I want you to open your Bibles
this morning to the book of 1 Peter. I'm going to be reading a verse
of Scripture found in 1 Peter 3, verse 15. Now, here's our
subject today, a reason to hope, a reason to hope. Now, you find
the Scripture and prepare to read it along with me, but before
I read God's Word and before I bring you the message, I'd
like to announce a special meeting this week. The Lord willing,
I'll be speaking tonight at 7.30 at the Garrett Elementary School
in Garrett, Kentucky. Now, this is about six miles
up Wright Beaver from Martin, Kentucky. I'll be speaking tonight
and every night this week through Thursday night at the Garrett
Kentucky Elementary School. in Garrett, Kentucky. Now, you
try to be with us tonight if you live in that area, and every
night this coming week. Now, here's the text this morning,
1 Peter 3, verse 15. And the apostle writes, But sanctify
the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always, and be ready
always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason. for the hope that is in you.
Be ready to give every man that asketh you a reason, be ready
to give him an answer for the hope that is in you with humility,
meekness, and fear." Now, recently, a world-famous evangelist made
this statement. He made this statement on television,
and in a vast citywide crusade. He said 50% of the members of
present-day churches could die, be buried, and it would take
six months for the church to discover that they were gone.
Now did you hear that? A noted world-famous evangelist
said 50% of the church members of present-day churches could
die and be buried. And it would take six months
for the churches to discover that they were gone. Now here's
what he's saying. This is what he's admitting, that 50% of professing
Christians today do not worship God. 50% of the professing Christians
and church members today do not have any interest in the gospel.
They do not fellowship with other believers. In other words, this
is what he's saying. Over 50% of present-day church
members do not really know God and are not really saved. Now,
my friends, actually the percentage may be much higher than that,
but we're living in a day when decision has been substituted
for regeneration. We no longer look for Holy Spirit
conviction. We no longer look for the troubled
soul. We no longer look for the public and crying, God be merciful
to me, a sinner. We've substituted all of that,
regeneration, Holy Spirit conviction, troubling of the heart, grief
over sin, we've substituted that with a decision. And church membership
has replaced the new birth. A man doesn't have to be born
again now, he just has to be a church member, and he's saved.
Acceptance of facts or mental agreement with scriptural facts
has taken the place of faith. And opinions of men have been
substituted for the Word of God. And the preaching of works, good
works, and human merit has taken the place of the preaching of
God's redeeming grace and the righteousness of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Our Lord brought this charge against the religionists
of his day. In Luke 16, verse 15, he said
unto them, You are they which justify yourselves before men. You are they which justify yourselves
before men. But God knows your hearts. And
that which is highly esteemed among men, that which is highly
valued among men, That which men put a great premium upon
is an abomination in the sight of God Almighty. In other words,
as the Lord God said to Samuel, I, the Lord, looketh not on the
outward countenance, but I look on the heart. The Scripture warns
us to examine ourselves in the light of Scripture. Every professing
Christian, every professing believer, every professing church member,
is exhorted in the Word of God to examine himself. In 2 Corinthians
13, 5, the scripture says, examine yourself, whether you be in the
faith. Prove your own selves. Know you
not your own selves? How that Christ dwelleth in you,
that is, except you be a reprobate. In 2 Peter 1, 10, the scripture
says, brethren, brethren, give diligence. sincere diligence
and care and concern to make your calling and election sure. If you do these things, you'll
never fail. Our Lord said, not everyone that saith unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven. Not everyone that
saith unto me, Lord, Lord, or maketh a profession, or joineth
the church, or follows the ritual and ceremonies and baptism and
ordinances and these things, not everyone that saith, Lord,
Lord, or makes a profession or a decision shall enter the kingdom
of God, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, have we not preached
in your name? Have we not cast out devils in
your name? Have we not done many wonderful
works in your name? And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work
iniquity. I want to alarm you. I want to
alarm everyone who will listen to me. I'm tired of people presumptuously
claiming to be Christians when they give no evidence of the
new birth. I'm tired of people talking about they believe in
the grace of God, but show no operation of grace in their hearts. It's sad, and the Word of God
warns us to examine ourselves whether we be in the faith. Now
listen to our text again. Peter says, Sanctify the Lord
God in your heart. In other words, give God all
the glory. The glory belongs to Him. Ascribe
to Him all the glory. for all the grace and all the
mercy that is yours because he is worthy. Salvation is of the
Lord. If any man perishes, it'll be
his own fault. If any man is saved, it'll be
because God in his grace and mercy dealt with us through Christ
Jesus and not on the basis of our sins and evil. It'll be God's
fault. If any man perishes, it'll be
the responsibility will be laid at his door. You will not come
to me. that you might have life. But if any man enjoys the glories
and blessings and benefits of God's kingdom, he'll say throughout
eternity, unto him who loved me and washed me from my sin
in his own blood, and hath made me a king and a priest unto my
God. Sanctify the Lord God in your
heart. Praise God in your heart. Praise
God from whom all blessings Praise God, all creatures here below. And read on now. Sanctify the
Lord God in your heart. Give him glory. He says be ready,
always ready, to give an answer to every man that asks you a
reason of the hope that's within you, the reason of that hope
of forgiveness. You say that you're a child of
God? Tell me why you believe that. You say that you're pardoned,
you're forgiven of all your sins and all your transgressions are
put away. Why do you believe that? You say that you're saved
and you're a Christian, you're a child of God. On what basis?
