Peter says, Be ready always to
give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope
that's in you. Let's begin looking here at verse
15 and see if the Lord might teach us something. Peter writes,
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always
to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the
hope that's in you, with meekness and fear, having a good conscience,
Whereas they speak evil of you, as evildoers, they may be ashamed
that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. Now,
you may remember last week we looked at the preceding verses.
We looked at comforting instructions for suffering saints at times
when we suffer. And we saw the child of God will
suffer. But now in those times, don't
be full of fear. Don't fear God. Believers have
got no reason to fear God. Don't fear Him. And don't fear
men. You've got no reason to fear
men. And rather than fear, when you suffer, sanctify the Lord
God in your hearts. Now, this word sanctify, it means
exactly what you think it means. It means to make holy. Or it
means to set apart for holy use. Well, now, how are we going to
sanctify the Lord God? God's already holy. Holy is his
chief attribute. He's holy in Himself. We can't
make God holy. But this word sanctify also means
to treat as holy and to declare as holy. That's how you and I
sanctify the Lord God in our hearts, by declaring Him to be
holy. When we suffer, we'll sanctify
the Lord God in our hearts by not murmuring against Him. By
not saying, well, now God's made a mistake. If I'm suffering this,
God's made a mistake. That's not sanctifying the Lord
God in your hearts, is it? We sanctify the Lord God by not
saying, well, now, there's no reason for this to come on me.
God's punishing me for no reason. Well, now, that's not saying
God's holy. If he's sent something our way for no reason, that's
not holy. We sanctify the Lord God in our
hearts by not saying God must be punishing me. Well, now, that
wouldn't be holy if God's punishing someone. One of his children,
for whom his son died, that's not holy. He's already punished
Christ for your sin. So it would be saying God's unholy
if we say God's punishing me. So we sanctify the Lord God by
what we don't say, but also by what we do say. We sanctify the
Lord God by saying God's holy. Whatever this is going on around
me. Now, this is what I know. I'm resting in this. I'm counting
on this. I believe this. God's holy. It's
not just saying it with our mouth. It's believing in our hearts.
I believe this. God's holy. And because I believe
it, that's what I'm going to say. Now, God's holy. We sanctify
the Lord God when we submit ourselves to his wisdom. I don't know why
this has come upon me. But God knows and I'll submit
myself to his wisdom. I truly believe this. I don't
understand it. I don't even like it. But I believe
this. What God's doing is right. I
submit to His wisdom. What He's doing is right. What
He's doing is best for me and for His glory. So I submit to
it. We sanctify the Lord God when in times of suffering, and
we should do this at all times, we call on God for mercy. That's
sanctifying the Lord God, calling on Him for mercy for Christ's
sake, calling on Him to help us in time of need. and depending
upon his faithfulness and depending upon his promises. That's sanctifying
the Lord God. You sanctify the Lord God when
you love God, even though the world hates you. And you may
suffer for loving him in this world, but you love him anyway,
because that's what's in your heart. We sanctify the Lord God,
we give God thanks. Everything he's done for us,
everything he's given us, everything he's done in us, thanking him
even in time of suffering, that's sanctifying the Lord God in our
hearts. And you also sanctify the Lord
God when you imitate him, when you have a holy walk as he did,
because it's written, be ye holy from holy. So sanctification
now, this work of sanctifying the Lord, that's done in your
heart. Now, we ought to say it, we ought
to act on it, but it's done in your heart. These are not just
words on paper. Words on paper can be wadded
up and thrown away in times of trouble. Well, this isn't convenience.
I'm going to wad it up and throw it away. That's words on paper.
Salvation is a heart work. And sanctifying the Lord God,
that's a heart work. It comes from the heart. What
you really believe. That stays in your heart, doesn't
it? No matter what's going on around you, it doesn't change
the truth of what you believe in your heart. What's in your
heart will direct everything you do. Somebody can just pretty
much tell what we believe most times by watching what we do.
What's the tenor of your life? And if you praise and glorify
God in your heart, I'm telling you that'll help you in times
of suffering. It really will in times of suffering.
