I am His and He is mine. I asked
Bobbie to sing that. She told me it hadn't been that
long, but I couldn't think of another song that would have
been a good introduction to the message. The song talks about
that union, that union that exists between God and His people, that
nothing can dissolve. A living, loving, lasting union. This is what Peter reminds these
suffering believers of here in his first epistle. Notice again
in verse 1 who Peter wrote to, who these people were, scattered,
scattered. That's how they're described
in verse 1, strangers and scattered. Our Lord said, if you are of
the world, the world will love its own, but because I've chosen
you out of the world, the world hateth you. And why were they
scattered? They were forced from their homes,
as we said, because of persecution under Nero. They were forced
to flee, to leave every earthly possession behind. And hundreds
of them, in various, various ways, were put to death. Drugged
behind chariots, made living candles to light Nero's garden. So these people that Peter wrote
to were suffering, as we said, terribly. And our Lord again
said, in the world you shall have tribulation. Someone very
well said, God had one son without sin, only one, but none without
suffering. But notice Peter doesn't stop
there. Look what he says in verse 2.
Elect, elect according to the four knowledge of God. elect. Yes, they were scattered. Yes,
they were separated from families, separated from one another, but
God knew where they were. God knows those that are his. He knows where they are, he knows
who they are, and he knows how they are. Do you not find comfort
in that? God knows how we are, Mike. That
all flesh is simply grass. The very best of it is simply
grass. These believers were no different
than you or I. Had the same infirmities, the
same weakness, the same sinful nature. All flesh without exception
and everything that goes along with that. But that's not all. Peter goes on and this will be
our text. Verse 3, He gives them this blessed,
blessed promise. He reminds them of this. Something
they still had. Something that no man, no persecution,
no trial, nothing could ever sever them from this. Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Don't you
like that? Our Lord Jesus Christ. I am His and He is mine. Nothing can divide us. Nothing
can divide us asunder. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy
have begotten us again unto a lively hope. The word is living hope. A living hope by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead. Our hope is built upon a living
Savior. That's why it's a living hope.
And we have a living union with Him. It rests upon and springs
from Him, our living Savior, without Christ. Without Christ,
without hope. without hope in this world, without
hope before God, without hope of grace, without hope of salvation,
but with Jesus Christ we have a living hope that cannot die. You remember when Mary Magdalene
and some other women, we read in the Gospels, came to the tomb
early that morning with their spices and so forth to anoint
the Lord's dead body, they thought, But he wasn't there. He wasn't
there. And the angel told them that.
He is not here, he is risen. O begotten again unto a lively
living hope. Likewise the apostles. They believed when he died, all
their hope died with him. When they saw him die upon the
cross, saw his body put into the tomb, all their hopes were
buried with him. Oh, but as he promised, as he
who cannot lie, he who said to Mary and Martha, I'm the resurrection
and the life, destroyed this temple and in three days, he
said, I'll raise it up again. And the risen Savior, the victorious
Savior, the successful Savior, appears afterward to his disciples. and all their hopes were resurrected
again with him. Their hope lives because he lives. Jesus Christ himself is their
hope and ours. Look, if you will, here in chapter
3 of 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 3, verse 14. But if you suffer for righteousness'
sake, happy are you. And be not afraid of their terror,
neither be troubled. 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 is in you with fear
and trembling. If you were to ask Peter, or
any other apostles that followed the Lord Jesus Christ, the reason
of their hope, it wouldn't take them long to answer. They wouldn't
have to ponder. They wouldn't have to form a
committee to study this question. No, what's the reason of your
hope? And they would point to Him.
They would point to Jesus Christ. He's our hope. He's our hope
before God of everything. Turn, if you will, to 1 Thessalonians
chapter 5. This is exactly what Paul reminds
us of here. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5,
Jesus Christ himself is our hope. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5,
Paul writes, beginning at verse 8, But let us who are of the
day, Not like those who live in darkness, abide in darkness,
that don't know God, that he mentioned in the previous verses.
