A concluded first letter

Seeking for the help of the Lord this evening, I direct your prayer for attention to the first epistle of Peter, chapter 5. We are continuing our Epistles of Peter series, and this evening we conclude the first epistle, a concluded first letter. And so we're looking at chapter 5 and verses 8 through to 14. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, whom resists steadfast in the faith, knowing that these same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren, that are in the world.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. By Sylvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace wherein ye stand. The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you, and so doth Marcus, my son. Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen. So a concluded first letter or first epistle. I want to notice three things firstly.

In verse 12 we are told by whom he sent the letter. By Sylvanus, a faithful brother unto you as I suppose. That is by whom he has sent this letter to the scattered tribes, to the faithful brethren, to those that were believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Both Peter and the Apostle Paul, they used men those that were known to those that they were writing to, to convey that letter. And you can imagine, especially if they're things like exhortations or warnings, of the added weight that was held when the one that was bringing those tidings was esteemed a faithful brother unto us. And if when we convey that then, that this is the Holy Ghost using to bring the inspired Word of God unto a people, how much more when the Lord brings His Word and by his servants and those of his servants that are preaching, it could be said that they are a faithful brother unto you. In one sense, the bearer of the letters, the bearer of the message, the preaching, in some way adds validity to the message. because of who he is to the people that the Word is actually brought to. And this is how the Lord blesses the churches through his servants preaching the Word.

And here, Peter says before them this letter sent by Silvanus. The second thing is in verse 13, and that is where the letter was sent from. The church that is at Babylon elected together with you, saluteth you, and so doth Marcus my son. There are some that feel that Babylon is a reference to Rome in code. I don't feel, and quite a few of the commentators that I value, Gill and Matthew Henry, don't feel that that is the case. There's no reason why it should not be understood that Peter was writing even from the church at Babylon.

But notwithstanding that, Obviously, the letter is written from a place, and it is generally a custom, you might say, if you get a visiting minister. It's not so much amongst our churches, but the Reformed churches, when the visiting minister visits, they usually bring tidings from their own church. It's quite a common thing at the beginning of the sermon for the minister to bring tidings from the church of which he is the pastor, or where he is associated with. And so that is the case here, and no doubt this is where that tradition comes from.

The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you. Saluteth means wishing, or peace, or grace, or happiness, or blessing. from that church. Then thirdly, in verse 14, greetings. Greetings are to be pure and expressive of true holy love and affection, heartfelt and sincere. I always notice in Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, Before he exhorts them to love one another, to walk in love, he makes it very, very clear that that love is not an inordinate love, a sexual love, it is a pure love, it is a holy love. And every now and again you hear reports from churches around the world where this is abused and where you hear that there are those that do turn the love of God that should be pure and holy into that which is perverted after the flesh. And so here, greet ye one another with a kiss of charity, that is of love, peace, be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. And the meaning, the teaching of it, it is to be a holy affection.

And that is joined, of course, with other passages that point in the same way. In whatever way we greet and show affection, it is always to be in a holy way. Now this is how Peter, he closes this epistle, but then before that he has four things. Four things that I wish to bring before us this evening. I'll introduce them as we go. The first is how to deal with the devil.

The devil who is the common adversary of God's people. In verses 8 and 9, in verse 9, it is to be looked upon as an encouragement or help for the people of God to be told that the afflictions, the temptations, the attacks of Satan that they have, that they are not isolated. Satan will always try to make out that the Lord's people, that they are the only ones that have such evil thoughts or temptations or desires and those things that go on within, to isolate them. And there's many times that whether in the ministry or in private conversation, if I've opened up about some of the things that I've been tempted with or gone through or fight against, and the attacks of Satan, and a person has responded, I never thought someone else felt those same things or had those same things, let alone a minister. And it's always been a help, and it's been a help to me to hear others of the Lord's servants and the Lord's people acknowledge that they also have this common adversary, and their heart is just as deceitful, just as evil as any other. That was one temptation before I came into the ministry, while exercised in the ministry, Satan said, how dare you stand up and even suggest that anyone has such a wicked and evil and vile heart as you have.

