Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. When you're suffering, look. to Christ. When you're going through difficult circumstances, come to the cross of Christ. Suffering difficulties.
Wondering about our society, our nation. Many responses. Here's the best response of all. Look. to the cross of Christ.
Welcome to the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe, senior pastor of Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. In our world today, it's easy to wonder if darkness is winning. But today, John continues our study of 1 Peter, reminding us that Christ is triumphant and believers share in his victory. Understand how the cross accomplishes salvation and gives us hope. Here's the conclusion of the wondrous cross.
One of the heroes of my faith is a Scottish preacher Robert Murray McShane. Who said? For every look at self, take ten looks at Christ. as wonderful advice. When we look to Christ, looking particularly At his cross.
This brings us to 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 18. which we considered last time, and again consider. There is no authentic Christianity apart from the Christian. From the cross of Christ. People can talk about the example of Jesus and the teaching of Jesus, and even the miracles of Jesus.
But the authentic gospel must include the cross. Last time we saw that Christ's suffering is sacrificial. He died for our sins.
Now, let's learn more as we come to the holy place of the cross. Open your Bibles with me, please, to First Peter. 1 Peter 3:18. For Christ also suffered once for sins. The righteous for the unrighteous.
that he might bring us to God. being put to death in the flesh but made alive In the spirit. Isn't that magnificent? And there's one verse. Peter presents one of the most succinct and richest summaries of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
One of the best descriptions, as it were, in one verse, of the theology of the cross of Christ. We're going to think of six truths. about the cross. First of all, Christ's suffering is an example of innocent suffering. Christ also suffered.
You may be suffering, I may be suffering, but Christ also suffered. And by this, for Peter is linking it to the preceding verse, verse 17. As we saw last time, Peter says, it's better to suffer. for doing good. If that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
For Christ also suffered. Do you get the connection? The point of comparison is that Christ also suffered for doing good rather than for doing evil. If you're suffering, For doing good. Learn.
From the example of Christ. You're suffering. Look at Christ. Christ also suffered. But although.
Christ suffered, that was not the end. Says Peter in this wonderful verse, verse 18. He was put to death in the flesh. but made alive in the spirit. Here is great hope.
Here is great motivation and encouragement to Christians who are suffering for righteousness. First. The suffering? Then The glory. First the injustice, then the vindication.
First the humiliation and then the triumph. First the cross and then the crown. Christ's suffering. is an example, is the example of innocent suffering. That's the first truth.
Second one is this. that Christ's suffering is sacrificial. Notice what Peter says. Christ also suffered once for Four. Sense.
Peter is using the Old Testament Language of sacrifice for a sin offering. Christ's death was much more than an example to follow, much more than an example to inspire us. It is that, but it's more. is death. is a sacrifice.
Four. Our Sense. Crow suffering. is the example for innocent suffering. Secondly, Christ's suffering is sacrificial.
Third, Christ's suffering is sufficient. Look at their text again. Christ also suffered. What's the little word? Once.
Four. Sense. It's the Greek word hapax, W.E. Vine says this term, once, that Christ suffered once for sins, refers to a perpetual validity that does not need repetition. You get that?
A perpetual validity that does not need repetition. that Christ's sacrifice on the cross is complete. It's unique. It cannot and will not be repeated. They say, what's the point?
Points are rather obvious one if you think about it. They try to sacrifice. It's perfect. It's accomplished. You cannot add to it.
It is 100% sufficient. That is, because the death of Christ is one hundredth sufficient to atone for our sins, salvation is all of grace. We're saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It is absolutely perfect, and you can't improve on perfection. Listen to the writer of Hebrews.
Hebrews 10. Verse 10, and by that will we have been sanctified Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, Once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service. offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But when Christ has offered For all time.
A single sacrifice for sins. He sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering, he has perfected for all time those who are being. sanctified. That's the writer of Hebrews agreeing with what Peter is saying here.
That this sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ needs no repetition.
So, salvation is entirely by the grace of God.
So I ask you. Is your hope? for salvation in Christ alone. When you stand before God, What is the basis? of your acceptance by God.
If it's anything added to grace that's no longer grace. You can add to grace. The work is absolutely perfect. Our only standing before a holy God is Christ and Christ alone. He suffered.
He died. once for our sins. As an example, of innocent suffering. His suffering is sacrificial. His suffering is sufficient.
