Published: March 23, 2025 | Speaker: Mark Freitag | Series: 1 Peter - Part 10 | Scripture: 1 Peter 1:20-21
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we're looking at First Peter the uh Focus this morning will be 1 Peter chapter 1 uh veres 20 and 21 but um if you remember um verses 13-
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21 in the Greek are all one sentence and since we're getting to the end of the sentence I thought it would be a good reminder to read from the beginning 1
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Peter 1 verse 13 therefore G your minds for Action keep sober and Spirit fix your hope
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completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ as obedient children or rather as children of obedience do not be conformed to the
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former lust which you were were yours in your ignorance but like the holy one who called you be holy yourselves in all your behavior because it is written you
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shall be holy for I am Holy and if you address as father the one who partially judges according to each man's work conduct yourselves in fear during the
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time of your living as strangers knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your feudal way of life inherited
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from your forefathers but with Precious Blood as of a lamb unblemished and spotless the blood of Christ for he was
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forn before the foundation of the world but has a appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God who raised him from the
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dead and gave him glory so that your Faith and Hope are in God let us pray our heavenly father again we ask
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that you would be glorified in these things that you would cause us to have those ears that are prepared to hear those hearts that desire to obey and
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love you and we ask that you would build your church in Christ's name we pray
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amen we've looked at these exhortations uh kind of one by one in verses 13 through 19 of 1 Peter 1 be holy children of your
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father and be what you are children of obedience we and I use this little Phrase live what you know you were redeemed with Precious
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Blood the blood of Christ so Peter says exchange your former fule way of life for a Living Hope a living inheritance brought to you
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in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and now in verse 20 he says for he was forn before the foundation of the
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world there's a connection between verse 20 I think and verse two where we see God's forn God's forn knowledge in his choosing you in he his
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the forn knowledge of God of you as resident aliens verse two has always been connected and now revealed to us by Peter to the forn knowledge of God
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redeeming us through Christ's death and there are some in the world today who do not acknowledge this forn
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knowledge of God putting the connection between verse 2 and verse 20 some believe that Believers election is some Plan B
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of God that that somehow it was a remedy for something that was unforeseen by him that that he
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didn't see what was coming in Genesis CH 6 that that that verse that that just kind of strikes to our hearts
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where the where the spirit says through Moses writing every intent of the thoughts of the hearts of men was UN only evil
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continually that that God somehow didn't see that was coming or was read by our brother in judges 21 last week that everyone did
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what was right in his own eyes some believe that that this was an afterthought of God oh well I I ought to send someone to redeem these people or
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or that this was some backd door way for Gentiles to come into the kingdom of God different than those of the Jewish
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faith but Peter tells us no it is a fact I I it is something that we rest Our Hope and Faith on it is the Eternal plan and purpose of God and I think we see it in in two aspects here as I looked at
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these words that one God choosing to send a redeemer and we don't know how it is that that God takes counsel with himself before the foundation of the
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forew that he would send a redeemer I think the word could be translated for a point and it's not the expression of and gives us the idea of of some spectator sitting back and
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wondering what's going to happen and just waiting for it to happen God is the agent here and God is not as we see here
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before the foundation of the world God is Not subject to time there there's no if I could say it this way there's there's no before with God and there's
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no after with God he is timeless and I think that is something that is hard to Fathom but in
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appointing a redeemer we also know that he appointed Christ as that Redeemer because he is a gracious God
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verse 13 the grace of God to be brought to you he decided that Christ would be sent as Our Redeemer because he decided and again
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trying to understand how God decides it is said that he
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Forno he fornew the birth the birth the life yes the the death and the resurrection of
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Christ what happened on that Hill that we call golgatha was not accidental it was not something that caught God by
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it's Peter and he's going through going through the day of Pentecost and he's seeing the
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response of those in the crowd wondering who these people are and he explains to them he says men of Israel listen to these words Jesus
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the Nazarene a man attested to you by God with Miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through him in your midst just as you yourselves know they
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saw these things they saw saw that man they saw the Miracles that he performed but he goes on he says this man delivered up by the predetermined plan and forn knowledge of
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God yeah you nailed him to the Cross by hands of Godless men and put him to death but it was by the predetermined foreordained knowledge of God and God
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raised him up again putting an end to the agony of death since it was impossible for him to be held in its power this is the
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Eternal plan and purpose of God in Christ and it was according to his power Paul tells us in 2 Timothy chapter 1
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according to the power of God who has saved us and called us with a holy call calling not according to our work see I I can have my little phrases be what you
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are and live what you know but but that is not where Peter anchors us yes he is motivating us he's exhorting us to do
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that but on this basis he said it's not according to our works but according to his that is God's Own purpose and Grace
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which he granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity see again this is this is not something God thought of as an afterthought this this is his plan and
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and Christ is the culmination of History before the foundation of the world as one author said God knew the complete program of
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program of redemption or in the words of vilhm besser Christ sacrifice was seen by God as eternally
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as eternally present it blows our minds I guess but that is what the scripture teaches us
