The Believer’s Prize (Part B)

Satan can never undo your salvation. The world can never undo it.

And neither can you, so long as you want it. Jude verse 21, keep yourselves in the love of God. Keep yourselves there, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. You know, not only my salvation, is secure. But if I want, and who would not, so is my testimony.

More information about Cross Reference Radio. Specifically, how you can get a free copy of this teaching. And now here's Pastor Rick as he begins in Genesis chapter 32 with a continuing study called the Believers' Prize. Verse 32, when we read, So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. The spiritual forces around him were from God, protecting him from the spiritual forces that are not from God, that are against God, that are opposed to God. And if they can do it for Jacob, they do it for us. And then, of course, there is the power, just the power, the sheer power of God over it all. Jesus did not die on a cross so that we could ruin it because of our sins.

That's the purpose of his death on the cross, to overrule and overcome the sins that we love to do sometimes. Have you ever had pleasure in disliking somebody? Except me. I mean, nobody's ever done that to me.

Everybody loves me. But have you ever had that? I don't know. I've had it quite often.

On the way in this morning I had it a few times. No, I did not. I did not. But I could have. Because I'm a sinner. And I have the potential to sin and to guarantee that I will mess up from time to time. But I have greater guarantees. There are other rules. There are other laws. There are other promises.

And they are good ones. Jesus understood. Going into this whole salvation thing for sinners, he understood what he was getting into, you could say it that way.

Look at verse 2 of 1 Peter chapter 1. Elect. That means the saved ones. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God.

He knew it all going in. In sanctification of the Spirit for obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Christ. You cannot detach the blood of Christ from his foreknowledge. He knew when he was dying on the cross that sinners would remain sinners in this life, those saved by grace. And so he says, and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace to you and peace be multiplied.

That is a blessing. In the 121st Psalm, the Hebrew word for kept appears 6 times just within 8 verses. I think it's 10 verses in the entire Psalm. But just within 8 verses is that repetition that we are kept by God. Recurrent grace.

This is not license to sin. This is not allow us to cloak our evil because we are forgiven. It excites us to obey. The fact that we are filled with the Holy Spirit leads us to want to always please God. Otherwise, our salvation is perpetually on the verge of ruin and extinction.

But it is not. Again John chapter 17, Jesus praying to the Father on behalf of us. Now I am no longer in the world but these are in the world and I come to you Holy Father. Keep through your name those whom you have given me that they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the world I kept them in your name. Those whom you gave me I have kept and none of them is lost except the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled. Through faith for salvation. Not good deeds, not wishful thinking, not well you know somehow I'll survive. No you won't. The wicked will not be able to stand in the judgment. It's best to change sides from everything that is opposite Christ or opposed to Christ or without Christ or just a little bit of Christ.

It's best to leave that team and come over to him. Through faith for salvation we must balance this with responsibility. Yes we do have responsibilities. It's not a sham. It's not well you're saved, you have no responsibilities, you're kept by me but you can live like a devil if you want. That's nonsense. Who would even want to think that way?

I've never really met anybody that thinks that way but I've met people who think that way for people who don't exist that think that way. I hope you can follow that. I had a hard time but I did.

I made it. Never against our will. Love is something that is voluntary. As long as you want you've got it. As much salvation as you can hold and more. In fact as much salvation as God can hold it's there for you. Satan can never undo your salvation.

The world can never undo it and neither can you so long as you want it. Jude verse 21. Keep yourselves in the love of God. Keep yourselves there.

Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. You know not only my salvation is secure but if I want, and who would not, so is my testimony. So is my life in Christ. I didn't walk around wringing my fingers. I'll mess it up today.

Look forward. Keep your eyes on Christ. You know what I would have done if you know in that day when Peter wanted to walk on the water to Jesus? Peter. The bravest one in the boat.

If it's you let me come and walk over. All the other disciples would say what a dumb idea. But they were impressed when they see him start to walk on the water and of course the storm distracted him and he looked toward the storm and he began to sink. And the Lord grabbed hold of them because he wasn't going to let them go. You know what I would have done if I were walking on the water and that storm was moving around me like that? I would have begun to sink too.

I guarantee you'd do the same thing. And I also guarantee that the Lord would grab hold of you and grab hold of me. John 6 37, all that the Father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out.

I ain't letting you go. See if you don't have this fundamental understanding of your salvation, again your strength in Christ will be diminished. When we are confused we are weakened. Ready to be revealed he says. It's prepared. Revealed in the sense that it's not experienced by us yet.

It will be when he gives the command. 1 John 3 verse 2, Beloved now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be but we know that when he is revealed we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is. There is more. There is more glory awaiting us and that's what John is talking about.

John who walked with Christ, who lived with Christ, who saw him in the flesh knew that there was a lot more to Jesus Christ than what he could ever see in this lifetime. The great unveiling. It can happen at any moment.