He said, don't be like them, don't be influenced by them,
but let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate
of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. The hope of salvation, as we
said, that rests upon a living Savior. It's a living hope. Verse
9, for God hath not appointed us to wrath. No, not his people. He's not appointed us to wrath,
but to obtain salvation, complete, everlasting salvation by our
Lord Jesus Christ. It can't come any other way or
through any other one except the Lord Jesus Christ. And here's
the reason, verse 10, who died for us. He died for us, that
whether we wake, are alive when he comes, or sleep, or have already
died, we should live together with him. Oh, this is a love
that's stronger than death. Wherefore, comfort yourselves
together and edify one another, even as also you do. Our Lord said to the religious
leaders in his day, He said, every plant which my heavenly
father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Oh, but look what
he says concerning the children of light. This I'm reading from
Psalm 92. The righteous shall flourish
like the palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in
Lebanon. You remember what it was said
concerning the children of Israel in Egypt under the persecution
of that Pharaoh that raised up that didn't know Joseph and he
made slaves out of them? We're told that the more he afflicted
them, the more they multiplied and grew. Someone told me that's
the nature of a palm tree. The more weight you put up on
it, the straighter and taller it grows. And so are God's people. The righteous shall flourish
like the palm tree. You remember when they stand
before the throne of God and before the Lamb? Every one of
those that were appointed to salvation, eternal salvation,
everlasting salvation, every one of them in Zion appeareth
before God and they wave the palm leaf of victory. Those that be planted in the
house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God." Yes,
our hope, our hope is not groundless. It couldn't be, or rather it
couldn't have a firmer foundation. It couldn't be more sure or steadfast
because it's rooted in and springs from the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Our living Redeemer is that one
that gives us a living hope. Let me read you just briefly
the testimony of a woman who lived in London during her England,
during the time of persecution for the faith of Jesus Christ
and was brought before the bishop in London. And this woman, being
a believer and being threatened by the bishop, the bishop told
her and threatened to take her husband from her. And she said
to him, Christ is my husband. Then he said, well, I'll take
your children from you. And she said, Christ is better
to me than ten sons. Then he said, I'll strip you
of all your comforts. And she said, Christ is mine,
and you cannot strip me of him. Take away whatever you will,
you cannot take away my Christ from me. That's exactly what
Peter was telling them. Although they were persecuted,
had lost many earthly possessions, hundreds had lost their lives,
he said, you yet have a good hope, a lively hope in the person
of your living Savior. Death was all around them, all
around them. But living hope was within them,
because their living Savior sits on the throne of everlasting
majesty. And he says, I am yours, and
you are mine. Let me read as I often do from
an old hymn that expresses this so much better than I can. God's
free love from everlasting made me one with his dear son. That's
what we read in verse 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God. You know, in the days of the
early church and afterwards, in reading the scriptures, you
find that believers weren't ashamed to refer to God's people as His
elect. That's a term that's used more
often, I think, than perhaps any other. Chosen, elect in Jesus
Christ. They weren't ashamed of that
glorious truth. Oh, no, they rejoiced in it.
God's free love from everlasting had made me one with His dear
Son. Blessed union, strong, unchanging,
I am with my Savior one. One in Christ, in Christ forever,
thus His promise ever stands. Life and death in hell together
cannot tear me from His hands." Mike, I believe I can rest my
head on that. Nothing can separate me from
the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. One with Jesus, one with
Jesus by eternal union one. One with Jesus, one with Jesus. Oh what wonders grace hath done. Oh the wonders of God's grace. Oh the wonder that he would choose
a sinner like me in His dear Son. Oh, what a wonder of His
amazing grace. What a wonder that in the fullness
of time Christ would come according to that everlasting covenant
of grace and live for this sinner. What a wonder. What a wonder
that he would ascend Mount Calvary and there lay down his life for
this sinner. Oh, what a wonder. And that he
afterwards would ascend for me and even now is at the right
hand of God ever living to make intercession for me. Oh, what
a wonder grace hath done. Those Peter wrote to, as we said,
had lost everything. Everything. But things were not
the reason for their hope. Things were not the reason for
their hope. Their hope, their treasure, their affection was
above where Christ is. Where Christ is. That's the one
Peter reminded them of. That's the one Peter pointed
them to. The risen, living, reigning Savior. Where Christ is. Not where he
was, but where he is. Yes, I was dead, he said, but
now I'm alive forevermore. Turn back, if you will, to Galatians.
