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Pastor Gbenga Aluko
Text: 1 Peter 1:13-20
This message will be treated with the following sub-headings:
*Background
*Emptiness of the life inherited from our ancestors
*Who paid the ransom/was used as sacrifice for our sin and how
*What are Gods reason for this sacrifice
*What are we then to do
Background
The book 1 Peter was written by Apostle Peter around AD 61-63 during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero who would persecute the church, among others the purpose of the letter was to (in spite of the challenge they are and would go through ) encourage and challenge them to be faithful to Christ. The book as inspired by God although calls us to Holiness but it clearly tells one of the major things that made us sons and daughters in God which is fundamental, foundational and is vantage to positional sanctification among other privileges therein embedded the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ this makes us at least owe Him (Jesus) obedience and a dedicated life in return, may God give us knowledge and the will not to take this great grace/sacrifice for granted/abuse it in Jesus mighty name. Amen.
Emptiness of the life inherited from our ancestors 1 Pt 1:18
The world was made/dignified and beautified out of this precarious situation (of emptiness) and was never intended to revert as God is not a magician but a miracle worker and anything He does or says are not temporary/jokes/trial by error or summarily temporal Gen.1:2, Matthew 24:35.
Emptiness is the natural/factory setting display/attribute of the fallen man/nature 1Sam.16:14, John 15:5, little wonder the Psalmist cried out Ps.42:1.
Emptiness is as a result of sin Gen.3:1ff, Micah 6:13-14.
Emptiness is also a symbol of judgment from God Jer.4:23, Lev.26:14-16, Hosea 4:10, Hagg.1:7-9.
Jesus came to empty himself so that our inherited emptiness can be replaced with His fullness Phil.2:6-9, have you surrendered your emptiness for His fullness that is the only solution to our inherited, self inflicted, societal imposed, demon inclined emptiness etc. Get this correctly, you are empty without Jesus. Col 2:10, Eph.4:13
Who paid the ransom/was used as sacrifice for our sin and how
( a) God paid the ransom 1 Pt.1:20, God chose Him(Jesus the Sacrificial Lamb) long before the world began.
( b ) How the sacrifice/ransom was made: Since the first Adam was created perfect or without sin, he had the prospect of living free and forever but lost it to disobedience Gen.3:17ff and passed it on to all Rom.5:12.
God loves mankind and made necessary arrangement to salvage men from our self-inflicted emptiness and God’s imminent judgment Rom5:6-8, John 3:16 this involves but is not limited to all the legal requirement of a ransom:
· i. It is a payment for sin (Jesus did it) Num.3:36,47,1Cor.6:20,7:23
· ii. It brings out release (We were made free)Ex.21:30,1 Cor.15:21-22
· iii. It corresponds to the value of the what is paid for (The blood of Jesus was/is/will always be more valuable.) Rom.5:19,1 Tim.2:5-6, 1Pet 1:19 the emphasis on the Sinless ,Spotless lamb of God
The ransom was paid with the blood of Jesus 1 Pt.1:19, the blood that speaks better than any other blood.Heb.12:24, He died in our place and for us, halleluyah to the lamb that was slain
A popular song writer has this old song:
The awful death that I should have died
The punishment for sins that I should have suffered
All has been taken away
Thank you Jesus
You suffered because of me
What are God’s reasons for this sacrifice
· i. To save us from emptiness of the life we inherited from our ancestors Vs.18
· ii. He only has the substance (the blood) that has the capacity to save humanity. Heb. 10:4
· iii. All have sinned and were condemned to death Rom 3:23,6:23
· iii. To make us fit for eternal reign with God John 3:16
· iv. To end incessant and Old testament sacrifices Heb.10:1
· v. His incomparable love John 15:13
What are we then to do
· i. Exercise self-control 1Pt.1:13,Heb 13:1-2
· ii. Be God’s obedient children Vs.14
· iii. Live in reverent and consistent fear of God as temporary residents Vs.17,Gen.39:9
· iv. Live expecting his return Acts 1:11
May God help us to appreciate and appropriate His great and once for all sacrifice/ransom paid in and with Jesus’ precious, sinless and spotless blood in Jesus mighty name Amen.
Happy Easter and Thank you.