That's the idea. Ready to be revealed. It's ready.

The hammer is cocked. When the Lord says it's time, it's done. Nothing else remains to be fulfilled before we can see the Lord Jesus Christ. He says in the last time, the future belongs to Jesus Christ. Tomorrow is his. That's why he says don't worry about tomorrow too much.

I know that's hard, right? But what would happen if Jesus said you need to panic over tomorrow as much as you can? What if we had commandments to be weak? I command you to fall apart in the face of the enemy. I command you not to pray, not to love, not to like the truth or seek the truth. What a mess. What if Jesus said I command you to kill your enemies?

None of us would be here. That I think accentuates the sobriety that belongs to our faith unlike anything else in this world. And so in verse 6, he says, in this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. Persecution is not supposed to take away the joy of our salvation. In fact, failure is not supposed to take away the joy of our salvation.

David, after he had committed a horrible sin with another man's wife, he prayed to the Lord after he was forgiven. Take not your salvation from me. Take not the joy. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation.

That's how it goes. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. And so you remember when we went to the book of Chronicles, we saw David contributing to the building of Solomon's temple because David wasn't going to be able to build the temple, but he threw himself into this. He wrote psalms for it. The joy of his salvation was given back to him. Peter is saying, in this you greatly rejoice in the prize of the believer of all that Jesus has, that solid salvation that belongs to you if you want it. Who wouldn't want it?

I want it, I have it, and I'm not letting it go. That's not a cocky attitude. That's faith. I trust. I trust him to be kept by him under the very cloud of crucifixion there in the upper room, just moments away from heading out across the brook Kidron to the Garden of Gethsemane where he would be betrayed, mistreated, and crucified. Right before that departure from the upper room, Jesus, again, John 17, said this, these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

Facing the cross, he still spoke of joy. This is not natural. This is spiritual. And the righteous have been doing it down through the ages, and if they can do it, we can do it.

And I know many of you have done it and are doing it. He continues in verse 6, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. Now he's back to Nero's persecution. Now it's not, you know, Bible students debate, not like opposing each other, but to discuss at what point was Peter's letter written under Nero's reign? Was it after the fire started in Rome?

Those things just swallow you up. What we do know is this, is that there was a persecution under Nero on the Christians, and that Peter and Paul will perish in this persecution. They knew that.

Well, they knew that that was possible, and likely even. And so he doesn't write these on hollow words. These aren't words when he encourages them under persecution. He says, now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. Relative to eternity, it's just a little while.

Though now for a little while, relative again to eternity. First Thessalonians chapter 4, Paul tells us, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. We have hope, we have understanding, that is supposed to create strength.

What is hope for? It is supposed to strengthen us. It is a brace. It is a support piece, like on a bridge. It's a stiffener. It keeps the flange from bending in. You know that, okay, I'm sorry.

Some of you might not know what a flange is. And rather than take time on it, we'll just move right on like I never said it. Though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.

If need be. Well, that's in God's hand. Paul writes this in 2 Corinthians. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us far more exceedingly, an eternal weight of glory. While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.

For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. When I first became a Christian, I would read words like that and I said, yeah, that's going to be me. I'm going to live like Paul and Peter and the apostles did.

I'm going to follow that pattern. I don't think I did so well. But without those words, without that ambition, without that effort, I would be worse off. It has contributed greatly to whatever Christianity I've succeeded at living in my life. It is because of these high words, these gallant encouragements from those who are living the faith. And we're going to get to that right now. Verse 7, one of the best verses in all the Bible.

Again, that and about 2,000 other ones. That the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Real deal Christianity, that's what he's talking about. That the faith is real. Should we honor less? Should he have said that you could have a fake faith to the honor of a holy and pure God?

No, that doesn't match. Not an experience to seek, but a reality to live, a genuine faith, a real faith. Well, how do you know if you have a real faith?

When pressure comes, real boogeymen, real monsters. Here's what Paul wrote to Titus concerning the people in the congregation Titus pastored. He wanted the women to be encouraged to be discreet, chase homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Unfortunately, there are husbands that have abused that severely. You just want grace. You just want a handful of grace. All upside their noggin.

No, can't do that. Because I wouldn't want God to treat me that way under one or two things I mess up. Likewise, exhort, he continues, the young men to be sober minded in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned that one who is an opponent may be ashamed having nothing evil to say to you. See, that's the high standard of Christianity. That's the genuineness of the faith.

Peter and Paul saying the same thing that the genuineness of your faith under pressure may shine forth. You got problems in your life? All right, face them as a Christian in the power of God. I do that, Pastor, but I get slammed around so the rest of us keep facing it. Get back in there. What are you doing on the canvas? Get up.

