In the first-century, the anchor was a symbol for hope and steadfastness for Christians suffering persecution. Anchors are found in many inscriptions in the catacombs of Rome, and they were worn by many Christians as a sign that their hope was in Christ alone. The source for this symbol is found in Hebrews 6:19,
“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.”
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Old Testament Reading – Jeremiah 9:12-16, 23-26 –
New Testament Reading – Galatians 5:16-26
How Should We Then Live
“The Validation of Our Salvation” # 3
1 Peter 1:18-21
In his letter of exhortation to Christians facing persecution for their expressed faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Apostle Peter defined the three dimensions of a believer’s proper response to God’s gift of eternal salvation.
- Peter said there must be a proper response to God, to others, and then to the new believer.
- Peter told his readers they should be more concerned about the price of their eternal salvation than the pain of their temporal persecution, for they were not redeemed with earthly things, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot or blemish.
- Peter was reminding them of that first Passover, when a male lamb, without spot or blemish, was slain at twilight, its blood used to redeem the firstborn of every Jewish family, and deliver their forefathers from 400-years of slavery in Egypt.
- However, as great as that redemption was, it paled in comparison to the redemption given to them through the death of the Lamb of God, the Lord, Jesus Christ.
It is imperative that we understand the full nature of our redemption
before trying to live according to the principles of the Christian life.
Our theology sets the pattern for our orthodoxy
what we truly believe about God is manifested in how we behave.
1. What We Were Redeemed From – 1 Peter 1:18-21
- The Scriptures declare that all men are born in sin, enslaved by sin, and utterly hopeless to free themselves from that bondage.
- However, the description of sin used in most churches today is regarding man’s sinful behavior, rather than man’s sin-nature.
- The truth is, man is not a sinner because he sins, but rather man sins because he is a sinner by nature and by choice.
- Inherited sin – as we inherited physical characteristics from our parents, so we inherited the sinful nature of our first parents, Adam and Eve.
- Imputed sin – after God gave the Law to Moses, He made it clear that any violation of that law would be imputed to each individual, and the penalty was death – not just physical death, but eternal separation from God.
- Personal sin – acts of rebellion against God, and actions of the flesh against others, from gossip to murder.
- Thankfully, those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord have been set free from the penalty of those sins, and given the power of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence to resist the impulse to sin.
“We have redemption through His blood; the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace.”
Ephesians 1:7
- Peter identified four characteristics of man’s bondage to sin:
- “Former lusts” – that strong intrinsic desire to do what is evil.
- “Former ignorance” – their lack of the true knowledge of God.
- “Their futile way of life” – apart from being redeemed and knowing God, no matter how good our lives on earth may be, they will fall short of God’s eternal purpose for us, which is to bring Him glory.
- “Tradition inherited from your forefathers” – Peter was referring to apostate Judaism, but the application is to any form of false religion based upon tradition rather than truth.
2. What We Were Redeemed With – Verse 18 – “Knowing you were not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ.”
- The term “blood” means death, for life is in the blood.
- God set that pattern in Genesis 22:7 when He provided the lamb as a substitute for Isaac’s death.
- Peter said the soul of the sinner could not be redeemed by any earthly commodity, but only by the shed blood of Christ, for His blood was “precious.”
- John the Baptist declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
3. Who We Were Redeemed By – Verse 18 – “But with the precious blood of Christ.”
- Jesus’ blood was precious because He was the most perfect and spotless Person who ever lived.
- He was predetermined – Christ’s death on the cross was not God’s “plan-B” to reconcile lost man with Himself, but it was according to the predestined and predetermined will of God, which was established before the world began.
- He was incarnate – this refers to the immaculate conception of Jesus, who “emptied Himself and took the form of a bondservant, allowing Himself to be made in the likeness of man.”
- He was resurrected – God raised Jesus from the dead, the only one to be raised never to die again. This was God the Father’s confirmation of the work of God the Son.
- He was glorified – Jesus returned to that position in glory which He had with the Father before the world began.
- Hebrews 4:15 – “We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”
- 1 Peter 3:18 – “Christ died for sins, once and for all, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.”
- Acts 20:28 – “Shepherd the church of God, which belongs to Christ, for He purchased it with His own blood.”
- Titus 2:14 – “Christ Jesus gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession.”
- Romans 5:9 – “Having been justified by His blood, we are reconciled to God through the death of His Son.”
- This is why Jesus is the only one worthy to open the seals of the Book of Life – “For He was slain, and He redeemed us to God by His blood; people of every tongue, tribe, and nation.” Revelation 5
4. What Purpose Were We Redeemed For – Verse 21 – “So that your faith and your hope are in God.”
Expressing one’s faith in God alone, or in Jesus Christ alone, is an incomplete confession of faith, and insufficient for eternal salvation.
- It was God the Father who loved the lost world so much that He sent His Son to be our Savior, and it was God the Son who came to the world for the express purpose to give His life as a ransom for our sins so we could be reconciled to God.
- Therefore, our faith is in what God the Father has done for us through Jesus Christ, and our hope is in what God has promised to do in the future for those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
- Regardless of the circumstances of our lives, Christians are to:
- Trust God for the past and the present – that is where we express our faith.
- Trust God for the future – that is where we rest our hope.
- God redeemed us that we might live in this present world, but not put our hope in this present world, but rather in heaven.
- Knowing we have been bought with such a high price, how can we not give back to God that which He has asked?
- Hope, Holiness, and Honor!
