I Peter 1:1-2
Marked by Grace
Scripture reading –
IPeter. 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To
the pilgrims of the Dispersion in
IPeter. 1:2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
Pray
Intro
√ Peter
We’re told in vs. 1 that Peter is the human author of this portion of scripture. We know Peter as one of the 12 apostles chosen by Jesus to carry the Gospel message to all the earth.
Who was this man?
What made him tick, what was is that marked his life and made him the unique vessel through which the Holy Spirit did such mighty works?
The scripture tells us much about this man and it would be wise of us to know something about him so that we don’t miss the message God spoke through him.
Ex. Steinbeck vs. William Burroughs
When interpreting their work you have to have know something about the author…else you come to wrong conclusions about the meaning of their work.
“The tinker”
My point is that we need to know something of the author’s life experience as a context to his writing so that we can understand what he’s trying to communicate.
What about the human author here? Who was this man Peter and what marked his life? What is the context of Peter’s life that will help us to understand what God is communicating through him.
I would suggest that two events stand out in Peter’s life, which forever marked his life and are born out in his letter as his desire for our lives.
√ The first event - Peter’s sin
Luke 22:54 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance.
Luke 22:55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.
Luke 22:56 And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.”
Luke 22:57 But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”
Luke 22:58 And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”
Luke 22:59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.”
Luke 22:60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
Luke 22:61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
Luke 22:62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Let me ask you a question…
What is the worse thing you've ever done?
How did (or does) that make you feel? Dirty? Wicked? Separated from God? Do you still wonder whether or not you're really forgiven? Or that God could ever use you again!?
Is there a greater sin than to deny that you know Jesus Christ?
It’s the only sin that will keep a person from the love of God!
Yet, we know that Peter - the human author of this letter - did just that…
…denied on three occasions that he even knew Jesus!
√ But, that's not the end of the story!
We find in John 21 that Jesus restored Peter to ministry!
John 21:15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
John 21:16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
John 21:17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
Peter the proud; Peter the one who boosted that even if all others fell away that he alone would be faithful to Jesus.
Yet, when the testing came - Peter had failed miserably.
Why then would Jesus choose to use Peter again? Why would Jesus not only use Peter, but actually make him a leader in the Church?
Preaching before thousands
Performing supernatural signs and wonders
Leading many to salvation in Christ
The answer, in a word…
"Grace"
Knowing what we know about Peter, is there anyone more qualified to speak from personal experience about the Grace of God?
Oh, Paul might argue with him!
1Tim. 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
But I would suggest to you that Peter is imminently qualified to speak to us about the Grace of God and the awesome wonder of that Grace in his own life.
You will not be surprised then when I tell you that the central theme of Peter's 1st epistle is…
"Grace"
…specifically, the
The sufficiency of Grace in our lives
…which we’ll develop as we go through this letter.
But, this morning I want to establish in your mind that Peter was a man whose life was marked by Grace.
Ap. As Christians we must constantly be reminded that our lives are to be marked by the Grace of God!
If you or I ever move from Grace, we will find that our lives will become spiritually dry, joyless, and fruitless.
For God will not use us if we change His message and begin to live and preach as if Man is able to make himself right before God.
Or we begin to judge others by our self-righteousness and see ourselves as somehow better than the next person because they don’t measure up to our standard.
One other thought, I find it interesting that the two greatest preachers of Grace amongst the apostles were Peter and Paul.
Paul - Jesus' choice to take the Gospel to the Gentiles
Peter - Jesus' choice to take the Gospel to the Jews
If you want to be great in the Kingdom of God - follow the example of these men as they follow Christ - walk in Grace.
So then, Grace is the central teaching of Peter's 1st epistle.
What about Grace?
√ The sufficiency of God's Grace in our lives
Note with me once again the way in which Peter begins and ends his letter to Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire…
IPeter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
IPeter 1:2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
And…
IPeter 5:12 By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.
It is quite evident that Peter's opening and closing thought and prayer for the believer is that we might experience God's Grace.
That it be multiplied in our lives - 1:2
That we might stand in it - 5:12
In fact, if you check, you will find that Peter speaks of God's Grace in every chapter of his letter (note takers & highlighters).
