1 Peter 1:18-21

                     If you recall the last time I spoke we covered verses 17 through 19. I covered the process of salvation through Christ from realizing you are a sinner to realizing that Jesus Christ is the only way for salvation. Let’s briefly review those 7 realizations.

 

Realize…God, the Father, accepts no sin

Realize…We, the people, are sinners

Realize…We cannot pay for our sins

Realize… A fear of the consequence of sin

Realize…There is freedom from the penalty of sin

Realize…The process God made to conquer sin

Realize… Jesus Christ is the only salvation from your sin

          We are going to overlap some scripture this week. We will be covering verses 18 – 21 this week and will be continuing on in the same theme of redemption. I would like to say that this message is much influenced by John MacArthur whom I appreciate greatly for his diligent work to study scripture.

 

1 Peter chapter 1 verses 18 through 21.

 

1Pe 1:18  knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,

1Pe 1:19  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

1Pe 1:20  He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

1Pe 1:21  who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

 

          To be redeemed or ransomed as the ESV uses in verse 18 simply means to buy back someone from bondage by the payment of a price. In this text Peter is writing of the costly ransom price that was paid to purchase us.

          I want us to take some time to understand about our redemption because this is important. How you perceive redemption indicates your salvation status and whether or not you are included in that imperishable, incorruptible inheritance. Our redemption and inheritance only comes through Jesus Christ and His precious blood and not with perishable things such as silver or gold.

          We are going to answer four very important questions about redemption today.

          Let’s start with our first question…

 

What were we redeemed from? The simple answer to that is sin. But let’s be a little more detailed. Peter points out four specific aspects of sin throughout the latter part of this chapter.

          The first and second aspects we see in verse 14, we are redeemed from our former lusts. A redeemed individual should no longer be driven or controlled by lust or evil desires.

 

1Th 4:3  For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;

1Th 4:4  that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

1Th 4:5  not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;

 

          Second, we are redeemed from a state of ignorance. A redeemed individual now has a knowledge of God. A knowledge of saving truth. The unredeemed can’t understand this truth.

 

1Co 1:18  For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

 

          Third, in verse 18 we see, we are redeemed from a futile life. A redeemed individual has a life that has a point and has value. We glorify God and He is our significance. We have a function to bear fruit.

 

Joh 15:5  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

         

          Fourth, again in verse 18, we see we are redeemed from traditions. A redeemed individual no longer has to be subject to the curse or heritage of their forefathers. We are now part of a new family.

 

Gal 4:4  But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,

Gal 4:5  to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

 

          Our second question is…

 

What are we redeemed with? Verse 19 says…”With the precious blood”. It is not the physical, tangible blood or He could have just pricked His finger and accomplished the same thing. The blood, if one sheds his blood, he loses his life. This insinuates through death. The price, in order to satisfy a holy, just God was blood, the death of the perfect sacrifice. Innocent blood had to be shed to appease God. That price is higher than all the gold and silver in the world could purchase.

 

         

Our third question is…

 

          Who were we redeemed by? Of course we have already alluded to this already. The text says it was the precious blood of Christ. Who was foreknown before the foundation of the world that He would pay the price for your redemption. It couldn’t have been any blood or any death. It had to be a spotless, unblemished lamb. Precious, perfect blood, from a precious, perfect lamb. Your redemption was purchased at a higher price than you can imagine. You were purchased by blood not money, not silver, not gold, not works; Jesus had to give His life, His precious blood. It is precious blood because it is the only acceptable ransom price, because it cleanses the sinner, because of its power and value.

          It is important to remember as we read this text that it says that this was foreknown. It was fore planned. Christ’s blood sacrifice was an eternal plan that God put in action. This was not a contingency because things didn’t work out as God had originally planned. Jesus was the plan all along.

Act 2:23  this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

          God chose the redeemer and He chose the redeemed.

 

Eph 1:5  he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

 

          As we close I want you to take notice the end of verse 20. It says that it was for your sake that this whole redemptive plan was made. He made the plan because He loves you, and for the sake of those who believe and have faith in Him. Not only did He provide the redemption but I believe He provides the grace that grants the faith.

 

          What are we redeemed for?  So that our faith and hope are in God. So that He will be glorified. That is the chief end of man; to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We have been redeemed in order to give us a relationship to God, our God that we can trust for our inheritance.  We have been redeemed for God’s good pleasure and to give us the confidence to be about doing His work.

And so, Peter lays it again at our feet. God wants you to live in hope. God wants you to live in holiness. God wants you to conduct yourselves in reverential awe and fear and honor to His name. And the motive for doing that is to understand what He has done for you in providing redemption. Let's bow together in prayer.

Lord God, how thankful we are that You have redeemed us and that You have unfolded for us this incredible plan and it is ours even though we don't fully understand it and it is ours even though we cannot fully thank You for it. And we feel so inadequate to express our gratitude so inadequate, even to grasp the full understanding and yet, Lord, as much as we do understand, it overwhelms us. Thank You, Lord, for redeeming us. Thank You for the plan to send the perfect Lamb, predestined, incarnated, resurrected and ascended. And, Lord, we thank You that through Jesus Christ we have been made Your people, Your church, Your redeemed. And, Lord, we desire that we might live as redeemed that we might live as those who have been freed from sin. We thank You in Christ's name. Amen.