Count your blessings. In times of suffering, think
about our God. Think about His attributes. God's
holy. He's just. He's wise. He's merciful. He found a ransom. He sent His
Son to suffer for my sin and pay for my sin. Suddenly, all
this other stuff is just stuff. It's not near as important. When
we sanctify the Lord God in our heart, it will help you in times
of suffering. And in times of suffering, it will direct your
steps, too. You know, I'm always afraid in times of suffering,
I'm going to let you all see old Frank. I'm going to say what
I ought not to say. I'm going to do what I ought
not to do. That's our fear. Well, sanctifying
the Lord God in your heart will help you direct your steps in
times of suffering. If people are slandering you,
saying awful things about you for the gospel sake, not because
we deserve it, I'm talking about for the gospel sake. Let them. Just let them. You're not going
to change them anyway. Just let them. One day they'll
be ashamed if they falsely accused you for the gospel sake. One
day. Now, it may not be to the judgment. It may not be a day
we see on this earth, but that day will come. So just patiently
wait for the Lord to bring you to pass, just no matter when
that day may be. And if you sanctify the Lord
God in your heart, people are going to notice that. Could be
someone will notice them. They'll come to you and say,
I have a couple of questions. I have a couple of questions. About
how you're conducting yourself in this time of suffering. I
know this is a bad time for you, so I got questions. How can you suffer so patiently?
This is the first question they may ask. How can you suffer so
patiently? How can you be so calm in a time
of trial? I know you say you have a good
hope, but I don't know what that means. What does that mean? You
say you've got a good hope. Now, we ought to be ready with
an answer for that question. And you don't have to make one
up. You don't have to go figure out what that answer might be.
God gives us the answer in his word. And when you give this
answer, Peter reminds us, give it in meekness and in fear. Don't give it in self-righteousness
now. Give it in grace. In grace. Make sure the person
asking you this question, when you answer, make sure they understand
this is of grace. This isn't something I did. This
is all God's grace that He gave me. Make sure they understand
that. Not because I'm any better than anybody else. Let's get
that thought out of our heads. We didn't figure this out. God
gave it to us. God revealed it to us. Well,
make sure they know that. That's giving an answer of meekness
and in fear. And listen now. Give an answer
of meekness and in fear. Not making fun of unbelievers. Not making fun of the things
they do. Easy pickings, isn't it? I mean, but now wait a minute. Isn't that pride and grace? Let's
give this answer meekness and in fear, because what would you
and me be doing tonight if it wasn't for God's grace? Let's
keep that in mind. In meekness and in fear, give
this answer. And really, the one word answer
for the reason for our hope is the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the
reason for our hope. Well, don't you always talk about
Him with fear and reverence? We ought to. That's how we sanctify
His name, talking about Him in fear and reverence and meekness. Our hope is Christ. It's the
love of Christ, the grace of Christ, the blood of Christ,
the mercy of Christ, the righteousness of Christ. Always talk about
such divine subjects with meekness and fear. Thanksgiving, being
thankful. If you just give this answer
of a thankful heart, that'll take care of the meekness and
fear. And listen, tell the truth. Somebody asks you a question.
What's the reason of your hope? What does that hope mean? Tell
them the truth. Don't hold part of it back, because
you think it'll offend them. Think, well, they like this part,
they won't like this part, so I'll just, you know, kind of
give them this part. Try to tease them in. That's how you fish
in, and they're already trying to tease them. Don't do that. Tell
them the truth. That's sanctifying the Lord God
in your heart and your mouth. Telling them the truth. And you
know, if you hold something back because you're afraid it'll offend
somebody, you're not being their friend. They can't be saved by
hearing a lie. They can't be saved even by a
partial truth. So tell them the truth. The reason
for our hope. Now, when they ask, what's the
reason for your hope? Well, we have a twofold answer
here, and the first is this. I suffer patiently because I
know I deserve far worse than what I'm suffering. Look at verse
17. For it's better, if the will
of God be so, that you suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing. A believer knows this. It's best
to suffer temporarily for believing the gospel than to suffer eternally
for not believing the gospel. Now, that's best, isn't it? And
knowing that will help you in times of suffering. How can I
be calm in times of suffering? Because I'd a whole lot rather
suffer as a child of God than suffer as an enemy of God. And
also, because I know It's better to suffer temporarily for believing
the gospel than to suffer eternally for refusing to believe the gospel,
refusing to believe Christ. And I know that. So while I'm
here, I'm going to follow the example of my Savior. How did
He suffer? Willingly, patiently. Then I'm
going to follow His example the best I can. And second, the key
to our answer, why we have a good hope. is not Christ our example. Now, Christ is the believer's
example, but that's not the reason for our hope. The key to our
answers, why we have a good hope, is Christ our substitute. Not
Christ our example, Christ our substitute. See that in verse
18? The whole gospel is just crammed
full in this verse 18. For Christ also hath once suffered
for sins, the just for the unjust. that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
First, the key to our answer. Why do we have a good hope? What's
the reason for our hope? Well, I'll tell you the reason.
