Intro/Review

• It’s Superbowl Sunday, so I think there’s some sort of unwritten rule obliging me to start with a football illustration…which actually fits rather well since the theme of today’s passage is victory
  • Of course, we live in Michigan where our NFL team is the Lions…so we’re a little lacking in victory illustrations
  • And besides that, I grew up in Brazil watching the other kind of football (the kind where you actually use your feet…aka soccer), but we’ll see what we can do…

• When I was a teen, the Brazilian national team became the first four-time champion of the FIFA World Cup (a soccer championship that happens every four years with viewership in the billions)
  • It was the biggest, most exciting national even that happened while I was down there… there was national pride and rejoicing as we were the only 4X world champions
  • Isn’t it funny how in any sport just a few people on a team winning a game can bring joy and pride to thousands/millions of fans who identify with that team (We won!)
    • It can be a lot of fun
    • Most people recognize that identifying with a victorious sports team is pretty unimportant in the scheme of things

• In today’s passage, Peter encourages Christians to identify with the victory of Jesus Christ
  • Unlike identifying with a victorious sports team, identifying with the victorious Lord and Savior is of infinite importance
  • Remember, in this letter, Peter is addressing Christians who are increasingly being treated as outsiders by their society: facing suspicion, ridicule, or mistreatment
    • 3:17 – The last paragraph we looked at ended with the assertion that sometimes God’s will for our life includes suffering because of doing good
    • Identifying with Jesus is what gives us hope for the future and perseverance in the present when we, like him, suffer for doing good

• Before we jump into this section: be aware that the exact meaning of some of what is said in these verses (especially 3:19-20) has been hotly debated since the 2^nd century
  • Even Martin Luther, known for belligerently defending his interpretation of any passage, said: “This is a strange text and certainly a more obscure passage than any other passage in the New Testament. I still do not know for sure what the apostle meant”
  • The main point is clear enough, so we are going to focus on that rather than go into detail on all the speculation and possible interpretations of the more difficult phrases

(3:18-22) Victory & Salvation

• The main point: Jesus suffered and died as a mortal human being, but returned to glorious life
  • In doing this he proved victorious over all evil (including evil beings from the time when the earth was so wicked that God decided to “reboot” with a worldwide judgment)
  • In doing this he provided for us reconciliation with God and the same glorious life
• (18) Jesus is the ultimate example that God’s will is often accomplished through suffering
  • Jesus, the Son of God who is himself God took on mortal humanity and suffered and died an excruciating and undeserved death
    • In this death, executed as a criminal though innocent, he suffered the penalty of our sins so that we could be counted righteous and brought into a relationship with God our Father (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:20-21)
    • We do not need to suffer the eternal consequences of our sins because the infinite Son of God did so in our place
    • The greatest injustice ever perpetrated by human beings was ultimately part of God’s plan to bring about the greatest good for human beings
  • Jesus himself returned to glorious life, vindicating his sacrificial suffering
    • He retains his humanity, but a new and glorious spiritual, immortal humanity… glorified humanity fit to rule over and dwell in God’s perfect eternal kingdom
    • His resurrection shows what is in store for those who belong to him (1 Corinthians 15:19-23)

• (19-20) …and now we get to the couple verses that confuse everyone: what is this proclamation, when, where, and to whom is it made? – Four broad possibilities (one of which is clearly wrong)
  • Clearly wrong option: Jesus went to hell and gave wicked people a second chance to repent, believe, and be saved (“post-mortem evangelism”)
    • However, Scripture teaches that your eternal destiny is settled in this lifetime
    • Hebrews 9:27 – After death is judgment (this verse also rules out reincarnation)
    • Luke 16:26 – in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Abraham clearly states that there is no possibility of going back and forth between the place of blessing and the place of punishment
  • Three interpretive options (broadly speaking):
    • Between his death and resurrection, he made a victory proclamation to the wicked spirits (demonic and/or human) in hell awaiting final judgment for the sins they committed in Noah’s day
    • His Spirit preached through Noah before the flood to warn of God’s righteous wrath that would prove victorious over evil (cf. 1 Peter 1:10-11 which says the Spirit of Jesus spoke through the prophets)
    • His death, glorious new life, and exaltation are themselves a proclamation of his victory over the forces of evil
      • Special emphasis is placed on those who committed wickedness at the time of the great flood…
      • …because it was a time of such overwhelming wickedness
      • …because versions of the story of Noah were well-known even amongst Gentiles in the part of the world to which Peter is writing
  • The common element (and main point whichever view you adopt): Jesus is ultimately victorious – his suffering was part of God’s plan to eradicate evil