You've no warrant to even think that of other people that would know those things. And it quite held me as a snare for quite a while. until I read those words as in water, face, arm, through the face. so the heart of man to man and it broke the snare because our hearts are fashioned alike and we have fallen alike and those things that go on in our hearts are the same another thing occurred at the same time one of my cousins came over to Australia to see me and he'd in those days you could do so He'd had a photograph of himself in the cockpit of the plane. And I just idly turned the photograph over to the other side and there he had written a imaginary account of how the pilots had fallen ill and he had taken over the plane and safely landed the plane. And I read that and I thought I could have written that same thing. And I really felt that, again, it was a mirror of our hearts, passion, delight, the same ideas, fantasies, pride rising up, one wonderful thing that we could do. And so with this here, Peter is bringing this as something that's to be a help to the people of God. that you're not alone. These same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

And we have to remember that. But then how are we to deal with Satan? What does he say? The first is that right attitude of mind, a sober mind and vigilant. You might say, well, isn't it obvious if he's going about as a roaring lion, we'll know who he is. We know that he does come in as an angel of light as well. But very often we don't recognize him. We might think it is only our heart or might think it's only man. We'll not realize who it is.

So it is to be sober and really watchful The warning really is, if we're not, then wherever we are aware, we are taken by the adversary. And so we're told why we should be sober and vigilant. It is because of the adversary, because your adversary, God's dear people, have an adversary, and he is the devil. May we always remember that. You can always think, well, we haven't got too many enemies and we're just thinking of brethren or those we know in the world.

But Peter said, no, you've got an adversary and everyone in the world has, and it's the devil. And he names him straight out as a roaring lion seeking whom he may defile. Now notice this. is seeking whom he may devour, not whom he will devour. Satan is not a free agent just to go about and devour whoever he wants. And Peter, of all people, is able from personal experience to really testify this. He would say, my Lord warn me that Satan had desired to have you, and that's plural, it's all the church, to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee, Peter, personally at this time, that he was going to be in the sift, he was going to be attacked by Satan, that thy faith fail not. Satan, as in the book of Job and as with Peter, is restrained, and so it is whom he may devour. But God says of his people, ye may not devour that one, ye may not devour that one.

He sets a hedge about them. But this is what he's seeking to do. So what are we to do then? How are we to react to Satan? So Peter gives us this as well, that we are to resist him, but not just resist him, whom resists steadfast in the faith, trusting in the Lord, trusting in his intercession, his prayer, in that faith of which Peter would say, the Lord prayed that my faith fail not. Peter knew that was the most valuable thing, and that is what Satan is to be resisted steadfast in. Trusting in the Word of God, in the faith of God to let. Though, in closing this epistle, this is one major thing that Peter would bring before those before whom he writes. how to deal with the devil, the common adversary of God's people.

The second point is really as comprised in verse 10. The God of all grace who has called will complete the work of grace. If we were to go to Paul, he would say in the words like this, he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. But Peter, he says, but the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while. make you perfect or complete, establish, strengthen, settle you. So Peter is picturing this as well.

This is one reason why we read together Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2, by grace you are saved through faith that not of yourselves It is the gift of God. It's a great chapter on the free grace of God. If it is by grace, it is not a works. And it's by grace that brings the Jews and the Gentiles together. And the important thing is not only the beginning is by grace, but every step of the way is by grace.

And so, Peter here, he makes it very clear what that calling is unto. It's not just to be in the church here below, it's not just to be around the Lord's table and to be numbered amongst the Lord's people here, but it's called unto his eternal glory. There is a place in heaven And those that are called are called to have a place there. Psalm 84, he shall give grace and glory. That is what the Lord does, and it's by Christ Jesus.