Christ is my substitute. He died for, it says here, for
Christ also has once suffered for sins. The reason I expect
not to suffer eternally for evil doing? It's because Christ already
suffered for me as my substitute. He didn't suffer as my, I mean,
He did suffer as my example, but my hope for redemption is
He suffered as my substitute. He bore the punishment my sins
deserve. That's my hope. He died. He suffered
for me. Now, if Christ suffered as a
substitute for my sins, I will never suffer for my sin. Isn't
that right? Then what do I got to fear? All fear is gone because
Christ is my substitute. Now, Christ suffered four sins. Now, whose sins? He suffered
as a substitute for somebody. Who are they? Well, it's the
sins of his people. He suffered for God's elect.
My hope of salvation is based on this fact. Salvation is of
the Lord. Salvation is not by chance. Salvation
is of the Lord. Chance. Salvation by chance.
That depends on whether or not somebody, somewhere, at some
point is going to decide to accept Jesus. Chances are, they won't. They're depraved. They're rotten. They're sinful. They're not going
to choose God. So thankfully, salvation is of the Lord. God
elected a people. Christ came to suffer and to
die for those people, for their sins. Gee, now I'm going to perish. None of them, every last one
of them are going to be saved by the sacrifice of Christ. His
sacrifice put their sins away. What do I got to fear? Why am
I so full of fear? I've got nothing to fear. If
Christ suffered, as a substitute for my sins. That's a good hope. And we say Christ suffered for
sins. We need to understand this. Christ
completely suffered for sin, for the sin that was laid upon
him. He suffered all the sorrow of our sin. He suffered all the
guilt of our sin. He suffered the full penalty
of God's justice for our sin. He suffered for sin so completely. Scripture says he made an end
of sin. It's no more. Well, then I don't
have to fear my sin anymore. He made an end of it. If Christ
suffered as my substitute. Second, my hope is based on this. Christ suffered once. One time. Salvation. Eternal salvation just took one
sacrifice, the sacrifice of Christ. It just took one sacrifice because
of who He is. He's the God man. It just took
one sacrifice because of whose blood it is. All those, the blood
of the bulls and the goats and the lambs and the heifers, that
blood didn't put one cent away because of whose blood it is.
It's an animal's blood. Christ's blood. put the sin of
his people away because of whose blood it is? The blood of the
God-man. Perfect and holy blood that the
Father says is enough. He'll accept that blood as payment
for the sins of his people. Well, then because of whose suffering
it died? I can't lose my salvation. You
don't have to suffer again. I'm not going to do something
that's going to, whoops, didn't pay for that. Got to go suffer
again. No, I can't lose my salvation. He suffered once and I am secure
in him. Then I have nothing to fear.
Isn't that right? See that? I can be calm. You
know when you're calm? When you got nothing to fear. Brothers, sisters, we've got
nothing to fear because Christ hath once suffered for sin. He got the job done. Third, I
love this one. What's the reason for my hope?
I have good hope because of who died for who. Maybe that should
be who died for whom. I don't know, but you know what
I mean. I have a good hope because of who died for who. Christ died
the just for the unjust. That gives me hope. God is just. Now he is perfectly just. God's chief attribute is his
holiness. God's always just. Everything he does is just and
right. One of the names of Christ is
the just one. God's just in all three of his
persons. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. He's
just. Well now, if the just one died,
his death will accomplish to just God's purpose. The death
of the just one cannot be in vain. He will accomplish everything
he purposed in his death. Christ the just one, he died
for somebody. He died as a substitute for somebody. Christ the just one died to obtain
life for somebody. Well, who are they? Who did he
die to obtain life for? God's Word says Christ died for
the unjust. He didn't die for good people.
He didn't die for righteous people. He died for the unjust. The Scripture
said he died for people who had some righteousness. I'd have
no hope. That'd leave me out. The Scripture
says Christ died for those who would accept him. I have no hope. No reason for hope because that
leaves me out. But Dale, Christ died for the
unjust. He died for guilty, vile sinners. He died for people who are ungodly
and destitute of any righteousness. They've got no righteousness.
