Hope Beyond the Creeds: Focusing Fully on Jesus Christ, Part 1

Unfortunately, some view religion as a clever sin management program. To them, the Bible is reduced to a primer on good behavior. It's as though our spiritual value is measured by staying out of trouble.

Well, these notions are about to be challenged. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll invites us to follow along in 1 Peter 3, where we find timeless wisdom on God's grace. Yes, obedience to God's law keeps us out of harm's way.

But in reality, our obedience produces wonderful blessings as well. Chuck titled his message, Hope Beyond the Creeds. When I was just a little boy, the Second World War reached its peak and my family had moved to Houston where my father, who was a little too old to serve in the military, decided that he would change his career and go back to the trade that he had learned as a young man and be involved in what was called in those days defense plant work. Houston, as you know, is a city of industry and the particular place where he worked built Sherman tank transmissions and landing gears for the big flying fortresses as well as some of the fighter planes that were being manufactured across the United States. We didn't see much of my dad during those four, four and a half, perhaps five years because he was working from 10 to 15, sometime 18 and 20 hours a day from six to seven days a week. We had only one car and so we learned to walk to the grocery store and also to worship at a church that was within walking distance. My mother was raised a Southern Baptist but in spite of that, the closest church to us that our family of a mother and three children could go to was a Methodist church at the end of the street, St. Andrews Methodist Church, brings back memories just to name the place. I remember as a little boy of eight, nine, ten and eleven, sitting in worship services at that Methodist church and participating every Sunday, almost without fail, in the same ritual which was a part of that worship service. Interestingly, March of 88, I took a drive back to East Houston while I was ministering in the city and for the first time in over 30 years, I saw the home where I was raised during those years and lived until I was married and also that church where we had worshiped. I don't remember a sermon that was preached during those almost five years. I cannot recall any particular event that made an impact on me but I do remember to this day, very vividly, repeating the Apostles Creed. In fact, I had learned this statement of faith from that church in a matter of months and could by the end of our time there, repeat it by heart. But since time has passed, since I've done that, I had to go back to my books and see it again to see the truth that had been repeated so often during those years. Probably has been years since you have heard that Creed.

Maybe it has never occurred in your life. Listen to it. I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord, conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, descended into hell. On the third day, he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Even as a lad, I would repeat those words in that statement and I would find there were two statements in it that troubled me. But because the Apostles' Creed was only repeated and never explained, I lived years wondering what they meant. One was, I believe in the holy catholic church and I knew I wasn't catholic. How could I believe in the holy catholic church? I remember a youth worker there explaining to me at the time, and as best I could deal with it, catholic meant universal.

And I believe in the universal church and that was fine. It was that part where he descended into hell that troubled me and there was nobody around who could answer that for me. Interestingly, it was over 15 years later in a seminary in a Greek class in 1 Peter, I had a flashback of those days as a little boy in the Methodist church. We were digging into the text of the third chapter and I came across the verse that described in scripture what I had stated as a little boy and never really understood. If you have a New Testament or a Bible handy, take this section I'm referring to in 1 Peter 3 and travel with me through a very difficult and knotty section of scripture. You see when you're committed to a verse by verse study of a book or a letter in the Bible, you don't have the liberty of overlooking, shall we say, or passing over sections that are difficult to understand.

And this is one of those times, this is one of those passages. Let me read verses 18 to 22 for you. I'm reading from 1 Peter 3, For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that he might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in whom also he went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is eight persons, were brought safely through the water. And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you. Not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who was at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to him. Isn't that a grand statement of faith?

It's almost like another creed that one might memorize or state from Sunday to Sunday. I found in my study of the Bible that one of the best rules to follow, if I'm going to understand the difficulties of a particular section of scripture, is to look at the whole scene and to sort of work my way through it. We were showing one of our kids the other day how to get to a particular turn off on a freeway in downtown Los Angeles. And they happened to, brother and sister and our family happened to be going together and it was going to be at night, and it was in a kind of a sleazy section, not that they were going to do anything sleazy, but they were going to a sleazy section of town to buy some clothes and we had to work through the map to show them how to get on the freeway. It was helpful to look at the whole scene to put our finger on the city of Fullerton and then to work our way as you have done through the freeway network and to find your way to that turn off and it was very clear as you saw the whole.

It is a temptation when working with a problem such as we're looking at here, really two of them, to just zero in on the location or the exact spot rather than to see where we've come from and to see where we're going. So let me spend a few minutes observing this paragraph out loud and see if it doesn't help. First of all let me say this, the verses we're looking at appear at the end of a chapter but in the middle of a paragraph. The verses we're looking at, 18 through 22, come at the end of a chapter but really in the middle of a paragraph. You hardly need to be told that the Bible was divided into paragraphs and into chapters by men, not by God. When the Bible was first written, when the letter of Peter was written, it was written like you write. You don't divide your letters into verses or into chapters even if it's a long letter. In the Peter letter it was all one series of statements after another and there wasn't even punctuation in those days and we're thankful for those who have gone to the trouble of dividing this for us so that it becomes manageable. However, sometimes the division of a chapter break leads people to believe it's the beginning or the ending of a paragraph.