Christ's suffering is substitutionary. Notice what Peter says. Christ also suffered for sins. The righteous For the un Righteous. He doesn't die for his own sins.
He's absolutely innocent. No, he dies. as a righteous one for the unrighteous. He dies the sinless one for the sinner. He dies a holy one for the unholy.
He is our substitute. Jon Stott writes. the concept of substitution. Maybe said then to lie at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God.
The essence of salvation. Is God substituting himself. for man. Think of the wonder of it. That when our Lord are spotless, Blessed Savior comes.
100% innocent. He dies in our Place. Chapter 2 verse 24. He that is Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the tree. He's bearing our sins.
He's dying in our place. He's dying for those who deserve to die for their sins. He is our substitute. Paul Writes in Romans five, verse six, for while we were still weak. at the right time.
Christ died for The righteous, the church goer. Nice people know he died for the ungodly. That's the gospel. Verse 8. God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
He dies for sinners. He dies for the ungodly. He dies for people like you and me. Paul puts it again.
So wonderfully, profoundly 2 Corinthians 5. Last verse, 21. For our sake he made him to be sin. who knew no sin. Our Saviour knew no sin.
So that in him We might become the righteousness of God. He dies the righteous for the unrighteous.
So that in Christ in his redemptive work His righteousness is imputed to me. That I am now righteous, I have a righteous standing before God because I am in Christ. He is my Substitute. Can you say that? But Christ died for Your sense.
Will you? Personalize it. That's what Paul says the gospel is. Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. The song Hallelujah, what a Savior.
says bearing shame. And scoffing rude. In my place. Condemned. He stood.
That's it. He is condemned in my place. I deserve God's condemnation because I'm sinful, I'm ungodly, I'm unholy. But he dies for my Sense. The suffrag.
It's substitutionary.
Furthermore, Christ's suffering is Salvific. That is, it brings salvation. The goal of Christ's suffering is our salvation. Again, the verse. Christ also suffered once for sins.
The righteous for the unrighteous. Here's wonderful news. that he might bring us To God. Here is the marvel. of the grace of God.
But our mighty Saviour Is going to bring his people to God. Here is the answer to the most important question: how can we get to God? We can't get to God by ourselves. He's too far away. He's too holy.
He dwells in unapproachable light. No, I need him to bring me to God. He is the way, he's the only way of salvation. This word translated bring, that he might bring us to God, is a word used of arranging an audience. particularly access to royalty.
Supposing King Charles III is a friend of mine. We were at school together, and I have access to him. I've got the telephone number of his uh personal secretary. This is purely hypothetical. This is not true.
But supposing it's the case. And for some reason You want access. To the king. I can Bring you to him. I know how to get to Buckingham Palace to have an audience with King Charles III, and I can bring you to the king.
That's the point. Isn't that amazing? that we sinful people that we can be brought into the presence of God. That our mighty Savior bridges the immense gulf between a holy God and unjust people like us. He bridges that gulf at the cross.
I come to him as a sinner. His righteousness is imputed to me. My sins are all gone. He's paid the price. On the cross, and now, as it were, he takes me by the hand and leads me all of life.
He'll never leave me. He'll never forsake me. Leads me, as it were, through the. territory of the enemy into the very presence of God. He brings us To God.
That's the hope of the gospel. That's the promise of the gospel. that if you place your trust in this mighty Savior, He will never leave you, and in fact, He'll bring you right into the presence of God.
So that for the believer, we know that when we die, we will be brought right into heaven itself. If I go I will come again. and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you will be. Also. And the only way To get to God.
is through Jesus Christ. We're estranged, we're far away from God. Our Savior comes from heaven.
So that we can be reconciled, we can be restored. We can be forgiven, we can be adopted into the very family of God, that we can know Christ personally, and He provides us access to God. He is the mediator, Paul says, between God and man. The man Christ Jesus. Fully God.
Truly God, truly man. And he brings us. Yeah. And access to God. Notice what again what Peter says in verse 22 of our Savior who has gone into heaven.
Not only Does he show us the way? He is the way. The gospel is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you'll be saved. that Christ's suffering is salvific it brings us salvation The hope, the promise of the forgiveness of sins, more than that. He brings me To God.
A sinful rebellious person. Through his redemption, he brings me. Have you received that salvation? You have the assurance. Final.
