What a blessing it is to be in
the book of 1 Peter and to be able to come up here and to just
give what the Lord has laid on my heart about this wonderful
book as the Holy Spirit guides us. Let's look at 1 Peter chapter
2. We're going to continue and try to finish this chapter 2
of 1 Peter. And he starts off here by interjecting
a contrast between the disobedient unbelievers that he finished
with in the last passage that we read, the first part of 1
Peter, and then this passage. And he starts off by giving a
contrast or a comparison, really a contrast. He says in verse
9, 1 Peter chapter 2, And in verse 9, But ye are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people,
that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness unto his marvelous light. which in time
past were not a people, but now are the people of God, which
had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved,
I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly
lusts, which war against the soul, having your conduct honest
among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers,
They may, by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify
God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance
of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king as supreme
or to governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers and for the praise of them that do well.
For so is the will of God that with well-doing you shall put
to silence the ignorance of foolish men. As free, and yet not using
your liberty as a cloak of maliciousness, but as servants of God, honor
all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Servants,
be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good
and gentle, but also to the forward, For this is thankworthy, if a
man for conscience towards God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it? When you
be buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently.
But if when you do well and suffer for it, and take it patiently,
this is acceptable with God. For even here unto were you called,
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example
that you should follow his steps. who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth, who when he was reviled, he reviled not
again. When he suffered, he threatened
not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously,
who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we being dead to sins should live under righteousness by whose
stripes you were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray,
but now are returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls."
You know, we saw in 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 2 and verse 18 through
20, we saw that Christ is the foreordained Lamb of God whose
priceless redeeming blood is precious beyond compare. We saw
that in chapter one. And in chapter two, the first
part, we saw Christ, the precious cornerstone that is the foundation
of the church and a stumbling stone to unbelievers. And now
I want to see Christ as a suffering servant and substitute for his
chosen people. He is our shepherd and the bishop
of our souls. I started out saying that there's
a contrast here because, as we know, the last part that he left
us with here in verse number 8, he was talking about that
Christ was that stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, that unbelievers
stumble at that word, and they were actually foreordained to
stumble. at that word and foreordained
to be disobedient. God is sovereign over all things,
even over the unbelievers. Now, Peter here goes on to talk
about us, those that are born again by the blood of Christ,
those that are called by God and who were chosen. Actually,
he says here that we are not like disobedient unbelievers.
We are chosen special people from God in verse nine and ten,
where it says a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. Now, election
is a major theme in the Bible, as we all know, but look at 1
Peter 1, just to refresh our thoughts. In verse 1 he says,
1 Peter chapter 1 verse 1, Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ to
the strangers scattered through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father through sanctification of the spirit and obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace
be multiplied. The chosen of God, the elect
of God is who he writes this letter to. Election is that major
theme in the Bible when it comes to the Father's plan to call
out the people for his name and to give those that he gave to
Christ as a gift of love and that great covenant of grace.
In John 17 2 he says that he Christ should give eternal life
as to as many as thou has given unto him. You see, so it was
a gift of love. We are a gift of love from the
Father to Christ. And all of our blessings are
in Christ. And so Christ was set up as a surety of the covenant.
And we see that in Hebrews 7.22, where it says that Christ has
become a surety of a better covenant, of the covenant of grace. That
covenant was made with Christ as our head and of us as His
people in Him, as His church, His bride. The scriptures talk
about His sheep, His jewels, His peculiar special people here
in verse 9, His peculiar special treasure, called people, chosen
and called. And so we saw in chapter 1 verse
2 that election was based upon the foreknowledge of God. We
see that in 1, 2, based upon the foreknowledge of God, based
upon the love that the Father gave us in the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's that word foreknowledge. It's not a knowledge of events
that were to take place. It's not omniscience. He's talking
about a special love given to us before the foundation of the
world, a love that is based upon this election. Also in Romans
8, 29, where he says this, he says, Whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. So you
see, the love of God is what motivates the election of God.