Get up. There's no victory any other way and you can do it. Being more precious than gold that perishes. This is valuable stuff. Christ is greater to me than any possession, anything that man has placed value on. It's what Christ, it's what he places the value on. His blood has dissolved my corruption, my condemnation. He says though it is tested by fire.

There's that hurt lock I referred to earlier. John Bunyan, I don't know if you know the story of John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim's Progress, a wonderful illustration of what Christians face in life. And, of course, he gets to that part in his vision, Bunyan's vision, that he talks about Satan confronting Christian, the main character in the story. And Satan is bad-mouthing the Lord saying that God's really not taking care of Christians. Look at the suffering that they go through. Bunyan, 12 years in prison for his faith, incidentally, suffered quite a bit.

He says this at this section. This is Christian's answer to Apollyon, who is Satan in the story. He says about the suffering we go through, his forbearing, God holding off relief, his forbearing at present to deliver them is on purpose to try their love, whether they will cleave to him to the end. See, he's getting this from Scripture. This is what Peter is talking about, the genuineness of your faith.

It's determined by what you go through, how you face it. So he says, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. In the hurt locker you may be, that iron maiden of sin may clamp down on you for a while, but that's not the whole story. Peter knew how to praise the Lord. He knew how to suffer. He loved him so much because of his mercy and all the things he experienced. In verse 8 now we look at, whom having not seen you love, though now you do not see him, yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. He's using that higher word for love, agape in the Greek. He says, whom having not seen you love.

So here's Peter. He goes into a congregation like ours, an assembly of the saints. They're singing praises to the Lord then as we do now, maybe not with the same instruments, but of course not in all electrical guitars for sure. But there they are praising the Lord and he has got to notice that while he is praising with them, these people never saw Christ like I did. They did not walk with Jesus, touch him, hear his sermon, see his face, get so many lessons around campfires that no one else has. But they love him as much as I do.

It's not bizarre. It's the power of God through the Holy Spirit. And so he says, having not seen you love.

That's us this morning. You've not seen Christ eyeball to eyeball, but you love him. Jesus said to Thomas, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen me, yet have believed. There are those coming, Thomas, that don't have this benefit.

They're going to love me as much as you. And so Peter stood shoulder to shoulder with those who never saw him, loved him as much, worshipped him as God in the Spirit just as much as any other apostle. 2 Peter chapter 1, Peter reminds his audience that he walked with Christ. We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses. And again he says in 1 Peter 5, I who am a fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed. He never lost sight of these powerful things and neither should you. The things that God has done in your life that you know as God, that you know as his power. We should never lose sight of them. We should recall those moments in times of difficulty and struggle.

Rejoice with exceeding, he says back in verse 8, rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. I don't do this enough. I mean, I wish I wept more over sinful people.

My first reaction is usually strike back, fight them. I mean, over the years I've gotten better. But I still have a lot to go, a lot of work to go.

But I've watched some of you and I feel better about myself now. No, kidding, kidding. We were just singing to song that the song we wanted our hearts to be broken by the things that breaks the heart of the Savior. That is right. That is sharing his love. Rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. This joy deepened by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit filled life. Verse 9, receiving the end of your faith, your salvation of your souls.

Heaven, it is. Man says you got to do this to get saved. God says it's done. What do you got to do? Believe? Man says you've got to try this out and try that out before you can take the next step. God says you got to trust. I've given you enough reason to trust.

Make your move. Salvation is received when the gospel is believed. That's when salvation is received.

Ephesians 2 9, not of works lest anyone should boast. No one is going to stand before God and say I earned it. I belong here. I deserve it. This is my reward for doing right. Our reward is sort of like a child that buys their parents a Father's Day or a Mother's Day gift with the parents' money. I bought you something.

No, no, really you didn't. I bought me something with your taste. There's nothing to boast and that's how it will be in heaven. We won't be able to say I bought my salvation.

I earned it. The believer's prize is home in heaven and until then it is love that moves us forward. It is faith. It is hope. The hope that is born of anticipation, not doubt. Not well I hope he does in that sense but it's more like no, no, no I'm looking towards what he's going to do. That's my hope. He's going to do it.

I'm just waiting for it to happen. Seeing is not believing but believing is seeing. And that's what Peter was saying having not seen you love by faith. We're so glad you tuned in today to study the book of 1 Peter on Cross Reference Radio. Cross Reference Radio is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. And we're blessed to bring you God's word with each broadcast. If you'd like more information about this program or want to listen to additional teachings from Pastor Rick, please visit our website crossreferenceradio.com. We also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast so you'll never have to miss a program. Just search for Cross Reference Radio in iTunes, Google Play Music or your favorite podcast app. We hope you'll tune in again next time to join us as we continue our study through the scriptures right here on Cross Reference Radio.