They're filled with unrighteousness. That gives me hope. I can fit
in there. Christ died for the unjust. The just one died as a substitute
for the unjust. When you see in your mind's eye
Christ suffering on Calvary's tree, what you see is this. The
just one suffering in the place of, in the stead of the unjust. At Calvary, the just one suffered
everything the unjust deserved. And the result of that death
is this. The result of the death of the just one is that the unjust
are made just in him. We're made just and righteous. As righteous and as just as Christ
the just one. Because sin's gone. It's been
put away under the blood of the just one. Well, that's the way
I got to be here. Sin's gone. Why would I ever
worry? I know how this thing's going
to turn out. I read the end. Because the just died for the
unjust. And because of that, because
the just died for the unjust, there's no condemnation to those
who are in Christ. Fourth, the reason for my hope,
is that Christ died the just for the unjust, that He might
bring us to God. That He's going to bring His
people back to the Father so that they are reconciled to God. Now why do we have to be brought
back? Because the first Adam fell and he caused man to be
separated from God. A gulf is so great no man can
cross it. But the second Adam reconciled
his people to God. Look in Ephesians chapter 2.
Now our sin has separated us from God. How can we be reconciled? Well,
the sin's got to be put away. Isn't that right? Sin has separated
us from God. The way we're going to be reconciled
to God is having our sin blotted out. Ephesians 2, verse 12. At that time, you are without
Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers
from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God
in the world. That's how we are in Adam. That's
the way every one of us came into this world in Adam. But
now, in Christ Jesus, he who sometimes were far off, are made
nigh by the blood of Christ. God's elect are made nigh to
God through the blood of Christ. We're brought near to God. Because
of the blood of Christ, we can come boldly into God's presence
at all times. If I come into the throne room
of God Almighty at any time, well, I've got to fear. There's
no fear. You see, Christ is the successful
Savior. He brought his people to God. You want to know how good a job
he did of that? He did so good. He is so fully brought his people
to God. We're already there. We are already
there, seated in the presence of God in Christ our representative. If you are still in Ephesians
2, look up verse 4. But God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace
you are saved, hath raised us up together, made us sit together
in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Not he will make us sit
one day. He hath already made us sit together
in heavenly places. We are seated in the presence
of the Father right now, in the person of our Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ. But now listen, we wouldn't have
any hope, we'd have no reason for hope if it weren't for the
death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter
says, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. Christ died for me. I know that because I'm unjust.
He died for my sin, but now he didn't stay dead. If he stayed
dead, we'd have no reason for hope. But he was raised again
for our justification. He rose again because his blood
blotted out all the sin that was charged to him. So God raised
him from the dead. There's no reason for him to
stay dead if sin's gone and it's all gone. It's never to be heard
from again. Well, there's no reason for Christ
to stay dead and there's no reason for me to fear because Christ
was put to death in the flesh bearing my sin and he was quickened
again by the Spirit because of the sufficiency of his blood
to put away sin. What's the reason for your hope?
The Lord Jesus Christ hath once suffered for sin, the just for
the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death
in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. That's the gospel. I love that. I mean, I just love
that. Don't you? Well, if we give that
answer to someone who's asking, I'd hope they'd ask another question.
I hope they just wouldn't go home and say, all right. But
they'd ask a second question. How can I get that hope? Where
can I find this hope? Well, you can have this hope.
Every person in this room can go home tonight with this hope
of salvation by believing the gospel that God sends His preachers
to preach. You will be saved if you believe
on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And anyone who doesn't
believe Christ will be damned. The whole issue is this, what
think ye of Christ? Do you believe Him? He is quickened
by the Spirit, by which, by this same Spirit also, he went and
preached unto the spirits in prison, which sometime were disobedient,
when once the longsuffering of God weighed in the days of Noah,
while the ark was a-preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls,
were saved by water." Now, the gospel of our salvation is the
eternal gospel. This gospel began in eternity,
before the world was created, God chose a people. And all that
salvation was pictured in the Old Testament by those who preached. Noah, Abraham, Moses, David,
all the prophets, they preached the gospel. They're not preaching
a different gospel. They're not preaching salvation
by the law, then the apostles turn around and preach something
different. They all got the same message. It's salvation in Christ. Noah wasn't just an art builder.