For what reason do you believe that? What's the reason of your
hope or for your hope? And then he says, and give that
answer with meekness and fear. Give that answer in the spirit
of humility. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. All by his grace. Now, I want
to give you some of the reasons that men have given me. When
I ask them, are you a believer? Are you a Christian? Are you
saved? Here are some of the reasons
that I've heard in 35 years of preaching the gospel. And they're
not valid reasons at all. And they're not reasons that
can offer any assurance or confidence at all. But I want you to listen
to some of these reasons. Now, our text says this, you
sanctify the Lord God in your heart and be ready to give an
answer to every man that asks you a reason why you believe
you're saved, why you believe that you have a home in glory,
why you believe that God Almighty is your Father. And you've been
redeemed from your sin. Now, here's what some people
tell me. Are you saved? Well, yes. Yes, I'm saved. I believe in God. I believe in
God. Well, my friends, let me tell
you something. There are very few people who don't believe
in God. The scripture says only the fool has sin in his heart.
There's no God. And James declares this in chapter
2, verse 19. The devil believes in God. That's right. The devil believes
in God, and he trembles. That's more than most people
today do. They're not trembling. There's no fear of God before
their eyes. There's no reverence and no worship
and no awe of Almighty God. So that's not a very good reason,
is it? The devil could say the same thing. If being a Christian
is just believing in God, then every demon in hell is a Christian.
because they believe in God. All right, here's another answer
people give me. I say, are you saved? Are you a Christian? Well,
of course. Of course I'm saved. I was raised in a Christian home.
I was raised by Christian parents. I've been confirmed. I've been
catechized. I've learned the Creed. I was
brought up in the Sunday school. So was Saul of Tarsus. Read Philippians
chapter 3. And this man who hated Christ,
and who hated the true gospel of sovereign redeeming grace.
This man who thought to do all evil against the name of Jesus
Christ and to put Christianity out of business was raised in
a church home or a home strictly religious. He said my mother
was a Hebrew, my father was a Hebrew. He said I was raised at the feet
of Gamaliel, the best theological teacher of my day. He said concerning
the law I was blameless. And all of these things, I was
above many of my equals. I was even promoted to be a Pharisee. Somebody else says, well, of
course I'm a savior. Of course I'm a Christian. I made a profession
of faith when I was 10, 12, 14, or 16 years of age. I'm a church
member. I've been baptized. So was Simon
Magus. He was baptized, and then he
tried to use his money to buy the Holy Ghost. Ananias and Sapphira
who were carried out of the church feet first after God had smitten
them dead They were both church members and baptized Somebody
else says well, of course, I'm saved. I'm a preacher Could you
possibly doubt the the salvation of a preacher or a teacher an
officer in the church? I'm an officer in the church.
So was Judas Iscariot He held a higher office than any of you
will ever hold He was an apostle. There weren't but 12 of them.
He was an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord said,
haven't I chosen 12 of you? One of you is a devil. And not
only was he an apostle, but he held an office in the apostleship.
He was the church treasurer. Holding the bag, the scripture
says, he went out to buy the things needful for the disciples.
This is no reason for any hope at all. Because you're a church
member, you've been baptized, or you've joined the church,
or you've held an office in the church, or you're a preacher.
These people at the judgment in Matthew 7 said, Lord, we've
preached in your name. And he called them workers of
iniquity. Somebody else says, well, of
course I'm saved. I believe the Bible. I tithe. I live a moral life. So did the
Pharisees. They were orthodox in the scriptures. They tithed everything they possessed,
every penny. They not only tithed, but they
fasted twice a week. And not only did they fast twice
a week, but they lived a moral life. One of them stood in the
temple and said, God, I thank you. I'm not an adulterer. I'm
not an extortioner. I'm not even as this publican.
That won't hold water. You see, that's not a valid reason.
There are too many who claim that before you who've perished.
Someone else says, well, of course I'm saved. I've done many good
works. Well, I've done many good works.
These people said the same thing. Haven't we done many good works
in your name? And our Lord said, I never knew
you. I never had any relationship with you. You were never my own. In Romans chapter 2, verse 28,
the scripture says, he's not a Jew who's one outwardly. And
that same thing applies to Christians. He's not a Christian who's one
outwardly. Circumcision is not in the flesh
and in the letter. Neither is baptism or the Lord's
table or any other ordinance. It's in the heart. Salvation's
a heart work. Conviction of sin's a heart work.