Not Galatians, Galatians. This is, again, this is what
Paul reminds the believers of. Their eternal, lasting, living,
loving union with their glorious Redeemer. It can never be severed. Galatians chapter 3 and verse
1. If ye then be risen with Christ,
with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ
setteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things
above. Christ said where your heart
is, or rather where your treasure is, that's where your heart will
be. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear." Oh, I like that, don't you? It doesn't say if
Christ shall appear. There's no if about this. When
Christ shall appear. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him, With Him. There's the heaven
of heaven. Father, I want them with me,
with Him, in glory. Oh, what a hope. And that's what
Peter reminded them of again in chapter 1 of his first epistle.
Verse 4, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for you. Nero couldn't touch
that. Nothing that monster could do.
No torture that he could devise could affect that. That blessed
inheritance, incorruptible. Nothing they lost of material
possessions here could change that. That they had inheritance
in heaven, incorruptible, undefiled, that never fades away, that never
grows old, never loses its luster, or value, or merit, or worth,
and is reserved in heaven for you. You suppose that's what
Job considered? Do you suppose that's what kept
Job's hope alive? When sitting down in dust, cloth,
and ashes, After receiving one messenger on the heels of another,
saying, this is lost, that's lost, oh, your children are lost. Job said, I know this, I know
this. I may have lost all these, but
I know one thing I haven't lost. I know that my Redeemer liveth. I know that my Redeemer liveth.
This, again, is what Peter reminds them of. We didn't read, or rather,
here in chapter 1. Ye have been redeemed with the
precious blood of Christ. I know that my Redeemer liveth,
that my redemption must be sure. If my Redeemer liveth, if that
one who by himself purged my sins, If that one who knew no
sin was made sin for me, then it must be well with my soul. It has to be. Mike, it has to
be. If God Almighty is just, all
those for whom Christ suffered must go for free. If He redeemed
them with His own precious blood, it must be. It has to be. It can't be anything other than
this. It is well with My soul, redeemed with the precious blood
of Jesus Christ. Oh my soul, what a payment that
was. What a ransom. What a ransom. Paul, speaking to those Athesian
elders, said you were redeemed with the blood of God that he
had purchased with his own blood. The church of God. What a payment. What a ransom. Surely it got
the job done Surely it wasn't for nothing Surely he shall see
of the reveal of his soul and be satisfied when Christ says
One of my favorite Portions of Scripture is in Mark's
gospel chapter 4 the latter part of the chapter Where he tells
the disciples getting in a ship Let us pass over into the other
side. Oh, I have found that comforting
more times than I can tell you. Times when I thought I'm going
down for the last time. I'm drowning. I won't make it
through this. Oh, but then I turn to that and
I hear the glorious captain of my salvation. That one who stands
by me when the storms of life are raging. That one that controls
everything. He says, let us pass over unto
the other side. Our arrival, our safety, depends
upon who. Let us pass over. Oh, but who's
in charge? On whom does our safety depend
in our arrival on the other side? The captain of our salvation. And you know what? Of course
you do. He's never been shipwrecked. Never has, Mike. How could he? He has his way in the whirlwind
and in the storm. He's not controlled by them.
He it is that controls them. And he can never suffer a loss
or a casualty. He says concerning all of his
sheep. He says concerning all those
in the vessel of his sovereign reigning abounding grace, they
shall never perish. Turn if you will to Acts chapter
28. Here's another good picture of this. Paul is a prisoner on
a ship heading to Rome. And they encounter a severe storm,
a tempest, we're told, in verse 20. They hadn't seen stars or
moon, couldn't navigate because of the darkness for many days.
And we read there in the latter part of verse 20, all hope that
we should be saved was then taken away. All hope that we should
be saved was then taken away. If salvation in its entirety
is not all of the Lord, then all hope that we should ever
be saved is taken away. If ever it should come to pass
that sheep of Christ should fall away, then all hope that we ever
will be saved is all taken away. But that's not the end of the
story here in Acts chapter 27. Did I say chapter 28? I'm sorry.
Chapter 27. Verse 22. This is Paul speaking. Paul's a prisoner. Paul's a prisoner. But look how he speaks. Verse
22 of Acts 27, And now I exhort you to be of good cheer. For
there shall be no loss of any man's life among you but of the
ship. For there stood by me this night
the angel of God, whose I am. I belong to him. and whom I serve,
saying, Fear not, Paul, thou must, thou must be brought before
Caesar. And lo, God hath given thee all
them that sell with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer."
