Our scripture reading this morning is from 1 Peter, if you'd please turn there with me. It's just after the book of James in the back of your Bible, 1 Peter chapter 1. Our sermon will be on verses 3 to 9, but we might as well read verses 1 and 2 as well. So, starting at 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 1 through 9, it's on page 1203 in your pew Bible. 1 Peter, chapter 1. Peter, an apostle of Christ Jesus, to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and the sanctification of the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with His blood, may grace and peace be multiplied to you. 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 salvation ready to be revealed at the last time In this you rejoice, though now, for a little while, if necessary, you've been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with a joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. So Peter begins in verse 3 with, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He begins by blessing God, ascribing praise to him for his great mercy. And as we saw in verses 1 and 2, he's thinking of God's election, that God foreknew and foreloved his people. He's praising God that he is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. God saw us, his people, in a low and helpless estate. We were dead in our sins and trespasses, but God considered how poor and needy we were and moved to reconcile us to himself. Because we are sinners, we deserved death and wrath because the wages of sin is death. But instead of giving us wrath, he rather crowned us with his steadfast love and mercy, and he did not deal with us according to our sins. But God, in his preserving justice, sent Jesus Christ and poured all his wrath upon him instead. Christ suffered in our place that God could display his glory and his beautiful redemption and justice and mercy. So that's how Peter begins just blessing God for his great mercy. And then in the first few verses, he describes the salvation that we have and the inheritance that we have and how God safeguards and protects that salvation. So we'll begin by looking at the safeguarded salvation that God has for us, and then Peter in the middle describes our suffering in trials and how our salvation influences our thinking and endurance in those trials. And then lastly, Peter describes how our souls rejoice knowing this salvation. So let us walk through this passage today thinking of our safeguarded salvation, thinking of our suffering and trials, and also thinking of our souls rejoicing in God. So our safeguarded salvation, notice in the beginning that he says God has caused us to be born again. God caused us to be born again. It's so important to hang on that note and realize that it is God who begets us. God gives us new life. We don't do it ourselves, but God has caused us to be born again because He has chosen us. When we're born, it's a passive moment in your life. You don't do much in your birth except scream and make it difficult on your mother. But see, when we're born, we're born into a family. We're born into a certain time and place. We're born into socioeconomic conditions, we're born into a location, but we're also born with certain rights and privileges, and depending on your family, maybe even an inheritance. See, when God caused us to be born again, we're born into a new life. We have a new family, our brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus Christ. We have a new father, our Father in heaven. We also have a new hope and a new inheritance. That's what Peter's telling us in this passage. He says, according to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of the dead and to an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. So we're born to two things here, to a living hope. So what he means that when we're born again, when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, our whole life has an entirely different orientation. Whatever hopes we might have had before are changed. When you become a Christian, your aspirations, your ambitions can entirely change, but also the things you rely on, the things you trust in, are totally different. You no longer are trusting in your paycheck, trusting in the stock markets or whatever investments you've made. You're no longer trusting in political leaders. Right now, we see how much hope people are putting in whoever wins this next election, right? When we become a Christian, we have a living hope. We put our hope in Jesus Christ. And Christ is a living hope because he's been raised from the dead, right? He lives. We say Jesus is, Jesus does. We speak of him in the present tense because Jesus is alive now, and he sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. And because he's been raised from the dead, we too have been raised from spiritual death and darkness to spiritual life. So when we're born anew, Peter says, it's through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. One commentator says, when Christ rose, we rose. In giving life to Christ, God gave life to all those who are united to Christ. So just as God raised Christ bodily from the dead, so too he causes us to be born again when we were dead in sin. So we hope in a living God and Savior, Jesus Christ, and because of him, we have new eternal life. That is how our lives are reoriented when we're born again. But we have Jesus as our hope, but we're also born to an inheritance, is what Peter says. We're born again to an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept in heaven for you. So our inheritance is God himself. Our inheritance is communion and union with God and Jesus Christ and the new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwell. And Peter says a few things about this inheritance. When we'll have this communion with God, he says it's imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, which means it's free from death and decay. It's unspoilable, free from uncleanliness and impurity, but it's also unfading, which means it's free from the natural ravages of time. See, we try to preserve things here on earth. Much of our days are spent in trying to preserve things. We put things in the refrigerator, we seal them up, we freeze things, We paint things over, try to keep everything from rusting and fading, but everything on earth is perishable. If you are giving an inheritance to your