Truth. Christ's suffering is Triumphant. Notice our text again. Christ also suffered once. For sense The righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.
being put to death in the flesh. But It is made alive in the spirit. Being put to death in the flesh, crucifixion. Being made alive in the Spirit, resurrection. Peter is explaining that our mighty Savior is not a victim but a victor.
The cross is not a tragedy, it's a wonderful triumph in the eternal purposes of God. Not a defeat, but a victory. Our salvation So that we can be Brought to God is because not only did our Savior die, not only was He put to death in the flesh, He was made alive in the Spirit on that glorious third day. As one voice reminded us, He rose from the dead and He's alive. He is triumphant.
Yes, there was suffering. But now there is glory, eternal glory. Glory not only for our Savior. But for all who trust him as Saviour and Lord, He's now gone into heaven. All of the opposition, the angels and the authorities and the powers.
are all subjected to him. He has triumphed over them. We are now, those of us who know him, we're on the side of victory. We share in this wonderful triumph. This must have been wonderful to these readers.
who are persecuted, who are suffering, who are isolated to know. That through our mighty Saviour, Their sins are gone. And He will bring us To God. Life tough for you at the moment. The answer is yes, often it is.
But glory. Is ahead. When facing suffering, when facing disappointment. When you look out in the world, you look out in your home, wherever the suffering, the pain, the disappointment comes from, don't be bitter. Don't give up.
Endure. Look up to Christ.
Soon. all of the redeemed will enter into the fullness of the triumph of Christ. We used to saying as children on the victory side. On the victory side. No foe can daunt us, no fear can haunt us on the victory side.
With Christ within, the fight will win. On the victory side. We're on the victory side.
Sometimes it doesn't seem like that.
Sometimes when we're faced with evil, as we were faced this week, We face with all of the chaos going on in our society, in our world, it seems that evil and darkness are winning. Absolutely not. Our Savior has defeated them. He's triumphed. I realize the fullness of that victory is not obvious yet, but this is where we trust our Savior.
We're on the victory side.
Someone has said resurrection. means the worst. Thing is not the last thing. What's the worst thing? Death itself.
Resurrection means When we put a loved one into the grave. Yes, it's horrible. But we look to the resurrection. Death is not the last word. Our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
He destroyed the power of death. And in the midst of our darkness, our tears, and our confusion, what do we do? We keep our eyes. on the wondrous cross. on which the prince of savior of glory.
died. What's our text? Listen to it. Allow the Spirit to impress it on your heart. For Christ.
Also suffered for sins. The righteous for the unrighteous. that he might bring us the God. being put to death in the flesh. but made alive.
in the spirit. May all of us have that living hope. That we know Christ, that whatever is ahead of us, this we know, our Lord Jesus Christ has gone ahead. He holds me by the hands. and will lead me.
As his followers, when I die, write. into the very presence of God. Of his grace. Will you bide with me? As we pray.
If you've never yet received Christ, will you will you look to Christ? Acknowledge your sin. Believe in him. And so we pray, Jesus, keep me near the cross. They are a precious fountain.
Free to all, a healing stream flows from Calvary's mountain in the cross. In the cross. Be my glory ever till my raptured soul shall find. Rest. beyond.
The river. And so As we think of the cross, We cry out, hallelujah, what? What a savior. May every single person here From our little boys and girls. To seniors, to those coming to the close of their life, may all of us.
Leave today with the assurance. There he is. My saviour. that we all can say. that Christ also suffered.
For my sins. That he paid the price for my sins. And through his death, his burial and resurrection. I'm saved by his grace. May that be true for all of us, our Father and our God, we pray.
In Christ's name. This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe concluding his powerful message: The Wondrous Cross. John will share closing thoughts in just a moment, so stay with us. What hope Peter offers suffering believers? When circumstances seem overwhelming, require We need this reminder that Christ's resurrection proves we're on the victory side.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe with closing remarks.
Well, what's your verdict? We've covered a lot of deep theological truths in this message, but I trust it has been challenging as well as informative and inspiring. Is it not wonderful to contemplate that Jesus died on the cross for our sins? It is his death on the cross which brings us salvation. Have you been saved through the blood of His Cross?
or are you trusting in some sacrament or ordinance? Come to the cross. Only Jesus Christ, through his redemptive work, can bring you to God. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies.
Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