We have a living hope. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer,
for I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me." And
now look, if you will, at the last sentence of the chapter.
And so it came to pass that they all escaped safe to land. My hope is built, a believer's
hope is built not on my worth, not on my work, Not on my will. No, no, no. On nothing less. And there can be nothing more
than this for a sinner. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness. But what will happen when the
weather changes? Man, it can change quick, can't
it? It did last night. One minute it seemed Sky was clear, the next minute
I heard thunder and lightning stepped out and the trees were
blowing in that strong wind. Oh, the weather can change so
fast, but God who ruleth in heaven and earth, he never changes.
I'm the Lord, I change not, therefore, because of that ye sons of Jacob
are not consumed. My hope is built on nothing less. And whether the storms come or
not, The hymn writer went on to say, in every high and stormy
gale, my anchor holds within the veil. And you know why? Because of who it's anchored
to. On Christ the solid rock I stand. all of the ground. Oh yes, our
Lord said, the wind shall blow, the storm shall come, the rain
will beat up on that house, but it's founded upon the rock, the
eternal rock of ages, and it shall not fall. Let me read you a story by Mr. Spurgeon. I thought it demonstrated this
very well. Spurgeon said, I've heard that
the elephant, now I'm going to take his word for this, I'm not
sure, but he said, perhaps you have heard this, I hadn't. Spurgeon
said, I've heard that the elephant sometimes before he crosses a
bridge puts his trunk and perhaps one foot upon it. He wants to
know if it's quite safe, for he is not going to trust his
bulky body to things that were built only for horses and men.
Well, after he has tried it, if he finds it strong enough,
away he goes, and his great carcass is carried right across the stream.
Now suppose you and I sat on the other side and said we were
afraid the bridge would not bear us. Why, how absurd our unbelief
would be. So when you see a great sinner,
like the Apostle Paul, go lumbering over the Bridge of Mercy, and
not a timber creaks, and the bridge does not even strain under
the load, why then I think you may come rushing in a crowd and
say it will bear us too. If it will bear Him the chief
of sinners, it will carry us all the way across. Christ is
able to save. Christ is able to save to the
uttermost. Christ is able to save all that
come unto God by Him. Why? Because He ever liveth to
make intercession for us. Peter said, God, by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, hath begotten us again unto a
living hope. Therefore, referring back to
Mark chapter 5, when our Lord said, let us pass over unto the
other side, in between their setting out and their arrival,
that fierce storm arose. And lo and behold, he sleeps.
And the disciples wake him up and don't you care that we perish? You ever been guilty of that?
Have you ever been guilty of thinking that? I have too. And
our Lord in sovereign majesty, O behold, behold our living Savior. He speaks to the waves in the
sea and says, hush, quiet, be still. And they hear their Master's
voice, the voice of their Creator. And those waves lay down like
a obedient dog at the command of their master and were told
there was a great calm. And they arrived, storm or no
storm, they arrived safely on the other side. Jesus Christ
is our hope and he's a good hope. Turn if you will to 2 Thessalonians
chapter 2. I want to look and I'll be brief. Just look at a couple of these.
Jesus Christ is referred to here as a good hope. 2 Thessalonians
chapter 2. Peter says he's a living hope.
Paul says here he's a good hope as well. In 2 Thessalonians chapter
2, we'll not read it, but you know the background that Peter,
or I'm sorry, Paul refers to against the backdrop of spiritual
darkness. Yit says in verse 15, therefore
brethren stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have
been taught whether by word or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus
Christ, there it is again, same as Peter said, our Lord Jesus
Christ, our Lord Jesus Christ, I am his and he is mine. As long as God and I shall be,
I am His, and He is mine. Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself,
and even God our Father, which hath loved us and hath given
us everlasting consolation and good hope, good hope through
grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word
and work. And that grace of God is in Christ
Jesus. That's where an unworthy sinner
finds his living hope and nowhere else. Can there be a comfortable
hope without Him? Really? Can my works allow me
to rest on my bed tonight? Could I lay down comfortably
and sleep with a sweet peace and assurance before God if I
was looking to anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ himself? No, he alone gives me a good
hope. Can my works allow me to lie
down in my grave with a good hope? Never, never. Oh, but this
gives me a good hope, an everlasting consolation. This is comfortable. This is comfortable, Mike. Oh,
I can rest easy in this. I believe like that bridge that
that elephant lumbered over. It'll bear all of my weight.