He loved us. He set his love upon us because
he gave us in Christ before the foundation of the world. And
he set his love upon us and he called us. I mean, he predestinated
us to be conformed to the image of his dear son. And in time,
he called us by his grace. And interesting, we see right
here, we see elected and we see called. In verse number nine,
you're a chosen people, a royal priesthood, holy nation, peculiar
people, that he should show forth praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness into his marvelous light. I'm kind of
reminded of Paul when he said, please God, who separated me
from my mother's womb and called me by his grace. So you see the
election of Paul and then the calling of Paul. And the same
thing. So whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to become conformed to the image of his will. We
saw that in Romans. We see that in Romans 8. That's
a favorite scripture of many of us. And so that golden chain
of redemption that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. And so he is not ashamed, we
find in Hebrews, to call them brethren because he is the firstborn
among among many brethren." And so in that passage, he quotes
many Old Testament passages. But the Lord said to Jeremiah,
talking about this election, he said, before I formed thee
in the belly, I knew thee, in Jeremiah 1.5. And so when we
think about election, I think about a doctrine that's really
precious beyond words. And it's just so hard to be able
to explain election. It's so hard to be able to fathom
the love that the Father had for a people and whom he gave
to the Son, and those people had nothing in them. to where
God would put His love on them. He loved us because He loved
us. He chose us because of that love He set upon us, and He gave
us to Christ. And Christ is our surety. He
died for us, and He will bring us all. By the calling of the
Holy Spirit, He will bring us all to Himself. He'll not lose
a one. He'll not lose a one. So let's look at, just in reference
here, a very wonderful verse. To me, it's a marvelous verse.
about election, and that is in 2 Timothy 1, verse 9. 2 Timothy
1, verse 9. It's just one reference. There's
so many, but we don't want to go into all of them. 2 Timothy
1, verse 9. And this is, like I say, this
doctrine is precious beyond words, because there's no salvation
without election. because all of the blessings
are in Christ. We're saved because Christ is
our surety. We're saved because God chose
us in Christ from before the foundation of the world. And
look at this in 2 Timothy 1 verse 9, Who has saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began. before the world began. That
purpose was given us in Christ Jesus. Isn't that marvelous? And we know we don't even need
to turn to Ephesians 1 because we know that He says, according
to us, He has chosen us in Him from before the foundation of
the world that we should be holy without blame before Him in love. And so in Christ, He chosen us
in Him. And look at this one right here,
talking about here, holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us
in Christ Jesus. You know, and now you compare
that with what we were before. Ephesians 2 talks about that. It says among, in Ephesians 2
in verse 3, it says, among whom we all had our conversation or
our conduct in pastimes, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath, even as others. That's who we were. And
you know, when it talks about that, I always think of, okay,
we pertain to the wrath of God, and we see that also in John
3. It says we're walking under a
sentence of God's wrath if you're outside of Christ. That sentence
is over. Every one is outside of Christ,
and all there are waiting for that hammer to fall. And when
that sentence falls, that sentence is there. That sentence will
fall. They're walking under a sentence of God's wrath. We pertained
to the wrath of God before. We were under a sentence of that
wrath. We deserved God's wrath, and we were acting like children
of wrath. Now, in the plan of God, we were not under the wrath
of God in God's eternal plan. But positionally, we were under
God's wrath. We were children of wrath. That's
what that word means, children of wrath, positionally. But we
come to verse 4 of chapter 2, you see, of Ephesians, where
he says, But God, who is rich in mercy for His great love for
which He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us together with Christ, by grace are you saved, and raised us
up together, made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ,
that in the ages to come He might show His exceeding riches of
His grace in His kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus, through
Christ Jesus. So I can say that positionally,
we were under the wrath of God, but in the plan of God, we were
elect from before the foundation of the world. The salvation was
really in Christ from before the foundation of the world,
right? But you can't speak of it philosophically. We were disobedient
people. And Peter brings this out, look
at our text in verse number 10. In verse number 10, go back from
this 2 Timothy and go back to 1 Peter. But ye are a chosen, I'm sorry,
in verse 10, which in time past were not a people, but are now
the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have
obtained mercy. So you see, we're in Christ Jesus. And so as chosen vessels, As
believer priests, we should live lives to the praise of His glory. We're elect and then we're called.