But then what a reminder. First is suffering. First is tribulation. First is the furnace, that is to be expected. The Lord says, in me shall have peace, in the world you shall have tribulation. Suffered a while, make you perfect, complete, lacking nothing.

Establish, you think of a tree, sometimes you see the main roads all redesigned and on the sides of the redesigned roads you get little saplings all with a protective coating and plastic around them until they are established and still there till they're strong enough to stand the winds and and their roots are going down deep enough They want to be stayed there, they don't want to be pulled up.

And that's what God does with his people. He says, I have much things to say unto you, many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. And so he taught them as they were able to bear it. But the aim is that God's people be established in the truth, in the way, They grow in grace, they put their roots downward, and they're strengthened. This, remember, was one of the commands, one of the commissions of the Lord to Peter. When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

And by the grace of God, that's what the Lord will do. And settle you, instead of tossed to and fro. on every wind of doctrine or having no abiding settled place, to be settled, to be feel that you are where the Lord would have you to be and what the Lord would have you to be and you settle upon his everlasting love, upon that which he has done and rest on him alone. The main The thought really of this here is the God of grace who is called by grace, he by that same grace will complete the work of grace.

The third point is that all glory is to the God of all grace, verse 11. To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. The natural heart of man will all the time be trying to seek glory to itself. Heimreiter says the heart uplifts with God's own gifts and makes even grace a snare.

And Paul is very careful when he writes to the Corinthian church to describe how the Lord has not called those that are wise and prudent in this world, but those that are the simple folk, those that are even the foolish ones, those that are not, to bring to nought the things that are, that no flesh might glory in his presence. It's something to be a real measure in the Church of God and in our own souls and in our own lives, that as soon as one tries to rise up and take the glory from the Lord, rob the Lord of His glory, we know that this is not the faith of God's elect. This is not what the Lord would have us to do.

The whole aim and desire for the ministers of the gospel is to lift up the Lord Jesus Christ on the pole of the gospel. John Baptist, he says, I must decrease, he must increase. And that should be the desire of each of us that bring forth the word of God. But in the work of Every Christian, why it is of grace and why it is the Lord that does everything in this every step in perfecting, establishing, strengthening you, settling you, is that the glory and dominion might be to God alone. May be able to trace that in in all of our lives, in everything that is done, that it is meant to humble us, it is meant to lift up and extol and to praise the God of heaven.

So contrary to natural man. And so this is what Peter would leave Those to whom he is writing with this thought impressed upon them is whatever he has said, and whatever he has set before them, he wants to make it sure that to God be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. But then fourthly, a summary of Peter's letter. Verse 12, the latter part. I have written briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. Now there's several things here.

True grace of God. Can there be such a thing as the grace of God that is an imitation, that it's not the grace of God, it's not the true grace of God. The very implication here is that yes, people might say, I've been saved by grace, I know the grace of God, and yet it not be the true grace of God. It doesn't match up with how Peter, how the inspired Word of God through Peter, sets forth the grace of God. We need to be aware of that. There's imitations of grace. And then another thing, it is wherein ye stand.

The grace of God is a standing for the people of God. is one real mark or heading, if you like, over the Calvinistic faith. It is salvation by grace alone, the free, unmerited favor of God, who instigates the work in the sinner's heart and who carries it on, not for anything foreseen or known or done in the people of God at all, but just because of his free unmerited favor and eternal love to that person. So what is the true grace of God?

That which he says throughout this epistle, he's been exhorting and testifying. Well, obviously we can't do a summary of each chapter in the last few minutes that we have this evening. But what is very evident throughout the Word of God, throughout Peter's epistle, that the true grace of God is a holy calling. He very much brings this out in his epistles.

I am holy, you must be holy. It is a holy calling. And that marks it out, separates it from everything that is unclean or of the world or unholy. The true grace of God is a holy calling of God. and that faith that is given in that calling will be very much tried.