The grace of God that is in Christ Jesus. Turn, if you will, to
Titus chapter 2. Titus chapter 2. Here he's referred
to as a blessed hope. A blessed hope, Titus chapter
2. A good hope, now a blessed hope,
verse 11. For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly and righteously
and godly in this present world. And while we are, while we are
kept by the power of God, standing on the tiptoes of faith, looking
for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of
the great God in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Not looking for
something, but someone, Jesus Christ himself. Let's look at
another, Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 6. Here he's referred to as a sure
and a steadfast hope that enters within the veil. Hebrews chapter
6 verse 18, Hebrews 6 and 18. Hope as an anchor for our soul. When darkness veils his lovely
face, I rest on his unchanging grace. that by two immutable
things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have
a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon
the hope set before us. Which hope we have as an anchor
of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within
the veil. Look where our anchor is. Look
who secures it. Look who holds it. No, that's
not enough. Look who himself is our anchor. Jesus Christ. Look at verse 20.
Whether the forerunner is for us entered. For us. Everything
for us. Whether the forerunner is for
us entered, even Jesus Christ. Oh, what an anchor for the soul
that is. Made a high priest forever after
the order of and Peter in our text refers to him as a living
hope. Because I live, ye shall live
also. The same light that is in him
is in all those that are in him. As everlasting as his is, because
it's the same, and as sure as his is, and the same as his is. We read those four texts of scripture. A good hope a blessed hope, a
sure and a steadfast hope, and a living hope. And they're all
flowers on the same vine. All precious diamonds, but they're
all set in the same ring. Paul, in writing to Timothy,
said, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Turn, if you will, to 1 Timothy.
Let's look at this one verse. We'll bring this to a close in
1st Timothy chapter 1. 1st Timothy chapter 1 and verse
1. Paul and an apostle of Jesus
Christ by the commandment of God our Savior and Lord Jesus
Christ which is our hope. Now you notice those two little
words which is are in italics. That's because they weren't in
the original. And I would just as well that
they weren't in there now. Let's read it with Adam. Jesus
Christ, our hope. Nothing between me and my Savior. Jesus Christ, my living hope. We don't trust a lifeless creed
or a cold, dead crucifix. No, we trust a living Savior. As that one said in his testimony
when demanded the reason for his hope, he said, I'm a poor
sinner and nothing at all, and Jesus Christ is my all in all. The eternal God is thy refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms. That's a picture. of a babe in the arms of its
father. Safe, secure, protected. Someone said life has two extremes. Childhood and old age. Well,
God speaks to both. That is to his children. Listen
to this in Isaiah chapter 46. To the believer as a child, hearken
unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house
of Israel, which are born by me from the belly, which are
carried from the womb. From the womb. Now that may not
apply to any of us here, but this next one sure does. He speaks
to the aged believer. Nothing's changed. Loved with
an everlasting love, the same living Savior, the same living
union, the same blessed living hope. Verse 4, and even to your
old age, I am He. And even to whore hares will
I carry you. I have made and I will bear,
even I will carry and will deliver you. What a loving, living, lasting
union. Change and decay all around I
see. O thou who changes not, abide
with me. In Isaiah 49, we read these blessed
words. God speaking to his children.
Behold, I have engraven you upon the palms of my hands. I have
engraven you on my hands. Not on the mountains, colossal
as they are, they shall depart and be no more. Not on anything
in nature, for the fire shall burn them all up. Not even in
the blazing sun, for it too shall be cast aside. They shall all
be folded up as a scroll, but I have engraven you on my hands,
the hand which made the worlds, the hand which was transfixed
on Calvary, the hand of might and love. I have engraven you
there, and there is nothing that can erase you from my hands,
nothing can he face your name engraven upon my hands. You are mine now and you will
be mine forever. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
gift. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
have begotten us again unto a lively hope, a living hope by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from Amen. Amen. God bless you. God bless
you.