Noah was a preacher of righteousness. 2 Peter 2.5 calls Noah a preacher
of righteousness. Noah preached the gospel for
120 years while he's building that ark. Most people didn't
believe him. That does not mean God's purpose
failed. Noah, you wasted 120 years of
your life. Look at your congregation. Eight
people. What a failure. No, sir. Complete and utter success. Eight people. Eight people that
God chose believed. Not one person that God chose
didn't get into that ark. Everyone God chose got into that
ark. They believed. I know they believed. They got in the ark. God didn't
force them in. He didn't drag them in the ark.
God called them in the ark and they went in willingly. God shut
the door and they were saved from God's wrath by the ark that
God provided. They were saved from drowning
in that overflowing scourge because they entered into a type of Christ.
That ark is a type of Christ. And I just bet you, God closed
the door. The rain started falling. People
started trying, banging on the door, trying to get in. And,
you know, the water started lifting that ark off the ground. And
I mean, there had to be chaos, I would think. I mean, I don't
know, but that's just what I think. The wrath of God fell in full
force on that ark, just like it fell on the rest of the world.
They were in the midst of a violent storm, a storm so violent The
wrath of God in the form of rain came so powerfully, it killed
everyone outside that ark. But everyone in the ark lived,
whether they were fearful or whether they just sat down on
a bench and just sat there with no fear at all. Either way, they
lived because they were in the ark, because they believed God. That ark is a picture of our
hope. That ark was submerged in water. Water underneath it, the rain
all on top of it and on all sides of it. It was submerged in water.
God's wrath fell on that ark and everyone in the ark lived.
Not a drop of water fell on them. Everyone outside the ark died.
Well, that pictures salvation in Christ. God's wrath for our
sin fell upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He was covered with judgment,
submerged in God's wrath, body and soul, so that everyone in
Christ is completely safe. Not a drop of judgment will ever
fall on anyone in Christ. It all fell on our substitute.
He bore it all. Everyone outside of Christ now,
everyone who does not believe, they're going to perish eternally. The whole issue is, do you believe
Christ? I can't go on without making this comment about verse
19, by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in
prison. Now, people have taken that verse and pulled it out
and made a whole religion about it, and largely it's a money-making
scheme for their religion, but they've got this all wrong. Don't
ever believe somebody tells you this verse teaches that Christ
went to hell. And he preached to people who
were already there in hell, and he's given them a chance to believe
and come out of hell. That's not what this means at all. They're
there in hell now. When God in his spirit came and
preached to them, they watched Noah build the ark. They listened
to Noah as he preached, as he built the ark. They're in hell
now because they were disobedient, because they refused to believe.
You see, it's not God's fault all those people perished. It's
their fault. They wouldn't enter into the
ark because they're disobedient. That's the word Peter used here.
Disobedient. Disobedience is a lack of faith
in Christ, not believing God. That's not a character flaw.
That's not a weakness. Well, I'd like to believe I just
can't. It's disobedience, not believing God, not bowing to
him, not coming to him for salvation. That's disobedience. I lost my place here, didn't
I? So how does that apply to me? That's disobedience, not
believing God. How does that apply to me? These
people wouldn't believe Noah and they died. How does that
apply to me? Noah's been dead a long time.
God sent the Holy Spirit to Noah and enabled Noah to preach the
gospel while he built that picture of Christ. The exact same spirit
comes to you today through God's preachers today. I preach the
exact same gospel Noah preached, the same gospel Moses preached,
the same gospel Abraham preached. We've all got one message of
salvation. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. Life's
in Him. Come to Him. Believe Him. Enter
into Him. That ark Noah built was a picture
of salvation. Well, would you like to see a
picture of salvation today? The same salvation is pictured
today in believers' baptisms. As St. Peter says in verse 21,
the like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us,
not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer
of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Believer's baptism is the way
we confess our belief and our hope in Christ. Baptism is the
answer of a good conscience. Now, you can only have a good
conscience if you're not guilty. If you're guilty, you've got
a guilty conscience. You can't have a good conscience.
But a sinner, like you and me, can have a good conscience if
our heart has been sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Your conscience will be clear
if you see Christ died for your sins. And after He died the death
you deserve, He is buried. He laid the tomb dead for three
days. He died the death you deserve. In the third day, God raised
him from the dead for your justification, because he put your sins away.
If you see Christ crucified, you've got a clear conscience.