Peter knew it himself. He says in the first chapter, the trial of your faith be much more precious than gold that perisheth thou be tried with fire. It is a faith that is tried It is pointing to an end that is an inheritance that is incorruptible in heaven, so it doesn't fall under Paul's condemnation when he writes to the Corinthians and he says, if in this life only we have hope in Christ with all men most miserable, Peter says the true grace of God is looking for an inheritance that is above.

And it is a people that are not only given faith, but they're kept by that faith, by the power of God. They are a people that are redeemed by Christ. He says in the verse 19 of chapter one, not redeemed by gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish. and without spot. The Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, and he opens this up even more in chapter 2, as he is the stone spoken of throughout scripture, the stone of stumbling and rock of offense. And the people of God are chosen in him. Also, The Lord Jesus Christ not only has redeemed his people, shed his precious blood upon Calvary's tree and redeemed them, but he has chosen his people, not just to the end, but right through the means that they are to walk the way that they are to walk through life.

And he then is their forerunner. He is the example He is the one that has gone before them, giving us an example that we should follow Him and walk in His steps. Then we come to chapter 3, and Peter would say, the true grace of God wherein ye stand is a practical grace.

It will have an effect upon your marriages. It will affect upon those that you have over you, if you are a servant. It will affect how you interact with the world and how you are to actually live. You will be a sanctified, separated person that people will look at your life and look at the change. And some will cause that you be suffered because of it.

Suffer for righteousness sake, he says, happy are ye. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and with fear. If you see people as I say, well, we know the grace of God.

We know the calling of God. but they live as if their home is here below. They don't look for a heavenly country. They don't testify, as we read in Hebrews 11 verse 14, that they declare that they're strangers and pilgrims on the earth. They are not those that have their faith tried and tested, and the world doesn't persecute them because they are so much like the world. But he says, you will be different and therefore be ready to put the Lord in a special place in your heart. When people ask, why do you do what we do not do? Why don't you do what we do?

You'll be able to give a reason of this hope that you have within you through the grace of God, through Christ's sufferings and death and his work in us that you have a heavenly home. you have an inheritance above. And so Peter, he sets forth these things in this letter as the true grace of God.

And we have further sufferings because of the change of life in chapter four. This is a common theme right through. that they which have believed in Christ, they be careful to maintain good works, but they will suffer for it. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. And so it's a very practical grace, one that is seen, known and read of all men, one that gives glory to God. not only in word, but in the lives of God's people.

As the Lord who has made them, as the Apostle Paul says, what I am, I am by the grace of God. And people could look upon him and they wouldn't say, well, the grace of God, what a What an ungodly character he's made, the Apostle Paul, and his life then, instead of glorifying God, brings shame upon him. No, Peter's very clear. The true grace of God, wherein you stand, is not like that. And though we cannot go over it this evening, It's good if we bear this in mind of this epistle of Peter. And from chapter to chapter and one thing after another that he brings before us, to think this is the true grace of God.

There are other imitations, there are others that go by the name of Christian, that these things do not apply to. We can't see these things in their lives. And it's searching for us. Do we see it in our lives? Do we reflect this true grace of God? Are we that in evidence? And are we encouraged that the one who has begun with us will perfect it and will bring it to its end?

And that the Lord will not permit Satan to have his way with us and devour us, but the Lord will deliver us out of his hand. We have his authority, like the Jews had in Queen Esther's day, to rise up against those that rose up against them and to fight, because they had the king's permission to do so. We have no power or might against the devil, but we have the Lord's permission, not only this scripture, but others, to resist him and to fight against him. And the Lord assures that victory, that Satan shall not have dominion over us.

The true grace of God. What a conclusion then to this letter. To write in this way, how to deal with the devil. The God that is called will complete All of the glory must be to the Lord. And then this summary of the letter, the true grace of God, wherein ye stand. May the Lord bless this word tonight and this series through this first epistle. May it be a blessing to us and a help to us and to the Lord's honour and glory. Amen.

A concluded first letter

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A concluded first letter

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