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God sent Christ Christ freely went because the mission of the son was to do the father's the father's will we see that Jesus himself in John chapter 6 he says this is the will of my
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father that everyone who beholds the son and believes in him will have eternal life and I myself will raise him up on the last
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the last day Peter gives us these the they're called in the Greek they're they're participles but they're they're contrasting but at the same time they're
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coordinating or I guess you would say complimentary participles these verbal ad uh adjectives uh that he gives us for
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he was forn before the foundation of the world but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you forn before
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the world was even created but he has now appeared he's been manifest for your
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sake God foresaw when Christ would come and God foreordained when Christ would
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come and what's emphasized here and again it's it's subtle in the Greek but in the end of verse 19 he's speaking of the Precious Blood as a lamb unblemished
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and spotless of Christ the blood of Christ for he was forn see I I don't think what's in view here by Peter so much is
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not the Plan of Salvation but the person of salvation for he was forn telling us of his preexist istance
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see it's not just the act of his appearing but his coming at this time to be the
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Redeemer and he appeared it indicates one historical Act of being made manifest or the Old English word that many of the translators like put as being published
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made public so Peter says to have faith in Christ is to have faith and hope in the god of the Old Testament the god of
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Israel in contrast to many people today there there was the old Angry God of the Old Testament and now the knew that somehow as Jesus came he was able to say
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to God wait wait a minute you know calm down let's love them it is God's plan from the from the beginning that Christ would come as
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Redeemer one of the authors BH Caroll had this to say that he says over a thousand for th 4,000 years there was one small star Shone at a time that there was a revelation to Abraham and to
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Isaac and to Jacob and then to to Judah and then to Joseph until that day when the Messiah was made manifest
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not just a little star with a hint of what is coming but the son of righteousness arise with healing in his
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wings the author Johannes Bren said if in the eyes of God Christ had not already existed as the one incarnate dead and glorified in the time of Adam
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and of Abraham the Patriarchs could never have obtained forgiveness iess of sins and sins and justification it it's not God's plan B this is the plan of
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God and the most marvelous part of this to to us sitting here today he was forn before the foundation of the world but has appeared in these last times for the sake of
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you forn with Christ we were Believers in Christ forn with him before the foundation of the world before the world was even
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created and as I say God is the agent it's all of God the planning the accomplishing the triumphing and it's all being brought to us and again it it's for those who hear
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the gospel putting their trust in Christ and entering in the Living Hope of that new birth based on the resurrection of
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Christ someone Prayed About That Glory that we will see at that great getting up morning when Christ comes again but
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I we we live in a marvelous age because we live and that's what the in these last times he means in the end of time it means now when Christ appeared that's what the scripture here means the end of
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times times ushered in by the life death and resurrection of Christ yes there Still Remains a future that's in verse 7
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and glor we will result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Christ that's that great getting up morning and it is still to come and it will be
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will be marvelous but but here he says for the sake of you now as you live in these end of times for the sake of you who through him are believers in
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God again the The Marvelous phrase here for the sake of you who through him are believers in
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God Jesus introduces us to holy God to the almighty w w with without him well
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this is what we read in John chapter 1 for the law was given through Moses Grace and Truth were realized through Jesus Christ no one has seen God at any
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time the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the father he meaning Jesus has explained him and this makes Christ Precious Blood
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verses 18 and 19 personal extremely personal you who through him believe in God in that section
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where Peter is giving his sermon on the day of day of Pentecost remember we we talked about that were Peter and John were walking to
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the temple and the man is is there and he he's he's lame and he can't walk and he asks them for alms and Peter says silver and gold I have none but what I
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have I give to you and he goes on he sees people marveling that this man is now walking because God restored him right there and
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the people are wondering and Peter sees it and he says why do you Marvel at this the god of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god of our fathers has glorified his
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servant Jesus the one who you delivered up and disowned in the presence of pilate when he was he had decided to release him but you disowned the holy
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and righteous one and asked for a murderer to be granted to you but put to death the Prince of Life the one whom God raised from the dead a fact that to
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which we Are Witnesses and on the basis of faith in his name it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see
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and know and the faith which comes through him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all through him you have come to
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believe and I'm not the Greek expert and I stumble on the there's a word that can mean in and it can be my
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by and it can mean through and I go yeah our faith is in Christ It Is by Christ and it is through Christ if you are in Christ God purposed
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his blood to be spilled for you that you might know might know him again BH Carroll said we should stop and think where our faith comes
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from and how utterly unknowable God is without Christ but now we can get hold of him and Thomas Shriner add adds to this
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the Vindication and glorification of Christ after his sufferings is the Paradigm for Paradigm for believers he he says we're God's resident aliens on Earth and because we
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have the Vindication and glorification of Christ we have hope we have faith we have that as Peter describes the Living
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Hope that after our sufferings there will be no more sufferings because we have hope of our own res resurrection and our own
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glorification and there's one thing else in the midst of these things that Peter is saying to these strangers the these ones who are aliens in the world and he's trying to encourage them