And now that we're called, we're a royal priesthood because God
has called us out of darkness to His marvelous light with the
power of His Holy Spirit, opening our spiritual lives, giving us
life, giving us new birth. And so we're called out of darkness,
and so we should live lives to His praise and glory. In fact,
in Ephesians 1, it says three times, and we all know this,
to the praise of His glory, the praise of the glory of His grace,
to the praise of His glory two other times. It's in Ephesians
1, 6, 12, and 14. The whole salvation is to the
praise of His glory. All that we have in grace is
to the praise of the glory of His grace, to the praise of His
glory. And it's according to His purpose,
it's not according to our purpose. So we're to live lives of thanksgiving
and praise and testimony to Him. To show forth the praises, verse
9. Our lives are to be lived publicly
in demonstration to proclaim the praises. also to live lives
of prayer. We find that in the Word of God.
In fact, in the book of Revelation, where he says, another angel
came and stood by the altar having a golden censer. And there was
given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers
of the saints upon the golden altar, which was before the throne.
and another one in Revelation that says, "...the smoke of the
incense which came with the prayers of the saints ascended up before
God out of an angel's hand." So we see thanksgiving and praise
that we should live, live lives of prayer, praising God in prayer,
and praising God with our lives. We know that in several passages,
one of them would be in Romans 12, where he says, "...I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present
your bodies a living sacrifice, a living sacrifice. See, we're
supposed to do that. And turn with me to another one.
Turn with me to another one. Look at Hebrews. Let's look at
this one, Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 16. Just a few pages
back to the book of Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 16. Let's start in verse 15. By him,
therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,
that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks unto his name,
but to do good and to communicate or to give, to help, right? Forget not, for with such sacrifices,
God is well pleased. So that's a sacrifice. And listen,
as I brought that out, what I mentioned at the last study that we had
in 1 Peter, none of these things that we do as praise to God would
be anything if they weren't filtered by our great high priest that's
in heaven, who takes these things and he makes them acceptable
to God the Father with his high priestly work, with his blood
that was shed, with his high priestly prayers. And so, that
that is it that is important and you know he even talks about
this and this this sharing in a passage that our pastor had
read to us recently and I made a note on that he said Paul said
about giving he said I not that I desire a gift he said this
is in I believe it's in Philippians, yeah, but I desire fruit that
may abound to your account. I have all and abound. I am full,
having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from
you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing
to God. So everything we do should be
doing to praise God. All these things should be to
praise God and pray that they would be acceptable to God and
Christ makes them acceptable. So let's look at verse 11 through
12 back in our 1 Peter chapter 2. Dearly beloved, I beseech
you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which
war against the soul. Secondly, we want to see how
to live these lives in this world that is not our home. We're not
only as chosen royal priests, but we're as homeless priests,
right? We're homeless priests because this world is not our
home. In verse 11, really this theme goes on all the way through
verse 20, but in verse 11 and 12, 11 and 12, Dearly beloved,
I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly
lusts, which war against your soul, having your conversation
honest among the Gentiles, that whereof they speak against you
as evildoers, They may by your good works, which they shall
behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. So we want to
know how we're going to live this life. Well, first of all,
he says, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against your
soul. Look in verse 24 of this same passage where he talks about
the offering of Christ. Look what it says here in verse
24, who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness by whose
stripes you were healed. That is a real application of
the death of Christ in our life, because when He died, we died.