In this case it's not. As best I'm able to understand it, the paragraph begins at chapter 3 verse 13 and it ends at chapter 4 verse 6. Verse 7 of chapter 4 begins another paragraph. So while it appears as though this is a culmination of statements and thought, it really is in the middle of the thought that we're stepping in and sort of plunging into what Peter is getting at. What's the subject of this overall paragraph?

Now listen very carefully. It is unjust suffering. Best stated in chapter 3 verse 17 before the section we're looking at.

3.17. It is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. And the point of the whole paragraph is this.

Don't forget it. It'll help you later. Blessings follow suffering for well doing. Blessings follow suffering for well doing. Now at this point, right after Peter has written verse 17, the Spirit of God prompts him at this moment to mention the one who best exemplifies that truth. Who in your mind would best exemplify blessing following unjust suffering?

Christ. And that's why Peter at verse 18 says for Christ. He doesn't say so, but we could put in parenthesis, as an example, Christ died for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God. The blessing that followed Christ's unjust suffering was our salvation.

The blessing that followed his unjust suffering for him personally was his resurrection. Verse 21. Let me say this secondly as I look at the whole paragraph. The center of attention falls on Jesus Christ.

It's very helpful for you to remember that. The center of attention is not the person being addressed. It is not the recipient of the letter. It is Jesus himself. He alone is the focal point. Look at this great statement of the Lord Jesus. Verse 18. He died for sins. That's his crucifixion. Verse 19.

He made proclamation. Verse 21. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Verse 22.

He is at the right hand of God after angels and authorities and powers have been subjected to him. That's exaltation. What we have is a survey of the crucifixion, proclamation, resurrection and exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So far so good. I'll say more about those in a moment. Third and most difficult of all, this paragraph includes a digration. Verses 19 to 21 I think form a digration. Sometime you'll be writing a letter and you'll be mentioning a subject that is important to you and it will remind you of something not as pertinent as the subject but it completes the picture and you will add it. It might take another paragraph.

It might just take a sentence. In this case, Peter completes the thought in verses 19 to 21 by adding color, adding in his digration some things that are seldom mentioned in the Bible. And here I might say are the two naughty issues that every New Testament student struggles with. One of them has to do with Christ's descent into hell to quote the Apostles Creed verses 19 to 20 and second what appears to be baptismal regeneration verse 21. Baptism now saves you.

It's kind of like a juicy sandwich isn't it? We have a couple of pieces of bread in verse 18 and verse 22. Very clear, very simple, very basic. 18, Christ died for sins.

22, he is now at the right hand of God in authority over angels and spirits and all authorities. Very clear. No one can argue. But that section in the middle is the part that troubles anybody who takes his Bible seriously. Having looked at the overall, let me come to the central theme of the passage.

Let's look if I may at the bread slices. Look back again at verse 18. This is one of those all encompassing verses that states the gospel in briefest and most concentrated form. Verse 18, Christ died for sins once for all. We don't have to relive the death of Christ. We don't have to anticipate his dying yet another time or yet another time. He has died once and it has solved the sin problem.

In brief, let me say this. Before the death of Christ, men and women lived their lives without hope. They could look forward to the coming of the Messiah. They anticipated that there would be suffering and death and payment for sin.

In the meantime, they waited. When Christ came, he was the perfect substitute for sin. And as a lamb without spot and without blemish, he hung on the cross and he died. And his blood became the payment to God for sins. And the anger of God was assuaged, was satisfied because Christ's payment for sin settled the account. And all the death that was against us was wiped away and Christ's righteousness was credited to our account because of his death, his payment for sin on the cross. It wasn't fair for him to die.

He was just. And according to verse 18, he died once for all for the unjust. You may not know it but you're mentioned in scripture. On a number of occasions, and here is one of those times, your name could appear in the place of the words, the unjust. Let me read it in my case. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for Chuck Swindoll.

Or you could put your name there. The just for the unjust. Why did he do it? In order that he might bring us to God. One very careful student of the New Testament calls this an entree. Our Lord Jesus Christ in dying on the cross provided us with an entree into heaven. He gave us access and the access to heaven is now permanently paved. It is available to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He says he was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. Drop down to verse 22. What is he doing now? He is at the right hand of God.

Maybe you didn't know that. I meet people a lot who don't know what Christ is now doing. He has ascended from this earth and he has gone back to the place of glory and in bodily form he is the only member of the Godhead who is visible. God the Father is in spirit form. God the Son is in bodily form.

