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ETERNAL MOTIVATION. I Peter 1:17-21. 1/12/2025. #6.
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
1. Final accounting
a. Peter had stated that eternal promises are worth enduring temporary trials, even if severe
b. Now Peter lays out the practical side of heavenly rewards
a1. There will be an accountability for believers
a2. Even though a believer is not judged for his sins, which are paid for, his works are judged
a3. I Corinthians 3:9-17, a believer’s works are judged for both reward or loss
c. Peter holds this accountability evaluation up as a motivation for us to focus on faithfulness in serving the Lord
a1. Not only should we desire to please God, but also to gain his rewards
a2. Our lives should live as gratitude to our Lord
d. Peter adds that we should live in the fear of the Lord
a1. FEAR = to tremble before awesome greatness
a2. Reverencing the Lord should produce humble submission, obedience, and worship
a3. God’s grace shouldn’t yield casual familiarity!
e. God judges impartially
a1. He does not show favoritism or ignore sin
a2. To focus on self is to suffer eternal loss
f. Realizing the cost of our redemption should motivate us
g. Faith reality should make sight reality unnecessary
h. The faithful are motivated by love, gratitude, and devotion
2. Not by tradition
a. We were REDEEMED by the sacrifice of Christ
a1. Redeemed is to buy back or reclaim
a2. What was lost to sin is now reclaimed by Christ, purchased at the cross
b. Not redeemed by tradition handed down from ancestors
a1. Two sets of traditions: the Jewish legalism handed down by Pharisees, rabbis, and scribes and the pagan myths of the Gentiles
a2. False religion and philosophy have same end
c. Modern traditions produce the same ruin as ancient ones
a1. Teachings on salvation by baby baptism, church creeds, church organization authority, or social works all lead to eternal condemnation
a2. Faith in Christ is the only way to be saved (John 3)
d. False teaching seeks to add to what is taught in Word or seeks to offer an alternative way to heaven
a1. Satan promotes the myth of many ways to heaven and salvation by own works
a2. Believers work because they are saved, not to be saved (service to promote Christ, not self)
e. Any additions to Christ sacrifice cheapens it (as Moses taking partial credit for bringing water from a rock)
a1. The Lord is to receive all praise, honor, and glory
a2. I Corinthians 10:31 all we do needs to point to Christ
3. Chosen from before the foundation of the world
a. Peter adds that grace is especially amazing when one considers that we have been chosen since the foundation of the world
a1. God foreordained believers to be saved before creation commenced
a2. Romans 9 to be specially chosen demands total devotion, submission, worship, and gratitude
b. Believers are bought with a purpose
a1. He has made us special unto himself
a2. He seeks our worship, fellowship, and service
c. All that we are we owe to the Lord
a1. By focusing on what God has done and what he has promised motives us to obey him
a2. When we are distracted we become worldly
Key passage: 1 Corinthians 3:9-179 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.