Hello, and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for reading the blog again this week. I pray that it is a blessing to you.
I want to thank everyone for their prayers this week. It was a struggle to make it through the week at work. My new job is very difficult, and it is making me very nervous. Without the help of the Lord Jesus, I would have probably handed in my resignation this week. However, I thank the Lord that He did help me, and I made it through the week. I am feeling much better about the job, and I am thankful to Jesus for providing me with this work opportunity. Once again, thank you for your prayers, and I humbly ask that you continue to remember me in your prayers.
In our prayers this week, let us pray for peace. I heard a very distressing report on the radio this morning about the conflict that is occurring in Libya. Let us pray for peace in this land. Let us also pray for peace in Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Please continue to pray for the recovery of those afflicted by the Ebola virus. Here in the U.S. there are many suffering with the flu. Let us pray for the end of this flu epidemic.
This week, I am beginning a series of messages on the New Testament book of I Peter. We will go verse by verse and chapter by chapter and see what the Lord has to say to us. Every four or five weeks, I will take a break from I Peter and post a sermon on a miracle of Jesus, a parable of Jesus, or some other Bible topic.
When we begin to consider and study any book of the Bible, it is important at the outset to examine the authorship of the book. Most conservative and evangelical scholars are in agreement that I Peter was written by the Apostle Peter sometime around 60 AD. Most of the scholars during the first portion of church history were in agreement on this point as well. A few scholars believe that this book was not written by Peter because, according to them, the language of the epistle is too Pauline. These scholars would attribute the authorship of I Peter to an associate of Paul.
I firmly believe that this epistle was written by the Apostle Peter. II Peter may be a different story, but that discussion is for another day.
As we progress through I Peter, we will see that the theme of this epistle is suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ. Those to whom Peter was writing were experience a significant time of persecution based on their devotion to the Lord Jesus. Peter is writing to encourage them and give them hope during this hard time. This is an important work filled with important themes, and I look forward to going through this book with you in the coming weeks.
I Peter 1:1 introduces Peter as the author of this work. Peter also identifies the audience of this epistle as those believers in Christ who reside in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Bithynia and Asia. I find it interesting that Peter refers to those to whom he is writing as strangers. That is what we as followers of Jesus truly are. We are strangers in this world. The book of Hebrews calls us strangers and pilgrims.
Those who follow the path of Jesus are supposed to be different from those who do not follow Jesus Christ as Lord. We are supposed to have different values. Are actions are supposed to set us apart from the way of this world which is the way of sin that ultimately leads to death and destruction.
As it says in the Bible, we are not looking for an earthly city. We are seeking a heavenly city whose builder and maker is God.
Verse 2 of chapter 1 presents us with one of the most controversial subjects in theology. I guess this is as good a time as any to address the issue. Verse 2 states, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."
The entire theological concept of election and predestination is very controversial. Let me try to explain what I believe the Scripture teaches on this matter. Let's start by explaining things from a Calvinistic perspective. Calvinists have an acrostic called TULIP to help describe their beliefs. The T stands for total depravity. I, along with Calvinists believe in total depravity. Humanity is fallen and dead in sin.
The U stands for Unconditional election. Here is where I believe the problem comes in. Calvinists believe in the complete sovereignty of God. This means that God can do whatever He wishes to do. I agree with them on this point 100 percent. The Calvinist believes that God predestined people for salvation or reprobation before the foundation of the world. They stress that it was an act of God apart from anything that humans did.
I do not believe that this is quite what the Bible teaches. According to what we see here in I Peter, and in other Scriptures, God in His sovereignty chose to base election and predestination on the response of individuals to the Gospel. God in His foreknowledge saw those who would accept Jesus and those who would reject Jesus. God then elected those whom He foreknew would accept Jesus. God chose to do it this way. He was perfectly free to do things anyway that He wished.
The L in TULIP stands for limited atonement. This presents a problem because it views the atonement purely in human terms. While Jesus died to take away our sins, the death and resurrection of Jesus has cosmological significance. Jesus' work of redemption was about bringing everything in the universe back to the state in which it existed before sin and rebellion entered into the universe. I do not believe in limited atonement, and I see no place in Scripture where this doctrine is taught.
The I stands for irresistible grace. In other words, when the elect person is called by God, they are not able to resist. I believe that all throughout the Bible people are presented as having free will given to them by God. Jesus said that whosoever will may come to Him. Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. One of the best passages to refute the doctrine of irresistible grace is found in the defense Stephen gives in the book of Acts. Stephen asks the Pharisees how long they will resist the call of the Holy Spirit.
The P stands for perseverance of the saints also known as eternal security. I believe that Jesus clearly taught that someone who believed in Him could decide to turn from Him and go back to a life of rebellion against God. Jesus once spoke of someone putting their hand to the plow and then looking back. Jesus said the one the looks back is not worthy of Him. Contrary to what many Arminians believe, I do not see that the Bible teaches that you can sin away your salvation. A person can apostasize by telling Jesus that they don't want to follow Him anymore.
With that said, some may think that I am an Arminian. I do not consider myself an Arminian or a Calvinist. I firmly believe in the complete sovereignty of God, and I do not believe in open theism. I believe that God sovereignly chose to base election on His foreknowledge of people's freely chosen acceptance or rejection of Jesus. God was free to do otherwise.
I would also find myself at odds with both Arminians and Calvinists about what the atonement consists of. As a stated, the atonement of Jesus is cosmological.
One thing that I truly believe in is that whosoever will may come to Jesus. Whoever feels the conviction and enabling grace of the Holy Spirit and asks Jesus Christ to forgive them and to come into their heart and be their Savior and Lord will be redeemed. Jesus will not cast out or cast aside anyone who comes to Him. He will not cast out anyone who wants to follow Him and tries to do so with all of their heart.
I realize that this has been a long discussion, but it is important to address this issue especially as it comes up here in verse 2 of chapter 1.
Before I close this week, I just want to reiterate the fact that no matter who you are, Jesus loves you and cares about you. He wants you to come to Him and receive His love and salvation. Don't believe it if someone tells you that you have been rejected by the Lord. He wants you to come to Him and let Him be your Good Shepherd.
Next week we will continue our study of I Peter. On Monday, I will post the verse, and I will have a review on Wednesday. The Weekend Sermon will appear on Saturday. May God bless you all this week. Amen.
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