Faith is a hard work. Repentance is a hard work. And
my friend, these are shabby, shabby reasons for any kind of
eternal hope, and they will not suffice. I hope that I can destroy
them in your thinking altogether. You say, well, preacher, what
kind of reason would you give? That scripture applies to you
as well as it does to us. You're exactly right. I preach
this morning as one who may never preach again. I preach as a dying
man to dying men. I don't want to miss Christ,
and you can miss Christ in the pulpit as well as in the pew
of the world. In fact, the best place in the
world to miss salvation is wrapped up in a false refuge of lies
called church membership and called the clergy or the cloth
or the ministry. The Apostle Paul, who was the
greatest preacher other than our Master, who ever lived, said,
oh, that I may win Christ and be found in him. Oh, that I may
know him and the power of his resurrected life. I don't want
to miss Christ. And if you were to come to me
today and say, all right, apply that scripture to yourself, sanctify
the Lord God in your heart, and give us an answer, for we're
asking you a reason for the hope. that you have, and I'll do it,
my friend, by God's grace, with meekness, humility, and fear. First of all, I'll say this. This is my hope. Turn to John
6, verse 66. I'd like you to read this. John
6, verse 66. It says, From that time many
of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. And
then said the Lord to the twelve, that is, to his inner circle,
the twelve apostles, Will you also go away? Will you also go
away? Now listen to the apostles. Lord,
to whom shall we go? To whom shall we go? Thou hast
the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that
Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. We believe
and are sure. Now this is my testimony, and
this is the reason for my hope. I believe and I'm sure that Jesus
of Nazareth, that Jesus who was born in Bethlehem of the Virgin
Mary, who walked on this earth for 33 and a half years, who
went about doing good, of whom the Heavenly Father said, this
is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased, who was mocked
and despised and rejected and finally nailed on a cross outside
the city walls of Jerusalem between two and was buried in a barred
tomb and rose again, and stood one day out yonder on the mountaintop
and ascended back to heaven. He is that Christ, that Christ,
the Son of the living God." The word Christ is a title, that
Christ, that Messiah. He is that Christ. This is the
message of Scripture. Genesis 3.15, all the way through
to Malachi, declares that that Christ shall come. that that
Redeemer shall come, that that Messiah shall come, that that
prophet, that priest, and that king shall come. And I believe
that Jesus Christ is that prophet of whom Moses wrote. He's that
priest of whom the sons of Levi were types. And he is that king
of whom David is a picture. This is the message of the ceremonies.
Christ is the lamb slain before the foundation of the world.
Christ is the atonement. Every type and picture and shadow
of the Old Testament sets forth Jesus Christ. He is our Passover.
That rock in the wilderness is Christ. That's what the Scripture
says. And Jesus is the Christ. This is the message of the Lord
Jesus himself. He said, I am he. Using the same
words that God used the Father at the burning bush when he said
to Moses in reply to the question, Whom shall I say has sent me?
You tell them, I am. I am. I am has sent thee. And Christ said, If you believe
not that I am, You shall die and you sing when they came to
seek him in the garden. The soldier said we seek Jesus
of Nazareth He said I am I believe that Jesus of Nazareth is I am
creator provider protect her and redeem her. The message of
the New Testament is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ. When Simeon held a child in his
arms in the temple, he lifted his eyes to heaven and said,
I'm ready to die. Lord, let me depart in peace.
Mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Here is the Christ. That's my
hope. I believe that Jesus of Nazareth
is prophet, priest, and king, buried God of buried God in human
flesh. Secondly, 2 Timothy 1.12, what
is my reason? You want an answer? Here's the
second answer. 2 Timothy 1.12, Paul says, I'm
not ashamed. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed.
I'm not ashamed. I know whom I have believed.
And I am persuaded that he's able to keep that which I've
committed to him against that day. Saving faith, my friend,
is a committal to Christ. A man, listen to this, somebody
said if you define something, you really destroy it. Well,
it may be so. But I'm going to try to define faith. I've looked
through the years at different definitions of faith. But here's
the best one that I've ever found. Faith is made up of three things,
and Paul gives all three of them in this verse. I know whom I
have believed. I'm persuaded he's able to keep
that which I've committed. Now, faith, first of all, is
based on knowledge. A man cannot believe what he
does not know. You cannot trust an unrevealed Christ. Impossibility. How shall they call on him in
whom they've not believed? And how shall they believe in
him of whom they have not heard? If you don't hear the truth about
Christ, you'll never believe on the living Christ. And Paul
said, I know whom I have believed. I know who he is. I know who
he is. I know who sent him. I know where
he came from. I know who he is, the earth,
the Christ, the son of the living God. The demons knew who he was. They said, are you the holy?