children, perhaps you want to pass on your home, you would know that that home is perishable. It'll need a new roof. It'll need to be painted again. They constantly need work because everything is perishable. someone I know wanted to pass on her wedding dress to her daughter. So after her wedding, she had it sealed up by a company in a box to keep it and preserve it until 20 years later, she could give that to her daughter. But sure enough, 20 years later, she opened up that sealed box and it was faded. It wasn't that beautiful, crisp white dress from her wedding day, but it was yellow, tarnished, old-looking. It did not withstand time. But our inheritance in heaven is untouched by death, unstained by evil, and unimpaired by time, as one pastor said. Our inheritance is protected by God. That's what Peter's saying here, kept in heaven for you. Our salvation inheritance is guarded and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit. It's in heaven. where Jesus said, moth and rust can't destroy it, and thieves can't come in and steal it. See, heaven is the safest vault. Nothing that happens here on earth can affect what's happening in heaven. They can't destroy our inheritance there. I remember my hometown a few years ago burned down in a terrible fire, and everyone had their valuables in fireproof safes. But the fire burned so violently and was completely unchecked by the fire department that when people returned to their homes, expecting to see a charred skeleton of their home, instead they saw flat lots. Nothing was left, not even the brick chimney places. Nothing was left. Everything was completely flat, and their fireproof safe was a puddle on the ground. All their valuables they'd put in there, all their keepsakes, their important documents, gold bars, you name it, was all completely destroyed by the fire. Nothing that happens on this earth can remain. Nothing that we keep here, nothing we store here, no safe here can protect our inheritance. But our inheritance is kept in heaven, Peter says, for you. He wants you to know your inheritance is safeguarded in heaven for you, where nothing, none of our trials, no suffering, no chaos can touch the inheritance we have in heaven. You may think, praise God that the inheritance is safe. But what about me, the heir? Are we safe? Are the heirs of this heavenly inheritance also going to reach that inheritance? God gives us blessed news there as well. He says, it's 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. So, not only is our inheritance safeguarded, but you and I, brothers and sisters, are kept by the power of God, by faith. See, God has given us faith, and by that instrument, He keeps us safe that no Christian can fall away, no matter what trials or tribulations we may face. He says that the salvation is ready to be inherited. That's because we're in the last days. We're in the last hour. And there's nothing left on the eschatological calendar except Christ's return. So it's ready. We're ready to receive this inheritance. We're ready for Christ's return. And Peter speaks of salvation like we'll inherit in the future because he's thinking of the fullness of salvation in intimate union and communion face to face with Jesus Christ. We right now are saved in the sense that we're justified and that we stand righteous before God, forgiven of our sins. But he's saying you will get the salvation in its fullness in the future and it's ready to be revealed. You're kept safe for it and it's kept safe for you. And then he says in verse 6, in this you rejoice. And I think, brothers and sisters, we can take a moment to just rejoice in that we are kept safe, our inheritance is kept safe, God will surely bring us home, and we will inherit it. We can rejoice that our imperishable, undefiled, unfading inheritance is safeguarded in heaven, that God has chosen us, He's given us new birth, and he will keep us safe and guarantee that we reach this salvation by faith. He will guarantee that we can be with him and enjoy him forever. And I think we do need to sit in this and rejoice because Peter then moves into speaking of our suffering and trials. So he says, in this you rejoice, speaking of all the salvation, election, all the good news he just said, and he says, but now, though now, for a little while, if necessary, you've been grieved by various trials. And that's a reality that us as Christians cannot avoid. We cannot avoid the reality of various trials in the Christian life. And I like that he says various trials because everyone's trials are different. Everyone right now is experiencing some suffering or some trial that's different than everyone else in the church. And as he speaks of that, he's given us comfort that in whatever trial you're facing, all kinds of trials, God is still keeping you safe and protecting you for this salvation. Sometimes as Christians, we even suffer on account of being Christians, and that might very well be what's happening to these Christians in 1 Peter. What's interesting is John Calvin says the very faith that keeps us safe, that God's power keeps us safe by faith, is the same faith that puts us in jeopardy with respect to the world. So the world attacks us because of our faith in Jesus Christ, but Jesus safeguards us because of our faith. But he says that the purpose of these trials is to refine us. He gives a refining metaphor here, and I think the RSV makes this language a little more clear. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold, which though it is perishable, is tested by fire, may result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. So, he's talking about a refining metaphor where metals are put in a refiner's fire. They're put into a crucible to remove impurities, to remove dross, to make that metal stronger, to make it more pure, to make it more brilliant and valuable. And what Peter's saying is just like gold is put through that fire and comes out better on the other side, so too trials will burn away the dross of unbelief and self-confidence. So as we're born again as Christians, we still have some indwelling sin, and that we think we can rely on ourselves for anything, that we have some unbelief and doubts in our hearts. Peter's telling us that God gives us trials as a way to purify that faith, that it will come out stronger on the other side, burning away all unbelief and self-confidence. As we go through these trials, we are driven to prayer, and we see how faithful and good God is, even amidst our trials, and wind up trusting Him more on the other side. This is God's design in trials, and we can rejoice in suffering because we have this salvation, and we know that nothing can take us away from God. So as we suffer and go through all the pains that happen on this earth, we can end up with a stronger faith on the other side. It doesn't mean that trials are fun or joyful in the moment, but we can rejoice despite the trials, knowing of the lovely, wonderful, merciful salvation that we have. And Peter says, This faith that we have is more valuable than gold, saying gold is perishable, but even when a refiner puts it through fire, it winds up better on the other side, and it can survive that fire. Gold is known for being able to be remelted and molded multiple times over again and keep pretty much all the gold that you put into the fire beforehand. Gold is known for not rusting, not tarnishing. Gold is known for being imperishable. But what Peter says is that it's perishable because it's on earth. And on the last day, everything will be burned by fire. But God, in his purpose of these trials, says at the end of verse 7, that they may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. They will result in praise and honor and glory. Part of that is that our refined, purified faith at the end of all these trials, at the end of our lives, will be worthy of some commendation and praise from God and that he will say, well done, my good and faithful servant. And he will crown us with crowns of glory. It says, Peter says in chapter 5 that God will give us an unfading crown of glory. But also, as we go through these trials rejoicing, trusting with faith in God, we give him some glory. We reflect his character and are causing God to be praised and honored and glorified as well. So, on that last day when Jesus returns, there'll be praise, honor, and glory all around for God's people and especially for our God. But as we wait for that revelation of Jesus Christ, as he says, in verse 8, he tells us, though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory. We're waiting for that revelation to see Jesus face to face, but we don't see him now. We don't now see him. We don't have pictures of Jesus. We don't have paintings or statues. We don't know what he looked like, but we can still love him and believe in him and rejoice in the salvation that he's given us because he has given us his word and his apostles to teach us, and we can truly know Jesus and have an intimate, loving relationship, trusting him by faith, even though we don't see him now. But we look forward to that day. Jesus says, blessed are those who do not see and believe. By faith, we have this communion with Jesus Christ, and we can trust his promises. We can trust that he has bought us and that we are his, that we belong to him in body and soul and in life and in death, that he has fully paid for all of our sins. And in this, we rejoice with a joy that is inexpressible. I think to get at this inexpressible joy, it helped me to think of children. At Westminster Seminary where I live, it's somewhat overrun by children in a good way. and I see the inexpressible joy in children sometimes, that while they're playing or getting a special treat, you'll see that they're just sometimes giddy with joy, and they're just wiggling in their little bodies or jumping up and down, and they don't know how to really express this joy. They don't know how to let it out. I see it in my little son. He's crawling around, and when his dad goes to pick him up or tickle him, he just squeals with joy, just screeches. And I think that's part of that inexpressible joy, that his little body doesn't know how to even handle the joy that he's experiencing. I think Christians get this. Sometimes I feel an inexpressible joy when I'm hearing good preaching from our pastors, and they just open a passage to me, and I just hear of our blessed salvation and how good God is, and it just wells up in my heart. Now, I don't screech or wiggle too much in the pew, but, you know, sometimes I will just have a warm smile on my face just reading God's Word or hearing the preaching of His Word, and I'm sure that our pastors would appreciate if you smiled and hearing good news sometimes. I'm sure they'd love to see you smiling during their preaching. But I think God gives us this inexpressible joy in this great safeguarded salvation so that even amidst all the difficulties and suffering and trials of this life, we can know God's goodness and we can know that we are safeguarded that no matter what happens to us, no matter how difficult it is right now in that moment, whatever various trial you're facing right now. God will see us through. He will surely bring all things together for our good. And the result of our faith in Jesus Christ is our salvation. That's how he ends this passage in verse 9, that we obtain the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. By faith, the outcome of our faith, the end result, is the salvation of our souls. See, by faith in Jesus Christ, no matter what happens, we will obtain this full salvation, this full inheritance, union, and communion with Jesus Christ when he returns. So, with joy in our hearts, let us pray to our God and Savior. Lord God, we thank you for your great mercy to us. We thank you that according to the purposes of your own will, you foreknown and foreloved us, choosing us and causing us to be born again. Lord, we're so undeserving of this great mercy, and we rejoice that you've shown us mercy and caused us to be born again to a living hope, that we've been adopted as sons and daughters and given an inheritance that's kept in heaven for us. Lord, we thank you that we're safeguarded for this salvation, and that you preserve us until the end, that we might receive this inheritance. Having confidence in you, Lord, we trust that you will preserve us through all trials and work everything together for our good, refining us and sanctifying us in this life through the trials, that on the last day when Christ returns, we might glorify you and honor you, and that you might give us that commendation that we so earnestly desire. Lord, we love you, and with rejoicing and inexpressible joy filled with glory, we wait for this salvation. Amen.