When He rose, when He was buried, we were buried. When He arose,
we arose to walk in newness of life. And really, when He ascended,
as it said at the right hand of God, we're positionally there
in Christ. as well, seated at the right
hand of God in Christ, even though our living is here upon the earth,
that our citizenship is in Christ at the right hand of God. So
what I'm trying to say is that this practical part of Peter's
preaching here is talking about this warfare that we should lead
as strangers and sojourners and pilgrims and warriors while we're
in this world, not only priests, but in a world that's not our
own, we're strangers, we're sojourners, we're pilgrims, and we're warriors.
We're warriors against the flesh, and also in other places in the
Bible it says that our warfare goes against principalities and
powers, spiritual warfare that goes on. in this world. We have demonic forces that we're
at war against. But our real responsibility at
this point here is that abstaining from fleshly lust is a war against
the flesh. Paul mentions this a lot. And
this is coming from Romans 6 where he says this. This is about our
warfare, lest I lose you what we're talking about. We're talking
about our warfare that we should abstain from fleshly lust. He says this
in Romans 6, likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in
your mortal body, that ye should obey it in its lust thereof.
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness
unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God. as those who are alive
from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness
unto God. So it's our responsibility because
we're dead with Christ and we're living a new life, we're alive
in Christ now because of the resurrection of Christ, and it's
our responsibility to not allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies.
He said, abstain from fleshy lusts. That's an active verb.
And so it's not that we sit down and hold the theme of let go
and let God type thing, you know, work in your life. No, we're
actively battling this life against sin. You know, just trying to
live for Christ by the grace of God. And it's all by the grace
of God. I'm not saying that you do this battle in your flesh.
This old flesh will never be any better. It's all through
that new man that God created in us. You follow me? I don't
want to lose you here. So, this world is not our home. We should never feel at home
in this world. I guess that's what I'm trying to say here.
In AD 64, Nero was the emperor. This was a time of intense persecution
as we never know. We would never know the type
of persecution these people went through. But you know what he
says in all this? He says, having your conduct
honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak of you as
evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold,
glorify God in the day of visitation." And this is an interesting passage
right here, the day of visitation, that they would glorify God in
the day of visitation. We're to live our lives as a
testimony before the unbelieving world, right? that they would
glorify God on the Day of Visitation. The Day of Visitation, many times,
is used as judgment, especially in the Old Testament, in Isaiah
10, 3, where he says, let me just quote this one, he says,
I mean, let me just read this one here. It says, and what will
you do on the Day of Visitation and in the desolation which shall
come from afar? To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your glory? And where will you leave
your glory? In many other places, in Jeremiah,
many other places, we don't have time to read them all. And in
the New Testament, it is also used of mercy and redemption
as well. For example, in Luke 1, verse
68, blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemed
his people. So actually the Lord visiting
to redeem his people here on the earth. And in Acts 15, Simeon
hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles
to take out of them a people for his name. So you see that
verb form for the same form that's used here is used in two passages
in the New Testament. But the only place that this
word here for visit, day of visitation is used, other than this part,
is in Luke 19.44. where the Lord said, For the
day shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench
about thee, encompass thee round, and keep thee in on every side.
They shall lay thee even unto the ground, and thy children
within thee. They shall not leave thee one
stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. So the passage there, I think,
would be a direct reference where it says, he came into his own
and his own did not receive him. He visited his own and they rejected
him. And so destruction was headed
their way. And in AD 70, that destruction
fell. Gil says this, John Gil says
this about this passage about they would glorify God on the
day of visitation. It says, if on the day of judgment
they shall glorify God who is, they shall glorify God who is,
who has enabled these believers to perform the good works, their
honesty, their orderly way of life, acknowledging the goodness
of them and of God and acknowledging the wrong judgment that they
have passed upon them. and the ill measure that they
have meted out unto them. That would be if, that's one
way they would glorify God in the day of judgment, because
one way or another they're gonna glorify God, or in salvation
or in judgment. But A.T. Robertson says this,
that there is a clear echo of Matthew 5, 16, where he says,
let your light so shine before men that they may see your good
works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. So I feel
like that this is mercy that he's talking about. That's just
my that's what I feel like he's talking about. They would glorify
God for his mercy. And Paul says it's also that
Christ coming to the world that the Gentiles would glorify God
for his mercy. Paul says this in his writings.