God the Spirit is in spirit form. The only visible member of the Trinity is the Lord Jesus Christ and he sits at the right hand of God making intercession for us. He is praying for us. He is moved with our needs and touched with the feelings of our infirmities. He is there for us Christians interceding. He is at the right hand of God and there is no question of his place of authority. The apostles creed is correct when it says he ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

Old English for the living and the dead. He will come to judge both. He awaits his return to this earth. So far so good. Now the tough part.

Let's get into the meat of the sandwich shall we? First of all let's address the subject of Jesus' descent as the creed calls it into hell. Verse 19, whom also went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison who were once disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah during the construction of the ark in which a few that is 8 persons were brought safely through water.

What in the world does that mean? His descent into a prison. Who were these spirits that he visited? And what is this proclamation verse 19 that he made? Let me just draw upon your knowledge of the scriptures and ask you to remember a scene back in the days before the flood. It's recorded in the 6th chapter of Genesis and when you have time you may want to go back and read it. We are told that during this period of time the depravity of men and women reached an all time high and it grieved the heart of God that he had even made humanity.

Did you know that? In Genesis 6 and I think it's verse 5 there is the statement that God was grieved that he even made man because of the extent of depravity. If you read in the context of the first 4 verses of Genesis 6 you will read that there was a cohabitation, some kind of intercourse. Many believe there was sexual intercourse between spirit beings and women on this earth. During the antediluvial era, the time prior to the flood, it is believed that these spirits came in bodily form and somehow cohabited with human women and there arose from that a generation of what one might call freaks. A strange phenomenon seldom mentioned by preachers and seldom taught to Christians. When the flood came there was an ending of that heinous lifestyle, that super race, that freak generation.

There was a judgment that fell upon those spirits who cohabited with women and they were placed in a location called in the original Tartarus, not Hades, not even the lake of fire, a special place which is described here as a prison. Well we're midway through a challenging passage in 1 Peter chapter 3 and it really helps to have Chuck Swindoll shed light on some of these startling references. Chuck titled his message Hope Beyond Creeds. Stay with us because he'll conclude today's program with a closing comment in just a moment.

If you'd like to learn more about this ministry visit us online at insightworld.org. Well I thought you'd be encouraged to hear this feedback from one of your fellow listeners. This person wrote to us to say Chuck when I left my company I was mired in depression, terrified of crowds and looking for a hole to climb into. Then I read your book Laugh Again. In doing so I discovered I was taking myself too seriously and not taking God seriously enough so I prayed that God would keep me crushed and available for his service. Fast forward 30 years my wife and I are now members of a church where we see God's mighty power on display. And here's another comment from a fellow listener who said Chuck my husband our children and I have been listening for five years now. You were a special inspiration to us during the COVID lockdown and you still are. Well that is so encouraging and let me express our appreciation to all those who financially sustain Insight for Living because in many respects your generous giving has impacted families like this one and so many more.

So thank you. Chuck it's so encouraging to hear life-giving stories like these because our times are really shrouded with darkness. Well that's true Bill. Watching the evening news can be depressing. The flashing images and the fleeting sound bites stir up fear.

We see shocking violence and politicians shouting at one another and scandalous displays of moral depravity. Sometimes, to be frank with you, Cynthia and I shut down our TV. We look at one another and we sigh. Well my friend God never intended his children to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. We're not wired to solve the world's problems let alone feel those heavy emotions all at once.

It's just too much. So when Cynthia and I shake our heads and sigh we're reminded that God in fact does neither one. He's not in the heavens watching the evening news and wringing his hands. Our God is sovereign. He's in full control and he stands before us with open arms prepared to infuse his children with hope. Since 1979 Insight for Living Ministries has served as a beacon of God's hope. And as we close the financial books on June 30th would you ask God to guide you? Seek his will in the amount you should give to support Insight for Living. And then as God prompts you please respond to his call.

And don't delay. This year Insight for Living feels the weight of enormous financial challenges. Even so we refuse to wring our hands with worry. Instead we place our confidence in the Lord our God.

Yes we can trust him. So together let's give generously so that Insight for Living Ministries can continue to serve as an oasis of hope to a world that desperately needs it. All of these hope-filled words that Peter gave to Christian friends back in the first century.

Friends who were under enormous pressure. He wrote them so be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead though you do not see him now you trust him and you rejoice with a glorious inexpressible joy. And that's my hope for you my friend. Together during the fearful times in which we live let's trust in our God knowing that he will produce in us inexpressible joy.

This season marks a major deadline for living and we're asking God to help us close the books on solid ground so we can step forward into another fiscal year with boldness. To give a donation you can call us. If you're listening in the United States call 800-772-8888. That number again 800-772-8888. Or you can give a donation online at Insight.org. I'm Bill Meyer. Join us when Chuck continues our study in First Peter called Hope Again.

That's next time on Insight for Living. The preceding message Hope Beyond the Creeds Focusing Fully on Jesus Christ was copyrighted in 1989, 1990, 1996, 2006, and 2011. And the sound recording was copyrighted in 2011 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.