Transcript
Here we are again working our way through what it means, what it looks like to live in light of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ right here, right now, between the "already" of your conversion and "not yet" of your home-going to be with the Lord. A lot of people understand the gospel-past and the gospel-future, but they don't really understand how to live in light of the work of Christ right here, right now. Peter ends his first letter with five very helpful directives.
Reviewing the Directives So Far
Know your place. There is a King and He is not you. Rest in God's care. The question is not does God care, the question is will we recognize His care when it comes. It often comes to us in uncomfortable forms. The third directive is take life seriously. We believe in a roaring lion enemy. We believe in the presence of real, destructive, personal, evil.
Fourth directive, resist no matter what. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that your suffering means God has forgotten you or God is being unfaithful to you. That's one of the nasty lies of the enemy. Continue to resist knowing that that suffering is not in the way of God's plan, it's part of God's plan.
The final directive is trust God's sanctifying grace. He has planned for you eternal glory. Think of that phrase: eternal glory. There is a guaranteed place for me in a glorious eternity where there will be no more sin and no more suffering and no more roaring lion, no more doubt of God's care forever and ever and ever.
Future Grace Guarantees Present Grace
Now, think about this. If God has guaranteed for me this eternal glory, this place in eternity, that guarantee of future-grace guarantees me present-grace because the only way I'll ever end in eternity is if He gives me all the grace that I need along the way. That's why the words say He will 10brestore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
God's guarantee of future-grace guarantees that He will give me every grace I need right here, right now. I don't have to worry about what's around the corner. I don't have to worry about what I'm going to face tomorrow. I don't have to worry about what my relationships are going to bring.
I don't have to worry about what my job is going to bring or my church is going to bring into my life because whatever I'm facing, there is going to be grace for that thing; struggles inside of me and struggles outside of me because if eternal glory has been promised me, then sufficient grace is guaranteed me along the way.
What It Means to Live in Light of the Gospel
What does it mean to live in light of the gospel? It means to know your place. There is a king and He is not you. You don't have to put kingly burdens on your shoulders. There is a God who really does care for you. You are never outside of the span of His care, although that care will come, often, in uncomfortable forms.
There really is a roaring lion. This is not vacation time. This is still battle time and he's out to do you harm. Take life seriously. Continue to resist even during suffering. Suffering is never a sign of the failure of God's care. Suffering is never in the way of God's care. It's part of His plan for you. Continue to resist.
And finally, know that every promise that God has made you will be fulfilled. You can rest in His sanctifying grace. There is eternal glory promised you and that eternal guarantee is a guarantee of every grace you will ever need along the way. Live in light of those things and you're living in light of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