And that clear conscience will always confess Christ. Always. That's not something
I conjured up. This is my hope. the person and
the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism pictures the believer's
union with Christ. Our hope of eternal life is because
we are in Christ, just like Noah was in the ark. Baptism is a
picture. It's a picture of salvation.
When Christ died, I died in Him. When Christ was buried, I was
buried in him. That's why when we baptize someone,
we put them all the way under the water. We don't sprinkle
their face. When somebody dies, you don't put them in the ground
and sprinkle dirt on their face. You cover them up so they're
out of sight. When we baptize someone, we put
them under the water. Submerged. Out of sight. Because
when Christ died, I died in him. Wouldn't it be awful if you held
that person under the water forever? That's not the picture, is it?
Christ arose, and we bring him up out of the water, picturing
when Christ arose, I arose in him. I arose to new life in him. Now, baptism is a picture. It didn't wash away the filth
of the sin, and only the blood of Christ can do that. Baptism
is not a sacrament. There's no saving power in it. It's an ordinance that pictures
Salvation in Christ. This is my hope. When Christ
died, he died for me. When he was buried, I was buried
in him. When he rose again, I rose in
him. That's my hope. Baptism is a confession. It doesn't
wash away our sins. It's a confession of how our
sin has already been washed away in the death, the burial, and
the resurrection of Christ. Now, if someone would ask, how
do I get that hope? Well, you tell them, believe
and be baptized. Why hope? They'd ask one more
question. They'd hope they'd ask a third
question. How do you know your hope in Christ is a good hope?
You say it's a hope. How do you know it's a good one?
How do you know it'll save your soul? Well, look at verse 22
in our text. Who has gone into heaven and
is on the right hand of God. Angels and authorities and powers
being made subject unto him. I know my hope in Christ is a
good hope because he is ascended back to the Father. And he is
seated at the Father's right hand because the Father accepted
his sacrifice and he accepts everyone in him. The resurrection
and the ascension of Christ guarantees our salvation. And I'll show
you what I mean by that when I say that. The resurrection
and the ascension of Christ guarantees our salvation. It can't be lost.
His purpose cannot fail. My substitute is seated at the
right hand of the Father at this very moment, making intercession
for me. Now, think about that. I mean,
at this moment, He's making intercession for me. What am I doing right
now? I'm preaching the gospel. How I need Him to make intercession
for me, full of sin and pride and flesh I need him to make
intercession for me. Salvation's never in what I do. It's always what Christ has done
for me and in me. And when I sin, my advocate,
see it's the Father's right hand. He doesn't say, Father, could
you ignore that one? No. My advocate says my blood
paid for that sin. Forget about it. It's paid for,
blotted out under my blood. Then what do I got to fear? That is a sure salvation. The
one who died for me, the one who arose and sent him back to
the Father, he's not going to forget he died for me. And he's
the very one who pleads for me, the Father's right hand. That's
a sure salvation. He promised to send, go back
to glory and prepare a place for me. I know he's going to
do it. I know he's doing it. And I know
when that place is ready and I'm prepared for the place, he'll
take me there. I know it. That's exactly what he's doing.
What have I got to fear? You know, we should always be
prepared to answer this question. Look over quickly at Psalm 115. You'll hear this question. Now,
it may be a legitimate question. It may be a sarcastic question,
but the heathen will ask this question. What's the reason for
your hope? I don't see a savior. You're
talking about just saviors keeping you and holding you and protecting
you. I don't see him. Where is he? Psalm 115, verse
2. Wherefore should the heathen
say, Where is now their God? For our God is in the heavens.
He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. My substitute's gone
to glory. He's got all power, all authority. He does whatsoever He pleases. Then what do I have to fear?
He cannot fail to accomplish His purpose. He's got all authority. Now, one last word of comfort
for suffering saints. I'll give you this in closing.
One last word of comfort for suffering saints. The believer's
suffering follows the example of our Savior's suffering, doesn't
it? His suffering was temporary. Roy, it was awful suffering.
Horrible. He suffered our hell. But it was temporary, wasn't
it? God raised him from the dead. Then our suffering, as horrible
as it may seem for the moment, is but for the moment. It's temporary,
too. What's the reason for your hope?
If Christ is all my hope, I've got nothing to fear. The person
and the work of Christ removes all my fear and gives me good
hope through grace. Look to Him.