But you know, in 2 Corinthians 2, he says, Paul says this, to
the one, we're the saver of death unto death, and to the other,
a saver of life unto life. So either way, they will glorify
God. Our accusers and our persecutors
will glorify God one way or another. I think mercy fits the context
a little bit better here, especially with that Matthew passage. But,
so not only are we gonna be living as a testimony before the unbelieving
world, right, as believer priests, as homeless believer priests,
right, living this life in a world that's not our own, we're to
abstain from lust, but we're living also to be at peace and
obedience with civil authorities. Moving down to verse 13 through
verse 15. Submit yourselves therefore to
every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to
the king as supreme or unto governors as unto them that are sent by
him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of them that
do well. For so it is the will of God that with well-doing you
may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. This is important
because, and Paul speaks a lot about this, we don't have time
to go into too much of this, but civil authorities are instruments
in the hands of God, by God's providence, for the punishment
of evil and bringing about peace in this society. All of these
verses have a good cross-reference, and just write this down because
we don't have time to go into it, but it's in Romans 13, many
passages there. One I could just quote, I could
just read to you here where it says, The powers that be are ordained
of God. And he goes on in verse 2 there, it says, Therefore he
that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God. So these
civil authorities are given to us for peace, right? And we are
to obey. And Peter says every ordinance.
Now, I think there would be a caveat there, because Peter demonstrated
that by his life, that he wouldn't mean every single ordinance,
including the ordinance that says, you shall not preach anymore
or teach in this name. No, Peter disobeyed that ordinance.
And so the caveat would be that the laws don't violate God's
clearly revealed will in preaching the gospel. The apostles and
early believers were willing to go to the stake for the gospel
and to seal their testimony in blood. In Acts 5 29, then Peter
and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God
rather than man. Peter showed by his life and
by his death as well, didn't he? By his life and by his death,
that he is going to do the will of God. God calls Christians
to live in a society as it is, not to reform society or to stop
sinners from sinning. I'm not saying don't try to change
evil laws when we have the power to. or also to be salt and light
in society. We can do all we can to stop
many things that are going on, or we can just vote for just
laws in our country. These people did not even have
that privilege. But what I am saying is let the worldly lawmakers
and enforcers deal with injustice and go and preach the gospel.
Don't become social crusaders. We see so many churches where
we become social crusaders. And I have, I've gone down to
Planned Parenthood, for example, and I've carried a sign. But
that is not my main, that is not my purpose. My purpose is
to preach the gospel. You see, we can do what we can,
but that is not our major purpose in life. Our major purpose is
to preach the gospel of Christ, preach the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Paul said, I would know nothing among you save Christ
and Him crucified. And so anyway, number three,
how are we to do this? Not only living as a testimony,
not only living at peace with the government, but look at verse
18 through 23. Living in submission and meekness,
making yourselves of no reputation. Verse 18 through verse 20. Servants,
be subject to your masters with all fear. not only to the good
and the gentle, but also to the forward. For this is thankworthy,
that if a man for conscience sake towards God endure grief,
suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if when
you be buffeted for your faults, you take it patiently? But if
when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this
is acceptable to God. This is commendable before God.
Submission with meekness. Submission to employers. This could apply to employers
and employees, not only servants and masters, but voluntary servants
as employees. When they abuse you at work with
unlawful things, it could be prejudices, it could be putting
pressure on you to do things. Suffer patiently. and be a testimony. That's what he's talking about,
because it's glory to God. It's giving the glory to God,
and it's just surrendering your soul to God in that situation.