IPeter 1:2 …Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
IPeter 1:10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
IPeter 1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
IPeter 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
IPeter 4:10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
IPeter 5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
IPeter 5:10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
IPeter 5:12 …exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.
Ah, some of you are thinking…
"pastor, you didn't read any verses from chapter 2!"
…you're right!
Look with me at…
IPeter 2:19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
IPeter 2:20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.
Commendable = charis (srn 5485) - same word - "grace"!
The translators chose to use “commendable” because of the context of the verse. Yet, if one substitutes “grace” it communicates an even more powerful thought.
IPeter 2:19 For this is grace, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
IPeter 2:20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is grace before God.
Grace, in what sense? In that a life given over to Christ is marked by the same Grace that marked Jesus’ life when He was unjustly persecuted.
√ The point?
Our simple exercise here demonstrates that the message of Grace permeates Peter’s thinking and likewise is to always be in the minds of God's people…
…not just as some doctrinal truth which we understand intellectually.
But, Peter’s point is that in every experience of life we should be conscience of God's Grace working in and through our lives!
That is, in every verse which Peter speaks of Grace note that it is in relationship to how that Grace is applied in our lives.
No longer theory, but the application of Grace in our daily experience.
The bottom line is
that Grace ought go mark the life of the Christian.
Ap. Friends, may I ask you - what is the mark of your life?
Be honest with yourself – what is it that people pick up on when they interact with you?
Grace?
Law?
Judgement?
Self righteousness
Don’t think about anyone else – don’t start applying this thought in other’s lives…
…what is the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart this morning?
Test yourself…
Do you find that you push people away, or are they drawn to you?
Are people built up when they interact with you, or do they tend to go away beat down?
Ex. Peter
Before he was humbled Peter saw himself as the top man. Better than all the other disciples, the most faithful, the bravest, the most anointed, the most spiritual, etc.
But after he was humbled by his failure, and subsequent restoration, Peter began to live a changed life.
Ministering to the Samaritans
Then to Gentiles
Even defending the message of Grace before his Jewish brothers at the first Church counsel in Acts 15…
Acts 15:10 “Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Acts 15:11 “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
Peter finally saw himself on the same level as all other Men, even the Gentiles!
The source of Grace
√ From where did this Grace come?
We’ve established that Peter’s life was one that was marked by Grace. The question then…
“From where did this Grace come?”
Modern thinkers would suggest that Grace is comes from within the Human Spirit. Like coal which is crushed under the pressure of the earth’s surface to produce diamonds…
…the humanist today tells us that the Grace displayed in people’s lives is the product of own human potential.
But, that is not what the Bible tells us. Rather, Peter says…
IPeter 1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
Grace comes from God Himself – He is the author of Grace – the fountain of Grace – the life-giving river of Grace.
There’s an old hymn that captures this thought…
"Grace is flowing like a river,
Millions there have been supplied,
Still it flows as full as ever
From the Savior's wounded side"
Calls to mind that picture painted by the words of Ezekiel in the 47th chapter where we find that a river flowing from the altar of God out into the land and everywhere it goes the river brings healing.
What a picture of God’s Grace!
We see the altar of God (the Cross) with the precious blood of Jesus flowing out to all people in every land so that whomever will drink at that River will find healing and life eternal!
So then, Grace has but One source, one fountain…
…God Himself.
Ap. Have you come to the river of God’s Grace?
If you’ve not tasted of God’s goodness what is that keeps you back?
Is there any greater love?
If you have tasted and are a Christian this morning I ask you…
…are you still at the river of Grace?
Using Ezekiel’s vision once more are you content to stay on the shore and look at the River?
God is calling us not just to drink of the River, much more He is calling us to wade into His Grace until are feet are swept up and we find ourselves carried along by the sufficiency of His Grace.
Ex. You can tell someone’s been in the river if they’re wet.
Ap. Is Grace the mark of your life?
Close
"All the rivers of Thy grace I claim.
Over every promise write my name.
Grace there is my every debt to pay,
Blood to wash my every sin away,
Power to keep me spotless day by day."