing
in what God
has said
will come
to pass.
So Peter tells us
not only
that we have
hope,
but he uses
a very interesting
phrase
to say it.
He says we have
a living.
Hope.
Suppose
is meant
by that.
Now it could
refer to an
active hope
as in a hope
in the future
promises of God
that will yield
fruit for us
today.
It's a hope
that's alive,
it's living,
it's right now.
I think it does
mean that.
It could refer
to us being
born again
and therefore
we are alive
and have a
living hope
because we
are alive
and I also
think that it
does mean
that.
But I do
think that
most directly
and most
importantly,
it refers
to the phrase
that immediately
follows it.
through the
resurrection
of Jesus
Christ
from the dead.
We've been
born again
to a living
hope
through the
resurrection
of Jesus
Christ
from the dead.
I think that
Peter means to
tell us
that we have
a living hope
and that hope
is Jesus
Christ
who is alive.
We can have
an active hope
that's in us
today,
it means something
for today.
We can have
a hope
that is alive
because we
are alive
born again
but all of
that is because
Jesus Christ
is alive.
He is
our living
hope.
Jesus became
a man in
order to live
the perfect
life that we
should have
lived.
It was required
of us by
the Mosaic
Covenant.
We must be
perfect before
God to be
accepted in
God.
How can we
do such a
thing?
We've already
screwed that
up.
We've already
transgressed the
law.
We can't
make it
right.
We've already
failed.
Well,
Jesus enters
the scene
in the
incarnation
and lives
the life
that we
were supposed
to live.
And not
only that,
he dies
the death
that we
deserved.
He pays
for all
of that
wrath
that is
owed
us.
God is
not able
to not
punish
sin.
He
doesn't
simply
wipe
the
slate
clean.
He
must
punish
it
somehow.
So how?
He punished
it in
Christ.
So if you
were in
Christ this
morning,
you have
been born
again.
What has
happened for
you is
what's called
double
imputation.
There's a
trade that's
taken place.
What we
bring is
our sinfulness
sinfulness,
and Christ
pays the
penalty for
that sinfulness.
What he
gives to
us is
his
righteousness.
How
unfair
of a
trade.
We are
beneficiaries
of God's
great
mercy to
us
in Christ.
Double
imputation.
What a
precious
thing.
So we
live the
life that
we should
have lived.
He died
the death
that we
deserve.
And he
defeated
death by
being
resurrected.
Jesus
Christ is
raised from
the dead.
Jesus
Christ now
sits at
God's right
hand in
what is
called his
session.
He reigns.
He is
ruling.
Nothing is
happening outside
of his
careful attention.
He is
working on
behalf of
his people
all the
time.
Actively,
not passively.
He is
interceding
for us.
This is
a thing
that he is
doing in
his heavenly
realm.
But he
is ruling
in the
earth.
We of
all people
in crazy
times should
be steady
because we
have a
living hope.
Christ,
the one
who reigns.
We have
his spirit
who helps
us to
walk
obediently
in him.
Beloved,
we cannot
miss in
the
Advent
celebration
that we're
looking back
to a
first coming
but that
we're
actually
meant to
be thinking
now about
a second
coming.
Christmas
is aimed
at Easter,
the resurrection
of Christ
which guaranteed
everything
that God
said would
come to
pass
in Jesus.
Jesus.
He has
become the
surety of
all of
God's
promises
to his
people.
Paul wrote
in 2 Corinthians
chapter 1
beginning of
verse 20.
I love the
beginning of
verse 20.
2 Corinthians
chapter 1
for all the
promises of
God find
their yes
in Jesus
Christ.
The surety,
the guarantee
because of what
he has
accomplished.
and in 1 Timothy
chapter 1
and verse 1
Paul opens
his letter
this way.
Paul,
an apostle
of Christ
Jesus
by command
of God
our Savior
and of
Christ
Jesus
our
hope.
If hope
depends on
us,
we are
without
hope.
If you
place any
hope in
me,
you're going
to be
disappointed.
But you
can anchor
yourself
in Christ.
He is
our
living
hope.
He is
our
resurrected
Savior.
Everything
that follows
in verses
4 and
5
elaborate
on this
idea
of being
born
again
to a
living
hope.
So in
brief,
let me
just talk
us through
those last
two verses.
Number
one,
through
Christ,
we have
an
inheritance.
Not only
have we
been made
right with
God,
not only
have our
sins
been forgiven,
we've been
found
righteous
in
Christ,
but verse
4 says,
to an
inheritance
that is
imperishable,
undefiled,
and unfading,
kept in
heaven for
you.
We have
an immortal,
perfect forever
inheritance that
is secured in
heaven for
us.
An
eternal
treasure
for us.
And this
should
dramatically
change the
way in
which we
live in
this world.
I see
far too
many
Christians,
I see
myself,
during the
Christmas
season,
chasing the
things of
the world,
finding joy
and satisfaction,
ultimate joy and
satisfaction in
the things of
the world.
They will
disappoint.
But we
have a
future
reward that
we are
meant to
look to.
Jesus said in
Matthew 6,
verse 19,
and following,
do not lay
up for
yourselves
treasures on
earth where
moth and
rust destroy
and where
thieves break
in and
steal.
Lay up for
yourselves
treasure in
heaven where
neither moth
nor rust
destroys and
where thieves
do not break
in and
steal.
It would be
foolish to
invest in
this life and
not be investing
in the life that
is to come.
Through Christ we
have an
inheritance.
And secondly,
through Christ we
have security.
Who by God's,
verse 5,
who by God's
power are
being guarded
through faith
for a salvation
ready to be
revealed in
the last time.
Those who
God saves,
he keeps.
Those who
he saves,
he keeps.
Having been
saved,
if it were up
to me to be
saved,
I would again
and again and
again lose
that salvation.
I would run
away from the
kindness and
mercy of God.
but because
he has
saved me,
he will
keep me.
Remember,
he has
caused us
to be born
again.
In John
chapter 10,
verse 28 and
following,
Jesus said,
I give my
sheep eternal
life and
they will
never perish
and no one
will snatch
them out of
my hand.
My father
who has given
them to me
is greater
than all and
no one is
able to snatch
them out of
the father's
hand.
I and
the father
are one.
Paul wrote
in Philippians
chapter 1
and verse 6,
and I am
sure of
this,
that he
who began
a good
work in
you will
bring it
to completion
at the
day of
Jesus
Christ.
So those
who God
has caused
to be born
again have
a living
hope through
the resurrection
of Jesus
Christ from
the dead
and have a
perfect
inheritance
kept in
heaven for
us.
And we
are being
guarded by
faith,
by God's
power to
that end.
This is why
we can join
with Peter
and the
church past
and present
and future
and the
chorus of
heaven in
saying,
blessed be
the God
and Father
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ.
Praised
be our
God for
what he
has done
for us
in Christ.
Beloved,
this Christmas
season,
may it be
true of
us that
we will
be a
people who
experience
the living
hope of
the gospel
of Jesus
Christ,
that we
display the
living hope
of the gospel
of Jesus
Christ,
and that we
proclaim the
living hope
of the gospel
of Jesus
Christ.
May it be
true of us
this Christmas
season that
we will be
a people who
say with
all that we
feel and
do and
speak,
blessed be
the God
and Father
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ.
Let's pray
together.