• (21-22) Peter goes on to draw a comparison between the salvation of Noah and his family through the flood, and the Christian’s salvation as illustrated by water baptism
  • He emphasizes that it’s not as if the water of baptism itself washes away moral filth, but it symbolizes the identification with Christ that has already taken place
    • The Christian has appealed to God to purify him…including both forgiveness of sins and a new life that seeks to live in holiness before God (“good conscience”)
    • Salvation is about coming to God for new life…not just “say the magic ‘I’m sorry’ prayer with no intention of changing anything”
    • This appeal is made on the basis of Jesus’ death and victorious resurrection and exaltation that has given him authority over all things
  • If you have never appealed to God for forgiveness and a new life based on Jesus’ death and resurrection, you need to do so today!
    • The benefit of Jesus’ death and victorious resurrection is applied only to those who trust in him alone to save them
    • Come to him today, recognizing who he is and that only he can make you right with God
  • If you have trusted in Jesus to save you but for one reason or another didn’t follow that up with the public testimony of baptism, you need to be baptized!
    • It is a command from Jesus himself to his followers (Matthew 28:19-20)…an act of obedience that shows your seriousness about embarking on this new life
    • It is a public testimony of your commitment to living with a pure conscience before God…a public testimony that makes it harder to be the kind of Christian who hangs out on the edges and drifts away if things get too difficult
    • At some point in the next month we will be having a baptismal service… if you’ve been putting it off, now’s your chance! Talk to me and we’ll make sure you’re included.

Victory & Sanctification

• The victory of Jesus Christ through suffering has implications not only for our ultimate salvation, but for our present sanctification
  • Sanctification: being made holy/set apart from sin and to God
  • i.e. bringing our everyday attitudes, thoughts, and actions more and more in line with our new nature and true identity (living with the “good conscience” of v. 21)

• (1-2) A willingness to suffer right now for doing what is right shows a resolve to be done with sin
  • Again, Jesus is our example: he willingly followed the Father’s will to the point of a cruel and unjust death, never once yielding to temptation
    • In emotional agony he sweat drops of blood in the Garden pleading with God that if there was some other way to let him avoid this suffering, but ultimately submitted to the will of the Father
    • These verses admonish us to adopt the same way of thinking
  • In the time that we have here on this earth (on this side of death and glorification), our driving motivation should be to do the will of God
    • We must not be driven by natural sinful motives, but guided by God’s Word and the motivations produces in us by his Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25)
    • This can bring suffering
      • Inward from self-denial of something sinful that we really want to do
      • Outward from those who just don’t understand (as described below)

• (3-4) Whatever time we spent living according to sinful desires is more than enough
  • We shouldn’t feel like we’re missing out on something worthwhile by resisting temptation to sin
  • We shouldn’t allow for “just one more time” or “the one pet sin I allow myself”

• Peter gives a sample list of the kinds of sins he’s talking about
  • The first five all have to do with “unrestrained desire for sex, food, and drink”
    • Sex outside of marriage, drinking to the point of drunkenness or addiction, and eating to the point of gluttony or destroyed health are a sinful misuse of good things that God has given us
    • They show a lack of self-control (a fruit of the Spirit) in which immediate gratification takes a higher priority than godliness and a clean conscience
  • The last item on the list, lawless idolatry, is about worshipping a false god and/or doing sinful things in the service of that god
    • Other passages broaden this out to not just a false god like Zeus or Apollo or Allah, but anything that takes a higher priority in your desires than God
    • Our society’s idols tend to be more abstract like fame or wealth or leisure… but these too can become a person’s overriding priority

• Even when these kinds of pursuits and indulgences are an acceptable part of our culture, we must not be swept up in them
  • This can seem strange to those around us…don’t we realize that “everyone is doing it”? Don’t we want to be “on the right side of history”? 
  • When we refuse to participate in (or at least voice approval of) something that society deems normal, it will often generate hostility because we are essentially saying that this conduct is not morally acceptable to God
  • We must be willing to stand firm in our refusal to participate in (or approve of) socially acceptable sin
    • Hostile reaction from society can bring strong temptation to abandon biblical holiness
    • E.g. CNN headline 1/31/20 – Church of England apologizes for saying only married heterosexuals should have sex
    • Don’t take that easy way out: A person who has the mind of Christ is done with sin…their mind is set on doing the will of God even if it brings some form of suffering in this present world

• (5-6) The Christian can have the courage to do this because of the exalted position of our victorious Lord
  • Everyone will eventually give a final account to him
  • The Gospel, the good news that through faith we share in Christ’s victory, is of value not just in this lifetime, but in eternity
    • Those who died believing in the Gospel may have suffered in this lifetime…
    • …but now they experience glorious eternal life
  • Implication: Why would we behave like the defeated enemies of our victorious Lord?
    • Sometimes in this life we will suffer hostile reactions just as he did
    • In eternity we will live just as he does in God’s presence in his perfect kingdom

Application: Appeal to God for a good conscience

• Trust Jesus to save you and transform you on the basis of his death and resurrection

• Publicly declare this trust and commitment through baptism – a symbolic identification with the victorious Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection

• Take on Jesus’ way of thinking: doing the will of God regardless of consequences
  • Don’t leave room for “one more time” or “my one pet sin” – think of yourself as “done with sin”
  • Don’t be intimidated into doing or approving of something you know to be sinful
  • Let your words, actions, and attitudes be motivated by the fruit of the Spirit rather than the desires of the flesh

• When we do yield to temptation, confess that sin to God and ask for his help to get back to living in his holiness, knowing that Jesus Christ is our righteousness (1 John 1:9-2:2)

In addition to baptism, Jesus gave us one other ceremony to help remind us of what he has done for us: communion or the Lord’s supper…