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they're they're living now their hope is living for the future and yet God's saving acts are
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accomplishing his purposes his promises as we know are yes and amen in Christ they're already working in Believers and in their lives continuing from where
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they are and the hint of that and the connection of that to our Sunday school is in verse 22 that hopefully we'll get to next time since you have in obedience
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to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the Brethren fervently love one another from the heart see Peter got there Paul went
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Faith Love and Hope Peter says Faith and Hope and then finally he's going to get to love but he's got it all here this is
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how you are to live this is if this doesn't motivate you I don't know what will he says says so that your Faith and Hope are in
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God the greatness of Christ's glory is ours to ours to share Peter writes God raised him from the dead he's referring to Christ's human
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nature and we we could preach an endless section of sermons on how Christ did that in the Holy Spirit but all of the grace of God toward us is manifested
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when God gave him glory and guess what that glory and the results of that Glory come
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to us Ephesians 1 you're familiar with the passages but Paul just has this almost endless list in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of our
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trespasses according to the riches of his grace which he lavished on us in him also we have obtain an inheritance having been predestined according to his
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purpose who works all things after the counsel of his will you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of Promise who is given as a pledge of our inheritance
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with a view to the Redemption of God's Own possession to the praise of his glory see all of these things just add and add and add because we live in the day of Christ
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Glory but Christ as the the mediator as Our Redeemer also delivers us from fear from the fear of approaching a holy God Christ and his ransoming blood is
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the medium or the means that produces faith in faith in Believers so that by these acts God declared Christ blood is
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efficient but it's also sufficient as a ransom for our sinful Souls Ephesians chapter 3 Paul says the
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manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the Heavenly places this was in accordance with the Eternal
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purpose which he carried out in Christ Jesus our lord in whom we have boldness and boldness and confidence confident access through true
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faith in him see when when Peter speaks of Faith and Hope at the end of verse 21 I I I think there there's two things about those words one is is that the
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hope is is really a confidence that that we can walk confidently that we don't shrink in fear that we're resident aliens and people
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around us don't understand who we are and why we act the way we do and he's saying no you can walk with confidence
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Christ as John Calvin explains for had there been no resurrection of Christ still God would remain in heaven but Peter says that God would not have been believed in except
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Christ had risen see because Christ has risen then we can walk with this confidence you you you know what James said say even the demons
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believe and they shudder but but yes he's talking about works and faith and trying to explain that but one thing I think that it also
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us that faith is something other than simply to behold if I can say it this way reverently simply to behold the incompr incomprehensible Majesty of God
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faith is something more than that because he Christ has opened the way through the veil to a holy God the writer to the Hebrews says for
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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 therefore on the
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basis of him Our Redeemer the one who shed his Precious Blood therefore let us draw near with with confidence to the throne of grace so that we may receive mercy and find Grace to help in time of
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need but we must apply the blood of Christ to ourselves which we do when we put our Faith and Hope in God see the emphasis I
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think in Peter again at the end of the sentence is the in God not in ourselves not in our own ability not in something we work up within us it's in God because Peter
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writes to people like himself resident aliens who need that exhortation to fix your hope completely on the grace that
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is being brought to you do you feel like strangers in this world do do you feel a foreigner at work
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in your neighborhood even among your own family members this section 13 through 21 it sounds a little you know
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crass but it begins verse 13 fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the resurrection of Jesus Christ and it
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ends that your Faith and Hope hope are in God the sentence begins with hope and it
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ends with hope that confidence that we have because we have the
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Redeemer he called us to be holy verses 14 and 15 he redeemed us from an empty meaningless life Verse
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18 He covered us with his precious blood verse 19 and now he gives us reason to
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Hope FW beer said the adjective Faith could equal could equal trust and it brings out not only the
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trust in God but it brings out the thought of thought of faithfulness through Christ we are not only brought to have faith in God he says but are unable to show ourselves
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faithful to to him in all our life our faith flows from Christ's
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resurrection and that enables us to walk in a manner that pleases God and therefore if I could Echo again the writer to the Hebrews with our Faith
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and Hope solidly anchored as children of OB obedience or if I could Echo John in 1
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John 5 this is the victory that has overcome the world our world our faith fix your hope completely on the grace that is being brought to you at
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the revelation of Jesus Christ let us pray Our Father we thank you for the words of
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Peter thank you that Peter was a man who lived these things that he he saw Christ and yet he had to learn how to walk by faith and not by sight he had to learn
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what it was to be a resident alien what it was to walk and not compromise to leave behind his fule way of
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life and to walk in Living Hope and father thank you for this encouragement thank you for this spurring us on to live as your people to
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live as holy ones give us courage give us strength give us desire to please you in all things in Christ's name we pray
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amen you please rise for the benediction from benediction from Romans chapter 16
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now to him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past but is
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now manifested and by the scriptures of the prophets according to the Commandment of the Eternal God has been made known to all the nations leading to
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The Obedience of Faith to the only wise God through Jesus Jesus Christ be the glory forever