We know who you are. You're the holy one of God. Have
you come to torment us before our time? Knowledge. Faith is
made up not only of knowledge, but of confidence. A man cannot
believe what he cannot trust. No way. If you cannot trust,
if you feel full of doubt, you cannot believe. Perfect love
casteth out fear. And a man who trusts something
can believe it. I believe your word because I
trust you. And Paul trusted Christ. He was confident. He was persuaded
that he could keep, that he could save, that he could keep. That's
what Paul believed. Abraham, his faith is described
this way. He was persuaded that God could
do all that he promised. And that's faith. Thirdly, but
faith is a committal. A man does not believe unless
he acts on his faith. That's right. Job said, I know
that my Redeemer lives. I know that. He trusted him and
he committed himself to it. David said, the Lord is my shepherd.
I shall not walk. I'm confident of that. And my
friend, that's my hope. I believe he's the Christ, and
I've committed my soul and life and future and hope and family
and everything to him. He's my king. Christ is my Lord. He's the sovereign. I belong
to him. All right, here's the third answer,
John chapter 8. He that is of God heareth God's
word. Now listen, Christ said this.
This is not a phrase that I coined. He that is of God, is born of
God, heareth God's word. You, therefore, hear them not. He's speaking to the religious
people of his day, because you're not of God. If you were of God,
you'd hear God's word. That's right. He said, my word
has no place in you. The true believer bows to the
word of God. the infallible, inerrant, verbally
inspired Word of God. He bows to it. He doesn't claim
to understand all of it, but he bows to it. He doesn't claim
to have mastered it, but he does believe it. We're born of the
Word of God. of his own will beget he us through
the word of truth. Our faith cometh by the word
of God. Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God. Our
growth is through the word of God. Desire the sincere milk
of the word that you may grow thereby. Our assurance is based
upon the word of God. These things are written to you
that believe, that you may know you have eternal life. I'll tell
you what the child of God, the true believer, says. Speak, Lord,
thy servant hearing. Speak, Lord. A true believer
believes the Word of God. He loves the Word of God. He
submits to the Word of God. He does not put a question mark
on the Word of God. Not a true believer. He that
is of God, heareth God's Word. All right, here's the fourth
reason, 1 John 5, 10. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath the witness in himself. That's right. He has the witness
in himself. He has a witness in his heart,
a living witness, a powerful witness, a convincing witness,
an assuring witness, and that witness is the Word of God fulfilled
in him. He not only believes God's Word,
but he experiences the Word of God. Someone said one time, you
really don't believe anything until you do experience it. And
then that witness is the Holy Ghost who lives within him, dwells
within him. Every believer has the Holy Spirit.
If any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he's none of his.
The Holy Spirit beareth witness with our spirits that we are
sons of God. And then this witness is the
grace of God that operates in him. By this shall all men know
you, my disciples, if you love one another. He that loveth not
knoweth not God." How can you love God whom you've never seen
if you hate your brother whom you have seen? John said, I know
I've passed from death unto life because I love. That's right. Because I love the brethren.
That's how I know. So this is the witness. It's
not only believing the grace of God in your head, but it's
the grace of God operative in your heart. I tell you another
witness is the fellowship with God. that we have in our heart. God's no stranger to the believer.
He walks with me, the hymn writer said. He talks with me along
life's narrow way. And the joys we share, we carry
that. None other have ever known. I
walk with the king, the songwriter said, hallelujah. I walk with
the king, praise his name. And his word and his spirit and
his grace and his fellowship beareth witness in my heart.
I belong to God. Something's taken place. The
blind man said, I'll tell you this. He said, I'll tell you
this, I was blind and now I see. Something's taken place, something's
happened that man couldn't perform. All right, here's the fifth reason.
An answer I'll give you, Colossians 1.23. He talks in the preceding
verses about being reconciled to God by the body and blood
of his son, being reconciled by the precious sacrifice of
God's son on Calvary. And he says, you hath he reconciled.
If you continue in the faith, if you continue in the faith,
grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope
of the gospel. I fear that many people have
never known Christ, and it's revealed that they've never known
Christ. I don't care how fast they start, how aggressive and
zealous they are at the beginning, or how long they keep up the
masquerade. Nobody is crowned unless he finishes
the race. Nobody is crowned unless he crosses
the finish line. Nobody is crowned unless he endures
to the end. The same shall be saved. Too
many warnings in God's Word about this. Hebrews 10, 38 says, A
just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul
hath no pleasure in him. Hebrews 3, 14, We are partakers
of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to
the end. Preacher, do you believe what
I'm saying? See me in 30 years. If you're still walking with
the King, I'll say, well, it looks like you've got a good
hope if we continue in the faith.