And so, we saw, first, they were chosen sojourners. We saw, secondly,
how to live as a testimony in a land that is not our own. And thirdly, let's look at our
supreme example, the shepherd of the sheep. This shows the
great atoning work of our shepherd for his sojourning sheep. Look
at verse 21 through 25. For even here unto were you called,
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example
that you should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, he
reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened
not. but committed himself to him
that judgeth righteously, who his own self bear our sins in
his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins should
live under righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. For
you were a sheep going astray, but now are returned unto the
shepherd and bishop of your souls." Look at Christ and see his humility,
his surrender to the Father's will, his meekness, Look at him
and see his patience and suffering. Surely we're called to walk in
his steps as a testimony to the world and to the unbelievers,
as we see in this passage and as we also see in Hebrews 12.
Look back to Hebrews 12 right quick. And I want to show you
even another, something that's even to me more important. that
he's bringing out in this passage. Look at Hebrews 12 and verse
2, where he says this, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith. who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set
down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him
that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest
ye be wearied and faint in your minds. For ye have not yet resisted
unto blood, striving against sin." See, we are to keep this
in mind, how Christ suffered. But this is not a moral example. We are to meditate upon this,
but this is not only a moral example that we should look at.
Many liberals want to say that this was a moral example theory
of the atonement. Don't listen to that garbage.
This atonement was the sinless suffering of the Savior, the
Son of God. Peter has in mind here a greater
purpose than that, than just keeping in mind as we suffer,
keep in mind Christ's sufferings, which is a great motivator. And
it is very good to meditate upon Christ's sufferings. We'll never
measure up to Christ's sufferings. But look at this. He says that,
what he's looking at here is look at Christ's sinlessness
and his positive righteousness. Number one, where he says in
verse 22, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
Isn't that beautiful? He did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth. Isaiah 42, 21 says the Lord was
well pleased for his righteousness sake. He will magnify the law
and make it honorable. You see, he did no sin. It's
his positive righteousness. Not only the fact that he did
not sin, but he established a perfect righteousness for his seed, for
this church, for us. And neither was guile found in
his mouth. And number two, look at his humility
and surrender to the Father's will. And I'm thinking of that
verse where he says, before we read this verse, the verse where
he says, his visage was marred more than any man and his form
more than the sons of men. Think of that. Where they plucked
the hair, they beat him and plucked the hair out of his face. The Roman soldiers, when they
beat him and grabbed a hold of his beard. Look at verse 23.
Who when he was reviled, he reviled not again. When he suffered,
he threatened not. but committed himself to him
that judges righteously." And I believe this means committed
his soul. Because Peter has in mind here Isaiah 53. And he talks
about soul suffering in Isaiah 53, 11 where he says, he shall
see the travail of his soul and be satisfied. You see, He committed
His soul to Him who judges righteously. Look, number three, at His substitutionary
atonement and the benefit for our lives. Who is His own self
bore our sins in His own body on the tree that we being dead
to sin should live to righteousness by whose stripes we were healed.
Not only that He suffered in our place as a substitutionary
atonement, But as Peter brings out this also, that we being
dead to sins should live under righteousness because when he
died, we died. We died in him. By whose stripes
ye were healed. See, he stood in my place. He
suffered in my place on the cross. And his blood was shed that washes
away my sins. And number four, and lastly,
look at fetching grace and the shepherd's care for your souls.
It says, for ye were as sheep going astray, verse 25. You were
as sheep going astray, but now you're returned unto the shepherd
and bishop of your souls. Would he not leave the ninety
and nine and go after the one? That's what he did. And he sent
his spirit to fetch us, to fetch us and bring us to himself. He'll
not lose a one of the sheep. He'll not lose one. And so we
see all this in what Peter talks about, about the sufferings and
death of our Savior as a substitutionary atonement in our place, in the
sinner's place, to bring us to himself. Thank you. May the Lord
bless you.