"Ransomed with Blood"
[I Peter 1:17-21]
June 10, 2007 Second Reformed Church
We return again to our look at I Peter this morning, and we do well to remember what we have already seen: Peter was writing to the elect of God, the chosen of God, those the Triune God chose to become Christians, who were now on the run from Emperor Nero and his men. Peter encourages them -- and us -- to continue in our Christian faith, in the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, despite our circumstances, because everything that occurs to us comes, in one way or another, from the Hand of God, and our suffering now, tests and purifies our faith, like fire purifies gold.
Peter tells Christians that suffering for Christ is worthwhile, not just because we are being purified and proven for Him, but because this salvation, that is only in Jesus Christ Alone, is the Good News that the whole world, the Creation, has been waiting for. And since this news is so great, and since God the Holy Spirit indwells all those who believe, then, we are called to live lives of holiness before God.
Then, in this morning's Scripture, Peter tells us that we are to live holy lives in fear of God and to His Glory because He is our Father, because He is our Judge, and due to the costliness of our salvation.
Peter says that we call on God, calling Him, "Abba, Father." We relate with God as with a father, but He is our Perfect, Heavenly Father, so the fear that Peter is talking about is not the fear of a child to his abusive father, it is not the fear of a child to a father who treats him like a slave, it is a reverent fear, an awe. God, our Father, is Perfect, Holy, full of Truth and Goodness, and we, as His children, ought to find ourselves compelled in love to please Him, obey Him, to keep from all those things that would offend and anger Him. We ought to find it our joy to do those things which make our Father happy, and we ought to be pained to do anything that would grieve Him. So, we find ourselves in this unique relationship with the One God, through Jesus Christ, and we call Him, "Our Father."
However, Peter warns us, that our Father, much as He loves us, is still our Judge. We shall still stand before Him on the last day and every one of our works will be judged -- all that we do, all that we neglect to do, every word that is spoken, and all that is held back. Now, as His chosen children, we know our salvation is in Jesus Alone -- our salvation is not based in any way upon our works. This judgment will not determine whether we are right with our Father, because if we have believed in Jesus Alone for our salvation, we are forever right with God through Jesus Alone. Still, our works will be judged. We shall see how well we have lived before God. We shall see how faithful we have been to the One Who did not spare His Own Son, but gave Him up for us all. The works we do in this exile will be judged and rewarded or condemned. Understand, this is not about salvation -- salvation is through Jesus Alone, not based on our works. Still, our works will be judged to prove our faithfulness or lack thereof.
Understand, then, that what we do matters -- not for salvation -- but for faithfulness before our God and Father, while we are sojourners -- exiles -- strangers. And we are strangers in a strange land, aren't we? This world is not our home. God has given us this earth, but we long, as we've seen in Romans 8, for the new Heaven and the new earth and the new Jerusalem, and the restoration of the Creation. We are waiting, longing, for the day when we will be able to return to the City where the Lamb is our light, and we live in a world without sin or sorrow or suffering. How were you taught to behave in a stranger's house? Were you not taught to take special care, to be on your best behavior, to present yourselves as representatives of your parents, to show that you did not just roll out of the pig sty, but were raised to be a respectable person? What kind of children are we? Do we show obedience and faith to our Father that others can see? And remember, we're not just talking about representing our human parents in the world, because our human parents may not have raised us as well as they might, they might not have been perfect in every area of life, they may have failed us at times, but our Father in Heaven hasn't. If we have believed in Jesus, we are representatives of the One and Almighty God before this corrupt and fallen Creation -- can they tell whose we are?
Peter then gives the greatest reason for our need for holiness, and this is that we were not redeemed, we were not ransomed, from the futility that we were born into, from the futility that were inherited from our father, Adam, we have not be saved from eternal Hell and the Wrath of God, by things that perish, like silver and gold, but by the Precious Blood of Christ.
Sterling Silver is 99.999% pure. Gold is pure in varying degrees. But Jesus Christ is Pure, Holy, 100%, all of the time, from before the creation, and throughout all of eternity. It was not any perishable thing, any impure thing, that could ransom us. God doesn't need our silver or our gold. God doesn't need our things. Well, in reality, it's all His anyway. But none of the things of earth -- not even the entire Creation put together -- would be enough to ransom us -- it would always fall short, it would always be too little.
Our Only Hope is the Lamb, Who is without Spot or Blemish. Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of the Passover meal. Jesus Christ, the Holy God, Incarnate, Who lived, suffered, died, and shed His Blood for everyone who would believe. For each one who would believe, Christ's Blood was taken and spread on the lintels and door posts of our lives, so the angel of death would pass over us. God put His Own Son to death to ransom us back from the just penalty of God's Wrath against us for our sin.
Peter tells us, if we need an argument to be obedient, to be faithful, to be holy -- here's the ultimate argument: Jesus Christ is Holy, and God killed Him for you.
Peter tells us that this was God's Plan from the very beginning: Jesus was foreknown before the Creation. The Holy Trinity have always existed, and it was their Plan that the Son would become Incarnate in the human, Jesus, and He did, in these last days -- two thousand years ago -- after all the years of waiting and prophecy, He came -- for your sake. And because He came and was sacrificed upon the altar for our sins, "we through Him are believers in God," we have been made eternally right with God, and He is now our Father, the same God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory.
With this, God has given us faith and hope -- faith and hope to believe in Him, to believe in Jesus, to believe the words of the prophets, and to look forward to the day when everything God has promised will come to pass. We are filled with that faith and hope, and we have the Holy Spirit -- God Himself -- living in us.
How then shall we live? Shall we sell ourselves, like prostitutes, to every whim and pleasure that comes our way? Shall we not worry about sin, since our salvation is not based on our works? Shall we simply enjoy ourselves with whatever gives us pleasure? Shall we keep most of God's Word and believe that is good enough?
Or should we be afraid of sin? Should we hate sin? Should we despise anything that takes away from the glory and honor of our God and Savior? Shouldn't we desire above everything else to find our joy in making God great in the eyes of the whole Creation?
Then why do Christians find it such a chore to worship?
In the Garden, Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to pray with Him, and they fell asleep. And Jesus rebuked them, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?" (Mark 14:37b).
On Mount Sinai, God said, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:8-9b).
Paul wrote, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31).
Why? Because we have been ransomed with the Precious Blood of Christ.
That's why God is our Father. That's why we can call on Him. That's why we have faith and hope, even while we are in exile, waiting for the restoration of the Creation. That's why we are eternally saved and right with God. That's why we ought to live lives of holiness by the Power of God the Holy Spirit Who lives in us.
One of the most terrifying things Jesus ever said was, "When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8).
Have you been ransomed with the Blood of Christ?
If you have, are you living a holy life?
Don't lose heart, Christian, if you are truly striving with everything that you are to live a holy life, and you sin, you can call upon our Father and ask Him for forgiveness, and when He hears your confession, He will say, "Yes, my child, you are forgiven, that is why I shed My Precious Son’s Blood."
Let us pray:
Almighty God and Father, we are amazed again to hear how You offered up Your One, Precious, and Holy Son, to pay the debt for our sin and make us righteous in Your Sight. We thank You for not leaving us to our own futile ways, and we ask that You would cause us to desire and to live holy lives before You. We ask that You would disturb us and upset us when we follow after sin, cause our consciences to ache until we repent and receive Your Forgiveness. Help us to understand the enormity of Christ’s Sacrifice and Your Love, and make us holy. Increase our joy as we glorify you through Holy Living, and continue our faith and hope as we look forward to that glorious day of Jesus' Return and the restoration of the Creation. For it is in Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.
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